IPSWICH driver Richard Ince and co-driver Austin Kinsella secured the Dunlop Radical Enduro title at Brands Hatch, having only missed out on a podium finish in three of the 16 races.

IPSWICH driver Richard Ince and co-driver Austin Kinsella secured the Dunlop Radical Enduro title at Brands Hatch, having only missed out on a podium finish in three of the 16 races.

Ince's BMS Computer Solutions Radical SR8 had taken the duo to victory in last year's Radical World Cup too, before concentrating on the UK scene for 2007. The season had started with a second and third place finish at Snetterton, before gaining momentum with five victories in the next six races, at Oulton Park, Spa and Thruxton.

“We had one bad finish at Spa, the home of the Belgian Grand Prix, when a wheel broke through Blanchimont at 154mph,” he explained.

The double win at Thruxton gave the Ipswich driver the break that was needed as main rivals Derek Johnston and Le Mans racer Stuart Moseley failed to score in either race.

But Ince had trouble too at Donington in round nine, when he picked up an early puncture.

It got worse when he was giving a stop go penalty for speeding in the pitlane, leaving them rare absentees from the victory podium.

They came back to take second in race two, but there was more trouble on the horizon at Croft. Kinsella had damaged the car with an off in qualifying.

“We have shared a car for seven years and that's the first time Austin has damaged one, so I left him licking his wounds,” said Ince.

They were up to second in the race when Kinsella made his second mistake in seven years and clipped a backmarker, the only occasion the duo failed to take the flag.

Although they still headed the championship table as they headed for the penultimate double header at Pembrey, Johnston/Moseley were consistently picking up points too, so a fight to the finish looked on the cards.

In the first race at Pembrey Ince ran in the top four before handing the car over, leaving Kinsella to snatch a late second place. But a late tactical change at the start of race two put the ball firmly back in the Ince court.

After arriving in the assembly area with Ince in the car, they made the latest possible driver switch.

Kinsella therefore started the race as the hare and handed Ince a healthy lead, which he successfully defended to the chequered flag.

So to Brands Hatch for the finale. Ince was third on the grid but was straight into trouble. “Caution doesn't pay as I got a nudge and was left steering backwards down Paddock Hill Bend to avoid the other cars,” he explained.

After playing catch up for the remainder of his stint the pair still managed to salvage fourth place at the flag, which proved more than enough after their rivals had already retired.

Just to cap a fine season they took third in the last race and were crowned 2007 champions with a healthy 44 points advantage.

So what of next season? “I don't think we will defend the title, something always goes wrong when you do,” said Ince.

“Maybe some of the longer races like the Nurburgring 24hrs and Britcar 24hrs at Silverstone,” he concluded.