Brands Hatch Indy – Wet and wild success

After a disappointing weekend in Donington we have moved onto Brands Hatch Indy, our home track where we’ve had plenty of success in the past. During practice and qualifying the weather stayed dry and hot and Charles was setting good pace in both Friday practice sessions providing positive feedback for the team. During qualifying on Saturday, Charles was setting some very quick times around a track he knows very well. Hugo Ellis sert the Pro Am pace with a 45.261 which put him firmly within the Pro drivers. Charles, on a relatively clear track but with, set a 45.459 putting him second in class. Race day came and the weather was about to change up the whole wekend. Overnight rain cleared all the rubber on the newly layed tarmac. Race 1 started off as a dry race with Charles losing a couple of places off the line but staying firmly on the tail of the Pro and Pro Am drivers in front. However, the rain started to fall and, after a moment on the grass for Charles, the race was red flagged on lap 26 for a change to wets. This was a blessing in disguise for us as Charles took advantage of the safety car restart to make up the places he had lost. With the podium in sight, he traded places with Ratcliffe for several laps and made the overtook stick with a superb move around the outside of Paddock Hill bend on the final lap to take P2 in class. Race 2 was a definite wet race having rained all day. Charles started in P10 overall and P2 in class. It was a great fight with Ratcliffe for the majority of the race, which was for P2 at the time. Charles loves the wet conditions and eventually made a great move on Ratcliffe before pulling out a gap. Next up was Aspin for P1 who was passed on lap 18. Charles didn’t stop the charge there and continued to pull out a gap over the rest of the Pro Am field. Lap 23 added a safety car to the drama cutting our lead from 6 seconds to nothing. Charles showed his skill on the restart overtaking a Pro driver to bring home P7 overall and the Pro Am win with fastest lap as well. We move to Oulton Park for Rounds 5 and 6 on June 11-12