Voisin extends GB3 lead with first win of 2023 at Brands Hatch

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Rodin Carlin’s Callum Voisin resisted an opening-lap challenge from title rival Joseph Loake to take his first win of the season in race two at Brands Hatch.

Having closed to within seven points of Voisin with victory in race one on Saturday, Loake made the better start from the outside of the front to draw alongside him into Paddock Hill Bend.

The pair remained side-by-side until Druids, where Voisin used the inside line to move ahead.

Elite Motorsport’s McKenzy Cresswell maintained third, while James Hedley made a slow getaway but held off Alex Dunne for fourth into turn one.

Matthew Rees started from seventh after being handed a three-place grid penalty for a clash which put Dunne out of race one, and on lap two he took sixth at Graham Hill Bend from Costa Toparis, who ran wide onto the grass and lost several places.

The safety car was deployed later in the lap due to a collision at Druids between Noah Ping and Shawn Rashid at the rear of the field, with Ping suffering front wing damage while Rashid retired on the spot.

Green flags were waved two laps later, with Voisin immediately pulling a few car lengths clear. Hedley snatched third into Surtees from Cresswell, who soon dived back up the inside at Paddock Hill, with Hedley sliding off the road and rejoining in ninth.

The front two took advantage of the battle behind to break clear, with Voisin maintaining a one-second lead over Loake for the remainder of the 14-lap contest to extend his lead to 13 points.

Cresswell scored his fourth podium in a row, coming home three second behind Loake. Dunne conceded further ground to Voisin in the title race with fourth ahead of Rees.

Fortec Motorsports’ Jarrod Waberski climbed from 14th to sixth ahead of Douglas Motorsport’s Tymek Kucharczyk, with Hedley finishing eighth.

Zak Taylor was ninth for Chris Dittmann Racing ahead of David Morales. Toparis lost a couple of further spots late on after running wide exiting Surtees and becoming airborne on the grass, finishing 12th behind Max Esterson.

Race result (14 laps)