MAZDAS LIGHT UP BRANDS HATCH

The BRSCC South Eastern Centre's second race meeting of the season took place last Saturday with the BRSCC Ma5da Race Day on Brands Hatch's 1.199 mile Indy Circuit. As the title implies, racing action featured wall-to-wall Ma5das in a ten-race programme. The bright start to the day proved a false dawn, with intermittent showers, although nothing like on the scale of Silverstone the same day.

A split grid of MX5 Cup Championship cars and MX150Rs provided the day's first racing action. Chichester's Luke Herbert came out top after 15 minutes following an entertaining scrap with Towcester's Jordan Stilp and West Marden's Chrissy Palmer. Uttoxeter's Jonathan Blake was the best MX150R. The finishing order was repeated in the second outing, run over seven laps following a rain-induced Red Flag. Herbert's hopes of a hat-trick were thwarted by Palmer, but he claimed second ahead of Radford's Adam Gore. Blake claimed his third class win.

Six races were set aside for the massed ranks of the MX5 Championship runners, the Group B vs. C 20-minute encounter being claimed comfortably by Gore. Bicester's Rhys Jenkins and Guildford's Simon Goddard trailed in his wake. The subsequent D vs. E race saw victory for Mere's Ben Short ahead of Wellingborough's Brett Smith. Maidenhead's Jade Edwards struck a blow for ‘Girl Power’ by finishing third. Farnham's James Blake-Baldwin emerged victorious in the F vs. A race, Cardiff's Tom Roche and Stanley's Alan Henderson filled the remaining podium positions.

When Cs and Ds were ranged against each other, Short was once again victorious, ahead of Blackwood's Richard Puddle and Reigate's Simon Baldwin. Blake-Baldwin was another driver to double up with a win in the E vs. F encounter, Maidstone's Daniel Rogers picking up second and Smith third in a race shortened to 15 minutes. Not to be outdone, Gore won the final A vs. B race, with Fleet's Charlie Charman and Henderson having a good tussle over the remaining podium positions.

The day closed with a 45-minute ‘Enduro’ for all categories. A near capacity grid guaranteed entertaining racing, with Althorne's Clint Bardwell's Mk3 taking the Chequered Flag ahead of Blake and Whitstable's Jamie Ingram (MX150R).

Interspersed in the afternoon's racing action were two practice sessions for the subsequent day's Time Attack runners. We were delighted to welcome Northern Centre Chairman Graham Whitaker to Brands Hatch as Secretary of the Meeting for that element, as well as Midland Centre's Glynn Lee as permanent Clerk of the Course for the Ma5das. An even rarer sighting was SE Centre and National Chairman Bernard Cottrell as Senior Clerk of the Course alongside the regular team of Barry Morris and Derek Stanley. Thanks to all officials who turned out, particularly with other sporting and social attractions over the weekend.