Class A arch rivals Liam Collins and Dan Brown took a win apiece in a pair of nail-biting races between them at Brands Hatch where another maximum score for Class C pace-setter Ryan Cunningham enabled him to extend his outright championship lead.

Elsewhere, there were stand-out performances by Dave Buky in Class B, another of the A runners, Luke Harvey, plus the Jeakins Motorsport team…

The two races, rounds 7 and 8 of the championship, attracted a huge entry of 33 drivers and were held in fine conditions. What’s more, there was another bumper crowd to watch the action, with thousands of spectators having poured into Brands Hatch since the early hours to enjoy the Tunerfest South show – run by Racing Hondas Championship’s parent company, the Club Time Attack Organisation.

 

Class A
Collins (supercharged Integra DC2) started both races from pole position but on each occasion Brown (Civic Bali) was able to grab the lead at the opening bend.

In race 1, Collins maintained considerable pressure which eventually paid off as Brown, his car’s performance hampered by a loose front splitter, ran off the track through the gravel trap at Paddock Bill Bend.

With his splitter now badly damaged as a result of his skirmish, Brown recovered to finish second but only just ahead of Luke Harvey (Civic EK), as Collins cruised home to win by almost 15 seconds. Harvey’s third place marked his first podium result of 2024.

Race 2 was a similar affair, with Collins again following Brown closely – sometimes almost running into the back of him. But this time Brown, in spite of running no splitter this time, coolly fended him off Collins to take the win by just over half a second.

In terms of wins it’s now Brown 6, Collins 2, but the latter – thanks to bonus points for his pair of pole positions and also two fastest laps – has now closed to within 15 points of Brown at the top of the A standings.

Harvey meanwhile took another third place finish but he had to fight hard to hold off reigning Champion Phil Wright (Civic EP3) who finally returned to the points after a recent run of poor luck.

Kevin Talbot (DC5) should have been in the reckoning for a podium after qualifying strongly in third only for a shattered brake calliper to end his day early. There was at least some cheer for Tyler Shannon who, after missing Cadwell’s rounds to fix an incurable electrical problem that blighted his Integra DC2 at Anglesey,  returned to score his first points finish of 2024.

 

Class B
Making his first appearance of 2024, Dave Buky (Civic EP3) qualified on class pole for race 1, in sixth overall but, like Kinetic team-mate Nick Charlier and division leader Alfie Jeakins (also both in EP3s), was forced to start from the pit lane behind the whole field due to late arrival in the collecting area.

This left the way open for Kinetic’s other driver Tommy Knight (EP3) to take his second class win of the season ahead of Andy Wheatley (EP3) and the recovering Buky.

In race 2, Buky made no mistake from the class pole two take a convincing win in the division ahead of Jeakins and Charlier, with Wheatley just 2/10ths of a second further behind in fourth. Jeakins continues to lead the B standings handsomely.

A very noticeable fifth in class and 13 overall was his team-mate Loui Hounsell. The 19-year-old had rolled his EP3 in qualifying and the Jeakins Motorsport outfit – aided by fellow competitors – had worked miracles to ready his still-battered car in time for race 2’s start.

Race 1 winner Knight had been in the running for a podium spot but retired in the Paddock Hill gravel trap after a tangle with another car.

 

Class C
Just as at Cadwell Park last time out, Ryan Cunningham (EP3) again went unchallenged as he collected two pole positions, two wins and two fastest laps.

Seven wins and a second from the eight rounds to date mean he has stretched his leads in both Class C and the championship outright.

The Class C podiums at Brands Hatch had an identical look as, behind Cunningham, Sam Linssner (EP3) and David Lawrence (Civic FN2) took second and third places respectively in both races, the latter enjoying his first podium results of the year. In race 1, just 0.421s separated them at the flag and there was a similarly close finish for fifth between Ed Sibbald (EP3), Spencer Fortag and Callum Houchen (both in FN2s) – this trio covered by little more than a second.

Leaving Brands Hatch, Cunningham’s lead at the top of the overall championship is out to 18 points over Brown in second. Collins is third, 14 points adrift of Brown, whilst B leader Jeakins is fourth, a mere 2 clear of Linssner in fifth. Tied for sixth are Kinetic team-mates Charlier and Knight. CLICK HERE for latest championship points.

The season resumes at Cheshire’s spectacular Oulton Park circuit on Saturday 20 July which also hosts the second of three Tunerfest shows in 2024 – Tunerfest North.

CLICK HERE to book tickets.