Jeffrey impressive at 2018 Radical Challenge

Dominik Jackson was crowned 2018 Radical Challenge Champion at Silverstone, his outstanding tally of seven wins and 14 podiums over 19 races securing the title by 53 points.

This season has seen one of the closest championship battles in series history, with only a handful of points separating RAW Motorsports teammates, Jackson and arch rival Steve Burgess. Heading in to the final showdown, just 76 points separated the pair and with 210 points still up for grabs, the title fight remained wide open.

Despite Nottingham-man Burgess re-igniting his title hopes with his ninth win this term on Saturday morning, the 2016 Champion was powerless to close the final gap due to no racing taking place at the circuit on Sunday.

Lincolnshire pole-sitter, Jackson led the way for race one with Burgess in hot pursuit, the title protagonists initially pulling clear of Jerôme de Sadeleer and Kristian Jeffrey in the tricky, wet conditions. But, as the surface water began to disperse, it was de Sadeleer that was on the move and past Burgess by lap four.

A three-car fight between Marcello Marateotto, Jeffrey and Brian Caudwell unfolded for fourth, the latter outwitting both drivers and Burgess to sit third. Meanwhile, Jackson continued to edge out a 5.6 second lead in a bid to negate his 20-second success penalty carried over from his last round Rockingham win.

With de Sadeleer also serving an additional 10 success seconds, Burgess emerged from the pit lane in Jackson’s wheel tracks second overall on fresh slicks. His wet tyres destroyed, Jackson had no answer to his charging teammate, who moved into the lead come Luffield and never looked back.

Losing up to nine seconds a lap as the only front runner still on wets, Jackson became a sitting duck. Falling behind both de Sadeleer and Caudwell, the 2017 Vice Champion was then pipped to fourth on the road by Jeffrey at the line.

With Caudwell handed a post-race 60-second penalty in lieu of a stop/go infringement, Jackson was promoted to fourth. That left Spencer Bourne to deliver one of his best drives to fifth ahead of Brian Murphy, who charged through to sixth from 12th place following the pit stops.

The weather put a further spanner in the works on Sunday morning, with prolonged torrential rain suspending all track activity before the meeting was abandoned at lunchtime.

Outgoing Radical SR1 Champion, Jerôme de Sadeleer rounded off his maiden Challenge season ranking third overall, 44 points ahead of his closest year-long rival, Guyanese ace Kristian Jeffrey. Youngest driver of the field, Elliot Goodman finished an impressive fifth with Mark Crader completing the top six.