2015 SEASON REVIEW: FUN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
Team Racelogic retained their #1 plate in FunCup for another year – Photo: Andy Leivers
2015 was the Fun Cup’s most thrilling and competitive season to date. Just as it does every year, the level of competition intensified and there were 5 different winners at each round, with fractions of seconds between the leaders during the endurance races.
The opening 4 hour round at Silverstone International saw the majority of 2014’s teams return, whilst also welcoming some new teams and drivers, including ex-BTCC racer Anthony Reid.
It was Tom Roche who made it a winning Fun Cup debut, when he joined Neil Primrose in the JPR Isla Motorsport car for the first round; despite a late scare when they almost ran out of fuel.Steve Johansen brought the Geometric car home in 2nd and whilst having looked set for the final podium place, Marcus Clutton was forced to pit with a faulty alternator, handing the final podium spot to Racelogic.
27 teams made the journey to Snetterton for round 2 and a 6 hour race, where Eco Racing emerged victorious. Holden Hawthorn’s lead in the final hour, but mechanical gremlins forced them to relinquish the p1 spot. After their 6th season in Fun Cup, Scuderia X Cat enjoyed their first podium, finishing 2nd, whilst Holden Hawthorns managed to hold on to 3rd, after reporting failing steering and brakes.
Racelogic emerged victorious after a super competitive round 3 at Brands Hatch. 28 teams took part in the 4 hour race, where seasoned Fun Cup regulars said they had never seen such frantic action so early in the proceedings. The Racelogic car briefly took the lead before pitting just after half-distance, but safety cars and driver changes shook up the order. Then sudden rain in the final moments of the race were to see track conditions become extremely dicey, with Clerk of the Course Julian Floyd, wisely deciding to bring an early (around two minutes) halt to proceedings.
The countback saw Team Racelogic retain the victory, ahead of JPR – UVio, and Team Honeywell, which put in a strong showing in the latter stages.
Moving on to Donington Park’s double header, Graham Roberts and Farquini Deott took the narrowest of victories for team JPR UVio in the 1 hour race, with only 0.800 secs covering the top three, as Deott headed home Henry Dawes for 2/Rent Dominos and MarcusClutton for Sherardize.
2 Rent Dominoes were 2nd again in the four hour feature, but it was Peter Belshaw & Marcus Clutton who secured the top step of the podium, a first win for the Nielsen Racing run car. However, 2 Rent Dominoes were excluded from the results after the race, due to a technical issue. Therefore, it was reigning Champions Racelogic who took p2, whilst Eco Racing took 3rd.
The teams moved on to the penultimate venue at Anglesey, where Team Sherardize/Nielsen Racing proved unbeatable in both the day and night race, as they made it three successive wins. Racelogic and Honeywell battled through the field to finish 2nd and 3 respectively in race 1, whilst PW Racing and Racelogic took 2nd and 3rd in race 2.
JPR UVio proved unstoppable at the final Oulton Park round, leading for the majority of the 4 hour race at the Oulton Park season finale. 2 Rent Dominoes finished 2nd and Guy Wenham completed the podium for Geometric.
After just 1 victory but 5 podium finishes, Team Racelogic proved consistency is key, after winning their 4th consecutive Fun Cup championship. Massive congratulations to the team!
For 2016, Championship Director Paul Rose, has also offered a financial incentive to any new Fun Cup race winners, he said: “If you have not raced in Fun Cup before in the UK, or Europe and win one of our races, you will receive a fantastic prize of £5,000! If you finish 2nd, it will be £2,000 and £1,000 for 3rd. Come and have a go!”. See regulation 1.7.6.
Bring on 2016!
Roxie Marandi
