Junior Saloon Car Championship
OultonPark
Saturday 17th May 2014
Ben Colburn aged 14, headed to OultonPark with 3 podiums under is belt from 4 races. A fantastic achievement having only started to drive at the beginning of the year and had never raced before in any form of motorsport.
It was a busy meeting with qualifying and 2 races all in the same day. The qualifying session was 20 minutes long and the 2 fastest times gained, were the postions they set on the grid for race 1 and race 2. Ben held pole position for the majority of the qualifying session before being eclipsed by his rival Ben Mills. Ben qualified 2nd for both races, his best qualifying so far this year.
Race 1 and they were lined up on the grid. The red lights came on and changed immediately, catching out both Ben and the pole sitter who were slow off the line. Ben recovered well to make 3rd at the first corner. The chase was one. Ben soon had himself in the zone and was all over the car in front, a couple of laps later he over took him and then focused on the car ahead who was in the lead. Ben was on fire and soon caught him up. He set the fastest lap of the race. Having made the leader aware he was behind him Ben pulled off a fantastic manoeuvre with a better exit from the Island Hairpin flashing past before the Knickerbrook Chicane to take the lead. After what seemed a long 15 minute race the chequered flag came out and Ben won his first ever race. What a follow on from his brother James winning at Thruxton 2 weeks earlier in the Clio Cup Championship alongside the British Touring Cars.
courtesy of Phil Laughton
All buoyed up everyone was looking forward to race 2. It was the last event of the day. Ben got off to a much better start and at the first corner was in 2nd place. This was where he remained until the chequered flag came out,completing a fantastic weekends racing. What an achievement.
Ben is currently 2nd in the Championship.
His next race meeting is at DoningtonPark on 31st May/1st June