British F3/GT Action at Oulton Park

04 July 2003

The glorious setting of Oulton Park is the next venue on the British F3/GT schedule over the weekend of 12/13 July. A superb programme of racing will include rounds 13 and 14 of the British F3 Championship gripped by AVON Tyres, and round seven of the BRDC British GT Championship.

Topping the race action will be two races for the British F3 Championship, the world's finest proving ground for rising young stars. This year 85% of the current Formula 1 drivers made their name in F3, and the class of 2003 seems certain to spotlight several future racing stars.

The awesome challenge of the Oulton Park track invariably produces thrilling F3 races and this year's event should be no different. The sight of up to 30 determined young racers dicing wheel to wheel around one of Britain's most scenic venues is a highlight of the F3 calendar, particularly as the circuit prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Heading the field to Cheshire will be Alan van der Merwe, who has won five races so far to give himself a useful points lead. However, that could all change with one bad weekend and the South African will be pushing hard to maintain his advantage. His major rivals are two rising sensations of British F3; top British racer Jamie Green and 17-year old Nelson Piquet Junior. The son of the former three-time World Champion is making a mighty impression in British F3 this year as he moves up the racing ladder under the watchful eye of his father.

Along with Green, Rob Austin and Danny Watts carry English hopes, while the superbly competitive field is packed with ambitious young drivers from all over the world. Last time out at Castle Combe, Watts scored a breakthrough with his first F3 victory and the popular young Brit is full of confidence heading to Oulton, a circuit where he has excelled in the past. Danny could just be the driver to set the pace this weekend.

Flame-spitting 500bhp monsters pack the grid for a round of the British GT Championship, with an entry of Porsches, Ferraris, TVRs, Morgans, Lotuses, Corvettes and many other marques. With a 75-minute race featuring pit-stops and driver changes in the superb new pit-lane at Oulton, this should be a real thriller.

The Mosler MT900Rs of Shaun Balfe/Jamie Derbyshire and Martin Short/Tom Herridge should set the pace, but a gaggle of Blackpool-built TVR T400Rs will be chasing hard, including recent winners Shane Lynch and Piers Johnson. The rivalry between the two Moslers is just as intense as the contest against the TVRs, while local ace Phil Hindley (Chester) could get amongst them as he debuts his stunning new Porsche 996.

In the new GT Cup class, a guest appearance from Italian single-seater ace Vincenzo Sospiri adds international flavour to the entry. Sospiri scored his first British race win at Oulton 15 years ago in a Formula Ford and is relishing a return to the track with a Lotus Elise.

Ensuring tremendous support race action are twin races for the Carlube TVR Tuscan Challenge and the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship, while the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenges are always tremendously popular with the race fans. A round of the BRDC Historic Sports Car Championship and a double-header for the BRDC Single Seater Championship complete a quality weekend race line-up.

After qualifying and four races on Saturday (12 July), Sunday's action starts with the pit-road walkabout at 11.15am, followed by the GT warm-up at 12.15pm and the first race at 12.40pm.

See series calendar for British GT Championship

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