SEAT Cupra Pack Chase Boardman to Brands

26 May 2005

After scoring two race wins, a 2nd and a 3rd in the first four rounds of the 2005 Smartnav SEAT Cupra Championship, series leader Tom Boardman is aiming to continue his master-class in motor racing when the next two rounds take place at Brands Hatch on Sunday 5th June.

After a near-faultless start to the season in his Special Tuning UK / Triple R Leon Cupra R, the talented 21-year old driver from Forton in Lancashire travels to Brands Hatch with a 16 point lead in the series. However, when you deduct each driver’s lowest scores – as 16 scores from 18 races count towards this year’s title – Tom is just three points ahead of his nearest rival.

Tom said: “Realistically my lead isn’t as big as it looks, so I’ve got to keep pushing hard and keep on winning races.  I won both opening races at Donington and although the meeting at Thruxton wasn’t perfect for us, we did pick up a lot of points by finishing second and third in the two races. I’m looking forward to Brands because it’s one of my favourite circuits and I’ll be aiming for more podium results – and trying to finish on the top step again if I can.”

In the race for the top team prize of £100,000, Barwell Motorsport is hot on the heels of Triple R as with each SEAT race it starts the Great Bookham-based team piles on the pressure.  In Round 3 at Thruxton, Barwell team drivers Carl Breeze (Blue Chip Group Leon Cupra R) and Alan Blencowe (Blue Diamond Leon Cupra R) sandwiched Boardman by finishing 1st and 3rd.  Breeze followed that with 2nd in Round 4, while Blencowe dropped to 5th after being penalised for contact with Mark Cole (Bovis Lend Lease / Team Parker Racing Leon Cupra R).  As part of the penalty Alan start Round 5 four places back from where he qualifies, but even so the Barwell team is brimming with confidence.

Barwell Motorsport’s Mark Lemmer said: “We’ve learned a lot at our first two race meetings and as a team we are very confident. We’re all very positive and looking forward to keeping the momentum going at Brands Hatch.  Carl is really up for it and after a first and second place at Thruxton has really got to grips with the Leon Cupra R.  We think Alan’s penalty is a bit harsh, but it’s only made him even more determined to get his first win in the series.”

Cole heads to Brands third in the series after finishing all four races in the top five – including two podiums.  He is just one point ahead of Round 4 race winner Mat Jackson (Whale Tankers / Jackson Motorsport Leon Cupra R).

Tom Ferrier (Team Parker Racing Leon Cupra R) finished 2nd in both races at Donington and the 23-year old from Surrey will be aiming to return to that form after a frustrating two races at Thruxton dropped him from 2nd to 6th in the series, behind Blencowe.  Tom will certainly be looking for race wins to avenge his Thruxton woes.

Only three points separate battling Buckinghamshire brothers Ian and Adrian Churchill (Bedford Battery / Churchill Motorsport Leon Cupra Rs).  Ian has finished ahead three times, but Adrian has benefited  more than anyone else by picking up three bonus points for making the best improvement on grid position.

The youngest driver in this year’s SEAT Cupra Championship, 19-year old Harry Vaulkhard (Fluid Design Solutions / JS Motorsport Leon Cupra R) has been something of a sensation so far and finished 6th in the last round.  He currently lies ahead of the oldest driver in the series, 47-year old Dave Pinkney, who dropped points with a non-finish at Thruxton in the brightest Leon Cupra R on the grid.

Two retirements and many more incidents disguise how ultra-quick Jonathan Young (Commercial Vehicle Direct / SRE Motorsport Leon Cupra R) is in the all-Scottish team, although he makes the very long journey to Brands Hatch lying ahead of Mike Doble (Castrol / Doble Motorsport Leon Cupra R) in the Championship.

Without any testing whatsoever, Henry Taylor (Mortgage Strategy magazine / Total Control Racing Leon Cupra R) entered the series at Thruxton and was immediately on the pace and finished 6th in his first race.  There is little doubt the 25-year old from Netherfield in East Sussex could be a front-runner at Brands.

Several drivers, including Sam Edwards who raced a Triple R Leon Cupra R at Thruxton, could still join the grid at Brands Hatch, while a long-standing business commitment abroad prevents Chris Egginton (Harben Barker / Team GVR Leon Cupra R) from appearing.  The Droitwich driver will return at the next meeting at Oulton Park.

Despite backing Manchester Utd to win the FA Cup Final, the 2004 SEAT Cupra Champion James Pickford says he’d put his money on Tom Boardman to win at Brands Hatch.

James said: “I watched the last round of the SEAT Cupra Championship from the pit wall at Thruxton; it was a fantastic race and the series has some very good drivers in it this year.  I think Tom will be the one to watch at Brands Hatch.  When Tom raced at Brands in a Leon Cupra R last year he was completely new to the series and hadn’t driven the car at all, yet he started from the back of the grid and finished seventh in the first race and third in the next.  My money’s on Tom.”

Two 20 minute qualifying sessions for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Smartnav SEAT Cupra Championship will start on Saturday 4th June at 14.00 and 17.20, with the two races taking place over 20 laps of the Indy Circuit on Sunday 5th Junes starting at 10.00 and 15.20.

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2005

Related Story 02.05.2005 - Boardman Leads as Breeze and Jackson Take SEAT Cupra Wins