Both O’Donovan’s led the final after starting on the front row. Patrick was gifted victory by his father to further help his title bid.
Ollie O’Donovan made the best start from the front row and stormed into the lead. Poleman, Patrick O’Donovan took second place with Derek Tohill trying to go around the outside in third. Steve Hill got the cut back on Jualian Godfrey just behind but hit the grassy apex and lost momentum. Tristan Ovenden and Christopher Evans ran side by side into the Hole in the Hedge where yesterday’s winner took sixth.
The three Irish competitors, Evans, Declan Kelly and Darragh Morris dived to the joker lap. This promoted Mike Sellar into seventh of the 10 cars.
On lap 2 Tohill tried to get a better run out of Rallycross 1, the opening bend. Patrick defended up to the Hole in the Hedge and held second place with his father pulling clear by a bigger margin. Tohill instead dived to the joker lap and came out alongside Sellar but with the inside held the position.
Patrick immediately responded to Tohill’s joker and was able to keep his position but the drivers ahead were yet to take their detour. Both quickly caught up to Ovenden, off the pace in the greasy conditions.
Godfrey was right on the tail of the leader and dived to the alternative route. Patrick came out ahead but he was just in front of Tohill. The reigning champion was forced to lift off and slot in right behind.
The top 2 now O’Donovan and Hill both jokered but third place Ovenden stayed out. O’Donovan remained in the lead but forced Ovenden to back off creating a train of cars down Rallycross 3.
Image Credit: Overtake Motorsport
Behind, Godfrey had attempted a move around the outside of Patrick, thinking him to have missed a gear. However, the 18 year old pulled away and Tohill was able to take the racing line to squeeze past Godfrey as the top 5 drivers concertinaed together.
Patrick was all over the back of Ovenden through the final corner and dived to the inside at turn 1. Ovenden took the joker on the final lap, leaving the train of cars. That promoted Evans into fifth and Hill into sixth.
On the run to the line Ollie lifted off to gift Patrick the win and increase the championship leader’s advantage. Ollie came home second ahead of Tohill, making up for a poor performance yesterday. Godfrey was fourth ahead of Evans, Hill and Ovenden. Kelly was third of the Irish competitors ahead of Darragh Morris. Meanwhile Sellar dropped to last after losing power with 2 laps to go.
Patrick O’Donovan “I had to make a crucial pass of Tristan [Ovenden]. I had Tohill going for a bit of a lunge. I saw him in the corner of my eye. Just held him off and kept going. [Ollie’s] not quite in contention for the points. Every point counts, championship’s long so who knows what’ll happen.”
Semi-Final
The opening semi final was red flagged half way through when Mike Sellar broke down and wasn’t able to get going again. A simple spin prevented him from restarting after a start motor failure. At the restart Patrick O’Donovan made the best start again. Hill got into second from fourth with Godfrey dropped back to last behind Ovenden. Godfrey jokered and got his head down and was able to get past both drivers in front come the end of the race.
Tohill utilised pole to keep the lead at turn one of the other semi-final. Ollie O’Donovan wasn’t able to match his pace and settled for second. Christopher Evans had jumped the start but was still able to hold second place. At the start Darragh Morris cut across the Fiesta driver and held both up. Darragh was spun dropping to last while Kelly was a few second away from Evans come the end of the race.
Qualifying
Patrick O’Donovan jumped to the head of the field in qualifying with 2 dominant drives in both sessions. He had his work cut out in Q1 when he was running third on the opening lap. However, as those ahead jokered he put in a series of quick laps so that come lap 4 he was in the lead.
Patrick O’Donovan “I made a bit of a gamble. I said it’s wet outside, let’s try and put everything down for a change. It worked with a bit of traction. I had to do an around the outside move of Kelly and if I hadn’t put the clutch down I think I would have stalled.”
Tohill was next best and tied with yesterday’s winner, Ovenden. The reigning champion was fourth in Q1 then third in Q2 with Ovenden having those positions in the opposite order. As Tohill was quicker in Q2 he qualified higher up.
Ollie O’Donovan and Godfrey also tied on points after identical finishes. O’Donovan had been leading his Q1 race until he braked too late into the hole in the hedge. He slammed into the tyres but avoided damage and went 8th quickest. Godfrey was 2nd in that session but he himself had issues in Q2. A gearbox issue meant 3rd and 4th couldn’t be used greatly reducing his pace. His team change the gearbox in time for the semi finals.
Image Credit: Overtake Motorsport
Irish competitors Evans and Kelly were sixth and eighth with Hill sandwiched between the 2. Sellar was last of the British competitors again. In Q2 he jumped the start and later retired after a spinning on the gravel.
Darragh Morris and Michael Morris were last with Michael’s catching fire much like Andrew’s did yesterday. After suffering drive shaft failure yesterday, Thomas O’Raferty was unable to start today. This left 10 cars able to start the Semi-finals.
Points
Patrick O’Donovan now takes a 10 points lead over Julian Godfrey. Tohill has made it back in third place on 105 just 16 back from Patrick. Ovenden is 1 further point back in fourth. The next round for Supercars will take place at Pembrey with a slightly changed dates. Instead of racing on Saturday and Monday they will race on consecutive days on Saturday and Sunday. This will be on the bank holiday weekend on 27th and 28th August. The 2 wheel drive categories will race in Belgium alongside the BORA RX series at Arendonk in early August.
Image Credit: Overtake Motorsport
Feature Image Credit: Overtake Motorsport
