Round Four Race Report

The opportunity to race on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is always a special one. Combine this with being part of a hotly-anticipated event in Super Touring Power, anticipation for a potential Trackday Championship classic was high. On Saturday July 1, TDC delivered.

An overcast but dry Brands Hatch circuit greeted competitors. John LaMaster, racing in his first Trackday Championship race of the season, set the early marker for rivals to try and beat. TSC Racing’s Alan Bull enjoyed a short spell at the top of the timing sheet, before current championship leader Steve Summers (Datum Motorsport #3) demonstrated his pace by stealing provisional pole with a strong lap time of 1.44.437secs. Before the end of the session, only one driver managed to surpass that lap – and it was again Steve Summers (Datum Motorsport #3)! The Lotus Elise driver eclipsed his previous best with a stunning 1:43:687secs to secure pole position for the team. Early pacesetter John LaMaster would line up in second, ahead of TCS Racing’s Alan Bull and Unique Racing 89’s Adrian Pottinger. Stewart Donovan (Se7en Motorsports #112) has had an exceptional start to the season in class C and the Celica driver looked to extend his current class championship lead. Donovan put himself in the best position possible to achieve this, by claiming class pole ahead of rivals Charlie Palk (Unique Racing #98) and Chris Reade (Wolf Motorsport). The battle for pole in class D was incredibly tight. Eventually it was Scuderia Dave’s Dave Connell who took the honours, seeing off stern competition from Miller Motorsport #17’s Miller/Langridge and Fiesta Club Racer’s Wright/Glover.

The stage was set.

A blistering opening lap from Datum Motorsport #3 saw driver Summers pull out an impressive 1.580sec gap to the chasing pack by the end of lap one. A fabulous launch from the grid for last year’s overall champion John Lyne (Tylah Motorsport #71) leapfrogged the BMW driver into third place by the end of lap one, narrowly ahead of John LaMaster. Over the next few laps Datum Motorsport #3 managed and extended his gap at the front, while LaMaster managed to get the jump on Tylah Motorsport #71. Se7en Motorsport #112 continued to pave the way through the opening exchanges in class C, while an excellent start for Miller Motorsport’s Miller/Langridge saw the #17 Mazda MX-5 jump Scuderia Dace to lead in class D. The sensational Grand Prix loop at Brands Hatch, as expected, provided drivers with plenty of opportunity to test themselves to the limits and we witnessed a number of exceptional overtakes through the historic Kentish woodland.

A short Safety Car interlude prior to the pit lane opening would prove crucial in shaping how the race would finish. A number of cars benefitted from tactful strategy to rise through the rankings in each of the three classes, notably the #65 car of John LaMaster and Adrian Pottinger (Unique Racing #89) who found themselves becoming the net front two overall. The Renault Clio of Unique Racing #89 pushed hard but ultimately couldn’t best John LaMaster, who skillfully managed the remaining laps to claim victory in Kent! Unique Racing #89’s Adrian Pottinger took the second step, gaining vital championship points in the process – a result which, as things stand, sees Unique Racing #89 at the top of our championship standings! The final step of the class B podium belonged to John Lyne (Tylah Motorsport #71), who was rewarded for his excellent opening laps and consistent pace.

A gripping battle for the top step in class C ensued, with the sister Unique Racing Clio (#98) of Charlie Palk hounding Se7en Motorsports #112 throughout the closing stages. Palk threw all he could at Donovan, but ultimately the Toyota Celica of Stewart Donovan held on to race victory by just 1.139secs. The result continued Se7en Motorsport #112’s phenomenal start to the season and increased their class championship lead in the process. Also enjoying an excellent start to the season in class C is PRO-AM Racing, as driver Louis Harvey put in a strong performance to make it four podiums from four races this season.

Hindered at the start with a slight mechanical issue, class D polesitter Scuderia Dave struggled with his getaway. There were no such problems for Miller Motorsport #17 and Fiesta Club Racer, who both took full advantage to leapfrog Scuderia Dave by the end of lap one. This was the first outing in Trackday Championship this year for Miller Motorsport’s Alex Miller and John Langridge and the pair made no hesitation in putting in a standout drive. Chased all the way by the Fiesta Club Racer’s Wright/Glover pairing, the Mazda MX-5 of Miller Motorsport #17 skillfully saw out an excellent class win. Glover and Wright’s efforts earned the Fiesta Club Racer team another deserved trophy for finishing second in class, while Scuderia Dave utilized their qualifying pace to recover well from their unfortunate start and come home third in class D - maintaining their class championship lead in the process.

A huge congratulations to all of our Super Touring Power podium finishers!

There’s just over a month’s break now until the penultimate round of the 2023 Trackday Championship season, at Oulton Park on August 12. You can enter the event here.