SNETTERTON JULY 31 PREVIEW – BRSCC MAZDA MX-5 SUPERCUP
With the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup going through something of a boom period in its lifetime in 2021, entries are consistently reaching near or at capacity levels at just about every round so far. Once again, this is to be the case this Saturday as the upcoming rounds at Snetterton in Norfolk sees a 40-car grid shaping up to race, and with dropped scores now becoming a factor and this meeting also marking the halfway stage this season, this is the time when things are about to get a little more tense…
So far, the race for the Pro Class championship currently appears to be between three men – Samuel Smith, Jack Harding and Patrick Fletcher. For the defending champion Smith, his overall points lead remains once his three worst scores are removed, albeit cut from 13 to just 7. A near perfect Anglesey weekend produced three victories all with fastest laps, helping him remain on course for a second consecutive SuperCup title, but the two men chasing him down will have other ideas. Jack Harding will feel like this is his best chance to become champion after several years of trying, but in order to do that he has to start beating Smith on track on a regular basis from hereon in. One win and all but one finish off the podium all round so far means that he’s always been on the case from the very start and there’s no denying his talent or speed for a second. He will just need to find that little bit extra to begin winning races again in a bid to start taking points out of Smith to try and overhaul him for the lead.
Just four points behind Harding is three-time winner Patrick Fletcher, who is certainly having his best SuperCup season to date since he joined a couple of years ago. He made 3rd place his own in Anglesey and had his Silverstone weekend gone a little smoother beforehand, he may well have been a little closer to the top two or even between them. Patrick’s pace is stronger than it’s ever been and now he’s making a real charge for the championship, he will want to stay on form as much as possible to keep up with Samuel and Jack.
James Cossins and John Langridge complete the top five, with Cossins managing to pinch a victory from Croft while Langridge has seen a jump in form since he made a mid-season switch to Hills Motorsport before the previous meeting. Both are now consistently hovering around the top ten and there are signs that their chances of clinching a few more podiums are increasing. Declan Lee is starting to pick up strength too and will want to move up from 6th on adjusted points, while Will Blackwell-Chambers’ confidence will be sky high after his thrilling charge through the pack from 32nd to just outside the podium in the final Anglesey race. He will wish to try and not just repeat that, but better it to finally take home his first SuperCup silverware.
Brayden Fletcher, Simon Baldwin and Tom Smith complete the top 10 in the Pro Class, all three of whom have had some mixed fortunes. Brayden had one of his strongest weekends to date in Wales while Tom was a little more off the pace than he would have liked, and as for Simon he has ground to make up after he was absent from Anglesey. All are certain to be raring to go in Norfolk this weekend.
The Club Class has taken a turn in Kevin Silvain’s favour after Richard Amos’ fortunes took a severe nosedive last time out, with an accident in Race 1 and subsequent car issues leaving him score just a single point from the entire weekend. Thankfully, dropped scores mean he can still remain in the title fight, but now he has a fourteen point gap to close going forwards. Silvain is now head of the table again, with Clive Powles’ double victory lifting him up to 2nd ahead of Amos, while Martin Heath and Bruce Robinson also currently occupy the top five.
Simon Baldwin hasn’t lost the Masters lead on dropped scores, but his non-entry to Anglesey has meant the rest of his rivals have caught up, with Martin Tolley only nine points away heading to Norfolk ahead of Powles, Simon Fleet and George Grant.
Scott Woodwiss
