Place your Bets for Round one of the Fun Cup Endurance Championship
ROUND ONE – OULTON PARK
A 24 CAR GRID FOR SEASON THE OPENER
Defending Champions, Team Olympian – GRD head the 24 car line-up, as the Fun Cup Endurance Championship kicks off it’s 2024 season at Oulton Park. While Chris Dovell and Riley Phillips are back to defend their title, they are joined by Simon Rudd, as the ex VW and Britcar racer moved from AxiaMetrics to replace Kristian Rose.
There are three former Championship winning crews battling it out too, as multi-title winners UVio/Hofmann retain their line-up of Farquini Deott and Fabulous Randaccio, while 2023 Champions, GCI have Craig Butterworth and Ian Wood together again. Julian Thomas and David Denyer are back too with the Racelogic car, after a tremendous return at Silverstone last year, after a few seasons out.
Chris Weatherill didn’t have the best of luck last season. But for this years campaign he is joined by Greg Evans at AxiaMetrics, who only had one outing last season, along with new boy Jonathan Railton, an experienced motorcycle racer. Team 3 Motorsport are back for the season with experienced Fun Cup drivers Andy Bennett, Dave Postins and John Perrott as they look to enjoy another year of close racing.
On or about the podium for the last two seasons, Team Greenheath will be looking to break their duck and visit that elusive top step with Gary Bate and Paul Turner, whilst it’s welcome back to Harry Mailer, who is sharing the Signature RV car with John Whitehouse and Steve Ruston. Signature won the final round last year with Marcus Clutton on board.
EDF Motorsport will be busy again too, as Vlad Vassiliev is now sharing the Vapeclub car with Simon Coles, while Victor Kara is partnered by occasional Fun Cupper Adam Cunnington. The Ratters are back too, with ex Caterham ace Peter Ratcliff, joined again by sons David and John, while it wouldn’t be Fun Cup without Neil Plimmer, who will once again be sharing his PLR Racing car with Ben Pitch. Fueled Up Racing’s Paul Ellis-Smith, Paul Taylor and Jamie Price made steady progress again last year and it remains to be seen if Wendy joins the line-up during the year.
Gary Summers was an occasional EDF racer last year, but this weekend he heads Team Summers, with debutant Mike Dewhirst, run by Leos Motorsport. The 99 JPR Snug Investments crew becomes the “Scrappy” and “Postie” show, with David Clark, joined by a returning Andy Bicknell.
Scott Jeffs and Will Abraham missed the opening round last year, but the MJ Tec team spent most of the season at the sharp end and are in it to win it in 2024. Matt Hogg and Mike Devlin changed cars part way through last season, but could do with some luck this time around as they look to progress this year. Red River Sport did the occasional race in 2023, and they’re back with Gareth Williams joined by mentor and international sportscar racer Johnny Mowlem and fellow Sports/GT ace Bonamy Grimes, now a historic rally man too.
Ted Bradbury was on the winners podium at Oulton at the end of last season and has one of his teenaged team mates that day returning in the Morpheus Racing car. Mikey Porter is now a British GT driver and won his Class at Oulton Park over Easter in a Aston Martin Vantage EvoGT4. It’s a few years since Mark Burton raced in Fun Cup, but the Historic Saloon racer is also back, as Wave 9. His team mate this weekend is the massively experienced and versatile Jason Minshaw, who I believe is a Fun Cup debutant.
Gracie Mitchell is another teenager who raced in last years finale, but has opted for a full Fun Cup season, after testing single seaters and Mini’s. She has the experience of Rob Croydon to share with, after he moves from EDF to GMR/Eco for the first round. Paul Calladine has a new team name and a new codriver. His Hi-Peak racing car is being shared by Guido Basile, who raced in British F3 from 1986 to 1989 and British F2/3000 for two years in the early nineties, before hanging up his helmet.
Skull Club Racing are a new team on the grid too, but both Jac Constable and Russell Joyce have both success and experience behind them. Both have recently raced in the TCR Championship and Constable was a title contender in the Radical UK Cup a couple of years ago.
Finally it’s a welcome Fun Cup return for Driver 61’s Scott Mansell, who is still the outright circuit lap record holder at a number of tracks, following his Benetton F1 exploits in EuroBoss. Scott started with a Jedi and has raced in Indy Lights, IRL Pro Series, as well as various F3000 and F1 cars and more recently Praga’s. He has father Kevin sharing, who was a Historic Touring Car racer, but over the last few seasons has been seen in his Classic Crossle FF1600. Qualifying on Saturday morning is 9.45 to 10.30 and the four hour races has lights at 14.20. The race is due to be live streamed by the on the Fun Cup Website.
