After a long break from Motorsport, team Westbourne returned to the Junior Saloon Car Championship at Knock Hill Race Circuit. As the drivers were eager to get back behind the wheel, cold and damp weather conditions surrounded the track as the team prepared for a full day of testing.
With the penultimate rounds at Silverstone looming, the drivers entered the track with driver instructor, Ed Pead in the passenger seat to prepare for the race weekend ahead. The pit lane atmosphere was intense as the drivers knew the competition would heat up this weekend as they compete for valuable championship points.
Heading into Knockhill, Matteo Zanetti stood in 4th place in the championship on 16 points. Every point matters as the team pushed to ensure Zanetti finished in the top 3 at the end of the JSCC 2016 season.
Dry conditions graced the Scottish track as the drivers opened the race weekend with a practice session which saw a grid of 20 cars on a close and competitive playing field. Setting the pace in the practice session, the drivers were confident about entering qualifying later in the afternoon.
The qualifying session started with a bang as it became apparent that all drivers wanted to be in the top 5. Zanetti was consistent throughout the session and maintained pole position while team mate, Batty just missed the top 5 qualifying in P6.
Finlay Robinson was unable to attend the test day on Friday so used qualifying to his advantage to familiarise himself with the track. Throughout the session, Robinson’s track times were improving which saw time qualify in P18.
In race one; Zanetti had a good start in the race which saw him take the lead. Unfortunately, rivals, Milner and Sutton were determined to battle for those all important points to secure the championship. Trying to maintain his defensive line, Zanetti was overtaken by Milner and struggled to switch back into first place.
Further back on the grid, team mate Adam Batty was entering a fierce battle with Hamilton and Browning as they all tried to push the cars to its limits into the top 5. Holding onto P6 was challenging for Batty as the race intensified seeing him go off the track onto the gravel. Returning to the track in tenth place, Batty found it challenging to make up for the earlier incident which saw him cross the finish line in 10th place.
The competition got more intense as the drivers would stop at nothing to get first place in the race. Zanetti and Sutton headed into the hairpin side by side sustaining no serious damage. Zanetti was able to maintain his position for the remainder of the race finishing in second place despite revivals attempts to overtake.
Finlay continued to make improvements throughout the race as his confidence continued to grow. After studying footage from qualifying the day before, Robinson was able to make amends to his driving line which was clear from his performance in the race. Gradually, he overtook drivers making improvements consistently until he reached P15 on the last corner.
The drama continued heading into race 2. Zanetti continued to put the pressure on championship rivals throughout the race. Determined to take a victory for team Westbourne, Zanetti set the pace ahead of Milner and Browning coming to a comfortable lead.
Adam Batty eager to get into the top 5 after race one by battling Kennedy and Hamilton. Unfortunately after sustaining small damage to the steering on the car, Batty had to withdraw from the battle and pushed to get the car to the finish line.
Robinson had a good start to race two and set about improving his position in the race. Now confident with the track and how to combat his competitors, he entered the track with a positive mindset.
With Zanetti dominating the race, Milner and Sutton were unable to match his speed which saw a victory for Westbourne Motorsport – a brilliant result!
Following damage to his car, Batty was determined to get the car across the finish line in tenth place. A disappointing result for Batty after some eventful battles.
Further back on the grid, Robinson pushed the car to its limits which saw him pass the checked flag in P15. A consistent weekend for Robinson especially after missing the opportunity to test at the track ahead of the race weekend.
The Junior Saloon Car Championship will return at Silverstone in the penultimate rounds where the competition will start heating up!