SLR Formula 2 reaches its second round of the season and debuts the triple race format which we see for three rounds this season. The format of course still starts off with One Shot Qualifying followed by the first sprint race where the top ten starting grid are reversed from one shot quali. Then we have our second sprint race where the grid once again is top ten reversed from the results of race one. Then last of all we have our feature which is completely based from one shot quali result.
One Shot Quali! We had an interesting qualifying result here in Portimao. UKBeastAssassin would claim his first pole position of the season beating Division by four tenths! SLR Southerner achieved his joint best qualifying in third just pipping a seemingly improving MasonGammon. SLR Dodgy was your best Evo qualifier in sixth.
Sprint Race 1! Your front four for the grid was OwenHowell, SLR Charlie, SLR Bennett and SLR Dodgy. Away we went and a great start from Bennett would create a race leading duel between himself and OwenHowell for the first couple of laps whilst at the same time Crispy2001 and SLR Darnell were already making their way through the grid with ease after both drivers invalidated their lap in qualifying. Bennett some laps later would have a great fall to eighth resulting in the prema duo of Owen and Raceroller leading the way. We would see drama mid race with all Raceroller, MasonGammon and Division at some point facing the wrong way. With all this going on Crispy and Darnells climb continued and Crispys last to first challenge was fully on! Lap eight Crispy takes the lead and Darnell is in second….Quali now means nothing it appears. Behind was Southerner and UKBeast where the top four drivers at this point in the race had made a total of 38 places gained. Come the finish Crispy makes it three out of three this season by winning yet again and from last! Darnell would finish second with his brother Southerner taking the last podium spot beating UKBeast who would fall to fifth through penalties also losing a place to J Lee Menz who took fourth. OwenHowell, SLR Dodgy and Bennett would take the remaining points with Dodgy taking the Evo win in the process.
Sprint Race 2! Your front two rows for the second sprint would be reigning champion Raceroller from SLR Charlie, SLR Bennett and SLR Dodgy. We go again and at the front it was a lot more straight forward and for the driver himself Raceroller who would stretch his lead immediately. Meanwhile in fourth it was all happening! UKBeast, Darnell, Crispy and Southerner would all fight it out which would soon turn into a ten car train being lead by SLR Dodgy in second. Content in Portimao! Dodgy would continue to do a great job whilst the gaps behind started to stretch especially after unfortunate contact between Southerner and Menz resulting both spinning into the gravel. Raceroller continues to stretch his lead however would face pressure from UKBeast towards the end who would close the gap once the MP Motorsport driver climbed into second. Dodgy would begin to lose ground and sadly would find himself facing the wrong way after the slightest of touches against the side pod of Crispys DAMS car. Raceroller would stand the late pressure to take his first win of the season beating UKBeast and Darnell making it a second podium of the round. Crispy and Division would finish fourth and fifth not far behind with MasonGammon, Dodgy and OwenHowell taking the remaining points. Dodgy once again taking the Evo win in the process.
The Feature! Here we are for the main event! Away we go where we saw TNXBG make it three retirements in three races and a race where only OwenHowell opted to start on the softer tyre. This was a race where we saw early pit stops off the mediums as the tyre wear round this track is very minimal with tyre performance always appearing strong. UKBeast would stretch the gap maintaining the lead from pole position with behind Southerner trying to fend off MasonGammon. The Trident driver would take the position right before the pit stop phase where the hard work would come undone finding himself back behind the ART driver who pulled off the undercut. Further back we saw drama where Raceroller found himself in the wars once again but this time with Division. The reigning champion was left facing the wrong way. Back near the front MasonGammon unleashed great pace to once again take second position away from Southerner which now set up a duel between the Darnells for third. After multiple laps of brilliant battling SLR Darnell would take the position from Southerner who would also lose another place on the last lap to Division. UKBeastAssassin would end up winning comfortably to take his fourth SLR F2 victory and first of the season. SLR Darnell would become the first and only driver to achieve three podiums in a single round in second beating Division who as mentioned just pipped Southerner on the last lap. MasonGammon would fall to fifth on penalties but would still finish ahead of the speed demons of Raceroller and Crispy. J Lee Menz would take four points finishing eighth beating Evo feature winner SLR Dodgy in ninth with the last points scoring position going to SLR Charlie who would score his first ever SLR Formula 2 point!
Well after that some of our drivers were mentally knackered but no rest for the wicked as we are back again next week where we go to Spain. Normal proceedings there with just the two races where no doubt we will once again see some brilliant racing!
Blogs Driver of the Round: SLR Darnell
QUALIFYING
1 UKBEASTASSASSIN 1:25.012
2 ll DIVISION ll
3 SLR SOUTHERNER
4 MASONGAMMON05
5 J LEE MENZ
6 SLR DODGY
7 RACEROLLER22
8 SLR CHARLIE1
9 SLR BENNETT
10 OWENHOWELL36
11 SLR MARSH
12 TNXBG
13 CHICKNROSERY
14 SLR DARNELL
15 ll MONKEYY ll
16 CRISPY2001
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 -
SPRINT 1
1 CRISPY2001 1:26.125
2 SLR DARNELL
3 SLR SOUTHERNER
4 J LEE MENZ
5 UKBEASTASSASSIN
6 OWENHOWELL36
7 SLR DODGY
8 SLR BENNETT
9 SLR CHARLIE1
10 RACEROLLER22
11 SLR MARSH
12 CHICKNROSERY
13 ll MONKEYY ll
14 MASONGAMMON05 DNF
15 ll DIVISION ll DNF
16 TNXBG DNF
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 -
SPRINT 2
1 RACEROLLER22
2 UKBEASTASSASSIN
3 SLR DARNELL
4 CRISPY2001
5 ll DIVISION ll 1:26.350
6 MASONGAMMON05
7 SLR DODGY
8 OWENHOWELL36
9 ll MONKEYY ll
10 SLR SOUTHERNER
11 SLR MARSH
12 CHICKNROSERY
13 SLR BENNETT
14 J LEE MENZ
15 SLR CHARLIE1 DNF
16 TNXBG DNF
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 -
FEATURE
1 UKBEASTASSASSIN
2 SLR DARNELL 1:26.132
3 ll DIVISION ll
4 SLR SOUTHERNER
5 MASONGAMMON05
6 RACEROLLER22
7 J LEE MENZ
8 CRISPY2001 - 5 SECS
9 SLR DODGY
10 SLR CHARLIE1
11 SLR BENNETT
12 ll MONKEYY ll
13 OWENHOWELL36
14 SLR MARSH
15 BAGGIEFAN 1995
16 CHICKNROSERY
17 TNXBG
18 -
19 -
20 -
SLR Marsh vs Crispy2001 Lap 1 - Feature
Verdict: 5 Seconds 1 LPs
Initially the door is slightly open but with the nature of the uphill corner the opening closes quickly and Crispy is never fully alongside and therefore spins SLR Marsh. We don’t feel Crispy is fully at fault so we feel the 5 seconds and 1 LP is justified for this incident.
raceroller22 vs II Division II Lap 7 - Feature
Verdict: Racing Incident
raceroller squeezes Division to the right side of the track before the final long right hander corner. Roller then stayed over on the right side of the track meaning the first contact comes from Division unsettling Roller car which then initiates the second collision spinning Roller. We don’t feel a penalty can be given.
Comentários