Seb Morris got his Protyre Formula Renault BARC Winter Series title bid off to an excellent start with victory on the opening weekend at Brands Hatch.
The Ginetta Ambassador ended the weekend just two points shy of the top of the championship after a victory in round one was followed by a top four result in round two, ensuring the BRDC Rising Star has a realistic chance of securing a third car racing title in as many years.
From third on the grid, the Fortec Motorsport star leapt into second early on in race two, running closely behind leader Matt Mason until he made an error on lap nine. With the leader off the track, Morris assumed the lead and went on to win by over eight seconds.
“He [Mason] was on the edge from the start, we were both pushing so hard and that meant the tyre life was very short”, explained the Ginetta Ambassador, “When we got past lap five or six the tyres completely went off, so I adjusted my driving and I think that paid off. The main thing with the Winter Series is to finish all four races, there are no drop rounds so you can’t afford a bad result.”
In persistent rain, Sunday’s televised race saw Morris made a good start and slot into second behind Mason once again. Tucked under the wing of his rival, the Welshman was able to take the lead into Paddock Hill and despite Mason nipping back ahead at Druids, Morris snatched the lead again at Graham Hill.
It lasted just the length of the back straight through, an error pitching Morris off track. Recovering in eighth, he fought back in fifth quickly, but another unfortunate moment while chasing down fourth caused a spin, though he was able to recover to end up taking the position on the final lap.
“When I was behind fourth I couldn’t see a thing in the spray and I must have just caught the edge of the kerb which spun me round”, explained the Abbey Gate College student, “I managed to fight back from there and the car was there for me towards the end. It’s unfortunate the way race two turned out but I’m only two points behind going into Rockingham, so we’re right in the chase.”