Tuesday 24 July 2012

Croft race day 21st July

Race two
With the grid starting place much further back in this second race (14th) Marcus had his work cut out but knew he was capable of finishing much higher up the order. Against the odds he made an excellent start making up 5 places in just the first lap. Having quickly cleared the slower cars out on track Marcus was pursuing and closing in on Ben but things soon came to a halt when the red flag came out on lap 8. Richard Bennet had spun off track on the blind hairpin exit, most managed to dodge the stationary car but unfortunately Mark Koeberle was unaware of the stranded 993 and struck it.
With around 11 minutes of the race left it was decided to continue once the cars had been cleared up. The grid was reformed with positions decided on the lap before the incident and the cars went out for a 5 lap sprint.
Marcus was hopeful he may be able to progress further up the field and there was a good chance after another good get away. Things soon got quite crowded at the front of the pack and Marcus was put under a considerable amount of pressure into Hawthorn this meant he found it impossible to avoid nudging Ben slightly from behind. As the sprint continued Marcus proved his pace, being the 3rd quickest car out on track but felt it not enough for a clean risk-free pass particularly past a team mate. Marcus kept very close to Ben throughout the last few laps but with Richard Ellis closing in on them as they diced slightly into Clervaux on the last lap Marcus decided it was best just to follow for the rest of the lap and get a clean finish. The results were a repeat of the first race with Marcus getting 6th place, a most impressive outcome after moving up 8 places from where he started.
 The next outing is a return to Oulton Park on Saturday 11th August.  The team are hoping to be out testing beforehand and able to challenge for the podium spots at this track, a favourite for both drivers.


In car videos from both races are on You Tube, to view click here.

 

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