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

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 7^th 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 3^rd before the first red flag, but Dean got past me on the restart, and we were 3^rd & 4^th but we were promoted to 2^nd and 3^rd 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 8^th 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 18^th 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 7^th 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

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

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