Archive
Quaife Radical Clubman's Cup: Luke Lifts Title At Donington
27th September 2010
The battle for this year’s title couldn’t have been closer, with both outgoing champion Colin Millar and Darren Luke both vying for the crown. After the first race they were still level on points, and despite Luke’s outright win in race two it was still deadlock. Luke finally got the verdict on countback, with more race wins under his belt.
Neither of the title contenders had a particularly good qualifying session, with Luke’s PR6 in fourth and Millar’s SR3 sixth, as Darren Anley’s SR3 took pole by 0.211s from James Abbott’s SR3 and Mark Abbott’s PR6.
Luke still managed to head the field into Redgate at the start from Mark Abbott and Anley. Chris Hillaby’s SR3, Jon-Paul Ivey’s PR6 and Mark Boot’s PR6 completed the early top six, with James Abbott having slipped to ninth on the opening lap.
As the lead soon began to grow Abbott, Anley and Hillaby continued to run nose-to-tail for second. Anley had started to put the pressure on Abbott for second as Hillaby began to lose ground on his rivals too. But suddenly on lap five the top three exited the chicane together.
Abbott led into Redgate as Luke continued to fall back. Anley followed Mark Abbott into second and a couple of laps later Hillaby had third, with Ivey poised to relegate Luke still further.
Mark Boot’s sixth-placed PR6 was off at the chicane on lap six, after a touch with James Abbott, which left James heading pitwards with broken rear suspension.
Anley pushed hard for the lead and managed to get alongside Abbott on a couple of occasions into Coppice. But Abbott clinched his maiden victory by 0.361s. “I’m very happy with that and it’s been a long time coming. Darren Luke got away from us as I had bogged down a bit at the start. I was struggling to turn in though and Darren Anley grew close a few times,” he said.
“My start wasn’t so good either, but it was a real ding-dong with Mark. I couldn’t take advantage on the bits where I was quickest,” said Anley. Hillaby retained third but Ivey put him under some pressure before settling in fourth. “I had a couple of nibbles but soon realised he wasn’t letting me through,” said Ivey. A subdued Millar finished fifth, with little to spare over Richard Carver’s SR3.
Luke finally made it home seventh, “a tyre valve split and it was only 4psi at the finish, and for a while I thought it was me,” he said. Steven Lindsay’s PR6 was eighth and Nigel Place’s PR6 just kept Ray Woolhead’s SR3 RS at bay, as they completed the top ten.
RESULT
1 Mark Abbott (PR6) 18 laps in 20m45.296s (102.98mph); 2 Darren Anley (SR3) +0.361s; 3 Chris Hillaby (SR3); 4 Jon-Paul Ivey (PR6); 5 Colin Millar (SR3) ; 6 Richard Carver (SR3); 7 Darren Luke (PR6); 8 Steven Lindsay (PR6); 9 Nigel Place (PR6); 10 Ray Woolhead (SR3). Prosports: 1 M.Abbott; 2 Ivey; 3 Luke; 4 Place. Supersports: 1 Anley; 2 Hillaby; 3 Millar; 4 Carver; 5 Woolhead; 6 Gary Baxter; 7 Steve Burgess; 8 Graham Ridgeway; 9 Rachel Davies; 10 David Brocklehurst. Clubsports: 1 Andrew Harwood; 2 Simon Garmston; 3 Ian Charles; no other finishers. Invitation: 1 Lindsay; 2 Chris Blades; 3 David Frankland; no other starters. Fastest lap: Anley 1m07.625s (105.35mph).
RACE TWO
Ivey caught the rest napping and had the lead into Redgate at the start of the second race, leaving Mark Abbott, Luke, Millar, Hillaby and Place heading line astern for the plunge down the Craner Curves.
Luke had second into McLeans on lap two and as they arrived at Redgate for the third time, he was ahead and pulling away. With Anley having pulled out at the start, the rest of the top five held station over the next few laps.
Further down the order there was action galore, with Place, Lindsay and Carver nose to tail for sixth and Woolhead chasing Rachel Davies’ SR3 for ninth, while both were being reeled in by James Abbott.
As Luke continued to consolidate his advantage, Mark Abbott finally found his way past Ivey on lap eight. Millar had also shaken off any threat from Hillaby for the Supersports class lead and fourth overall, while Place had Carver pushing him hard for sixth, after he had taken Lindsay a couple of laps earlier.
Ivey had managed to stay relatively close to Abbott for some time, which allowed Millar to close on them too. But it was Luke’s win and title, as he took the flag over four seconds clear of Abbott. “After I got the lead I just kept my head down and went for it,” said Luke. “I was caught out at the start and Jon-Paul got me. Once Darren had got away we had a good battle for second though,” said Mark, who was awarded the championship driver of the day award for his efforts.
“I had a good start for once, but got held up a bit and Mark managed to get away from me,” said third placed Ivey. Millar and Hillaby held station in fourth and fifth, but sixth went down to the wire. With three laps to go Carver edged out Place as James Abbott put them both under pressure at Redgate, after he had ousted Lindsay.
A lap later it was four abreast as they fought for the advantage again at the chicane. Place exited on the grass but Carver still had a nose in front. But Carver had a slight excursion which allowed Place to retain the position with inches to spare over James Abbott.
Lindsay held onto eighth, with Davies and Woolhead rounding off the top ten as Carver trailed in 12th.
Millar, although disappointed at not retaining his overall title, was delighted to have secured the class crown. In the Clubsports it was Andy Harwood that took the title, as the curtain came down on another highly competitive and successful season.
RESULT
1 Luke 18 laps in 20m39.766s (103.44mph); 2 M.Abbott +4.512s; ; 3 Ivey; 4 Millar; 5 Hillaby; 6 Place; 7 James Abbott (SR3); 8 Lindsay; 9 Rachel Davies (SR3); 10 Woolhead. Prosport: 1 Luke; 2 M.Abbott; 3 Ivey; 4 Place; 5 Mark Boot. Supersports: 1 Millar; 2 Hillaby; 3 James Abbott; 4 Davies; 5 Woolhead; 6 Carver; 7 Ridgeway; 8 Baxter; 9 Brocklehurst. Clubsports: 1 Harwood; 2 Charles; no other finishers. Invitation: 1 Lindsay; 2 Blades; 3 Frankland; no other starters: Fastest lap: M.Abbott 1m07.636s (105.33mph)
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars, 27 September 2010
