British Championship bike racer Dennis Hobbs showed he was as adept on four wheels as he is on two when he managed to string together some impressive results during his car racing debut at Knockhill this weekend.
Driving the celebrity guest car in the FFDR Mini Cooper Cup, Hobbs, from nearby Kelty, secured two very commendable fifth places and with a random reverse grid, he saw himself line up in third place for the final outing. As the lights went out, Hobbs had an amazing start to take the lead going into the first corner only to run wide before rejoining the track going into the third corner. By then however, the suspension had sustained damage, forcing him to retire at the end of the first lap.
Dennis showed enthusiasm and passion all weekend long and his eagerness to impress showed through in his adventurous driving style, against much more experienced drivers.
Hobbs commented, "Perhaps l should have been a little more patient, but l saw an opportunity to go for the lead and went for it. Unfortunately after my off, there were some heavy vibrations coming from the rear of the car so l thought l'd best bring it back in one piece. I'm proud of my overall performance and l think l've upheld the reputation of bike racers here this weekend. I've just got to say a big thanks to Knockhill and to Tynecastle Garage for the opportunity and if another opportunity arises in the future l'd love to do it again."
There were other notable performances during the weekend long Avon Tyres British GT Championship race meeting including a victory for David and Godfrey Jones in the opening GT race of the day. David Jones also posted a new Knockhill lap record with a 50.690-second (90.28mph) effort around the 1.3-mile championship circuit.
It's a busy month at Knockhill with events every weekend in May culminating in the Official Scottish Motorshow on the 22nd & 23rd May when a 2003 Formula One car attempts to break the unofficial outright lap record.
Later this season, the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship visits Knockhill over the weekend of 3rd & 4th July, whereby Hobbs will be in action again, and luxury hospitality facilities are available overlooking the hairpin. www.knockhill.com for further details.
