The 2010 season started for the Bill Richards Racing team at Brands Hatch with the opening rounds of the BARC Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship. The large entry promised some frenetic racing and the Clubman would be competing in its higher class for the first time. Confident that the upgrades performed over the off season would bring dividends the team went into the meeting in buoyant mood.

Qualifying

Heading out onto a damp but drying circuit the Clubman spent the early part of the session building tyre and brake temperature as well as making note of where the damp areas of the track were so as to not be caught out by the varying levels of grip available.

As the session progressed the Clubman increased its pace and the lap times began to fall, the Clubman was particularly quick through Clearways and was gaining time over some of the more powerful cars through this long corner where the circuit was still damp. The session ended with the Clubman qualifying 7th overall – a superb performance that put the diminutive machine ahead of some far more powerful opposition.

Race 1

Rolling starts were the order of the day for the DMN races and the Clubman lost out on the charge to the first corner – being passed by a brace of Peugeots. The Clubman tucked in behind them on the run up to the hairpin at Druids and set about the task of regaining its position. With a decisive move the Clubman swiftly despatched the first of the Peugeots and latched onto the bootlid of its perennial adversary – the second Peugeot.

The Clubman and Peugeot circulated nose to tail separated by inches as the two evenly matched cars fought another epic duel. Time and again the Clubman was able to pull alongside the Peugeot but it was unable to make the moves stick. As the laps wound down the pair caught and passed an ailing Escort Cosworth before they themselves came under pressure from a Subaru Impreza that was recovering from a troubled qualifying session. The four wheel drive turbo charged machine passed both the Clubman and Peugeot leaving the battling pair to continue their fight to the flag. The race ended with the Peugeot flashing across the line marginally ahead of the Clubman, the two cars drawing praise from the commentary team for their close and cleanly fought battle, both cars taking their respective class wins.

Race 2

Starting positions for the second race were determined by the finishing positions from the first race so the Clubman would once again be at the sharp end of the grid and immediately embroiled in action with the Peugeot. As the race got underway the field headed into Paddock Hill bend where chaos ensued – a Skyline at the front of the pack ran wide and into the gravel causing mayhem behind. The Clubman capitalised by passing a Cosworth powered Escort that had been baulked by the wayward Skyline.

The Clubman soon gained another position as the Peugeot was forced to pit due to a flapping bonnet – the opening phase of the race had seen the Clubman climb to an exceptional 6th position overall! With many cars out of position owing to the first lap incidents there was action throughout the field as the quicker cars began their recovery drives. The Clubman was caught and passed by a supercharged Peugeot 306 and an Escort WRC before becoming embroiled in a battle with a SEAT Leon. The two cars each sought the advantage with the Clubman taking defensive lines through the corners to repel the SEATs advances although eventually the Clubman succumbed. The closely contested duel had allowed the Cosworth Escort to close on the pair and it swept past them both in quick succession completing its recovery.

As the race neared its conclusion the Clubman was once again battling with the SEAT and the two cars were soon ducking past back markers as they went a lap up on the tail enders. The Clubman made better progress through the traffic and used this advantage to put a move on the SEAT to regain its position. The chequered flag fell with the Clubman 9th overall and first in class.

The Clubman started the season in superb style taking a pair of class wins and top ten finishes in a very competitive field, the teams hard work over the winter ensured that that car ran reliably throughout. The team will now prepare the car for the next rounds of the DMN championship that will again take place at Brands Hatch.