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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">SEAT CUPRA CHAMPIONSHIP</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">26/04/2004</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Gavin Leads Championship Following Win</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Sheddon In Moves Into Second</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"><B>Gavin Leads SEAT Cupra Championship After Race 2 Win</B><BR> <BR> Dublin’s Gavin Smith leads the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship after he followed up his 2nd place in Race 1 with a magnificent victory in Race 2 at Brands Hatch. The 25- year old Irishman took the lead on lap 8 and pulled out an astonishing 4.648sec victory margin by the time he crossed the chequered flag.<BR> <BR> Having started 3rd on the grid, Gavin made another great start and took the lead when James Pickford made contact with Gordon Shedden, as James (the winner of Race 1) tried to overtake on the inside of Druids. His Haribo / Vivaldi Leon’s left front wheel hit the right front wheel of Gordon’s Scottish Sun / Tracker Cupra, damaging both their steering. While Gordon continued at a reduced pace to finish 2nd, the damage to James’s car was worse and he regretted the attempted passing manoeuvre as he slipped down to 12th at the end of the 20 lap race.<BR> <BR> Gavin said: “I set my car up so that the Pirelli tyres would work better in the second half of the race. I made good start and I let James overtake me at Druids because I knew that in the early stages of the race I would not be able to hold him off. I then bumped into Gordon at the bottom of Graham Hill Bend, which put my steering wheel out of line, but apart from that the race was perfect. When James and Gordon hit each other and started to fall away I knew I had the race won and even slowed on the final two laps to bring the car home. I’m delighted to be leading the championship and I’m looking forward to the next race at Silverstone because I know we can find a good set-up and do well there.”<BR> <BR> Gordon said: “I’m lucky to finish the race because James gave me a right whack at Druids, which put my steering out. I then missed a gear at Graham Hill Bend and got hit from behind by Gavin – it was my fault and it’s the first time I’ve had yellow paint on my car and not complained about it! I’m happy to finish second in Race 2 because you get more points for finishing second in the second race than you do for finishing first in the first race.”<BR> <BR> James said: “I overtook Gavin on the inside of Druids no problem and two laps later I made the same move on Gordon. On the previous lap I could see where he was braking and turning in, so on the next lap I went for it. I was alongside, completely committed to the manoeuvre, and Gordon turned in on me. My front left wheel hit his front right and from that point on my car felt like it was determined to go to Dover because it didn’t want to go around right hand corners! I was faster than Gordon here at Brands and I’m should have waited until later in the race before I made my move.”<BR> <BR> Oli Wilkinson could have finished 3rd for the second race in a row, but a coming together with Rob Austin at the first corner meant his talkSPORT Leon understeered around right hand corners and tried to snap sideways on the two left hand corner on the circuit. Tom Boardman eventually slipped passed in his Exchange & Mart Cupra, leaving Oli slightly disappointed in 4th.<BR> <BR> Rob’s first race weekend in saloon cars ended at Druids on the opening lap. After a good start, his Mars Leon was sideways at Paddock Hill Bend before being pushed into a spin at the famous hairpin. Spencer Marsh was pushed into Lewis Carter (Europcar / Cobra Group Cupra), who in turn pushed Rob into a spin. While the likes of Lorcan Johnson sneaked passed on the inside, others, taking a wider outside line around Druids, like Emmanuel Crouvisier in the Big Boys Toys Cupra, had to stop as Rob had blocked their path.<BR> <BR> Lewis said: “Eighteen Leons into one gap doesn’t go, it was like being stuck in a pinball machine!”<BR> <BR> Emmet O’Brien was also involved in the Druids melee, which saw his driver’s door pushed right in. Three laps later the side window fell onto his lap and the side mirror was making a nuisance of itself in his foot-well.<BR> <BR> By the chequered flag, Lewis finished 5th, ahead of Spencer, while a delighted Ben Winrow caught and shadowed Spencer’s every move to finish 7th in the 18-year old’s best race performance to-date in his Telemecanique Leon.<BR> <BR> After a difficult start to the race, Rui Chagas finished 9th behind Emmet in the Caremore Homes Leon, leaving the Portuguese and Irish drivers to see from their lap times that they both have the pace to race with the front runners.<BR> <BR> Ex-motorbike racer Simon Hepplewhite was delighted to pick up points for 10th in his Auto Trader Leon, holding off Emmanuel in a close battle. The American driver also picked up points despite being delayed badly at the hairpin incident and racing with a bent wheel rim following a clash with Ben.<BR> <BR> Lorcan held off a line of Leons until he missed a gear and let three passed, but he was pleased with his race pace and the fact that he hadn’t repeated his testing accident.<BR> <BR> Melanie Healey enjoyed another great performance in her Spur Garage / Radio Jackie Leon – the only female in the series lapping well and consistently to keep on improving. In terms of pace and performance, it was Melanie’s best race weekend yet.<BR> <BR> With Jon Lanceley and Andy Neate non-starting Race 2 and Rob Austin parked up at the hairpin, the only other driver to fail to reach the finish was Daniel-Lee Stevens. Having started 13th, the dramas at Druids saw him up to 5th before he spun his RG Stevens Building Services / Brunel Racing / CB Tech Motorsport Cupra at Surtees corner on the opening lap. He rejoined in 10th place, only to spin again at Surtees after a battle with Rui. With smoke coming from a rubbing rear tyre, Daniel pulled into the pits and did not return to the circuit.<BR> <BR> <B>Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship – Race 2 results (Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 1.2262 miles)</B><BR> <BR> 1. Gavin Smith….17:47.848<BR> <BR> 2. Gordon Shedden….17:52.496<BR> <BR> 3. Tom Boardman….17:53.496<BR> <BR> 4. Oli Wilkinson….17:56.504<BR> <BR> 5. Lewis Carter….18:01.321<BR> <BR> 6. Spencer Marsh….18:01.700<BR> <BR> 7. Ben Winrow….18:02.011<BR> <BR> 8. Emmet O’Brien….18:04.322<BR> <BR> 9. Rui Chagas….18:09.859<BR> <BR> 10. Simon Hepplewhite….18:22.935<BR> <BR> 11. Emmanuel Crouvisier….18:23.680<BR> <BR> 12. James Pickford ….18:27.601<BR> <BR> 13. Lorcan Johnson….18.36.728<BR> <BR> 14. Melanie Healey….+ 1 Lap<BR> <BR> 15. Daniel-Lee Stevens….DNF<BR> <BR> 16. Rob Austin ….DNF<BR> <BR> 17. Jon Lanceley….DNS<BR> <BR> <B>Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship – points after Round 2</B> <BR> <BR> 1. Gavin Smith….32pts<BR> <BR> 2. Gordon Shedden….25pts<BR> <BR> 3. Oli Wilkinson….23pts<BR> <BR> 4. Tom Boardman….19pts<BR> <BR> 5. James Pickford ….18pts<BR> <BR> 6. Spencer Marsh….12pts<BR> <BR> 7. Lewis Carter….11pts<BR> <BR> 8. Rui Chagas….9pts<BR> <BR> 9. Ben Winrow….9pts<BR> <BR> 10. Rob Austin ….6pts<BR> <BR> 11. Emmet O’Brien….6pts<BR> <BR> 12. Simon Hepplewhite….3pts<BR> <BR> 13. Emmanuel Crouvisier….2pts<BR> <BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>