Thursday 11 March 2010

TWF1: Brno Report

A healthy field of 29 cars lined up for the second round of the season and McLarens proved to be the car to have with two M29's locking out the front row. Costa just pipping race one winner, Rouke, to pole with the impressive Eric lining up third.

Rouke made the better start and soon took the lead with Costa lining up behind and the pair soon building up a little cushion ahead of John Wallace and Fulghum who was soon under pressure from Patrick Dobner.

Further back Nigel Metcalf was holding 6th after leaping 4 places off the grid, while returning driver, Rob Swindells, Kat Scott, Paul Langford and Sal Tallini all also made up a good number of places off the start, the result of this was battles all the way down the field.

Initially Kuhl put pressure on Scott, the two going through several corners side by side, before the yellow Ferrari prevailed. Kuhl would soon drop back from what soon became a pair of Ferrari's running a few seconds apart as Scott started to chase Tallini while Corrado put pressure on the former.

This wasn't the only intense battle, however, early on pressure was being put on drivers throughout the field. On Lap 5 Nigel succummed to Fulvio, then Leo worked his way past a few laps later. Just behind that pair Swindells and Rick Stratton were swapping places lap after lap then what might have been the inevitable happened, first Katier, trying to outbrake Corrado, ran into the back of Tallini.

In doing so Corrado and Mike Perray, power sliding his way round the track in his RS01, both got past; however only a few corners later the former lost it in a big way. Scott avoided the spinning car but Perray, who was looking for a way back past the Ferrari, had no-where to go and thumped the green car putting him out of the race.

Retirements were coming thick and fast. Mark Abbot crashed out, Sal Tallini lost it after apparantly pushing too hard just over a lap after his collsion with Katier, Kat herself also retired and by lap 21 9 drivers were out.

Up front, however, the battle was intensifying as Costa got back ahead on lap 11, he lead till Lap 17 before Rouke got back in front. Costa also lost out to John who was unable to truly challenge the new leader but was close enough to exploit any problems.

By Lap 19 the field was settling down with position changes being rare. Dobner and Fulghum were running close together with Leo in close attendance until the latter slipped back behind Fulvio who was steadily moved up the order.

Fulvio eventually moved into fourth after first Costa, on lap 24, then Eric on Lap 26 both dropped back. Fulghum only lost a couple of places but Costa's good drive ended with him losing an entire lap and limping home in 18th.

Rouke completed an impressive second win, just over 5s ahead of Wallace who did well holding off Dobner behind. Eric came in 5th ahead of Leo and Nigel.

Overall an exciting and excellent race with lots of close battling and some impressive drives, but I think driver of the event must be Rouke after a near faultless drive.


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