With only six points off the lead of the championship Pead was looking to regain the lead of the ELF CLIO RENAULTsport UK CUP this weekend at Rockingham.

Having qualified fourth for race one it was going to be a challenging race for Pead for a place on the podium. At the beginning of race one it was three a breast off the banking and into the hairpin for the infield. Pead forced his way to fourth and straight onto the back of Oli Wilkinson. Into the second hairpin it was Pead who dived down the inside of Oli for third and chasing down Buxton and Fildes. Buxton had the measure of Fildes and broke the slipstream leaving Fildes and Pead to fight for second. The two swapped positions several times throughout the race with Fildes and Pead crossing line in second and third respectively with nothing to separate them.

Race two saw Pead line up on grid three and looking for a higher place on the podium in the second outing. A good start from Pead saw him looking down the inside of Buxton into the first hairpin, but Oli got the measure of Pead and slipped into second. Buxton and Oli pulled away as Pead, Fildes and Davies where fighting for third. Every lap the positions where changing until Davies went straight on at the last hairpin with pad knock. Pead decided to obliterate the cones at the chicane and got a good run on Fildes and passed him into the infield. A lap later Fildes outbraked Pead into the middle hairpin and this is how they finished the race in third and fourth positions respectively.

Buxton achieved maximum points this weekend to increase his lead in the championship to twenty-seven points. The series heads up north to the Croft circuit for round ten on the 12-13 July 2003.

 

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