Croft :: :: September 24th and 25th ......

With Gary Duckman suffering a disastrous weekend at Croft with his Seat Leon, Adrian Churchill sealed the Production Touring Car Trophy with third place in the second of the weekends races before going on to win the third and final race.

Qualifying :: :: 1 Duckman, 2 Carnaby, 3 Cook, 4 Smith, 5 Churchill, 6 Girling, 7 Bensley, 8 Malone, 9 Johnson, 10 George, 11 McMillan, 12 Boland.

Race One :: :: It all started so well for Duckman, lining up on pole for the first race, with Tom Carnaby’s Astra VXR alongside and Josh Cook’s Renault Megane heading the second row from Rob Smith’s BMW 330D.

But it was Smith that made the best start to head Duckman into Clervaux, from Cook and the Astra’s of Carnaby, Churchill and Joe Girling.

Duckman was alongside into Tower but Smith held him off, before the top four went into Sunny for the first time nose to tail. Cook managed get past Duckman on the exit and gave Smith a helping little nudge as they arrived at the Complex.

Cook made his winning move into Tower on lap three and emerged with the lead as Duckman once against managed get alongside Smith, but not ahead.

Duckman’s challenge came unstuck at Sunny though, “I had a great start but Rob’s was even better and he was so wide. I got a run on him into Sunny but braked too late and then I hit Tom at the Hairpin and broke a front wheel a lap later,” he explained.

Cook’s lead was growing, but Churchill was up to third after Carnaby was delayed, which let Girling through too. Within a lap Churchill was piling the pressure on Smith, but both Girling and Carnaby were still in touch too.

Behind them Dan Malone’s Seat was reeling in Ryan Bensley’s Astra and the Astra’s of Steve Johnson and Kevin George had their own duel.

After Malone had ousted Bensley on lap eight he latched on to Carnaby and it became five car train for second. But Churchill kept getting alongside Smith, only to lose out again on the straights.

Churchill managed to get fully alongside at Tower on lap nine and had the edge as they exited. Carnaby also got the better of Girling into Sunny on the same lap and again at the Hairpin, but it was another lap before he got by for good. “I think I got the wrong gear and it gave Tom a run on me,” said Girling.

Cook cruised through the remaining laps with ease, “I got a good start and did what I could, but with Adrian second it didn’t help my championship hopes,” he said. “I had to work for that but it was enjoyable. Even when I got Rob I wasn’t entirely sure I was clear enough to turn in,” said second placed Churchill.

Smith had set out to secure any podium finish, but on the final lap he lost out to Carnaby at Tower. “I didn’t like letting people through, but just braked too late at Tower and Tom went through. I was holding them up I know, but it was like a rocket ship at the start,” said Smith, after he took the flag with Girling and Malone inches behind.  “I kept out of trouble and nearly got Joe at the end,” added Malone.

George claimed a lap seventh after Bensley pitted, “I broke another driveshaft, same side as qualifying,” said Bensley. “Well we stayed on the track this time,” added George.

Joe McMillan’s Seat chased down Johnson to take eighth, “it’s all good experience,” he reckoned. “I think I lost grip after Kevin got me, but the first few laps were great,” Johnson added. Phil Boland’s class B Skoda Fabia completed the finishers.

RESULT 1 Josh Cook (Renault Megane) 13 laps in 20m37.939s (80.33mph); 2 Adrian Churchill (Vauxhall Astra VXR) +5.48s; 3 Thomas Carnaby (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 4 Rob Smith (BMW 330D); 5 Joseph Girling (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 6 Dan Malone (Seat Leon); 7 Kevin George (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 8 Joe McMillan (Seat Leon); 9 Steve Johnson (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 10 Phil Boland (Skoda Fabia). Fastest lap: Cook 1m33.548s (81.77mph).

Race Two :: :: Cook made the most of his pole position again to hold the lead into Clervaux, but Smith was quick off the blocks again too, with second place from Churchill, Girling, Malone, Johnson and Carnaby. But Girling fell down the order after getting a waggle on exiting the chicane.

As they completed the opening lap Cook was already building a decisive lead over Smith, who had Churchill on the attack, while Malone was up to fourth, as Carnaby and Johnson shared a couple of exchanges for fifth.

Duckman had started at the back but by lap three he was sixth into Clervaux and closed in on Carnaby before going by at Tower a lap later. But with Duckman then pulling off they all moved up again. “I just changed down and it snapped the driveshaft,” Duckman explained.

 Girling and McMillan also had a few swaps and changes after Johnson fell off. “I was flying but got out of shape at the Jim Clark Esses then on the grass and spun at Sunny. I think it was the tyres,” said Johnson.

Back at the front Malone was on the move, taking Churchill into Tower on lap five and second from Smith at Clervaux a couple of laps later. But his glory was soon over, “I lost gear selection again and only had first and third,” he explained.

Cook therefore cruised home for his second win of the weekend, “I was just waiting for the flag, there was something rubbing though, but it all held together,” he said.

Smith finally got his podium with a fine second place, having been shadowed by Churchill for most of the race. “We got it at last, this is what we have been aiming for. It got a bit loose near the end though, but we managed to hold it together,” he said.

But it was celebrations all round for Churchill and the Courtenay Sport team, as third was all that was needed to secure the title. “I just did what I had to. I could have probably got Josh, but just sat behind Rob and he drove so well. I need those points,” he said.

As Malone tumbled down to eighth at the flag, Carnaby also came unstuck and vacated fourth at Tower on the last lap, after a huge lock up sent him into the field. “The rear brakes locked up,” he said after touring home 10th.

Girling, McMillan and George therefore completed the top six, with Bensley in seventh. “It was just awful,” reckoned the former Stock Hatch Champion. Johnson split the recovering Malone and Carnaby for ninth and Boland completed the finishers again.

RESULT 1  Cook 13 laps in 20m43.022s (80.00mph); 2 Smith +3.930s; 3 Churchill +4.188s; 4 Girling; 5 McMillan; 6 George; 7 Ryan Bensley (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 8 Malone; 9 Johnson; 10 Carnaby. FL: Cook 1m33.760s (81.59mph).

Race Three :: :: Girling started from pole for the partially reversed grid in the final race of the season, while Cook was an absentee after finding starter motor problems on his Megane.

It was Churchill that hit the front though, with Smith briefly second until he went wide at Hawthorn and let Girling and McMillan through, before recovering to head off Malone, Johnson, Carnaby, George, Bensley and Duckman for fourth.

The lead duo soon made a telling break, leaving McMillan, Smith and Malone to contest third. Carnaby was on his own in sixth, but after Duckman made it up to seventh on lap two, Johnson had Bensley and George all over him.

Malone made it past Smith into Tower on lap five, but the BMW driver surged back ahead into Sunny which allowed McMillan to consolidate third.

Three laps later Malone tried again at Tower, but Smith’s defence continued to hold. He finally made it through into Tower on lap 11, by which time McMillan was long gone. But Smith took him back again, before it was finally settled in Malone’s favour exiting Tower with a lap to go. “Mega, we had a few touches though,” Malone admitted. “I am still happy with that though,” Smith added.

Churchill signed off his 2011 campaign with a victory and the last for his trusty Astra, which is now for sale and will be replaced by his Ford Focus for next season. But Girling came back strongly and was only 0.318s secs adrift at the flag. “That seemed a long race with Joe right there behind me,” he said. “I didn’t realise time was running out. I think Adrian was pumping his brakes, so I waited for a mistake, which didn’t come,” Girling replied.

McMillan completed the podium from Malone and Smith, with Duckman ending his weekend with sixth, after Carnaby pulled off. “I lost power as I started to catch Tom I think it was the boost,” said Duckman.

George came out on top of his battle with Johnson and Bensley, while Boland completed the top 10.”That was an enjoyable weekend, I clipped the tyres at the chicane but that was all,” said George. “I ran out of brakes, I think it’s the master cylinder,” Johnson added.

RESULT 1  Churchill 13 laps in 20m39.902s (80.20mph);  2 Girling +0.318s; 3 McMillan; 4 Malone; 5 Smith; 6 Duckman; 7 George; 8  Johnson; 9 Bensley; 10 Boland. FL: Churchill 1m34.078s (81.31mph).

Published by Peter Scherer for the BARC Production Touring Car Trophy, September 26th, 2011

Some pictures from Croft.

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Croft 2011 Results ......