Jackson comes out on top in a thrilling three-way battle

Dominik Jackson walked away from the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit as a triple Radical Challenge race winner.
Dominik Jackson, Steve Burgess and Marcello Marateo lead the way in Sunday's race. Photo: Ollie ReadDominik Jackson, Steve Burgess and Marcello Marateo lead the way in Sunday's race. Photo: Ollie Read
Dominik Jackson, Steve Burgess and Marcello Marateo lead the way in Sunday's race. Photo: Ollie Read

The RAW Motorsports driver came out on top of a close three-way battle to the flag for the final spoils of the Radical Festival weekend in Belgium.

And that completed a hat-trick of wins for Jackson, following success in the two earlier rounds at the track.

After a smooth getaway, Jim Booth streaked ahead in the Invitational SR8 class, leaving Jackson to take the Challenge lead. RAW driver Marcello Marateotto made the most of a run wide from Banbury team-mate Steve Burgess at La Source to take second ahead of Jérôme de Sadeleer and Brian Caudwell.

While Jackson streaked away in a bid to negate his forthcoming maximum success pit-stop penalty, the battle for second saw RAW driver Burgess chase down the front runners.

An intense four-way battle unfolded but as Marateotto and Burgess diced coming out of La Source on lap six, de Sadeleer pulled off an awesome move to take them both through Eau Rouge.

Burgess and Team Challenge’s Tom Gladdis regularly swapped order as they explored every opportunity to pass the Italian ahead of the stops.

With class leader Jackson, de Sadeleer and Burgess all to serve success second penalties in the pit stop cycle, Marateotto moved into the outright and class lead ahead of his team-mates Jackson and Burgess. From there, the RAW trio fought hammer and tong to the chequered flag.

In the end it all came down to the final lap, Jackson finally finding a way around Marateotto’s robust defence in a move that started at the Bus Stop and concluded at La Source. Then a spin from Burgess at Bruxelles in turn delayed Marateotto, leaving Jackson to sprint to the flag.

But post-race penalties for short stops for Marateotto and Burgess promoted Jim Booth to second overall, in turn shooting de Sadeleer up to second in Challenge. Kristian Jeffrey completed the podium slots from 13th.

Jackson said: “That was one of the best races I’ve ever been involved in. Having the 20-second penalty made it particularly hard.

“It was as close as you get without ending up in the wall, but it was fair. During the first half of the race I just kept putting in times as though I was in a qualifying session and I couldn’t do anymore than that.

“It’s been a fantastic weekend and we’ll crack on to Oulton Park.”

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