{"id":871,"date":"2016-02-29T17:03:28","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T17:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wrda.itcscloud.co.uk\/historic_site\/web\/wrdawp\/?p=871"},"modified":"2016-12-22T16:26:58","modified_gmt":"2016-12-22T16:26:58","slug":"jann-joins-the-team-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wrda.itcscloud.co.uk\/historic_site\/web\/jann-joins-the-team-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Triple podium visits by Ben, Seb and Dave at Donny Park Finales!"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were podium visits by Ben Hingley, Seb Morris and Dave Krayem at Donington Park over the weekend of Saturday & Sunday. 10\/11th September. (Report by Rob & Marion Allender)<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/a>

Ben powers to pole in the wet Saturday qualifying! (picture by Jacob Ebray)<\/p><\/div>\n

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship<\/strong>. It was a weekend of contrasts in both weather and fortunes at Donington Park, with heavy rain on Saturday morning, however whilst this proved a hindrance for Seb & Rick, Ben Hingeley rose to the challenge and powered to pole position for the first of the weekends three BRDC F3 races. The rain stopped shortly after lunchtime, and by the time Ben lead the pack around to the grid for the start of the first race, the track was dry! With the championship leader, Brazils Matt Leist and Britains Harry Scott breathing down his neck, Ben was cool, and got an excellent start to lead into Redgate corner! The top 3 began to draw away from the rest! However Ben was mugged on his way through the Melbourne Hairpin, and Leist &Scott made break to demote Ben to 3rd<\/sup> place. Behind them there was more mayhem, leaving Ben in a safe 3rd<\/sup> place. Or so it seemed until an accident lead to a safety car period, which closed the cars up in a train! After 2 laps the race re-started, but Ben was able to hold his place from the challenge of the 4th place man, Toby Sowerby, and began to increase it when the race was ended by a Red Flag after only 8 laps, after another accident! Leist was 1st<\/sup> with Scott 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0 Ben taking back to back 3rd \u00a0<\/sup>places following his 3rd place at Snetterton.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/a>

Ben displays the spoils of his Donington podium visit to add to his Snetterton haul! (picture by Rob Allender)<\/p><\/div>\n

After picking up his award, Ben said \u2018I\u2019m happy with 3rd<\/sup> place, I\u2019ll start from 5th<\/sup> place for the second race, but Leist & Scott will be behind me! I\u2019m confident we can find some more speed overnight!\u2019 \u00a0Sadly in race 2, clutch problems left Ben trailing at the back, but he looked to have saved the position with some fast laps putting on the front row for race 3. Even worse was to come as Hingleys car was pushed off the grid, and he was unable to start! Afterwards he paid tribute to his team HHC. ‘We showed how fast we were and I think to end the year with a pole was amazing after where we’ve been!! 2016 finished on Sunday but 2017 starts tomorrow!’<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.britishf3.com\/<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.benhingeley.com<\/a>\/ \u00a0http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/benhingeley77<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0www.hhcmotorsport.com<\/a><\/p>\n

First up on Sunday was the qualifying for the BRSCC Saloon & Sportscar Trophy <\/strong>Dave Krayem lead the way and was 4th fastest in quali and in Race 1. In Race 2 he finished 3rd to get on the podium! Also proving that the Welsh Sports and Saloon Championship is full of really quick drivers, Dave was followed by Ben Scrivens, Keith White and Chris Everill in 4th\/5th & 6th places! \u00a0Fabio Lufferilli was 8th whilst Tyrone was having a ball in 18th place leaving a large train of cars in his wake. including \u00a0Willem Verhaak & Colin Dunn. Everyone seemed to be having a good time!<\/p>\n

2016 British GT Championship \u2013 Final Round.<\/strong> Ben Hingley\u2019s Saturday Pole & podium success was not going un-noticed in the GT pits, as the crews got ready for their 10 minutes qualifying, on a dry track. As the 2016 title would be decided on the results of Sundays race, and with Seb & Rick in with an outside chance, a good qualifying position, if not pole, would be vital!\u00a0 The grid for the 2 hour race on Sunday would be decided on the combined times of both of the drivers. So in according with the regulations, Rick, the AM driver, went first, but he could only manage set the 5th <\/sup>fastest time! Normally it would be then up to Seb to set the faster time, but sadly this time he could do no better than 5th<\/sup> in his group! The times showed that the Bentley Continental was 0.871 slower than pole and there was some thought that the wet morning sessions had lead the team down a blind alley. With both drivers and Seb in particular reporting a lack of grip from the rear, the Team Parker Racing engineers set to \u2018Drill down\u2019 to find the problem!<\/p>\n

\"DSCF1508\"<\/a>

Pirrelli test ‘The Beasts’ pre-race tyre temps (photo by Rob Allender)<\/p><\/div>\n

There was some encouragement from Sunday mornings 10 minute warm-up session \u2018We should be faster still in the race, we can win from 5th<\/sup>!\u2019\u00a0 At the start of the 2 hour race, as the pace-car pulled off, and the pack piled into Redgate for the first time, Rick pulled off a daring move to grab 4th<\/sup> place! From then on, for the first few laps Rick tried to monster the Lamborghini Hurrican of their closest rivals, Minshaw & Keen. With Phil Keen driving Rick was hoping to tempt him into a mistake. After a quick Safety Car Period, the Lamborghini began to draw away, until suddenly Keen dropped a rear wheel on the still wet grass, while lapping a back-marker and spun off, leaving the Hurrican well and truly beached in the Old Hairpin gravel trap and out of the race! This promoted Rick up to 3rd<\/sup> place, and raised the intriguing prospect that if Seb & Rick could get themselves further up the order, then the scores might fall their way to push them up to 2nd<\/sup> in the Championship! Or even a win, if a similar problem affected their other rivals!<\/p>\n

Seb leapt into the car at the pit-stop with smile on his face, and although he drove the car as hard as he could, sadly try as he might, he could not quite close the gap enough to mount a real challenge to the 2nd<\/sup> place car, the Aston Martin of the eventual title winners Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam, although he was only a whisker away at the end! \u00a0The McLaren of race winners Alasdair McCaig and Rob Bell, were 10 seconds up the road and well out of reach! At the end of the day 3rd<\/sup> place on the road equaled 3rd<\/sup> in championship, which in normal circumstances would be a pleasing result. But 2nd<\/sup> place remained an agonizingly 4.5 points out of reach!<\/p>\n

\"DSCF1507\"<\/a>

Looking like they lost \u00a35.00 and found 50p! Seb , his dad and Rick reflect on what might have been. (photo by Rob Allender)<\/p><\/div>\n

However at times in the season an outright \u00a0championship win was not completely out of the question and if truth be told, then the Team-mates and the Team Parker Crew should have carried more points into the final round! Both Rick & Seb made mistakes, and the other teams closed the gap to nullify the Bentleys\u2019 early season pace. Perhaps the most galling incidents occurred to Seb, with the Oulton Park pit-lane incident vying with the Silverstone kerb-hopping incident as the times when Lady Luck deserted him! Indeed it will come as no consolation, but the extra Euro GT4 cars that got in the way at Silverstone, will not be allowed to compete in 2007! \u00a0 However as a \u2018GT3 Rookies\u2019 it has been good year for Seb & Rick with six podiums, four pole positions as well as a win at Oulton Park, with Seb setting a new lap record at Oulton Park!<\/p>\n

Seb reflected later, \u2018Our driver pairing has been strong, Rick has done a great job, the team has been strong and we\u2019ve all worked together very well indeed.\u00a0I\u2019m happy with my first season in GT racing, especially after a difficult year in 2015 in GP3, and it\u2019s kind of nice to feel disappointed with third in the championship. The main aim, if we\u2019re back doing this next year, is not to make any silly errors. Rick and I made one each during the year and, ultimately, they cost us the championship win in my view. Third is still great though, I\u2019ll take that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Let<\/a>

Let the Sunoco shine in! (photo by Rob Allender)<\/p><\/div>\n

In the meantime, Seb still has a chance of winning the Sunoco Whelen Challenge<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 a contest grading driver performance over a number of categories and carrying a fully-funded prize drive in next year\u2019s Daytona 24 Hour Race. Currently, Seb holds the points lead and he can only be beaten by Marco Cencetti in the Radical Euromasters which has six races remaining in its season.<\/p>\n

Seb Morris Management\/Commercial Contact:\u00a0<\/strong>Barry Mears \u00a0Tel: +44 (0)7595\u00a0956145 Email: barry@fullcontactlaw.co.uk<\/a> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Seb Morris Media Contact:\u00a0<\/strong>Marc Orme\u00a0Tel: +44 (0)7920 886985\u00a0Email: marc@marc-orme.co.uk<\/a> \/ marcorme1@aol.com<\/a><\/p>\n

BRDC British F3 Championship -Snetterton 300 Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

WRDA member Ben Hingeley turns a corner<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0!\u2013 After a special BRDC British F3 Championship weekend at Snetterton which saw him take a 4th<\/sup> place in Race 1 after qualifying 3rd<\/sup> on Saturday, Ben backed it up on Sunday when he set the fastest lap in race 2 and then finished the weekend with his first podium visit in Brit F3, after finishing 3rd<\/sup> in the 3rd<\/sup> race! An understandably delighted Ben confirmed \u2018What a day!! Motorsport is full of highs and lows! After an amazing day yesterday, todays first race wasn’t the best start! The car had an oil leak on the formation lap which meant I had to pit! After some top stuff from the HHC crew, especially\u00a0with Nick Mugglestone\u00a0even burning his arms, they got me back out and I managed the fastest lap and I could\u00a0then\u00a0start 3rd for the final race! I had a near perfect start and although it was a bit close at the finish, it was finally a podium finish!! Thank you everyone so much from everyone at HHC and to my amazing sponsors Thakeham Homes and Sport Wales and lastly my family for the amazing support! I won’t forget this weekend anytime soon!\u2019\u00a0Ben is from Abergele and is another single seater \"Ben<\/a>prospect from the North Wales triangle, centred on Ruthin, which was the home of the legendary Welsh driver Tom Pryce! There must be something in the water! He is now 11th<\/sup> in the points standings, only 4 points away from breaking into the top 10!<\/p>\n

The final 3 rounds in the 2016 BRDC British F3 Championship are at Donnington Park on\u00a0 10\/11th<\/sup> September.<\/p>\n

ITV4 will show the Snetterton races at 18:15 this Sunday (14 August), before ITV4+1 will broadcast the highlights one hour later at 19:15. BT Sport will also show the highlights programme on Sunday, with BT Sport 3 carrying it at 23:30. Dedicated motorsports channel Motors TV will also broadcast the highlights on Sunday, with the programme starting at 12:10.<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.britishf3.com\/<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.benhingeley.com<\/a>\/ \u00a0http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/benhingeley77<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
http:\/\/www.hhcmotorsport.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"3rd<\/a>

Photo by Rob Allender<\/p><\/div>\n

Snetterton 300 British GT Championship Report- Fighting podium visit saves a tough weekend for Seb n Rick. <\/strong>With the car now sporting sponsorship from Venu, (Pwllhelis’ high class\u00a0\u00a0~ Restaurant ~ Lounge and Dance Bar) and having scored a succession on Pole Positions in the Team Parker Bentley Continental GTs car, it was a suprise to see Rick & Seb so far down the grid for both the 2 x I hour races at Snetteton last weekend! Rick had the better grid positions, starting race 1 from 5th place on the grid, but Seb was back in 9th place for the start of race 2. He said later ‘, \u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s been wrong with the car this weekend but we really struggled to slow the car down anywhere, that\u2019s been having an impact on our straight-line speed. \u00a0We knew after practice it wasn\u2019t going to be our best weekend, but Rick and I had our mature heads on and we tried to make \u00a0the most of everything’<\/p>\n

Rick Parfitt Jnr took the opening stint and he moved up into the top four when two cars tangled at Agostini.\u00a0Swarming all over the back of the third placed BMW of Lee Mowle, Parfitt Jnr shadowed his rival lap after lap before assuming the lead of the contest at the end of lap 14 when the top three cars pitted to serve their driver-change stops. Rick\u00a0pitted the next time around to hand the Bentley over to Seb who threaded back into the race in fifth \u2013 with the leading car still to pit. When all stops had been served, the MSA Team UK driver held fourth (later to be 3rd after a pit-stop faux-pass by Joe Osborne dropped him back) and he spent the remainder of his stint soaking up immense pressure from the Aston Martin of Jonny Adam.\u00a0With rarely more than a few tenths of a second between them, Seb didn\u2019t put a wheel wrong and produced an impeccable performance to keep the Aston behind all the way to the chequered flag on lap 32. As a result of a time penalty for the \u2018winning\u2019 BMW of Joe Osborne, though, the Bentley was elevated into third place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pressure I was under was probably the most I\u2019ve experienced in any race to be fair \u2013 I thought I did well to keep him Adam behind me\u201d, said Seb, \u201cRick did a great job in his stint, then we had a great pit-stop strategy from the boys, and after that it was a case of me handling the pressure from the Aston \u2013 it had at least 30 metres on us in braking, and had us on traction too, but I held him off!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rick<\/a>

3rd + 5th = damage limitation. (photo by Jakob Ebrey)<\/p><\/div>\n

As is normal practice in British GT racing, Seb took the first stint of round eight on Sunday afternoon and by the time the cars headed into the infield section he had already moved up from ninth into seventh place. Determined to break into the top six as quickly as possible, on lap three the Welshman did just that and immediately began to close on the Aston Martin of Jon Barnes.<\/p>\n

Lapping within 0.4 seconds of the race leader\u2019s pace at that stage, Seb ran just a few tenths of a second shy of the Aston but remained in sixth to the mandatory driver-change stop. Pitting at the end of lap 17, one of the first GT3 drivers to do so, Seb handed the car over to Parfitt Jnr who joined the race with just under half an hour to go.\u00a0Holding sixth place initially, an issue for one of the other front-runners elevated the Team Parker car into the top five and despite closing to within just 0.4 seconds of the Aston, now in the hands of Mark Farmer, he had to eventually settle for fifth at the flag on lap 32! The points scored keep the Bentley duo in the hunt for the honours, plus Seb has\u00a0retained his Sunoco Whelan UK Challenge<\/a> lead, which carries with it a mega prize of\u00a0a fully funded drive aboard a Whelen-sponsored prototype in the 2017 Rolex 24 hr race at Daytona! Also Rick Parfitt is also doing well in the\u00a0Sunoco\u2019s 200 Challenge. The champion of the 200 Challenge will contest the 200-mile Daytona support race held over the same January weekend.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0All attention now turns to the final \u00a0double points 2 hour race in the 2016 British GT Championship season, on the Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, over the weekend 10th\/11th September. Seb and Parfitt Jnr go into the race weekend 27.5 points shy of the series lead \u2013 with 37.5 up for grabs for the race win.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Britishgt.com points standings\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.britishgt.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.britishgt.com\/live-timing<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.sebmorris.com\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Twitter\u00a0@<\/s>SebMorris<\/a><\/p>\n

Venu<\/a> are proud to have become one of Seb Morris’s & Rick Parfitt Jnr<\/a> Principal Partners in their quest to Secure the British GT Championship – Flying the Flag for Wales! Welsh Racing Drivers Association<\/a> Sport Wales<\/a> Motor Sports Association (MSA)<\/a> British GT Championship<\/a> Team Parker Racing<\/a> Bentley GT3<\/a> BRDC Clubhouse<\/a> Full Contact<\/a> Andy Meyrick<\/a> SaxonAir Charter Ltd<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Snetterton 300 Preveiw<\/strong>. Having taking a fighting 2nd place at in the British GT race at Spa last month, the focus now switches to this weekends races at Snetterton, on the Snetterton 300 course. The team and the drivers, are in with a real chance\u00a0of major Championship honours\u00a0if they can score well in Norfolk, as only 10.5 points cover BritishGT3’s top three crews with only two race weekends remaining! \u00a0Britishgt.com points standings<\/a>\u00a0Seb also increased his lead at the head of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge.<\/p>\n

Ryan Ratcliffe & Will Moore<\/strong> will be looking to bounce back after an early exit at Spa, when a clash with another car broke their steering rack on their Audi R8!<\/p>\n

Ben Hingley,<\/strong>\u00a0will also be looking to\u00a0 make more progress in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Total 24 hours of Spa Report<\/strong>\"Bentley<\/a><\/p>\n

Gird line up -(l to r) Tom Onslow-Cole<\/a>, Callum MacLeod<\/a> (grid Girl) Ian Loggie<\/a>, + Andy Meyrick<\/a> and his fiance Becca<\/p>\n

After taking the Pro-AM Class pole in the 2016 Total 24hrs of Spa there was disappointment for the Team Parker Racing \u00a0Bentley squad . After a bright start , and in spite of the efforts of Welsh racer Andy Meyrick and his team-mates Tom Onslow-Cole and Callum Macleod \u00a0the car lost time & places, until it suffered a race ending accident with the cars\u2019 owner Ian Loggie on board, and the Bentley Continental GT3 Blancpain car arrived\u00a0 back at the Team Parker pits on the back of a recovery vehicle after running for 8 hours!<\/p>\n

Andy was positive as always. \u2018We came. We got pole. We led. We showed great pace but sadly we didn’t get the result we deserved. However we will be back, we will learn and we will come back stronger. Incredible team mates in Tom, Callum and Ian. Thanks so much Team Parker. Simply you are the best team in the pit lane<\/p>\n

Andy looks forward to the race!<\/a>\u00a0‘Other people are surprised with how Team Parker has progressed, I\u2019m not!’<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

British GT Championship -Spa Francorchamps race report<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Seb<\/a>\u00a0A fighting 2nd place at Spa for the Bentley Continental GT3 pair Seb n Rick puts them back into 3d place in the points standings, only 10.5 points away the points leaders, with only two race weekends remaining!<\/p>\n

Rick Parfitt Jnr started the 2 hour race in Team Parker Racing\u2019s\u00a0 Bentley Continental GT3 from pole position, after Seb had pulled out a stunning qualifying lap to claim the teams 4th<\/sup> pole of the year.<\/p>\n

However on the run down to the La Source hairpin on lap 1 Rick was hit from behind which made him vulnerable to attack, \u00a0and he slipped back to third place on a dramatic first lap, but \u00a0then stayed there\u00a0 until lap seven when he was edged back to fourth. During the remainder of his stint Parfitt Jnr maintained his top four spot and he pitted on lap 21, soon after the driver-change pit stop window opened, to hand the Bentley over to Seb. \u00a0With the bit between his teeth, Seb soon moved up to 3rd<\/sup> and then quickly closed \u00a0a 12 second gap to the leaders! \u00a0After moving up into second position, he was tantalisingly close to another win after a real grandstand finish to the race. \u2013 a mere 0.6 second behind the winners Mark Farmer & Jon Barnes driving and Aston Martin V12 Vantage<\/p>\n

Seb commented \u201cI was pretty happy with my stint, closing down a 12 second gap to where we were at the finish was good going \u2013 and we finished ahead of our main championship rivals which is the most important thing. Overall it\u2019s been a good, trouble-free weekend and hopefully we\u2019ve started the ball rolling again with this result and the championship closing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only 10.5 points cover BritishGT3<\/a>‘s top three crews with only two race weekends remaining! (87.5pts still up for grabs)\u00a0Britishgt.com points standings<\/a><\/p>\n

Seb also increased his lead at the head of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge.<\/p>\n

However bad luck put Ryan Ratcliffe & Will Moore out early on, as an clash with another car in the opening laps, sidelined the \u00a0Optimum Racing run Audi R8 with damage to the steering rack! However Ryan & Will hope tp be back at Spa later in July for the 24hr race!<\/p>\n

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