Graham Fennymore returned to winning ways at
Brands Hatch at the weekend, claiming victory in both Autosport Caterham Superlight Challenge races to strengthen his championship lead.
Although he cruised to a crushing win over his rivals in race one, in the day's second encounter the Oxfordshire ace was made to work every inch of the way by a determined Ben de Zille Butler, who was just four-hundredths of a second adrift at the flag.
Fennymore's third win of the year for the Ambitions/Hyperion Motorsport team was a supreme effort, as he led away from pole position and made steady progress to build an unassailable lead while his rivals squabbled over second.
Guy Harrington, de Zille Butler and Charles Bateman were the main protagonists for the runner-up spot and, while they battled, the leader was able to make hay. By mid-distance Fennymore was three seconds to the good and, even though he was troubled by overheating brakes in the late stages, he was able to stretch his advantage to 8.5s by the fall of the chequered flag.
“There's not much to report really,” he said after the race. “It was all pretty straightforward; the car was great and I was delighted that the others were battling with each other rather than chasing me.”
Harrington was left out on his own in second when, on unlucky lap 13, de Zille Butler and Bateman made contact through Paddock Hill Bend. They both spun through the gravel but were able to continue, race stewards later deeming the clash ‘a racing incident'.
De Zille Butler lost the most ground, slumping to sixth, and he did well to haul his way back to fourth by the penultimate lap, right behind Bateman. Into Paddock for the final time Ben then sliced past Charles to secure the final podium slot.
Nick Payne got the better of a long fight with Will Mitcham to follow Bateman home for fifth, with a grip-less Mitcham collecting sixth after a duel with Rachel Green, who slipped to seventh with a moment at Paddock. Andrew Beaumont crossed the line eighth.
