Triple Podium at Snetterton for Pro-Am

Trackday Championship: A Podium Finish Amidst Chaos

In a fiercely competitive Trackday Championship, Pro-Am Racing faced a crucial weekend as they aimed to stay in contention for the Class C title. After missing the previous round at Lydden Hill due to their prize trip to Le Mans, the team needed strong results to keep their championship hopes alive. Qualifying saw them secure a solid P4 position, with just 0.4 seconds separating the top four cars.

Chris Dunster took the start but was immediately impeded by a slow-starting car that forced him towards the pit wall, dropping him to P5 in class. Undeterred, Chris launched a determined comeback, making a bold move around the outside at Brundle to reclaim P4. He then set his sights on championship leader Wayne Cockerill of Aindale Racing, eventually overtaking him with a skillful maneuver, positioning the car expertly around Coram into Murray's giving him the momentum on the main straight to take P3.

The race was progressing well when a Class D car crashed into the tyre wall at Agostini, and shortly after, the leading car of Milnair and Jack Wright caught fire due to a high-pressure fuel line issue. This led to a red flag situation, which caused widespread confusion in the pit lane. All teams, including Pro-Am Racing, pitted during the red flag period, which led to a chaotic scene as teams attempted driver changes and took tyre pressure readings despite the rules prohibiting such actions during a red flag.

Race control, struggling to manage the confusion, ultimately decided to end the race early and award half points based on the standings before the red flag. Despite the chaotic end, Pro-Am Racing secured a hard-earned P3 finish, a crucial result that keeps them in the thick of the championship battle.

Trackday Trophy: Dominating Performance Leads to Victory

Louis Harvey and Oliver Richardson entered the Trackday Trophy race with no prior testing or practice, yet managed to qualify in P2, just 0.166 seconds off pole position. Louis, in his second year with the team after a strong showing last season, took the start and immediately made an impact. With a perfect launch off the line, Louis gained four places by Turn 1 and an impressive five places overall on the first lap, even overtaking multiple Class B cars, which have a higher power-to-weight ratio.

Louis maintained a consistently quick pace, building a commanding 10-second lead before the mandatory pit stops. However, a major incident at Turn 2, Montreal, involving two cars riding the barrier, brought out the safety car. Pro-Am Racing seized the opportunity to pit, with Oliver Richardson taking over in the lead.

The safety car period bunched up the field, and with the gap to P2 reduced to nothing, Oliver faced intense pressure on the restart. The situation was further complicated by lapped traffic, with some cars failing to follow the safety car un-lapping procedure properly, creating a dangerous and thrilling final lap. Oliver navigated the chaos expertly, slicing through the slower cars and maintaining his class lead to cross the line in P1. Reflecting on the race, Oliver described it as “the hardest, scariest lap of his life,” but his efforts secured a well-deserved victory for the team.

EnduroKA: A Tale of Two Races

The EnduroKA series presented a different challenge, with two 3-hour races across the weekend. In Race 1, the team, consisting of drivers Oliver Furnell, Josh Benson, and Jack Kemp, delivered a stellar performance. Starting from P9, Ollie, known as “Basic Ollie” to his YouTube community, drove with incredible determination, taking the lead after just 24 minutes. He maintained this lead through constant position changes and intense battling until the first round of pit stops.

The Pro-Am Racing Team’s pit crew executed a flawless stop, allowing them to extend their lead over Milnair, who had been relegated to a pit-lane start due to a scrutineering issue. Josh Benson, competing in his first IRL race in over a decade, took over and quickly adapted to the challenging conditions, holding the races fastest lap accolade for quite a while too. Although Milnair’s experienced driver Jack Wright began closing the gap, Pro-Am Racing’s next strategic pit stop and fuel management allowed them to gain another 20s over the rest of the field. Jack Kemp, in his first KA race, managed the 30s gap and the constant lapped traffic to bring the car home in P1 with a margin of just 2.6 seconds, securing the Ollie, Josh and Jack's first-ever EnduroKA win.

Race 2, however, proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions. Starting from pole, Ollie struggled with the warmer track conditions and dropped to P12 before a safety car period allowed the team to pit and return to P2. A fierce battle ensued with Shine Automotive and Milnair, but disaster struck when Josh Benson’s car lost power due to a blown fuse, causing him to be rear-ended and forcing the team to pit for repairs. Despite the setback, Jack Kemp rejoined the race and pushed hard, bringing the car home, ensuring a finish rather than a DNF, ultimately finishing in P26.

A Weekend of Highs and Lows

Team owner Scott Thompson reflected on the weekend..

“The Snetterton weekend was a true test of our team’s resilience and determination. With two wins, a P3, and a P26 across three different series, we proved that we have what it takes to compete at the highest level. As we look ahead to the next rounds, we’re focused on building on this momentum and continuing our pursuit of championship glory”

“We’re incredibly proud of our team’s performance and the way we overcame the challenges thrown at us. This weekend was a reminder that motorsport is not just about speed; it’s about strategy, teamwork, and the ability to adapt under pressure. We’re ready to take on the rest of the season and fight for more wins and the TDC championship title.”

Trackday Championship Standings After Round 4:

1. Aindale Racing - 45 points

2. MCS Racing - 43 points

3. Donovan Racing - 38.5 points

4. Pro-Am Racing - 34.5 points

5. LDR Performance Tuning - 31.5 points

Pro-Am Racing remains firmly in the hunt for the championship, and their performance at Snetterton has set the stage for an exciting remainder of the season.