2024 Hagerty Radical Cup UK R6 : Brands Hatch
PRO SR3 and Overall Champion Chris Lulham continued his stellar form during the season finale at Brands Hatch Indy, securing the 2024 Hagerty Radical Cup UK title with another clean sweep, marking his fourth victory in a commanding season. The battle for the PRO SR1 title between Marcus Littlewood and Sam Shaw went down to the wire, and it was Marcus that came out on top to be crowned PRO SR1 Champion.
PRO SR3
Despite the competitive nature of qualifying, where the top four were separated by just 0.500 seconds, Lulham, racing for Valour Racing, narrowly claimed pole position by edging DW Racing’s Oscar Jouce by a mere 0.257 seconds.
“We made some tweaks to the car’s balance from practice to qualifying. It was all about fine-tuning, but my goal is to finish the season as a winner, even though the reverse grid race might pose a challenge,” Lulham said post-qualifying. Joyce echoed the competitive spirit, stating, “The car felt clean and quick, but I’m eager to see if I can overtake in the race.”
James Pinkerton’s development car followed closely in third, just ahead of rally star Max McRae, making his UK racing debut with Wera Academy. “It’s been a challenge adapting to the car, but I feel better than expected. I’m still getting used to the track,” McRae commented.
Peter Tyler of DW Racing posted an impressive time, just 0.002 seconds behind McRae, making him the fastest among the Fangio Trophy title contenders. “I outpaced my rivals and had a strong run, but Brands Hatch is tough for overtaking, so the start will be crucial,” Tyler remarked. Valour’s Jack Yang slotted between Tyler and Fangio rival John Macleod in the RSR car, rounding out the close battle.
Race 1:
Lulham had a strong start, pulling away cleanly from Joyce and McRae as they charged through Paddock Hill Bend, followed by Tyler, Yang, Denning, Macleod, and Pinkerton. Tyler and Denning ran wide through the gravel on lap two, promoting Yang to fourth place.
As Lulham stretched his lead, Joyce began to feel the pressure from McRae but managed to maintain his position. Lulham extended his advantage to over 13 seconds at the finish. “I just focused on my race and kept pushing,” Lulham said. Joyce held on to second, despite mid-race struggles with his setup. “I had to push hard, but Max kept me honest,” Joyce explained.
McRae, in third, reflected on the race, “It was a good battle, but Lulham got away. Still, rallying is more tiring!”
Yang finished a solitary fourth, while Tyler held off Macleod for fifth after a brief off-track moment, securing the Fangio Trophy Class win. Denning came home in seventh, quipping, “It seems all the Fangio drivers had a date with the Paddock gravel today.”
Race 2:
Once again, Lulham, Joyce, and McRae broke away from the field at the start, with Macleod chasing in fourth. Despite McRae’s efforts to close the gap, Lulham managed his tyres perfectly, winning by a comfortable 11.8-second margin. “It was a bit closer at the start, but I controlled the race well,” Lulham said.
Joyce finished second once more, managing to keep McRae at bay despite some balance issues. “I made a small mistake but held on for second,” Joyce commented. McRae acknowledged his own struggles, saying, “I got too close to Joyce, and my tyres started to fade.”
Macleod secured fourth and the Fangio Trophy win, praising his RSR team for providing him with a strong car. Denning withstood pressure from Yang to finish fifth, with Tyler and Pinkerton rounding out the finishers.
Race 3:
The final race of the weekend was red-flagged early after a heavy crash involving Tyler and Pinkerton, reducing the race length to 15 minutes. On the restart, McRae took the lead, but Lulham quickly passed him to secure his third win of the weekend, marking an incredible 16 wins from 18 races this season.
“I feel a bit sad the season is over, but it’s been an amazing year with a great car and team,” Lulham reflected. McRae finished second, pleased with his weekend debut, while Yang celebrated his podium finish in third.
Joyce, despite car alignment issues from early contact, held on for fourth. Macleod’s fifth-place finish secured him the Fangio Trophy title, while Denning completed the top six. “It’s been a thrilling season, and this weekend was a fitting end,” Macleod concluded.
PRO SR1
Littlewood snatched pole position by 0.361 seconds over Shaw, with Ashley Gaunt close behind in third. “Pole was key, and now I need to make a strong start,” Littlewood said.
Race 1:
Controversy erupted right from the start of Race One, when Shaw appeared to take the lead by running off-track through Paddock. As the race reached Graham Hill Bend, Shaw, Littlewood, and Gaunt were in tight formation.
“I got a good start, held the inside line, but Sam went outside the track limits to pass me,” said Littlewood, expressing his frustration. Despite Littlewood’s efforts to close the gap, Shaw maintained his lead, crossing the finish line 0.672 seconds ahead. “I closed in but had bad understeer, so I couldn’t really challenge him,” Littlewood admitted
Shaw acknowledged the pressure but kept his cool. “He was faster on the straights and kept me under pressure the whole race, but I had to push harder with him in my mirrors. There was no time to relax.” Ashley Gaunt held onto third place for the entire race. “I had a strong start and stayed with them for a while but then focused on maintaining my position and managing the tires,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bradley Gaunt was catching up to Ollie Denning, closing in on fourth-place Hammond. Denning’s race, however, ended early after two incidents, one at the first corner and another at Druids, where he was hit by Bradley Gaunt. “I was quicker than both of them but misjudged my move into Druids, which damaged my car,” Bradley explained.
Hammond managed to avoid trouble and held on to fourth, saying, “Denning had just passed me before his collision. It was a tough battle, but I managed to stay out of trouble.”
Race 2:
Littlewood dominated Race Two, pulling away from the pack right from the start, with Shaw unable to make any significant gains. “I made sure to cover all angles this time, got ahead early, and didn’t look back,” Littlewood said, after winning by a commanding 4.825 seconds over Shaw.
Denning secured third after clearing Ashley Gaunt early on. “I didn’t have a specific strategy—I just went for it. My goal was to stay near the lead group and aim for a podium finish,” Denning shared.
Ashley Gaunt’s race, however, took a turn for the worse. “I stalled at the start but managed to get going. I gave Sam a slight nudge at Druids on the first lap, but Denning overtook me, and I couldn’t keep up. I spun out at Graham Hill Bend as my rear tires wore down,” he explained. This allowed his brother, Bradley, to take fourth from Hammond, with Ashley rejoining a lap down.
Race 3:
The final race of the series saw Littlewood in a narrow points lead. Shaw was relentless, pushing hard and racing side by side through Surtees. As they approached Clearways, Littlewood was forced wide into the gravel but managed to keep control and continue the chase.
It was a fierce duel to the finish, with Shaw crossing the line first, but a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits handed the victory—and the championship—to Littlewood. Shaw’s one-second penalty relegated him to second place, confirming Littlewood as the season’s champion.
Reflecting on the season, Shaw said, “It’s been a successful year with 10 wins, but I couldn’t replicate my early season form. Marcus and his dad found the perfect setup for the car, and I couldn’t match their pace. I have no regrets about that final move. If I didn’t try it, Marcus would have gotten away anyway.”
Littlewood was relieved to secure the championship. “I knew something would happen in that last race—Sam was as desperate as I was to win it.” In third place, Ashley Gaunt held off Denning until late in the race, when Denning overtook him on lap 21 after Gaunt ran off at Paddock. “I was pushing hard to keep up the pressure, and I managed to get by just before Ashley went off,” Denning recounted.
Bradley Gaunt and Hammond rounded out the finishers, with Hammond nursing his car to the finish. “I had to slow down because the chassis cracked, and the rear wheels were locking up,” he said.
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