Bennett dominates but Payart still in Championship contention

UK’s Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA) dominated this event from start to finish. He was fastest in both qualifying practice sessions and his time of 1’37’’3 (168.5 km/h) in the 2nd session was the quickest Superkart lap all weekend. So he would start both races from pole-position.

?In Race 1 he was away stunningly quickly ahead of fellow front row starter Rob Chilcott (Anderson-FPE), and 2005 Champion John Riley (Anderson-FPE) soon passed Chilcott for 2nd place. 3-4 laps into the race, Riley closed to within 0.5 of a second of Bennett and looked to be ready to mount a challenge. But Bennett pulled away strongly and from that point his only challenge was to negotiate the backmarkers he would lap in the later stages of the race. His winning margin was 6 seconds.

Yet, impressive as this was, the drive by Frenchman Damien Payart (PVP-FPE) was perhaps as good. The former double Champion (2003/4) steadily made his way forward from his lowly 7th row 15th place starting position and into the Top 10. He had a great battle with the 2008 Champion, Germany’s Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM), to claim 4th, then forced an error out of Chilcott for 3rd before finally taking Riley’s 2nd place later on. “I didn’t know where I had finished”, he said. “I didn’t know how many were in front of me, and there were many lapped Drivers. I am very satisfied with 2nd place in all the circumstances. We had the set up wrong in qualifying practice but I knew the engine was fast, and so it proved.”

Riley just held off Chilcott for the final podium place. Elkmann was worth his 5th place and Carl Hulme (GBR – Anderson-FPE) drove from row 7 to a good 6th place. Germans Daniel Hentschel (Anderson-DEA) and Guido Kleinmeyer (Anderson-BRC) were 7th and 8th in front of the Dutchman Marcel Maasmann (MS Kart-VM) with Englishman Paul Kennings (Anderson-FPE) completing the Top 10. The only lady in the race, Priscilla Speelman of Holland (MS Kart-VM), drove well to finish in the Top 20 but the only non-European, Andy Kiker from the USA (Anderson-DEA), went out on the 4th lap. The biggest disappointment was Northern Ireland’s Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC). The winner of round 2 at Silverstone had his clutch fall off at the start.

In Race 2 there was a much more even break with Riley and Chilcott side by side with Bennett, Riley even getting his nose in front. But half way round the opening lap Bennett had established an advantage which he built on throughout the race. Indeed his winning margin this time was a massive 9 seconds.

Once again there was good racing behind him with Payart repeating his Race 1 effort to go from the 8th row to 2nd place. This time he had a tougher task to get past Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM), Elkmann and Lehtinen who were having a great race in 5th, 6th and 7th place. But the Frenchman was equal to the task and richly deserved his 2nd runner-up spot of the day. That points tally is sufficient for him to take a lead into the final event in his native France.

Roberts showed what might have been with a terrific drive into 3rd place exemplified by his battle with Chilcott which saw them trade places three times. Chilcott can count himself unlucky to have missed the podium by a fraction of a second for the second time. Germans Elkmann and Hentschel were solid if not threatening to challenge for the podium and Hulme once again drove into the Top 10 from downfield. Priscilla Speelman again made the Top 20 and American Andy Kiker found himself in the Top 20 just after the mid-race distance.

“The circuit was greasy early on”, said Bennett, “so I took it steady. I felt the kart went really well and I have been in good form coming into this event, especially my victory in the British GP last month. I tried to overtake the backmarkers on the straights and with my advantage I was able to back off if I needed to. I love Assen, and obviously I have loved this perfect weekend.”

Roberts was philosophical in 3rd place. “Obviously I was disappointed this morning, but in all honesty I am not on the pace of these two (Bennett and Payart). I take my hat off to both of them.”

What would have happened if Payart had qualified at the front? We shall never know but he gave us a great race coming through the field and clearly these two Champions will be at the forefront of the battle for the 2010 Championship title.

All this took place in front of an official attendance of 58,000 packing the home straight grandstands on the traditional Rizla Racing Day.

So Damien Payart takes a narrow 6 points lead into the final round at Le Mans on 22-24 October.

All the classifications and selected photographs can be consulted on www.cikfia.com

Info & Photo CIK