Newly crowned Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Scholarship champion Ryan Lewis narrowly missed out victory in a thrilling Round 20 at Thruxton today, after understeer hampered his chances of doing the double. The 20 year-old Royston driver started from second on the grid and for three laps pushed leader and eventual winner Stephen Jelley hard, trying every which way to pass him at the chicane and finally diving up the inside on lap four.

As the duo closed up on the battling championship cars of Will Power and James Walker, Walker ran wide, forcing Ryan to back off and allowing Jelley to close. For two laps, the four ran nose-to-tail and in the confusion, entering the chicane for the sixth time, Jelley moved ahead of Ryan to retake the lead.

Lap after lap, Ryan pushed hard to take Jelley for win number 14 until a `moment' at the chicane allowed Jelley to pull away. Despite a concerted effort from Lewis in the closing stages, at one point airborne at the chicane, Ryan crossed the line second, just a second behind the leader but with the consolation of the race fastest lap

“It's a bit of a shame,” said Ryan. “I really wanted to come away with two wins this weekend but at the end of the day, Stephen was just that little bit quicker through Goodwood. The car was struggling with understeer so badly just at that corner, which is probably the most important part of the track as it gives you the run all the way up to the chicane. If I'd been able to get closer on the entry to Goodwood I wouldn't have lost so much time on the exit and been able to get a toe all the way up the straight to the chicane.

“On the last lap I thought I'd be able to close up and really have another stab at him but unfortunately I outbraked myself, Iocked up a bit and ended up going over the kerbs and so that was a good way to end the weekend, airborne!”

The Championship will resume in two weeks time on September 10-12 at the stunning Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium for rounds 21 and 22.

Results of Round 20
1. Stephen Jelley Dallara F301 Opel-Spiess 18:39.667
2. RYAN LEWIS BES Dallara F301 Mugen-Honda 18:40.516
3. Ronayne O'Mahony Dallara F301 Opel Spiess 18:51.756

Fastest Lap: RYAN LEWIS 1:08.373 124.04mph 199.63kph

Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Scholarship Points after 20 rounds
1. RYAN LEWIS 340
2. Stephen Jelley 226
3. Vasilije Calasan 144
4. Barton Mawer 134
5. Ronayne O'Mahony 78
6. Adam Khan 78
7. Ajit Kumar 70
8. James Winslow 27
9. Lars Sexton 23

Editor's note: Copyright free images of Ryan Lewis are available from the website below. All requests for interview should be directed to Cathy Metcalfe at the details below

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30 August 2004

For media information: Cathy Metcalfe, MPR Associates, Tel: 01327 352199, Fax: 01327 352908,
Mob: 07802 332398, E-mail: cathymetcalfe@mpr-associates.co.uk, www.ryanlewisracing.co.uk