Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup front-runner Carl Breeze notched-up his second race victory of the 2011 season at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on Sunday, 1st May, and in doing so closed significantly on championship leader Tom Sharp ahead of the category's five-week break from action.
Marking the most successful weekend of the campaign so far for Wednesbury-based Total Control Racing, Breeze's victory in round nine, added to Saturday's round seven win, means he is now within 48 points of the top of the standings, having been 78 points adrift prior to the event. Along with his round nine win, Breeze also finished on the podium in the runner-up spot during the first of Sunday's races - round eight - to grab his biggest haul of points of the season and really kick-start his 2011 title bid.
Starting round eight from pole position, with the grid set by the finishing order of round seven, the Kings Lynn driver led away well at the beginning but he soon came under attack from Adam Morgan and Nathan Freke. Defending superbly, Breeze had to cede the position on lap 13 at Noble and he then started to fade as his tyres lost more and more grip on the abrasive Thruxton track surface.
Retirement for Nathan Freke on the penultimate tour enabled the TCR man to move back up into second before the finish behind Morgan and he was just able to keep Colin White at bay by a mere 0.3 seconds. Round nine had to be re-started following a start-line collision involving intended pole-sitter Alistair James and two G50 Cup class cars.
When racing finally got underway, Breeze was effectively third for the 'reverse grid' race and he grabbed the lead almost instantly into the complex on lap one. Controlling the race during the early stages, tyre wear proved to be a big factor as the laps ticked off but although under huge pressure from Morgan he managed to fend off his attentions for his, and the team's, second win of the weekend.
Having suffered the bitter disappointment of a drive-shaft failure on Saturday prior to round seven, team-mate Joachim Ritter delivered two outstanding race drives on Sunday to underline what might have been possible had he started fifth on the grid for round seven as should have been the case.
Forced to miss Saturday's race, the non-finish meant Ritter had to begin round eight from the back of the grid but he scythed his way through sensationally to finish inside the top six, just 0.5 seconds shy of fifth position. In round nine, the Danish-born racer took a well deserved fifth place to climb back into the top six in the championship standings.
"It's been a big turn-around this weekend for us", said TCR team principal Lee Brookes, "Carl has done a tremendous job and he's right back in the championship, we knew we'd come back. The aim now is to take that lead over the next couple of meetings.
"Unfortunately for Joachim, he had an off in qualifying and then the problem with the drive-shaft before Saturday's race which really did spoil his weekend. To come through with sixth and fifth place finishes on Sunday though is fantastic and shows the speed he's had. He's done a terrific job."
Dixon maintains second in Clio Cup title race...TCR's AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK front-runner James Dixon finished sixth during Sunday's sixth round of the 2011 season and although disappointed not to have been able to challenge for a podium this weekend, he ended the event within 21 points off the championship lead. Starting the race from sixth on the grid, Dixon moved up into the top five on lap one prior to a short Safety Car period. When racing resumed on lap four, he maintained position but at the chicane at the end of the sixth tour he ran ever so slightly wide and this allowed Adam Bonham to make his way by into Allard.
Remaining sixth at the flag, Dixon was just 1.5 seconds shy of the podium spots. Team-mate Tom Grice, a podium finisher on Saturday, was ninth at the re-start having begun further down the grid than he would have liked due to a driveshaft failure in qualifying. On lap six, the Clio Cup rookie moved into eighth at the complex and although tagged by Jake Packun on the exit he managed to save the slide brilliantly and hold the position. Chasing down the car of Chris Swanwick ahead, Grice ate into his advantage and by lap 13 he was in a position to attack. Through Allard for the penultimate time, he made his move and took seventh to salvage some good points from the race to add to his podium and fastest lap from round five. Nicolas Hamilton delivered yet another strong performance at the wheel of his replacement Clio Cup car - necessary after Friday's high-speed testing smash - and the teenager raced well early on to hold a top 12 placing.
On lap nine though, an unfortunate spin at Brooklands dropped him down the order but he recovered well to take the flag in 13th. Lee Brookes said: "All three drivers did a great job in Clios, the problem we had this weekend was in qualifying on the second set of tyres. Tom didn't get a lap on them due to a driveshaft problem and James wasn't as high up as he should have been. He's thought about the championship though and I'm confident they'll both be right up there at Oulton Park - they're really quick drivers.
"What can you say about Nic? After a massive accident on Friday, at one of the fastest corners in the country, he bounced back to qualify well and then do an absolutely superb job in the races. You just can't fault him at all - he never gives up and he's getting better and better."
The next instalment of Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup and AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK action will take place five weeks from now, 4th/5th June, at Oulton Park Island Circuit in Cheshire. Before then, TCR will take part in rounds three and four of the 2011 FUCHS Ginetta Challenge at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend 14th/15th May. Having made a fantastic double podium start to its maiden season in the category at Oulton Park a week ago with former Clio Cup racer Mike Robinson, the West Midlands squad will be aiming for similar success a fortnight from now.
Provisional 2011 AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK Driver Standings (after Rd6):2nd James Dixon, 140pts; 9th Tom Grice, 86pts; 14th Nicolas Hamilton, 45pts; 18th Mark Proctor, 12pts
Provisional 2011 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup Driver Standings (after Rd9):2nd Carl Breeze, 232pts; 6th Joachim Ritter, 110pts
