The 1996 Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance

Formula 2000 Championship


Round 8 - Donington Park, 4th August 1996

BEALES AT LAST

James Beales drove to an astonishing first win of the Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance Formula 2000 Championship. Having qualified 5th, Beales and the rest of the field saw Championship leader Graham Fennymore spin off at Redgate just after the start. Fennymore was trying to overtake Wallbank and Doble on the outside line from his third position on the grid - his only non pole of the season.

Pole sitter Martin Wallbank had a hard time to keep the M.E. Motosport cars of Robin Liddell and James Beales behind him. Mike Doble and Elliot Lewis were chasing closely. At the Old Hairpin and McLeans Corner Beales passed Liddell and went on to push Wallbank. On lap 6 he outbraked Wallbank at the Chicane and went on to the finish flag, winning with a gap of almost 6 seconds.

Although Beales was on his way to victory, the race for second place stopped only at the chequered flag. Wallbank tried every trick in the book and even invented some of his own to keep the charging Lewis and Doble behind. In his pursuit, Doble managed to run the fastest lap. Wallbank's manouvers helped him secure the second spot, an excellent result for he was racing with a not yet healed broken hand. Third came Lewis up from sixth on the grid, Doble fourth and Mark Piercy benefited from Liddell's spin to come in fifth, his first top 6 finish of the season.

Graham Fennymore showed good sportsmanship to congratulate the very pleased winner, who closed the gap to 29 points, with three more races to go.

Again, the Formula 2000 Championship showed a marvelous and exciting race, appreciated by the big crowd enjoying a great day at Donington Park.

RESULTS

PositionCar NumberDriverEntrantRace Points£ Prize Money £
19James BealesM.E. Motorsport 15 400**
228Martin WallbankPrivateer 12 200
31Elliot Lewis M.E. Team 2000 10 150
422 Mike Doble Privateer 9*120
52Mark Piercy Aztek Racing 6 110
67 Robin Lidell M.E. Motorsport 5 100
788Steve GriffithsDelta Racing 4 90
85Mike Turner Move Plus M/sport 3 80
96Mike Bate Privateer 2 70
1014Graeme Adams Move Plus M/sport 1 60
-15Stefan Baker Privateer D.N.F. -
- 8Graham Fennymore Tecton Racing D.N.F. -
* Includes point(s) for fastest lap(s) (1:15.44 / 93.40mph)
** Includes Van Diemen award (£100.00 parts voucher)


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