Warner Wins Winter Warmer

The Juniors final Winter Series round would see a titanic battle between three drivers for the title. Aiden Durrant and Jak Warner were tied on points going into the final with Matt Baisley just a further 9 points adrift in third. Fourteen drivers took to the grid and for the opening heat it was Durrant on pole position. He would lead the race from start to finish ahead of a storming drive from Warner who started tenth with Sam Cordner an excellent third.

Heat 2 and this time Warner had an easier run start from pole and leading all ten laps. The drive through the field this time came from Baisley who came home second having started eleventh. Third across the line this time was rookie sensation Charles McGregor.

Heat 3 saw Baisley continue the run of lights to flag victories leading all the way from pole position. Andrew Curtis followed him home in second with Warner an important third giving him pole position for the final.  At this stage in the proceedings it now looked like a two horse race with Durrant now seemingly out of the picture.

The final got underway with a tense atmosphere having fallen over the spectators as they watched the series placings being battled out over fifteen laps. At the start it was Durrant who leapt into the lead, determined to win and hope that circumstances behind would win him the title. At the early stage of the race it looked as though it might with both Baisley and Warner struggling in traffic. However they were soon right on Durrants tail and just after half distance they pounced and demoted young Aiden to third. It was now a battle of wits between the two elder statesmen in the series with neither of them having won a title before. The swapped places on many occasions but at the flag it was Baisley who just clung on for victory, but was it enough for the title?

It wasn’t, Warner had won his first Junior title by just one point, the closest finish to a Junior series in the circuits history. Durrant, who was joint leader coming into the final round looked disappointed with third but surely his time will come as one of the youngest in the field.

The opening round of the 2011 Summer Series takes place on April 28^th with reigning Cadet champion Craig Cummings looking to make the step up. With experienced drivers and rising talent all mixed together the ’11 season looks like being a classic!

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