CADWELL PARK CALLING FOR BRSCC IN SUMMERTIME TRIP NORTH
- Nankang Tyre BMW Compact Cup
- Vinyl Detail Fiesta ST150 Challenge
- Clapham North MOT Mazda MX-5 SuperCup
- GAZ Shocks Mazda MX-5 Championship
- BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship
- AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship
- Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship
- Downforce Radio Mazda MX-5 Clubman Championship
- Modified Ford Series
The winding corners, sweeps, dips and undulations of the magnificent Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire play host to the BRSCC once again for the first time in the 2022 season, and it brings some of its best and brightest to tackle one of the most technical and challenging courses in the UK. Mazdas, Fords, BMW and CityCars are the order of the day this, with all bar one set to see some more frantic battles as key championship points are on the line.
BRSCC MAZDA MX-5 CHAMPIONSHIP
As you’d expect for a weekend that features all three of their championships, the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 paddock sports the largest collective entry this weekend at Cadwell with more than 80 cars in attendance this time.
The main task at hand for everyone in the Mazda MX-5 Championship will be to try and stop the current runaway dominance of points leader Fraser Fenwick, who currently sports nine race victories to his name so far this season. This coupled with other strong results currently puts him 81 points ahead of second-placed man Jason Greatrex, who also leads the Masters table heading to Lincolnshire. He may have only won once, but his ability to carry on scoring consistently when others couldn’t has helped him sit as high as he does.
One driver certain to be a contender has to be third placed Steve Foden, who has been impressive particularly of late and in particular last time out at Oulton Park with a win and a 2nd place. He’s 44 points off Greatrex and will hope to be a bit closer to Fenwick once dropped scores start to factor in. He will certainly be in the hunt for more race wins, while other competition will come in the form of Michael Knibbs, Adam Craig, Oliver Graham and Luke Pullen to name a few.
BRSCC MAZDA MX-5 CLUBMAN CHAMPIONSHIP
While their Mk1 counterparts will be racing over two days in the more established Championship, the Mazda MX-5 Clubman Championship will see both races contested at Cadwell Park over a single day. Last year eventual champion Harry Storer had to stare at the rear bumper of Kevin Dengate as he went on to take two victories that day. This time, however, the competition levels are severely higher and Harry’s going to need all his talent and pace to keep them at bay, if it’s possible.
Right now heading to Cadwell with just three meetings left, Declan McDonnell has a lead on overall scores of 23 points over Storer in P2, while his season long rival Matthew Fletcher didn’t compete at the previous rounds at Oulton Park and has thus slipped to 7th before dropped scores. He’s still in the hunt when you take drops into account, but he’s going to need a very strong weekend and to beat McDonnell both times if he can manage it. Given the form Declan is in right now, that’s going to be tough and when you also throw in other pace setters and race winners such as Chris Dawkins, Jon Pethick, Neil Chisnall and more, their task isn’t quite as simple on paper as first thought. It should be fascinating to watch, however it turns out!
BRSCC MAZDA MX-5 SUPERCUP
It’s safe to say that the previous MX-5 SuperCup rounds at Oulton Park turned the overall Pro Class point standings on its head somewhat. Richard Amos, the long time leader in the class, had a disastrous meeting with a double DNF, meaning he dropped substantial points and lost the overall scores lead. With others stepping up and taking full advantage of his troubles, it’s put James Cossins in the lead before dropped scores, followed by John Langridge, Oulton winner Will Blackwell-Chambers, Colin Bysouth and Patrick Fletcher, while Amos is down to 7th and needs to rebound strong at Cadwell Park to ensure he remains favourite for the title. Nic Grindrod is doing superbly in 6th in class and as Masters leader too, plus you can never count out Tom Seldon, Leigh Britten, Will Morris, Tom Griffiths and more when it comes to possible dark horses.
Cadwell will also mark another intriguing chapter in the Club class battle, with Stephen New and Scott Wright currently slugging it out between each other. Scott only heads Stephen by a single point before drop scores factor in and it’s been very close between the pair, each taking points off the other wherever possible. Keep an eye out on the private inter-team battle also set to go off between BC Cars drivers Clive Chisnall and Matt Pickford, with only two points separating them in 3rd and 4th in class respectively.
AIRTEC MOTORSPORT FIESTA CHAMPIONSHIP
Jenson Brickley and Alastair Kellett are by far and away the two main men contesting the honours in the battle for the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta Championship title. While Kellett narrowly missed out on adding a second crown to his 2016 success, Brickley is going for back-to-back junior and senior Fiesta titles, something no FJC graduate has ever done in consecutive years.
Each took a race win at the previous meeting at Snetterton and while on overall scores it’s Brickley with a 26 point advantage, the dropped scores situation puts them apart by just two in Jenson’s favour. Last time Brickley was here, he captured the Fiesta Junior title, while Kellett’s charge ended in the barriers moment after the final race began. Both will have those memories in their heads racing this weekend, spurring them on to do better. Keep an eye on some likely challengers to both of them, such as Zachary Lucas, Simon Horrobin, defending champ Rob Smith, Dylan Hotchin and Marlo Cordell to name a few in the ST240 class.
Nick Moore is also still firmly in command of the situation in the ST150 class, with 12 points currently over Thomas Davis and he’ll be keen to improve. The shorter wheelbase of the ST150 might help him cause an upset or two and help Nick get amongst some of the ST240s should he prove quick enough. If so, the extra points for finishing higher in the result will only benefit him further, so he’ll be pushing like crazy.
BRSCC FIESTA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Snetteron seemed to be a tale of two weekends for the main pair of protagonists at the head of the Fiesta Junior Championship points standings. While Thomas Jack Lee added to his tally with three more wins, his main rival Sid Smith had to endure disqualification from qualifying, two back of the grid starts and even then, he still managed to salvage 2nd from the third race. The advantage is definitely with Lee right now but Smith will wish to bounce back and take some points off him where possible. Albert Webster, meanwhile, will be wishing for that first FJC win to finally come this way after he valiantly defended from his Race Car Consultants teammate in all three races and sadly missed out in each. Cadwell Park was where Albert picked up 3rd place in his very first encounter in the championship, so maybe it could be a good sign that Cadwell is a circuit that’s good to him and for him.
All of the usual suspects from so far this season are here again, including Ben Mulryan, George Foxlow, Archie Handy, JamSport Scholarship winner Lucas Hayden, Lexie Belk, Jasmine Shaw and more. Plus, we will of course also see Harry England as he continues to campaign the new next-gen Mk7 Ford Fiesta junior race car as the development proceeds further and Harry carries on racking up the miles.
NANKANG TYRE BMW COMPACT CUP
The two wins that Mikey Doble took in the previous rounds of the Nankang Tyre BMW Compact Cup were just what he needed to get back on track in his championship campaign after the difficult weekend he had to endure at Anglesey. The lead currently sits at 14 points over, of all people, his father Mike Doble Snr who is also top Masters driver in the standings too, so right now it’s a family domination at the head of the table.
Lee Dendy-Sadler and Ian Howes were also two more drivers that made full use of Oulton Park to gain back some key points after they too hit their own troubles at Anglesey, notably running into each other in the second race. Thankfully, they stayed out of each other’s way for the most part at Oulton! Gordon Macmillan, Martin Gadsby and Gareth Claydon are also drivers to keep your eyes on given their high placing in the points, plus Anglesey hat-trick hero Guy Davis is back to try and build on his success in Wales!
NANKANG TYRE CITYCAR CUP
Everywhere it’s touched down during the 2022 season, the Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup has typically managed to produce some very impressive grid numbers, with the last few meeting seeing entries regularly break 30 cars. Such is the popularity and growing interest, that more and more drivers are popping up almost on a race to race basis, which can only be a good thing as the championship continues to develop further.
Cadwell Park is where it all began for CityCar Cup with its very first race in August 2020, just over two years ago when 10 cars entered and took part in that weekend’s ClubSport Trophy race. Now with its own 30 car standalone grid, the drivers are ready to enjoy just how fun these cars are to drive around a circuit like Cadwell. As for the championship points situation, it’s still Richard Bliss in the lead but now ahead of Andrew Dyer and then his brother Stuart Bliss on overall score, although the two siblings do find themselves 1-2 again when you factor in dropped scores. Also set to be front runners will be Elliot Lettis, Christopher Mackenzie and Patrick Booth.
Plus, there’s the ever increasingly popular Student Motorsport Challenge, populated by dedicated teams from colleges and universities spread across the UK, battling amongst each other in a contest within a contest. Thanks to their domination at Snetterton, East Surrey College currently holds a 9 point lead in their dedicated standings over MET Motorsport, with Coleg Gwent’s Blaenau campus team sitting in 3rd in front of West Suffolk College and the sister Coleg Gwent team from Newport.
VINYL DETAIL ST-XR CHALLENGE
Having raced at both more local circuits this season as well as a couple of away days to both Snetterton and Donington Park, it’s nice to see that the Vinyl Detail ST-XR Challenge is back once again at one of their familiar Northern venues. Cadwell Park has always provided a great spectacle and a great challenge for all drivers who take part and with plenty of good talent on the grid this weekend in Lincolnshire, it’s sure to be another mega occasion.
Mike Blackburn’s strong results from Donington helped him to maintain the points lead he’s currently built up to this point, mainly thanks to a run of race victories from the previous two meetings beforehand. The gap currently sits at 42 points and it’s surely going to be another test for the likes of Chris Grimes, Sam Beckett and Mark Blunt who are all his main pursuers at this stage of the championship. This weekend also welcomes back Tony Mumford onto the grid for his first start of the season, plus newcomer Paul Dobson and guest driver Ollie Hunt too. Simon Robinson also reappears again as the sole XR2 on the grid this weekend.
MODIFIED FORD SERIES
If there’s one series that continues to capture the imagination and enthusiasm of club racers up and down the UK, it has to be the Modified Ford Series which has proven to be such an incredible spectacle wherever it races. Whether you’re a fan of the Blue Oval or not, the impressive quantity and quality of entries in this series is always mighty impressive and Cadwell Park looks set to be no exception once more.
Key cars to look out for on the entry list here include Dave Cockell’s near-invincible, fire-breathing Escort Cosworth, Malcolm Wise in his own example of the rally legend, Malcolm Harding’s replica Escort Mk2 Zakspeed, Rory Jose’s shocking pink Focus RS and the even more bizarre and wonderfully unique ex-Time Attack Focus estate – no, that’s not a typo! Plus there’s the usual mixture of Fiestas, Pumas, additional Escorts of various specification and a pair of Sierra Sapphire Cosworths to further spice up the grid. The Modified Ford Series also wishes to give a big thank you to Fury Autoworx for being the sponsor for this Cadwell Park round.
Scott Woodwiss
