Almost a Podium

17 july 2011

Fresh from his maiden class win yesterday, the second AutoGP race of the weekend at Donington Park for Jon today, unlike the gloom of yesterday, was held in dry but cloudy conditions.

Unlike race one yesterday the second race was not one of the most exciting, with few overtaking attempts in a series of largely processional laps. Jon was lying in 6th place in the opening laps, lying in the slipstream of his Championship leading Super Nova team-mate, until he swept past and up into 4th place on lap 7.

With Jon turning the timing screens purple and consistently setting the fastest sector 2 times, and at one stage holding the fastest race lap, he closed in on 3rd placed Crestani, getting to within less than half a second of his rival by the final lap.

“The weekend has been really good for my morale, and for everyone else,” Jon said on his way home from the track. “It has been a difficult time for us since Andrew died last year, which is why it was important to get the monkey off my back - I was so happy to dedicate the win to him yesterday; it meant a lot to us all.

“I had Filippi under pressure from the start and forced him into a mistake, and when I took the next car, a Campos I think, it put me into 4th place. Although he was in front of me at the start I was quicker, and had a go at the final corner, but he turned in on me and we touched front wheels. He hung it round the outside after that and just stayed in front, but it was a bit silly really as he could have taken us both out of the race. I knew though it was just a matter of time before I got him.

“After last year when I had the speed but not the results in WSR, to get another win on my CV in yet another class of racing is very satisfying. I am really looking forward now to Oschersleben in Germany at the end of July, and some more wins with Super Nova, and then we have Valencia and Mugello after that. Another good point’s haul next time out should make it very interesting.”

So despite missing the opening four rounds and not being able to take part in the whole Championship this year, Jon’s fantastic Donington weekend made him the highest point’s scorer. He left the track with a healthy 51 points to his credit and 6th place in the standings, as he starts his climb up the Championship point’s ladder.

Race 2 Result - 17 laps

1 Samuele BUTTARELLI - TP Formula
2 Adam CARROLL - Campos Racing +2.160s
3 Fabrizio CRESTANI - Lazarus +3.129s
4 Jon - Super Nova +3.585s
5 Luca FILIPPI - Supernova Racing +4.139s

Drivers standings

1 Filippi 98
2 Ceccon 80
3 Buttarelli 62
4 Crestani 57
5 Venturini 53
6 Lancaster 51

Teams standings

1 SuperNova 138
2 DAMS 106
3 Lazarus 91
4 Ombra 81
5 TP Formula 60