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02 Sep 2008 - Race Report - Rounds 17 & 18
BTCC Silverstone Race Report 01 Sep 2008 - Trax Show Promo
Race Star at Tarx Modified Car Show 28 Aug 2008 - Race Rock Support
New Support Band for Race Rock Tour 19 Aug 2008 - Monthly Payment Update
Tue 26th Aug - Last day for Monthly Payment 30 Jul 2008 - Sponsor Announcement
DSR are pleased to announce sponsorship from Ethos
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31 Mar 2008 2008 Round 1&2 Race Report
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Moment of truth
Friday 28th March saw Rob Boston, 25 year old 2008 Race Star winner, take part in the first Free Practise session of the Clio Cup Championship at Brands Hatch, Kent. Very tricky conditions confronted Rob all day on Friday as he settled into life as a Clio Cup racer. With limited running due to a couple of red flags Rob had hardly anytime to get used to the circuit and the car in the wet. At the end of the session the DSR driver found himself in 23rd place, 1.6 seconds off the leaders pace.
Conditions didn't improve much for the second session in the afternoon with the track soaking wet. Again these were tricky conditions for a novice driver. Rob found the feel for the track improving his time ending 1.3 seconds off the pace and in position 21. It was a reasonable days work for Rob and the team and the Race Star winner was slightly disappointed by the position, alkthough being just over 1 second off the pace.
Saturday 29th March saw Rob arrive at the track for his first ever car race and the weather wasn't going to lend a helping hand. With the rain on and off all day the track became fairly slippery throughout the day. Qualifying saw some of the best conditions and the car went out with slick tyres - the first time Rob had use brand new slick tyres on a race car. A mixture of getting used to the slick tyres and a very competitive grid saw Rob just under a second off the pace leaving him in 19th position for his first ever race. The second fastest lap of qualifying is used to work out the grid for the second race of the weekend. Rob's second best lap of qualifying was good enough for another 19th starting position.
Race 1 saw some more slippery conditions and the team made the decision to start Rob on slick tyres with a dry line forming around the circuit. The tyre choices amongst the rest of the grid was mixed between slicks and wets and made for some interesting challenges. The first race for anyone is a nervous time, let alone at Brands Hatch in a Clio Cup race and Rob made a slow start off the grid. As each lap went by Rob got more and more confident even passing two of his more experienced competitors around the outside of Paddock Hill bend! The laps whittled down and Rob picked off drivers one by one, until a safety car period slowed his progress. After three laps of safety car laps racing was underway again, and Rob continued to move up
the leader board using the excellent car control that he had shown throughout the Race Star competition to great affect. Lap by lap the position improved before the race was stopped by a red flag leaving Rob in a fantastic 9th place in his first ever car race. It was more than the team and Rob had dared hope for - a top 10 finish in the first race, but it was well deserved.
Race two took place in front of the massive Brands Hatch crowd on Sunday 30th March. The weather had dried out with the track completely dry, all the competitors were on slick tyres. It was always going to be hard to follow the exploits of Race 1 and so it proved. Rob got another slow start, but made steady progress through the field for the first few laps before coming up against the much slower Shepherd and Cannon. Unfortunately it proved very difficult to pass the two cars in front, on the next to last lap Rob managed to squeeze past Sheperd and put in an excellent move on Cannon into Clearways. Unfortunately Rob ran a little wide and Cannon reclaimed his place and Shepherd also managed to work his way past. At the end of the race (again stopped by a red flag) Rob was in 15th position.
It was a great first weekend for Rob and his points haul leaves him standing in 13th position in the championship - the top half of the table.
Roll on Rockingham were the second meeting of the championship takes place on 12th/13th April. |
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