Michael Lyons drove to victory in the first Super Tourer race of the Super Touring Power 3 weekend here at Brands Hatch this afternoon (Saturday).
At the wheel of a Honda Accord which has been shipped from New Zealand especially to contest this weekend’s races, Lyons took the lead when the pack launched into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Lyons started from second alongside four-time British Touring Car Champion Colin Turkington but was able just get ahead from the rolling start.
Turkington fought back as they streamed up towards Druids for the first time, but Lyons just managed to keep the tin top veteran behind him. Turkington launched another attack which started on the Cooper Straight and was ahead again by the time the leading duo emerged from the woodland Grand Prix section of the circuit.
From there, Turkington charged into what seemed to be a commanding lead, setting times quicker even than his pole position effort in bright and sunny conditions. But with only eight of what would ultimately be 12 laps completed, the Vauxhall slowed with an issue, denying the Northern Irishman what would have been a popular victory on Super Touring debut.
This left Lyons to drive to a comfortable victory, over 17 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Conrad Timms at the wheel of his Ford Mondeo. Colin Sowter completed the podium in a Peugeot 406. Behind that, two more of the visitors from New Zealand completed the top-five with Paul McCarthy fourth in the purple and yellow Mazda Xedos 6 and Allan Scott fifth in his Mazda 323 ST.
Jim Pocklington crossed the line sixth in his Vauxhall Cavalier GSI, just ahead of Roger Stanford in the first of a handful of later cars joining the Super Tourers. David Power, Jason Hughes and Eliot Dunmore rounded out the top-10.
CTCRC Super Tourers, Race Result
- Michael Lyons, Honda Accord
- Conrad Timms, Ford Mondeo, +17.510s
- Colin Sowter, Peugeot 406, +23.445s
- Paul McCarthy, Mazda Xedos 6, +32.615s
- Allan Scott, Mazda 323 ST, +37.516s
- Jim Pocklington, Vauxhall Cavalier GSI, +47.121s
- Roger Stanford, Vauxhall Astra, +1m00.639s
- David Power, Ford Mondeo, +1m01.409s
- Jason Hughes, MG ZS, +1m11.276s
- Eliot Dunmore, Vauxhall Astra, +1m20.870s
Click here for full race results from this event.