Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Kieren Clark (Royston) returned to his winning ways in the 2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship with a double victory during rounds eight and nine at Kent’s Brands Hatch Indy circuit on August 22nd/23rd. The 20-year-old produced two lights-to-flag victories, together with two fastest laps, to extend his lead over Reon Motorsport’s Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) – the only driver to have beaten Clark this season – to a sizeable 89-points.
Zamparelli himself picked up a double podium with a third (round eight) and second during a sun-soaked weekend to move him into second place in the drivers’ standings. Clark’s team-mate Joe Crook (Hailsham) picked up his first podium of the season in round eight (second) to give the Leicestershire team their first one-two finish, while Antel Motorsport’s Archie Hamilton (Hook) rounded off the podium honours with third in round nine and his best result of 2009.
In the Privateer Cup, Northampton racer Andrew Jarman claimed a double win around the 1.1986-mile circuit to increase his lead over Oxford’s Steven Durrant to 25-points.
Clark returns to best...
Cloudless skies and glorious sunshine greeted competitors for the start of the 25-lap round nine. Following Saturday’s qualifying session, championship leader Clark lined the start grid as pole-sitter – his seventh of the season – with Alpine Motorsport’s Josh Mulholland (Randalstown) alongside him on the front row. Zamparelli, fresh on the back of his double win at Donington Park earlier this month, began the race in third with Crook in fourth. As the lights went out it was Clark who took full advantage of his pole-position to lead the field into Paddock Hill Bend followed by Zamparelli after a poor start by Mulholland dropped him well down the order. Despite starting in sixth, Hamilton – grandson of Le Mans star Duncan – had moved up to third by the end of the first lap with Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA) in fourth and Hamilton’s team-mate Brett Parris (Southampton) in fifth. The opening lap also saw contact between Crook and Parris at Graham Hill Bend causing an early end to Crook’s race.
By the opening few laps Clark was already building a sizeable cushion over the British/Italian racer while third-place Hamilton was having to work hard to keep the more experienced Al Harthy and Parris in his rear view mirrors.
In the midfield, Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani (London) was running well in eighth place as was Team Avago’s David Sutton (Swinton) in ninth.
As Clark and Zamparelli continued to pull away, Hamilton was coming under increasing pressure from the chasing back while behind them Mulholland was trying hard to make up for his earlier poor start.
On lap nine, Parris darted up the inside of Al Harthy at Paddock Hill Bend to grab fourth place only for the 20-year-old to hand it back to the Omani driver a few laps later whilst attempting to pass Hamilton on the same corner.
Out in front there was no change in the lead as Clark continued to push and setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 47.093s (91.62mph average) on lap 14. With Zamparelli running comfortable in second, the focus of the race centred around the battle for the remaining podium place with the inexperienced Hamilton doing well to keep the three-car train of Al Harthy, Parris and now Hillspeed’s James Theodore (Telford) behind him.
Meanwhile in the Privateer Cup, Durrant had been on course for the win until a spin handed the place to Jarman and promoting Roberto Tirone and Alex Craven into second and third respectively.
As the race entered its final stages, there was little Zamparelli could do to stop Clark from taking the chequered flag and his seventh victory leaving the 16-year-old to settle for second. Hamilton, who had driven superbly all race, held on to cross the line in third and secure his first visit to the podium this season with Al Harthy in fourth and Parris in fifth.
Apotex make it one-two...
Round eight held earlier on the Sunday saw an all Apotex Scorpio Motorsport front-row with Clark in P1 and team-mate Crook alongside him after securing his best qualifying result of the season so far.
As the lights went out it was Clark who made the best start to lead the field into the first corner followed by Crook, Al Harthy and Zamparelli. Meanwhile a stall by Bamboo Engineering’s Don De Graaff (Weybridge) saw the 18-year-old drop further down the order as the rest of the field safely navigated his stationary car.
By the end of the first lap Clark was already looking dominant while behind Khani had been able to make up two places to lie in sixth with Sutton also running strong in eighth from 10th on the grid. The following lap, Khani made yet another place by getting the better of Mulholland at Druids to move into the top five. Meanwhile behind, Theodore and Sutton were battling hard with the Telford racer eventually getting the better of Sutton at the same hairpin.
Out in front, Clark was continuing to extend his lead to more than three seconds after just one-fifth race distance. Crook was running well in second with Al Harthy in third although the Omani driver was coming under increasing pressure from Zamparelli. Behind the top four, a determined Mulholland had been able to retake fifth place from Khani with a move around Druids.
As the field started lap nine, Zamparelli got a good run out of Paddock Hill Bend to be able to slip by Al Harthy and move the former Ginetta Junior Champion into a podium place.
There was no change up front though with Clark continuing to increase his lead – as well as setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 16 – and even start to lap back-markers. Crook was looking comfortable in second although a determined Zamparelli was now starting to close the gap on the 21-year-old.
With the race entering its final few stages Clark’s lead was more than 10 seconds over Crook who now had Zamparelli right behind him after running wide a few laps earlier. Unfortunately for Dino, the chequered flag came to early allowing Crook to hold onto second – his best result of 2009 – and Clark to take the win and hand the Apotex Scorpio team its first one-two. Zamparelli crossed the line in third with Al Harthy in fourth and Mulholland rounding off the top five. Durrant finished 14th and the leading privateer driver.
Commenting on his performance at the weekend Clark said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend for me and for the team and great to see Joe alongside me on the podium. Although it might have looked easy, I had to keep pushing in both races as I know how quick the others, especially Dino, can be. I was a little concerned my tyres might start to fade in the heat but they held together well in the end.”
Commenting on his performance Zamparelli said: “I’m pleased with this weekend as we still had the pace that we showed at Donington. In round eight I kept pushing Joe and think I could have had a chance of passing him but I ran out of laps. Clark was just really on the pace in round nine but I’m pleased to be on the podium again.”
Second-place in round eight Crook commented: “I’m delighted with my first podium and great to make it one-two for the team. I did have a bit of a moment towards the end of the race which allowed Dino to close the gap but I managed to keep control and hang onto the place.”
Commenting on his first podium of the season, a jubilant Hamilton added: “It was hard work keeping the likes of Brett and Ahmad behind me but I’m absolutely thrilled to be on the podium and looking forward to the next meeting.”
Rounds 10 and 11 of the 2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship take place at Rockingham Motor Speedway on 5th/6th September.
2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship provisional drivers’ standings – round 9:
1st Kieren Clark GBR Apotex Scorpio Motorsport 290pts2nd Dino Zamparelli GBR/ITA Reon Motorsport 201pts3rd Ahmad Al Harthy OMA Hillspeed 198pts4th Brett Parris GBR Antel Motorsport 192pts5th Josh Mulholland GBR Alpine Motorsport 191pts
Privateer Cup standings – round 9:
1st Andrew Jarman GBR 73pts2nd Steven Durrant GBR 48pts3rd Alex Craven GBR 29pts
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