FORMULA Renault BARC late entry, Fabio Onidi (Milan, Italy) walked away with the Winter Cup title Sunday after a flawless performance this weekend.
The Italian driver won pole in both of the day’s winter races but had to fight for the win after making slow starts in both rounds. “I wasn’t very good off the line,” said the 17-year-old, who hopes to race in Formula Renault UK next year. “I went down to third but I knew I had the speed – I just couldn’t get past straight away.”
In Friday's free practice Onidi had trouble with Paddock Hill Bend but in Sunday’s second race the young Fortec Motorsport star seemed to have got to grips with the legendary turn, pulling off a precision pass on race-leader Dean Stirling (Shamley Green, Guildford). “He made a good move,” said Stirling, 19, who came second in the winter championship with two second places. “Even when I was in front I was always under pressure from him. I opened a gap at the start but he closed it down.”
In the concurrent Club Class, for pre-2000 cars, Ian Pearson (Didcot, Oxon) dominated, briefly taking the overall lead after a meteoric start in the first race. “I thought I’d hold onto the lead for a couple of corners,” said the 25-year-old. “But Dean came out wide and then Fabio came past at Druids. I was powerless to do anything about it as my car is seven years older and not as quick. After that it was quite hard work. I had a bit of a moment half way through the race and thought the wheels were falling off. In the second race the air temperature had dropped and it was hard to get any heat back in the tyres so I couldn’t keep pace with the two race leaders but I’m glad to have finished in front of the other FR2000 cars.”
James Green (Torquay, Devon) stood out in the first race when he fought his way back to fourth after a first lap incident knocked him back to eighth. “Pierre Renom spun in front of me,” said the 24-year-old Welch Motorsport driver. “I went over the grass and by the time I’d recovered the leaders were away. I was really disappointed with fourth. But you have to look for the positives. It was only my second day in that car. Now I only need more seat time and hopefully the pace will come.”
James Heffernan (London) was second in the first Club Class race but did not finish the second. “I can’t hold onto Ian Pearson unfortunately,” said the 26-year-old JH Motorsport driver. “But then he has about six years experience in these cars alone and this is only the second year I’ve raced. I’m a second quicker than I was earlier this year so with a little more time I’ll be able to bring the race to him.”
FR2000 Class, race one provisional results:
1. F. Onidi: 10; 2. D. Stirling: 6; 3. D. Autier: 4; 4. J. Green: 3. 5. R. Palmer: 2
FR2000 Class, race two provisional results:
1. F. Onidi: 20; 2. D. Stirling: 12; 3. J. Green: 7; 4. D. Autier: 7; 5. P. Renom: 2; 6. R. Palmer: 3
FR2000 Class winter championship results:
1. F. Onidi: 20; 2. D. Stirling: 12; 3. J. Green: 7; 3. D. Autier: 7
Club Class race one provisional results:
1. I. Pearson: 10; 2. J. Heffernan: 6; 3. S. Keast: 4; 4. S. Hansleman: 3; 5. M. Terry: 2; 6. B. Pearson: 1
Club Class race two provisional results:
1. I. Pearson: 20; 2. S. Keast: 10; 3. C. Barker; 4; 4. M. Terry: 3; 5. B. Pearson: 3; 6. L. Larman: 1
Provisional Club Class Winter Championship results:
1. I. Pearson: 20; 2. S. Keast: 10; 3. J. Heffernan: 6
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Full result times available at msttiming.com
