On the first weekend in April, Twickenham Hyundai and Chiswick Suzuki went to Estoril, Portugal, to start their first race of the season in the Radical Challenge 2006 European Championship.

The first morning saw the cars hit the track for the first shake up of the new Radical SR3. During practice, drivers took the opportunity to adjust brake balance and set ups, and it was also their first chance to check on the competition and compare their performance against other drivers.

After the first two practice sessions, Twickenham Hyundai managed to set the second fastest time overall, giving them extra motivation for the race.

In the qualifying sessions, Twickenham Hyundai set the third fastest time in the first few laps and was confident and happy to start the race from the second row of the grid. They decided to come in early and save their tyres for the 50 minute race. Unfortunately, three minutes before the end, they lost third position and finished fourth out of 22 other teams.

Starting the race proper from the second row of the grid was a good position to be in, as they could avoid traffic and confusion of the middle pack behind and concentrate on the drivers in front.

During the first rolling start, just after the first few corners, drivers were showed the red flag and were obliged to stop in the straight again.

There were another two starts before the organisers decided to cancel the race, due to the failure of the telemetry/timing system.

It was postponed until the next race weekend in Estoril where the qualifying times will still count.

It turned out to be a favourable decision for Twickenham Hyundai, as after the last rolling start, they were hit from behind by another driver, making them spin and find themselves in last position.

The next race will be held in Braga in the north of Portugal on May 26, where there is a possibility for guests and sponsors to experience the thrills of this amazing racing car, the Radical SR3, by being driven by our driver around the track.If you are interested in taking part in this fantastic opportunity please contact us at the details below.

Twickenham Hyundai, 53-57 High Street, Whitton, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 7LB. Tel: 020 8898 12343.

Website www.twickenhamhyundai.co.uk or www.chiswicksuzuki.co.uk
To catch up on all the racing news, please visit www.hugopereira.com