McCarthy and Vernon share Cadwell Park Honours

Kieran Vernon did his title aspirations a power of good at the 50th Anniversary meeting at Cadwell Park this weekend (6th April 2008). His race two victory kept him up there at the top of the table, but it could have been better, having been pipped on the last lap of an incident packed first race by Spencer McCarthy.

Race 1

Julian Barratt qualified on pole, only 8/100ths quicker than Vernon, while seasonal debutant Phil Sykes found himself sandwiched between Russell and Spencer McCarthy in fourth.

The 26 car grid had barely got into their stride in the first race, when the safety car was scrambled. Sam Hare had crashed heavily exiting the Gooseneck, and with the Speedworks trio of Richard Sykes, Paul Sheard and David Jackson also off in separate incidents, most of the race was behind the safety car.

Vernon had sat patiently as the clocked ticked on and with barely a minute on the clock the green flag was waved.

“I got a better run into Park than Kieran, went up the inside but had two wheels on the grass,” said Spencer McCarthy. “I hadn’t realised it was the last lap,” he added. But it proved decisive for McCarthy, a frustrated Vernon losing out by 0.803secs at the flag.

"Spencer caught me by surprise, it was the only place on the track he could have got me,” Vernon replied.

Barratt and Sykes took the fight for third to the flag too. “I was ahead for a few yards, we were both on and off the brakes, locking up,” Sykes explained. “I knew I was Ok as I made sure Phil had to brake on the oil going into Park,” replied Barratt.  So Barratt just held sway as they took flag. Russ McCarthy and Gary Simms also managed a late swap to complete the top six.

Race 2

It was poleman Barratt’s turn to put the pressure on Vernon at the start of race two, running up the hill to Charlies side by side from the start. “I decided to let Kieran have the tarmac and I had the grass and spun,” said Barratt.

The resulting spin dropped him well down, and left Spencer McCarthy and Andrew Smith to chase down Vernon. 

But McCarthy had overcome a shock of his own. “When I arrived at the Mountain my brother Russ was facing us after spinning. All I thought was how much work Dad would have if I hit him,” he said.

McCarthy got his head down and successfully challenged Vernon into Park on the third lap, “then I made a mistake next lap at Mansfield when my tyres started going off and gave it back,” he explained. Vernon never gave him another chance and claimed his second win of the season. “I am happy with that, a good start and it helped when Julian went well wide,” he said.

Barratt’s race was eventful throughout, having recovered from his first lap spin, he clawed his way back into third and was beginning to threaten again. “I was like a man possessed, spun again fully backwards at high speed in exactly the same place as before,” he admitted.

Smith and Sheard contested third for much of the race, the Congleton veteran’s battle scarred car took charge from lap three, but Smith persevered to claim it back a couple of laps later. The gap started to open but Sheard came back with a late charge, missing out by a whisker at the flag. Russ McCarthy recovered from his scary first lap spin to claim fifth, just holding off Barratt, who somehow had managed to void the tyre walls.

The Championship continues this weekend with a trip up to Knockhill in Scotland along with the Ginetta G50 and British GT cars.