Phelps boosts GB4 title hopes with third win at Brands Hatch

Photo: Mat Acton

Isaac Phelps led an Elite Motorsport one-two in a red-flagged opening GB4 race of the weekend at Brands Hatch.

He led every lap ahead of his team-mate Ary Bansal before proceedings concluded early during a late safety car period.

The result enabled Phelps to close to within two points of Bansal in the battle for second in the standings, while Hillspeed’s Daniel Guinchard finished third to consolidate his points lead.

While Phelps remained ahead at the start from pole, Guinchard had a look up the inside of Bansal into Paddock Hill Bend but backed out. Elite’s other driver, Alex Kattoulas, lost fourth to Douglas Motorsport’s Luke Hilton but quickly reclaimed the place into Druids.

Arden’s Leon Wilson made a quick getaway from sixth, but there was no space in front of him to make up ground, and he was then challenged by Douglas’s Dayton Coulthard. The pair touched wheels on the exit of Druids, and a second collision followed into Graham Hill Bend which resulted in both retiring with damage in the pitlane.

Hillspeed’s Leandro Juncos profited from the clash to gain four places to sixth the first lap. He almost made contact with Hilton after a wheel-to-wheel battle through turn one on the next tour, and then resisted a challenge from KMR Sport’s Alex O’Grady into Druids.

Having eventually lost out to Juncos, Hilton got sideways after dipping a wheel on the grass at Stirling’s, allowing O’Grady to sweep by into Clearways. Fortec Motorsports’ Jack Taylor made progress from 11th on the grid to snatch seventh from Hilton, who then spun into the gravel at Sheene Curve with five minutes of the race remaining.

That resulted in the safety car being deployed, with Phelps having built a 1.7-second lead by this point. Officials then brought out the red flags with a few seconds of allotted time remaining.

Behind the front three, Kattoulas remained fourth ahead of Juncos and O’Grady, while Thomas Ingram Hill finished once place behind his team-mate Taylor in eighth.

Race results (10 laps)