McKenzie wins reverse-grid race

The Fortec racer resisted a first lap challenge from fellow front row starter Will Buller (Hitech) before taking command of the race and edging clear to win comfortably.

Buller made a good start and attempted to pass McKenzie around the outside as they descended Paddock Hill and climbed towards Druids for the first time.

Buller edged slightly ahead of his rival but spun as he tried to complete his bid for the lead. The pair came together at the apex and Buller tumbled to the back while McKenzie escaped with the lead.

The 2009 National Class champion controlled the race from the front thereafter. He led Raikkonen Robertson Racing's Carlos Huertas by 1.4 seconds at the end of the opening lap and gradually extended that gap to 3.4s by the close of a processional 15-lap race.

A strong start lifted Carlin trio Adriano Buzaid, Jean-Eric Vergne and James Calado ahead of team-mate Rupert Svendsen-Cook. Vergne moved up from eighth to fifth and then took fourth with a bold pass around the outside of Calado at Graham Hill Bend, as the drama concentrated itself into the first lap.

Yesterday's winner Oli Webb completed a relatively quiet run to seventh in his Fortec Dallara-Mercedes. Finishing two places behind Calado means he can no longer overhaul his fellow Briton for second in the championship.

Raikkonen Robertson pairing Daisuke Nakajima and Felipe Nasr came home eighth and ninth. The Japanese driver defended robustly from his Brazilian team-mate coming out of Graham Hill Bend on the first lap.

After surviving a grassy moment, Nasr went on to claim two bonus points by setting the fastest lap of the race.

T-Sport's Alex Brundle made a good start and drove a strong race to round out the top 10. He closed on Nasr in the late stages of the race with Litespeed's Jay Bridger hanging on in 11th.

Menasheh Idafar (T-Sport) put himself in prime position to claim this season's National Class crown with another class win. The British-born Bahraini finished 15th overall.

Pos Driver                  Team         Car         Time/Gap
 1. Daniel McKenzie         Fortec       D/M       19m43.432s
 2. Carlos Huertas          Raikkonen    D/M           +3.461
 3. Adriano Buzaid          Carlin       D/V           +5.135
 4. Jean-Eric Vergne        Carlin       D/V           +5.723
 5. James Calado            Carlin       D/V           +6.523
 6. Rupert Svendsen-Cook    Carlin       D/V           +8.062
 7. Oliver Webb             Fortec       D/M          +10.025
 8. Daisuke Nakajima        Raikkonen    D/M          +13.469
 9. Luiz Felipe Nasr        Raikkonen    D/M          +15.132
10. Alex Brundle            T-Sport      D/V          +15.574
11. Jay Bridger             Litespeed    D/M          +16.651
12. Jazeman Jaafar          Carlin       D/V          +24.881
13. Lucas Foresti           Carlin       D/V          +25.086
14. Gabriel Dias            Hitech       D/V          +27.713
15. Menasheh Idafar         T-Sport      D/H          +30.174
16. Hywel Lloyd             CF/Manor     D/M          +30.989
17. William Buller          Hitech       D/V          +31.703
18. Pietro Fantin           Hitech       D/V          +35.412
19. James Cole              T-Sport      D/H          +41.218
20. Maxim Snegirev          Fortec       D/M          +41.810


Retirements:

    Adderly Fong            Sino Vision  D/M          12 laps