Up to Scotland for rounds 13 and 14 of the 2004 ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup. In true Scottish style the prediction of hail and thunderstorms were a mere rumour as the blistering sun shone down on the circuit roasting everyone who dared expose their skin.

Knockhill is a very bumpy, tight and twisty circuit with the most notorious chicane in the country. An uphill blind series of corners making every driver hold their breath as they fly out of the exit and landing feet away from the grass edge.

A high qualifying position is crucial as there is only one racing line round the narrow track. At the beginning of the session it was Paul Rivett who set the early pace with Ian Curley in hot pursuit. Pead came in for new tyres and on his first flying lap bolted from tenth to second position only four hundredths away from Rivett. Scotland’s Jonathon Adam came in fourth a further half a tenth behind. For the first time this year the top ten of the grid was covered by one tenth of a second!

Race one would start with Pole-sitter Rivett on the sidelines as his ignition failed on the green flag lap. This left Pead alone on the front row and as the lights went off it was Ian Curley from grid three who got alongside Pead into the first corner. On lap nine Pead got a run on Curley out of the chicane and moved to the inside for Clarke corner. Curley tried to go round the outside and the pair touched and ran wide dropping Pead down to eighth place and Curley down to fourth. This left the way for Jim Edwards Jnr to take his first win of the season and Adam followed closely in second with Richard Williams earning himself his first podium of the season in third.

Race two would prove something of a battlefield. On the run to the first corner it was Rivett who led from Curley and Pead with Adam almost welded to Pead. On lap seven Curley locked up going into the hairpin and rammed into Rivett pushing him wide, allowing Pead to get the run on him and went ahead going into the first corner taking the lead. Rivett’s exhaust was hanging off and this allowed Adam to pass aswell, Curley’s car was stuck in the gravel and the safety car was launched. At the restart Pead dropped Adam and pulled a one second lead. Rivett, meanwhile, passed Adam and started closing down on Pead. Rivett was shown the black mechanical flag three times but didn’t respond. On the last lap Pead blocked into Clarke Curve but was unfortunate that Rivett got the run on him down into the hairpin and Adam followed through leaving Rivett for the win, Adam second and Pead in third. Pead said after the race “I’m happy to be on the podium again but really wanted to win today. Paul got the run on me out of the chicane so I had to block in to Clarke Curve and then he was able to get on my inside on the exit which in turn put him on the inside for the hairpin. Adam tucked himself behind Paul and followed him past.”

Due to Rivett’s non finish in race one Pead has increased his lead in the championship. Adam has caught right up with two second places as the series returns to Brands Hatch on Aug 22nd.

 

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