Lotrdc Racing Championships Kick Off In Style At Snetterton

The LoTRDC racing season got underway on the Snetterton 300 circuit this weekend (5-6 April), with the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship also joining the Elise Trophy and Lotus Cup UK.

Adam Balon held off a race-long challenge from Adrian Hall to win a tense opening round of Lotus Cup UK. Whilst the early running was dominated by Ken Savage’s 2-Eleven, his car retired early on, and with Chris Randall’s Europa also suffering maladies, the race settled down to a duel between the two. Jack Goff had brought his four-cylinder Exige into contention, but co-driver Phill Capstick could not keep on terms with the leaders and fell to seventh, so the podium was completed by reigning champion Simon Deacon. The Production race was won by Gavan Kershaw on the Exige Cup R’s debut performance, after he demoted Jason Baker in the final moments of the 90-minute enduro. Meanwhile category polesitter Adam Gore was forced to retire early on.

In the Elise Trophy’s inaugural championship round, Gore and Fulvio Mussi shared the victories, as the pair engaged in two highly entertaining contests with Goff. The BTCC’s rising star took a brace of second places, the first after running side-by-side with GT racer Mussi through Coram. The trio were in a class of their own, dominating both contests.

Jon LaMaster claimed the honours in the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship sprint, with Class 1 victor and round one winner Xavier Brooke taking second overall. Brooke’s category win came despite having to abort his second run just before Agostini. Taking a third podium finish of the weekend was Goff, having made a last minute entry and posting seventh place overall, despite a 35bhp deficit to the top runners in his class.