Formula Renault
BFREN: Silverstone open test report 2002-04-09
McLoughlin sets record lap in Silverstone test. Mark McLoughlin (Milton Keynes) set the fastest ever Formula Renault lap around Silverstone's International circuit to head official UK Championship testing yesterday. McLoughlin, driving for the ...
Edited: Feb 14, 2004, 8:01 PM
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McLoughlin sets record lap in Silverstone test.
Mark McLoughlin (Milton Keynes) set the fastest ever Formula Renault lap around Silverstone's International circuit to head official UK Championship testing yesterday.
McLoughlin, driving for the Paston Racing team, completed the 2.5-mile circuit in 1m19.260s - an average of 102.15mph.
And claimed the 21-year-old: "I believe I could have gone quicker but on what I thought was going to be an even better lap the marshals showed the red flags because of an incident elsewhere on the track and the session was stopped. A shame but I'm delighted with the Paston car. I'm with an excellent team."
McLoughlin was almost 3/10ths of a second ahead of second fastest driver on the day, Motaworld Racing's winter champion Robert Bell (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), and the rest of the 34 drivers taking part in the test.
Completing the top six were four drivers each now emerging as future stars of the formula: Fortec Motorsport's Jamie Green (Broughton Astley), Falcon Motorsport's Swede Robin Rudholm (Milton Keynes), Saxon International's Alex Buncombe (Burnham-on-Sea) and Motaworld's Gary Turkington (Portadown).
It was perhaps Buncombe who put in the day's star performance. The 20-year-old and the Saxon team have been gradually creeping up the order in official testing and in Brands Hatch's opening round came close to a top six result. They also headed the second of Silverstone's three sessions - the first time the Saxon name has stood at the top of the Formula Renault times.
Seventh fastest was opening round winner, Fortec's Danny Watts (Northampton) who claimed a minor handling problem hampered his progress. But as he pointed out: "The times were so close, if I'd found just half of 1/10th of a second I'd have been fourth. My main problem was just a bit too much understeer - we'll have that sorted out for the race."
Silverstone will stage round four of the championship on Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd June. Before that, teams and drivers have rounds two and three, at Oulton Park, Cheshire, on Sunday, 21st April, and Thruxton, Hants, on Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May respectively.
For all the latest Formula Renault news visit the official Renault UK motorsport website www.renaultsport.co.uk
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