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Lloyd loses Formula Renault BARC championship lead after Snetterton crash-fest.

Hwyel Lloyd Snetterton1.jpg (127638 bytes)

Hwyel leads his Championship rival Dean Stoneman (car 7) at the Russell Chicane after the first race re-start

WRDA member Hywel Lloyd endured a hiccup in his bid for the 2007 Formula Renault BARC championship at the double race round at Snetterton in Norfolk. Hwyel went into the races with a 7 points lead over his main rival Dean Stoneman; but emerged behind him in the points table after a weekend he described as "Disappointing". Lloyd found himself at a disadvantage after practice for the first race, when the timekeepers failed to record his fastest lap. "Our on-board computer showed we had done enough to take pole but the timekeepers had me way down. They did eventually credit me with 7th fastest time but at least I was in front of Dean who was 8th!" However there was better fortune in the race.

The high speed sweeps and straights of Snetterton has become a bit of a battleground lately and the first of the weekends races was full of crashed cars and red flags, with 2 starts needed. "There was a first corner tangle and I got up to 3rd before the first red flag, but Dean got past me on the restart, and we were 3rd & 4th but we were promoted to 2nd and 3rd when the first leader went off. Dean got close to the leader and pushed him wide on the last corner. I followed him though and finished second, so it was not too bad a race, even if it only lasted 6 laps!"

Sundays practice was not so good with Hwyel mired 8th place after practice, but with Dean Stoneman this time scoring an extra vital point by taking pole position! Hwyel reflected "I couldn’t get any clear laps! There is a slow corner before the finish line, and a lot of cars go slow there so that get a clean run before starting their fast laps, slowing me up just as I was trying to finish my fast lap!"

Sundays race wasn’t as kind either. "I got a good start and was well up when one of the other drivers pushed me off onto the grass on the main straight! By the time I got back on the circuit I was down in 18th place! The race was stopped again after another pile up, and I just had to knuckle down and start trying to pass some cars." Passing a car a lap, Hwyel was able to make up to 7th at the end but with Dean Stoneman taking the win and the other extra point for fastest lap Hwyel now finds himself 9 points behind Stoneman in the overall championship! However the next two races are at Brands Hatch on 26th/27th August "We had a good test there recently so I feel we can do well" With only 4 races to go to end of the season every point will be vital

2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship Points after 8 of 12 rounds

Dean Stoneman

92 Points

Hwyel Lloyd

83 Points

http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/championships/formularenaultbarc/

Results and times from http://www.msttiming.com