Countdown to the opening SEAT Cupra Championship
race at Croft
28 April 2003
The UK's newest and most exciting racing series, the Holiday
Inn SEAT Cupra Championship, gets underway next weekend when some of
the brightest and best young racing talents line up on the grid for
the first time in their race-prepared 250 PS Leon Cupra R's.
After
two test sessions in their cars, the first at the famous Jarama circuit
in Madridand the second at Rockingham, 17 young drivers will commence
battle in the first two races of the series at the Croft circuit, near
Darlington, on Sunday 4th May. There is everything to race for
as the 10 race Championship boasts the biggest prize fund in British
motorsport at over £700,000.
The Champion will walk away with the prize of a lifetime - a SEAT-supported
drive in next year's FIA European Touring Car Championship, complete
with salary, company car and, in keeping with the lifestyle of a professional
racing driver, use of a flat in Monaco. The final two non-Championship
races at Brands Hatch take the form of a Super Prix, with cash prizes
and funding towards next year's Championship up for grabs.
The field of racing hopefuls, 14 men and 3 women, will all compete in
identical Pirelli-shod LeonCupra R race cars, specially built at SEAT
Sport in Spain. Each race will be run over 15 laps of the circuit,
and points and prizes will be awarded for winners, runners up and fastest
laps.
The SEAT Cupra Championship drivers are: BTCC Production Class race
winner Gordon Shedden, Jensen Button's former team-mate James Pickford,
single-seater Champion Julian Westwood, BTCC young-gun Spencer Marsh,
two of Dublin's hottest young racing talents, Emmet O'Brien and Gavin
Smith - together with the UK's fastest barman, Karl Goshawk, 17-year
old Ben Winrow and, upholding female honour, Natalie Barratt, Paula
Cook and Melanie Healey. Potential race winners also include Andre D'Cruze,
Hamish Gordon, Robert Huff, Craig Murray, Stephen Stokoe and Henry Taylor.
In anticipation of the big win and celebrity lifestyle, the drivers
are already getting used to performing in front of the cameras. The
Championship will be the subject of a docu-soap to be broadcast on ITV
in the summer, presented by supermodel, Nell McAndrew, and 2001 British
Touring Car Champion, Jason Plato, who also has the role of driver mentor
to the team.
Talking about the forthcoming Championship opener at Croft, Plato said:
"One of the most exciting things about the SEAT Cupra Championship
is that it has attracted a good mixture of drivers and the title really
is up for grabs. Not naming any names, there are some drivers who
will struggle in the opening races, some drivers will exceed expectations
and there are a handful of potential super-stars who will be battling
for the lead right from the first corner of the first race. I think
there will be a few big surprises and I'm expecting the Championship
to go right down to the wire. I can't see the title being decided until
the end of the final race - it's going to be that close."
After rounds 1 & 2 at Croft the Championship will continue at: Silverstone
on 26th May (rounds 3 & 4) Oulton Park on 13th July (rounds 5 &
6) Rockingham on 3rd August (rounds 7 & 8) Thruxton on 17th August
(rounds 9 & 10) and SEAT Cupra Super Prix
Brands Hatch on 28th September (non-Championship)
Full Championship details, including how to obtain tickets, can be found
at www.seatcuprachampionship.com . If you can't make it to the
races you can follow all the action and insider gossip by logging on
at the site and enrolling at the Cupra Paddock Club.
See series calendar for SEAT
Cupra Championship 2003
See events calendar for Croft Circuit
Image from official series web site : www.seatcuprachampionship.com
