2011 Protyre Formula Renault Finals Series BARC Champion Victor Jiminez - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Hathersage-based Hillspeed are celebrating another championship success after the teams racer Victor Jiminez took victory in the BARC class of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK 'Finals Series' after a dramatic final round at Rockingham.
Jiminez headed into the weekend 22 points behind experienced category runner Archie Hamilton. The opening race saw Jiminez finishing runner up, cutting Hamilton's lead to 19 points. The 27 year old knew there needed to be a big change in the final race for the title to be his and on lap five his luck was in, Hamilton going off track.
This provided Jiminez with the opportunity he desired and he looked set to take the title when running in third, however contact on the penultimate lap threatened to ruin it, but Jiminez limped home in fourth to claim the title by just three points, Hillspeed's third championship success of 2011.
Team Principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “Another championship, another title win. We knew for the summer season we wouldn't be challenging for that title with three rookie drivers but we've come into the winter series with a driver that has more experience and won the championship. You need the consistency of the driver and reliability of the car and with Victor we've had both.”
Team-mate Sean Walkinshaw enjoyed a strong end to the Finals Series. Qualifying fifth for both races, the 18 year old took sixth in the opener, before sweeping through to take a superb maiden car racing podium in the final race. Racing rookie Joe Kibbler continued his steep learning curve at Rockingham and took two strong finishes, seventh and sixth in class in the two races.
Ollerenshaw added: “Sean has done an exceptionally good job this year, he came into his motor racing with no previous experience but has built on everything he's learned through the year and he's got his just desserts with a podium in the final race – it's great to see him get that.
“Joe has had a very steep learning curve, both at Snetterton and Rockingham, and the conditions on both weekends were very intermediate and constantly changing so that made the task he faced even harder. He's battled on through and we look forward to being able to build on everything he's learned into next season.”
