Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Oval and Out - March 2008
I am already looking forward to the new racing season and thought that a few lines could be well spent outlining who might be worth looking out for this season on the long circuits.
The Elf Renault Clio Cup is always one of the most spectacular saloon car championships in the UK and its position on the British Touring Car Championship bill gives it a decent profile and a clear place on the racing ladder. This season sees former Legends man Derek Pierce back for a second season - people keep asking me if Derek is related to long time Superstox hero Dave but the answer is 'no'. Derek is a Scottish racer who was a late starter in racing (nearly into his forties) before his debut in XR2s. Derek moves from being a privateer to joining the Robertshaw Racing team. They're a good outfit who have won in the Mini Cooper championship and Derek will be able to share set up knowledge with them. I would be really surprised if he finishes out of the top ten.
Rob Collard could well find himself as a team mate of Derek Pierce as the former hot rodder has been testing a Robertshaw Racing Chevrolet Lacetti Touring Car. It would be good to see Rob back out there with the other top guns in the BTCC
Former hot rod and super silhouette champion Lea Wood is joining the Clios as well although the move from rear to front wheel drive may prove difficult. Another name that jumped out at me on the Clio list was the World Stock Rod Champion Glenn Bell who joins Full Speed Racing. The Essex based team run by former Mini Challenge man Mark Speller. I am assured that the cost differential between Stock Rods and Clios is huge so let's hope Glenn has the budget to do well. The Clio Cup, like all the BTCC supports, will be shown on Sunday afternoons on ITV4 this season - enjoy! The Clios have a further oval connection as former hot rod ace Jon Brookes is usually around with the Total Control Racing team run by his son Lee. TCR have still to confirm a few drivers in both Clios and the Seat Cupra Cup (where they are reigning champions) but it’s good to see Ben Winrow (a former Caterham champion) back with them in the Clios for 2008 and you can expect him to be up with the front runners once again.
The final date on the Pickup calendar was slotted into place just as I was putting together this month’s scribbles and it’s a slot on the DTM (German Touring Car) meeting at Brands Hatch, August Bank Holiday. That really is a great date to catch Sonny Howard’s wonderful formula in action and it means that all the Pickup dates are in front of big crowds with some superb accompanying machinery rather than with, and I use these words as quoted by my friends in the paddock, “a programme full of MOT failures”. Former champion Gavin Seager has already been out testing his new Truck and was reportedly inside the lap record at Brands once again – with three dates there this season that could stand him in very good stead. The Pickups start their 2008 Championship at Brands Hatch on Easter Sunday and Monday – the bill being shared with the big Trucks from the BTRA and the Legends Cars. Brands is also the place to be the following weekend as the Touring Cars commence their schedule.
The Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy is being resurrected this year – it was formerly contested by the Eurocar V8s all those years ago and won by both Kevin Clarke and Mark Willis (whom I believe was the last winner). I made a few enquiries about having it associated with either Legends or Pickups but am happy to report that it will be awarded during a classic race meeting at Pembrey (assuming the Welsh venue survives the noise complaints against it – all those sheep must have sensitive hearing for sure).
The SCSA cars will be interesting on the long circuits although quite why they fought for so long to avoid road racing and then take to it is a bit of a mystery. You will have already seen that the cars will run as part of the V-Sports Racing (VSR) series. There is a certain irony that VSR (nee Eurocar) turned out to be the retirement home for ASCARs (the original name for SCSA – and yes the formula has had more names than cars on the grid over the last two seasons) as it was the latter formula that tried to kill off the former just a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong – I do wish them well but if they’d stuck with Eurocar V8 in the first place I can’t help thinking that we might still have V8 racing to watch on the big oval at Rockingham.
Good to hear from overseas recently - former hot rod, stock car and stock rod driver Graham Kircher although I will save the details (and photos) for a future edition of Short Circuit.
The Elf Renault Clio Cup is always one of the most spectacular saloon car championships in the UK and its position on the British Touring Car Championship bill gives it a decent profile and a clear place on the racing ladder. This season sees former Legends man Derek Pierce back for a second season - people keep asking me if Derek is related to long time Superstox hero Dave but the answer is 'no'. Derek is a Scottish racer who was a late starter in racing (nearly into his forties) before his debut in XR2s. Derek moves from being a privateer to joining the Robertshaw Racing team. They're a good outfit who have won in the Mini Cooper championship and Derek will be able to share set up knowledge with them. I would be really surprised if he finishes out of the top ten.
Rob Collard could well find himself as a team mate of Derek Pierce as the former hot rodder has been testing a Robertshaw Racing Chevrolet Lacetti Touring Car. It would be good to see Rob back out there with the other top guns in the BTCC
Former hot rod and super silhouette champion Lea Wood is joining the Clios as well although the move from rear to front wheel drive may prove difficult. Another name that jumped out at me on the Clio list was the World Stock Rod Champion Glenn Bell who joins Full Speed Racing. The Essex based team run by former Mini Challenge man Mark Speller. I am assured that the cost differential between Stock Rods and Clios is huge so let's hope Glenn has the budget to do well. The Clio Cup, like all the BTCC supports, will be shown on Sunday afternoons on ITV4 this season - enjoy! The Clios have a further oval connection as former hot rod ace Jon Brookes is usually around with the Total Control Racing team run by his son Lee. TCR have still to confirm a few drivers in both Clios and the Seat Cupra Cup (where they are reigning champions) but it’s good to see Ben Winrow (a former Caterham champion) back with them in the Clios for 2008 and you can expect him to be up with the front runners once again.
The final date on the Pickup calendar was slotted into place just as I was putting together this month’s scribbles and it’s a slot on the DTM (German Touring Car) meeting at Brands Hatch, August Bank Holiday. That really is a great date to catch Sonny Howard’s wonderful formula in action and it means that all the Pickup dates are in front of big crowds with some superb accompanying machinery rather than with, and I use these words as quoted by my friends in the paddock, “a programme full of MOT failures”. Former champion Gavin Seager has already been out testing his new Truck and was reportedly inside the lap record at Brands once again – with three dates there this season that could stand him in very good stead. The Pickups start their 2008 Championship at Brands Hatch on Easter Sunday and Monday – the bill being shared with the big Trucks from the BTRA and the Legends Cars. Brands is also the place to be the following weekend as the Touring Cars commence their schedule.
The Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy is being resurrected this year – it was formerly contested by the Eurocar V8s all those years ago and won by both Kevin Clarke and Mark Willis (whom I believe was the last winner). I made a few enquiries about having it associated with either Legends or Pickups but am happy to report that it will be awarded during a classic race meeting at Pembrey (assuming the Welsh venue survives the noise complaints against it – all those sheep must have sensitive hearing for sure).
The SCSA cars will be interesting on the long circuits although quite why they fought for so long to avoid road racing and then take to it is a bit of a mystery. You will have already seen that the cars will run as part of the V-Sports Racing (VSR) series. There is a certain irony that VSR (nee Eurocar) turned out to be the retirement home for ASCARs (the original name for SCSA – and yes the formula has had more names than cars on the grid over the last two seasons) as it was the latter formula that tried to kill off the former just a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong – I do wish them well but if they’d stuck with Eurocar V8 in the first place I can’t help thinking that we might still have V8 racing to watch on the big oval at Rockingham.
Good to hear from overseas recently - former hot rod, stock car and stock rod driver Graham Kircher although I will save the details (and photos) for a future edition of Short Circuit.
# posted by RJ Neil @ 5:51 AM 
