Radical Club Challenge R3 Report

Mutch and Morrell Muster Mighty Performances at Snetterton

The third round of the Radical Club Challenge, presented by the 750 Motor Club, delivered highly changeable conditions at Snetterton, creating a stern test for many competitors and shaking up the usual running order.

Image of author Henry Loble-Dott
Henry Loble-Dott

Formerly an RAF base, the Norfolk circuit experienced a different kind of aerial onslaught, as torrential rain lashed parts of the track. This made qualifying particularly challenging and complicated tyre choices.

The absence of championship leader Shane Stoney was felt keenly, as he was unfortunately forced to miss the weekend’s action. While this opened the door for Class A contender Leon Morrell, he admitted he would have preferred to race against Stoney to properly measure his own development in the Radical PR6.

“It’s a shame that Stoney isn’t here to keep me honest — I think he’d still be a bit up the road from me,” Morrell conceded. “I was looking forward to having him as a yardstick to measure our progress, because he’s been the class of the field this year.”

Morrell feels he’s taken a significant step forward with the PR6, but fans will have to wait until Brands Hatch in July to see how the two front-runners stack up head-to-head.

Qualifying

Gordie Mutch (University of Derby), current Class C championship leader, delivered a sensational performance in tricky conditions, securing overall pole with a 2:09.931 — nearly a second ahead of the field and significantly quicker than faster machinery.

Mutch credited the performance to exploiting a narrow window of peak tyre performance and the hard work of the University of Derby team:

“There’s obviously a really niche window with the tyres… and in that window we have a tyre that kind of works — and you need to be very, very committed to make it work. I’d say we were reasonably committed!”

“It’s cool — the students have done a mega job again this weekend, and hopefully we can capitalise on it!”

When asked about starting from pole, Mutch was realistic:

“I don’t think I’m going to be holding onto that position for long! Honestly, we’re just going to run our own race.”

Morrell lined up alongside Mutch on the front row, topping Class A with a 2:10.810, closely followed by teammate Pedro Oliveira in Class B at 2:10.839. Oliveira in the SR3 was pleased to outqualify championship rival Daniel Headlam (RJ Motorsport):

“Hopefully by the time Headlam (starting sixth) gets through the field, I’ll be in the clear.”

In Class A, James Keevil and Doug Carter (RJ Motorsport) qualified second and third respectively, with Keevil starting fourth overall — well-positioned to attack the front. In Class B, Stephen Bell (Tim Gray Motorsport) secured second on the grid, with championship leader Headlam in third. Behind Mutch in Class C, Aaron Rose qualified second, followed by Scott Lear in third.

Race One

When the lights went out, the field scrambled for position. Morrell immediately got the jump on Mutch thanks to the extra power of his PR6. As expected, Mutch quickly slipped down the order due to the outright pace of the SR3s around him, ending lap one in eighth. The SR1 lacked downforce in key areas compared to its bigger siblings, but Mutch knew his battle was not with the front-runners, but with others in Class C. Staying clean would be key.

Class B served up thrilling action. Paul Seward had a lightning start from 11th, gaining six places on the first lap to run fifth. Headlam, too, was aggressive early on, quickly dispatching Bell before making a crucial move on Oliveira — a key moment in the championship battle. From there, he set his sights on Keevil in Class A and passed him by lap four.

Keevil admitted, “Morrell’s about two seconds faster than us, so the best we could hope for really was second place. We were struggling for pace, so we’ve made some adjustments for the second race.”

Meanwhile, Philip Brown showed strong form as he moved through the field in pursuit of the Class B podium. Oliveira went off onto the grass while chasing Headlam on lap six but recovered without losing a place.

Vikram Sudera (North Motorsport) made good progress despite carrying damage from qualifying, but his race ended early after an ambitious move into Murrays led to contact with Mark Grayson. Both cars made it back to the pits under their own power, avoiding a safety car.

As the race settled and gaps widened, Morrell cruised to his first win of the season, dominating with a 12.7-second margin — a gap that could have been even larger had he not needed to nurse a fuel surge issue late in the race.

Headlam claimed his fourth win of the season in Class B, followed by Oliveira and Seward. Mutch continued his dominance in Class C, finishing eighth overall and taking class honours.

Keevil and Carter completed the Class A podium. In Class B, Oliveira and Seward rounded out the top three. Aaron Rose achieved his best result of the season with second in Class C, ahead of third-placed Scott Lear.

Race Two

Starting positions for Race Two were determined by each driver’s second-best qualifying time, once again mixing up the grid. Morrell started from pole, with Mutch alongside him.

This time, Morrell didn’t get the best getaway, and Oliveira snatched the early lead, with Headlam charging from sixth to second. The two engaged in a race-long duel, made even more dramatic by the presence of backmarkers. For several laps, they traded tenths, with Oliveira eventually running wide again — a repeat of his Race One excursion.

Oliveira explained “I lost a lot of time there and started to feel a few vibrations, so I decided to take it easy — the gap to Daniel was too big to recover anyway.”

Further back, Brown and Bell were locked in battle for the final podium spot in Class B. Bell picked up debris on lap four, though it’s unclear if it affected his pace. Brown passed him by lap eight but was later disqualified, promoting Bell to third.

Keevil, meanwhile, struggled to find the improvements hoped for after Race One. His pace was lacking, and he came under pressure from Carter in the latter stages.

In Class C, Stephanie Hobeika (DW Racing) impressed with a strong drive to a podium.

“I got the jump on a few cars at the start and just held the position. It was my first race weekend driving in the wet ever, so I’m glad to come away with this result.”

Morrell took another commanding win, finishing 17 seconds clear of Headlam. Oliveira came home third, with Bell promoted to the final step of the Class B podium. Keevil and Carter again completed the Class A podium.

Mutch made it a perfect weekend in Class C, followed by Rose — who scored his second podium — and Hobeika in third.

With Stoney absent, Mutch remains the only driver to have won every race in his class this season. He and Headlam are emerging as clear favourites in Classes C and B respectively. However, Oliveira continues to apply pressure, outqualifying and challenging Headlam throughout the weekend.

In Class A, Morrell’s double victory could prove crucial in closing the gap to Stoney. We’ll find out at Brands Hatch whether the momentum continues.