Just a handful of races after graduating from Cadet, RL Racing Department star Hugo Bentley-Ellis claimed his maiden Mini Max victory at Rowrah (10 March).
Like many of their Super One contemporaries and rivals, the PFi-based team had taken the opportunity to compete in a club event at the famous Cumbrian circuit, ahead of the series visit in May (4/5).
The opening heat saw Jack McCarthy bravely take 2nd place, despite nursing a painful wrist after a tumble in the paddock the day before. His team-mates Sandy Mitchell claimed an encouraging 4th but Bentley-Ellis had to stage a fightback after crashing at the start. He eventually finished 13th, one place behind Tushar Vivekanandan. Jack Martin finished 25th on his first experience of racing at the legendary Cumbrian track.
After his heroics in the first race, McCarthy found the pain in his wrist too great to bear in the later races and retired before any further damage was done. Tushar then lead an RL Racing 5,6,7 in the second heat, leading Hugo and Sandy home, whilst Jack Martins progress was sorely hindered after being shoved into the bark at the second hairpin and he finished at the tail of the field.
The last heat saw Bentley-Ellis bring his Tony Kart home 3rd, with Mitchell 7th and Vivekanandan 9th and Martin rallying to a more encouraging 18th.
The remaining heats saw the boys put in some decent performances, observed team owner Steve Armstrong. Sandy had driven a Mini Max round Rowrah in the dry before Sunday, Hugo did well after his nightmare start to the racing and Tushar is just improving all the time. Jack Martin is on an upward learning curve, and Rowrah isnt an easy place to come to for the very first time and get to grips with. He plugged away, kept out of trouble and learned.
Mitchells lead, from pole position, in the final lasted as far as the first hairpin. As the 24-kart field arrived en masse at the corner, he was shunted from behind and span in front of the entire pack. A huge pile-up ensued, splitting the field and leaving the hapless Mitchell out of contention.
Enjoying contrasting fortunes, Bentley-Ellis and Vivekanandan survived the melee and worked their way into 1st and 3rd respectively. However, by mid distance Tushar had slipped to 4th and ultimately took 7th place at the chequered flag. Jack completed the top twenty, with Sandy finishing a hugely disappointed last, after being forced to pit to repair a dramatically folded-up sidepod following the first lap contact.
Sandy was smashed off, clean and clear, said a fuming Armstrong afterwards. The resultant pile-up ended his attack and any chances of a podium. Hugo and Tushar worked in tandem to go 1st and 3rd by the midway point of the race. Tushars lack of experience of running in the podium positions got the better of him, which is a shame but it will inspire him now. He knows hes capable of being a front-runner, just as Hugo now knows he can win in Mini Max, just as he did in Comer Cadet. He was a star, he led for much of the race and from there took an emphatic first victory out of Cadets. Great stuff!
