Northamptonshire’s Rockingham Motor Speedway saw Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Kieren Clark (Royston) crowned the 2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship winner during two dramatic rounds (10 and 11) on September 5th/6th. Twenty-year-old Clark, who has dominated the one-make single-seater series since the season got underway in May, wrapped up the title with two rounds still left to run and handing his team its second consecutive driver title.

Round 10 saw Clark pick up his eighth win of the season to leave him needing just seven points in round 11 to put him out of reach of his nearest rival Reon Motorsport’s Dino Zamparelli (Bristol). However, the weekend’s second race saw the two front-runners make contact at Turn 1 on the 1.940-mile International circuit forcing them both to retire and automatically awarding Clark the title.

“That’s certainly not how I wanted to win the title and in fact it feels very hollow,” commented Clark immediately after the race. “I was really looking forward to battling it out with Dino [Zamparelli] in round 11 but it wasn’t to be.”

With the championship title decided, Alpine Motorsport’s Josh Mulholland (Randalstown) was free to secure his maiden victory in round 11 with the remaining round 11 podiums going to Antel Motorsport’s Brett Parris (Southampton), who also picked up third place in round 10, and Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). The final podium in round 10 went to Zamparelli (second) while the privateer cup honours both went to Oxford’s Steven Durrant.

Clark wins title in dramatic fashion...

With Clark needing just seven points to secure the title, anticipation grew for the start of the 14-lap round 11. Following Saturday’s qualifying session, 16-year-old Zamparelli lined the start grid as pole-sitter with Clark alongside him on the front row. Mulholland lined up on row two having Hillspeed’s James Theodore (Telford) for company.

As the lights went out, Clark got the better start to go side-by-side with the Ginetta Junior Champion into Turn 1. With the two so close, contact followed ending both drivers’ races and handing Clark the title. Meanwhile, Mulholland had been able to avoid the incident to move into the lead followed by Theodore, Al Harthy, Parris and Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani (London) in fifth place.

Mulholland had little time to build a lead though as the Safety Car was deployed on lap two following the earlier incident before racing resumed with its extended distance of 15 laps. Despite having never led before or done a restart, Mulholland got away well to lead again and quickly looked at ease at the head of the field.

As the race continued, Mulholland was starting to pull away from Theodore while in the midfield, Team Avago’s David Sutton (Swinton) was looking strong as was Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Joe Crook (Hailsham) who was steadily working his way from the back of the field after a spin in qualifying saw him start from the back of the grid.

By the halfway stage, second-place Theodore looked to be gaining on Mulholland and even set the fastest lap of the race before he made a mistake at Pif Paf dropping him to the back of the field. In the privateer battle Durrant had been able to get ahead of Jarman to move into the lead before going on to set the privateer fastest lap earning him two extra championship points.

Out in front, 20-year-old Mulholland was looking neat and tidy through the purpose built International circuit and on course for his first win. Parris, who had earlier been able to get by Al Harthy, was now running in second after Theodore’s spin with the Omani driver in third and Khani in a season best fourth. Further down the field, a mistake by Crook at Gracelands saw him undo his previous good work to lie in 10th place.

Race leader Mulholland though was certainly not making any mistakes and with the chequered flag in sight, he guided his Alpine Motorsport car through the last corner and across the start/finish line to collect the victory and become only the third different driver this season to win a race. Parris finished second and his second podium of the weekend with Al Harthy in third and Khani in fourth. Sutton rounded off the top five and a season best while Durrant finished ninth and the leading privateer racer.

Action-packed round 10...

Sunday’s earlier round 10 saw Clark line up on the start grid as pole-sitter, his eighth of the season, with Zamparelli alongside him on the front row followed by Mulholland and Parris. 

As the lights went out it was the Bristol teenager who made the best start to briefly lead from Clark until Kieren resumed authority through the tight first corner having held the inside line. Behind the front two, Parris had also been able to get the jump on Mulholland at the start to move into third while in the midfield a flying first lap by Khani saw him shoot into fifth from 10th on the grid.

The opening few laps saw Zamparelli right on the pace shadowing Clark around the Rockingham circuit. Khani, who had been running strong in fifth, had now dropped down a place after Theodore darted up the inside going into Deene to move himself into the top five. Just behind, Al Harthy was showing great pace by taking seventh placed Durrant at Turn 1 on lap five although the following lap the Omani driver overshot Deene forcing him to leave the track before rejoining.

Lap seven saw a brief Safety Car period to recover the privateer car of Alex Craven who had been unable to avoid Andrew Jarman’s spinning car at the exit of Deene. With one lap added to the original 14-lap distance, Clark made a good restart – who later commented that he’d taken inspiration from watching footage of Adam Christodoulou restarting a race in 2008 – to lead once more followed by Zamparelli who had now dropped back slightly into the clutches of Parris and Mulholland.

With no change in the top five, in the midfield positions were still changing with Durrant taking Joe Crook at Deene and Al Harthy also getting the better of Khani at the same corner. A few laps later, Crook tried hard to retake the place from Durrant at Tarzan but the privateer driver moved across to defend the inside line and hold the position.

As the race entered its final stages, Clark was continuing to push setting the fastest lap of the race and on his way to maximum championship points. Meanwhile behind, Zamparelli had recovered from his poor restart to stay ahead of Parris, Mulholland and Telford racer Theodore.

A few laps later, Clark cleanly exited Brooks for the final time to take the chequered flag and his eighth win of the season with Zamparelli in second and Parris taking the final podium spot. Mulholland finished fourth with Theodore picking up his first ever top five finish while Durrant picked up the privateer cup honours as well as two points for the fastest privateer lap.

Commenting on his weekend and his title win Clark said: “No one likes to win the title by default but I’m happy to have finally secured it and overall I’m pleased with how this year has gone for me and for the team who have been fantastic. I’m already thinking about plans for 2010 and I’m hoping to move into the national-level Formula Renault UK series although that depends on budget. I’m currently in talks with two sponsors – Motorsport Insurance and Circuit Guides – so we’ll see how that develops.”

Commenting on his maiden victory, Mulholland said: “I’m really pleased with the win. It’s been the first time we’ve really had the pace and everything just seemed to be working well with the car. I only just managed to avoid getting caught up between Dino and Kieren and after that it was just a case of not making any mistakes.”

Double podium winner Parris said: “We’ve had good pace all weekend and it certainly showed. With everyone so evenly matched it’s always difficult to overtake but to come away with two podiums is great for us.”

Second-place in round 10 Zamparelli, commented: “In the first race I got a great start and was nearly able to convert it on the first lap but I outbraked myself going into Deene which meant I lost out. In round 11 I obviously knew Kieren was very close to winning the title but I was just focusing on trying to win the race but it wasn’t to be. The BARC series is a fantastic championship and has been a great learning curve for me.”

Third place in round 11, Al Harthy said: “It’s been a very tough weekend for us as we’ve struggled with pace a little but it’s great to finish on the podium especially as it’s been a while since my last.”

Rounds 12 and 13 of the 2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship take place at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 11th October.