14.08.06 UNLUCKY TURVEY MISSES OUT ON SNETTERTON WINS After taking commanding pole positions for both Formula BMW UK Championship rounds at Snetterton, Oliver Turvey and Team Loctite looked well placed for a double victory, but in the event a number of misfortunes made their race day an unhappy one. The Turvey/Team Loctite combination has been hard to beat ever since belatedly joining the series at Brands Hatch in May and their domination reached new heights in Snetterton qualifying, where Oliver took pole position for both races with minimal drama. Turvey duly led away at the start of race one, but his weekend began to go downhill on the opening lap. The preceding British Touring Car Championship race had been a bruising and messy one, leaving the track dirty in places, particularly the Russell chicane. This caught both Turvey and second-placed Euan Hankey unawares, and they slithered off the road. Turvey rejoined quickly, but had no chance to clean the dirt off his tyres and had another trip over the grass when forced wide by another car at the first corner. That left the Team Loctite car in the midfield, from where Turvey mounted a scintillating fight-back. He recovered to 12th by the end of the lap, and would eventually make it through to seventh place - but everyone in the team knew that it could have been rather better. Unfortunately Turvey's trip over the kerbs in race one would spoil his second race as well. Once again he led from the lights, but felt the car's handling fade dramatically after a few laps. He gamely held on in the lead as long as possible before being overhauled and settling for second. "It turned out that the engine frame had been broken by the trip over the kerb in race one," explained Team Loctite team principal Trevor Powell. "We couldn't see this without taking the floor off and the engine out, and there had been no need to do that at the time. "Second place was therefore bitterly disappointing, as we had a lot in reserve this weekend and only did what was necessary to take the poles in qualifying. "Oliver was driving well within himself and we thought we were on course for a double win, but events conspired against us. "All we can do is draw a line under these races and move onto the next rounds at Knockhill, and hope we can make up for it there." << back to news