This weekend saw a new series for me, the BMW Race Days Compact Cup 2016 at Rockingham as part of the same BRSCC weekend as the Fiesta Championship and the Fiesta Junior Championship.
The series saw a collection of BMW Compact 318Ti cars racing, with a very impressive field of 43 cars to be seen across categories A, B and C. The format of the weekend saw the various cars race each other in three separate races, the first featuring categories A and B, the second B and C, and finally A and C. Are you still with me…?
There was a single qualifying round for the three races, meaning that the first race – that’s the A and B cars – with Samuel Carrington Yates on pole from James Gornall and Simon Walker-Hansell. The nine lap race saw Samuel Carrington Yates take the win in his B class, with James Gornall in second place in the race and the first placed A category car, ahead of Simon Walker-Hansell. Appropriately enough, Samuel and James also set the fastest times for their respective classes.
The second race – we’re now on B and C – had a top three on the grid of Joe Wiggin, Samuel Carrington Yates and Jim Benson. It was another nine lap race, with the first three finishers – Jim Benson, Joe Wiggin and Steven Dailly – all from the C category, with fourth place in the race going to Owen Hunter, who was the highest finishing category B car.
The final race of the weekend – that’s A and C – had a grid starting with James Gornall, Joe Wiggin and Ian Jones. We had seen all of the cars on track in the previous two races. This time, it was the A class of James Gornall who took the chequered flag ahead of Joe Wiggin and Steven Dailly, both in C category cars.
It was great to see the BMWs on track, and around the paddock during the weekend. Here are a few photos of them.
