JUNIOR BLUES BACK AFTER 5 YEARS and A WIN AT LYDD FOR WATTS.
The Junior BLUE Class has, over the past few months, been gathering numbers until making its appearance at Lydd for Round 5 of the BLUE Challenge. Having spent the past few months practicing on the Saturdays of the Senior BLUE Championship Rounds, the young group of novices reached and even passed the minimum number required to have their own race grid. Six keen youngsters, all chomping at the bit, took to the race circuit with the unfortunate Rudie Morten who, not being quite old enough and having to wait a few more weeks, watching on. On race day it was Sam Mitchell who with a pole and win took the opening honours. Mitch Carpenter with opposite pole and 3rd finish claimed 2nd overall from Josh Hibbard.
In Formula BLUE it was series leader David Watts who, mastering the awful conditions, took the overall win from Pole position. 2nd on the day was Paul Dible, relying on all his motorsport experience to overcome the extremely wet conditions where most of the circuit was waterlogged. Ben Joseph came 3rd on points from a start grid of 6th to 2nd after the chequered flag. It could have been more, however, in the rush to fit wet tyres before the final he did not have enough time to top up on fuel. It wasn’t a problem until the last few laps when having closed down on the lead, he developed a fuel surge out of the main corners. 4th overall was the reigning Number 1, Anthony Cleal, who used all of his talent and experience to overcome the conditions. Richard Puddle having started on 9th drive a storming race to finish 3rd in the Final and 5th overall.
In the Blue Master sub-class, Paul Dible took the day with a Pole and 3rd place finish. 2nd was Ben Joseph, despite having won the Final, his 4th place start position meant he was 1 point adrift. Anthony Cleal came 3rd overall.
Cleal did, however, take the BLUE Veteran group from Paul Dible and Stuart Gray.
Gray, in turn, won the BLUE Legend sections with a clean sweep of Pole and 1st at the flag. 2nd was David Goode on 5 points, followed by Robin Stoddart-Stones on 6 points.
In the last of the sub-groups, it was Ben Joseph, racing it out with Paul Dible, who claimed the overall win. 3rd was Ron Shone.
In the actual Championship, it is David Watts who increases his lead over Anthony Cleal. Richard Puddle moves up into 3rd place followed by Mike Bell and Russell O’Neill. In the Blue Master section, Cleal moves up from 3rd to 1st ahead of Russell O’Neill, Ben Joseph, Rob Mortimore and David Goode.
Anthony Cleal maintains his lead in the BLUE veterans sub-class from Rob Mortimore who displaced Kevin O’Neill to 3rd and David Goode swaps 4th place with David Waldron.
Following a poor result in the extremely wet conditions, Kevin O’Neill loses the overall lead in the BLUE Legend group to David Goode by the slender margin of 1 point. These two are followed by Ron shone, Stuart Gray and Chris Underhill.
In the BLUE Top weight section, Billy Thomas loses his lead, by virtue of a non-attendance. This has been taken on by teammate Ben Joseph, from Paul Dible and Ron Shone.
The Championship now moves on to the Clay Pigeon Raceway, where on July 11th Round 5 takes place.
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