Dronfield race team seal title in slick fashion

After finishing 2006 runners-up, in their debut year, the north Derbyshire team went one better in Britain’s most hotly contested one-make saloon car racing series.

Sadly their chance to make it the drivers’ title double with Robert Lawson slipped away - literally – in Thruxton’s penultimate race.

Needing to score 26 points extra to take the drivers’ title from series leader Martin Byford, Lawson gave it the best possible start by scorching a two-second lead from pole position.

But his advantage evaporated behind the safety car, allowing Stefan Hodgetts to catch and muscle through at the chicane, where high drama occurred next lap.

Lawson set fastest lap as he chased Hodgetts through the chicane, but neither knew a backmarker had dropped an oil slick across the track at the chicane exit.

Both of them – and five others – pirouetted off the track with the carnage bringing the race to an early finish.

But it had a silver lining for JHR, as their drivers in third-place Jim Edwards Jnr, and eight-placed Andrew Herron spotted the warning flag and negotiated themselves onto the podium.

It gave Edwards Jnr his first win of the season.