Championship of the Year!!!!

AndyF · 31 Oct 2002, 16:08 (Ref:418594)

Probably very hard to call, but to which national or club series would you give to acolade 'championship of the year!!'. Most likely, the drivers will pick those that they have competed in, but this is more a poll of the most exciting/well organised/improved series in 2002.

As ever, the Mini series have seemed to be one of the most exciting categories this year (IMO). Have also been impressed with the VW Cup, especially with the increase in high profile meetings, but for me it has to be the three Castle Combe championships, with big grids, and very close racing in the Saloons and FFords in particular!

alfaman · 31 Oct 2002, 16:24 (Ref:418605)

I would agree about 2 of the 3 Combe championships although the GTs were a bit disappointing with smallish grids at times. And some of the driving standards in the FF1600 were seriously dodgy - which saw some drivers leaving the series...
I thought the Junior Formula Ford Zetecs put on some good racing whenever I saw them.
Clios were excellent as ever.
On a more club level the Alfa Romeo championship (not the AROC one!) had good grids and exciting racing.
But I think overall the British Formula 3 championship was the best - great racing, big fields, down to the wire action and some real stars of the future!!

Ian Sowman · 31 Oct 2002, 17:39 (Ref:418672)

Championships I particularly enjoyed this year would be:

BARC Formula Renault
Mini Miglia and Se7en
Combe FF1600
Monoposto
VW Cup
John Cooper Challenge

I'd probably go for the last of those - although there were only three races what I saw marked it out as having great potential for 2003, when we'll see the cars in slick-shod guise in the John Cooper Trophy.

If we can extend this to best meeting of the year, then the MSCC's debut meeting at Mallory in July, run in conjunction with the BRSCC has to win by a mile. The weather was fantastic, the mix of championships was the best I have seen at any meeting, and the racing was superb. If only we saw more like that.

Muppet · 31 Oct 2002, 18:53 (Ref:418718)

ASCAR, F3 & GT, but then I'm biased!

Dave Brand · 31 Oct 2002, 19:14 (Ref:418726)

The Europa Engineering Sports & Saloon Championship!

Dan Friel · 31 Oct 2002, 19:59 (Ref:418767)

Didn't catch a round of that this year.. Mr Sudgen might have raced for the last time..is that true?

Mighty Minis looked excellent when I saw them this year (Supers not).

BARC F Renault also stood out..

**Snapper Baz** · 31 Oct 2002, 21:33 (Ref:418854)

I'm not biased BUT in this order:
1st (equal) Mighty Mini/Miglia/7s
2nd VW Cup
3rd Super Coupe
4th ASCAR
5th Clio's
6th Formula Saloons
Most boring:
1st Combe GT's
2nd Sports 2000
3rd Clubmans (or whatever they call them now!)
4th Formula Honda

Best Meeting:
Mallory 14th July-Morgans & mighty Minis!/Mini Festival Donington

Worst Meeting: Oulton GT's/F3's (the big shunt day)...terrible organisation.

Best Fun at a meeting:
Croix. BRSCC (the topless night club afterwards!)

Sorry...got a bit carried away!

Chris Y · 31 Oct 2002, 23:01 (Ref:418941)

Will you be coming to the Mighty Mini bun fight tomorrow, Baz? I owe you a drink for the Snetterton race report

ginettag27 · 31 Oct 2002, 23:03 (Ref:418943)

Must agree with the Europa Engineering Series - it was tip top!! With good racing through the whole field and a really varied selection of cars, plus a very good website with excellent write-ups and race reports.

**Snapper Baz** · 31 Oct 2002, 23:07 (Ref:418946)

Thanks Chris, hoped you'd notice! Unfortunately I'll be away off to Florida so will be unable to attend the knees up...photography and race reports don't pay honest! Must check out Sebring whilst there to get ready for my Mini race there in Feb!!...have to sweet talk Justin Bell for a few laps in a his race school Viper!!!

jase · 3 Nov 2002, 08:14 (Ref:420563)

Quote:

Originally posted by Snapper Baz
....Worst Meeting: Oulton GT's/F3's (the big shunt day)...terrible organisation...

Terrible organisation, how come?

The best for me were the GT's, minis and the EERC.

The worst, the BTCC.

speedy king · 3 Nov 2002, 12:13 (Ref:420649)

1st Clio Cup
2nd Mini's
3rd VW Cup
4th Ascar
5th F3
6th British GT

Les · 3 Nov 2002, 12:22 (Ref:420652)

another EERC fan and another great meeting ysterday at Brands Hatch

MaxxUK · 3 Nov 2002, 14:43 (Ref:420714)

I've been running in the EERC series this year and was fortunate enough to meet up with Les yerterday on what was a foul day weather-wise.

I've had great fun in the series but have always thought of endurance racing as appealing more to drivers and teams than spectators. Even though yesterdays 100 minute race was held in very heavy rain, on the 1.2 Brands Club Circuit, with 31 cars, ranging from Marcos Mantis' to 1400cc Fiesta's I can well imagine it was a great spectacle - even the Marshals enjoyed it and posted as much HERE

Not my vote for best series but it looks to be an even stronger series next year, with 9 UK races and 4 European Races planned.

As for best race series, well I have enjoyed the Tuscans again this year, and some good TV coverage of the Caterham Superlights.

Maxx

Les · 3 Nov 2002, 22:11 (Ref:420993)

with a 10 hour Willhire

Chris Gray · 4 Nov 2002, 11:40 (Ref:421314)

I only managed to see one Caterham Superlight race this year (Donington, April). It was the one where Gladman, Cooper, Kelly and Horne circulated within a fag paper of each other for the duration. Some truly brillaint racing.

Burton · 4 Nov 2002, 11:48 (Ref:421317)

Clio Cup by a mile!

THR · 5 Nov 2002, 16:40 (Ref:422253)

Combe FF's for me... brilliant racing, and a mate of ours won it

fav meeting was the Thunder in the Park, at donny, best races ive seen, fast single seaters, and not a boring mini in sight!

**Adam43** · 5 Nov 2002, 17:18 (Ref:422288)

Thunder in the Park? The Euro F3000 was a bit dull...

Although The Conrods were excellent afterwards!

**Woolley** · 6 Nov 2002, 00:28 (Ref:422653)

Marshals weren't allowed to see the Conrods as we were kept on post for the FSaloons night race, having sat around for hours while the Minardis didn't really race.

Best series this year? Mini Miglias were brilliant everywhere I saw them.

Most promising? GTs are nearly there fab cars, but not quite sorted as a championship. This year maybe?

Oh, and Tuscans as usual, especially the battle for second.

Dave Brand · 6 Nov 2002, 19:34 (Ref:423181)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan Friel
Mr Sudgen might have raced for the last time..is that true?

I'm not sure. His retirement was announced a few months ago, but then it all went quiet.

Biggun · 7 Nov 2002, 18:42 (Ref:424031)

Combe Formula Fords - on the brief occasions when everyone put their handbags away.

Combe GTs have got to be the dullest series ever - I've had a season ticket at castle combe for years, and it's been dull for ages. I remember it being a bit livelier in the early nineies, but thats it. I suppose the downturn is coz there are fewer and fewer cars eligable for the series filtering down to club racers - ex-National GT cars hardly come cheap, and even if you could afford one, would you want to waste money on running it in such a sparsely populated field?

Other than that, Minis are always good. The 7s/miglias weren't at combe this year - anyone know why not?

**bella** · 7 Nov 2002, 22:31 (Ref:424171)

junior fords.
by...
<-------------------------------------------->
this far. which also, coincidentally, was usually the distance between first and second in the races....

the gt's are lousy to watch. f3 erred on boredom on regular occasions, and arsecar isn't as much a racing series as a chimp-fest. i'd rather my racing was at least subtly fixed rather than it being so blatent.

fzzbcs · 11 Nov 2002, 15:24 (Ref:426444)

BRSCC T-Cars
ARP F3

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