"Racing Rivals - Live" Ready to Rock Rockingham

25 July 2003

‘Racing Rivals – Live’ will host rounds seven and eight of the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship at Rockingham on Sunday 3 August, and there will be a swarm of celebrities and a live pop concert to entertain the crowds.
 
Radio 1 DJs Mark and Lard will host the live music, which features the groups Most Wanted and the Sugababes, singing live on stage. Nell McAndrew and Jason Plato will be there, filming for the ITV Racing Rivals docu-soap which follows the drivers in the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship. And then there are the 16 Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship drivers, each battling for the biggest prize in British motorsport – a works drive with SEATUKin the 2004 FIA European Touring Car Championship, plus the use of an apartment in Monte Carlo.
 
After another cool and controlled drive at Oulton Park, Robert Huff has extended his Championship lead. With four races remaining, all scores to count and 74 points still to be claimed, the 23-year old race ace knows he still has a fight on his hands if he’s to lift the inaugural SEAT title in his Marshalls of Cambridge Leon Cupra R.
 
Following the allocation of half points for the shortened round six of the Championship, race winner Gordon Shedden has moved up to 2nd in the Championship. The 23-year old Scottish Sun backed driver is 23 points behind Robert, and with his first SEAT race win under his belt is confident of continuing his race-winning form at Rockingham.
 
Having been just one point behind Robert in the Championship, Stefan Hodgetts crashed in the first race at Oulton and was unable to start the second race as his black loaded supported car was too badly damaged to be repaired at the circuit. Stefan is one of three SEAT drivers who raced in Formula 3 at Rockingham last year, and he is equally confident that he can win both SEAT races there this year.
 
Likewise, Gavin Smith travels fromDublinwith F3 experience of Rockingham, and his form this season suggests he is more than capable of winning races in his yellow Smith Hire Centre Leon Cupra R. James Pickford will be hoping for better luck at Rockingham after the disappointment of scoring few points in his ABT Sportline / Haribo at his local Oulton Park circuit, despite leading much of round five before being spun off the track.
 
Half points moves Dungannon’s Stephen Colbert up into sixth place in his Auto Trader / Track Smart Leon, ahead of the Orange backed Cupra R of Julian Westwood. They finished in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively in round five, and a return to the podium for both is on the cards.
 
Behind, Spencer Marsh, Emmet O’Brien, Andre D’Cruze, Ben Winrow, Hamish Gordon, Paula Cook, Karl Goshawk, Melanie Healey and Natalie Barratt will all be aiming to continue to impress.
 
Huff said: “It’ll be tight, but it is possible for me to win the Championship at Rockingham. I’ll be giving it one hundred and ten percent like I’ve done all year, but I won’t be taking any risks, I want that title and the prize that goes with it.  I’ve got a healthy lead in the series now, but as Stefan’s accident at Oulton proved you never know what can happen and nobody can afford to be complacent.
 
“I’m really looking forward to Rockingham as it’s one of my favourite circuits and one that I know really well,” adds Robert. “Also in pre-season testing I was quickest there, the first time I’ve ever been quickest in testing, so that bodes well for a good weekend.”
 
Nell McAndrew, Jason Plato and the Racing Rivals television crew will be at Rockingham to continue to capture all the behind-the-scenes and on-track action. The docu-soap series, which follows the drivers in the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship, will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITV2 on July 26th and 27th and August 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th. Check TV listings for times.
 
Tickets for ‘Racing Rivals – Live’ are available from Ticketmaster on 0870 060 1769 or via its website (www.ticketmaster.co.uk).  Race day entry tickets, which give roaming grandstand seating (with exceptional views of the entire race track) and entry into the live pop concert, cost £12 in advance and £15 if bought on the gate on race day. Car parking and under 15s are free.

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2003

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