NEWS
16.05.09
Dolan and Hancock star at Anglesey
Jota Sport’s Simon Dolan and Sam Hancock dominated a difficult wet/dry race in the opening round of the newly-named SPEED series at Anglesey, but were denied a chance of victory by a broken bodywork latch.
With Hancock having qualified second, Dolan started the race on the front row and showed the progression he’s made under the guidance of The Drivers Club’s bespoke- driver training programme by diving into the lead at turn 2 and fighting inside the top four throughout his opening stint.
As the pit stops played out, Dolan again moved to the front of the field and Hancock maintained that position as he took over the driving duties.
Constantly changing conditions at the coastal circuit would see a five minute cloudburst immediately followed by bright sunshine meaning the entire field stayed on slicks, treading carefully each time the track was wet. In the difficult conditions Hancock was able to open up a big lead and was comfortably ahead when the broken latch saw the rear bodywork of his Ligier JS49 suddenly rip off forcing a lengthy pit stop for repairs.
An eventual finishing position of fifth was some reward for the pair but nonetheless a little disappointing after such a strong drive.
“It’s frustrating that such a small part can cost us a win,” said Dolan. “We think a tiny brush with a tyre bail at the chicane early in the race must have damaged the latch and when it eventually broke, the whole rear bodywork ripped itself off. However this is another hugely positive weekend and was a race we could and should have won.”
Hancock also lost the fastest lap he had held for much of the race in the dying stages when Ben Clucas’ low-fuelled Norma bettered his effort by a couple of tenths with just a few laps remaining.
“That’s quite annoying!” laughed Hancock who lost bonus points for the Sunoco Daytona Challenge as a result. “We have to be very encouraged by our performance though. Simon did an amazing job to stay right at the front during his first stint and we were the fastest car out there by miles in the rain. All in all the weekend has been filled with positives.”
ENDS
Notes for editors
The Drivers Club, run by world-class Le Mans and Porsche racing team, Jota Sport, offers private, high performance driver training and exclusive driving events to discerning individuals who demand the best of the best. For more information, please visit www.thedriversclub.co.uk.