Brits on Pole

The highs and lows of motor racing were put into stark contrast during July, and our latest round-up of the photography featured on Brits on Pole during the month catches the joy of victory, while reminding us of the price at which it can come.

This was the month during which the triumphs and the defeats were overshadowed by the death of Henry Surtees and the narrow escape of Felipe Massa, both from head injuries.

On a happier note, Craig Dolby, Riki Christodoulou, Wayne Boyd and John Lancaster all took maiden wins in their current series, while Justin Wilson handed veteran team owner Dale Coyne his first victory in 25 years of competing.

And in an Ashes month, Australians Mark Webber, John Martin and Will Power also found their way onto our site celebrating debut wins.

Not everyone had quite so much to be happy about: Tony Kanaan caught fire, Scott Mansell was picked up and cast aside by Superleague Formula, and Oliver Jarvis was left out of pocket by A1GP’s Team GBR.

Brits on Pole’s own cameras found their way into more places than usual, with contributor Scott McCarthy providing exclusive photos of Renault’s straight line test and site owners Andy and LJH roaming at Donington, Silverstone and Goodwood.

SLF: Brits out at Galatasaray as Tung replaces Mansell
Turkish Superleague Formula team Galatasaray has ended its experiment with British drivers after failing to score the podiums its passionate supporters are demanding. Read more. Photo: Superleague Formula

WSR: Lancaster takes maiden series win
Comtec Racing’s Jon Lancaster took his first Formula Renault 3.5 win after a fiercely-fought race at the Algarve’s Portimao circuit. Read more. Photo: Renault Motorsports

Donington recruits expert in struggling developments
Donington Park is attempting to kickstart its redevelopment bid by engaging a consultant who worked on the Wembley Stadium building project and for sports entertainment firm AEG — but who has also specialised in buying up developments that have run into trouble. Read more. Photo: Brits on Pole

SLF: Martin and Dolby cash in as Swiss timing fails
Rangers and Spurs took advantage of an unlucky break for the weekend’s best driver, Max Wissel of FC Basel, to take first and second in Superleague Formula’s €100,000 superfinal at Donington Park. Read more. Photo: Superleague Formula

F1: Renault’s Duxford test suggests Piquet out, Grosjean in
Thought that all F1 testing was banned this year? Well you’d be wrong. Turns out Renault found an excuse — and Brits on Pole reporter-at-large Scott McCarthy was there to watch. Read more. Photo: Scott McCarthy

IRL: Narrow escape for TK as Power surges to victory
Australia’s Will Power, supposedly the understudy at Team Penske, took centre-stage in the Indycar Series by winning a gruelling Rexall Edmonton Indy that had plenty of drama — but very little overtaking. Read more. Photo: Shawn Payne / IRL

F1: Hamilton returns to winning ways
Lewis Hamilton returned to winning ways with a dominating victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber survived post-race stewards’ investigations to secure second and third. Read more. Photo: www.McLaren.com

IRL: Team Penske sets the standard in Edmonton qualifying
Part-time IndyCar driver Will Power took his second pole position of the season by leading a Team Penske 1-2-3 during qualifying for the Rexall Edmonton Indy, beating his full-time team-mates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves to the top spot. Read more. Photo: Steve Snoddy / IRL

F1: Felipe Massa in intensive care after qualifying accident
Formula One veered from near tragedy to total farce during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix as Felipe Massa’s narrow escape from death by flying debris was followed by a timing failure that left puzzled drivers comparing their performances to see who had won pole. Read more. Photo: Bridgestone Motorsports

Williams F1 team will assist Surtees death investigation
Williams’ technical director Sam Michael confirmed that the Formula One team is to be involved in the investigation into the death of F2 driver Henry Surtees, who lost his life after being hit by a wheel that had broken free from a rival’s car. Read more. Photo: Formula Two

F1: McLaren owns Hungaroring during practice
McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen put in the fastest laps in practice at the Hungaroring to take a stunning and unexpected one-two at the top of the unofficial timesheets. Read more. Photo: Bridgestone Motorsports

SLF: Craig Dolby wins for Spurs in Zolder
Tottenham’s Craig Dolby has tasted Superleague Formula victory for the first time by leading home a 1-2-3 for the British clubs in the football-themed championship’s first race at Zolder this weekend. Read more. Photo: Superleague Formula

F2: Henry Surtees killed in freak racing accident
A chance racing accident at Brands Hatch claimed the life of Formula 2 driver Henry Surtees, 18-year-old son of former F1 champion John. Read more. Photo: Formula Two

F3: Maiden victory for Wayne Boyd
Ulsterman Wayne Boyd has taken his maiden win in Round 12 of the British F3 International series held on a damp weekend at Britain’s Donington Park circuit. Read more. Photo: British F3 International

Superleague Formula: we’re not green and we don’t care
“We like to consider ourselves the naughty boys of motor sport,” says Superleague Formula’s competition director Robin Webb, proudly staking his championship’s claim to be the most politically incorrect series in racing. Read more. Photo: Brits on Pole

IRL: Franchitti takes third win of season in Toronto
Dario Franchitti rode his luck, a fast car and some controversial decisions by race control to take victory in Toronto and regain the lead of the IndyCar Series championship. Read more. Photo: IRL/Shawn Payne

F1: Victorious Webber makes his mark at last
Red Bull’s Mark Webber gave Australian sports fans something to talk about besides the cricket by shrugging off a drive-through penalty at the Nurburgring and cruising to his first-ever Formula One victory. Read more. Photos: Bridgestone Motorsports

IRL: Franchitti, Wilson and Conway battle for Toronto pole
Dario Franchitti took pole for the Honda Indy in Toronto as his championship rivals all failed to make the cut to join the shoot-out that decided the top six qualifiers. Read more. Photo: Shawn Payne/IRL

F1: Webber takes first pole in Nurburgring rain
Mark Webber and Rubens Barrichello outshone their team-mates in qualifying for the German Grand Prix, the Australian scoring his first-ever pole position as rain and equipment upgrades produced an exciting battle behind them. Read more. Photo: Bridgestone Motorsports

F1: Hamilton fastest in Nurburgring practice
Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in practice as rain and cold weather at the Nurburgring caused problems for teams hoping to understand how their two types of tyres would function during the German Grand Prix weekend. Read more. Photo: www.McLaren.com

IRL: Justin Wilson wins for Dale Coyne at Watkins Glen
Justin Wilson held off the big names of Ganassi Racing and Team Penske to score a dominant victory at Watkins Glen, handing team boss Dale Coyne his first triumph in 25 years of top flight racing. Read more. Photo: IRL/Ron McQueeney

F3: Riki Christodoulou takes maiden win
Britain’s Riki Christodoulou denied Renger van der Zande a shutout by winning round 10 of the British Formula 3 International championship at Snetterton, earning his maiden victory in the process. Read more. Photo: British F3 International

IRL: Wilson and Conway shine in Watkins Glen qualifying
Justin Wilson’s patient wait for the IndyCar series to return to road courses paid off with a front row qualifying performance for the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen. Read more. Photo: IRL / Ron McQueeney

Martin Whitmarsh promises FOTA will listen to you in future
Formula One’s team bosses have opened up a whole new front in their war with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone — by using social media and viral video to get their point across direct to fans. Read more. Photo: Brits on Pole

2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed photos
A sunny summer’s day, an English country estate, the roar of engines and the smell of oil, petrol, brake discs and bacon sarnies — what else can it be but the Goodwood Festival of Speed? Read more. Photo: Brits on Pole

A1GP: Jarvis was major loser in Team GBR collapse
The collapse of A1GP’s Team GBR in April left driver Oliver Jarvis (pictured here in happier times) owed nearly £170,000 according to figures filed with Companies House outlining the state of its finances. Read more. Photo: A1GP

SLF: Reds ahead after round one
Liverpool FC’s Superleague Formula team came away from Magny-Cours with a two-point lead in the standings after Adrian Valles won the first race of the day and managed sixth in the second contest despite starting at the back of the reversed grid. Read more. Photo: Superleague Formula

IRL: Dixon wins ‘awful, awful’ Richmond race
The slow-burning controversy about the quality of racing in this year’s IndyCar Series flared into life after the SunTrust Indy Challenge turned into such a procession that the drivers felt compelled to apologise to fans afterwards. Read more. Photo: IRL/ Shawn Payne