Nationwide Accident Repair Services-backed driver Dino Zamparelli experienced a torrid weekend at Oulton Park in Cheshire, but managed to salvage some points as the championship heads into its mid-season break.
The Bristolian qualified well to secure a front row start for race one with a car that was very much to his liking. Alas, the enthusiasm would last less than a lap when leader Tom Wrigley dislodged a plastic marker which then speared through the radiator of Dino’s car. He put in a heroic effort to maintain second place, despite coolant leaking on to his tyres but was forced to retire with five laps to go.
As a result of the retirement, Dino was relegated to the back of the grid for Sunday’s race two. Notwithstanding being hit into the opening corner by a slower car, causing a trip across the grass, Dino was able to race through the pack to finish tenth and claim two championship points.
“It was a good start to the weekend,” said Dino. “We were second overall in qualifying and looking forward to a good weekend. We had a bollard kick up and pierce the radiator and then we had to retire from race one, which meant we had to start race two from the back of the grid. I got taken out at the start but clawed my way back up to tenth and two championship points.
“I think we were really unlucky and it feels a bit harsh when we did all the hard work getting up to second to have bollard force us into retirement. That’s life, that’s racing. Let’s hope that isn’t the story of the rest of the year and we start fresh at Snetterton. All the hard work we did at the beginning of the year to build a gap has been taken away in one weekend. That’s the way it goes but I’m with the best team on the grid and we’ll fight back.”
At the halfway point in the championship Dino is second in the standings, just six points off the lead but with dropped scores taken into account the gap is reduced to one point. It will be all to play for when the second half of the season kicks off on the July 28/29 at Snetterton for rounds seven and eight.
