After missing the first round of the FRL 2.4 Hr Euro Championship, Positive Perception with Dunn Motorsport took part in round two from Imola on Sunday 9th October, with Ash Coupland driving solo for this event.
Qualifying started cool and cloudy in slightly damp conditions. Once underway the track began to dry straight away which Ash quickly got on terms with and qualified a creditable 14th.
The race started in cool, cloudy but dry conditions. A very busy first few laps more akin to a sprint race than an endurance event saw Ash fight his way up to 9th place. Sadly, on lap 14 all this good work was undone when he was tipped off the circuit whilst making a clean overtake. Having avoided sustaining any damage Ash fought back up to 9th place again by the time the first round of pit stops started. Pitting a little later than others around him gave Ash a few laps running in clear air and he got his head down and ‘overcut’ the car in front of him to exit the pits in 8th after his 1st stop of the event.
An untroubled run after the first pitstop saw Ash reel in 7th place Dos Santos who then had a ‘Leclerc’ moment and spun under pressure at the Variante Alta chicane, giving Ash the position.
And then it rained.
Ash kept his cool however and drove brilliantly on slick tyres for a number of laps before making his 2nd and final planned pitstop of the race with 43 minutes left to run, taking wet tyres to see him through to the end. Exiting the pits now in 6th position Ash drove superbly in the wet and soon found himself in 4th place as others in front of him pitted for their second stops. As the rain continued and darkness fell Ash slipped down to 5th with 20 minutes to go. However, on a track now beginning to dry and still running wet tyres he retook 4th place with 9 minutes left and despite intense pressure from behind held on to the end – a fantastic 4th place!
Positive Perception with Dunn Motorsport now sit 12th out of 38 in the championship standings and will be back in full force with David Wressell joining Ash for the next round at Spa on 23rd October.