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RACE ONE
It was very close during a wet qualifying session, but Powell’s Mansol SR3 just edged out David Jacobs’ works car by 0.033secs to secure pole for the first race. “I just tried to push it a bit during the last few laps and got pole,” she said. “I followed Alice and she made a slight mistake, so I really went for it on the last lap. But went for a gap at Murrays that started to close as a backmarker was there and I spun,” Jacobs added.

The SR3s of Anley and returnee Nick Pantelli were only fractionally behind on row two, while row three had the leading PR6s of Moberg and Mark Abbott. Timothy Lyons was the only casualty from qualifying and so 31 cars lined up for the first of the two races, on a drying track.

As the lights went out it was any one of three for the lead, with Anley slightly ahead into Riches, but on the wrong line, while Moberg was inches from Powell’s gearbox. “I did lead slightly, but on the outside,” said Anley. Into Montreal Hairpin Powell had the lead, over Moberg and Anley, but there was another change for second on lap two, “I made a mistake at Nelson and Darron got me back,” Moberg explained.  “Yes Fredrik bounced off the kerb and nearly spun,” Anley added. Jacobs slotted into fourth and was part of a second lap break, in close formation.

Mark Abbott headed the chasers, from Gary Kane, Bradley Smith and James Birch, but Pantelli had lost out after a first lap spin at Nelson, “I made a bad start, dropped to eighth and then outbraked myself,” he said. Moberg’s pressure on Anley was relentless and he claimed second into Riches on lap three, before chasing down Powell’s increasing advantage. “I knew my car was pretty fast on the straights and got a run on him into the corner,” said Moberg. Jacobs and Mark Abbott had started to consolidate fourth and fifth, but Kane had an increasing number of challengers following line astern. “They kept following me, I couldn’t get rid of them,” he reckoned.

It began to close at the front too, with Moberg pushing for the lead by the end of lap four. Anley had been unable to sustain the lead duo’s pace and Jacobs too found Mark Abbott coming back at him. But Moberg efforts came to nought and by half distance there was an even spread between the lead trio. Although Kane was holding onto sixth, his rivals were picked off one by one by David Sodürlund’s PR6, having started well down after a puncture and broken paddleshift in qualifying. Absent from the group though was James Abbott, who was tipped out of eighth place after contact.

Powell increased her lead during the lappery and took the flag over four seconds clear of Moberg. “It wasn’t a bad start. I was under pressure and it surprised me a bit. So I had to work to get a gap and then built on it in the closing laps,” she explained. Jacobs’ hold on fourth had started to come under pressure in the closing laps, losing out to Sodürlund with a lap to go; “I was surprised by the leaders pace and I had the wrong set up. I couldn’t seem to get the power down where I wanted it. Then I had contact at the Bombhole on the last lap, lost momentum and Mark Abbott got me on the outside, but we made contact,” he explained. Sodürlund was left clear in fourth, “I didn’t expect that, I had hoped for a top ten maybe. But I had a very good opening lap and stayed optimistic,” he said.

Jacobs managed to retain fifth, but following his contact, Mark Abbott lost out Kane for sixth. “I was happy behind David as we are in separate classes, but then he made a couple of mistakes and I went by but got tapped at Coram. I lost momentum and Gary got by,” he said. Paul Marsham had a late flurry to pick off Smith, and was only a whisker away from snatching eighth from Bandar Alireza in the run to the line. Smith completed the top ten from the recovering James Abbott, while Mark Boot improved on his qualifying performance, to claim fourth in class and 12th overall. Jon Morris once again dominated the Clubsports from Ian Charles and Jennifer Ridgway.

RESULT

1 Alice Powell (SR3) 11 laps in 20m47.036s (94.27mph); 2 Fredrik Moberg (PR6) +4.396s; 3 Darron Anley (SR3); 4 David Sodürlund (PR6); 5 David Jacobs (SR3); 6 Gary Kane (SR3); 7 Mark Abbott (PR6); 8 Bandar Alireza (SR3); 9 Paul Marsham (SR3); 10 Bradley Smith (SR3). Supersports: 1 Powell; 2 Anley; 3 Jacobs; 4 Kane; 5 Alireza; 6 Marsham. Prosports: 1 Moberg; 2 Sodürlund; 3 M. Abbott; 4 Mark Boot; 5 Bill Henderson; 6 Richard Stables. Clubsport; 1 Jon Morris (Clubsport); 2 Ian Charles (Clubsport); 3 Jennifer Ridgway (SR4); no other starters. Fastest lap: Powell 1m51.526s (95.83mph).

RACE TWO
It was a similar grid for the second race, with Powell on pole from Jacobs again, but Anley in third from Pantelli, Moberg and Mark Abbott.

It was Jacobs that made a sensational getaway to head Powell into Riches, but there were dramas behind, after contact between Andy Cummings and Bradley Smith. The race was immediately red flagged and with the barrier needing to be replaced, there was an hour delay before the restart. The PR6s of Soderlund, Henderson and Stables were also damaged in the follow-up incident.

The restart became slightly confusing, with race distance down to 10 minutes and a rolling start behind the safety car, rather than a standing start. Powell read the situation perfectly and powered ahead as the safety car pulled off. “Alice just shot off, caught me with my pants down, as I wasn’t really ready,” said Jacobs. Pantelli was into second, but he too had misread things. “I couldn’t see why I was penalised, I was 0.01secs ahead of David when we crossed the line and we appeared to be racing,” he said. But the move was before the start line and a 10-second penalty was awarded.

Powell led all the way but Pantelli never gave up. “I enjoyed that, I judged the start right, but hit a backmarker and had to slow as I thought I might have puncture, then Nick caught right up with me,” she said. Jacobs dropped to fifth which left Anley chasing Moberg again for third place and James Abbott closing on both. On lap three Jacobs succumbed, “I could see James behind me and overcooked into Nelson and spun,” he explained.

Abbott Jnr then set about closing the gap to the third placed battle, but with time running out in the shortened race, further progress looked unlikely. Powell headed home Pantelli on the road for win number two, but Anley decided to have a last lap lunge at Moberg for third. “I couldn’t get Fredrik on the straights, but into Montreal hairpin for the last time I pushed my braking a bit further, and spun,” he explained. Moberg was therefore clear in third and the PR6 class winner again, “I had a bit of a tussle on the first lap, but had second into Agostini Hairpin on the opening lap, it was good,” he said. Abbott Jnr was fourth, “much better than the first race,” he thought.

Marsham collected an excellent fifth, “I was just aiming to keep it respectable and stay on the track,” he said. Mark Abbott, Kane and Alireza had both taken the flag too before the recovering Anley, with Henderson completing the top 10 after a racelong duel to hold off Mark Boot. “I should get angry more often, plenty of venom and I was determined Mark wasn’t going by,” said Henderson. “I was right on Bill a few times out of the corners, but didn’t have enough to go by,” added Boot.

The recovering Jacobs eventually split the PR6 rivals, but with both Panteli and Alireza receiving penalties, they were relegated to sixth and 13th respectively. In the Clubsports Morris reigned supreme again, with Ridgway pipping Charles for second.

RESULT
1 Powell 5 laps in 10m44.101s (82.96mph); 2 Moberg +3.525s; 3 James Abbott (SR3); 4 Marsham; 5 M.Abbott; 6 Nick Pantelli (SR3); 7 Kane; 8 Anley; 9 Bill Henderson (PR6); 10 Jacobs. Supersports: 1 Powell; 2 J.Abbott; 3 Marsham; 4 Pantelli; 5 Kane; 6 Anley.  Prosports: 1 Moberg; 2 M.Abbott; 3 Henderson; 4 Boot; 5 Stables; 6 Simon Garmston. Clubsport: 1 Morris; 2 J.Ridgway; 3 Charles; no other starters. Fastest lap: J.Abbott 1m51.848s (95.55mph).