The penultimate round of the 2024 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK race series kicked off at Donington Park race circuit over the weekend, a fast, undulating track considered by many Ferrari Challenge UK drivers as a highlight in their racing calendar. The early threat of rain did not materialise, giving confidence to the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell drivers who pushed their Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo race cars to the limit.
Qualifying 1. Consistency was the order or the day in qualifying across both classes. In Trofeo Pirelli, Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) found his form early in the session to post the quickest flying lap. His 1:06.317 time secured him a fifth consecutive pole of the season. In Coppa Shell, Gary Redman (Graypaul Nottingham) once again showed his quality to string together a best time of 1:08.291, securing his third consecutive pole in the process.
Trofeo Pirelli. A turn one incident on the first lap resulted in an early appearance of the red flag, delaying proceedings by 30 minutes. Upon the restart, Yates worked quickly to capitalise on his pole position and pushed hard to consolidate his lead. He did so successfully, building a 9-sec gap ahead of his Charles Hurst counterpart Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst). Morrow, who started the race in third position, capitalised on an opportunity to slip past the inside of Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) as the pair entered Redgate to ascend into second place.
Further back, strong early progress from Lee Frost (Graypaul Birmingham) and Haymandhra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) tightened the gap between second and fifth to just 3 seconds. However, Morrow and Vangala improved their lap times as the race wore on causing the pack to disburse.
As the flag dropped, it was Yates who converted his strong qualification into an impressive race victory, his third this season, crossing the line a full 14 seconds ahead of championship rival Morrow to bring home the victory and move to the top of the Trofeo Pirelli championship table.
Coppa Shell. In Coppa Shell, Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) once again demonstrated his lightning reflexes to launch up the grid, before an incident in turn one saw the emergence of a red flag and the subsequent retirement of Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon), Darren Howell (JCT600 Leeds), Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) and Gary Redman (Graypaul Nottingham).
The restart was a head-to-head battle between championship leader Rees and season debutant Steve Dopson (Dick Lovett Swindon). Dopson piled the pressure on Rees in the early stages, cutting the interval to less than 0.5 secs. However, a nervous moment in the Cramer Curves unsettled Dopson, who subsequently struggled to replicate his initial pace that threatened Rees in the early stages. As the chequered flag dropped, it was Rees who secured the win, with fellow Dick Lovett stablemate Dopson joining him on the podium in second.
Donington Park, Sunday 21 July 2024
Racing action continuedin the fourth round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK race series at a sun-swept Donington Park. Lucky Khera’s (Graypaul Birmingham) return to the series surprised and delighted fans in equal measure and set the stage for a thrilling final race of the weekend.
Qualifying 2. In Trofeo Pirelli, Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) continued to display his dominant pace on track, posting a fastest time of 1:06.027, almost 1-sec ahead of Khera who joined him on the front row. In Coppa Shell, Steve Dopson (Dick Lovett Swindon) continued his excellent Saturday form, achieving a best time of 1:07.934 to take pole.
Trofeo Pirelli. Yates didn’t hesitate in replicating his fine Saturday performance, quickly laying down a series of dominant laps to establish a comfortable 2.5-sec gap ahead of fellow Charles Hurst driver Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst). Morrow himself made an impressive race start, passing double-champion Khera as the pair entered Redgate to move up into second position.
As the race settled down, it seemed as though the order was set. But, halfway through the race, a faulty wheel speed sensor forced Morrow to retire his car. His misfortune benefitted Khera and Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) as the pair moved up into the podium positions.
Yates continued to dominate as the race progressed; however, with just 2 minutes left in the race, the Irishman’s car developed an issue which hampered his race pace. Returning champion Khera did not need a second invitation, seizing the opportunity to pass the Charles Hurst driver and claim his debut win of the 2024 season, with Vangala and Haymandhra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) joining him on the podium steps. Despite his misfortune, Yates comes away from round 4 leading the Trofeo Pirelli Championship on 97 points.
Coppa Shell. Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) once again showed his racing intuition as he forced his Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo around the outside to secure first position before the exit of turn one. Fellow championship rival Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon) also found a way to slip past polesitter Dopson in the early exchanges before setting his sights on Rees. However, contact in the ensuing battle resulted in damage to Rees’s car and caused the Welshman to lose his race pace. Dewhirst found a way past, followed by Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) and Gary Redman (Graypaul Nottingham) a few laps later as Rees fell down the order.
Hunter set about pursuing race leader Dewhirst, but the Dick Lovett driver was determined to avenge Saturday’s early exit and pushed on to build an impressive 5-sec gap. As the Chequered flag dropped, Dewhirst crossed the line to claim victory and finish his race weekend on a high. The result leaves the Coppa Shell Championship wide open, with Rees sitting on 110 points – 16 points ahead of Dewhirst in second place.
Next Race. The final round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK series takes place at Silverstone on 13–15 September 2024. Qualifying and Race sessions will be broadcast live via live.ferrari.com.
