Donington Park Race Report:
A Weekend of Challenges and Triumphs for Jake Hewlett

Donington Park National hosted Rounds 11 & 12 of the series, where Jake Hewlett took on his third and fourth rounds with determination and skill. The weekend kicked off with an eventful free practice session, highlighted by a dramatic save after coolant was dropped on the circuit, causing a red flag. Despite the interruption, Jake used the remaining track time to test some setup theories, demonstrating promising pace relative to his class competitors.

Heading into qualifying, Jake and his team made significant changes to the car, aiming to enhance performance and address ongoing challenges with mid to exit understeer. Although he was slightly off his ideal lap time, Jake secured P2 in class, just 0.17 seconds off the top spot.

Race 1: Seizing Opportunities

Race 1 saw Jake making further adjustments to the car, focusing on loosening it up and improving front-end grip. After a lengthy assembly, he gridded up and made a strong start, matching the pace of the class leader as they headed into Redgate. When the leader ran wide, Jake seized the opportunity to take the lead. With the competition running a different tire compound, it was crucial for him to push early.

As the race progressed, it became clear that the Class A cars had more straight-line speed, but Hewlett excelled in the corners, leading to an intense back-and-forth battle. Despite losing some time over the next few laps, the fierce competition behind allowed him to maintain a significant gap. A safety car on lap 7 briefly bunched up the field, but a strong restart saw Jake pull away, ultimately securing P1 in Race 1.

Race 2: Defensive Masterclass

For Race 2, Jake and his team implemented even more changes, treating the race as a test session to further refine their setup and address understeer issues. Starting in P2, based on the previous race’s fastest lap, Jake knew that an early move was crucial. A rocket start put him ahead, but he soon found himself stuck behind Class A cars again, struggling to build a gap.

As the race continued, the car in P2 began closing in, leading to a tense battle as Jake defended his position. A mistake from an A-class car allowed him to secure another position, turning the race into a double defence. Later in the race, another A-class car made its way through, creating a close battle between Jake and his nearest rival. Despite the pressure, Hewlett held on to take another win, marking his third victory in a row.

Looking Ahead

This challenging but successful weekend leaves Jake Hewlett with three wins from four rounds. He now turns his focus to resolving the remaining setup issues to unlock the car’s full potential.

Jake extends a massive thank you to the incredible team at Europa Crash Centre for their unwavering trust and support. Special thanks to Alex and Harry from Ben Sharpe Racing for their hard work on the spanners and invaluable data and setup insights. Jake also expresses his gratitude to all his personal friends, paddock supporters, media, staff, and the orange army for their continued support.

Exciting times lie ahead as Hewlett continues to refine and push his car to new heights!

NEXT ROUND WILL BE AT BRANDS HATCH - 8TH SEPTEMBER!