If one can expect anything of the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge, it is to expect anything.
While no-one was cashing in their stake over Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne’s atypically non-stellar performance of a week ago, worried that his successful run in the Challenge was over, it looked a little... on hold.
Like that other great French magician, Luc Charp, Vergne pulled something out of the hat – and it wasn’t a white rabbit. At the Hockenheimring over the weekend of May 28th-30th, Vergne put his mettle on the pedal and scythed through the competition like a Napoleonic cavalry charge.
Engine problems during qualifying came, thankfully, after the fleet-footed Frenchman made four flying laps. And fortunately four was sufficient. Many drivers, in fact, complained of engine rumbling, but after inspection this was put down to the schneckensuppe – snail soup – they eat in Baden-Württemberg.
Vergne enjoyed pole in both “regular”– i.e. not reverse grid – races. He also took the fastest laps in both while winning the brace of races was the zuckerguss auf Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte – or “icing on the cake”, as they say over the Channel. His clean sweep propelled him back to top of the Sunoco Daytona Challenge standings with a decidedly above-average of 98.13 average points.
Will he be first to crack the ton? Keep up to date with all the standings at http://bit.ly/d3RSYX. Yes, just click it or copy and paste that shortened URL into your browser and save as a favourite to find regular updates.
British GT’s Jody Firth retains his No. 2 spot in the standings on 91.67 points while the Radical racing was a bracing as ever over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Ross Kaiser’s cracking performance at Oulton Park saw him benefit by some 8.75 average points, ample to bypass fourth and slip into the No. 3 spot on 86.25 points. Kaiser clawed his way from 10th in Race 1 – losing out to ... well, the nine above him, including reigning Sunoco Daytona Challenge champ Derek Johnston – to bag pole and first place in Race 2. Johnston claimed second in this race.
It’s a long way to Tipperary and it’s a long way to the end of the racing season when the new champ will be crowned ahead of receiving his prize, arguably the biggest in UK motorsport: a race seat in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
