The TW Steel DMAX Champs 2014 Round 3 Whilton Mill

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1 The TW Steel DMAX Champs 2014 Round 3 Whilton Mill The UK s fastest Arrive&Drive Championship made its first visit in 2014 to Whilton Mill. The track was dry to start with but showers throughout the day made for challenging conditions at times. Light Heat 1 Ben Leslie led the pack into a slippery turn 1 and arrived at Christmas with a comfortable gap over James Baldwin and Steve Moody. Marco Coltelli was up into 4 th and had Chris Hackworth climbing all over the back of him as they left James Wickham and Adam Kent behind them. Coltelli closed on Moody and passed him going into The Boot with Hackworth next to line him up for a pass, getting ahead as they hit the brakes for Christmas. Baldwin was beginning to make inroads on Leslie after three laps, setting the fastest lap and reducing his lead to 1.2 seconds as the track began to dry up. Leslie responded however, keeping Baldwin at 1 second behind him as he started the final lap. Leslie took the win from Baldwin, Hackworth, Coltelli and Moody. 1 Ben Leslie : James Baldwin : Chris Hackworth : Marco Coltelli : Steve Moody : James Wickham : Adam Kent : Laurent Lesourd : Dom Whiting : Jonny Spencer : Richard Lacey : Jack Stevenson : Jed Mcinnes : Dominic Tucker : Josh King : Charlie Franks : Joe Williams : Robert Moss : Kyle Langley : Inters Heat 1 Stuart Foster had a good run up the hill opening up a few kart lengths over the chasing pack. Joe Holmes moved into 2 nd as the lap progressed and set after Foster, leaving Sam Harris to hold off James Brunton. James Pratt was also getting through the field, passing two drivers into turn 1 as Holmes took over at the front from Foster. Holmes was off, gapping the group behind him which was now headed by Alec Tucker and Brunton as Foster dropped down the order with Ed White next to be staring at his exhaust. Tucker threw

2 away 2 nd with a half spin going into The Boot, promoting Brunton into 2 nd ahead of White, Pratt and Allan Curtis. Holmes took the chequered flag, 8.5 seconds clear of Brunton, Pratt, Curtis and White. 1 Joe Holmes : James Brunton : James Pratt : Allan Curtis : Ed White : Alec Tucker : Stuart Foster : Sam Fisher 9 Phil Kendall : Kai Watson : Sam Harris : Andrew Knapp : Stewart Macgregor : Slawomir Piskorz 8 1 lap : Heavy Heat 1 Tomasz Zaustowicz leapt off into turn 1 leaving the pack behind as he was chased by Michael McKeegan and Malcolm Clark. Chris Carter was making his way up the order and was sitting in 3 rd after three laps with Clark next in his sights with Clark and Carter both catching Zaustowicz. As they bunched up, it was a three way scrap for the lead with Carter coming out on top ahead of Clark and Zaustowicz. Vincent then joined them as they started the final lap but it was Carter that won from Clark, Richard Francis, Zaustowicz and Vincent. 1 Chris Carter : Malcolm Clark : Richard Francis : Tomasz Zaustowicz : David Vincent : Jack Dutfield : Jamie Pender : Robert Bennett : Chris Munro : Vinod Hirani : Ian Brooks : Peter Gillett : Andy Henley : George Dutfield : Lee Witney : Ian Dutfield : Michael Mckeegan 8 1 lap :06.036

3 18 James Brett Pitt 8 1 lap : Light Heat 2 Joe Williams led the field into turn 1, but lost out to Jonny Spencer at Christmas with Marco Coltelli and James Baldwin adding to Williams grief. Chris Hackworth was up to 4 th, but lost out to Ben Leslie coming down the hill on lap 2 as Coltelli began to attack Spencer for the lead going into The Boot. Lap 3 saw a train of karts at the front headed by Spencer, but contact occurred at the final corner, promoting Baldwin from 3 rd to 1 st ahead of Coltelli, Leslie, Hackworth, Spencer and Jed McInnes with all of them lapping bumper tobumper. The contact was deemed to be Coltelli s fault, earning him a black flag. Coltelli took the lead just before he was given his black flag as Hackworth took Leslie for 3 rd going into The Boot. Baldwin started the Final lap with Hackworth and Leslie right on his tail; just 0.6 seconds separating the three of them. Baldwin won heat 2 from Hackworth, Leslie, McInnes and Spencer. 1 James Baldwin : Chris Hackworth : Ben Leslie : Jed Mcinnes : Jonny Spencer : Charlie Franks : Steve Moody : Josh King : Richard Lacey : James Wickham : Dominic Tucker : Adam Kent : Robert Moss : Kyle Langley : Joe Williams : Marco Coltelli : Dom Whiting 8 1 lap : Laurent Lesourd 8 1 lap : Jack Stevenson 1 8 laps 01: : Inters Heat 2 Ed White appeared out of the first sequence of corners ahead, chased by Kai Watson and Phil Kendall. Joe Holmes had a brilliant opening lap, going from 14 th to 4 th which soon became 3 rd as he passed James Pratt coming down the hill. He then began to challenge Watson a lap later, getting passed Watson into Chapman but picked up a penalty for doing so with contact. Pratt capitalised and also moved ahead of Watson to take 3 rd. Holmes set after White at the front, closing him down and leaving the rest behind him as Pratt held off

4 Watson and Alec Tucker. Holmes served his penalty in the pits giving White an easy run to the chequered flag. White won by seconds from Pratt, Watson, Tucker and Stuart Foster. 1 Ed White : James Pratt : Kai Watson : Alec Tucker : Stuart Foster : Allan Curtis : Slawomir Piskorz : James Brunton : Sam Harris : Andrew Knapp : Phil Kendall : Stewart Macgregor : Joe Holmes 5 4 laps : Sam Fisher 3 6 laps : Heavy Heat 2 Chris Carter got ahead of Vinod Hirani through turns 1 and 2 with George Dutfield and David Vincent close behind. Carter was away at the front as Dutfield closed on Hirani and Chris Munro got ahead of Vincent. Hirani was doing well to hold off Dutfield as Munro closed in leaving Vincent to fend off Jack Dutfield and Jamie Pender. Dutfield finally got the better of Hirani, passing him on lap 6 as Carter continued to extend his lead over the squabbling pack behind him. Carter started the final lap 2.6 seconds clear of George and Jack Dutfield and took the chequered flag from George and Jack Dutfield, Hirani and Munro. 1 Chris Carter : George Dutfield : Jack Dutfield : Vinod Hirani : Chris Munro : David Vincent : Jamie Pender : Ian Brooks : Richard Francis : Malcolm Clark : Lee Witney : Ian Dutfield : Michael Mckeegan : Tomasz Zaustowicz : Robert Bennett : Andy Henley :44.617

5 17 James Brett Pitt 8 1 lap : Peter Gillett 8 1 lap : Light Heat 3 Dominic Tucker led Jed McInnes up the hill as the pack jostled for position on the way back down from Christmas. Richard Lacey had moved into 3 rd on lap 1 and was soon passed McInnes for 2 nd and was chasing down Tucker. Baldwin was lighting up the timing screen, setting a series of fastest laps as he worked his way up the grid into 4 th and the halfway stage with 4 th becoming 3 rd with a move on McInnes coming back down the hill. Lacey had grabbed the lead and was edging away from Tucker with Baldwin closing in on Tucker and passing him on the approach to Parker. Baldwin then closed down Lacey and began to look for a way passed with 2 laps remaining and getting ahead on the way back from Christmas. Baldwin took the chequered flag a lap later beating Lacey, Tucker, Hackworth and McInnes. 1 James Baldwin : Richard Lacey : Dominic Tucker : Chris Hackworth : Jed Mcinnes : Marco Coltelli : James Wickham : Ben Leslie : Laurent Lesourd : Josh King : Jonny Spencer : Steve Moody : Jack Stevenson 4 5 laps : Dom Whiting : Adam Kent : Charlie Franks : Kyle Langley : Joe Williams : Robert Moss : Inters Heat 3 Joe Holmes had a comfortable couple of kart lengths over the field as they approached Christmas and by the end of lap 1, had a lead of 1.3 seconds over Kai Watson and Sam Fisher. Alec Tucker was closing in on Fisher ahead of him as Holmes left Watson to hold off Fisher and Tucker with James Pratt closing in and bringing James Brunton with him. This all changed as the two groups merged and began to squabble for position allowing Pratt to sneak through into 2 nd ahead of Fisher, Tucker, Ed White, Brunton, Stuart Foster and Phil

6 Kendall all of whom were lapping one after the other. Holmes won comfortably from Pratt, Fisher, Tucker and Foster. 1 Joe Holmes : James Pratt : Sam Fisher : Alec Tucker : Stuart Foster : James Brunton : Ed White : Phil Kendall : Kai Watson : Allan Curtis : Stewart Macgregor : Sam Harris : Slawomir Piskorz : Andrew Knapp 3 6 laps : Heavy Heat 3 Andy Henley held off Robert Bennett going up the hill at the start with Chris Munro slotting in behind in 3 rd. Bennett took the lead from Henley before the lap was over with Munro passing Henley to take up 2 nd, albeit 2 seconds behind Bennett who was off up the road. Carter was making steady progress and was sitting in 5 th with a fastest lap on lap 4, but it was looking unlikely that he would make it three heat wins from three as Bennett was long gone. Bennett started the final lap 4 seconds clear ahead of Munro, but Carter looked like he could grab 3 rd from Henley. As they went into The Boot, Carter slipped up the inside, taking 3 rd as the chequered flag greeted Bennett from Munro, Carter, Henley and Tomasz Zaustowicz. 1 Robert Bennett : Chris Munro : Chris Carter : Andy Henley : Tomasz Zaustowicz : Ian Brooks : David Vincent : Jamie Pender : James Brett Pitt : Malcolm Clark : Richard Francis : Vinod Hirani : Jack Dutfield : Ian Dutfield : Michael Mckeegan :40.392

7 16 Peter Gillett : George Dutfield : Lee Witney : Finals Light James Baldwin shot up the hill followed by Chris Hackworth and Ben Leslie with Richard Lacey close behind. There was nothing between the four of them as they made their way through The Boot for the first time with Jed McInnes hanging on just behind as the rain began to fall. The rain caught the pack out as Hackworth hit the front ahead of Leslie and Baldwin with Baldwin losing the rear on the brakes and sliding into Leslie, dropping them both down the order and promoting Lacey into 2 nd and McInnes into 3 rd. The rain continued to pelt down, catching out some of the drivers, but not Hackworth who was enjoying a lead of 4.5 seconds after 4 laps over Baldwin and Lacey with Baldwin being black flagged for the contact with Leslie. Marco Coltelli was enjoying the damp conditions, taking 2 nd from Lacey with Dom Whiting dropping him a further position. Hackworth was having it easy at the front, extending his lead with each lap which was up to 8 seconds with 2 laps remaining. Hackworth was greeted by the chequered flag beating Coltelli and Whiting with Leslie and Lacey just missing out on the podium. 1 Chris Hackworth : Marco Coltelli : Dom Whiting : Ben Leslie : Richard Lacey : Jonny Spencer : : Jed Mcinnes : Steve Moody : : Dominic Tucker : : Adam Kent : : James Wickham : Josh King : : James Baldwin : Jack Stevenson : Robert Moss : : Laurent Lesourd 8 1 lap : Charlie Franks 8 1 lap 01: : Kyle Langley 7 2 laps 01: : Joe Williams 6 3 laps 01: :44.759

8 Marc Coltelli, Chris Hackworth, Dom Whiting Inters James Pratt and Joe Holmes lined up on the front row, with Pratt holding off Holmes through the first two corners and up to Christmas. Ed White was sitting in 3 rd just behind Holmes with Alex Tucker on his rear bumper. Pratt had a decent cushion of seconds over Holmes as they completed lap 1 with Holmes leaving White to defend against Tucker and James Brunton. Holmes got his head down to hold the gap at 0.8 seconds when they passed the line once more as White began to make a break from Tucker and Brunton with the closest fight being the race for 7 th between Stuart Foster and Sam Fisher with Slawomir Piskorz and Andrew Knapp joining them on lap 4. Holmes was gradually edging back towards Pratt at the front, taking a tenth a lap out of him, and was not getting away from White who was matching his pace along with Tucker in 4 th. Tucker began to fall back from the three ahead of him as they all lapped in the 54.3 second bracket and with just two laps remaining, it looked as though Pratt might just hang on with the gap at half a second. Holmes got his head down to close the gap though as they started the final lap to put him right on his rear bumper as they arrived at Christmas. Pratt was keeping him at bay all of the way to The Boot, but Holmes saw a gap as they got to the right of The Boot and slid up the inside and took the position with two corners left. Holmes held on to narrowly win from Pratt, White, Brunton and Tucker. 1 Joe Holmes :03.265

9 2 James Pratt : Ed White : James Brunton : Alec Tucker : Allan Curtis : Sam Fisher : Stuart Foster : Slawomir Piskorz : Andrew Knapp : Stewart Macgregor : Sam Harris : Phil Kendall : Kai Watson 1 10 laps 01: : James Pratt, Joe Holmes, Ed White Heavy It was the two Chris on the front row with Carter ahead of Munro as they entered turn 1 with the rain once again beginning to fall. The tricky conditions caught out a handful of drivers on the opening lap as Carter

10 built a lead of 2.7 seconds on lap 1 over Jack Dutfield, David Vincent and Tomasz Zaustowicz. Jamie Pender was picking his way through this group passing Zaustowicz for 4 th and set after Vincent ahead of him. Track conditions were getting worse as the race wore on, causing drivers to slip and slide around the circuit, but Carter had it all in hand, building his lead to 6 seconds after just 4 laps. Vincent and Pender both caught Dutfield in the battle for 2 nd with the three of them all sitting in 2 nd at some point on lap 5 with Vincent coming out on top ahead of Pender and Dutfield, but the race was not over as Pender began to attack Vincent through Chapman with Dutfield following him through, only to lose out to Vincent going back into The Boot. These three continued to battle allowing Chris Munro to sneak passed into 3 rd with Munro beginning to challenge Pender for 2 nd as they started the final lap. Carter took a well deserved win, beating Pender by seconds with Munro taking the last step on the podium with Zaustowicz and Vincent completing the top 5. 1 Chris Carter 9 01: : Jamie Pender : : Chris Munro : : Tomasz Zaustowicz : : David Vincent : : Jack Dutfield : : Ian Brooks : : Malcolm Clark : : Robert Bennett : : George Dutfield : : Richard Francis : : Lee Witney : : James Brett Pitt : : Peter Gillett : : Andy Henley : : Vinod Hirani : : Michael Mckeegan 9 01: : : Ian Dutfield 9 laps

11 Jamie Pender, Chris Carter, Chris Munro