TWENTY-ONE RACE SALUTE AT CADWELL PARK

JJ Clements arrives at Cadwell Park ahead of the MX-5 Mk1 pack. Photo: Jon Elsey

The BRSCC Northern Centre springs to action this weekend with their first race meeting of the year. Cadwell Park, the circuit that is often described as a ‘mini Nürburgring’, is the venue for a two day meeting that features a packed twenty-one races.

The BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup returns to action after a long six week break with a triple-header. Leader Mike Comber will be looking to extend his points advantage but it certainly won’t be easy with David Chapman and third place Abbie Eaton hunting him down. Matt Davies will be want to make amends for a poor showing at Brands, and you can also never rule out Paul Sheard or, of course, Tom Roche.

The Demon Tweeks/Sparco XR Challenge comes to Cadwell Park on its annual away day from its North West base. So who to look out for this weekend? Take your pick from the following; Tony Rudd and the Robinson brothers – Simon and Mark. In Class B, Lee Bowron has made the long trip over from his Barrow-in-Furness home to race his XR3i.

The mighty BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championship provides the biggest turnout of competitors this weekend. Forty drivers will qualify in two groups this morning which will decide whether they go into the A or B group. There are then three races for each group with the added excitement of promotion and relegation between the groups. James Blake-Baldwin will be hoping to repeat the heroics of last June at Cadwell where the brought Tom Roche’s winning run to an end with two victories. Current leader, JJ Clements and second placed Alan Henderson are just two of many drivers intent on stopping James.

Graham Seager won the last Alfashop Alfa Romeo race, but he is missing from the line-up today which opens the door for someone else to take the limelight! That someone could be Andy Robinson, Robin Eyre-Maunsell, Vincent Dubois or Darelle Wilson to name just four. However, the championship battle looks like it will be fought out in the ultra-competitive Class E, where just a point separates leader James Ford from James Bishop, both in 156s.

A very warm welcome to this weekend’s guest championship – the Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup.Jon Woodcock leads in his number 33 Class B car, having taken maximum points from the previous meetings at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Jon is eleven points clear, but with Class C front runners Tom Sanderson and Mike Williams each having one DNF this season, and the final result being decided with a dropped worst score, the championship is far from decided.

Four of the eight drivers in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship have previous experience of racing at the Lincolnshire circuit, which should stand them in good stead when they go out to qualify this afternoon. Amongst their number is FJC leader Rob Cox who did incredibly well to take pole last June before going on to make the podium in both races, P2 in race 1 and P3 in race 2. Fifty percent of this year’s FJC drivers have now also enjoyed a race win which highlights the fact that although relatively small, it is a highly competitive grid.

David Ellesley is the dominant driver so far this season in Class C of the Jam-Sport Fiesta Championship. The Ipswich driver has claimed five wins from six races, with David Grady the only other driver to have seen the chequered flag. However, Edward Cockill has gone one better in Class D with six from six. Ed sits this weekend out but his brother Harry will hoping some of the magic can rub off on him as he will be out in Ed’s car.

The timetable, Final Instructions and entry list can be found at CADWELL PARK RACE WEEKEND and the live timing can be followed now at TSL TIMING