MAIDEN PODIUM FOR YELLOLY IN WINTERSERIES OPENER
Hitech Junior Team's Nick Yelloly scored a superb maiden podium finish
in the opening rounds of the 2009 Michelin Formula Renault UK Winter
Cup series at Snetterton this weekend. The race also marked a strong
performance by Marlon Stockinger, the 18 year-old making up four places
on the opening lap to finish in a season-best fifth place.
After consistently being among the pace-setters in pre-event testing, 18
year-old Yelloly was left frustrated with the fifth and seventh quickest
times in qualifying for the opening two rounds of the four-race series.
While Stockinger, also among the quickest in testing at both Rockingham
and Snetterton two weeks ago, ninth and eighth fastest laps in the
rain-affected qualifying left the Swiss Fillipino determined to make
amends in the races.
The first round kicked off on Saturday morning, but was red-flagged
early on and subsequently rescheduled for later in the day. That left
round two kicking off proceedings in which a fairly uneventful race for
the Hitech duo resulted in a strong sixth place for Nick, the Solihull
teenager making a great pass on Luke Wright at the Esses on the final
lap to take the position.
Stockinger recovered from a spin on the penultimate lap to finish tenth,
the teenager pleased with his increased pace from qualifying and looking
to better that result in the second race of the day.
With the rescheduled race one now rounding off the day's racing, both
drivers headed to the grid confident of moving up the order in the still
tricky conditions. Yelloly made a lightening start from the third row
and was up into second place by the first corner, chasing leader Harry
Tincknell.
Stockinger, despite momentarily being boxed in off the line, was equally
impressive, moving up four places in the first few corners to cross
the line fifth at the end of the opening lap. With spray seriously
affecting visibility, Tincknell was able to pull away at the front,
leaving Yelloly to take second, his best result of the year.
A steady drive in difficult conditions netted a superb fifth place for
former FBMW Asia-Pacific front-runner Stockinger, in his first season
racing in the UK.
The four-race mini-series resumes at Rockingham Motor Speedway next
weekend 6/7 November with testing on Friday and qualifying and two races
on Saturday.
-credit: hitechjuniorteam.net
