Churchill Brothers Aim for their Finest Hour at Silverstone in Seat Cupras

08 September 2005

You can hear the roar of engines racing at Silverstone Circuit from Churchill Motorsport’s workshops in Potterspury, so brothers Adrian and Ian Churchill will be aiming to make Rounds 15 and 16 of the Smartnav SEAT Cupra Championship their finest hour when they race in their back yard on Sunday 18th  September.

Both Adrian (39) and Ian (36) were the first to register for the 2005 Cupra series and since then they have been in the thick of the action.   Their best result so far this season has come at Oulton Park, where Ian finished 3rd  and Adrian 4th  – and while Ian has out-scored his brother by a ratio of 9:4, Adrian has picked up more bonus points than anyone else in the series by being the best improved on grid positions four times.

Their progress during the season has been impressive.  At the first meeting at Donington Adrian qualified last, while at the most recent race at Knockhill he qualified on pole, whilst Ian is still in the hunt for the £10,000 prize for finishing 5th  in the series. It’s fair to say that both drivers are enjoying a good season and whilst they work together like all good team-mates off the track, their rivalry on it matches anything the Schumacher brothers can throw at each other!

Adrian said: “I was really pleased to qualify on pole at Knockhill because I’d never been there before, not even to watch.  Silverstone is my home track, but in many ways the same thing applies as the level of competition in the SEAT Cupra Championship is so high that you have to be on top of your game whatever circuit you’re at.  There is a lot of rivalry amongst the drivers and none more so out on the track than between me and Ian.  I missed a gear at Oulton Park and that’s what let him through into third – but Ian’s the same as me, he won’t give an inch out on the race track, to his brother or anyone else!  He’s racing for fifth in the series and I’m going all-out for glory now.  I’m really enjoying racing this year; it’s a terrific Championship, well run, good cars and good competition.  The icing on the cake would be a good result at Silverstone.”

Ian said: “I’m aiming to finish fifth in the Championship and collect the last of the prize money, but I’m behind Alan Blencowe at the moment so it won’t be easy.  I know the Silverstone National Circuit quite well and I think we’ll have a good run there.  It’s a short track, so the racing will be very close and exciting.  Another thing that’s guaranteed is that there won’t be any Churchill Motorsport team tactics – not with my brother out for everything he can get in the races as well!”

At the top of the leaderboard a 1st  and a 2nd  place finish in both Silverstone races could give Tom Boardman (Special Tuning UK/Triple R Leon Cupra R) the SEAT Cupra Championship title.  It’s precisely what the 21-year old driver from Forton in Lancashire will be aiming to do.

The man most likely to spoil Tom’s celebrations is second-placed Mat Jackson (Whale Tankers/Jackson Motorsport Leon Cupra R), who has dominated the last three races and who is on fantastic form. The last time the 24-year old driver from Henley-in-Arden in the West Midlands raced at Silverstone he won a Clio saloon car race by miles, and Mat is confident he can continue his current good run.

Tom said: “I’m not going to play it easy – the Leon’s been so reliable this year that I’ve scored well in all fourteen rounds of the series and have no zero scores to drop, so it puts me in a very strong position.  My aim is to win the first race at Silverstone and try and finish at least second in the next.  I’ve got to keep my head, but it would be amazing to go to Brands Hatch knowing I’m the SEAT Cupra Champion.  I love racing at Silverstone and I’m pretty confident.  Come on – bring the weekend on!”

Mat said: “The aim at Silverstone is simple – two poles, two fastest laps and two race wins!  It could happen.  I’ve got the pace over Tom, my car’s running well and I know the Silverstone circuit like the back of my hand because I started working there as an instructor when I was seventeen.  I need to out-score Tom by seven points to keep my Championship hopes alive and take the fight to the last round at Brands Hatch.  I think we can do that.  At the end of the day, all we can do is go out and try and win everything from now on and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”

Carl Breeze (Blue Chip Group/Barwell Motorsport Leon Cupra R) is just three points behind Mat and is involved in a big four-waybattle at the top of the table with Tom Ferrier (Darwin/Team Parker Racing Leon Cupra R).  Also hoping to do well at Silverstone is Nick Leason who, equipped with new Pirelli-control tyres (something budget has prevented him doing for much of the season),will be looking for his best result of the series in his Cube Design/CMS Motorsport Leon Cupra R.

Two 20 minute qualifying sessions for Rounds 15 and 16 of the Smartnav SEAT Cupra Championship will start on Saturday 17thSeptember at 11.00 and 16.15.  Both races take place the following day, with the first 18 lap race around the 1.639 mile Silverstone National Circuit beginning at 11.15 and the second at 15.05.

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2005

Related Story 09.08.2005 - Magic Mat Can't Stop Tom Increasing SEAT Cupra Lead