We have four classes in this session, two of which were still up for grabs. The Clubman title would be won by with Jon Ellis in his Mini Cooper S or Ollie Novell in his Toyota Corolla T-Sport. While the Classic & Retro Club champ would be either Alan Tolley in the Cosworth YB-powered Sierra XR4x4 or Jeff Whitbrook in the Honda turbo-powered Charade GTTI. Mark Flook had already earned enough points to win Clubman+, while Stewart Summer had dominated the Pocket Rocket class in similar fashion. There was still plenty to play for in these classes too, as the fastest time in each class on the day would also set the first ever Time Attack lap record around the International Super Sportscar Long circuit.

Clubman+

Inaugural Clubman+ Lap Record!

Jonny Roose : Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII

Jonny Roose and his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII have been getting faster all year. Part of that is down to the car, which is backed by Norris Motorsport and run by Roose Motorsport. The rest is down to Jonny himself. He’s been taking driving tuition from former Time Attack Club Pro Champion Marc Kemp at Panic Link Motorsport, and it shows. Jonny topped the Clubman+ time sheets all day, setting a 1:40.905 in qualifying and a 1:40.631 in the final. He scored 15 points at Rockingham, the maximum score possible, helping him claim the runner-up spot in the Clubman+ Championship.

Mark McManus (Single Round Entry) : Seat Ibiza

The Forge Motorsport front-mounted intercooler clearly visible at the front of Mark’s Seat Ibiza signals it’s intentions. Mark was locked in a battle all day with fellow Clubman+ Single Round Entry Darren Meddings in the Subaru Impreza. Mark qualified in fourth place in Clubman+ behind Darren, with a best of 1:43.038 right at the end of the session. However, when the final arrived so did the chance to win a trophy for the fastest Single Round Entry in Clubman+. After a hard fight, Mark emerged victorious! His best lap of 1:42.400 in the final was the second-fastest time in Clubman+ overall, most importantly it was 0.048s quicker than Darren Meddings in third place, meaning it was Mark who drove home with the trophy and a smile on his face.

Darren Meddings (Single Round Entry) : Subaru Impreza

Darren’s Impreza is exactly what Clubman+ is all about, a quick car with limited modifications, but the right ones in the right areas. The car is supported by MB Developments, and Darren returned to Time Attack after having a great time at Croft in the last round. Darren qualified in second place behind Jonny Roose, with a time of 1:42.532. In the final, he went marginally quicker, setting a 1:42.448. Unfortunately for Darren, this was a tantalizing 0.048s behind Mark McManus in the battle for fastest Single Round Entry. Still, another excellent performance from Darren and his Impreza.

Alan Shepherd : Ford Focus

It’s been a tricky year for Airtec boss Alan Shepherd in the Ford Focus RS. He started out in Clubman, before his speed resulted in him being bumped up to Clubman+, amongst the more powerful four-wheel drive cars including an R35 Nissan GT-R and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII. Considering the different performance levels of the cars in standard trim, Alan has done extremely well to be on the pace at every round. Alan set a 1:42.828 in qualifying, good enough for the runner-up spot among the Championship contenders and third overall in Clubman+. In the final he set a 1:43.242, fourth overall in Clubman+ and once again runner-up of the championship drivers. The 13 points Alan scored at Rockingham helped him secure third place in the championship standings at the end of the year. A podium position is a decent reward for his hard work throughout the year.

Leigh Jordan : Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V

Leigh Jordan has been very quick at times this year, for example picking up a second place at Cadwell Park and a third place at Snetterton. However, he was marginally off the pace at Rockingham. The International Super Sportscar Long circuit was new to many of our drivers, Leigh among them. So it was a very steep learning curve on the day. Leigh recorded a 1:44.386 in qualifying, earning him fifth place in Clubman+ (third of the Championship contenders). Leigh grabbed the same spot in the final, with a time of 1:44.554.

Chris Milner (Single Round Entry) : Vauxhall Astra VXR

The blue DS Motorsport Astra was a welcome addition to Clubman+ at Rockingham. Chris had never driven on soft semi-slicks before, with his only driving experience being three and a half trackdays! Again, this is exactly what Clubman and Clubman+ is here to do, open a door into Time Attack competition. Chris admits the sessions flew past faster than he anticipated, probably because he was having so much fun. He set a 1:50.668 during qualifying, and a 1:50.511 in the final. He left feeling he could have gone faster, but for someone with such little track-driving experience Chris did a great job.

Clubman

Inaugural Clubman Lap Record!

Warren Greenland (Single Round Entry) : Vauxhall Astra Van

They say the fastest car on the road is an Astra van. Well, Warren Greenland proved that might be the case at Rockingham. With his Astra J VXR and Corsa track car both undergoing upgrades, Warren decided to use his work van instead. It has a remapped 1.9-litre diesel, with a few other goodies including an Mfactory LSD, hybrid Turbo Dynamics turbo, KW coilover suspension and Alcon 4-pot brakes. He was right on the edge of the Clubman regs, but with a heavy diesel engine (and being a van!) it was decided that the odds were sufficiently stacked against him. To be honest, we all wanted to see how he compared. The huge torque helped of course, but Warren can obviously drive a bit, as he negotiated the tight infield far faster than we thought possible. As a Single Round Entry, Warren wasn’t able to score any points but he did top the Clubman time sheet in all four sessions. He managed an impressive 1:48.213 in qualifying, followed by an even quicker 1:48.096 in the final. Surely this is the first and only Time Attack lap record set by a diesel van, anywhere in the world?

Chris Atkins (Single Round Entry) : Renault Clio 200 RS

Chris Atkins put in a strong performance at Rockingham to cancel out the nightmare weekend he had at Oulton Park earlier in the year. His Renault Clio 200 RS carried the message “Thanks Dad”, in recognition of the help he’s had from his Dad Paul Atkins. He was also quick to point out the help he’s had from Bro Sport, Midlands Renault Specialists, Kalaztaisport Renault and Stuart Millican Racing. Chris was happy that he beat both Ollie and Jon, who were battling for the championship title. Chris recorded a 1:49.183 in qualifying, and a 1:48.908 in the final. He got close to Warren’s lap times too, which is impressive considering the power difference between the two cars and the minimal modifications on the Clio.

Ollie Novell : Toyota Corolla T-Sport

A power steering issue didn’t help Ollie, on a day when he needed a good result to secure the Time Attack Clubman Championship. With help from the Se7en Motorsports team, Ollie navigated his way around the issues to grab the points he needed to win his first Time Attack Championship. Ollie set a 1:51.783 in qualifying, followed by a 1:50.142 in the final. Both times were quicker than those set by his Championship rival Jon Ellis, meaning that Ollie ended up with a healthy 6 point lead in the final standings. Ollie was disappointed he couldn’t match the pace of our two rapid Single Round Entry drivers, but with a car that wasn’t 100% he was just happy to have sealed the title. Ollie is now considering what to do next year, and has already hinted that he might change classes. Sounds interesting.

Jon Ellis : Mini Cooper S

Jon Ellis made a surprising admission at the start of the day. He’s really enjoyed his debut year in Time Attack, but has always been too busy getting his car ready or driving it on track, to take much of the day in. So he made the extremely unusual decision to put his hot laps in early in each session, before parking up and watching the remaining minutes as a spectator! So he completed just six laps in qualifying, with a best of 1:54.219. Then he managed another six in the final, setting a best lap time of 1:52.794. It was a slightly bizarre end to the Clubman Championship fight that had come down to the wire, but it says a lot about Jon’s approach to Time Attack in his daily-driven Mini. In some ways we wish Jon had gone all out in every session, but it’s refreshing to find someone who is not only a Time Attack driver but a huge Time Attack fan too.

Pocket Rocket

Inaugural Pocket Rocket Lap Record!

Stewart Summers : Citroen Saxo

It was fitting that Stewart dominated the Pocket Rocket class once again at Rockingham in his supercharged Citroen Saxo, he’s been doing that all year. In the final calculations, Stewart’s dropped round score was the only final he didn’t win, and even then he qualified in first place and finished runner-up! In fact, from a maximum possible 75 points, Stewart scored an incredible 74 points! He qualified in first place with a stunning 1:40.869, his fastest time of the day. That was almost three seconds clear of his nearest rival, it was also the fastest time set in the entire session across all four classes – beating the Clubman+ Evo and Impreza drivers too! Stewart went marginally slower in the final with a best of 1:40.941, still way out in front of the rest of the Pocket Rocket field and second fastest in the session overall, across all four classes. We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Stewart’s performance this year. A properly sorted Pocket Rocket, driven by a very talented driver.

Robert Oldman : Ford Fiesta ST

Winner of the Best Presented Team of the Year award, SCC Performance boss Robert Oldman has shown he’s handy behind the wheel this season too. He went into the Rockingham final in the middle of a fight with Mini turbo drivers Tim Kite and Richard O’Dwyer, for second place in the championship. Richard had pulled out of the final, but was sitting in a provisional second place, so that meant Robert had to beat Tim on the day and score big points to leap-frog Richard. In the early warm-up and practice sessions, Robert finished in third place, behind Tim on both occasions. When qualifying began it became clear that Robert had been keeping something up his sleeve, but it was still close. When qualifying ended, Robert had earned the runner-up spot, behind Stewart and ahead of Tim by a tiny 0.152s! It was a similar story in the final too, where Robert finished runner-up once again, this time finishing 0.7-seconds ahead of Tim. A great performance that resulted in the Fiesta ST driver grabbing the runner-up spot in the Championship. So Robert had several nice trophies to take back to SCC HQ from the final round of the year.

Tim Kite : Mini Cooper S

The distinctive grey and hi-vis yellow Mini has appeared neat the front of the Time Attack time sheets all year. The Mini Cooper S is supported by Airtec, and the factory supercharger has been replaced with a 1320Mini turbo conversion running an Owen Developments turbo. Tim started well, beating his Championship rival Robert Oldman’s times in both the warm-up and practice sessions. When qualifying came, Tim managed a 1:43.683 on his last lap, good enough for third place. This turned out to be Tim’s fastest time of the day. In the final, he set a 1:43.714 right at the start of the session, once again earning him third place. The 11 points he earned at Rockingham helped him gain fourth place in the overall Championship table, an agonizing two points off the Championship podium. In fact, only four points covered second to fourth place in the Championship at the end of the year, showing just how close the fight was. All things considered, a decent debut year for Tim in Pocket Rockets.

Thomas Mühlenz : Time Attack Championship / Airtec Ford Fiesta ST

We’ve had a range of famous names and faces behind the wheel of our Time Attack Championship 10th Anniversary Ford Fiesta ST prepared by Airtec. For the final round, it seemed fitting to give one of our sponsors an opportunity to share in the fun. The lucky man was Thomas Mühlenz, who joined us from Takata and Schroth Racing. Judging by his times, Thomas is a quick driver. In a car that was completely new to him, and on a circuit he had never driven before, Thomas was chasing our top three drivers all day, as they pushed hard for those Championship points. Thomas recorded a 1:45.395 in qualifying, followed by a 1:44.462 in the final, fourth fastest in both sessions.

Adam Barnett : Mazda MX-5

The only rear-wheel drive car in the Pocket Rocket class this year, Adam and his supercharged Mazda MX-5 have had an up-and-down season. He’s been quick, but he’s also suffered from a few mechanical issues, most notably high inlet temperatures, which have left him thinking about a turbo conversion for next year. He’s certainly entertained us all with his oversteer antics, and it was no different at Rockingham. Adam set a 1:49.749 in qualifying, before chopping a decent amount off that time in the final, with a best of 1:48.777.

Ali Arshid : Suzuki Swift

Ali Arshid was noticeably quicker at Rockingham than he was at the start of the year. He’s learning fast in his CTC Performance supercharged Suzuki Swift. Ali set a 1:48.995 right at the end of qualifying, his fastest time of the day, earning him fifth place. He couldn’t quite match that pace in the final, recording a best of 1:49.595. Ali is another driver who has used this year to learn the format and make his car reliable. He now has a decent base on which to build for the future.

Andrew Kime : Mini Cooper S

Andrew’s fastest time of the day is not representative of his true pace at Rockingham. He managed only three laps in the warm-up session before being forced to retire the car for the day. A disappointing day for the Saxo driver, who impressed us with his pace at Croft in round 5.

Classic & Retro Club

Inaugural Classic & Retro Club Lap Record!

Alan Tolley : Ford Sierra XR4x4

Heading into the final, it was a simple case of winner takes all, and the result couldn’t have been closer. Alan Tolley started the year late, missing round one through ill health. Despite the serious nature of his illness, Alan has refused to be put off doing what he loves. The TNT Racing Ford Sierra is an XR4x4 with a 2.0-litre turbo Cosworth YB engine under the bonnet, and it’s been a case of ‘little vs large’ all year as Alan’s big Sierra went up against the lightweight Daihatsu of Jeff Whitbrook. Things were looking dodgy for Alan when he finished runner-up to Jeff in qualifying by a nail-biting 0.137s, setting a 1:47.262. This meant the outlook was simple. In the final, if Alan lost he would also lose the title by one point. If he won, he would be level with Jeff on points, but would be crowned Champion based on the number of event wins (3 vs 2). As the minutes counted down in the final, the tension was incredible. When the session ended, Alan was fastest. He had won! In fact, his 1:45.636 turned out to be over a second clear of Jeff’s time. An incredibly close fight and both drivers later shared their respect for each other. A close fight, but one carried out in the right spirit. Alan can be really proud of his Classic & Retro Club Championship and his Rockingham lap record.

Jeff Whitbrook : Daihatsu Charade GTTI

When Jeff Whitbrook first arrived on the scene, we weren’t aware of the firepower he was packing. The Daihatsu Charade GTTI usually has a 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine under the bonnet, that makes them nippy rather than quick. Jeff’s car is a beast, with a turbocharged Honda B-Series somehow stuffed under the bonnet! Jeff fought Alan all year, with both the nimble Daihatsu and stable Sierra finding certain tracks where they had an advantage, the drivers had to make up the rest. Jeff kept his nerve in qualifying, grabbing first place with a 1:47.125. This gave him a shot at the title. All he had to do was beat Alan in the final, and the title would be his. Sadly for Jeff, it wasn’t to be. He managed to improve his time from qualifying, setting a best of 1:46.771 in the final, his fastest time of the day. Alan was just faster in that important final session of the year. Jeff is a great competitor and feel proud of his achievements this year, that includes two wins and two lap records.

It’s not racing.. it’s TIME ATTACK!

Championship Podiums

Final Championship Points Table

In the Pro classes, Russ Paton (Club Pro) and Lloyd Wright (Classic & Retro Pro) had already scored enough points to become 2015 champions. However, the Pro and Pro Extreme titles were still up grabs. Who would come out on top? Who would take home the debut Time Attack lap records on this longer course? Read on to find out..

PRO Extreme

Inaugural Pro Extreme Lap Record!

Phil Reed : AP Tuning/Ross Sport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI

Phil Reed grabbed the 2015 UK Time Attack Pro Extreme Championship title at Rockingham, despite hitting the concrete wall at well over 100mph! In the championship standings, it was a straight shoot-out between Phil and fellow Lancer Evo driver Andrew Barbour, and Phil brought some extra firepower with him to Rockingham. Having already set some of the fastest speed trap figures throughout the year with just 800bhp or so, the AP Tuning guys gave Phil extra boost and nitrous oxide injection to play with for the final round! Phil qualified in second place (1:31.589), before unleashing everything he had in the final – where he set an incredible Pro Extreme lap record of 1:29.281 to win in style. After setting his winning lap, Phil pushed on for a quicker lap. He entered the banked Turn 1 a bit too hot, understeered out onto the marbles and hit the unforgiving concrete wall side-on. Luckily the damage was minimal and he managed to drive slowly back around to the pits, where his team and spectators alike congratulated him on a well-earned victory.

Brad Sheehan : NR Autosport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

Where did Brad Sheehan come from!? We always knew Brad was capable of performing right at the front of the Time Attack field, but he will be the first to admit he’s had reliability issues with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX throughout the years – hence he was in his E46 BMW M3 at Croft, in the last round. This year he switched teams to NR Autosport, and Nick and the guys have been working through the issues to make the car both reliable and fast. One of the key areas NR and Brad have worked on is the suspension. Nick has been focusing on the setup of the Reiger Racing dampers and we saw the results at Rockingham. Brad controlled his usual steer-from-the-rear driving style to produce a neat and tidy lap that earned him the runner-up spot in the final. Amazingly, he reckons there was still a bit of time left on the track, but he was stopped from trying again by a red flag. Even so, this was his best performance of the year by a mile.

Richard Marshall : Ultra Racing / HEL Performance Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

Richard Marshall has been competing across Europe all year, and it’s safe to say he’s won pretty much wherever he’s gone. He claims this is his last appearance in UK Time Attack, certainly in this car, but we’re not sure if we believe him. He’s been around for years now and at Rockingham he was still the reigning Pro class Champion, looking to end 2015 with a bang. It’s fair to say he performed extremely well, right on the pace and grabbing third spot on the podium with his fastest time of the day right at the start of the final. We’ll have to see what the future holds for Richard but no-one can deny that he’s been extremely quick this year.

Andrew Barbour : NR Autosport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

Sadly for Andrew, things didn’t go his way at Rockingham. Heading into the event, he was locked in a fight for the Pro Extreme title with Phil Reed, in his debut year with his new car in Pro Extreme. In fact, all of our Pro Extreme drivers at Rockingham were new to the class this year. The difference is that only Andrew had a completely new car to learn too, and he admits that if had been offered second place in the Pro Extreme Championship at the start of the year, he would have grabbed it. Andrew started well, qualifying in first place with a 1:31.195 that was 0.394s faster than his Championship rival. However, when the final came everyone went faster and Andrew found himself at the rear of a very fast quartet, just 0.016s behind third-place Richard Marshall. That’s how close the pack were in the final. So it was a slightly disappointing day, but a very successful year for the Flyin’ Scotsman.

PRO

Inaugural Pro Lap Record!

Kevin Jones : Jetstream Motorsport Noble M12 RSR

Is there any stopping Kevin Jones and his Jetstream Motorsport Noble M12 RSR? Last year he won the Club RWD Championship, this year he steps up to Pro, swaps to slick tyres and win his second successive title! The Martin Cheetham engine in the back of Kevin’s car has now completed two full seasons without any issues. It’s also providing plenty of power, as Kevin’s lap times prove. Kevin won a tight qualifying battle, setting the fourth fastest time of the entire session and quickest in Pro (1:33.762). The Noble driver then found a whole heap of time in the final, taking maximum points with a 1:31.909, the fastest time by any rear-wheel drive car at Rockingham. If Kevin chooses to go for a hat-trick of Championship titles next year, it’s going to take a very special car and driver combo to beat him.

Lee Broadhurst : ABG Motorsport KTM X-Bow

In a class that includes a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 Noble and a triple-rotor turbo Mazda RX-7, Lee Broadhurst has been effectively out-gunned in Time Attack this year. However that’s only half the story, and Lee’s KTM X-Bow with 2.0-litre turbo Audi TFSI power in the back, is only half the weight of his competitors. Making up the time in the bends has been Lee’s priority all year, and that’s been clear by his spins towards the end of the year. Spectacular to watch, Lee has been great entertainment this year and has proved he’s no slouch, even in the face of stiff competition – taking the outright win at Snetterton for example, in Round 2. At Rockingham, Lee was on the pace in qualifying (1:33.818), finishing in the runner-up spot just 0.056s behind Kevin in the Noble. When the final came however, Lee couldn’t match Kevin’s extra pace but still recorded a credible 1:34.481, and the runner-up spot in the Pro Championship. Lee and his ABG Motorsport-supported X-Bow have done themselves proud this year, and we’re already hearing whispers of plans to come back stronger next year with new goodies. Watch out Kevin..

Classic & Retro PRO

Inaugural Classic & Retro PRO Lap Record!

Lloyd Wright : RSR8 Escort

A crowd favourite all year, Lloyd Wright’s Escort RSR8 is a work of art. Not only is the twin-Hayabusa V8 engined Escort an incredible machine, Lloyd’s attitude has been spot on. When several Classic & Retro Pro competitors pulled out at the last minute before Round 1, Lloyd pulled his socks up and focused his attention on the Pro and Pro Extreme drivers instead. He’s been pleased with some results, less so with others, but his pace has generally been around the Pro guys, sometimes pushing the Pro Extreme chaps too. So he was slightly disappointed with his lap times at Rockingham, which were marginally slower than the Pro drivers, but he’d already become the driver of a cult car for many Time Attack fans. Lloyd qualified in 1:35.467, before setting a best of 1:35.538 in the final, and of course took home the inaugural Classic & Retro Pro Championship title. Hopefully he’ll have some new friends to play with next year, but now that Lloyd has a year of experience under his belt, they had better come prepared!

Club PRO

Inaugural Club PRO Lap Record!

Ronnie Amis : Airtec VW Golf

It was a mixed day for Ronnie Amis at Rockingham. In many ways, it’s been a difficult end to the season for the Airtec VW Golf driver, with mechanical niggles in the later rounds ruining his Club Pro title challenge. Ronnie topped the Club Pro times in Warm-Up (1:39.374), Practice (1:38.881) and Qualifying (1:1:37.784). He earned 5 points for qualifying in first place and looked set for a strong finish to the season. However, when the final session began the alternator in Ronnie’s Golf died. He didn’t set a time, which was particularly annoying as Ronnie was sure he could go faster. As Ronnie described it himself, this summed up his year perfectly. Despite this disappointment, Ronnie still took home a trophy for third place in the Club Pro Championship, and of course has a new Club Pro Lap Record to help soften the blow.

Russ Paton : HQ Garage Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI

HQ Garage Evo driver Russ Paton had made the trip down from Scotland knowing he was already 2015 Club Pro Champion. That didn’t stop him from trying to finish the year in style, but he was surprisingly down the order slightly in qualifying, finishing third with a best of 1:41.087.  When the final came around, he either wound up the boost, took a brave pill or both, because he went much faster. Russ finished the year with a win in the final session, setting a best time of 1:39.958. We know Russ supports other drivers in other series too, and he was up at another track in Scotland the day after Rockingham, which shows his dedication to Motorsport and his HQ Garage customers. A popular win for a driver who has helped out behind the scenes at Time Attack, when this very car was still being rebuilt from the wreckage he created at Brands Hatch a couple of years ago.

Jonny Fletcher : G-R Performance Vauxhall Astra

Jonny Fletcher could be in Club FWD this year but decided to push himself into Club Pro for a bigger challenge. He rewarded his own ambition at Rockingham. When Ronnie Amis’ mechanical issues opened the door, Jonny stepped up and delivered the lap time to score the points that ultimately saw him snatch the runner-up spot in the Championship. Jonny qualified in second place with a 1:41.070, a miniscule 0.017s ahead of Russ Paton in third place! In the final, Jonny once again finished in the runner-up spot, this time 0.863s behind Russ, with a best of 1:40.821. It was a strong finish to the year for Jonny. Ronnie may have opened the door, but Jonny still needed to deliver that lap-time, and that’s exactly what the Vauxhall Astra driver did.

Lee Mabbett : Se7en Motorsport Toyota Corolla T-Sport

Lee Mabbett didn’t have the debut year he was expecting, in his supercharged Toyota Corolla T-Sport. Issues with his competition engine early in the season forced him to reset his expectations, and he’s moved forward admirably. Once again Greg at ProTuner tweaked the ECU map, got the Race Tech dash working correctly and Lee sorted the issue he’s been having with the supercharger belt slipping. Lee qualified with a 1:44.252, despite stripping third gear during the session. Without a gear that he admits he was using for around 70% of the lap, plus a slipping clutch, Lee’s final lap time of 1:48.021 isn’t representative of what he could have achieved. Still, it scored him the points to grab the third step of the podium at the final event of the year. Since Rockingham, we’ve heard rumours that Lee is building a new car for next year. So if you like the look of Lee’s car with it’s custom aero package, get yourself to the Se7en Motorsport facebook page for more info. We can’t wait to see what he comes up with for next year.

It’s not racing.. it’s TIME ATTACK!

Championship Podiums

Final Championship Points Table

Talking of lap records, a familiar face will be ready to welcome us. Former TA driver Mike Cantello is now the Circuit Manager at Croft. Not only was Mike very quick, he actually set the Club Pro 2WD lap record here in his Vauxhall VX220 on that day in 2013. So we’re in good hands this Saturday 22nd August, as the penultimate round of the 2015 UK Time Attack Championship rolls into the challenging Yorkshire circuit.

PRO Extreme

No record set

Opportunity knocks this weekend in Pro Extreme. Championship leaders Gareth Lloyd and the SVA Imports Lancer Evo are travelling to Australia to represent UK Time Attack in the World Time Attack Challenge! We wish the guys best of luck out there but it does mean they won’t be at Croft. Meanwhile, we’re sad to announce that Andy P and Black Mamba have retired for the season. At times Andy and his Evo have been monumentally fast, breaking lap records in their debut season. Sadly after a double engine failure at Oulton Park the team have decided to return to Cyprus and regroup, ready to come out fighting next year. It takes a lot of dedication to fly into the UK for each round, and it’s greatly appreciated by Time Attack fans, so let’s hope to see Andy and Black Mamba back and faster than ever in 2016. With both of the heavily aero’d cars out this weekend, the door is open for a new face on the top step of the podium! Phil Reed is a driver in form, having topped the speed charts in his AP Tuning Evo at several rounds this year. Andrew Barbour is hot on his heels after taking the third step of the podium at the last two rounds, but his NR Autosport team mate Brad Sheehan won’t be competing. Sadly his Evo won’t be ready in time, but Brad is still hoping to join the fun and drive his BMW M3 road car as a Single Round Entry in Clubman instead. 2014 Pro Champion Richard Marshall returns from success in Europe in his HEL Performance Evo, as does triple Pro Champion Gavin Renshaw! Gavin will be behind the wheel of the Lateral Performance / SD Motorsport “Banana” Impreza. There’s going to be a great battle in Pro Extreme for the vacant lap record.

PRO

Lap Record : 1:22.524

Olly Clark, Subaru Impreza [11th May 2013]

(PRO 2wD Lap Record : 124.670 – Danny Winstanley, TVR Sagaris)

Kevin Jones (Jetstream Motorsport Noble M12 RSR) and Lee Broadhurst (KTM X-Bow) will be involved in their own tussle at Croft, in the absence of Dalibor Kvasai and the 20B RX-7, Kermit II. Both these cars are rear-wheel drive so they have an almighty target to aim for, as Danny Winstanley was super-quick in his TVR Sagaris back in 2013. Are they up for the challenge? You know they are!

Club PRO

Lap Record : 1:28.817

Andrew Barbour, Mitsubishi Evo V RS [11th May 2013]

(Club PRO 2WD Lap Record : 1:30.294 – Mike Cantello, Vauxhall VX220)

Three front-wheel drive cars will be competing to knock Mike’s time from the official records, as he watches on Saturday. Ronnie Amis has been fighting illness but guarantees us he’ll be there on Saturday, as he cannot afford to miss out on these valuable Championship points. While Russ Paton currently sits top of the Club Pro Championship in his HQ Garage Evo VI and has Andrew Barbour’s lap record to aim for, while Andrew competes in Pro Extreme in his new car.

Club 4WD

Lap Record : 1:32.595

Lee Bullen, Subaru Impreza [11th May 2013]

Josef Calleja (Subaru Impreza) took the win last time out, while Simon Griffiths (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III) won the round before that. Both drivers sit in joint first place in Club 4WD with one round score to be dropped at the end of the year. Damien Bradley started strongly but won’t be at Croft, so it’s looking like a straight shootout between these guys for the title. Considering no Final points were awarded at Cadwell Park in Round 1 (cancelled due to extreme weather), the points gained at Croft will be give one driver a huge advantage heading into the final round.

Club RWD

Lap Record : 1:35.967

Umar Masood, Mazda RX-7 [11th May 2013]

Mazda RX-7 driver Umar Masood has a big lead in the Club RWD Championship points table after three wins on the spin. He’s also the lap record holder at Croft, so he must be feeling confident about closing in on the 2015 title? His rivals will be hoping to stop him, not least Simon Roberts. Needing a pair of turbos and an engine rebuild (with discontinued parts) since the last round six weeks ago, Simon has been on a mission to get the car ready in time. Fingers crossed he makes it.

Club FWD

Lap Record : 1:36.130

Marc Donnelly, Ford Escort [11th May 2013]

Neil Wrenn tops the provisional points table, but the truth is Club FWD is so fiercely contested this year that several drivers could still take the title. Lap record holder Marc Donnelly is currently second in the standings (ignoring the need for every driver to drop one round score at the end of the year), and clearly goes well at Croft. It’s been a couple of years however and the competition is stiffer than ever, especially with Dan Clark returning in his Vauxhall Astra. Watch out for the other Astras too. Martyn Henry is certainly still in the running, while DM Motorsport Engineering’s Adrian Daniel is feeling positive after a recent test day at Croft. We won’t share Adrian’s lap times but even with a passenger they were “favourable” compared to Marc’s lap record, so expect some fireworks on Saturday! We also have three Single Round Entries in Club FWD this weekend; Christian Stanton (Honda Civic), Domonic Gregory (Vauxhall Astra) and Adam Clelland (Ford Focus RS). Let’s hope they know what they’re letting themselves in for.

(Club NA Lap Record : 1:39.563 – Neil Holden, Honda Civic)

It’s worth noting that although there is no official Club NA class this year (all Club Challenge classes in 2015 are based on drivetrains; Four wheel drive, rear wheel drive or front wheel drive) – Club competitors with naturally aspirated engines are eligible to set a new Club NA lap record. This is an additional target for the likes of Jonathan Morris (Ford Focus) and Paul Waddington (Honda Civic).

No Lap Record set

Classic & Retro PRO

He’s been getting faster all year. How close can Lloyd Wright (RSR-8 Escort) get to the front-running Pro and Pro Extreme drivers? You can be sure he’ll be pushing hard to find out.

No Lap Record set

Classic & Retro Club

Once again it will be Jeff Whitbrook’s Honda turbo-engined Daihatsu Charade up against the Cosworth YB powered Sierra XR4x4 driven by Alan Tolley. Incidentally, the TNT Racing team have treated the Sierra to a rebuilt gearbox since their issues at Oulton Park, so the Sierra should be on top form. This time both Jeff and Alan have a Single Round Entry to compare themselves with, in Max Wakefield and his “Lada Lotus”. Sounds like an interesting mix of cars! The question is, who will be fastest?

No Lap Record set

Pocket Rockets

The class for heavily modified small-engined cars, Pocket Rockets has proved to be very popular in it’s debut year. Stewart Summers has won three out of four finals so far in his supercharged Citroen Saxo, and finished second in the other. So he’s built up a valuable lead heading into the penultimate round. The turbocharged Minis are hot on his tailpipe though, along with Robert Oldman’s Fiesta and Adam Barnett in the supercharged MX-5. It will be interesting to see which one of our Pocket Rocket drivers adapts to Croft quickest.

No Lap Record set

Clubman

It’s a case of Mini vs Corolla in Clubman at Croft. Who will come out on top? Jon Ellis in his daily-driven Cooper S or Ollie Novell in his tweaked Corolla T-Sport? Ollie has won three rounds but it’s Jon that sits top of the points table after Ollie scored zero points in round three. With every driver set to drop their lowest score at the end of the year, Ollie needs to have a trouble-free round at Croft to remain in contention against Jon and his thus-far reliable Mini.

No Lap Record set

Clubman+

One GT-R, two Evos and a Focus RS continue their Clubman+ Championship fight at Croft. It’s currently ‘advantage Mr Flook’, as Mark and his Eurospec R35 GT-R have a big lead in the points table. However, with two wins and lap records on the spin, Jonny Roose and his Evo will be fighting hard for the win. Alan Shepherd of Team Airtec will be representing front-wheel drive in this battle, with a win and two third places in his last three outings. Alan will have another FWD car to compare himself to as Single Round Entry Mark McManus joins us in his Seat Ibiza. The other SRE in Clubman at Croft is Darren Meddings (Subaru Impreza), while the remaining Championship contender is Leigh Jordan in his Evo V, a driver that has quickly got on the pace. There is also a chance that Pro Extreme driver Brad Sheehan will join either Clubman or Clubman+ in his BMW E46 M3. Watch this space.

You can still buy a ticket on the gate at Croft. Come and join us at the Petrol & Pistons Show, there’s loads going on including this exciting round of Time Attack. With just two rounds remaining, everyone will be out to win on Saturday so we’re expecting some spectacular driving and some jaw-dropping lap times. Don’t miss out!

To view the current UK Time Attack Championship standings, click here

It’s not racing.. it’s TIME ATTACK!