Caerphilly race car driver makes UK return at famous Brands Hatch circuit

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Caerphilly race car driver Graham Cole was back racing on UK soil last weekend when he competed at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.

It was the first time Cole had raced competitively in the UK in five years.

However, despite a promising showing in his first race, Cole was denied the chance to challenge the leaders in the second race after he was shunted from behind by a chasing competitor.

It forced him to retire from the race due to the damage it caused his Bicknell PS7 (BPS7) prototype car, which is produced by Caerphilly-based Richwest Engineering.

In recent years, Cole and his GCCRacing team have raced in the TTE/Free Proto season in France, which includes the famous Le Mans circuit.

“We raced in France mainly because of costs,” explained Cole. “The French series is considerably less expensive to compete in compared with UK races.

“However, the prospect of competing against the fastest prototype sports cars in the UK was too good a temptation to miss, hence the team tested at Silverstone a few weeks ago in readiness for the races at Brands Hatch.”

The tests at Silverstone, which is home to the British Grand Prix in Formula 1, proved a success, with the porpoising issues that had plagued Cole and his team finally being fixed thanks to some novel solutions created by Richard West, of Richwest Engingeering.

Unlike the French series, which is spread over three days, the Zeo series comprises of qualifying and two races all condensed into one day.

Cole claimed second place in his class in the first race, despite issues with his gearbox and an overheating engine.

However, a collision with Zeo series regular Max Windhauser damaged the intercooler on Cole’s car, as well as the bodywork and floor on the driver’s side – sending the car into a spin and onto the gravel trap.

An apologetic Windhauser was handed a three-place grid penalty as a result and three penalty points on his race licence.

Speaking after the incident, Cole said the team would now have a “real challenge to get the car ready for the next race”.

But he added: “Max turned out to be a really nice chap and oddly enough I think we’ve made a new racing friend – a strange way to make new friends, but there you go.”

Cole expressed a “huge gratitude” to his wife Sue Cole and battery boy Graeme Clarke, who filled in for the team’s usual service crew, many of which were unavailable on the day due to holidays and other commitments.