There were four podium finishers for RAW Motorsports Radical Challenge squad at Silverstone, but it was new boy Joe Stables that outshone team mate and reigning champion Dominik Jackson, with a victory in the final race of the weekend.
Race 1:
Jackson made a good start from the second row of the grid in race one, but had to slot into second through Copse as poleman and title rival Jerome De Sadeleer slammed the door firmly shut.
Although Jackson was able to consolidate his place, De Sadeleer’s lead began to grow and the gap when the pit stop window opened was over five seconds.
Jackson resumed the second half in a similar position and had to accept second place at the flag.
Stables had been fifth on the opening lap, but he was an early retirement, which promoted John Macleod, who had gained a place a lap over the first three laps, to establish himself firmly in fourth.
After the stops Macleod had made it into the podium places, but was pushed back to fifth by Jac Constable and Marcus Clutton on lap 17, taking the flag just ahead of closing team mate Elliot Goodman.
Spencer Bourne also had a good second half after starting from the back to take ninth in the closing laps, while fellow RAW racers Rod Goodman, Peter Brookes and the Marateotto’s were 11th, 15th and 17threspectively.
Race 2:
Jackson made the best getaway in race two, but a slight mistake on the opening lap allowed Constable to get a run through Woodcote to go clear. “We all made poor starts then I just made a mistake and Jac got through, I tried to get my head down to challenge, but more important that I beat Jerome and I did,” he said.
The gap came down but they held station throughout the race, but behind them Stables battled hard having taken third on lap two, to keep Marcus Clutton at bay and retain the final podium place. “I just need a few extra tenths to get on the pace,” he reckoned.
Although Elliot Goodman had been an earlier retirement, father Rod battled his way home in eighth, while Bourne and Brookes came home in 13thin 14th, with Macleod 17th after being caught up in a first lap incident, and Marateotto 20th.
Race 3:
It was a great start for both Jackson and RAW in the finale too, as Stables had slotted into second behind Jackson on the opening lap. He held the place until lap four when Clutton squeezed by, but they were still first and third at the stops.
Both Jackson and Constable had success penalties at their pitstops, so Stables emerged as the new leader from Clutton, with Jackson duelling with Constable for third.
But a late safety car intervention closed things up. Stables still got away to earn a magnificent victory, but the duel for third was not only caught by De Sadeleer, but passed too, which left Jackson to take fourth at the flag.
“The win was a really big step for me. I made a fairly solid start with a few mistakes, but then the safety car shook me up a little as I knew I had to increase the gap again,” Stables explained.
Macleod also had a fantastic charge from 17th on the grid to eighth on the opening lap. His rapid progress over the next few laps had him in sixth by the end of lap five, a place he retained following the stops.
Elliot Godman was also in the top 10 again finishing eighth,with father Rod 12th, Marateotto’s 17th and Brookes 19th, with Bourne having retired early after contact.