Radical Club Challenge UK - R4 Race Report

The 750 Motor Club Radical Club Challenge returned to Brands Hatch, where only a few months ago the series had tackled the Indy circuit. This time, however, the Radicals took on the full Grand Prix layout — a highlight on the Radical Club Challenge UK calendar.

Shane Stoney returned to action, keen to reassert himself as the fastest driver in the field. He did just that, taking pole position in his Radical PR6 with a time of 1:25.363 — over two seconds clear of his closest Class A championship rival, Leon Morrell, who managed a 1:27.531. James Keevil recorded one of his best qualifying performances of the season, placing his Radical SR3 RS in third overall. In Class B, championship leader Daniel Headlam (RJ Motorsport) took pole and secured fourth overall, with Pedro Oliveira close behind in fifth — only a few tenths separating the two.

In Class C, championship leader Gordie Mutch (University of Derby) qualified ninth overall, placing four cars between himself and the next SR1 driver — a healthy margin. Scott Lear led the rest of the SR1 pack, which, apart from Mutch, qualified closely together for the first time this season.

Race One

What could have been an exciting race sadly didn’t live up to expectations. All drivers got away cleanly through Turn One, but the drama wasn’t far behind. Paul Seward, who had qualified an excellent sixth overall and third in class, retired in the early stages, bringing out the Safety Car. It was a shame, as Seward had made a strong start and gained positions off the line.

Unfortunately, the Safety Car picked up the midfield rather than the front runners, causing confusion and a frustratingly long neutral period as officials tried to re-establish the correct order. This hampered many drivers’ races, with little opportunity to battle or make progress up the field. When racing finally resumed, it was short-lived — another incident, this time involving Daniel Headlam, led to a red flag and brought the race to an early end.

Few positions changed during the race, though there were some exceptions. Vikram Sudera (North Motorsport) gained a place to secure a podium finish in Class C — a result he’ll be pleased with after suffering misfortune in previous rounds.

• Class A: Stoney claimed victory, followed by Morrell in second and Keevil in third.

• Class B: Oliveira took his first class win, joined on the podium by Philip Brown and Stephen Bell.

• Class C: Mutch extended his unbeaten run, with Aaron Rose and Sudera completing the podium.

Race Two

Cooler, overcast conditions greeted drivers on Sunday morning, though the track began to warm up by midday. With everyone eager for a clean, uninterrupted race, tensions were high as lights went out.

Morrell managed to get the jump on Stoney off the line, but couldn’t hold the lead for a full lap. Despite recent gains in pace, Morrell wasn’t able to keep up with the championship leader, who consistently lapped around two seconds quicker than the rest of the field. Seward again got away well but slipped back to his original starting position by the end of lap two.

Oliveira once again found himself ahead of Headlam, this time taking the Class B lead on lap two and holding it to the chequered flag. Elsewhere, few positions were traded, with many drivers struggling to find overtaking opportunities. Scott Lear dropped down the order, though this was expected given he had qualified ahead of several faster Class A and B cars.

Unfortunately, the race once again ended under a red flag, this time caused by James Keevil going off in the final minutes. The stoppage was particularly unfortunate for Stephanie Hobeika (DW Racing), who had been pressuring Sudera and looked poised to fight for position before the incident halted proceedings.

• Class A: Stoney made it two from two, with Morrell in second and Doug Carter completing the podium.

• Class B: Oliveira secured back-to-back wins, with Headlam second and Seward redeeming himself with a third-place finish.

• Class C: Mutch continued his flawless run with another win, joined by Rose and Lear on the podium.

Oliveira’s double victory sent a clear message to Headlam — the fight for the Class B title is far from over. While Headlam had held the upper hand earlier in the season, Oliveira proved this weekend that he has what it takes to win.

In Class A, Morrell may be frustrated that improvements and experience still weren’t enough to close the gap to Stoney. As for Mutch in Class C, his dominant, undefeated run puts him in a strong position not just for the class title, but potentially the overall championship. His competitors appear resigned to the fact that, for now, he remains untouchable.

Next month the Radical Club Challenge heads to Silverstone, this time tackling the International circuit. Will we see any titles decided there?