TOVEY STARTS TITLE DEFENCE WITH A WIN
Classic 2CV Champion Kris Tovey started his title defence in the best possible was, with a comfortable win at Cadwell Park.
Nick Crispin was on pole with Tovey alongside for a very wet race one.
It was Crispin who snatched the early lead, from Tovey, Sandro Proietti, Brian Heerey, Matthew Hollis and Martin Riman, after Bull had spun out of second at Charlies.
“I got a good start, but my car didn’t like the conditions,” said Crispin. “I was flying, just behind Nick and then got tapped on the rear corner. It sent me into a tank slapper and I kissed the barrier, before restarting last,” Bull added.
Tovey was soon pressing Crispin for the lead. “I had checked out where I thought I was strongest on the first lap, so got a good run out Mansfield on lap two and went inside at the Mountain to get the lead, “Tovey explained.
Heerey and Hollis were having a great duel for fourth, which began to bring them closer to Proietti and Crispin. On lap four it was Heerey leading the quartet, as Tovey’s lead increased.
“I was locked together with Nick on the straight and got past into Park, but then went wide just trying to stay on,” said Heerey.
“Brian and Matt both got me, as I was losing so much time through Charlies, searching for grip, then they had me on the straight into Park,” Crispin added.
So by the end of lap five it was Tovey, from Heerey, Hollis, Crispin and Julie Walford, with Proietti down to sixth.
“I had been chasing Nick for second and went straight on at the Hairpin, then got Brian and went straight on again. I had braked too late for Mansfield, then rejoined in neutral and got hit up the rear by Martin Riman,” Proietti explained.
“I just made sure I maintained a safe distance, as I could see them fighting behind,” said Tovey, whose KT Motorsport car took the flag 10.6 secs clear of Heerey for his win.
The battle for third had allowed Heerey to consolidate second too, but third place went down to the wire.
“I was in fourth behind Matt Hollis, but he went wide at the Hairpin on the last lap. I avoided him, but he bounced back and crossed my path and I couldn’t avoid him a second time,” Crispin explained, as he recovered to complete the podium.
With Hollis out, Bull completed a superb recovery by claiming fourth on the last lap. “I just started driving through the field, picking them off and got fastest lap. The car was just great in the wet,” he said.
Proietti finally came home fifth, with Simon Turner completing the top six, after he took Riman on the last lap.
While Riman retained seventh, Ethan Sparrow, Chris Yates and Roy Eastwood rounded off the top 10, after Julie Walford had joined Hollis and Nicholas Home in retirement.
Andi Donaldson and Seb Jones-White were next home, with Giles Owen, Martin Arrowsmith-Brown, Chris Hall, Colin Etchells, Laurence Broadhurst and Howard Wright completing the finishers, all fairly spread out.
The second race finally took place at the end of the day, but after just three laps it was red flagged and restarted. “I was leading when it was stopped, it was great,” said Bull.
“I was second at the end of lap one, Sandro went for me at Hall Bends but I caught up again, then lost it at Barn, and broke the steering rack bringing out the red flags,” Heerey explained.
“I got an early break with Nick and Bully and was pushing for the lead until it was stopped when Brian went off,” added Proietti.
“I had been swapping between second and fourth and was right behind Brian when he crashed, the second car to crash in front of me,” Crispin started.
The grid was a bit chaotic for the restart, with added confusion of how many laps the restart would be.
“I got a good start again and led for a while,” said Proietti. But both and Crispin were in the fight too, but after just five laps, the chequered flag was readied, but the order far from settled.
“Crispin was chasing Proietti on the last lap and so I got a double car tow from third down the Straight and led into Park,” said Bull.
“I was side by side with Alex Cockhill for third through the Gooseneck, following Bull and Proietti for the lead,” Crispin added.
Proietti still hadn’t given up however on snatching back his lost lead. “Bully got me on the inside at Park, but I had more speed onto the Mountain. I had just nosed ahead but offline and ran off onto the grass, “he explained.
So it was a maiden victory for Bull, with Crispin and debutant Cockhill completing the podium, as Proietti recovered to retain fourth.
George Broadhurst had managed to consolidate fifth, with Oswin completing the top six, with Luca Proietti, Donaldson and Turner following.
It’s just three weeks before the Championship heads North again, for a double-header at Croft on May 18/19th.
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