Canadian ace Sean McIntosh sealed the 2004 Formula Renault UK with Michelin ‘Graduate Cup’ at Donington Park yesterday morning, after netting his third outright podium finish of the season during the penultimate race of the year.
The Team Firstair driver, who is in his maiden season of circuit racing in Britain, has been a revelation throughout the year and has now earned a further £10,000 towards his budget for the 2005 Formula Renault UK Championship – which he now says he aims to win!
“It was a simple race really, I started in fourth position and then picked up a couple of places and then it was just a case of finishing the race – but I’m delighted to have won the Graduate Cup”, commented McIntosh.
“From the start of the year we’ve been trying for outright race wins but the goal at the beginning of the season was to win the Graduate Cup and now along with winning it I’ve managed three podiums and a race victory so it’s been a great year for me and the team.
“I think I’m going to use all the experience I’ve gained this year to good effect in 2005 as I want to come back and win the main Formula Renault UK title. I’m confident we’ll be able to challenge strongly next year.”
While Comtec Racing’s Westley Barber (Wimbish, Saffron Walden) controlled the race from the outset to take his sixth victory of the season, round 19 was also notable for the stunning performance of Paston Racing’s Craig Dolby (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) who, at 16-years of age, is the youngest ever driver to finish on a Formula Renault UK podium.
At the start of the race, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Alex Storckenfeldt initially made a good getaway from second in the grid but it was pole-sitter Barber who managed to hold the lead as the cars passed through Redgate Corner for the first time, with Dolby in second position ahead of Team JLR’s Stephen Simpson (Enfield, Middlesex) and Storckenfeldt.
However, following a brace of incidents on the opening lap, the Clio Renaultsport V6 255 Safety Car was deployed in time for the start of lap two. The race got back underway on lap five and with Barber continuing to lead at the front, Dolby lost his second place to McIntosh who made a good pass at Redgate on lap six.
Further back, Comtec Racing’s Susie Stoddart (Northampton) was busy applying serious pressure to Fortec’s Charles Hollings (Norwood, West Yorkshire) in a spirited battle for seventh position and on lap nine Susie had the pace coming out of Coppice Corner to mount a true challenge to pass Hollings.
The Yorkshireman, however, forced Stoddart onto the grass at high speed along Starkey’s Straight, as the pair were side-by-side, and only superb car control from the Comtec starlet allowed her to recover back onto the circuit.
Hollings’ over-defensive tactics were later deemed by the Clerk of the Course to have been completely unacceptable and he was excluded from his sixth position finish, thus promoting Stoddart up one place from her seventh position at the chequered flag.
Barber, meanwhile, was in a class of his own at the front of the pack and on lap 19 he took the win by more than six and a half seconds. McIntosh finished in second place to seal the ‘Graduate Cup’ while Dolby was delighted to take by far his, and Paston Racing’s, best finish of the season.
Storckenfeldt crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Manor Motorsport’s Paul Di Resta (Bathgate, West Lothian) in fifth, the Scottish teenager having driven very well indeed from 10th on the grid, and Stoddart was given sixth place following Hollings’ exclusion.
Fortec’s Stuart Hall (Halstead, Essex) was seventh, Team aka’s James Jakes (Cullingworth, West Yorkshire) finished eighth, the returning Stefan Soderberg was ninth for Team JLR and Motaworld Racing’s Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambridgeshire) rounded out the top 10.
Race winner Westley Barber, who needs a single point from this afternoon’s final round to become Vice-Champion, said: “I just had to keep pushing to build as big a lead as possible and it was tricky as the track was quite slippery. It was a big shock for the first couple of laps as I tried to find grip but it got better as the race went on.
“This afternoon’s race is going to be very important and we’re going to have our work cut out as I’m 20th on the grid. Qualifying for the second race didn’t go very well at all and unfortunately our wet set-up didn’t work for us. Nonetheless, I’ll be looking to make as many places as I can and hopefully finish as high as possible.”
Third-placed Craig Dolby said: “All year we’ve been getting more and more confident and now we’ve come to Donington Park, my home track, and it’s clicked for us. I was hoping for a top 10 finish with all my local support here this weekend but we weren’t sure how things would go, as the test last Thursday was the first time I’d ever driven on the track.
“Qualifying was fantastic and to be third on the grid I knew I had a great chance of being on the podium – to actually finish in third position is amazing. I want to thank all my family and sponsors and I’m also delighted for Paston Racing as it’s their last weekend in Formula Renault UK.”
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