Rounds 3 & 4 Knockhill 12/13 April 2008
Oliver qualified the car 11th on the grid for race 1 next to the sister car. The Viper again not showing its strength in qualifying but proving to be a good racecar. Nick lined up 15th for race 2.
Race 1
The heavens opened in Scotland and the circuit was wet for the start of Saturday’s race. Oliver passed the sister viper and went around the outside of 2 Ferrari’s into turn 1. Out of the chicane he made his way passed the Lamborghini and was up to 6th by the end of the first lap! Oliver was lapping quickest on the circuit and as others made mistakes in the tricky conditions, Oliver kept cool and was up to 4th by lap 8 then up to 3rd by lap 16. Oliver handed over to Nick who resumed to immediately loose second place to the Brookspeed viper but he hung on well and 3rd placed looked certain. However with 15 minutes to go, a Lamborghini Gallardo braked too late and crashed into the back on the Viper, damaging the bodywork, suspension and tyre but more frustratingly, putting the car out of the race. The excellent start made by Oliver had come to nothing!
Race 2
Nick made a good start and progressed up from his lowly starting position, and held off the Lamborghini that had punted him off in the previous race. Nick handed the car over just after the pit window opened and Oliver quickly resumed the race and set about the challenge of getting to the front. Shortly after starting his stint, two Lamborghini’s tangled in front on the run to the hairpin, leaving debris on the circuit. Oliver had no choice but to run over this debris which triggered to ABS and Oliver only just managed to slow the car enough to prevent it leaving the circuit. Oliver pitted with a suspected puncture which dropped him a lap. Oliver resumed on the tail of the lead battle, albeit a lap down. With his radio broken, Oliver was unaware of his actual position and fought his way through this pack, passing the sister Viper and lapping fastest of all. This race was then red flagged due to a stranded car and Oliver finished a lap down in 10th place. A great disappointment after 2 great drives by Oliver.
Rockingham is the next circuit visited by the championship and the Viper goes well there, with Team RPM having a double win there last season.
Oliver has a good track record there too, with a podium in the Morgan Aero 8 in 2006 after a drive from 8th to 3rd in class, and a promising run in the Eclipse Motorsport Mosler in 2007 where he was quickest in timed practice in the damp.
The Viper also benefits from having its engine air restrictor removed for the remainder of the season which will increase the cars competitiveness, as the Viper has struggled for single lap pace when compared with the Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
- Categories: 2008 Season, News
- Tags: Knockhill, Viper
