 |
||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
|
Kimber-Smith gets Driver of the Day at Silverstone
The penultimate race weekend of the UK Formula Renault Championship with Michelin proved to entertain the Silverstone crowds once more last weekend [17 th and 18th September].
The Team JLR duo of Tom Kimber-Smith and Steven Simpson provided plenty of on-track action at the Northampton circuit during rounds 17 and 18 of the Championship. Damp track conditions for the morning of round 17 made tyre choice imperative to ensure success. Drying conditions meant that last minute car changes and slick tyres were equipped minutes before the race start, which certainly proved the right choice to make.
 |
Kimber-Smith switches track position with Jakes |
Both drivers were able to make up places off the line and held their positions, until the closing stages of the race when Kimber-Smith endured an entertaining battle with Yelmer Buurman and James Jakes. Buurman was passed by both Jakes and Kimber-Smith on lap 17 after having a go at fourth-place Patrick Hogan. In the chaos Jakes also managed to get past Hogan and Kimber-Smith tried to follow suit resulting in a nail-biting scuffle at Brooklands with the drivers three abreast. At the end of the lap Hogan was still in front with Jakes, Kimber-Smith and Buurman in hot pursuit.
"It was just about trying to find the right time to overtake without crashing," said Kimber-Smith who got past Jakes one lap later along with Buurman. "I seemed to be a lot quicker than Jakes and Buurman. I think in these mixed conditions I have proved that I can be the quickest out there." For his efforts, Kimber-Smith was awarded Driver of the Day.
Round 17 ended with Kimber-Smith finishing an impressive 5 th place from 9 th on the grid, and Simpson improving from 11 th grid slot to take 8 th .
 |
Simpson and Kimber-Smith go side by side |
Team JLR's second race of the day again got the spectators blood pumping from start to finish as Simpson and Kimber-Smith challenged Buurman once again for sixth place. The two JLR stable-mates kept on the gearbox of the Dutchman until lap 21 when Kimber-Smith ended up side-by-side with his team-mate coming out of Luffield and into Woodcote - with Kimber-Smith ending up on the grass, putting him into a spin - and colliding with Stuart Hall in the process.
Explained Simpson afterwards: "On the exit of the corner, Tom tried to go around the outside of me and because we're both hard on the accelerator, my car was just sliding out. It was just one of those things."
Minus a nosecone and bearing other damage to the front of his car, Kimber-Smith recovered to finish 15 th and Simpson remained in 7 th .
The final two rounds of the 2005 UK Formula Renault Championship with Michelin will be held in two weeks time at Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent. Qualifying and round 19 are to be held on Saturday 1 st October and round 20 finale the following day.
 |
 |