Harvey Takes Debut Win As Breeze Grabs Points Lead

Tim Harvey took Total Control Racing back on to the top step of the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup podium at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on Sunday, 19th June, with a scintillating drive from the back of the grid to claim his maiden category win - in only his second race in a Ginetta G55.Driving for the Wednesbury squad for the first time this weekend, Harvey made an immediate impression on the championship during qualifying and round 12 on Saturday but it was the round 13 performance on Sunday afternoon which delivered silverware and the winner's champagne.TCR regular Carl Breeze also enjoyed a successful weekend's racing with a best result of second place during the final race, round 14. Marking his 10th podium of the season so far, the result - added to the points for fourth in round 12 and fifth in round 13 - means Breeze has moved to the top of the driver standings, 13 points clear of erstwhile leader Tom Sharp."It's great for the team Tim was able to come in and gel so well", said team boss Lee Brookes, "We always knew he'd do a fantastic job but for him to have won in only his second race in the Ginetta is tremendous. Carl used his head throughout the weekend, in terms of points he did exactly what he needed to and now he's back on top of the championship which is fantastic for all of us."Round 13 took place on a drying track and with several drivers not getting out to the grid in time while pondering the correct tyre choice, this meant Breeze would start from second place with Harvey at the back due to his non-finish from Saturday's race.Although Breeze slipped to fourth early on, Harvey motored through the lower order and by lap two he was up into fifth position behind his team-mate. Into the hairpin, Harvey was clearly on a charge and moved past Breeze who sensibly chose not to fight the pass with the championship in mind.Harvey continued to press on and after taking second place, he moved into the lead on lap five at the expense of Sharp who spun off the track at the complex when caught out by a sudden burst of rain. From that point on, Harvey controlled the race to take his maiden Ginetta GT Supercup win while Breeze took away a big haul of points himself for fifth place.Starting round 14 from pole position, Breeze led away and remained at the front until lap four when Freke challenged at Hawthorn. Holding second place comfortably, by mid-distance the TCR drivers were running together again as Harvey made his way into the top three.

Following a Safety Car period on lap 10, the re-start came on the 14th tour with Breeze and Harvey nose-to-tail in second and third respectively. Unfortunately for Harvey though, he was tagged by George Murrells at the hairpin and pitched into a spin before retiring with damage a lap later. On the final lap, Breeze fended off an attack from Colin White and took second place and the series lead.Robust Clio Cup encounter costs Dixon championship leadWhile TCR enjoyed a successful outing in Ginetta GT Supercup, Sunday's AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK race didn't bear fruit with two of the squad's four cars failing to finish the 12-lap encounter. First, Nicolas Hamilton had a clutch problem on the opening lap so retired instantly and then points leader James Dixon was forced out on lap 12 after contact from a rival led to broken steering.Qualifying on Saturday hadn't gone to plan but Tom Grice still managed to secure a second row start for the race with the fourth fastest time, with Dixon back in 10th, Mark Proctor 11th and Hamilton in 14th position.At the start of round 10, Grice was unfortunately caught up in a first corner skirmish which dropped him down to seventh place by the time he reached the chicane and later in the lap a sideways moment at the complex dropped him back to 10th place.

Into lap two, and with Hamilton having already been forced to park his Clio Cup, Dixon was the best placed of the TCR drivers in seventh position with Grice 10th and Proctor 12th. On the third tour, Grice posted the fastest lap at that point as he sought to move back up the order and Dixon moved into the top six a lap later through the Jim Clark Esses with a terrific pass.Dixon's first drama came on lap six out of Clervaux when Jake Packun made contact and spun him out of sixth position. Recovering in 14th place, Dixon could see his championship lead slipping away and despite making up some ground on lap 11 at the hairpin more contact, this time from Josh Files, resulted in broken steering for the TCR man and retirement.Grice, meanwhile, had made his way into the top six with Proctor in seventh and the team-mates circulated in that order to the finish on lap 12. That finish matched Proctor's season-best result from Saturday's ninth round, capping off his best weekend yet in the Clio Cup.Brookes added: "Nic's clutch going at the start of the Clio race was a real disappointment as he was really fired up and then James was very unlucky with the contact and damage he picked up. As in the first race though, Mark did a fantastic job and it really was great to see him racing in among so many quick drivers. Tom had the pace, as he has all year, he just lost out on the first lap and it was hard work from there."At the opposite end of the country at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, Mike Robinson took part in the latest two rounds of the Ginetta Challenge with TCR over the weekend. After finishing seventh in race one he climbed the podium in race two after taking third place by just 0.008 seconds at the flag!Both the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup and AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK now have a seven week break from action with the next rounds of each championship taking place at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend 6th/7th August. Before then, TCR will contest rounds seven and eight of the Ginetta Challenge at Brands Hatch in Kent on 16th/17th July.Provisional 2011 AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK Driver Standings (after Rd10):3rd James Dixon, 217pts; 7th Tom Grice, 152pts; =16th Nicolas Hamilton & Mark Proctor, 61ptsProvisional 2011 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup Driver Standings (after Rd14):1st Carl Breeze, 361pts; 8th Joachim Ritter, 124pts; 13th Tim Harvey, 35pts


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