Qualifying for the first race at the Snetterton 200 Circuit went with usual form, with the two Apex Racing drivers of Ellis and Peter Berryman and the two Red Bull drivers of Sebastian Job and Graham Carroll forming the front two rows.
This time it was Berryman leading the way, beating Brands Hatch polesitter Carroll to the line by 0.03s, ahead of Job and Ellis The front four started cleanly and seemed happy to keep station – something we often see in the first race of each round – but the battles were further back.
With a reverse top-six grid for the second race, fifth and sixth spots are crucial. Josh Thompson and William Chadwick – who started on row three – were keeping these places early on, but with half the race elapsed things changed. Chadwick’s poor run onto the Bentley Straight allowed Thompson to pounce. The tussle lasted through to Murrays; Chadwick ran wide, promoting Jack Sedgwick into that vital sixth spot. At the front though Berryman cruised home ahead of Carroll and Job to become the first repeat winner of the season, with Job taking the fastest lap point.
Sedgwick and Thompson formed the front row for the reverse grid race but it was Ellis who got the best start, nearly taking the lead twice on the opening lap. A lap later Ellis used a better run down the Bentley Straight to take the place through the Brundle/Nelson chicane.
The drama all came right behind this. Job had been held up behind Thompson, bringing Berryman into play. Job attempted the same pass as Eliis but caught the sausage kerb and made contact with Thompson, spinning him around right into the path of Berryman who t-boned him, flipping Thompson onto his roof and ending the race for both of them.
It’s the second time in two events that a Job/Berryman incident has ended with the latter coming off worse. The stewards and Brands Hatch penalised Job 10 seconds for that collision, but no decision has yet been announced for this crash.
That all allowed Ellis and Carroll, who somehow picked his way through the carnage, to sprint free at the front of the field. Carroll couldn’t find a way past his fellow Scot though, as Ellis took his own second win of the season and the fastest lap point.
Sedgwick came home third for his second podium of the year, with defending champion Job in fourth pending any time penalty. Ellis now leads the championship by 15 points from Carroll, with Job five points further back.