David Wagner Ran In The Top Six Throughout The Weekend - Photo Credit: Richard Leach
Scottish racing driver David Wagner got his 2012 Protyre Formula Renault BARC campaign off to a superb start with a podium and two top six finishes in the opening rounds at Snetterton.
In a wet qualifying session, MGR Motorsport’s Wagner put himself fifth on the grid for the opener and third for races two and three. Strong race performances saw him take second, fourth and sixth place finishes, the last finish being even more impressive when a stall on the grid dropped him to the back of the grid, with the results putting Wagner a strong third in the championship standings.
Wagner explains: “Qualifying went well with the two third places, although I got a little bit of traffic in the first qualifying when the track was at its driest and unfortunately couldn’t take advantage of the grip to move further up the grid.
“In race one, I got a good start and was up to fourth by the first corner. The leader then went off the track slightly on the first few laps when his tyres weren’t quite up to temperature and I narrowly avoided him when he came back on track. It was an easy overtake into second when the car in front slowed with a gearbox problem.
“Starting third in race two, I got off the line well and made a move for second but it didn't come off and that dropped me back a bit. Then there was a couple of bad crashes and the safety car had to come out. At the restart, I had to fend off those behind so the leaders got away slightly. But as the race progressed, the car started getting better and I closed down third place, but just couldn’t quite get in front on the run to the line.
“For race three, the rain had started to come down heavily. Unfortunately, at the start, the pole man stalled and I got caught behind him. I think I finally got off the line in twentieth place. The spray was horrendous and for the first two corners I couldn’t see a thing. After the cars started to space out a little I could start moving back through the field. I was having to take a lot of risks but it was really exciting. On the last lap I managed to overtake two cars at the same corner to grab sixth place but it was very tight.
“I am happy with my overall performance this weekend. As this was a triple header, it was important to get three strong finishes so a second, fourth and sixth is the start we needed. It’s been a positive start and I am pleased to be lying third in the championship. Good qualifying performances put me at the front and if I can repeat that then the race wins will come. I am grateful for the continued support from Carrick Packaging, Nexus Internet, Nexus Packaging, Domain Name Shop and the University of Strathclyde.”
MGR Motorsports driver coach, Kelvin Burt added: “David has worked hard over the winter and his results this weekend have given him a strong base to build on for the year ahead. Unfortunately, the start of the third race didn’t go as planned and he was almost last going into the first corner but he fought his way back through the field without putting any damage on the car which was great to watch.”
