CHARACTER BUILDING WEEKEND FOR LOLA F3 DRIVERS AT CROFT
Lola’s Formula Three assault undertook a frustrating weekend of racing in the latest rounds of the 2005 British Formula Three International series at Croft over the weekend.
Danilo Dirani (P1 Motorsport), Steven Kane and Charlie Hollings (both Promatecme UK) hit problems in North Yorkshire during the rain affected meeting. However, with Charlie Hollings taking a double pole and Dirani lying second in the points table, despite not scoring at Croft, some positives still emerged from the weekend.
Dirani, who scored a memorable double win in the season openers at Donington last month was still confident that he could get back to winning ways for the next rounds at Knockhill in Scotland.
“We had a tough time in qualifying but I thought that we made some good improvements for the first race,” said the Brazilian. “I made a good start and was in the battle for 2nd place when Dan Clarke took me out. It was a pretty crazy and desperate manoeuvre and he hit me in the right rear wheel which tells its own story really.”
Danilo retired with a broken driveshaft but still started a reasonable 6th for race two. Despite a good start he was forced to head pitwards after an off track excursion in the treacherous conditions and the team made some changes to the car in hope of salvaging something from the race. Sadly, a misfire then curtailed his progress and despite finishing the race, he was not classified in the official results.
Steven Kane arrived at Croft buoyant after a dramatic pole position at Spa three weeks ago. A mixed qualifying saw the Ulsterman line up in 9th and 14th positions at Croft although he was on schedule for a top 3 in the first session until a slower car cruelly baulked him.
“That was hard to take,” said Kane. “ We were two tenths up in the first sector but somebody got in the way which spoilt the whole lap. But overall we were not quite right this weekend and we need to get back on it quickly for Knockhill.”
Kane’s races were equally frustrating as in the first one he was hit from behind on the startline by Menu Motorsport’s Stephen Jelley after a slipping clutch caused a slow getaway. In the second of the two 18 lap races, Steven fought his way from 17th position to score two points for 9th in a typically resolute performance.
Charlie Hollings was undoubtedly the sensation of qualifying in his national class Promatecme entered Lola-Dome F106/04. The Yorksireman, racing on his home circuit, lined-up on pole for both national class races, with the second of these heroic efforts good enough for 9th overall on the grid.
The 23 year old was on top form throughout the qualification days and started the first race in a similar fashion, leading confidently and opening up a sizeable gap on his opposition. Then on lap 5 during a vicious hailstorm, Charlie lost the car at the complex and slid in to the tyre barrier.
“It was a mistake on my part,” he said honestly. “The conditions were bad but I felt that I was driving cautiously. However I locked a wheel, got on to the ‘marbles’ and then the wet grass and was pretty much a passenger from there.”
The team worked flat out to get Charlie’s car ready for race two where he started from that magnificent 9th overall. Once again he got an excellent start and led, but this time only as far as the first corner where he was nudged and ran wide on to the grass. With some damage to the car and having dropped to the rear of the field, Charlie then set about a stupendous charge through the field.
Battling his way back up to 3rd place in the national class, he was all set to scoop another podium position until a spin at the chicane lost him further time. But all was not lost for the ‘tenacious tyke’ as he set the fastest lap of his class on the very last lap to at least come away with some points from his home event.
“It would be easy to be completely deflated after the way the races went,” he said, reflecting on the weekend. “But we have to look at the positive aspects. In particular we know that we can be significantly quicker then the rest and that is very pleasing. But now I have to apply that correctly in the races and I intend to fully learn from my experiences this weekend.”
The next races on the schedule are at Knockhill in Scotland on May 21/22. Before that there will be a significant announcement later this week regarding Lola’s involvement in a non-Championship F3 race.
RESULTS - RACE 1
Pos - Driver - Make - Time
1. Mike Conway Dallara Opel Spiess 26:30.701 17 Laps
2. Marko Asmer Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 3.369
3. Alvaro Parente Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 3.904
4. Christian Bakkerud Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 4.603
5. Salvador Duran Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 10.054
6. Barton Mawer Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 11.286
7. Ryan Lewis Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 11.822
8. Josh Fisher Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 13.351
9. Charlie Kimball Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 14.256
10. Jonathan Kennard Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 17.370
11. Juho Annala Fin Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 24.918
12. Ronayne O'mahony Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 26.744
13. Keiko Ihara Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda +1:00.803
14. James Walker Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 1 Lap
15. Nick Jones Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap
16. Ricardo Teixeira Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap
17. Cheong Lou Meng Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap
NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:
Driver Make On Lap
Danilo Dirani Lola B05/30 Mugen Honda 8
Dan Clarke Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 8
Charlie Hollings Lola-Dome F106/4 Mugen Honda 6
Bruno Senna Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 5
Steven Kane Lola B05/30 Mugen-Honda 1
Stephen Jelley Dallara F305 Opel Spiess 1
Tim Bridgman Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 1
Fastest Laps:
Championship: Mike Conway, 1:15.153, lap 16
National: Salvador Duran, 1:16.287, lap 15
Race 2
Pos - Driver - Make - Time
1. Alvaro Parente Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 29:25.389
2. Christian Bakkerud Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 1.536
3. Dan Clarke Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 8.426
4. Ryan Lewis Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 11.826
5. Bruno Senna Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 13.831
6. Salvador Duran Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 15.237
7. Marko Asmer Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 17.929
8. James Walker Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 21.198
9. Steven Kane Lola B05/30 Mugen-Honda + 24.812
10. Barton Mawer Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 27.838
11. Juho Annala Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 31.355
12. Jonathan Kennard Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 31.936
13. Josh Fisher Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 32.658
14. Mike Conway Dallara Opel Spiess + 38.200
15. Ronayne O'mahony Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 38.747
16. Stephen Jelley Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 56.039
17. Charlie Hollings Lola-Dome F106/4 Mugen Honda +1:07.694
18. Nick Jones Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap
NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:
Driver Make On Lap
Tim Bridgman Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 14
Cheong Lou Meng Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda 14
Charlie Kimball Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 10
Danilo Dirani Lola B05/30 Mugen Honda 10
Keiko Ihara Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 3
Ricardo Teixeira Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda 0
Fastest Lap
Championship: Dan Clarke 1:26.843, Lap 18
National: Charlie Hollings 1:28146, Lap 18
