TWO FIFTHS FOR RICHARDS ON TOUGH ROCKINGHAM
WEEKEND
Mark Richards came out on top of the 360 Racing quartet at
Rockingham, but it was tough weekend for all of the
Silverstone based squad.
Richards qualified fifth for the opening race, but lost a
couple of places on the opening lap. He made his way back
to sixth and made one more place after a safety car
intervention, taking the flag fifth. “We all seemed to be the
same pace, but I was quick on the infield section and lost
out on the straights,” he explained.
Mark Hignett made a tremendous start from 15th on the
grid to eighth at the end of the opening lap, “no pressure I
just concentrated on my own race. I went wide at Deene a
few times, but what a great race,” he said after finishing
ninth.
Peter Tyler had got ahead of Hignett before the safety car
and was set to head his team mate to the flag, “it then cut
out on me twice exiting Tarzan after I had got eighth place,”
he confirmed after dropping to 24th.
Former Caterham racer Simon Smith was 12th on his debut
for the team and in Radical racing.
In the second race Richards was trying to make progress
from his early eighth place and caught John Macleod on the
fourth lap. “I went for it and would say it was 50/50 I would
say,” after the end result was a spin.
Tyler had surrendered a place to John Caudwell midrace but
was happy with ninth. “It was better and I kept going. It
died a bit on the start, but a good race and I didn’t want a
fight with Caudwell,” he said.
Ex British F3 racer Luke Stevens was 14th in Smith’s car and
Richards’s recovery brought him home in 16th, just ahead of
Hignett. “I got roughed up at the start and just couldn’t get
back,” said Hignett.
Richards started the 40 minute finale from the fourth row
and was quick to make progress. Sixth place became fifth on
lap nine and he briefly led as he was last to make his
pitstop.
Emerging fourth he was gradually caught by Joe Stables,
losing out through Turn One two laps from home. “A
frustrating race, fifth was Ok but would have liked to finish
with a podium, but Joe had such a good run on the straight
before he got me too,” he said.
Tyler had been just outside the top ten when he handed to
Tom Gladdis.” I wanted to look after the car and leave it in a
position for Tom to chase,” he explained.
“I got one place out of the pits but had to lift a bit when it
started to overheat,” said Gladdis after taking eighth.
Stevens and Smith were 15th and hope to have a new SR3
RSX for the next rounds, “I stalled at the start and then got
into the groove, but have to get fitter for the next one,”
Stevens admitted.
In 18th Hignett and Ollie Hancock had to fight back after
early contact. “It was going Ok until I was turned into at
Deene Hairpin when I outbraked Barry Liversidge,” he said.
Published by Peter Scherer for 360 Racing on June 20th, 2016