Ferrari unmatchable on a wet Snetterton track

With one overall victory and two wins in the INV and class 3 categories, Ferrari left the Snetterton circuit - home to the second weekend of the Britcar Endurance Championship - as the cars to beat. In the two races held on Saturday, marked by typically British weather, John Dhillon and Phil Quaife’s 488 Challenge Evo put on a fine show, coming away with less than they deserved, in spite of a Race 1 win. Meanwhile, the 458 Challenge belonging to Johnny Mowlem and Bonamy Grimes proved to be the absolute authority in class 3 on the Norfolk County track.

Race 1. Particularly treacherous rain-soaked conditions on the asphalt meant the race got underway behind the Safety Car, with Bonamy Grimes's Ferrari 458 Challenge producing an excellent start, that even saw the Englishman leading the group for a few laps before eventually conceding the top spot just minutes before the mandatory stops. Grimes, the class 3 leader, was able to hold a considerable advantage over rival Chris Goddard in the RNR Performance Cars 458 Challenge. John Dhillon, elsewhere, staged a notable comeback which, after the obligatory pit-stop, thrust him into the leading position. The British driver set a pace which proved uncatchable for his rivals and eventually crossed the finish-line to claim the overall win in the 488 Challenge Evo, in his habitual role in Prancing Horse’s single-marque series. Behind him, Johnny Mowlem battled back from a particularly slow pit-stop to take third overall position, first in class 3, after a fine tussle with Harrison in the Nissan. Second position in class 3, fifteenth overall, went to Goddard.

Race 2. There were more rain and tricky conditions for Race 2, although they appeared not to hamper Phil Quaife in the 488 Challenge Evo, who proved uncatchable to his opponents and quickly notched up a 20-second-plus advantage over the group. Behind him, Mowlem, who started from the front row, settled for third place, while an unbridled Hollings made a recovery to take the class 3 lead. The Safety Car, which went into action some 43 minutes from the end due to a stationary on-track car, would dictate the pace for almost 30 minutes, during which time competitors were able to make their mandatory pit stops. Dhillon took over from Quaife only to see the enormous advantage built by his team-mate wiped out and, as the race resumed, struggled to repeat the morning’s performance, dropping several positions and crossing the finish-line in sixth. Mowlem, on the other hand, returned to the class 3 lead in the 458 Challenge, courtesy of Red River Sport by FF Corse, earning a fourth win in four races. Second in class 3 and twelfth overall were Chris Goddard and Charlie Hollings.

Schedule. The next round of the Britcar Endurance Championship is scheduled for June 12 at Oulton Park.