WHILE ROBINSON & TORDOFF SECURE CLIO SEASON BEST
Carl Breeze took his Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup race victory tally to four from six outings at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on Sunday, 26th April, to increase his already substantial lead in the driver standings to 50 points.
The Total Control Racing star, who has been in terrific form since the start of the season three weeks ago, notched up yet another comfortable race win yesterday at the UK’s fastest track during the sixth round of the season.
Earlier in the day during round five, the former British Touring Car Championship racer was forced to mount a stirring fightback after being taken out of the lead of the race at the complex on the opening lap, but this he did with a superb drive through the order to third place – maintaining his 100 per cent record of finishing on the G50 Cup podium in every race.
At the start of round five, Breeze got his car off the line better than pole-sitter Daniel Welch and led on the run through Allard up to the complex but an errant Rob Austin, making his season debut this weekend, tried an overly ambitious late-braking move and slammed into the back of the TCR man.
Plummeting down the order, Breeze managed to get pointing in the right direction again and set about catching the leaders which he did with a terrific performance, taking a deserved third place.
Team-mate Fulvio Mussi remains in fifth position in the championship after a couple of solid results, the best of which being a top six in round five after a good battle with Tom Sharp. In round six, Mussi was ninth after an action packed encounter. Joachim Ritter meanwhile, completing his first weekend as a TCR driver, took 11th and 12th place finishes.
In the ELF Renault Clio Cup race, TCR team-mates Mike Robinson and Sam Tordoff enjoyed their best results of the season in fifth and sixth places respectively. On lap one, Tordoff actually got ahead of Robinson and the pair pressured fourth placed Dave Newsham during the early exchanges.
On lap five, MacDowall and Steven Hunter touched at Club Chicane while fighting over ninth place but both continued and the TCR man then made his way past the experienced saloon car campaigner on lap six. Robinson, meanwhile, got by Tordoff a couple of laps later and that’s how they remained to the chequered flag.
Jamie Ackers continued to progress well in his debut season of Clio Cup action, 13th place his best finish so far and coming with a battling performance in a tight midfield scrap with Alex Osborne and Alex Dew.
“Mike did a good job to grab a top five in Clios, it’s where he should be, and the sixth place was an excellent result for Sam and a deserved result after qualifying so strongly on the third row”, said TCR team boss Lee Brookes, “Alex was wasn’t totally happy out there but he still got a top 10 finish which keeps him there in the championship top three and Jamie did well again, he’s improving all the time.
“In G50, we knew we would be stronger than (Daniel) Welch in the races but in the first one Carl was hit again which ruined his chances of winning that one as he’d got away well at the start. To come back through onto the podium was a great effort and fully deserved, two wins and a third from the weekend is great, we’ll take that.”
Brookes added: “It’s been a decent weekend for the team in both championships really but we do want to start winning again in Clios. Alex is right there and Mike isn’t too far away either so hopefully before too long we’ll be on the top step of the podium in G50 and Clio Cup.”
Rounds seven, eight and nine of the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup and rounds five and six of the ELF Renault Clio Cup are scheduled to take place three weeks from now on 16th/17th May at Donington Park National Circuit in Leicestershire. Before then, TCR’s Clio Cup squad will be in action during official championship testing at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on Thursday, 7th May.
In the meantime, highlights from the first weekend of the 2009 Clio Cup season – which took place at Brands Hatch in Kent three weeks ago – will be screened on ITV1’s Motorsport UK show this Thursday night, 30th April, at 00.20.
Provisional 2009 ELF Renault Clio Cup Standings (after Rd4):Drivers: 3rd Alex MacDowall, 95pts; 8th Mike Robinson, 50pts; 10th Sam Tordoff, 42pts; 16th Jamie Ackers, 12ptsTeam: 2nd Total Control Racing, 159pts
Provisional 2009 Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup Standings (after Rd6):1st Carl Breeze, 201pts; 5th Fulvio Mussi, 106pts; 13th Joachim Ritter, 52pts
