Three times world and current British F1 sidecar champions Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance contested the F2 British championship round at Donington Park on Sunday but instead of the win they were aiming for, their race came to an abrupt end when they crashed on gravel scattered on the track by another competitor.
 
Saturday had gone well for the Kent world champion who won the two New Era Club races with ease, using the track time as practice in preparation for Sunday’s British championship round at the Leicestershire circuit.
 
Qualifying saw the pair set pole for the new style race, which was to run for 25 minutes and then one final lap to decide the outcome.
 
But six laps into Sunday’s championship race Reeves dived ahead of Simon Neary on the run towards Coppice and both outfits ran into some gravel left on the track by a previous competitor who had spun off at the corner.
 
Both Reeves and Neary went straight on and into the gravel trap causing the pace car to be deployed while they were recovered from the side of the track.  Both sets of drivers and passengers escaped unscathed although neither crew were able to restart.
 
“It was just one of those things,” said Reeves. “We just happened on the gravel and slid off the track together, no one’s fault really. That’s the last F2 race I will do this year as the bike has now been sold. But I will be out on the F1 machine at the weekend as we travel to Croatia for the penultimate round of the World championship.”
 
The penultimate round of the British F1 championship also takes place this weekend at Oulton Park but with the date clash Reeves and Farrance will have to miss out on picking up a possible 50 points in that series and in all probability will lose the series lead.
 
The time schedule for the Rijeka World Championship races is:
 
Friday 15.08.
13.45h-14.15h: Free practice
17.10h-17.40h: 1st qualifying practice

Saturday 16.08.

10.20-10.40: 2nd qualifying practice
12.00–13.00: 1st+2nd+3rd+4th Quarter Final - (each 3 laps)
14.15-14.30: 1st Semi Final (3 laps)
14.30-14.45: 2nd Semi Final (3 laps)
16.30-17.00: Race 1 - Finale Match Race (5 laps)

Sunday 17.08.

09.10-09.25: Warm up
13.00-14.00: Race 2 - Gold race (20 laps)