Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) and Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon), in the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell respectively, won Race 2 in the second round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK held at the Oulton Park track, where the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo cars competed in optimum weather conditions. For the two drivers, it was their first success in their debut season in the British series.
Qualifying 1. In Trofeo Pirelli, Gilbert Yates signalled his intent to avenge Friday’s early retirement by skilfully stitching together a 1’37”925 lap time to secure P1. In Coppa Shell, Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) waited until the final lap to pull out his best time, usurping Friday poleman Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) by 0”008 sec with a 1’40”742.
Trofeo Pirelli. A technical issue saw Charles Hurst driver Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) start the race from the pitlane, leaving him with plenty of work to do. The grid rapidly converged into the first few corners, but it was Yates who quickly found form. Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) and Haymandhra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) engaged in an early battle for second place before a lap 2 racing incident between Ajay Litt (Carrs Exeter) and Coppa Shell driver Hunter forced the Carrs Exeter driver to pit, resulting in a red flag.
The race dynamic changed significantly upon the restart, with the 15-minute countdown encouraging a sprint-like urgency. Morrow worked his 488 Challenge Evo hard, moving up in the order from 9th to 4th in just a handful of laps, and swept past an unrelenting Pillai with just minutes to spare. Vangala saw Morrow approach but kept a cool head and drove with composure to defend second. Leading the pack, Yates delivered an assured racing performance to bring home his first Trofeo Pirelli win.
The results from this round leave things tightly contested at the top of the Trofeo Pirelli standings, with Gilbert Yates and Pranav Vangala tied on 38 points, just 2 points behind leader Andrew Morrow in the standings.
Coppa Shell. The second Coppa Shell race was a memorable affair, as Peter Hunter pushed hard and managed to create a gap ahead of Mike Dewhirst, who made a brilliant move on Robert Rees in the first corner to secure second position.
Frustratingly for Hunter, the incident with Litt saw the Stratstone Manchester driver enter the gravel trap and exit the race. The resulting red flag lifted with just 15 minutes to go, and the drivers pushed hard to claim their spot on the podium. Rees pushed race leader Dewhirst all the way, but the Coppa Shell debutant expertly dealt with the pressure to maintain track position and resign Rees to second place. The result gives Dewhirst his maiden victory of the season, whilst a delighted Dopson enjoyed his first taste of podium action in a clean sweep for Ferrari dealer Dick Lovett.
In the Coppa Shell standings, Robert Rees extends his lead to 63 points, with 3 out of 4 race wins so far.
Next Race. The next round in the Ferrari Challenge UK race series takes place between Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 June 2024 at Snetterton, Norfolk. Both qualifying and race sessions can be spectated live at the circuit or online at live.ferrari.com.