Lydden Hill, 3-4 October 2009

We are still unable to join in, looking at the depleted entry - just 8 cars - and the results, we really believe we could have had some success at Lydden as well. I suspect there will be attempts to resist any return to Lydden for 2010 in the same way we have not returned to Croix-en-Ternois since our 8 car trip out there in 2006.

Round eight of the 2009 LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car Championship took place at Lydden Hill.

Qualifying:
An early morning start for the LMA drivers, and a morning shower before qualifying meant uncertainty over tyre choice. Some chose slicks (which proved to be the optimum choice), some wets and some even mixed them. It was slick-shod Nick Hayes (Seat Cupra) who came out on pole from Class C competitor Kevin Wendt (BMW M3). About 3 seconds back came the Class E pole sitter Jason Tarling (Renault Clio) who narrowly eclipsed Class D pole Yaser Almaghribi (Daihatsu Charade). David Pierce (Renault Clio) was next up on his return from a cycling accident followed closely by the Class B pole Robin Deaney (Ford Sierra).

Race:
Nick Hayes got away first from the start closely followed by Kevin Wendt and Jason Tarling. David Pierce and Robin Deaney touched sending Pierce's Clio into a spin which then resulted in a bigger collision between the pair. They were able to resume racing a long way back with Deaney's Sierra suffering steering damage. Deaney would limp around slowly to the finish to take his first class win in Class B.

Two seconds down after 2 laps, Wendt started to pull back on Hayes at the front. Third place Tarling was losing ground at around 2 seconds a lap to the leading pair and while Almaghribi was lapping at Tarling's pace, he too had been delayed in the first lap incident. Pierce was charging hard and caught up with Almaghribi on lap 6 while Wendt now had the gap to Hayes down to ¾ second. Two laps later, Wendt and Hayes crossed the start-finish line side by side, Wendt just shading Hayes to take the lead. Wendt was now in control and slowly edging away from Hayes, going on to win the race by 3 seconds and take his first LMA overall win.

Pierce was on a charge chasing down Tarling in their Renault Clios. A 10 second gap on lap 6 became 6 seconds by lap 10, 3 seconds by lap 12 and Pierce passed Tarling for 3rd place overall and the Class E lead on lap 14 before slowly pulling away to beat Tarling by 16 seconds. Almaghribi was a few seconds further back as he took his second class win of the season to confirm his Class D champion titile.

The 2009 LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car championship, Class E and the Mark Fish Motorsport Clio Cup Challenge have already fallen to Brett Walter. Andy Harvey is the Class A champion, Peter Challis the Class B and the DKMLabour.com Touring Car Challenge champion. Class C is still to be decided between Wendt and Hayes at the final round later this month. Had we managed to race this season, we would have hoped to have been in that mix at the very least.

Visit the LMA site for details of the LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car championship and standings so far.

Check out the current points standing.

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