DENNISON EXTENDS BRSCC WINTER ESPORTS LEAD AT BRANDS HATCH GP
The 2025 BRSCC Clapham North Winter eSports Series moved past the halfway point in the season at its most recent round on the Brands Hatch GP circuit, where points leader James Dennison looked to further extend his slender points lead over second placed Matt Kendall.
It was no surprise to find the pair on the front row together for race one after qualifying, Dennison setting his best time early in the session to claim pole. The top two retained their positions on the opening lap, but a mistake exiting Paddock Hill Bend left second placed Kendall glancing off the tyre wall and dropping back to fifth as lap two began. This eased the pressure on Dennison, if only momentarily.
The mantle of his main pursuer was taken up by Thomas Merritt, the Fiesta Junior racer keeping the points leader in reach as the laps ticked by. From a gap of just over half a second, Merritt closed in further to keep Dennison honest, the pair leaving a feisty five way scrap for third in their wake containing Kendall, Jack Noller, Nathan Williams, Will Blackwell Chambers and Isaac Doble.
With Merritt dropping back a few tenths after a couple of mistakes in the final minutes and resided to P2, Dennison drove on to take the first win of the night to extend his points lead. In the fight for the final podium place, Kendal led a breakaway trio across the line ahead of Williams and Noller, while Doble got the better of Blackwell-Chambers to pick up sixth place after dropping back from the top five. Jonathan Berry, Chris Etheridge and Benjy Douglas completed the top ten.
Race two began in rather frantic fashion as first Nathan Williams went spinning at Paddock Hill Bend seconds into the start, before incidents further in the pack occurred both at and exiting Druids. Out in front, Dennison quick had Merritt and Kendall on his tail once more. This would stay the same throughout the race as the trio gapped the rest of the field, but this time Merritt would be in a better position to attack for the lead in the closing stages.
Going into the final two laps, Merritt pounced and tried numerous times to find a way through, but Dennison’s steadfast defence kept him at bay and brought Kendall on to the tail of 2nd place on the final lap. With no opportunities to pass, Dennison led Merritt and Kendall past the flag to claim his second win of the night, with Blackwell-Chambers ensuring another double Clapham North top five in P4 ahead of Doble. Noller picked up sixth ahead of Douglas, Etheridge and Moss, with Jon Pethick’s tenth place giving him reverse grid pole for race three.
Pethick could only hold the lead until the exit of Paddock Hill Bend when Moss stole it away at Druids, while behind him both Kendall and Merritt were tangled up in first lap incidents, the latter spun out onto the grass at Graham Hill Bend and deep down the field. A breakaway six-pack quickly formed on the opening lap with Dennison leading the next chasing trio in seventh, these eleven cars eventually ending up as the lead group before half distance.
Moss held firm in the lead as the race ran on, but the pack broke apart when Dennison tapped Pethick into a spin and collected by Pullen seconds later. Noller shuffled his way to P2, moments before Kendall was tapped into the gravel at Stirlings by Etheridge in a hammer blow to his points scoring. This left Moss, Noller, Blackwell-Chambers, Dennison and Etheridge as the top five, quickly closing up again as the chequered flag loomed.
The pack remained close going onto the final lap, but Moss’ moment in the sun would end abruptly after being first tapped wide at Surtees by Noller and then tagged on the rejoin by Dennison, leaving him spinning into the barrier and finishing eighth. Noller defended for the remainder of the final lap and drove to his first win of the series, with Blackwell-Chambers, Etheridge and Dennison all crossing the line to ensure less than seven tenths covered the top four. Tom Monhemius completed the top five ahead of Nathan Williams and Pethick, while eighth placed Moss remained ahead of both Kendall and Ari Barker, both drivers that recovered from early race incidents.
Dennison’s successes coupled with out-scoring Kendall mean that on current dropped scores, he now holds a four point lead over second place. However, Dennison revealed on the live stream broadcast that he is due to miss the next round at Cadwell Park, meaning Kendall and co will have a prime opportunity to score big and take the points battle right down to the Silverstone finale.
Written by Scott Woodwiss
