FUN CUP ENDURANCE – ROUND FIVE – SNETTERTON – PREVIEW
GCI Racing’s Craig Butterworth and Ian Wood go into this weekends Fun Cup Endurance Championship fifth round at Snetterton with a 16 point lead, but still seeking their first win.
Having been second in every round so far this season, their moment of glory finally looked to be arriving last time out at Brands Hatch. But with only minutes to go they were tipped into a spin and you guessed it, second again.
There have only been two winning teams so far with defending Champions UVio/Hofmann’s Lotus and Stobart Sport with two each. Stobarts are second in the standings, having won at Oulton and Brands Hatch. Richard Webb was missing from the line-up at Oulton, so Jonathan Hoad stepped up to join Colin Kingsnorth, but it was Webb and Kingsnorth together again at Brands.
This weekend, Hoad again is due to deputise but this time for Kingsnorth.
Vapeclub with EDF Motorsport’s Vlad Vassiliev and Matt Dorkings, still in only their second season of racing are getting closer and closer to the podium. Their consistency has put them third in the Championship so far.
Team Viking have their regular pairing of Mark Holme and Nick Nunn, who have had one podium so far this season. Past race winners, they will be looking to impress in their home race.
Despite their two wins, UVio/Hofmann’s Farquini Deott and Fabio Randaccio have had their share of misfortune, but perseverance to rejoin the fray has netted them points to still be in fifth.
No one can ever predict the outcome of PLR Racing’s weekend, as they tend to have dramas to match their success rate. Third last time out at Brands for Neil Plimmer and Ben Pitch, but who’s guessing this time?
The JPR 99 Hire car had been run for Kaizen Motorsport so far this year, but now it’s back in the hands of the Black Widows. Seventh in the table and this weekend it’s Campbell Cassidy and David Clark’s turn to drive.
Team Olympian started the season with a third at Silverstone, but since then Kristian Rose and Chris Dovell have been out of luck, having crashed heavily at Croft. This weekend they are joined by Steve Lake who debuted at Brands. He raced in Radical’s last season and currently contests Lotus Cup Europe.
It’s all change in the GT Radial car too at Snetterton, with former Fun Cup racers Michelle Hayward and Zoe Burke returning. Clubmans racer Michelle was a race winner at Zandvoort and Zoe starred too with Apollo, but hasn’t raced for a few years. They are joined by Wendy Ellis-Smith who abandons husband Paul and the Fuelled Up Team this weekend.
Victor Kara and Simon Coles are in the second EDF car again, while MJ Tec GITI have Scott Jeffs and Martin Gibson, but they are still the unluckiest team on the grid.
Having missed the last round Apollo Motorsport are back with Peter Flynn, John Goodwin and Ross Murray and We Still Have No idea’s Paul Calladine, Alan Baldwin and Brandon James.
Team Greenheath have missed the last two rounds but Gary Bate is back but this time with Paul Turner, while at Fuelled Up Racing Paul Ellis-Smith has Jamie Price and Paul Taylor sharing.
There are two Greensall Motorsport cars this weekend too, but Nigel shares with Sam and Ted Smeeth, as their Father Simon is absent. Mark Walker shares the second car with Roger and Morgan Sparrow.
Track Focused made their seasonal debut at Brands and are due out with team boss Sean Cooper and Mike McCollum, while finally it’s not only Zoe Burke making a return, as husband Ryan is out too to share with Simon Rudd and former Junior Saloons and Fiesta Junior racer Jake Weston, whose uncle Kris crews for Championship leaders GCI.
Qualifying is on Saturday morning 10.40 to 11.25 and the four hour gets underway at 14.20.
Published by Peter Scherer for Fun Cup Endurance, July 20th 2022
