James Lay kept his Radical SR1 Cup hopes on track, with a win and two thirds and Silverstone last weekend.
He had qualified third for the first race of the weekend, but more importantly a place ahead of championship leader Will Hunt, while RAW Motorsports team mate Nick Zapolski was sixth best.
“It was drizzly during the session, so quite tough to get a good time, and had to be happy with third,” he said.
It was a good start however on a damp track and Lay was challenging for the lead initially. “Will was in front and got taken out at the Club Corner, after he was tapped into a spin and then hit. I avoided it but was down to fourth,” he explained.
Zapolski led out of the melee but was re-passed by Mackenzie Walker, who then retired with a puncture.
Lay’s recovery soon got him back to third, before ousting Ben Stone from third on lap five.
Zapolski still had the lead for another couple of laps, before Lay went by and consolidated his advantage for 2.185 secs victory over his RAW team mate.
Second on the grid for race two it all started well for Lay again. “I led to the first corner and then got spun out at Village. Then I got back on in third place and had a battle with Will, but couldn’t get
by,” he explained after taking the flag only 0.576 secs behind his rival.
Zapolski just held onto fifth place, fending off late pressure from Andy Lowe.
With Zapolski absent from Sunday’s pitstop race, it was down to Lay for RAW’s aspirations and it started well yet again.
He led the first five laps from previous race winners Walker and Hunt. But Hunt had already demoted Walker on the second lap and soon reigned in on Lay’s lead.
“It was a really good start, but after three laps my tyres had just gone, “he explained.
Hunt got by into Luffield on lap six and Walker soon followed. “I had terrible undesteer everywhere and it was impossible to challenge them again. I was still third, which at the beginning of the year I would have been happy with. But now I have had wins, I am disappointed when I don’t,” he concluded.
The championship is back in action on September 18/19 weekend at Donington Park.
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