SEASON REVIEW: EURO SALOONS
There were 8 different outright race winners, and 23 drivers took at least one class win during the season leaving this as the most competitive season so far. Indeed the championship was only settled for sure at the final race. Factor in three sub-championships within the main framework and there is always something to race for!
For the second time in 3 years, the overall champion drove a Renault Clio. Incredibly, 2011 champion Andy Jordan only started racing in the latter part of 2010, giving hope to all newcomers that success can be theirs. Andy took 7 class wins on his way to the title, 2 more than second placed Richard Hawken in his Nissan Primera Supertourer. Hawken had to console himself with winning the Arrowpak Touring Car Cup for the second season running after being the early championship leader
Class A was incredibly competitive with 19 different drivers taking to track during the season in some of the fastest cars in the series, with 5 of the cars accounting for 9 outright race wins. After a slow start, Ian Roberts (Mitsubishi Evo) came through to win Class A at the final round by just 6 points from John Wilson (TVR Cerbera), with third placed David Krayem (Ginetta G50) 12 points further back after joining the series at Race 3. Mention must also be made of Ian Richard Fearns (Ginetta G50) who competed in the last 5 races to finish 4thin class – an earlier start to his season may well have seen the Class championship fall his way.
Class B was mostly a mixture of ex-Touring Cars and Seat Leon Cupra cars, with a sole BMW M3 interloper. Hawken took the Class B spoils with 5 class wins and one outright win along the way, with Peter Challis (Nissan Primera) in second place with 4 class wins. Ilsa Cox was fastest Seat in third place, while Keith Butcher took the remaining outright win in his Nissan Primera.
Defending champion Nick Hayes (Seat Leon) found the Class C pace had moved on with a number of BMW M3s joining in. Hayes managed to win 2 rounds on his way to second in class, the only rounds not won by a BMW, with 3 drivers sharing the 10 class wins. Ian Craig came out top of these, with 4 class wins to 3 each for Mark Poole and Jim Pocklington. Better consistency in the other rounds ensured the Class C title fell to Craig along with 3rdoverall, just 4 points adrift of second placed Hawken.
The Renault Clio Cup cars moved up to Class D for 2011 after a feeling they were too fast for Class E. Despite this, the championship winner Andy Jordan drove a Clio, and notched up 7 class wins, and took fastest Class lap in two of the races he finished second in. Ian Jordan showed the virtue of consistency by finishing second in class with a season full of podium positions but no wins. Alan Taylor (2 wins) and Stewart Calder also recorded Class wins in their Clios, while Craig Odams (Vauxhall Vectra) broke the pattern with wins at Donington Park and Oulton Park.
In Class E, Gordon Mason started the season well in his Peugeot 205GTi and was leading after 4 rounds while Nick Boon’s season was interrupted by a car damaging incident at Donington Park. Showing the dedication which wins championships, while his Honda Civic Type R was being repaired, Boon came out in a Peugeot 106 GTi during the mid-season to leave him with 9 class wins altogether, the class championship and 6thoverall, a position that would no doubt have been bettered if most races were not for reduced points.
With 28 cars making the final round at Silverstone, we look forward to another successful year in 2012. Many thanks to our sponsors; Arrowpak, Mark Fish Motorsport, MSE-performance.com and LMA Performance.
Click here for the final championship points table.
