British F3/GT Switches to Thruxton
06 August 2003
The British F3 and British GT Championships take centre stage at Thruxton
over the weekend of August 16/17th when a superb programme of racing
will include rounds 17 and 18 of the British F3 Championship gripped
by AVON Tyres, and round nine of the 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 is already spotlighting several future racing stars.
The awesome challenge of Thruxton 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
fastest venues is a highlight of the F3 calendar.
Heading the field to Thruxton will be Alan van der Merwe, who has won
seven races so far to give himself a useful points lead. However, his
major rivals are two rising sensations of British F3; top British racer
Jamie Green and 17-year old Nelson Piquet Junior and they shared the
race wins last time out at Rockingham. Piquet is the son of the former
three-time World Champion and is making a mighty impression in British
F3 this year as he moves up the racing ladder under the watchful eye
of his father. Green, meanwhile, is one of Britain's brightest young
hopes for future F1 success.
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, this should be a real thriller.
The Mosler MT900Rs of Shaun Balfe/Jamie Derbyshire and Martin Short/Tom
Herridge should set the pace. However, a gaggle of TVR T400Rs will be
chasing hard, including Shane Lynch and Piers Johnson, while Southampton-based
Steve Hyde is one of the leading TVR racers for the CDL team. The championship
battle is getting very tense as teams prepare for Thruxton, and the
rivalry between the two Moslers is just as intense as the contest against
the TVRs. In the GT Cup class, the Porsche of Patrick Pearce and Matt
Griffin is the car to beat.
Ensuring tremendous support race action are twin races for the Carlube
TVR Tuscan Challenge, the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship and the
Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge. Completing the fabulous programme
are the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenges, which are
always very popular with the race fans.
The SEAT Cupra Championship, currently being broadcast at weekends
on ITV1, will reach its conclusion with a pair of races at Thruxton
and with a works touring car drive up for grabs for the champion, two
dramatic races are guaranteed. Rob Huff heads the title race going to
Thruxton, but he has plenty of rivals including former F3 racer Stefan
Hodgetts and Gordon Shedden. The Tuscans are always dramatic at Thruxton
and Lee Caroline and David Mason will resume their season-long battle,
while the Caterhams are absolutely awesome as they slipstream around
the Thruxton sweeps.
After qualifying throughout Saturday (16 August), Sunday's action starts
with the GT warm-up at 9.10am followed by the first SEAT race at 10.30am.
The pit-road walkabout will start at 9.30am.
See series calendar for British
GT Championship
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