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Trackday Trophy’s inaugural race at Croft took place on Saturday 18 October, with Paddock Performance Racing’s Michael Rawlings claiming a hard-fought Class B victory on a memorable day for the series.
It was also a day that will live high in the memories of both Gareth Sockett (GS Racing) and Jack Hargraves (Boreham Motorsport), who took to the top steps of the Class C and Class D podiums respectively.
Qualifying
Apple Car Centre’s Jordan Honeybone hit the ground running in qualifying, immediately demonstrating his pace. After a brief stint at the top of the timing sheet for Rawlings, Honeybone again improved to hold provisional pole position.
However, with only moments left on the clock, Team Air Supply’s Wright/Allatt utilised all their knowledge of their home circuit to post a fantastic lap of 1m32.215s to secure pole position in their Porsche 944. Honeybone would have to settle for second, ahead of Rawlings in third.
A competitive Class C session ultimately ended with Harts Racing qualifying fastest, with father and son Phil and James Hart looking strong in their Honda Civic. Shead/Edeson and Thompson/Dann rounded out the top three C qualifiers, with only 0.062s separating the two.
Hargraves enjoyed a strong session to qualify fastest in Class D, ahead of two fellow Mazda MX-5 competitors in the shape of Adams/Adams and Steven Orant. All signs were pointing to an exciting race and anticipation was high heading into the afternoon.
Race
When Trackday Trophy completed its first-ever racing lap at Croft, Wright/Allatt were at the front of the field. The polesitters had a small buffer to Rawlings behind, but with the #34 driver evidently keen to hunt down the leader.
Shead/Edeson were now leading in Class C after a productive opening lap, just a couple of tenths ahead of Hart/Hart. Orant had seized the Class D lead, though Hargraves remained in close proximity.
Over the laps that followed, Rawlings continued to exert pressure on the leading Porsche 944. For an incredible fourteen laps, the gap between the leading two cars remained at less than one second over the timing line, with the staunch defence of Wright/Allatt keeping Rawlings at bay. Spectators were being treated to not just the gripping battle at the front, but a whole host of overtaking going on through the field too.
Hart/Hart were now in front of Class C after a stellar opening stint, but with a number of competitors in the hunt for the class podium places. Shead/Edeson, Cockerill and Sockett were all running towards the top of the order, while in Class D Orant continued to pave the way in front of Hargraves, Adams/Adams and Andy Burton.
There was still plenty to play for in each class when the time came for competitors to dive into the pits for their mandatory stops. It was during this period that Rawlings managed to get the jump into the race lead, while Sockett had also maximised his strategy to leap to the front of Class C.
Orant’s Class D lead was under continued threat by the chasing Hargraves, who did manage to make an overtake stick with just seven laps of the race remaining.
Despite mounting pressure throughout the remainder of the race, none of the three leaders would relinquish their positions to become the first-ever Trackday Trophy class winners at Croft.
Rawlings hadn’t looked back after finally managing to get the leap on Wright/Allatt, and expertly saw out the remainder of the race to claim a well-deserved victory. Congratulations to the driver and the wider Paddock Performance team!
Honeybone had put in an almighty display, recovering from crossing the line last on the opening lap to finishing an impressive second on the Class B podium. Another assured performance from Wright/Allatt followed up their Cadwell Park win with a third-place podium for Team Air Supply.
In an incredibly dramatic finish, Sockett managed to beat Hart/Hart to the finish line and earn Class C victory by a mere 0.459s! Both teams had contributed to an excellent battle and should be proud of the efforts. Burton Power Racing’s Tommy Valentine rounded out the top three to claim the final C trophy in his Ford Fiesta ST.
Following a tremendous race long battle with Orant, Hargraves’ move with just seven laps remaining proved decisive, with the #66 driver taking the checkered flag first in Class D to claim an excellent maiden victory! Orant’s strong performance was rewarded with the runners-up trophy, with Adams/Adams final outing in their Mazda MX-5 ending with the third-place trophy.
A huge congratulations to all!
Attention now turns to the final round of the season, at the iconic Brands Hatch Indy circuit, on Saturday 15 November. Entries can be made here.
Photo: Gary Hawkins Photography