Anglesey rounds 5&6

Would Anglesey see the boys hit form at last….

Anglesey can be good for you or, as in 2008 it can bite you hard, http://www.digitexvideo.co.uk/anglesey

Round 5

Well, this time she was good to us. We arrived on Friday to be welcomed by gail force winds and plenty of rain. We had the garages so no awnings to be put up, thank goodness. Saturday was pretty much the same weather in the morning, with it drying up for the last race.  Dean was quickest in practice by 7 tenths of a second and Nick Brace was 6th in the tricky conditions.

Race 1 

With a mid pack start the boys knew they would have to go off line to get through the traffic so both opted for the wet tyre and set up. By the time they fought their way through Lawrence Davey and John Mikel were at the front and there was no getting on terms with them, so it was to be Dean in 3rd and Nick followed him home in 4th.

Race 2 

In the drying conditions Dean and Ben Power hit the front early and bump drafted away from the ensuing pack.  2 laps from home Ben dropped a tyre off the curb and Dean didn’t need a second invite to pull clear and take the win.  Ben finished in a creditable second spot (the win is coming Benny boy)!! Nick had suffered a total shut down of his electrical system when he was just moving into 3rd place and ended up coming from the back of the field to 13th.  Dean Brace fastest lap, Ben Power second fastest and Nick Brace third fastest lap.

Race 3 

Nick started mid pack and Dean at the back for the final.  Nick hit the front early with James Holman and Dean Brace on his tail.  Dean had a battle with James but, as soon as he could get on his dads bumper the boys drafted away from James.  They would not start racing for the win until the last lap as there are no team orders, but it was gonna be a tight fight.  Nick had beaten Dean on the last lap at Oulton Park the week before, so was it going to be pay back for his dad the day before Fathers day? Coming out of the right hander at church bend Dean was in Nicks draft and used it to sling shot past him, Nick covered the inside but was defenceless to Dean.  But it wasn’t over yet, coming out of peel corner Nick thought he was quicker on the down hill section and went to the inside going in to the Tom Pryce straight, Dean had seen the move and firmly shut the door on him, a big lock up from Nick meant he nearly took them both out on the last lap!  What would the team of thought if that had happened? It would have been a long quite drive home.  

So we come over the line for our first National 1-2 for Brace Motorsport, how good did that feel?

Overall result was a win for Dean and, without the electrical fault, Nick would have had second overall but that’s motor racing.  Nick had the fastest lap at 144.304 and new lap record.  Dean second fastest with a 144.375.

Round 6  

A dry practice with Dean being fastest, James Holman 2nd, Nick 3rd and Ben Power 4th.  All the drivers were already faster than last years lap record, so, let battle commence!

Race 1 

James Holman took up the lead with Dean chasing him down.  Ben Power showing his true pace was locked in a battle with the ever improving Dave Ward.  Dean caught James and passed him, with just 2 laps to go a defensive move on the last corner almost cost Dean the win with James getting a sling shot exit but Dean would hold on for the win by 400th’s of a second.  Nick was rail roaded off at turn 2 and recovered well to come from almost last to 5th.  James Holman got the fastest lap, Dean Brace second and Ben Power third.  A new lap record to James but the day was still young.

Race 2 

Dean Brace made his way to the front in what was a enthralling race with 5 cars at the front and nothing between them.  Dean got clear by a few tenths and he was not about to let anybody join his party, but the action behind was fast and furious.  Ben Power, John Mikel, Lawrence Davey and Nick Brace were all there.  At the flag Dean Brace would take his 4th win of the weekend and fastest lap again, but still not breaking James’ new lap record. 

” James Holman must be due a win soon.” This was Nicks statement before the final. 

Race 3 The Final

With Dean leading on point’s, Nick second and Ben Power third, would this mean the podium could be covered by our 3 drivers at the end of the day, and could any of us take James Holman’s new lap record from him at the last chance.

Dean was on a mission as he wanted his 5th win of the meeting and 3rd of the day but with James starting on the forth row and our 3 drivers starting right at the back, because of the reverse grid rule, it was going to be a hard task.  James hit the front on the first lap and left us all to squabble.  James had made his escape with Dean battling his way through the traffic but unfortunately he just couldn’t catch up with the ever disappearing James. So, it was to be James’ first win, with Dean 2nd and Nick 4th.  Ben had an off but finished in 8th position.  We did the calculations and the podium belonged to Brace Motorsport and Guttercrest.  Racing job done!  Then when the results came through we got the icing on the cake, Dean had not just beaten Stephen Treherne’s lap record from last year but had SMASHED IT! 1.3 seconds quicker.

 A big congratulations to James Holman and JRH racing on there first win in Legends.  It was well deserved.

Well, with fastest times in practice, 4 wins out of 6 races, 2 second places, an overall win on Saturday (Dean) with a 1-2 for the boys (their first yet) and overall win (Dean) on Sunday, and second overall to boot as well for Nick, who had the same points as our adopted team mate Ben Power, so they would share the place.

4 fastest laps in the races, including Nick breaking the lap record on Saturday on the international track and Dean obliterating the lap record by 1.3 seconds on the national track on Sunday it was definitely our best weekends racing yet.

Anyways, that was then and this is now.  Nick is already preparing the cars for the trip up North to a hopefully sunny Knockhill for rounds 7 and 8.  Let’s hope our form follows us there.

The team