Constable and Team Parker Claim Caterham Eurocup Titles

17 October 2005

Just a month after claiming his maiden race victories, Jamie Constable was yesterday (Saturday) celebrating his first championship title. The 40-year-old Londoner led his Team Parker Racing colleague Mike Cantillon to a resounding Autosport Caterham Eurocup one-two in a breathtaking conclusion to the season at the Nürburgring in Germany.

Visiting F3 star Ben Clucas won both the races, but a pair of top-five finishes was enough to clinch the crown for Constable and give TPR its fourth Eurocup title victory in five seasons.

Jamie, who started his racing career in 2001 in the Caterham Academy and who has driven Roadsport and R400 chassis exclusively since, was almost overwhelmed: "I knew as I was crossing the line that I'd done it, but I couldn't believe it and still can't. It's going to take time to sink in… It's been a fantastic year and a great end to the season and I'm chuffed to bits that Mike and I have finished one-two, and that we've done it for Team Parker. I shall definitely be back to defend my title next year."

Constable claimed two race victories - both at Dijon in September - and visited the podium a further six times on his way to the crown. He finished the 12-race series four points clear of Cantillon, with Ben Dezille Butler an excellent third in his first full season and Oliver Bull, who with three victories claimed more race wins than any other driver, in fourth overall. Team Parker Racing won the team prize and Steve Hindle the Roadsport class crown.

But although it was Constable making the headlines in Germany yesterday, it was Clucas who was doing all the winning. The 20-year-old former Formula Ford Champion and McLaren Autosport Award finalist was on superb form at the wheel of the Hyperion Motorsport-prepared and crash.net-backed R400, but had to work hard for both his wins.

In race one Ben slipped from third on the grid to the lower orders of the top 10 as pole man Constable blasted into an early lead. "I don't know what happened," said Ben, "but I found myself way back and those in front getting away, so I decided I had better do something about it."

And that's exactly what he did, hauling his way up to fifth spot on the second of the 12 laps, then past David Knox for fourth on lap three, Simon Crompton for third the following lap, and then bagging both Constable and Cantillon to snatch the lead on lap five.

Thereafter, as three of the four Cs - Constable, Cantillon and Crompton - squabbled over second, Clucas enjoyed a relatively straightforward run to victory, crossing the line 4.6 seconds ahead of his Hyperion team-mate Crompton, who was in turn a hairsbreadth in front of TPR men Constable and Cantillon.

Bull was well in contention throughout and claimed fifth ahead of German championship contender Peter Ratcliff, Knox, Daniel Mitchell and Dezille Butler - Ben unhappy with his brakes in the race after a strong qualifying performance. Sarah Reader was lucky to finish 10th, her engine expiring shortly after crossing the finish line.

Eighteen-year-old Charles Bateman was an excellent 11th on his maiden overseas outing, with Ian Thompson, Mark Harris, Terry Clark and R400 debutant Hindle completing the runners. Alternator failure robbed Malcolm Johnstone of a finish.

The championship battle was now a head-to-head between Constable and Cantillon, with the latter requiring victory in race two to stand any chance of securing the crown. Mike tried everything he knew to keep in touch with Clucas, who this time started from the pole, but lost second to Bull on the third lap giving Ben the opportunity to stretch his lead to 1.2 seconds.

But that was as big a gap as Clucas would this time achieve as Bull, Dezille Butler and Cantillon worked together to keep tabs on him. The final laps provided some superb four-way action, and Bull nosed ahead of Clucas for the lead into at least a couple of corners; "I concentrated on getting my exits right and always managed to get ahead again," said Clucas. "It was a great fight."

Just over two seconds separated the top four - Clucas, Bull, Dezille Butler and Cantillon - at the line. "It's been a great experience for me," said Clucas, "and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Hyperion did a great job and everyone's made me very welcome."

Bull was pleased with his result - "a good strong finish to the year," said Ollie - and Cantillon was more than happy with his championship second: "It was a great, great race; we all bunched up again in the final laps and it really could have been anybody's win."

Constable just managed to snatch fifth from Crompton's grasp after swapping places with him at virtually every corner of the final lap, with Knox seventh after a spin, Ratcliff eighth, Mitchell ninth and Johnstone 10th. With Reader a non-starter and Bateman retiring after a trip through the gravel, the R400 finishing order was completed by Thompson, Clark, Harris and Hindle.

See series calendars for all 2005 Caterham Championships

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