BRSCC BRINGS TIN-TOPS AND SINGLE SEATERS TO OULTON PARK FOR MEGA RACE DAY
The British Racing & Sports Car Club rolls into Oulton Park for the first time in 2021 as the club’s North Western Centre takes charge for the day’s racing on Saturday. It’s mainly an event filled mostly by saloon car and tin-top action, with some competitive single seater action also thrown into the mix for good measure.
The BRSCC Fiesta Championship makes its first visit to Cheshire since 2009, some 12 years ago! This year’s championship has seen it take on something of a transformation as the incorporation of the new ST240 class for the uprated Mk7 Ford Fiesta ST180 Turbos has really inspired current, old and new drivers to jump into one of the new cars and try their hand. This Saturday’s races see no less than 12 of them entered featuring everyone who competed at the Croft season opener – double race winner Jon Cooper will be looking to defend his points lead, while many other top names like Zachary Lucas, Rob Smith, Jamie Going, David Nye, Simon Horrobin and Luke Pinder are all in the mix as well. New appearances come from former champions Alastair Kellett and Stuart Robbins in this class, both looking to return to the paddock with a bang. Ethan Rogers also heads up the ST150 contingent alongside Jack Youhill, Matt Chambers, Briannie Davis and William Kellett, son of Alastair and an all-round Fiesta specialist back home in Ireland.
If the senior Fiestas have had to wait long enough since their last Oulton visit, their younger counterparts in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship really are heading into the unknown as Saturday marks the series’ first ever visit to the circuit since it was created in 2012. Double Croft winner Deagan Fairclough sent shockwaves through the paddock on his championship debut and is back to defend his points lead and place at the head of the field, but knows the competition will be strong. Jenson Brickley, Albert Webster, Alex Ley, Sid Smith, Dylan Hotchin and Joseph Knight are all sure to be the main pursuers, alongside all of the other drivers that raced last time out and the addition of Alex Sprange making his first start of 2021.
Another capacity grid will be lining up in the second Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup race weekend of the season after they started so superbly at Donington Park last month. Nic Grindrod will likely once again be the main everyone has to chase after he won both opening races so convincingly, but there’s certainly going to be much duelling and position swapping behind him if he runs off into the distance again. Duncan Stone, Liam Browning, Tim Evans, Richard and Stuart Bliss, Dylan Brooks and Andrew Dyer are likely to be those towards the head of the points after their solid results from the opening weekend, plus don’t count out Ross Makar who performed strong but couldn’t quite pick up the results to back up his speed. These cars will make for an incredible sight through Old Hall and Cascades on the opening lap!
In terms of single seater action, you can’t go wrong with a bit of Formula Ford, can you? A healthy entry makes up the Avon Tyres Northern & Super Classic Championship this weekend with more than 20 cars set to compete on the day. Class leaders Nigel Dolan, “Juiceie Bruceie” and Ian Fernihough will all be aiming to remain at the top of their respective points standings leaving Oulton, while Ian Wood will hope to move up to the Super Classic C lead while there are top contenders in Super Classic A also missing here, meaning a chance for someone else to rise to the occasion. The grid is populated with many top drivers throughout including Jack Wolfenden and Kieran Attwood in P Class plus defending champion and BRSCC chairman Peter Daly in Super Classic B, so the action up and down the field will be intense and exciting.
Another series sporting a capacity grid is the Track Attack Race Club, full to the brim with the usual sensation mix of Asian, French and German cars. The latter of that trio sees an influx in the Deutsche Marques Cup thanks to this year’s association with the Classic VW Cup, meaning plenty of VAG Group cars alongside the usual MINIs. Renault Clios and Peugeots in the Tricolore Trophy are joined again by the 206 GTi Production Cup for good measure, while a pair of Honda Civics and a Mazda RX-7 will represent the Nippon Challenge here too. After their brilliant first meeting with us at Mallory Park, the packed entry here at Oulton should certainly be a magnificent spectacle!
Scott Woodwiss
