KENDALL AND DENNISON SHARE BRSCC WINTER ESPORTS SPOILS AT DONINGTON PARK


The second event of the 2025 BRSCC Clapham North Winter eSports Series continued where it left off in its most recent round on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit, with drivers tackling both dry and wet conditions over the course of the three races on the night and the main contenders from Spain both taking victories.

Matt Kendall was the only driver in qualifying to go sub-1 minute 38 seconds and secured pole position for race one with double Navarra winner and points leader James Dennison lining up alongside on the front row. Jack Noller’s first eSports appearance of the season landed him third fastest ahead of Isaac Doble, followed by Will Blackwell-Chambers and Benjy Douglass on the third row, and Tom Griffiths and Thomas Merritt on the fourth row.

Kendall scored the hole shot into Redgate to lead from Dennison and Noller as race one began, with Blackwell-Chambers also challenging Doble early for fourth place just behind him. The leading trio quickly broke away to a race of their own, leaving Doble and co to fight over fourth backwards, and soon enough it was a reverse of Spain with Dennison tailing Kendall lap after lap. Dennison kept up near relentless pressure lap after lap but despite attacking on the final tour of the GP circuit, no avenue through presented itself.

Kendall scored his first victory of the season in Race 1 with Dennison resided to 2nd place, while Noller’s first start of 2025 netted a close third just behind them. An impressive drive from Thomas Merritt placed him fourth at the flag ahead of Will Blackwell-Chambers in the top five, followed by Doble, Nathan Williams, Douglass, Joe Moss and Luke Pullen.

Race one’s top three continued where they’d left off as race two went green, Kendall again getting the jump on Dennison with Noller third but initially bothered by Blackwell-Chambers. As before, the leading pair were near inseparable from each other, Kendall leading again from start to finish with the ever present Dennison unshakeable in his pursuit. That was until a slow-down penalty for Dennison not only lost him ground to Kendall, but also second and third to Blackwell-Chambers and Noller respectively.

Kendall’s victory margin was four seconds, his second win of the evening but leaving him tenth for the partially reversed grid for race three. As for the rest of the podium, Blackwell-Chambers made it a Clapham North team 1-2 finish, while Noller snuck back past Dennison exiting the final hairpin to pick up the final rostrum place. Joe Doble completed the top five, ahead of Merritt, Pullen, Griffiths, Nathan Williams and Jon Pethick.

Conditions changed drastically for race three as for the very first time, a BRSCC Winter eSports race would run in wet weather, and with Pethick on the top ten reversed pole alongside Nathan Williams. Exiting Redgate, Williams led with Pullen heading up to second past Pethick, the ret of the back getting a little strung out due to first lap incidents. Eventually after first Pullen, then Grifffiths fell by the wayside before the end of lap one, Williams also dropped back to briefly give Pethick the lead, then dropping it to Doble, who then lost it to Dennison in quick succession.

Once in front, Dennison had the rest of the race firmly in his grasp and pulled away to a four second lead in a matter of laps, extending it to more than five at the chequered flag for his third win of the season in six races. For second place backwards, the action became a little more fraught. Doble held the place all the way to the flag to score an excellent podium, while Pethick, Kendall, Merritt, Noller and co were all preoccupied scrapping over third place a couple of seconds back. 

On the final lap, a tap from behind by Merritt spat Pethick off the road and through the gravel at Coppice, allowing Kendall to power past both drivers and Noller to take the final podium place. Noller still ended up fourth ahead of Blackwell Chambers in fifth, finishing ahead of Merritt, Tom Monhemius, Pethick, Griffiths and Moss.

The next event takes place on the Brands Hatch GP circuit on Thursday, 6th February 2025, with James Dennison still leading Matt Kendall in the standings, but now by two points. Be sure to tune in to see who comes out on top in Kent!

Written by Scott Woodwiss


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