Whiteline 22B.com Sprint Series – Hethel 2016 Report

Drivers in the Subaru-specific 2016 Whiteline 22B Sprint Series returned from an eight-week summer break last weekend, when they contested round four of this year’s six-event season at the Hethel test track on Saturday 13th August.

Taking his second victory in a row in Class S3 and setting the fastest time of the day was Olly Clark, who brought his Spec C Impreza home just over half-a-second ahead of Rob Wakelin in a WRX version. He was in turn the same distance ahead of third-placed Matt Baker, also in a WRX. Clear winner of Class S2 was Joe Cross in his Impreza RA, where as Alan Tait was the class of the Class S1 field – the category for the least modified cars – in his WRX Impreza, also for the second time in succession.

Conditions that greeted drivers when they arrived at Castle Combe for round three in June could not have been more different from those that heralded the start of round four at the Lotus proving ground – the rain of Wiltshire being replaced by the warm sunshine of Norfolk. Using almost all the 2.2-mile track that features an FIA asphalt surface, the sprint course included the venue’s considerable straights that are punctuated by a combination of tight and technical corners.

After the traditional convoy sighting lap, followed by the three preliminary practice runs, Clark kicked off proceedings in the position that he was destined to finish. But It was no easy task, as Wakelin was mirroring his every move, right up until the final two runs, when a mechanical problem meant that his day ended after run number four.

Seizing the window of opportunity, Clark set his fastest time on the fifth run to secure his second consecutive FTD and take S3 victory by 0.57 seconds. Baker went on to set his fastest time on the penultimate run, but was unable to topple the now absent Wakelin to the tune of 0.58 seconds and therefore, had to be content with third place in Class S3 and overall.

There must have been something in the air on run four, as S2 Class leader Cross was also unable to contest the final two runs, but he had already done enough to claim the class victory. He finished 0.89 seconds ahead of Clive Fulcher, who was unable to contest the final three runs after his S2 Impreza lost all of its oil pressure right on the finish line of run number three that was amazingly his fastest.

In Class S1, Tait’s first competitive run of the day was also his best and while Dave Green and Andrew Swain – who were sharing the same RA Impreza – fought it out between themselves for second place, they were unable to apply pressure to the leader who made it two class wins out of two.

After an eight week sabbatical between rounds three and four, drivers now only have to wait for three weeks before round five, which takes place on Saturday 3rd September at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

The 2016 Whiteline 22B.com Sprint Series is sponsored by: Whiteline Performance Suspension, AS Performance, Chevron Motorsport and Area 52 Autosport.

Increasing the series’ profile this year is the addition of live commentary and video filming at every round that will be broadcast throughout the season on social media.