KX Racing with SV’s Ant Whorton-Eales stormed to another podium finish in a rain-hit final race of the 2013 Renault UK Clio Cup season (Round 16) on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (13 October).
The Lichfield-based racer was out of position on the grid, starting from the fifth row in tenth place after a damp and frantic qualifying session on Saturday (12 October).
However, the 23-year old utilised a sensational start to march up to sixth on the opening lap and any concerns he may have had regarding his car’s wet weather setup were soon forgotten.
Whorton-Eales surged to fourth before the second of three Safety Car interventions, but was gifted the final podium spot when his fellow KX recruit Stefan Hodgetts was tipped into the barriers as the racing resumed.
“It’s fantastic to end the season with a podium,” said Whorton-Eales. “I’ve really come good in the second half of the year. I started ninth in today’s race but got another great start by sliding around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend and simply picked them off one at a time. There were a lot of Safety Cars – it was a pretty dangerous race – but we were there at the end.
“We knew we had the pace in the dry, but the changeable conditions this weekend meant we didn’t really know what to do with the setup. But SV did a fantastic job and the car was spot on for the absolutely soaking conditions.”
A solid launch from the sixth row of the grid meant Josh Wakefield was right in the thick of the action as the field dipped down Paddock Hill Bend for the first time.
The Colchester resident stayed out of harm’s way and was a beneficiary of countless incidents, using a great deal of guile and determination to scythe his way through the field to a hard-fought ninth place at the chequered flag.
“I wasn’t far off the pace and I seemed to have a good start, but had to avoid various incidents on the opening lap and lost a few places there,” said Wakefield. “A few people took themselves off, while some drivers held each other up by battling and I somehow managed to recover a lot of ground. It was an eventful race, with three Safety Cars, and the spray was horrific, so it was mostly a case of follow-the-leader.
“It has been a steady season and I would have liked to have achieved a podium, but it has been educational and we’ve been there or thereabouts towards the end of the year. I don’t feel I’ve had a chance to show my potential.”
Having only completed six laps in qualifying on Saturday, Maidstone’s Devon Modell had it all to do from 23rd on the grid in Round 20.
However, a sensational opening lap preceded a determined drive through the spray and gloom that resulted in a deserved 12th place finish for Modell on his local Brands Hatch circuit.
“I started really well and ended the first lap in 14th, which is fantastic from the back of the grid,” said Modell. “I made a couple of mistakes and dropped back, but benefited from a few incidents at the same time and ended up 12th. Unlike most drivers, I managed to keep my nose clean and avoid the chaos. It’s not a bad result at all. I’ve definitely improved as the season has gone on, particularly over a single lap in qualifying. I have been disappointed whenever I’ve missed out on the podium and I think a top three finish was on the cards this weekend before sustaining that mechanical breakage. On the whole, this season has been a very positive experience.”
The One Call Insurance-backed Ronnie Klos took second place in the Masters Cup and was the last of the SV drivers to finish in an incident-packed UK Clio Cup race.
Stefan Hodgetts was on for a second consecutive podium finish of the weekend in Round 20, but was tapped into the barriers as the racing resumed after the second of three Safety Car interventions.
Finlay Crocker, meanwhile, was an early visitor to the barriers. The Linlithgow-based racer ran second in the Masters Cup class until lap two when a tap up the rear sent him spearing into the Armco on the inside of Paddock Hill Bend.
SV Director, Danny Buxton, said: “To end the 2013 Renault UK Clio Cup season with such a manic, incident-filled race is a bit disappointing, but I’m absolutely delighted that Ant (Whorton-Eales) emerged from the chaos on the podium. He’s getting good at his starts! He scythed around the outside of quite a few drivers on the first lap and continued driving hard but fairly to achieve another well-deserved third place.
“Both Josh (Wakefield) and Devon (Modell) drove incredibly well too, surging up the order to take respectable finishes and Ronnie’s pace was fantastic too. He came close to the Masters Cup victory today. What happened to Stefan (Hodgetts) and Finlay (Crocker) was unfortunate but it was such a crazy race in very tricky conditions. Nevertheless, SV heads into the winter months in high spirits.”
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