Good results but also a penalty for Wrathall at Brands

Winner of the last race of 2012 at Brands Hatch, Frank Wrathall had a very mixed weekend today at the opening round, with two sterling drives through the field in races one adn three, but also a penalty for contact with Rob Austin in the second race.

The 26-year-old’s weekend started badly after losing his times in qualifying when the Toyota Avensis failed the ride-height test. With the snow falling late in the session it was impossible for the Dynojet Toyota driver to improve and so he was forced to start from 27th and last for race one, but worked his way through the field on the hard tyre in race one to finish sixth.

In race two, starting at the front, the race went the other way; first making contact with Colin Turkington’s West Surrey Racing BMW on the second lap, and then spinning Rob Austin’s Audi out at Druids on lap nine. Wrathall was holding on for a strong finish before he was knocked into the gravel himself at Druids by Matt Neal’s Honda on the penultimate lap.

“It was a pretty positive weekend, the car’s good, I just had a really strange race in race two,” said Wrathall to TouringCarTimes. “I was lining up moves to make my way towards the front and I just got caught up in a couple of incidents.”

The incident with Rob Austin saw the Audi sustain damage and return to the pits, whilst Wrathall was able to continue with the two making contact on the exit of Druids.

“It’s a funny one really as when you watch it on the TV it does me no favours and it looks like I’ve just taken him out, but when you look at it from my on-board camera and front my point of view, he actually tightened up the last part of the corner way more than a lot of people would expect, and I didn’t expect it and by the time he came across my front end obviously I wasn’t in a position to back out.

“There’s nothing for me to gain there, I wasn’t going to be able to pass him on the outside of the exit of a corner, I just thought he’d run wide…I’m wise enough to know that the way to overtake people isn’t to hit them on the exit of the corner.”

Austin’s perspective on the accident differed slightly, with the Audi driver believing Wrathall had more responsibility in the crash, though later accepted Wrathall’s apology:
“It’s not like I didn’t give him room. I’ve known him a long time, he’s a mate. That makes it even more disappointing,” said an upset Austin.

“I just felt one big hit, and once I turned I got hit again. It spoilt the race for me and for Wix, who have put so much support behind me.”

The stewards found Wrathall at fault and gave the Dynojet driver a three point endorsement on his racing licence for the incident as well as a £1,000 fine.

At the end of the second race after a late safety car intervention, Wrathall was knocked out by Matt Neal and ended up in the gravel trap and was forced to work his way through the field again in race three.

“I don’t really know what happened with Matt (Neal),” said Wrathall. “It’s frustrating that you’ve done that whole race and I’ve been through so much in that race and I should have come away with a fifth place, and if I’d finished there I think I would have had a top five in the last race, but touring cars is all about what you would’ve and should’ve done.

“I just absolutely went for it in the first race and went from 27th to sixth making up as many places and being aggressive as I could, and I did the same in race two because I wanted to get on the podium. Pans out I should have just settled for a top ten but I don’t want to just make the numbers up I want to get on the podium.”