UK: Total Control Racing Snetterton summary

PERFECT WEEKEND FOR TCR WITH FIVE WINS FROM FIVE

West Midlands-based Total Control Racing made this weekend's race meeting at Snetterton its own after another incredible outing today, Sunday 2nd August, with further wins in the ELF Renault Clio Cup and Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup.

After winning rounds 15 and 16 of the Ginetta G50 season yesterday, King's Lynn driver Carl Breeze made it a perfect hat-trick this afternoon with a very well deserved success in round 17 to eat into the championship lead of chief rival Nathan Freke.

In the Clio Cup, meanwhile, car racing rookie Sam Tordoff took a memorable debut victory under huge pressure from series leader Philip Glew, category front-runner Andrew Herron and team-mate Alex MacDowall to cap off an unbelievable weekend for the Leeds-based youngster.

For round 17 of the Ginetta G50 Cup Breeze started from pole position, his third of the weekend, with TCR team-mates Fulvio Mussi and Joachim Ritter eighth and 10th on the grid respectively. At the start, Breeze immediately moved into the lead but he had to fight hard throughout with Frank Wrathall applying serious pressure for the duration of the 18-lap encounter.

Mussi produced perhaps his best drive of the 2009 campaign with an excellent climb through the order into fourth place, just a couple of seconds shy of a maiden podium, while Danish racer Ritter battled through a weekend of sickness to post a fine 11th place finish.

Round 14 of the Renault Clio Cup provided one of the best rookie performances of the season with Tordoff converting his first ever pole position into a lights-to-flag victory. Holding off the vastly experienced Glew for the full 16 lap duration, Tordoff looked completely in control and the win has enabled him to climb into the championship top eight.

MacDowall, who won Saturday's 13th round, consolidated the runner-up spot in the championship with a fighting fourth place while Mike Robinson ran in a fairly lonely fifth position all the way through. Daniel Lloyd came back from a disappointing qualifying day on Saturday to take a hard fought 11th place finish and remain inside the series top 10.

Speaking on his first win, Tordoff said: "It's absolutely fantastic to be on the top step of the podium, it's a great feeling. We've been fast in practice all year but never quite got it together in qualifying when it mattered. This weekend we were second on the grid yesterday and on pole today, it just makes things so much easier when you start at the front. To be on the podium on Saturday was a huge relief and I think that gave me the confidence to lead from the front today."

Reflecting on the entire team performance in both G50 Cup and Clio Cup this weekend, TCR team principal Lee Brookes commented: "Sam's win in Clios was absolutely superb and added to Alex's victory on Saturday and Carl's three wins in the G50 Cup, it couldn't have been much better for the team. Five wins from five races across two championships is outstanding, we're delighted.

"In Clios, I'm confident we have a team now where any one of the four drivers can win. Alex, and now Sam, have both won races and Daniel and Mike have shown they each have the pace to do the same. We're still not sure what the problem was for Daniel in qualifying but we'll sort that out."

Brookes added: "In Ginetta, Carl had a terrific weekend and he pulled a massive gap back to the championship leader. We can definitely still win the title. Fulvio drove a blinder today as well, he's proven this weekend he can run with the podium drivers. Unfortunately Joachim wasn't feeling too well all weekend but he still did a good job. Now we're looking forward to Knockhill in two weeks."

TCR's next track action will come with rounds 18, 19 and 20 of the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup which will take place at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland a fortnight from now, 15th/16th August. Two weeks on from the Knockhill event, the ELF Renault Clio Cup will reconvene with the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship package at Silverstone National Circuit over the weekend 29th/30th August.

Provisional 2009 ELF Renault Clio Cup Standings (after Rd14): Drivers: 2nd Alex MacDowall, 326pts; 5th Mike Robinson, 215pts; 8th Sam Tordoff, 186pts; 10th Daniel Lloyd, 155pts Team: 2nd Total Control Racing, 624pts

Provisional 2009 Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup Standings (after Rd17 -- Rd11 yet to be rescheduled): Drivers: 2nd Carl Breeze, 446pts; 5th Fulvio Mussi, 251pts; 10th Joachim Ritter, 170pts Teams: 1st Total Control Racing

-credit: totalcontrolracing.com