Round 17
Formula Renault UK with Michelin Champion Mike Conway (Sevenoaks, Kent) produced yet another supreme performance during the 17th round of the year at Snetterton Sunday morning to take his seventh win of the season - and with it a new race lap record of 1m 05.684 seconds (106.98 mph).
The Fortec Motorsport ace, who has confirmed he’s most likely to contest the final two races of the year at Donington Park in three weeks time, has been in a class of his own all weekend, underlining the brilliance which has seen him dominate this year’s championship.
Speaking on his commanding victory, Conway said: “I’m delighted with this win. Everything clicked this weekend from the word go, the first qualifying and second qualifying sessions were excellent. Everything has been spot on so far and I’m confident we’ll be ok for the next race this afternoon, fighting for the win again.”
At the start Conway and team-mate Stuart Hall (Halstead, Essex), who himself has enjoyed a superb weekend, both made good starts but it was the 2004 Champion who held the lead from NGK Laser Platinum Pole Position as the cars headed through Riches Corner on the opening lap.
Behind, Comtec Racing’s Westley Barber (Wimbish, Saffron Walden) held on to third position while Manor Motorsport’s Paul Di Resta (Bathgate, West Lothian) made an excellent start from sixth position on the grid to hold fourth place at the end of lap one.
As Conway began to open up a substantial lead at the front, Team Firstair’s Sean McIntosh started to close on fourth-placed Di Resta in his attempts to regain his grid position. Try as he might, however, the Canadian couldn’t quite usurp the Scot even though he continually looked for a way past at the end of the Revett Straight lap after lap.
On lap 16, Conway took the chequered flag with ease by six seconds from Hall with Barber two and a half seconds further behind in third position. Di Resta managed to hold off the spirited challenge from ‘Graduate Cup’ leader McIntosh to take fourth while the Canadian crossed the line in fifth, almost three seconds clear of Motaworld Racing’s Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambridegshire)
Falcon Motorsport’s Carlos Mastretta (Headington, Oxford) enjoyed his best result of the season with a well deserved seventh position ahead of Team Firstair’s Brazilian driver Patrick Rocha in eighth and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Venezuelan star Rodolfo Gonzalez in ninth.
Comtec’s Susie Stoddart (Northampton) finished the race in 10th position, having started in 15th place following problems in qualifying, and her fighting drive through the middle order netted Susie the ELF/Atol Driver of the Day Award.
Commenting on his second podium finish of the season, Stuart Hall said: “This result is quite good as after Mike got away I just wasn’t able to stay with him. He’s a very quick driver and has lots of experience so it’s been difficult for everyone else to match that.
“It was frustrating I couldn’t challenge more but I had my hands full with fending off Westley at the start. After that I got in a good rhythm but decided to save my tyres a bit for the next race when I knew I wouldn’t catch Mike.”
Barber: “It was a pretty dull race for me because after I got close to Stuart on the second lap he then seemed to be able to pull away. Mike was so much quicker than everybody and obviously the stars were lined up for him - like they have been all season! Fortec has delivered a very good car and Mike’s driving very well indeed so I take my hat off to them.”
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