Jonathan F
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Snetterton: May 11th/12th 2013 (Rounds 3 and 4 of BARCâs VTEC Challenge)
For rounds 3 and 4 of the VTEC Challenge, the drivers and their respective supporters headed east and to the former bomber squadron base of Snetterton in Norfolk.
In previous years the VTEC Challenge has raced on the original circuit, the recently developed â300â layout and for 2013 it would be the turn of the â200â configuration.
With number boosted for rounds 3 & 4, it was a welcome return to the fold for Rich Voaden, Dave Roberts and Tim Blowers in his freshly wrapped DC5.
To add to these there were new drivers Matthew Walker and Matt Le who were competing in their respective âSTâ Civic EK9 and âPâ JDM DC2.
With mixed weather forecast everyone was keeping a watching eye on the skies.
Entrants:
03 â Tim Blowers â Production â Integra (DC5)
04 â Mark Bennett â Production â (S2000)
10 â Matthew Walker â Super Tuner â Civic (EK9)
11 â Dave Roberts â Tuner â CRX
14 â Matthew Le â Production â Integra (DC2)
24 â Rich Voaden â Super Tuner â Integra (DC2)
26 - Rob Williams â Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
39 â Rob Burkinshaw â Tuner â Integra (DC5)
64 - Richard Chilton â Production - Integra (DC2)
73 - Stuart King â Production â Integra (DC2)
98 â Mark Chese - Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
Qualifying:
Following an untroubled couple of races at Donington, Sheffieldâs Rob Burkinshaw was out to cement his hold on the series. However returning âSuper Tunerâ competitor Rich Voaden would be out to try and unseat the late model Integra from the pole slot.
With the allotted qualifying time upon them, all drivers headed to the assembly area and were soon waved onto the circuit to get underway.
With an early session time and a stiff breeze, the circuit temperature remained in single figures which kept drivers on their toes as they piloted around the flat fenlands of Norfolk.
On lap 2, Dave Roberts was the first to come unstuck at âMontrealâ on cold tyres, but re-joined safely to continue.
Voaden and new driver Walker both found the track at âNelsonâ to offer little in the way of grip when pushing on, leading each driver to find an alternative route through the corner!
Thankfully that was the limit of the problems on track and all drivers returned safely to the paddock following the full 20 minutes session.
With the lap times published it was clear the track had become quicker towards the end, with over half of the grid putting in their fastest lap in the last couple of laps.
Continuing his fight for series glory, it was Burkinshaw on pole, ahead of Voaden by 1.2 seconds.
Rob Williams in his EP3 took 3rd place overall, with Rich Chilton putting in a storming lap to take the last spot on row two, just 0.039 seconds off of Williams.
Pole: Rob Burkinshaw
2nd: Rich Voaden
3rd: Rob Williams
With both races taking part the following day, there was little left to do but sit back and enjoy the rest of the day.
Race 1:
Following their customary green flag lap (in order to put a bit of heat into the tyres), all drivers lined up in their respective grid slots.
As the seconds ticked down the engine revs began to rise in anticipation of the race start.
With the lights out, it Voaden from the outside that got the better start from the front row and unexpectedly Burkinshaw dropped back through the pack as gear selection issues hampered his progress. From his 4th place it was Chilton who nipped up to 2nd place as Williams found himself boxed in behind the struggling DC5 of Burkinshaw. Having the mother of all starts was Roberts in his CRX, who shot from 8th to 3rd.
Having now found a gear that worked, Burkinshaw picked up the pace again, only to find the problem re-occurring as he rounded âMontrealâ and coasted off the track thinking his race was run. However by some divine intervention, Rob found himself able to select a gear, and began an epic charge which would run all the way to the chequered flag!
With all this going on behind him, Voaden extended a commanding lead on lap 1 and settled down with a comfortable gap back to Chilton.
Williams began to claw his way back up through the field and was soon back in the hunt having over taken Roberts to be back into third place and fixing the DC2 of Chilton in his sights.
Stu King was then leading the rest of the field where âactionâ was the order of the day!
Places were traded as each car and driver played to their strengths. Walkers EK9 was sublime through the corners, but was unable to pull away on the straights where the likes of Chese and Bennett came into their own.
Going into Montreal, Walker ran wide which meant Bennett had to take avoiding action and ended up spinning and dropping him to dead last, allowing the Integraâs of Matt Le and Tim Blowers to capitalise. Not deterred, the S2000 driver rejoined the pack and began to hunt down Blowers in his DC5.
An error by Blowers exiting âMurrayâsâ allowed Bennett to get the run on the DC5 which allowed him to claim a position back before the end of the race.
As the action was unfolding throughout the race for class spoils, Burkinshaw was driving like a man possessed in order to claw his way back to the front. With the rest of the grid behind him, Voaden was now in his sights. Following a number of close fought laps, it all came down to the last lap.
Slip streaming Voaden along âBentley Straightâ Burkinshaw made his move at âNelsonâ and dived up the inside into the turn to take the lead. Under pressure from Voaden, the pair were nose to tail around âCoramâ and despite a last minute mistake at âMurraysâ by Burkinshaw, the director of âPerformance Autoworksâ was unable to capitalise and as they crossed the line it was Burkinshaw with the win from Voaden by .121 of a second!
On the last corner of the last lap, it was disaster for King, who upon exiting âMurraysâ had the rear of the Integra step out and the resulting slide put King onto the grass and frustratingly dropped him from 5th to 8th.
1st: - Rob Burkinshaw
2nd: - Richard Voaden
3rd: - Rob Williams
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Richard Voaden
Fastest lap â Rob Burkinshaw â 1.24.265 on lap 7 of 14
Race 2:
With the first two rows of the grid a carbon copy of race 1, it would be anyoneâs guess as to how the start would play out. Would the repaired shifter cable on Robâs DC5 hold out? Would Rich get another great start, or would Roberts race through in similar fashion?
With the lights out, it was Voaden who again got the jump on Burkinshaw, who again found that he couldnât get 2nd gear without forcing it and then holding it in place. This cost the pole sitter dearly and was quickly dropped down the order.
With drivers having to find their way past the struggling Burkinshaw, it was again Chilton who benefitted to take 2nd with Williams in 3rd.
Already mounting a comeback, Burkinshaw was up to 3rd with Williams overhauling Chilton and doing his utmost to hang onto the rear of Voadenâs Integra.
In the blink of an eye Burkinshaw had traded places with Williams and was soon battling with Voaden for the lead.
Stu King was again leading the charge of the following pack, but this time he was sure not to put a wheel wrong and from lap one held onto his position despite coming under extreme pressure from Matt Walker in his K20 powered EK9.
Behind King, the other drivers changed places time and time again, with one outstanding manoeuvre seeing Bennett, Roberts and Chese 3 abreast on âBentley Straightâ at over 120 mph, with the S2000 of Bennett the victor of that particular move.
With Burkinshaw slip streaming Voaden at speeds in excess of 130mph, both drivers were inch perfect as they blasted around the circuit. A mistake by Voaden under braking gave Burkinshaw all the invitation he needed and he slotted himself into 1st.
For a number of laps it was now Voaden putting the pressure on and looking to reclaim the race lead.
Running into âNelsonâ, Burkinshaw went wide, and not wishing to pass up on the opportunity, Voaden ran side by side throughout the fast right hander âCoramâ and onto âSenna Straightâ.
With nothing to separate them Robâs luck chose the most inappropriate time to run out and the damaged shifter cable from race 1 broke altogether, leaving him with no option other than to retire.
With Burkinshaw out of contention, Williams and Chilton took the remaining two podium spots.
1st: - Richard Voaden
2nd: - Rob Williams
3rd: - Rich Chilton
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Dave Roberts
(ST) â Richard Voaden
Fastest lap â Rob Burkinshaw â 1.24.060 on lap 8 of 14
The âApex Trackdaysâ award went to Richard Voaden for his sterling efforts in working tirelessly in preparing nearly half of the grid in readiness for Snetterton and subsequently having two great races.
Summary:
A fantastic weekends racing with action throughout the grid is what the VTC is all about, and Snetterton delivered in full.
Thanks go out to the series sponsors: Dunlop Tyres, Performance Autoworks, Banzai, Honda Tuner, Apex Track Days and R-Motion for their continuing support.
Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Snetterton, be they driver, teams or just keen supporters of the series. Every single one of them makes the effort worthwhile.
Hereâs to Thruxton which will be taking place on the 1st/2nd June.
Words: Jonathan Fletcher
Pictures: Lindsey Fletcher & Jonathan Fletcher
For rounds 3 and 4 of the VTEC Challenge, the drivers and their respective supporters headed east and to the former bomber squadron base of Snetterton in Norfolk.
In previous years the VTEC Challenge has raced on the original circuit, the recently developed â300â layout and for 2013 it would be the turn of the â200â configuration.
With number boosted for rounds 3 & 4, it was a welcome return to the fold for Rich Voaden, Dave Roberts and Tim Blowers in his freshly wrapped DC5.
To add to these there were new drivers Matthew Walker and Matt Le who were competing in their respective âSTâ Civic EK9 and âPâ JDM DC2.
With mixed weather forecast everyone was keeping a watching eye on the skies.
Entrants:
03 â Tim Blowers â Production â Integra (DC5)
04 â Mark Bennett â Production â (S2000)
10 â Matthew Walker â Super Tuner â Civic (EK9)
11 â Dave Roberts â Tuner â CRX
14 â Matthew Le â Production â Integra (DC2)
24 â Rich Voaden â Super Tuner â Integra (DC2)
26 - Rob Williams â Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
39 â Rob Burkinshaw â Tuner â Integra (DC5)
64 - Richard Chilton â Production - Integra (DC2)
73 - Stuart King â Production â Integra (DC2)
98 â Mark Chese - Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
Qualifying:
Following an untroubled couple of races at Donington, Sheffieldâs Rob Burkinshaw was out to cement his hold on the series. However returning âSuper Tunerâ competitor Rich Voaden would be out to try and unseat the late model Integra from the pole slot.
With the allotted qualifying time upon them, all drivers headed to the assembly area and were soon waved onto the circuit to get underway.
With an early session time and a stiff breeze, the circuit temperature remained in single figures which kept drivers on their toes as they piloted around the flat fenlands of Norfolk.
On lap 2, Dave Roberts was the first to come unstuck at âMontrealâ on cold tyres, but re-joined safely to continue.
Voaden and new driver Walker both found the track at âNelsonâ to offer little in the way of grip when pushing on, leading each driver to find an alternative route through the corner!
Thankfully that was the limit of the problems on track and all drivers returned safely to the paddock following the full 20 minutes session.
With the lap times published it was clear the track had become quicker towards the end, with over half of the grid putting in their fastest lap in the last couple of laps.
Continuing his fight for series glory, it was Burkinshaw on pole, ahead of Voaden by 1.2 seconds.
Rob Williams in his EP3 took 3rd place overall, with Rich Chilton putting in a storming lap to take the last spot on row two, just 0.039 seconds off of Williams.
Pole: Rob Burkinshaw
2nd: Rich Voaden
3rd: Rob Williams
With both races taking part the following day, there was little left to do but sit back and enjoy the rest of the day.
Race 1:
Following their customary green flag lap (in order to put a bit of heat into the tyres), all drivers lined up in their respective grid slots.
As the seconds ticked down the engine revs began to rise in anticipation of the race start.
With the lights out, it Voaden from the outside that got the better start from the front row and unexpectedly Burkinshaw dropped back through the pack as gear selection issues hampered his progress. From his 4th place it was Chilton who nipped up to 2nd place as Williams found himself boxed in behind the struggling DC5 of Burkinshaw. Having the mother of all starts was Roberts in his CRX, who shot from 8th to 3rd.
Having now found a gear that worked, Burkinshaw picked up the pace again, only to find the problem re-occurring as he rounded âMontrealâ and coasted off the track thinking his race was run. However by some divine intervention, Rob found himself able to select a gear, and began an epic charge which would run all the way to the chequered flag!
With all this going on behind him, Voaden extended a commanding lead on lap 1 and settled down with a comfortable gap back to Chilton.
Williams began to claw his way back up through the field and was soon back in the hunt having over taken Roberts to be back into third place and fixing the DC2 of Chilton in his sights.
Stu King was then leading the rest of the field where âactionâ was the order of the day!
Places were traded as each car and driver played to their strengths. Walkers EK9 was sublime through the corners, but was unable to pull away on the straights where the likes of Chese and Bennett came into their own.
Going into Montreal, Walker ran wide which meant Bennett had to take avoiding action and ended up spinning and dropping him to dead last, allowing the Integraâs of Matt Le and Tim Blowers to capitalise. Not deterred, the S2000 driver rejoined the pack and began to hunt down Blowers in his DC5.
An error by Blowers exiting âMurrayâsâ allowed Bennett to get the run on the DC5 which allowed him to claim a position back before the end of the race.
As the action was unfolding throughout the race for class spoils, Burkinshaw was driving like a man possessed in order to claw his way back to the front. With the rest of the grid behind him, Voaden was now in his sights. Following a number of close fought laps, it all came down to the last lap.
Slip streaming Voaden along âBentley Straightâ Burkinshaw made his move at âNelsonâ and dived up the inside into the turn to take the lead. Under pressure from Voaden, the pair were nose to tail around âCoramâ and despite a last minute mistake at âMurraysâ by Burkinshaw, the director of âPerformance Autoworksâ was unable to capitalise and as they crossed the line it was Burkinshaw with the win from Voaden by .121 of a second!
On the last corner of the last lap, it was disaster for King, who upon exiting âMurraysâ had the rear of the Integra step out and the resulting slide put King onto the grass and frustratingly dropped him from 5th to 8th.
1st: - Rob Burkinshaw
2nd: - Richard Voaden
3rd: - Rob Williams
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Richard Voaden
Fastest lap â Rob Burkinshaw â 1.24.265 on lap 7 of 14
Race 2:
With the first two rows of the grid a carbon copy of race 1, it would be anyoneâs guess as to how the start would play out. Would the repaired shifter cable on Robâs DC5 hold out? Would Rich get another great start, or would Roberts race through in similar fashion?
With the lights out, it was Voaden who again got the jump on Burkinshaw, who again found that he couldnât get 2nd gear without forcing it and then holding it in place. This cost the pole sitter dearly and was quickly dropped down the order.
With drivers having to find their way past the struggling Burkinshaw, it was again Chilton who benefitted to take 2nd with Williams in 3rd.
Already mounting a comeback, Burkinshaw was up to 3rd with Williams overhauling Chilton and doing his utmost to hang onto the rear of Voadenâs Integra.
In the blink of an eye Burkinshaw had traded places with Williams and was soon battling with Voaden for the lead.
Stu King was again leading the charge of the following pack, but this time he was sure not to put a wheel wrong and from lap one held onto his position despite coming under extreme pressure from Matt Walker in his K20 powered EK9.
Behind King, the other drivers changed places time and time again, with one outstanding manoeuvre seeing Bennett, Roberts and Chese 3 abreast on âBentley Straightâ at over 120 mph, with the S2000 of Bennett the victor of that particular move.
With Burkinshaw slip streaming Voaden at speeds in excess of 130mph, both drivers were inch perfect as they blasted around the circuit. A mistake by Voaden under braking gave Burkinshaw all the invitation he needed and he slotted himself into 1st.
For a number of laps it was now Voaden putting the pressure on and looking to reclaim the race lead.
Running into âNelsonâ, Burkinshaw went wide, and not wishing to pass up on the opportunity, Voaden ran side by side throughout the fast right hander âCoramâ and onto âSenna Straightâ.
With nothing to separate them Robâs luck chose the most inappropriate time to run out and the damaged shifter cable from race 1 broke altogether, leaving him with no option other than to retire.
With Burkinshaw out of contention, Williams and Chilton took the remaining two podium spots.
1st: - Richard Voaden
2nd: - Rob Williams
3rd: - Rich Chilton
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Dave Roberts
(ST) â Richard Voaden
Fastest lap â Rob Burkinshaw â 1.24.060 on lap 8 of 14
The âApex Trackdaysâ award went to Richard Voaden for his sterling efforts in working tirelessly in preparing nearly half of the grid in readiness for Snetterton and subsequently having two great races.
Summary:
A fantastic weekends racing with action throughout the grid is what the VTC is all about, and Snetterton delivered in full.
Thanks go out to the series sponsors: Dunlop Tyres, Performance Autoworks, Banzai, Honda Tuner, Apex Track Days and R-Motion for their continuing support.
Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Snetterton, be they driver, teams or just keen supporters of the series. Every single one of them makes the effort worthwhile.
Hereâs to Thruxton which will be taking place on the 1st/2nd June.
Words: Jonathan Fletcher
Pictures: Lindsey Fletcher & Jonathan Fletcher