Second place in the Radical SR3 Challenge event at Castle Combe helped Phil Keen increase his lead at the top of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge.
Keen took pole position for the race at the Wiltshire track but during a wet race he and co-driver Peter Belshaw fell back to finish second behind Lewis Plato, 2014 Sunoco 200 Challenge winner. However, Keen also took the fastest lap of the race to further increase his advantage in the Challenge points standings over Radical European Masters leader Tristan Viidas who will return to action later this month.
With the weekend’s action Keen’s average point score increased to 103.13 – compared to Viidas’ 89.25. Belshaw’s own average points score increased, further cementing himself in third place in the race to take a place at the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
At the same meeting on a damp Saturday at the 1.85 mile track Oskar Krugar swept the pair of Radical Clubmans’ Cup race. With fastest lap in both races and a pole position on top it was enough to power Krugar to the head of the Sunoco 200 Challenge standings.
Krugar entered the weekend tied for first place in the Challenge with on-track rival Steve Burgess before his race two pole broke the deadlock. Burgess was dealt a further blow when he was one of a number of drivers involved in a lap one crash which took out four of the fastest six from qualifying with only Krugar and John MacLeod making it through, Krugar having taken the lead through the opening corners.
After repairs Burgess returned to take second in the day’s second race, but his race one DNF dropped him from the lead of the Challenge to sixth.
Krugar’s nearest challenger is now F3 Cup racer Toby Sowery. GT Cup driver David Walley is third while MINI Challenge veteran Chris Knox now occupies fourth after his own strong Castle Combe weekend taking – like Krugar – a pole, two wins and two fastest laps to bolster his Challenge points tally.
