News > Cadwell Park - 4th/5th June 2005

Driving his self-prepared Vauxhall Astra Si Craig increased his lead in the Yokohama Tyres Hot Hatch Championship with yet another race win - his third of the season. Craig started the weekend with a 35 point championship lead, and ended it with a 44 point lead.
 
Saturday at Cadwell Park saw Craig qualify third, having not had any testing time due his trip to America. Immediately he ran second to Mark Cunningham’s 1600cc Fiesta, but just as he was about to take the lead, a major accident stopped the race and he finished a very close second on the count-back due to the race stoppage. Craig had set a new lap record some 2.6 seconds faster than last year’s mark. He actually beat it again on the lap that wasn’t counted due to the accident.
 
Sunday’s race was different. Again Craig started third, but the race was started under yellow flags due to very heavy rain. Three laps in and Craig had lost visibility due to his windscreen misting up, but he managed to pass Cunningham at the end of the park straight. Both cars showed signs of close racing, but after eight fraught laps Craig won by two and a half seconds. ‘I drove my heart out; we had a coming-together at the hairpin , and again at the bottom of the hill, I was lucky as Mark could have spun me at the hairpin. It was very close, but I just kept trying to see where I was going and was very happy to again see the chequered flag, even if it was through a very misted up screen! I was opening the door on the straights to try to clear the screen. Today has been one of the most satisfying days racing I've had.’