Hopkins and Sharrock Claim Caterham Academy Crown

22 October 2006

Caterham Motorsport crowned its newest champions yesterday (Saturday) at Brands Hatch, 17-year-old Winchester-based student Lewis Hopkins and Lancashire businessman James Sharrock, 37, claiming the evo Caterham Academy crowns for 2006.

Hopkins took the Academy Group 1 title with a cautious drive to fifth place at Brands. He had held second in the early stages behind lights-to-flag leader Andrew Thomas but opted for a cautious approach: “I decided a safe race for the championship was the best option; if I had ended up in the barriers that would have been my championship over with.” Lewis won the Castle Combe and Silverstone rounds of the championship and was second in the Aintree and Bentwaters sprint events.

Thomas overhauled pole-sitter Hopkins at the start and built an unassailable lead. Twenty-year-old Peter Young drove well from fifth on the grid to battle up to second three laps from the end.

The Group 2 title was wide open down to the wire, with Sharrock pinching it from Andrew Bell thanks to a solid second place finish at Brands behind the car of Julien Draper. Bell had been well placed in fifth in the early stages but spun and finished seventh.

Sharrock, who won the Curborough sprint round of the championship, was thoroughly pleased: “I’ve really enjoyed myself, particularly in the races at the end of the year. The Academy is a great way to start motor racing and my plan is to move up, with my car, to the Roadsport Challenge in 2007.”

Draper’s race victory earned him the distinction of being the only Group 2 runner to have won more than one round of the championship; he ends the year seventh overall.

Sharrock claims the crown by just two points from Lydden Hill victor Bell, with Nico Master third at Brands and third overall.

PROVISIONAL FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP PLACINGS
Academy Group 1 1 Hopkins 139 points; 2 Parry 130; 3 Thomas 122; 4 Richard Edwards 113; 5 Young 112; 6 Duncan Winner 108 etc.
Academy Group 2 1 Sharrock 127; 2 Andrew Bell 125; 3 Master 119; 4 Stuart Patterson 111; 5 Steven Wood 108; 6 Latimer 104 etc.

Backers for Caterham Motorsport’s UK and European race series include Autosport, Bilstein, Brian James Trailers, Caged, Cheesman Products, Comma, Cosworth, Cooper-Avon Tyres, Demon Tweeks, evo, HSBC Insurance Brokers, Mitchell Cotts, Motorsport News and Stack.

See series calendars for all 2006 Caterham Championships

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