A Race Report

The Formula Woman Nations Cup Series Challenge lived up to its promise with two thrilling races around the 2.4 mile Rockingham Motor Speedway today (Sunday).  The showcase races, the precursor to next April and May’s official eight-round Nations Cup Series, saw Natalie Butler upholding honors for England to take double victory ahead of Jennifer Murray (South Africa) and Lauren Gray (Australia) in race one and Margo Gardner and Murray again in race two.

“This is unbelievable!” said a delighted Natalie at the end. ”It has been fantastic racing with the girls, it was so much fun. I was just so happy after winning my first race I could not really take it all in. Then in the second race, I made an absolutely brilliant start but I really had to work hard for the win as they were all over me.”

Former Swedish touring car driver Nettan Lingren took the lead in race one from pole but after a close-fought first lap with Butler , pulled off the track with a gearbox problem at Gretton Hairpin, her race over on the spot.  This left 31 year-old Natalie to enjoy a huge scrap for honours with Gray, who briefly led on lap two, and Murray, which continued until Murray ran wide dropping her to fifth and moving Polish Anna Walewska into third.

 As Butler and Gray then pulled away at the front, Murray recovered to move into third, leading a train of five cars, before chasing down the lead pair.  Behind Murray, a five-way battle between Margo Gardner, who slipped down at the start after a missed gear off the line, Walewska, Jennifer Daniel, Emma Hayles and Rachel Owen (Wales), finally went the way of Gardner, the Scot leading home Daniel (Ireland) and Hayles (England) as Walewska dropped back to seventh ahead of Owen.

At half-distance, Gray’s valiant attempt to retake the lead ended when she spun at Gretton Hairpin, dropping her to third and allowing Butler to take an untroubled run to the flag, with a 4.577second advantage over Murray, who moved back into second at Deene on lap nine.  Completing the finishers, Amanda Hennessy from the United States led home a battling Theresia Balk (Netherlands) and Annie Templeton (England) and a great performance from Lisa Avis, making her first ever appearance in a racing car.

Race two had Murray start from pole with Hennessy alongside but at the lights Butler from the second row, made an amazing getaway to slot in between them and take the lead as they entered the first corner. Behind Butler , the battle for second between Hennessy and Murray, was joined by Gardner, the trio exchanging places several times over the opening laps, enabling Butler to stretch her lead.

From the back of the grid, Lingren in a replacement car, also made a great start, moving up five places at the start and up into seventh at the completion of the opening lap.  By lap two she was up into second, after disposing of the battling trio and set about chasing down the leader.  Hennessy though had other ideas, retaking second at the Hairpin, although she lost the place again, this time to Gardner as they crossed the start/finish straight. 

As Butler maintained a 1.5sec lead, the battle for second intensified, the trio running three abreast along School straight and into Brook Corner, Murray taking the place ahead of Gardner and Lingren as they entered the corner.  Thereafter Murray closed down the gap, determined to make amends for failing to capitalise on her pole position, and by lap nine the gap was down to just 0.295secs.  With just three laps remaining, the top three ran nose-to-tail, and with a superb move, Murray moved ahead of Butler to take the lead at Turn 4, with Gardner still on the tail of the former leader. 

But Butler was determined to take the double and after a major battle on the penultimate lap, which saw Gardner also briefly lead, she retook the position at Tarzan and just held on to take the win ahead of Gardner and Murray, the three virtually side by side and covered by just .122 of a second at the flag.  Lingren took a superb fifth behind Gray and ahead of Owen while Walewska, Daniel and Hennessy led home another tremendous battle between Templeton and Balk, with Avis again taking another solid finish.  Emma Hayles was unfortunately sidelined with an electrical problem on the penultimate lap. 

Formula Woman founder Graeme Glew was understandably delighted with the day’s racing; “It’s been a superb day.  These women clearly have a lot of ability, in identical cars they have provided some fantastic racing.”

 Results of Race One – 12 laps

Fastest lap:            Jennifer Murray 1:57.727sec  68.68mph  (110.53kph) 

Results of Race Two – 12 laps

Fastest lap:              Jennifer Murray  1:57.214sec  68.98mph  (111.01kph)

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