With ongoing COVID 19 restrictions in Wales affecting Anglesey circuit and Round 3 of the 116Trophy postponed, it looked like there would be no racing in June. However, after tireless work by the 116Trophy team, a deal was struck with MSVR for an additional round at the fabulous, fast Snetterton 200 circuit on June 27. Proving the strength of the series, with just three weeks’ notice, a grid of 26 cars was assembled.
A warm, dry day welcomed the teams and their immaculately prepared cars. As the flag fell at the end of qualifying it was the 777 machine of Yates & Sullivan on pole position. Lewis Tindall completed the front row in second. Third place went to Corfield and Seddon with the Roe brothers in P4. Ian Carvell and Louis Woodward completed row 3. Row 4 would see Burton and Glenn in seventh with Harry Vaulkhard in eighth. Ninth belonged to Tom Sibley in the 232 JMC racing machine on just its third outing. Completing the top ten was Seybold & Palmer in number 25.
With the green flag lap complete the rolling start approached the start in perfect formation. With lights extinguished, Corfield shot past Tindall into second behind Yates. Carvell was 4th and it looked like the next 22 cars were 5th.
As the race progressed, the man on the move was Mark Burton who looked to be moving forward every lap. On lap ten, Carvel pounced on Tindall to take third with a demon overtake into the Montreal hairpin. At the start of lap 17 the safety car was scrambled to recover a stranded car. Yates and Corfield used their experience to the max and pitted immediately. Unfortunately Carvell and Tindall missed the pits whilst a large portion of the rest of the field pitted for the first of their mandatory pit stops.
After a couple of slow laps behind the BMW safety car the race resumed and was as frantic as ever, the jumbled order ensuring action throughout the field, typical of endurance racing. As the end of the pit stop window approached and the final pit stops were complete. Mark Sullivan was leading the field from Anthony Seddon second and the Roe brothers in third. Carvell and Tindall were still battling hard to recover places lost during the earlier pit stop.
As the flag fell after 90 minutes. The triple seven machine was victorious with Sullivan taking the flag. Second went to Corfield and Seddon. The Roe brothers held onto third position. Fourth and fifth went to the RL motor services team drivers of Richard Philips and Richard Lakey. An amazing result for them both after qualifying thirteenth and fourteenth and battling through a difficult couple of days. The former blew an engine on the Friday test day but was able to compete after Anthony Seddon racing loaned them an engine for race day which was fitted overnight. Whilst the team waited for the spare engine to arrive, they also repaired the rear of Lakey’s car which had suffered accident damaged during the test day. This incredible team work and determination meant the 116Trophy awarded its first double driver of the day award to these very deserving recipients.
The next round will be on the undulating Cadwell Park circuit on the last weekend in July. Round 4 looks like it will have the biggest grid to date on one of the most challenging circuits in the UK.
