Currently lying third in the driver standings, Bradley Kent heads to the 2021 Goodyear Touring Car Trophy/TCR UK Grand Finalé at Donington Park this Monday aiming to move at least one – if not two – places up the points table and in doing so, provide his family’s Essex & Kent Motorsport team with a 1-2 result this season.
With his brother Lewis leading the charge on 200 points, 21 ahead of second-placed Dan Kirby – who is in turn just three points ahead of Bradley, the scene is set for an epic battle to determine the outcome of what has been a landmark season for the Goodyear Touring Car Trophy.
Monday’s meeting is made even more intriguing by virtue there are five drivers who have a mathematical chance of lifting the title and, with three races on the cards, there’s an opportunity to score a potential 26 points (25 for a win and one for setting the fastest lap) from each. And whilst regulations require competitors to drop their two lowest scores from the season’s 14 rounds, they go to Donington having made that adjustment and consequently, all three races have to count.
With just a few days to go, we asked Bradley his thoughts on the task ahead:
“I have no specific strategy other than to qualify well and then get as far up the road as I can in the races. Both Lewis and I have carried ballast in our Hyundai i30s TCRs this year, so it will be interesting to see how quick the cars are now they’re carrying less weight.
“Lewis has done a great job this season and that reflects on why he’s leading as we go into the final meeting. My luck wasn’t so good at the start of the year, but having scored three wins and five podiums in total, I’ll be putting all that behind me on Monday, with my primary goal to provide the team with the one-two finish we would love to achieve.
“However, with the racing being so close and the level of competition, it’s going to be no easy task. It’s also important to keep out of trouble, as contact has proved decisive in some of the races.
“I was pleased with the way our pre-event test went this week, although it was difficult to get a clear lap and set a realistic time because of other traffic. I know the circuit well and it’s one of my favourites. I’ve has plenty of time to inspect the course too, as in other years my previous cars suffered mechanical issues which meant I had to tour around slowly. Still, I’m sure that with the great work the team has been doing all season, reliability won’t be an issue this time around.
“I’m really looking forward to Monday and I’ll be doing my best to deliver that one-two finish for the team. It would be a perfect way to end the season.”
