SEASON REVIEW: FORD FIESTA CHAMPIONSHIP

David Grady had the winning formula in the ST class. Photo: www.johncooperphotographic.co.uk

The championship season started on a high note more as more sponsors were added to the impressive headline names of Competition Car Insurance and Dunlop. Cartek and Ford Racing UK both supported awards. The Cartek Driver of the Day Award saw every class in every race have a trophy whilst Ford Racing UK supported the Prize Free Draw for one lucky driver to get a free entry to a subsequent round. As the country faced economic uncertainty, this did have some impact on motorsport, but crucially, the Fiesta Championship remained well supported and buoyant.

From the very start of the season, classes A, B and C, saw the dominance of specific drivers that was to define the season. In Class A, John Langridge had sewn up the overall honours before the last four races. Having made Class A all his, he then tested out a Daniels Motorsport Fiesta ST and found the C class drivers tough opposition.

In Class B (Fiesta Zetec), the hard and fast driving style of Scott Baines come to the fore as he recorded 11 outright class victories and 2 seconds from the allotted 16 races to take a well-earned Class B title.

Class C was more competitive as a greater number of drivers had entered the seasons foray. However, David Grady showed that solid preparation, thoughtful qualifying and then smooth and fast driving would net him the overall class win in his trusty Fiesta ST. During the season a record 36 drivers were seen out on-track over the course of the season.

The new for 2011 Class D Ford Fiesta Zetec S made an appearance at Lydden Hill and performed well by leading one of the races for some laps before a fuel surge relegated it back down the order. The Fiesta Zetec S is a stunning looking hardy performer and will again race alongside the more mature Class A and B cars in 2012. It is rumoured that as many as 7 cars will be out in class D.

A thank you to our sponsors and to our clerk – Derek Stanley, our eligibility scrutineer Bob Blackmore and to our co-ordination team including Lucy Ramsden who have all combined to make the race days go more smoothly. Thanks to Kim Hollings and AJK-TV for the excellent programmes broadcast on MotorsTV.

Check out www.fordracing.eu and www.youtube.co.uk/fordracingeu

Click here for the final championship points table.

Kevin Shortis – Ford Racing UK