Home Fixture for Caterham Eurocup and Masters
05 June 2006
Caterham's flagship race series, the Cosworth Caterham Masters and
Autosport Caterham Eurocup, will be bringing an international flavour
to Britain next weekend (17/18 June) when they make their only UK appearance
of the season with what will be a first-ever visit to Donington Park
for either series.
Drivers from Germany, Italy and France will be joining their UK counterparts
on the grid for the four Donington races - two 25-minute sprints for
the Eurocup and a pair of one-hour mini-endurance events for the Masters.
A number of Caterham CSR 260s, including several from France, are
expected to be making their seasonal debuts in the Masters. The meeting
will also see the first all-German entry in the shape of reigning Caterham
champion of Germany, Kurt Hoffmann, who will share his Hyperion Motorsport-prepared,
Hoffmann & Rink-backed machine with Wolfgang Becker.
Honours are even at the top of the Masters points table between Hyperion/Acre
Jean drivers Nathan Bell/Rob Jenkinson and Colards Motorsport pairing
Clive Richards/Richard Hay. Each squad claimed a win and a second place
in April at the Hockenheimring in Germany after two very closely fought
and exciting battles.
Simon Jackson will meanwhile have another son alongside him at Donington,
19-year-old Cameron taking over co-driver duties from his elder brother
Dominik, who is in the USA pursuing his single-seater career.
Also expected on the grid are cars for rapid Italian Michele Tommasi,
former Eurocup frontrunners Oliver Bull/Sarah Reader, wily and consistent
veterans Nigel Bent/Nick Phillips, husband-and-wife pairing Philip and
Natasha Gladman, and fast Frenchmen Luc Paillard and Gilles Vannelet.
The battle for Eurocup honours couldn't be closer: David Knox won
the opening German round to claim the maiden series victory for the
new Cosworth-powered Superlight, but he has only a two-point lead over
Ben de Zille Butler, with reigning Eurocup champion Jamie Constable
holding third.
de Zille Butler and Constable, along with one or two others, have the
advantage of having raced their Superlights at Donington last month
in the UK championship. Ben, Rachel Green and Simon Crompton all claimed
podium finishes on that occasion.
Derbyshire 19-year-old Guy Harrington provides the local talent, the
reigning Caterham Roadsport Inter champion turning out for Team Parker
Racing alongside Constable, Mike Cantillon, Ted Murray and Charles Bateman.
The other big Eurocup squad is from Hyperion, who field alongside Crompton
cars for Terry Clark, Nick Payne, Ian Thompson, Andrew Beaumont and
Bill Addison.
R400 race winner Matt Blyth is expected to make his debut both in
the Eurocup and at the wheel of a Superlight.
A three-way battle for honours is anticipated in the Roadsport class,
with France-domiciled Brit Roger Norris, who emerged on top in Germany,
going up against Robin Russell and Andrew Blight.
The six-meeting/12-race Masters/Eurocup calendar takes the field to
some of Europe's finest circuits, including Grand Prix circuits Spa-Francorchamps,
Monza and Hockenheim. Next stop after Donington is Estoril for Caterham's
first-ever Portuguese foray.
See series calendars for all 2006
Caterham Championships
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