2011 WRDA News

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2011 Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship

Bryan Heitkotter - fastest lap

Race 2 - Sunday 11^th September – 15 mins plus 1 lap

Sunday was a windy but sunny day, which was something of a bonus, bearing in mind the awful summer we have had, and the weather we were being threatened with for the Monday. With Neil Trainer & Alvin missing, Anthony Allitt was a welcome addition, with his Honda Civic on treaded Federal tyres. Anthony was using Sundays races as practice for the Nippon Challenge race in October, but as the championship is due to expand to include classes for treaded tyres, it was going to be a useful exercise for the 2012 Championship too. In the race Dom converted his pole into the lead, and look set for another lights to flag victory. However behind him there was plenty of action, with the dueling Nissans. Initially  Jan Mardenborough 2 ^nd was but had Bryan Heitkotter right on his bumper. Lofty Everil was 4^th. Dave Krayem had passed Neil Watts and Keith Butcher with Anthony Allitt not too far behind, bearing in mind his treaded tyres. Indeed it took Dom ¾ of the race to catch and pass him and he was only lapped once! So you can still have fun, and not be completely outclassed on the new breed of treaded tyres, which look a little like a slick with a minimal tread pattern. Lets hope there will be plenty of takers in the new 2012 classes.

Back in the race, Bryan, whose car was handling really well after the Bob Neville spanner men had made some adjustments & fitted some new tyres; and he lined Jan up at Brooklands and got past, to give Dom a chasing. Jan said, ‘Bryan was quick today and he was all over me at Brooklands, which was my weakest corner, so I couldn’t hold him.’

Bryan kept Dom in sight for the rest of the race and finished less than a second behind at the end, but said ‘ I  tried, but couldn’t get closer, but I think he had our number anyway really’  Dom confirmed however ‘ To be honest I was a bit surprised. I started to speed up but he was still catching me! I’d like to take the chance to thank my family & Solutions Racing.’

Jan finished 3^rd, well clear of Lofty Everill who had Dave Krayem for company. Neil Watts, Keith Butcher & Anthony Allitt had some distance between them for the other places.

Race 3 – Sunday 11^th September – 15 mins plus 1 lap

The final race of the weekend started without Chris Everills’   car, after the diff on the G20 was found to be leaking oil. Dom Evans once again lead from start to finish, and raised the question if anyone had won the Welsh Championship by winning all the races.  Behind him it looked like a real race for 2^nd,3^rd & 4^th  was in prospect as a fast starting Neil Watts split the Nissans and with Jan behind him, he looked like taking the fight to Bryan Heitkotter. Then on lap 2 exiting Dibeni, Neil slowed and it looked like his race was already over. However, just went it looked like he was pulling off to retire, the car began to pick up speed and he was soon running at a normal pace, albeit well out of touch with anybody. Afterwards Neil cursed his bad luck. ‘My hand hit the kill switch and the engine died. When I flicked it back on it, I was able to get going again. I am so disappointed. I thought I was in for a good race’

This left Bryan to chase Dom again, and set the fastest lap of the race as he tried to reel in Dom! Jan Mardenborough then had Dave Krayem for company. Very close company, as one of the toughest & most experienced racers in the Championship put the pressure on one of most inexperienced drivers in the race. It may not have been on the PS3 but Dave was giving Jan a real workout, eventually squeezing past at Hatchets hairpin in a paint swapping moment on lap 7. Jan then settled in to achieve his real race goal, that of collecting signatures on his license as part of the Nissan Playstation Academy.

Keith Butcher pulled off  early on as his car just wasn’t performing. So Bryan was out of reach of Dave, but he kept Dom in sight for most of the race! Dom responded and established himself a 2 second lead, which he held to the end. At the end Dom revealed he had been troubled by a really bad mystery vibration. Bryan said wistfully ‘Maybe next time, but it was a lot of fun’ Dom revealed ‘There wasn’t much in it, I couldn’t pull away but it was more rewarding to have more competition’

 Dave Krayems has put his Pembrey in car videos on You Tube- and its excellent stuff

(Copy and paste link manually into You tube)

http://youtu.be/o-Rt0aD3z24    http://youtu.be/oILKPJuu82k

Report & photos Rob Allender

Times from http://www.tsl-timing.com/