FUN CUP ENDURANCE – ROUND THREE – CROFT – PREVIEW
20 years old this week, the Fun Cup Endurance Championship heads for Croft this weekend for round three of the 2022 Championship.
Current Championship leaders GCI Racing head the 21 car entry, with Craig Butterworth and Ian Wood still seeking that maiden victory.
After dominating 2021 and winning this years Silverstone opener, it was rare to see a podium without UVio Hofmann’s Lotus’ Farquini Deott and Fabio Randaccio on it. But the defending Champions had to spend extra time in the pits with a battery problem and are currently sixth in the points.
Stobart Sport were the surprise winners at Oulton, which puts them second in the Championship. Colin Kingsnorth once again leads the team, but Richard Webb is back after Jonathan Hoad stepped in at Oulton.
The PLR Racing duo of Neil Plimmer and Ben Pitch have started well, but are still seeking their first podium finish for 2022, after finishing sixth last time out.
Riley Phillips was happy to be in the top 10 with Kaizen Motorsport at Silverstone, so fourth at Oulton was almost beyond words. Ginetta racer Ravi Ramyead has settled well to the Fun Cup action and will be joined again this weekend by Richard Just, after he missed the Oulton race.
Currently joint fourth with Kaizen in the points so far, Team Greenheath have yet to confirm their entry for this weekend. Gary Bate and new co-driver for this season Jonathan Mitchell have more than proved their pace and looked set for a podium at Oulton until Bate ran out of track.
Team Viking have had their fair share of problems already this year, but if all’s well they are definitely potential winners. But his weekend they have a change in their line-up, with Mark Holme joined by young hotshoe Teddy Wilson, as Nick Nunn is away on parenting duties with son Harry at the Donington Mini Challenge. Wilson has deputised a few times for Track Focused and led races for the team.
It used to be PLR that topped the unofficial table for bad luck, but now it seems to MJ TEC GITI. Both Scott Jeffs and Martin Gibson have proven pace and have been set for podiums on a number of occasions until fate has gone against them.
2020 Champions Team Olympian have another change in their line-up this weekend, alongside regulars Chris Dovell and Kristian Rose. They were on the podium at Silverstone, but the engine let go at Oulton. Making up the threesome this weekend is Chris Grimes, Fiesta and Honda racer, but more accustomed to fixing Fun Cup cars than driving them.
EDF Motorsports have both cars out again, Vlad Vassiliev and Matt Dorkings sharing the Vapeclub car and Simon Coles teamed with the experienced Adam Cunnington on this occasion.
As well as sharing the CCS Media car with Bob Tomlinson and Alan Honarmand, Nigel Greensall’s team will also be running the pacey Sam Smeeth, with father Simon and brother Ted.
This weekend should have been Wendy Ellis-Smith’s Fun Cup debut, but she was forced to be a late sub for Fuelled Up Racing with RAW at Oulton. She is back for real at Croft though, alongside husband Paul and Jamie Price.
RAW’s second car in the Tachosys Systems livery could be out for the last time this year, as Alex Macleod has moved to the US. He is due to share with Clio Legend Paul Rivett, but brother John may also join them.
Agua Caliente have Rob Croydon back from another holiday, so Rob Perry steps aside to make way alongside Paul Turner, following their top six finish at Oulton.
Apollo Motorsport field an unchanged line-up of Peter Flynn, John Goodwin and Stuart Ramsay as do We Have No Idea, with Paul Calladine, Alan Baldwin and Brandon James.
Out in the GT Radial car this weekend are Fun Cup legends Steve Harris and Mark Burton. While Croft’s Black Widows are Aussie Pikes Peak expert Dave Rowe, who debuted at Silverstone and CNC Heads racer, former short oval expert Tim Foxlow.
Finally we welcome back as a one-off the Make Happen car of last seasons runners-up Greg Evans and Stephen Walton, both now busy GT Cup racers.
Qualifying is on Saturday morning for 45 minutes from 10.20 and the four hour race starts at 14.00
Published by Peter Scherer for Fun Cup Endurance, May 11th 2022
