Lola F3 action from Knockhill

Motorsport News

We offer creative digital solutions for website, software, video, app and brand development.

Specialists in delivering digital projects for clients all around the world for over 30 years. We love car stuff but do non-automotive too...so get in touch if you think we can help +44 (0)1252 961775

See Our Work

May 23, 2005 in Motorsport

Lola F3 action from Knockhill

Lola’s Formula 3 teams and drivers had plenty to be satisfied with at Knockhill in Scotland over the weekend. Charlie Hollings scored a superb double National Class win in the Promatecme Lola-Dome and solid points finishes from Steven Kane, who collected two 4th place finishes in the Promatecme Championship class B05/30.

For Charlie Hollings, the weekend’s wins banished the memory of Croft where he spun out of a healthy lead late in the race. The Yorkshireman dominated qualifying and lined up on pole position by a huge margin of half a second, on this a circuit just 1.7 miles long. After a good start in race one, Charlie walked away from the field in the early stages but came under considerable pressure from Salvador Duran in the second half of the first 25 lap event, held in wet conditions.

The gap shrunk after Japanese driver - Keiko Ihara spun, blocking half the circuit at the exit of the blind Scotsman Corner. Losing at least 4 seconds whilst negotiating the obstruction, Charlie fell in to Duran’s hands.

“That was a scary moment for me and a few others,” said Charlie. “I had to almost stop and for just a minute awful things were going through my mind. All in all it was a tough race in terms of pressure and concentration, mainly because of the conditions and also the traffic,” he continued. “I was aware that Duran was catching me but I just focused on my own race and thankfully it paid off when he made a mistake and spun.”

The Mexican completed a 360 with just 2 laps to go, giving Charlie the breathing space he needed to take his debut win.

Hollings’ second victory of the weekend was just as hard earned as the first but this time it was Australian Barton Mawer who pressured him all the way.

Starting the race on worn tyres, Charlie found his rubber increasingly deteriorating towards the end of the race, enabling Mawer (on new tyres) to latch on to the yellow and black Lola-Dome’s tail. In a masterpiece of defensive driving, Charlie thwarted the Dallara on several occasions on the entry in to Duffers Dip with some firm but fair door-shutting manoeuvres.

“I was determined to resist his moves and his last effort around the outside was never going to work and he had a gravely moment,” said Charlie. “I don’t think he is pleased but it was not a dirty move, just decisive. Overall I am absolutely delighted that we have come away with 40 points, it is just what was needed and the team did a fantastic job all weekend.”

With no previous data of Knockhill due to the fact that Danny Watts skipped the fixture last year, Charlie’s perfect weekend was all the more impressive and now puts him in to 4th place in the national points standings.

Underlining the weekend nicely was an uncanny family co-incidence. Amazingly, Charlie’s late Grandmother was called Lola and even more incredibly had the maiden name of Carr! As Charlie’s emotional parents watched their son jump on to the top step of the podium twice in one weekend, it was a perfect way for a renewed title challenge to be launched.

Steven Kane put in two fine performances over the weekend with fighting drives to two 4th places finishes. The gritty Ulsterman set a superb 3rd fastest time in qualifying for the first race and was well set for at least 3rd in the closing stages but was cruelly taken off the track by another incident. Bruno Senna, American racer Nick Jones and Irishman Ronayne O’Mahoney failed to see blue flags warning them of Steven’s presence, who had no option but to force his car over a gravel trap to avoid the squabbling trio.

“It was a huge shame and a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but some people this weekend just weren’t using their heads, never mind their mirrors!” said the unfortunate Kane.

Earlier, Steven had pulled off the move of the race when he performed an immaculate outbraking manoeuvre on former Championship leader – Mike Conway at the hairpin. “I don’t think he even saw me coming but I have never been afraid to go for it when an opportunity presents itself,” he said.

Kane underlined his speed with a fastest overall race lap of 54.025s, set on lap 18.

Race 2 saw Steven lose a position off the startline and finish the opening lap in 8th place. However, the resolute 24 year old was not down for long, executing another brilliant move, this time on James Walker at the chicane. Soon he was up to 4th place once more and harrying 3rd place man Charlie Kimball, but just failed in that quest, by half a second.

Reviewing the weekend, Kane believed that he should have been challenging for victory but a combination of factors conspired against him. A clutch change in second qualifying meant he missed out on the best of the conditions, negating his undeniable speed and aggression on the undulating track.

“It was ultimately frustrating, but it will go our way soon,” he warned. “I know we could have challenged Parente this weekend if we’d have had a little more rub of the green but I am confident in the car and the team that wins will come soon.”

Danilo Dirani endured a tough weekend at Knockhill but still came away with a clutch of points after qualifying saw him line up 10th and 15th respectively on the grid.

The Brazilian made up for at least some of that disappointment with a prudent drive to 5th place in race one. “From 10th place and with the bad conditions I knew that if I kept it clean and looked after the car I could get some decent points,” he said.

Race 2 saw ‘DD’ make a superb start and rise to 11th from 15th on the opening lap before rising to 8th when Ryan Lewis spun at Duffers Dip. Soon Danilo was fighting Dan Clarke but a bizarre incident ended his progress on the 15th lap.

“James Walker seemed watered to go off line and went through a puddle and sprayed water on to the track causing not only me but also Clarke to spin off!” said Danilo.

After spin-turning the car back on to the track he was back in to 10th position and had a spirited scrap with Ryan Lewis, who appeared to use the white Lola as a brake at the hairpin just after the ‘water splash’ incident. Two further retirements before the end of the race meant that Danilo brought the Neil Brown prepared Mugen-Honda engined car home in 8th place.

With just a week before the next double header round at Thruxton in Hampshire, the F3 teams and drives face a possible pivotal weekend of action in the race for the 2005 British Formula Three International series.

RACE RESULTS – RACE 1

Pos / Driver / Chassis-Engine / Time

1. Alvaro Parente Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 22:58.6952. Ryan Lewis Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 7.8203. Mike Conway Dallara OpelSpiess + 8.7084. Steven Kane Lola B05/30 Mugen-Honda + 16.3335. Danilo Dirani Lola B05/30 Mugen Honda + 19.5286. Christian Bakkerud Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 44.4827. Charlie Hollings Lola-Dome F106/4 MugenHonda + 46.5308. Salvador Duran Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 48.9439. Josh Fisher Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 51.26910. Barton Mawer Dallara F304Mugen-Honda + 1Lap11. Stephen Jelley Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 1 Lap12. Juho Annala Dallara F304Mugen-Honda + 1Lap13. Jonathan Kennard Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap14. Bruno Senna Dallara F305Mugen-Honda + 1Lap15. Ronayne O'Mahony Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 1 Lap16. Keiko Ihara Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 2 Laps17. Ricardo Teixeira Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 3 LapsNOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:Tim Bridgman Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda lap 20Nick Jones Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda 18Marko Asmer Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 16James Walker Dallara F305 Opel Spiess 15Cheong Lou Meng Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda 15Charlie Kimball Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 0FASTEST LAPS:Championship: Steven Kane 54.025 on lap 18National: Salvador Duran 54.665 on lap 25

RACE 2

1. Alvaro Parente Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 20:00.8762. Marko Asmer Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 8.1863. Charlie Kimball Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 8.6774. Steven Kane Lola B05/30 Mugen-Honda + 9.0455. Dan Clarke Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 20.7836. James Walker Dallara F305 Opel Spiess + 23.2247. Christian Bakkerud Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 26.9758. Ryan Lewis Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 27.1079. Danilo Dirani Lola B05/30 Mugen Honda + 28.95310. CharlieHollings Lola-Dome F106/4 Mugen Honda + 38.36511. Barto Mawer Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 41.36812. Jonathan Kennard Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 43.80513. Juho Annala Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 46.37614. Salvador Duran Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap15. Keiko Ihara Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap16. Nick Jones Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap17. Ricardo Teixeira Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 1 Lap18. Cheong Lou Meng Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda + 2 LapsNOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:Mike Conway Dallara Opel Spiess lap 23Ronayne O'Mahony Dallara F305 Opel Spiess 16Stephen Jelley Dallara F305 Opel Spiess 9Tim Bridgman Dallara F305 Mugen-Honda 2Josh Fisher Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda 0FASTEST LAPS:Championship: Ryan Lewis 47.039 on lap 11National: Barton Mawer 48.406 on lap13CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS TABLES

1. Alvaro Parente (P) Carlin Motorsport Dallara 72pts

2. Mike Conway (GB) Fortec Motorsport Dallara 62pts

3. Marko Asmer (EST) Hitech Dallara 55pts

4. Ryan Lewis (GB) T-Sport Dallara 52pts

5. Danilo Dirani (BR) P1 Motorsport Lola 50pts

6. Christian Bakkerud (DK) Carlin Motorsport Dallara 45pts

7. Dan Clarke (GB) RR Racing Dallara 41pts

7. Steven Kane (GB) Promatecme Lola 36pts

8. Charlie Kimball (USA) Carlin Dallara 19pts

9. Bruno Senna (BR) RR Racing Dallara 17pts

10. James Walker (GB) Fortec Dallara 13pts

NATIONAL POINTS TABLE