BUSY YEAR AHEAD FOR ALFA RACERS

The BRSCC Alfashop Alfa Romeo Championship will be entering its 32^nd season in 2013 and maintains the enthusiastic support, which has kept it so successful over the years. Last year’s championship winning 147 GTA was on the BRSCC stand at Autosport International and attracted a great deal of interest with several drivers and preparers on hand to talk about the series and what is planned for the year ahead.

ARCA Championship co-ordinator Graham Heels has been able to negotiate a varied calendar, comprising 9 meetings – five of which will be double headers – and 14 rounds. The three worst results may be dropped to produce the final results and over recent seasons this has often resulted in the overall title battle going down to the last round. Just one point separated the eventual 2012 champion, Roger Evans, from runner-up Neil Smith.

2012 was also notable for the number of different overall race winners as Neil only raced his all-conquering 156 on three occasions and this meant that Barry McMahon, Adie Hawkins, Anthony George, Guy Hale, Bryan Shrubb and Roger Evans all had turns on the top step of the podium. We hope that this variety will be repeated in 2013 as it encourages more drivers to feel they have the chance of a race victory rather than just taking class spoils.

The Production classes produce their own stories. Class C in particular attracts powerful cars such as the V6 GTVs and 156/147 3.2 litre GTAs but if you want close competition throughout the year, look at Class E. This is for models using the familiar transverse 4 cylinder 16v engine as used in the 156, 147, 145 and 146 with very limited improvements allowed which helps to keep budgets under control. 2009 (Paul Plant), 2010 (Mel Healey) and 2011 (Emma Karwacki) all saw the championship winner come from this class. And it is notable that two of the winners were women who are warmly welcomed into Alfa racing. Class E can match any one make/one model series but with that little added spice of different models and shapes but all to the same basic specification.

In 2013, the Alfa Romeo Championship will be returning to Thruxton for the first time since 1995 with a double-header meeting over the weekend August 17/18. A “first” for us will be the final two rounds on the new Silverstone “International” circuit in October. Otherwise, there will be visits to Rockingham, Silverstone National, Cadwell, Snetterton 300, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Donington. As usual, this excellent calendar is provided by the BRSCC, and is shown in full below;

Sunday, April 7	Rockingham
Sat/Sun 11/12th May	Silverstone National	Double Header
Sat/Sun 25th May	Oulton Park
Sat/Sun 22/23rd June	Cadwell Park	Double Header
Sat/Sun 20/21st July	Snetterton 300	Double Header
Sat/Sun 17/18th August	Thruxton	Double Header
Sunday 1st September	Brannds Hatch
Sat/Sun 14/15th September	Donington Park
Sat/Sun 19/20th October	Silverstone International	Double Header

Alfashop are continuing their much valued title sponsorship in to an eighth year while Toyo (in association with Tyres South Shore) return as official control tyre suppliers for the production classes. MMC Motorsport Insurance will again support the Driver of the Day awards.

Last July, we also ran a pre ’91 Alfa race at Snetterton and two more races specifically restricted to these earlier models, including the Alfasud, 33, 75 and Alfetta, have been organised for the weekend June 22/23 at Cadwell and either September 14 or 15 at Donington. These races will be run at the same meetings as rounds of the Alfa Championship. A third race may be added at a later date.

To keep track of everything happening in the Alfa Championship and Alfa Pre ’91 log on to www.alfaracer.com