2019 SEASON REVIEW – BRSCC FIESTA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP RACING WITH MRF TYRES

Having brought through a vast number of superb and talented young drivers since its inception, the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship racing with MRF Tyres headed into 2019 ready to turn another young racer into a future star and for one driver, it was their best chance to claim the crown they’d been seeking for the past two seasons.

The season began at Silverstone on the National circuit with an epic battle for the lead between defending champion Magnus Kriklywi and the much improved Olly Turner and after several laps of chasing and side-by-side action, it was Turner that came out on top to clinch a long-awaited first win in FJC. Not only that, but he was able to double up in the second race in another superb scrap with the young Danish champion Kriklywi to leave Silverstone with two victories, while behind them in both races podium finishes went to Joel Wren and Ted Potts.

Wren was able to show his speed at the next rounds at Pembrey, although in a surprising twist he would share the front row with newcomer Joseph Loake who was making an instant impact in his first weekend in the championship. Wren was able to take a lights to flag win in Race 1 followed by a first podium for Alfie Glenie and Turner finishing in 3rd after starting at the back of the grid thanks to an engine change overnight from qualifying. Race 2 was sadly Wren’s turn to gain mechanical problems, leaving Turner to drive on and claim win #3 ahead of an amazing first podium for Loake on his debut and Glenie taking home more silverware with 3rd place to cap his best weekend in the championship to date.

Turner kept up his top form by heading to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire and driving on to two more race wins to take his tally up to five from the first six races, clearly marking out his intentions as a championship favourite. Ted Potts picked up a personal best second place in Race 1 with Glenie once again on the podium in 3rd, with both Wren and Loake taking over on the rostrum steps in Race 2 to bank valuable points towards their tallies.

Snetterton in May saw Nathanael Hodgkiss make a one-off return to the championship and reminded everyone just how quick he was by jumping straight to the top of the timesheets and then pushing on to claim both wins from the weekend. From the championship contenders, the rapidly improving Loake pushed on for 2nd place in Race 1 ahead of Turner, before Olly himself score P2 in the second race ahead of Potts in 3rd.

The first of two visits to Brands Hatch saw the Fiesta Juniors on the same timetable as the TCR UK Championship and Dunlop Touring Car Trophy, however, fortunes for Turner didn’t quite turn out great in Race 1 as a mechanical issue forced him to retire, leaving Wren to win his second race of the season with Loake and Potts joining him on the rostrum. Turner managed to recover well from his earlier troubles to win while Wren had to struggle with technical problems of their own. More silverware and points went the way of Loake and Potts, as they once again pick up 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Anglesey in North Wales was next, and it would turn out to be a weekend to remember for Joseph Loake. Qualifying on pole, Loake drove superbly to collect his first Fiesta Junior win, followed by Wren in 2nd place and Potts in 3rd, while Turner had to settle for 4th place after a shaky opening encounter. Loake then managed to double up in the second race, rounding off all round his best weekend to date since debuting a few months earlier. Turner had a much better race this time with 2nd place while Ted Potts once again collected another trophy for his collection with 3rd place.

The penultimate rounds at Silverstone, this time using the International circuit, saw Loake keep up his winning streak while Turner kept one hand on the championship trophy with 2nd place, followed by a victory in Race 2 to set things up nicely for the season finale at Brands Hatch at the AIMSHOP.COM Formula Ford Festival. Ensuring his form would be strong heading into the 2020 season, Loake completed the year with two more strong performances to collect two more wins, while 2nd and 3rd for Turner (the latter result after a time penalty) sealed the deal to make him the 2019 BRSCC Fiesta Junior champion. Congratulations to Olly, the very best of luck for his future racing career and we look forward to welcoming the FJC class of 2020 on track!

Scott Woodwiss