Monday 26th May 2003

Tuscan Feature Race

Three different leaders in another exciting tussle

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Championship rivals Lee Caroline and David Mason lined up at the front of the grid today to lead the eighteen car grid away. Mason made a good start with Caroline struggling initially allowing Richard Stanton to grab onto his shirt tails into the first bend.

Behind them Darren Dowling - now consistently mixing it at the front - went into the bend three abreast with Ben Samuelson and youngster Philip Keen. As ever the glass fibre was flexing as the cars battled side by side like they do in no other series.

Done for the Day?

Mason and Caroline managed to open up a small gap in due course and it looked like it could just be a sprint to the finish, but things are never that straight forward in this series. Caroline executed a text book overtaking manouvre at the end of the home straight and took the lead. Mason fought back hard though in the CDL Racing car, leveling with Caroline on one side. Phil Keen had nipped in front of the rest of the pack and also sidled up to Caroline, but the lead remained steady and all looked like it was under control.

Lee Caroline simply couldn't open up a gap though no matter how hard he tried. With the pack still tightly gathered in convoy, there were plenty of drivers with their eye on the podium. Richard Stanton wasn't pussy footing about and managed to get around the outside of Caroline and take the lead for himself. It wasn't to last though with a dive up the inside from Caroline allowing him to resume the lead - briefly.

Thump!

All hell was to break loose shortly after though as Insane Racing's Dowling tapped Caroline into a spin. Dowling went off roading, losing his bonnet in the process. Both cars rejoined and were still in with a shout but it left Stanton in the lead again in the immaculate De Walt car.

Caroline didn't lose much time and still managed to stay with the front pack. Stanton drove a safe race to take the win, with Philip Keen in second place and David Mason securing another podium finish in third. Dowling took fourth ahead of a frustrated Caroline.

Back of the Pack

Front runner Richard Hay continued a disastrous weekend with mechanical problems necessitating two pit stops before he finished last.

Mention also has to go to Bob Ross. His distinctive plain yellow Tuscan looked like it had gone out on oval wheels as it weaved around the track. Bob should be commended on his driving skills for only spinning twice!

Not much waiting for the next round - we're off to Snetterton next week for another fix of this spectacular series. Hope to see many of you there too!

[caro]

That sounds just as exciting as Sunday's race, wish I'd gone back! It's impressive, particularly given the "three abreast" and off-roading episodes, that of 18 runners, all 18 finished.

[yellow peril]

It was just as exciting Caro.....especially with DM finishing 3rd....made it worthwhile staying on.


Going to miss Snetterton though.. ..hadn't planned for it....going with the region to British Sportscar Day at Biggleswade instead.

//P//

[caro]

yellow peril, don't make it worse! still, Sunday carried the reward of seeing TVRs 123 in the GTs. BigM did alert me to look out for your yellow cerb/yellow wheels combo, but it wasn't with the other TVRs - no doubt we will meet sometime!

[d_drinks]

Sounds like a good race, it's a shame that the races are getting shorter though, Castle Coombe the feature race was shortened due o the day running late, so that both 'sprint' and 'feature' races were 10laps and now Oulton is reduced to 8 laps, it's real shame we can't see 15 or 20 laps races round tracks like Oulton it would be a great site to behold