UK 2000: Sean McIntosh Croft race notes

McIntosh recovers to take top six at Croft

Croft, England (July 17, 2005) -- Canada's Sean McIntosh had a weekend to forget as the 2005 Formula Renault UK Championship reached the halfway stage of the season with Rounds 9 and 10 at the North Yorkshire circuit of Croft. Round 9 earlier today saw the Vancouver-native record his first DNF of the year but he proved his resolve to come back in Round 10 later this afternoon to claim a sixth place finish and some valuable championship points.

McIntosh's frustrating weekend began yesterday as his season-long run of top-five qualifying positions came to an end. Posting the 9th and 7th fastest times respectively in qualifying, Sean, together with his Team Firstair crew, continued to strive for a more effective set-up having seen their efforts reap little reward ahead of today's double-header on the 2.127-mile Croft circuit.

Unfortunately for the reigning 'Graduate Cup' Champion, Sunday's opening race saw a continued lack of pace in the #24 Team Firstair challenger and just three laps into the 14-lap sprint Sean clipped the kerb at the second chicane and promptly spun off into the field and into his first retirement of the season.

Round 10 provided the 20-year-old an opportunity to bounce back from the disappointment of his earlier result and Sean was grateful to find himself behind the wheel of a more competitive entry. From his seventh place starting slot he was able to bump himself one place up the order to join the train of cars fighting for the lead.

With the front-running pack racing nose-to-tail throughout the duration of the 14-lap race, McIntosh kept Oliver Jarvis honest while watching out for any potential challenge from Yelmer Buurman behind him in seventh. The status quo held lap after lap and Sean eventually took the checkered flag in sixth. Sweden's Alex Storckenfeldt capitalized on his double pole winning effort yesterday to become a double race winner today with Team AKA.

Sean, winner of the second round of the year at Donington Park, reflected on a troublesome trip to the North Yorkshire Croft circuit:

"This definitely wasn't the weekend I was expecting! It's one of these things where it could have been better but it could also have been worse. We get to drop three results at the end of the season to determine the final points table so I think it's safe to say that Round 9 will count as one of my dropped scores. The car was definitely better in the second race, it felt a lot more competitive but I was stuck in the line-up and it's almost impossible to pass in these cars in those situations.

"Ultimately we didn't have the pace in qualifying and as a result we ended up chasing ourselves trying to find a workable set-up. We couldn't get it and it hurt us pretty badly. The best thing we can do is put this weekend behind us, be thankful the second race redeemed the situation a little, and move on and hope for a return to form at Snetterton next month."

Sean heads to Snetterton for an official test session on Tuesday 26th July prior to Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2005 Formula Renault UK Championship at the Norfolk circuit, 6th-7th August. The Canadian racer will be out to get his title-charge back on track following this weekend's rollercoaster ride at Croft.

-www.seanmcintosh.com