Kelly Rogers Racing
Friday 15th October
Rounds 8 & 9 are so important as the Championship is still undecided so every point counts. Kelly had pre-booked a couple of test sessions at Brands Hatch on the Friday morning just to get the car set up for the changeable conditions.
Qualifying got under way at 12.30 pm, an
average lap for the Brands Hatch Indy circuit is about 55 seconds so with
the conditions being slightly damp no one was pushing to the limit. The 15
minute session enabled Kelly to string together 15 laps but not at the pace
that Kelly had expected. As the session ended Kelly was down in 6th
position, 3rd row on the grid for this afternoons race. After qualifying
Kelly said," I had new tyres on that I scrubbed in this morning but I just
had no grip and loads of under steer".
The team were a bit surprised but checked the car over, double checking all
settings and preparing for the race.
The rain had just stopped as the cars pulled up to the assembly area to do 2 warming up laps as this was the first time on wet tyres. All the cars lined up on the grid, 5 seconds and the lights went out, 16 Miglia's headed for the inside line at Paddock except one! Kelly had proved to himself that he can drive round the front runners in the wet and that is just what he did, coming up to Druids Kelly was leading from 6th on the grid. The spray from the wet tyres was making visibility difficult for the chasing pack but Kelly was pulling away, by lap 2 he had nearly a 2 second lead. Lap by lap the gap grew greater but then on lap 8 the red flags were being waved franticly and the race was stopped.
Because the race was set for 20 minutes but half distance hadn't been achieved, the cars were lined up on the grid as of lap 7, so Kelly was now in pole and a totally new race of 10 minutes only. The warm up lap commenced and waiting for the lights to go out, As the lights go out Kelly gets a bit of wheel spin as Baldwin and Sollis push pass. Kelly in 3rd going into paddock but quietly confident from the previous abandoned race. Lap 2 and Kelly was just so fast in these conditions the front 2 were holding him up, lap 3 Kelly just drives passed the front two who were determined not to let each other through that Kelly saw a gap and took advantage. Kelly had set the fastest lap, the squabbling packs of cars were falling off the track everywhere and Kelly just cruised over the start/finish line 4.2 seconds ahead of Baldwin and Sollis in this 11 lap race to take his maiden victory in 2004.
Saturday 16th October
The weather conditions had changed from yesterday and the sun was trying to break through the clouds as the Miglia's lined up on the grid for race 9 in there calendar. There was still a few damp patches around the circuit but dry on the racing line. Kelly still 6th on the grid as the red lights go on, as the lights go out Kelly mussels himself in 4th position going down paddock hill bend. The normal front three are hammers and tongs with Tim Sims for company too as they reach Mclaren's, then Peter Baldwin sees the red flags being waved and stomps on his breaks, with Kelly following so close to Bill Sollis as he brakes Kelly runs into the back of Bill. Bills exhausts punch a hole in Kelly radiator so with no time to change radiators before the re-start Kelly has to retire. A bitter sweet weekend for Kelly but the gloves will be off at the last round next weekend at Donington Park.
Round 8
Brands Hatch
Round 9
Brands Hatch
