Silverstone - 15 September 2002

Official Race Report

Cathy Metcalfe reports:

Championship leader Matt Wilson further extended his lead in the 2002 BRSCC T-Cars Championship with two wins at Silverstone at the weekend, but the 15 year-old was made to work hard for his first win of the day. Throughout the 15 minutes race, Wilson was pushed hard by Dan Hoy and Phil Rose, the trio swapping places at every corner on every lap to produce the most closely fought race of the season.

At the start pole-sitter Wilson struggled with wheelspin and Rose sped away into the lead with Hoy and Wilson behind. For two laps Rose kept the others behind until Hoy forced a way through at Becketts to cross the line in the lead. Lap after lap, the three changed places, each taking turns to lead the race but on the very last lap going into Copse, Wilson took the lead for the last time, which he held on to the flag to record his 12th win of the season.

Behind the lead battle, series new boy James Jakes impressed in only his second race of the series enjoying a race-long battle with Jonathan Kennard for fourth place, Kennard’s experience paid off though as he found a way past Jakes at Becketts on lap five and held the place to the flag.

Sixth place went to Jonathan Cocker, the 16 year-old struggling to learn the circuit having missed the Friday test session and much of the morning untimed practice. While Will Bratt took a fine seventh place, despite struggling with understeer and getting to know a brand new car. Tom Onslow-Cole crossed the line eighth having missed a gear at the start and failing to capitalise on his superb 3rd place qualifying slot with Anna Walewska just behind.

James Sothcott made a welcome return to the series in the BES plc/Motorsport News T-Cars Scholarship car, the youngster having missed the last round after a testing accident badly damaged his car. He too was struggling to find the right set-up and crossed the line in tenth place ahead of Simon Walker-Hansell making his debut in the series. Things had started well for Simon, qualifying 8th in only his first ever car race and making up two places at the start but he went off into the gravel at Brooklands on lap five, dropping him right to the back.

The second race was to prove a disaster for Rose, the 16 year-old stranded in the gravel at Maggotts on the opening lap, as Hoy and Wilson pulled away at the front. Hoy managed to stay in front but was struggling with understeer and on the third lap Wilson found a way past at Copse and went on to take his 13th win of the year.

Hoy held on to take second with a recovering Onslow-Cole, driving a storming race from 8th into 3rd at the flag. Kennard took fourth place ahead of a race-long battle between Cocker and Jakes. Lap after lap the two ran side-by side until the very last lap when entering Luffield 1, Jakes lost control of his car and hit Cocker, the two spinning off the track. Cocker rejoined, without losing a place, but with his bonnet up and he was forced to pull of the track just past the finish line, as Jakes dropped to eighth at the flag. Will Bratt had another solid drive into sixth place ahead of Walker-Hansell with Anna Walewska completing the finishers.

Go to home page for 2002 Season here

See 2002 Championship standings here

Check the dates of the races in the 2002 season here