British F3/GT Heads to Rockingham
15 July 2003
Race fans will be able to witness the next rounds of the British F3
and British GT championships free of charge at the Rockingham Motor
Speedway on Sunday 3 August. "Racing Rivals" Live at Rockingham
will feature the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship, and fans can obtain
tickets free of charge, courtesy of SEAT, simply by calling 0870 060
1769. Free tickets are limited to six per household and are subject
to a £1 per ticket handling charge. Please note that the deadline
for ticket applications is 23 July, otherwise admission will be £15
on the day!
The weekend's superb programme of racing is headlined by rounds 15
and 16 of the British F3 Championship gripped by AVON Tyres, as well
as round eight 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.
Previous F3 races at Rockingham have proved to be full of incident
and drama, and this year?s event should be no different. Current championship
leader is Alan van der Merwe, and he will be aiming to maintain his
championship lead in the face of strong opposition.
Leading the chase of Van der Merwe are Brazilian sensation Nelson Piquet
Junior and British racer Jamie Green from Broughton Astley near Leicester.
While Rockingham will be a new experience for Piquet, Green will carry
the hopes of local fans. But this is also home ground for Buckingham
racer Danny Watts, who recently scored his debut F3 win.
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. The 75-minute race featuring
pit-stops and driver changes 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 TVR T400Rs will be chasing
hard, including Oulton Park winners Shane Lynch and Piers Johnson. Based
in St Ives in Cambridgeshire, this is home ground for Short and his
team.
Ensuring tremendous support race action are twin races for the Carlube
TVR Tuscan Challenge and a round of the BRDC Single-Seater Championship,
while some of the most exciting action of all on Sunday will be in rounds
of the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenges.
But for many fans, it is the SEAT Cupra Championship that will be a
star attraction. The "Racing Rivals" Live title for the weekend
is taken from the ITV1 TV show that is following the fortunes of the
SEAT racers this season. Fronted by Nell McAndrew and Jason Plato, the
first programme will be screened on Saturday 26 July, so the leading
characters in the championship will already be known to the bumper crowd
that is expected to pack the superb Rockingham facility. With extensive
modern grandstand seating offering unlimited views of the whole track,
it promises to be a great day out.
After qualifying throughout Saturday (2 August), Sunday's action starts
with the GT warm-up at 10am followed by the first TVR Tuscan race at
10.25am. The pit-road walkabout will be held during the lunch break,
starting at 12.45pm.
See series calendar for British
GT Championship
Related Story 13.07.2003 - Record
Crowd for Oulton Park British F3/GT
