EBC-Equipped Race Team Secure 1-2 Victory in 2023 Fiesta ST150 Championship

“EBC-backed SBR Motorsport pair, Beckett and Robinson, sat 1-2 respectively in the championship heading into the final round. Beckett had a 28-point lead over Robinson who had a slim margin over the three-way battle for 2^nd in the championship.

“All cars were fitted with a brand-new set of EBC Brakes Racing RP-X™ pads in preparation for the final race weekend, ahead of the Friday test day where the SBR Motorsport team set the timing screens alight! Robinson proved to be fastest, followed closely by Beckett, narrowly over Lewthwaite. Goodwin followed suit with her first weekend with the team, feeling comfortable and confident with her new ST150 car! 

“Qualifying proved to a re-enactment of testing, with Robinson setting the pace out front, missing out on pole by just 0.082 seconds. Next came Lewthwaite, who narrowly pipped Beckett for his best qualifying session of the season in P6! Beckett struggled with car balance around the Silverstone International Circuit, qualifying in P7 and Goodwin qualified well in largely competitive grid, in P15!”

“Race 1 started well for Robinson, Beckett and Lewthwaite – all gaining positions off the start. Robinson was up to 2^nd, Beckett up to 4^th and Lewthwaite up to 6^th. Sadly, Goodwin didn’t get the best of starts but was back up to her original starting position by the end of the lap, making a mega first lap! Robinson was doing everything he could to outscore his nearest rivals in the championship, hounding the leader every lap until he finished P2. Beckett drove a very smart race with minimal risks taken and picked his battles when needed. He finished P6 on the road but scoring points for P4 with guest entries not being able to score. Lewthwaite lost out on the initial part of the race and then struggled to clear the slow cars, but still brought it home in a very respectable P10 position! Goodwin had the best race of her car career to date, finishing P13 in a very competitive grid, which is a huge step forward.”

“In Race 2, Beckett knew what he needed to do: P12 or higher, and the championship was his. Likewise, Robinson needed to outscore his closest rivals to secure 2^nd in the championship. But it wouldn’t be without his dramas. Post-race 1 checks found a knocking noise on his engine, which sounded like bottom end bearings. With no time to lose, the SBR team jumped all hands on deck, swapping out the bottom end bearings. When stripped, the bearings were mint. This was rebuilt but more diagnosis was needed to find the source of the rattle. Off came the cam cover and there it was: a camshaft securing bolt had snapped! Thankfully, we had a spare and got Robinson out just in time before the assembly area closed!”

“Robinson didn’t let this deter him – he drove the wheels off his #69 machine with one of the closest and best races for 2^nd place this season! Beckett this time didn’t quite have the clear track that he wanted to bring home the championship and got roughed up further back in the pack. Taking rear end damage with three laps to go, the car felt off till the end of the race. Lewthwaite was playing the role of rear gunner to Beckett for the rest of the race, setting fast lap times securing P9. Lewthwaite certainly proved that he had pace to be further up the grid and battled and outplaced some race winning cars this from this season! 

“Another P13 result for Goodwin which rounded out an incredible first weekend with SBR Motorsport and already showing signs of bigger and better results, with huge potential for next year!

“Thankfully,  P8 on the road and P6 scoring points was enough for Beckett to seal the Vinyl Detail ST150 Challenge Championship for 2023! After becoming runner up by 4 points in 2022, he certainly made amends for it in 2023. With 3 overall Wins and 9 total podiums, this has been one of his most successful seasons, showing consistency throughout the year with 6 consecutive podiums and numerous fastest laps.

“Robinson had done enough for P2 in the championship, meaning SBR Motorsport closed out the 1-2 in the championship in their first season operating as a team.

“The biggest thanks to the support that EBC Brakes has provided us throughout the season – the EBC Brakes Racing RP-X™ really proving their worth to be the best above the rest!”

SBR Motorsport: Season Summary

With 6 drivers making up the SBR Motorsport 2023 team, they have finished the 2023 season with a staggering:

• 4 overall wins
• 15 podiums
• 4 fastest laps

For the team’s first year in operation!