Hunt comes back for seconds at Snetterton

Will Hunt is second at the flag / Photos: Ollie Read Photography

Will Hunt finished runner-up in rounds five and six of the 2021 Radical SR1 Cup at Snetterton on Saturday.

The Sussex speedster had his 100 per cent record broken by title rival James Lay, and the two combatants are now split by just 18 points.

Rain featured heavily in Saturday’s forecast and Hunt took a cautious approach to qualifying, held on a wet but drying track.

Will Hunt leads / Photos: Ollie Read Photography

But the Motorsport UK Team UK Futures driver made a mistake on his final flyer costing him a shot at pole position, although he still went second fastest.

Lay duly took pole for both races, but Hunt and Scorpio Motorsport had confidence in their long-run performance.

Conditions stabilised, and slicks were the tyre of choice for the first clash of the weekend.

Lay held on to the lead, but Hunt got a run on him further around the opening lap as the field barrelled along the Bentley Straight, where he caught a damp patch.

Will Hunt on the podium / Photos: Ollie Read Photography

Light contact sent Lay skipping across the grass, but Hunt relinquished P1 to avoid a penalty and soon dropped to fifth.

Hunt recorded fastest laps in a bid to recover, only for a safety car to bring him back into play with five minutes left.

Hunt picked off three rivals and homed in on Lay during a two-lap sprint to the flag, but he finished where he started in P2.

In the second contest, Hunt had the better start and got the jump on Lay before Riches.

The top two traded purple sectors, but Lay stubbornly held on in Hunt’s slipstream and eventually found a way through into P1.

The duelling pair were side-by-side out of the final corner and crossed the finish line just 0.152s apart.

“It’s a ‘what could have been’ weekend because I missed pole position,” said Hunt.

“I needed just one more lap to get the better of James in both races, because my car was set up to come good at the end.

“The results are slightly underwhelming because Scorpio Motorsport did such a great job, and losing my 100 per cent winning record is also a tough pill to swallow.”

For more info, please ‘like’ the official Will Hunt Racing Facebook page or follow @will_hunt_racing on Instagram.