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News: Snetterton Race Report
GAZ Shocks Production BMW Championship
Rounds 9&10 Snetterton 19-20/06/10
Three fantastic races
The weekend of 19/20th June saw the Production BMW and Toyo Tires Racing Saloons Championships make their way to Snetterton, Norfolk.
Alongside the championship regulars, we had a number of newcomers who got their first taste of the PBMW lifestyle.
Mark Palmer and Freddie Tatham both made their PBMW debut, each securing a points scoring finish during their opening weekend.
Pole position was awarded to a surprised Nick Barke after a hard fought qualifying session, with familiar rival and friend Rob Smith lining up second and Robin Welsh third.
Image by Snappyracers.com
Race 1:
As the lights went out, pole sitter Barke was slow off the mark, allowing Smith to slip through into the lead. Still hanging onto second, Barke was forced to defend from Ben Winrow; however it wasn't too long before Winrow made his move.
A few laps down the road, Winrow saw an opportunity to steal Smith’s stranglehold on the race, when he lunged passed, dragging Barke along with him. In one swift movement the top three had been re-shuffled once more, with the fire at the front being re-ignited.
Unable to sneak through for honours, Barke was forced to enjoy Winrow's slip stream for the remainder of the race, with Smith third. "It was great to be on the podium with Rob and Ben," said Barke. "I got fastest lap as well, which was handy," he added.
Behind, the action was as hot as ever. Regular front runner, Liam Crilly, endured a difficult opening to his weekend, with the rain playing a huge part in his drama.
Wet conditions were a welcome sight to many during the first race, however expectedly caused problems. Crilly struggled to get off the line, instantaneously losing two places, however luckily managed to avoid a number of spinning BMW’s on the opening lap. A bit more swapping and changing eventually saw Crilly muscled back to fifth, but still enjoying the thick of the action.
After 11 action packed laps the top three were followed home by Tim Wilson, Ravi Ramyead, and Mike Dugdale. Further back, Kevin Denwood enjoyed a good start to his "best weekend of racing so far", when a 22nd place start saw him rocket through to 13th.
Race 2:
Race two kicked off with Crilly enjoying his "best start of the year" to launch into third, however it was short lived as he was soon pushed back to fourth, but not without a fight. It became clear the weather was going to play a large part in the outcome, with Robin Welsh prevailing through the weather to take honours
Kristian Dean, after starting eighth on the grid, enjoyed an eventful race, which left him ninth at the chequered flag. "I had a better start this time, but soon realised the track was like an ice-rink," said Dean. "After being treated to a Ken Block-style drifting master class from Mike Dugdale, I lost a couple of places avoiding spinners. Overall it was the most fun I've had in a car," he added.
Rob Smith was the man to watch, as an early race spin saw him drop to the back of the field, before a come back drive wowed the enthralled spectators. After fighting his way through the action, Smith swept passed the chequered flag in a remarkable fifth place.
Race 3:
The final race of the weekend saw Winrow and Barke repeat their one-two performance, with Robin Welsh on their tails in third. Stuart Waite fought through to fourth, just ahead of Crilly.
The Production BMW assemblage will be in action again at Castle Combe, on 31st July / 1st August.
Race Report by Leanne Fahy (leannefahy@hotmail.com)
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