In one of the closest title battles in Formula ICA history, Worcestershire’s Chris Lamare (Inkberrow) has provisionally come out on top as the 2004 BTE Lawline/Renault ABkC ICA Champion – edging his nearest rival to the crown by just a single point!
During the final meeting of the season at Larkhall, Scotland, at the weekend, 21-year old Lamare finished second during the first of the points-scoring Finals behind title rival Martin-Dye (Shamley Green, Surrey) before going one better and taking the decisive victory in Final Two.
With Martin-Dye finishing in fifth position during the second Final, Lamare’s win moved him to the top of the driver standings by a mere point. In a further twist, it was Martin-Dye who - during the opening round at Three Sisters Circuit - chose to allow Lamare back past him after Freddie felt he himself had been too forceful with an earlier overtaking manoeuvre.
The net result shows the honesty and sportsmanship of the 15-year old Surrey ace, who is in his first year of senior karting, may well have ultimately cost him the Formula ICA title victory to a driver six-years his senior. Nonetheless, Lamare is a worthy champion with four Finals victories to his credit this season.
With the ruling all competitors must ‘drop’ their two worse scores at the end of the year, the championship showdown at Larkhall over the weekend had drivers and teams reaching for their calculators to work out who would come out on top after some hectic racing, run in damp conditions.
Martin-Dye led from start to finish in Final One to ensure the title fight would go down to the wire while Lamare finished an excellent second, after starting eighth on the grid, and Tom Brown (Irchester, Northamptonshire) rounded out the podium places in third.
For Riki Christodoulou (Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield) and Danny Cruttenden (Wilmington, Kent), however, their title hopes were dealt a severe blow after finishing in 14th and 16th positions respectively. Christodoulou, the 2003 Formula JICA Champion, certainly drove his heart out in Final Two though, finishing an excellent third after fighting his way through from a lowly 14th place at the start.
Martin-Dye, who, as he crossed the line in Final Two thought he had done enough to seal the Formula ICA title, finished in fifth position one place ahead of Cruttenden. Second position in the race, meanwhile, went to Charlie Bruce-White (Salisbury, Wiltshire).
Lamare’s victory ensured he provisionally took the championship by a single point with Martin-Dye a valiant and highly sporting Vice-Champion. Cruttenden and Christodoulou, meanwhile, jointly end the season two points further adrift.
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