THRUXTON RACE 3: DICK DOUBLES UP

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick claimed his second podium of the day with a hard-fought drive to third place in the third Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship race of the weekend at Thruxton.

Dick battled hard with championship leader Matt Nicoll-Jones, Ben Elliott and Rob Austin, leading on several occasions before having to settle for third place as he struggled with overheating tyres.

"It was a cracking race," said Dick. "The speed is there in the car, but I did have to take it a bit more carefully in the second half of the race because the grip was going in the hot conditions."

Richard Sykes and Dave Jackson finished 11th and 12th, with Andy Cakebread putting in a superb charge from the back of the grid with a 15 second penalty to take 15th.

"It was hard work," said Cakebread. "With the penalty a top ten wasn't on the cards, so I just had to go out and have some fun!"

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms bagged more points in 17th place, while Neil Merry ended up 21st after being pushed into the wall by Andy Smith.

Tony Hughes and Jonny Hyde both failed to finish.

Thruxton race 3 results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 17 laps in 25m11.625s
2 Ben Elliott, +0.905s
3 Christian Dick, +1.304s
4 Rob Austin, +1.333s
5 Frank Wrathall, +5.132s
6 Joe Osborne, +5.628s
7 Paul Moden, +17.015s
8 Mark Wania, +17.658s
9 Julian Barratt, +17.688s
10 Daniel Laddiman, +20.109s
11 Richard Sykes, +23.591s
12 Dave Jackson, +40.425s
13 Duncan Gass, +48.438s
14 Michael Ralph, +49.149s
15 Andy Cakebread, +52.591s
16 Jonathan Hawkins, +58.144s
17 Gary Simms, +63.012s
18 Steve Williams, +1 lap
19 Paul Galan-Bamfield, +1 lap
20 Simon Fletcher, +1 lap
21 Neil Merry, +2 laps
R Tony Hughes
R Jonny Hyde
R Miles Masarati
R Edwina Graham
R Spencer McCarthy
R Andy Smith

THRUXTON RACE 2: ANOTHER PODIUM FOR DICK
Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick continued his strong run of form with third place in the second race at Thruxton.

Dick, who started seventh on the grid, finished just seven-tenths of a second off race winner Matt-Nicoll Jones after a thrilling race and was just one hundredth of a second behind runner-up Daniel Laddiman.

Andy Cakebread claimed his best Ginetta finish with 11th, with Dave Jackson, Neil Merry and Tony Hughes filling the last three places in the top 15.

Richard Sykes finished only 19th despite having the pace to take a top ten, with Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms taking a point for 20th place.

Jonny Hyde, on his return to the series after missing Silverstone, retired.

Thruxton race 2 results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 17 laps in 26m09.830s
2 Daniel Laddiman, +0.732s
3 Christian Dick, +0.748s
4 Spencer McCarthy, +0.910s
5 Frank Wrathall, +2.385s
6 Paul Moden, +3.393s
7 Andy Smith, +3.870s
8 Mark Wania, +4.723s
9 Ben Elliott, +5.171s
10 Rob Austin, +8.563s
11 Andy Cakebread, +21.506s
12 Duncan Gass, +27.422s
13 Dave Jackson, +28.266s
14 Neil Merry, +28.422s
15 Tony Hughes, +30.174s
16 Miles Masarati, +35.941s
17 Jonathan Hawkins, +36.870s
18 Michael Ralph, +42.953s
19 Richard Sykes, +53.753s
20 Gary Simms, +78.424s
21 Simon Fletcher, +1 lap
22 Edwina Graham +1 lap
DNF Julian Barratt
DNF Steve Williams
DNF Paul Galan-Bamfield
DNF Jonny Hyde
DNF Joe Osborne

THRUXTON RACE 1: STRONG SHOWING FOR SPEEDWORKS

Three Speedworks Motorsport drivers claimed two top ten finishes in the first race of the Thruxton round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship, with Team Principal Christian Dick leading the way in sixth.

Dick ultimately had a lonely race after the top runners broke away early on, but once he had pulled away from Joe Osborne he was able to hold a comfortable sixth for the rest of the race.

Richard Sykes ran in the top ten throughout the race, continuing his run of good form with a strong ninth.

Neil Merry came close to making it three cars in the top ten for the team, only for a CV joint failure on the final lap to force him out of the race.

Andy Cakebread and Dave Jackson claimed 12th and 13th places, with Speedworks

Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms 15th, three places ahead of Tony Hughes. Jonny Hyde was also on course for a solid finish, but was forced to retire early in the race.

Full report to follow

Thruxton race one results
1 Rob Austin, 14 laps in 20m45.298s
2 Matt Nicoll-Jones
3 Daniel Laddiman
4 Ben Elliott
5 Spencer McCarthy
6 Christian Dick
7 Joe Osborne
8 Julian Barratt
9 Richard Sykes
10 Paul Moden
11 Andy Smith
12 Andy Cakebread
13 Dave Jackson
14 Mark Wania
15 Gary Simms
16 Duncan Gass
17 Michael Ralph
18 Tony Hughes
19 Miles Masarati
20 Paul Galan-Bamfield
21 Steve Williams
22 Simon Fletcher
23 Edwina Graham
DNF Neil Merry
DNF Jonathan Hawkins
DNF Jonny Hyde
DNF Martin Jones
DNF Frank Wrathall

DICK QUALIFIES SEVENTH

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick set the seventh fastest time in qualifying for the sixth round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Thruxton.

Dick was just 0.953secs off the pole position lap set by Ben Elliott, although believes that he could have done better had he found a better slipstream during the 20-minute qualifying session.

"Seventh isn't too bad, but it could have been a bit better if I'd found a strong tow," said Dick. "But around here as long as you're thereabouts you're in with a good chance, and from the fourth row of the grid there's a good chance of being in the lead pack."

Richard Sykes qualified eighth, less than three-tenths of a second off Dick's time, while Neil Merry claimed his first top ten qualifying performance as his form continued to improve.

Former Speedworks Scholarship winner Andy Cakebread set the 15th fastest time, but was disappointed after having been third in free practice.

"I was definitely hoping for more," said Cakebread. "But sometimes you don't get the right breaks with traffic. I set my best time late on when the tyres were past their best, so it could have been better."

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms put in his best qualifying performance of the year in 16th, one place ahead of Jonny Hyde.

Dave Jackson was 19th fastest, one place ahead of Tony Hughes.

The first of the weekend's three races is due to be held today (Saturday) with two races scheduled for Sunday.

Qualifying times
1 Ben Elliott, 1m27.087s
2 Rob Austin, +0.263s
3 Daniel Laddiman, +0.612s
4 Spencer McCarthy, +0.724s
5 Joe Osborne, +0.806s
6 Frank Wrathall, +0.867s
7 Christian Dick, +0.953s
8 Richard Sykes, +1.236s
9 Andy Smith, +1.472s
10 Neil Merry, +1.500s
11 Mark Wania, +1.632s
12 Julian Barratt, +1.966s
13 Paul Moden, +2.123s
14 Duncan Gass, +2.276s
15 Andy Cakebread, +2.562s
16 Gary Simms, +2.982s
17 Jonny Hyde, +3.064s
18 Jonathan Hawkins, +3.419s
19 Dave Jackson, +3.424s
20 Tony Hughes, +3.596s
21 Martin Jones, +3.824s
22 Miles Masarati, +4.260s
23 Michael Ralph, +4.348s
24 Paul Galan-Bamfield, +5.199s
25 Steve Williams, +7.003s
26 Matt Nicoll-Jones, +9.694s
27 Simon Fletcher, +11.351s
28 Edwina Graham, +12.610s

CAKEBREAD FLIES IN PRACTICE

Speedworks Motorsport's Andy Cakebread was a stunning third fastest in free practice ahead of the sixth round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Thruxton.

Cakebread, making his second appearance of the season behind the wheel of the Ginetta G20 regularly raced by Edd Straw, was less than four-tenths of a second off pacesetter Ben Elliott.

"It's good to get back out there," said Cakebread. "Other than a session yesterday, I haven't tested since I raced at Snetterton at the start of June, so it was good to prove that I haven't got too rusty in that time. But ultimately it's only free practice, so although I know I have the pace it's all about what happens in this afternoon's qualifying session.

Team Principal Christian Dick was 12th fastest, with Richard Sykes 14th.

Free Practice times
1 Ben Elliott, 1m26.962s
2 Daniel Laddiman, +0.363s
3 Andy Cakebread, +0.381s
4 Paul Moden, +0.449s
5 Rob Austin, +0.494s
6 Joe Osborne, +0.551s
7 Matt Nicoll-Jones, +0.764s
8 Frank Wrathall, +0.849s
9 Spencer McCarthy, +1.029s
10 Julian Barratt, +1.031s
11 Andy Smith, +1.080s
12 Christian Dick, +1.119s
13 Mark Wania, +1.389s
14 Richard Sykes, +2.298s
15 Gary Simms, +3.088s
16 Dave Jackson, +3.236s
17 Jonathan Hawkins, +3.704s
18 Neil Merry, +3.896s
19 Duncan Gass, +3.996s
20 Tony Hughes, +4.107s
21 Miles Masarati, +4.379s
22 Michael Ralph, +4.987s
23 Martin Jones, +5.175s
24 Jonny Hyde, +5.450s
25 Paul Galan-Bamfield, +5.528s
26 Steve Williams, +7.262s
27 Simon Fletcher, +11.195s
28 Edwina Graham, +15.835s

SPEEDWORKS TO RUN TWO NEW GINETTA G50s IN 2008

Leading Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship team Speedworks Motorsport has become the first outfit to confirm its participation in the new-for-2008 Ginetta G50 Championship, which will join the British F3/GT package next year.

The Cheshire-based team will run two 300bhp 3.5-litre Ford V6-engined Ginetta G50s in the new championship for Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick and Ginetta racer Richard Sykes. The new championship will consist of a total of ten rounds, with eight double-headers featuring two 30-minute races along with a further two longer endurance-style races at standalone events.

Dick and Sykes are regular frontrunners in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship, which caters for the 1.8-litre Ginetta G20, and are looking forward to the challenge presented by the new series.

“With a place guaranteed on the British F3/GT package the chance to expand into the Ginetta G50 Championship was too good an opportunity to miss,” says Dick. “It has been conceived as a good value stepping-stone to GT racing, and from what I’ve seen so far it’s going to be very successful. The G20 has been one of the success stories of British motorsport in recent years, and the Ginetta G50 has incredible potential.”

“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and find out what the car is capable of,” says Sykes. “Our plan is to get a decent amount of testing in over the winter so we’re ready to run at the front from the off next year. It looks like it is going to be a fantastic car.”

The G50 is the brainchild of Ginetta owner Lawrence Tomlinson, who is confident of a strong grid for the championship’s inaugural season.

“Speedworks has done a great job coming into the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship this year,” says Tomlinson. “They are ambitious, present themselves very well and are exactly the sort of team we had hoped would join the new Ginetta G50 Championship for 2008.

“The interest in the G50 is really encouraging, we have been overrun with teams and drivers wanting more information on the car and championship and I am sure they too will be making their intentions public in the coming weeks.”

Speedworks Motorsport will continue to run in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship next season alongside its G50 commitments.

HANCOCK SUFFERS AT SNETTERTON

Speedworks Motorsport instructor Ollie Hancock’s Formula Renault BARC Championship challenge suffered a setback at Snetterton last week after another clash with Aaron Steele.

Hancock, who now lies fourth in the championship, fought his way from sixth on the grid to grab third on the final lap of a shortened race after passing David McDonald through Coram.

However, in the second race, after jumping from ninth on the grid to fifth, he clashed with Steele at the Esses and spun off. He rejoined last and recovered to 14th.

“I can’t say I’m too happy, but the pace is definitely there,” said Hancock. “I was pleased with fastest lap and third in race one and, in race two, I’d moved up from ninth to fifth and looked on course for another podium until the collision at the Esses. However, we’re still third in the championship and now we need to work hard before the next round at Brands Hatch to close the gap to the guys ahead of us.”

DICK CHARGES TO SECOND

Christian Dick charged to a season’s-best second place in the second race of the fifth round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Silverstone.

Despite qualifying only 10th, Dick carved his way through the order in the early stages and prevailed in a close fight with third-placed finisher Joe Osborne. After a season dogged by bad luck, Dick is confident that this marks the turning point.

“It’s a fantastic result and a really enjoyable race,” said Dick. “I made things a bit difficult for myself by starting down in 10th, but if I’d been up the front I’m confident I’d have been able to fight for victory.

Speedworks newcomer Richard Sykes achieved his objective for the weekend with a ninth place to add to his sixth in race one.

“I was aiming for two top ten finishes and I’m delighted with how it’s gone,” said Sykes. “With this level of opposition to be able to race at the front is very satisfying.”

Dave Jackson bounced back from a disappointing result in race one to take a fighting 13th, with Tony Hughes picking up two more points with a solid run to 19th.

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms finished down in 26th after being spun by Miles Masarati on the entrance to Luffield, while Neil Merry retired after suffering a gearbox problem.

Edd Straw’s poor weekend ended prematurely when he was forced to retire because of a fuel leak.

“I’d probably have kept going if I wasn’t at the back,” said Straw. “The fuel was burning my back pretty badly so it made sense to park it, especially with the risk of fire.”


Race 2 Results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 16 laps in 26m31.787s
2 Christian Dick, +10.412s
3 Joe Osborne, +10.846s
4 Paul Moden, +11.089s
5 Andy Smith, +12.454s
6 Ben Elliott, +14.977s
7 Gavin Mitchell, +15.684s
8 Spencer McCarthy, +16.241s
9 Richard Sykes, +22.054s
10 Daniel Laddiman, +25.149s
11 Max Henderson, +31.080s
12 Mark Wania, +32.483s
13 Dave Jackson, +46.418s
14 Jonathan Hawkins, +50.331s
15 Jon Cook, +51.506s
16 Frank Wrathall, +54.025s
17 Stuart Pearson, +57.158s
18 Tony Hughes, +60.767s
19 Michael Ralph, +72.138s
20 Neil Houston, +72.150s
21 Miles Masarati, +86.925s
22 Paul Morgan, +95.843s
23 Steve Williams, +1 lap
24 John Jerstice, +1 lap
25 Steven Graham, +1 lap
26 Gary Simms, +1 lap
27 Dave Brester, +1 lap
28 Edwina Graham, +2 laps
DNF Julian Barratt
DNF Edd Straw - fuel leak
DNF Rob Austin
DNF Duncan Gass
DNF Neil Merry - gearbox

DICK TAKES FIFTH

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick claimed a battling fifth place in the first race of the fifth round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Silverstone.

Dick ran as high as third in the race, challenging eventual runner-up Rob Austin for second before slipping back to fifth as the car went off towards the end of the race.

"We were right up there with Rob for second, and for the first time in the while the car feels like it's right on the money," said Dick. "I had a brief off-track moment, but hopefully in the second race I should be able to improve on this."

Richard Sykes, on his first Ginetta Championship outing with Speedworks, claimed a superb sixth place after a close battle with Tollbar Racing's Gavin Mitchell.

"I'm really pleased with that," said Sykes. "I had a really good battle with Gavin, but managed to hold him off in the end!"

Neil Merry continued his run of form with 13th from 14th on the grid, with Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms picking up two more points with 19th.

Dave Jackson, who started 16th, climbed back up to 20th after outbraking himself at the Abbey hairpin on the first lap and running through the gravel, with Tony Hughes taking 21st after slipping past the struggling Edd Straw at the final corner of the race.

Race 1 Results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 16 laps in 26m28.459s
2 Rob Austin, +5.107s
3 Ben Elliott, +6.634s
4 Joe Osborne, +11.803s
5 Christian Dick, +13.836s
6 Richard Sykes, +17.616s
7 Gavin Mitchell, +17.890s
8 Spencer McCarthy, +19.719s
9 Paul Moden, +20.340s
10 Daniel Laddiman, +27.748s
11 Frank Wrathall, +28.277s
12 Mark Wania, +38.582s
13 Neil Merry, +38.822s
14 Max Henderson, +29.079s
15 Julian Barratt, +40.17ss
16 Jon Cook +50.458s
17 Jonathan Hawkins, +61.174s
18 Miles Masarati, +61.747s
19 Gary Simms, +61.883s
20 Dave Jackson, +63.511s
21 Tony Hughes, +67.925s
22 Edd Straw, +68.116s
23 Neil Houston, +70.650s
24 Paul Morgan, +96.350s
25 Michael Ralph, +1 lap
26 Steve Williams, +1 lap
27 Dave Brewster, +1 lap
28 Steven Graham, +1 lap
29 John Jerstice, +1 lap
30 Edwina Graham, +2 laps
DNF Andy Smith
DNF Stuart Pearson
DNF Duncan Gass

DICK AND SYKES LEAD THE WAY
Speedworks Motorsport duo Christian Dick and Richard Sykes locked out the fifth row for tomorrow's fifth round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Silverstone.

Although Sykes, on his first championship appearance for Speedworks, was satisfied with his pace, Dick's chances of challenging for a position on the front two rows of the grid were ruined by traffic.

"I got mixed up with some traffic when I should just have backed off and found some space," said Dick. "It's disappointing, because the car is going very well. The main consolation is that the pace is there to attack tomorrow, but I've made it a bit harder for myself."

"The top ten was what I was aiming for, so I'm happy," said Sykes. "I had my first ever race here last year, so hopefully I can put that experience to good use in the races!"

Neil Merry was the third best of Speedworks' seven drivers, with Dave Jackson only 16th after failing to replicate his testing pace.

"I was in the 1m39s bracket in testing, but every lap was in the 40s," said Jackson. "I didn't have the best of luck with traffic and was hoping for a lot better."

Edd Straw will start 20th after missing free practice with a throttle problem.

"I've been looking for track time lately, so the last thing I wanted was to miss the free practice," said Straw. "I was very erratic, and need to find some consistency tomorrow if I want to get a decent result."

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms will start 22nd on his first experience of the Silverstone International circuit configuration.

"I don't know the track which made it very difficult," said Simms. "I didn't really feel ready for qualifying, but the aim is to learn as much as I can in the races."

Tony Hughes will start 23rd, also on his first racing appearance at Silverstone.

Qualifying Results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 1m37.939s
2 Ben Elliott, +0.309s
3 Joe Osborne, +0.524s
4 Rob Austin, +0.614s
5 Paul Moden, +0.816s
6 Spencer McCarthy, +0.862s
7 Gavin Mitchell, +0.883s
8 Andy Smith, +0.932s
9 Christian Dick, +1.069s
10 Richard Sykes, +1.207s
11 Max Henderson, +1.264s
12 Frank Wrathall, +1.358s
13 Julian Barratt, +1.991s
14 Neil Merry,+2.114s
15 Mark Wania, +2.243s
16 Dave Jackson, +2.480s
17 Jon Cook, +3.054s
18 Jonathan Hawkins, +3.081s
19 Stuart Pearson, +3.322s
20 Edd Straw, +3.502s
21 Miles Masarati, +3.957s
22 Gary Simms, +4.451s
23 Tony Hughes, +4.486s
24 Neil Houston, +4.645s
25 Paul Morgan, +5.506s
26 Steve Williams, +5.687s
27 John Jerstice, +7.260s
28 Michael Ralph, +7.433s
29 Steven Graham, +7.973s
30 Dave Brewster, +8.759s
31 Edwina Graham, +12.438s
32 Daniel Laddiman, times disallowed
33 Duncan Gass, times disallowed

SYKES TAKES FIRST PODIUM

Richard Sykes claimed his first podium finish for Speedworks Motorsport with third place in Invitation Sports/Saloons event at the second Powernights meeting at Donington Park today.

Sykes, who finished eighth in the first of the two races, both run as handicaps, put in an inch-perfect drive to take his place on the podium in race two.

"It was really good fun," said Sykes. "The Donington event was fantastic - there was a big crowd and it was really well run. To get the podium was a great way to finish the day!"

Laura Addison continued her racing education ahead of her planned Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship debut at Croft next month with two solid runs, taking a best finish of eight in the second race.

"It was a really successful day," said Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick. "Richard drove really well to get on the podium, and I'm impressed with the progress that Laura is making. The whole atmosphere at Donington was superb."

MUC-OFF LINKS UP WITH SPEEDWORKS

Leading automotive cleaning product company Muc-Off has joined forces with frontrunning Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship team Speedworks Motorsport.

Muc-Off, which supplies cleaning materials for dirt bikes, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, caravans and even marine vessels, will supply Speedworks with the products it needs to keep everything from its Ginetta G20 race cars to its support vehicles looking immaculate.

"We've never been afraid of putting our products to the test in harsh environments and this is the perfect opportunity to prove their value on the race track" says Muc-Off Managing Director Alex Trimnell. "Speedworks Motorsport is the ideal partner for showcasing Muc-Off in the motor-racing world."

Speedworks Motorsport fields a total of eight cars in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship, making it comfortably the biggest team on the grid, with its distinctive red cars dominating the field. The championship races on the prestigious British Formula 3/GT bill, with rounds at all of the United Kingdom's biggest circuits, including Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Muc-Off products will be promoted by Speedworks Motorsport at each round of the championship, taking the thriving brand to a whole new audience.

"We've always stressed the importance of presentation and Muc-Off's product line allows the whole team to look its best," says Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick. "Race cars can return from the track in a pretty sorry state - especially if the drivers have been off in the gravel - but we know we have cleaning products that are up to the task."

For further information on Muc-Off click here

STRONG DEBUT FOR ADDISON

New Speedworks driver Laura Addison made an impressive racing debut in the inaugural Powernights event at Silverstone, picking up ninth and tenth place finishes.

Addison contested the Avis Cars-backed Sports/Saloons Trophy handicaps, leading both races before ending up as the highest-ranked of the six Ginetta G20s in the races.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Addison. “I didn’t know when I was leading the races – I just managed to find some space and concentrate on driving! In the second race I was really getting used to it – when the traffic caught me I wasn’t phased at all.”

Addison will contest next week’s Donington Park Powernights event on August 9 before her planned Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship debut at Croft on September 8/9.

Richard Sykes also contested the races, his first behind the wheel of a Speedworks Motorsport-prepared car. Despite being the fastest of the six Ginettas in qualifying, he picked up a 14th and 15th place as the handicap he received did not reflect his real pace.

“It was good fun and something a bit different,” said Sykes. “In the Ginetta Championship you know exactly where all the cars are going to brake and how strong they are, but with such a wide variety of machinery on track in these races it was interesting finding out where each one was strong.”

SPEEDWORKS SIX AT ROCKINGHAM

Speedworks Motorsport ran six cars in Wednesday's official Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship test day at Rockingham.

New signings Richard Sykes (pictured) and Laura Addison, who will make their Speedworks race debu's in today's Powernights event at Silverstone, joined Dave Jackson, Neil Merry, Tony Hughes and Edd Straw on track for what was the first experience of the Rockingham International Sportscar circuit configuration for all six. The circuit will host the penultimate round of the championship on September 29-30.

"It's a very busy circuit," said Merry. "For most of the lap you don't have a moment to rest, it's just constant corners. I expect fitness is going to be very important in the races here."

All six were able to complete a significant number of laps, although Straw's running was limited by a visit to the gravel early in the afternoon.

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal was pleased with the progress during the day.

"I know from experience that this circuit takes a bit of getting used to, so it's extremely valuable to have had this track time," said Dick. "It has set us up well for the Rockingham round in September, as well as being ideal preparation for the Powernights races for Richard and Laura."