Josh Hill Driving For Fortec In The 2011 Finals Series - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Josh Hill will mount a title assault on the 2012 CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship with reigning champions Fortec Motorsport.

Hill raced in the main 2011 championship with Manor Competition, but made a switch to Fortec for the end of season Finals Series. After an impressive performance in the six-race series, in which he took pole position for all six races and took his maiden Formula Renault UK wins, Hill has decided to stick with Fortec for the new campaign.

Fortec’s Formula Renault 2.0 UK Team Manager Alex Fleming said: “Josh is undoubtedly quick and has a year’s Formula Renault experience under his belt. Combined with his dedication and hard work, I’m sure we will see him develop as a regular race winner and a strong contender in 2012.”

Hill is the fourth driver to be announced in Fortec’s line up for 2012, joining Shahaan Engineer, Dan de Zille and Jake Dennis.

The Stars Of Formula Renault BARC Will Get More Chances To Impress On The BTCC Stage In 2012 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Plans for a new three-round Renault GP Cup have been announced, a new initiative that will allow the stars of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship to make guest appearances in the CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship.

The Renault GP Cup will allow drivers already registered for the Formula Renault BARC Championship to enter their ‘BARC’ specification cars into three rounds of the Formula Renault UK championship, in support of British Formula 3 at Silverstone and the British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham and Brands Hatch.

The Renault GP Cup will not form part of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, so with no championship points on offer drivers will not find it compulsory to enter, but series organisers for both championships see it as a chance to boost grid numbers in the UK championship by giving the young BARC drivers a chance to get some additional racing time on some of the UK’s biggest racing packages.

The new partnership means that at these three meetings, there will be three separate classes running within the Renault UK races. There will be the main  UK class, the Junior class, running the old Tatuus chassis’ without an engine restrictor and the BARC class, using the old Tatuus chassis’ with an engine restrictor.

The Renault GP Cup Championship will commence in support of British F3 on 8/9 September around the Silverstone GP circuit, before running on the BTCC package at Rockingham on 22/23 September and Brands Hatch on 20/21 October, the final meeting of the season. This is in addition to the Formula Renault BARC Championship joining the BTCC package at Silverstone on 6/7 October for its final rounds, where it will run as stand-alone races.

The announcement has already received early praise from Richard Ollerenshaw, team principal of Formula Renault BARC outfit Hillspeed. Ollerenshaw said: “The planned introduction of the Junior class in Formula Renault UK was an ideal opportunity to provide drivers with a halfway point between BARC Renault and the full UK championship. Unfortunately, the current climate means the desire just isn’t there to do that – the economics don’t support it.

“What has been put forward now with the Renault GP Cup has the benefits of the Junior class but in a programme the BARC drivers can be offered at an acceptable budget level. We definitely welcome this as a good step forward and support it wholeheartedly.”

Full 2012 Formula Renault Calendar (UK rounds in support of BTCC unless specified):

31 March/1 April – Brands Hatch Indy – (Rounds 1, 2 & 3 Formula Renault UK)

7/8 April – Snetterton 200 (Rounds 1, 2 & 3 Formula Renault BARC)

14/15 April – Donington Park (Rounds 4, 5 & 6 Formula Renault UK)

28/29 April – Thruxton (Rounds 7, 8 & 9 Formula Renault UK)

19/20 May – Rockingham (Rounds 4, 5 & 6 Formula Renault BARC)

9/10 June – Oulton Park (Rounds 10, 11 & 12 Formula Renault UK)

17 June – Thruxton (Rounds 7 & 8 Formula Renault BARC)

14/15 July – Zandvoort (Rounds 13, 14 & 15 Formula Renault UK in support of F3 Masters event)

21/22 July – Croft (Rounds 9 & 10 Formula Renault BARC)

11/12 August – Snetterton 300 (Rounds 16, 17 & 18 Formula Renault UK)

18/19 August – Donington Park (Rounds 11 & 12 Formula Renault BARC)

8/9 September – Silverstone GP (Rounds 19, 20 & 21 Formula Renault UK, with Renault GP Cup, in support of British F3)

22/23 September – Rockingham (Rounds 22, 23 & 24 Formula Renault UK, with Renault GP Cup)

6/7 October – Silverstone National (Rounds 13 & 14 Formula Renault BARC in support of BTCC)

20/21 October – Brands Hatch GP (Rounds 25, 26 & 27 Formula Renault UK, with Renault GP Cup)

Jake Dennis Will Compete In The 2012 CERTINA Formula Renault UK Championship - Photo Credit: Paul Davies Photography

2011 Intersteps Champion Jake Dennis will once again team up with Fortec Motorsport this season as he makes the step up to compete in the 2012 CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship.

After a glittering karting career, the Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver moved up to car racing last season and enjoyed a sensational year, taking eight wins on his way to the Intersteps title, winning by nearly 70 points over his closest rival.

16 year old Dennis made his Formula Renault debut in the end of year Formula Renault UK Finals Series, bouncing back from some unfortunate retirements to pick up some strong races finishes, with a best result of fifth at Rockingham. His performances in the Final Series, along with some strong tests with Fortec over the winter, proved to the team that he was ready to make the step up to Formula Renault UK for the upcoming season.

Formula Renault 2.0 UK Team Manager Alex Fleming said: “Having worked with Jake throughout 2011 in the InterSteps Championship, I know he has exceptional speed and the commitment to match, his results to date speak for themselves. He was unlucky in the Finals Series but still recorded some strong results and the experience he gained will put him in a stronger position for the coming season. I’m confident that he can be fighting at the front end of the field this year.”

Dan de Zille In Action For Fortec During The Finals Series - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

After a strong debut in the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series, former Formula Ford racer Dan de Zille has announced he will compete in the CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship this year with reigning champions Fortec Motorsport.

Jersey-based de Zille started racing in the British Formula Ford Series in 2009 and after three years in the series, has decided to make a full time switch into ‘slicks and wings’ single-seater racing for 2012.

25 year old De Zille, who has also competed in some GT racing, winning four Aston Martin GT4 races and finishing second overall in the 2011 Britcar 24 Hour race, made a positive start during the Finals Series, taking a best finish of sixth in the penultimate race at Rockingham. The 019 Racewear-backed driver is now hoping to build upon his experiences and continue to improve his results through the season.

De Zille said: “I’m very much looking forward to this season; it’s a big step up and I know I’ll be pitting myself against some serious competition both from within the team and outside. I always love pushing myself and the Finals Series was a great opportunity to get to grips with the car and hopefully we can come back even stronger for the main season. I’ll be looking to put some my wheel to wheel experience from Formula Ford to good use and hopefully surprise a few people!”

Formula Renault 2.0 UK Team Manager Alex Fleming added:  “Dan has extensive racing experience which will undoubtedly prepare him well for the season ahead, he has adapted well to the Formula Renault car and is learning with every outing so I’m confident that he can perform well this season.”

Shahaan Engineer Will Compete In Formula Renault UK In 2012 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Reigning champions Fortec Motorsport have confirmed Shahaan Engineer will join the team for the 2012 CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship.

16 year old Engineer made his Formula Renault debut with Fortec in the 2011 Formula Renault UK Finals Series, where he put in some encouraging performances against far more experienced racers. The Dubai-based racer has now confirmed his entry into the main UK championship for the first time and is building experience ahead of it by competing in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand at the moment.

Engineer said: “Its great to be working with the multiple championship winning team, and I am really looking forward to the year ahead.”

Fortec’s Formula Renault 2.0 UK Team Manager Alex Fleming added: “Shahaan’s had a successful career in Karting and his performances in the Finals Series demonstrated that he is more than capable of having a strong season with us. Although still very young, he is extremely focused and I’m sure that his hard work will pay off this season.”

Dan Well (Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography)

This is my first ever blog for The Checkered Flag so I should probably introduce myself! My name is Dan Wells, I am 20 years old from Salisbury and I race in Formula Renault UK.

I started racing at the age of 18 in Senior Rotax Karts, before moving into Formula Ford 1600 in 2010 where I took 5 class wins, and then stepping up to Formula Renault UK later in 2011. In the latest championship I finished as Runner Up with 3 podiums in the 6 races and would like to go one step further in this year’s Overall Championship.

Since the Winter Series it has been a very busy time for me – I have not gone to sleep before 1am since November 12th! Going into the championship we had said that if we didn’t finish in the Top 2 of the series then I would call it a day – I set out to race because I want to win. Thankfully, I did manage to finish 2nd quite comfortably and beat many more experienced drivers, which was great – but it gave me the dilemma of having to raise the budget to race in the championship this year to go for the title!

When I first sat in a kart, I was mid-way through my A Levels in Politics and Economics, and I’m glad I paid proper attention in my lessons because it has come in handy sooner than I thought! Fans of motorsport don’t always see what makes up the life of a racing driver – it was only a couple of years ago that I thought they just sat in a car twice a month! However it is very difficult to raise the budget to go racing – and it simply takes time and a lot of effort. One of my first ideas was to allow fans to get involved with me and have a website where they could support my efforts – so I set up www.gofundme.com/danwellsracing and I was humbled by the response – in just over 6 weeks I have raised over £6,000 and also spoken to hundreds of people over Twitter and Facebook who are all interested in motor racing. Offline, I have been working hard to make contacts and get sponsorship too. Since starting this, BAM Motorsport Group got in touch and we have since been working together to ensure I am on the grid this season – and I hope we can make it! On top of this I also have a part time job at Waitrose Salisbury where I work as a supermarket assistant to help with my living costs. Waitrose have been very supportive of my career choice and we will be having a promotional day with my car outside Waitrose Salisbury on February 18th – if you are local come along and say hi!

The first big motorsport event of the year was of course the Autosport Show where I was running around like a headless chicken on all four days! There were plenty of meetings regarding this years racing, and some sponsorship deals to be made. The longest day for me was 18 hours and I was pretty shattered by the end of it! I took part in the Ginetta sponsored Race2Recovery kart race which was hugely enjoyable, although there were a few red flags! I ended up with the 4th fastest lap against an extremely competitive field which I was pretty pleased about. I also announced my partnership with Motorsport XS (www.motorsportxs.com), a company who run a scheme for fans where they can become members and receive discounts in more than 60 different motorsport related online stores – to make motorsport more accessible. I also spoke on the F1 Racing stand for the Henry Surtees Foundation Charity Auction (where one fan picked up Heikki Kovalainen’s suit for more than £1000!) and was interviewed by Alan Hyde on the Formula Kart Stars stand. I really enjoyed the week and topped it off by going P2 on the iZone karting simulator!

In January I was also invited to join the select MSA Academy squad which gives me access to some of the best coaching from the likes of David Brabham, Dave Collins, Robert Reid and the rest of the team. The first day took place on February 1st at the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone and I am excited by what the scheme has to offer and the future development opportunities. I had a 2 hour journey home afterwards where my heater had broken so I was pretty frozen by the end of it – however it was warming to find out that I had been selected as Number 13 (lucky for me thankfully) on the Motorsport News ‘Fast 50’ list. All these things add up and I hope the momentum can continue…

I hope to be able to have some news soon to say that I will be racing in Formula Renault UK with Atech Reid GP this year – but there is a long way to go yet. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me so far – and please stay tuned…

SRO And Renault Sport Are Hopeful Of Larger Formula Renault UK Grids in 2012 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

After a poor turnout last season, the organisers of the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship, SRO and Renault Sport, have come out saying they’re expecting larger grids this campaign.

2011 saw the Renault UK championship suffer from low turnout throughout the year, with grid numbers ranging from just twelve to fourteen. The series organisers are confident of increased entries for this season, with them believing new teams are set to join some series regulars and returning old teams.

General Manager Lisa Crampton commented: “After discussions with several teams and drivers during the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, we can expect larger grids for the season ahead.  

“With the inclusion of the Formula Renault Junior class we expect to see a strengthened field, especially with the likes of Fortec, MGR, RPD and Antel all looking to bring Junior cars to the BTCC package; our target of 5 cars in the class is looking very healthy. We’ve worked through a lot of feedback from the teams concerned to ensure that this class is successful and brings to the table what drivers want and need.

“The Formula Renault 2.0 class has a lot of buzz surrounding it. Mark Burdett Motorsport has numerous driver speaking with them, Scorpio are preparing their cars for a return, plus there’s new team GP1 Engineering (ex P1 Motorsport) based out of Hethel looking to join for the season ahead. Series regulars Fortec Motorsport & Competition and Atech Reid GP will be running at least three cars each, and there will also be the regular additions of Eurocup cars throughout the season. The return of teams and the influx of new teams running in both classes will undoubtedly add to the grid, and we look set for an even better year of racing than 2011 provided, which in itself is a significant accomplishment.”

This optimism follows the announcement that Mark Burdett Motorsport have signed 16 year old Gabriel Casegrande for one of their seats, with the team holding high hopes for the Brazilian driver who has won multiple championships in recent years.

It’s unclear as to whether all the entrants the organisers are hoping for will materialise though. In the Junior class, many young drivers are turning their attention towards the successful Formula Renault BARC Championship, a cheaper alternative for drivers making their first step into racing, which saw grids numbers over twenty last season. Antel Motorsport and RPD Motorsport have recently confirmed four and two car assaults on the club-level series respectively, while Fortec Motorsport are expected to continue their strong presence in the series.

In the main UK class, the loss of Manor Competition, who ran three cars throughout 2011 and have been stalwarts in the series for many years, will be a huge blow to the series.  Few drivers have confirmed their entry to the championship so far and with many struggling to raise the large budget required for the series, entry numbers could be in the low teens once again in 2012.

Manor Competition Are Leaving Formula Renault UK After A Poor 2011 Season - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Multiple championship winning team Manor Competition have left the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship to focus on European racing.

Established in 1990, Manor have become the most successful team in the UK championship’s history, winning the drivers’ championship on multiple occasions, including with Dean Smith (2009), Oliver Jarvis (2005), Lewis Hamilton (2003), Kimi Raikkonen (2000) and Antonio Pizzonia (1999). The team have also produced five winners of the prestigious McLaren Autosprot BRDC Award, the latest being Lewis Williamson in 2010.

Last season saw the team endure its worst season for many years. The team’s driver line up of Josh Hill, Alice Powell and Jordan King picked up just one podium finish between them through the season, meaning it was the first time since 2006 that a Manor driver has not won a race in a UK Renault season.

The team are now moving to compete in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup championship, launching a partnership with MP Motorsport. The cars will continue to run in Manor’s distinctive black and red livery, showcasing their continued partnership with the Marussia F1 team, with King set to drive one of three cars next season. The MP/Manor team are also set to run up to six cars in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup.

Plenty Of Changes Are Being Made Ahead Of The 2012 Formula Renault UK Season - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

A host of changes are being introduced in an attempt to spice up the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2012. The single-seater series suffered a disappointing year in 2011, but series organisers SRO are mixing things up for this year to try and boost interest in the series and raise grid numbers.

Top of the changes is the introduction of a Junior ‘B’ class. The class will use the older (Pre 2010) Formula Renault Tatuus chassis, as used in the Formula Renault BARC Championship. The series is aiming to attract young drivers with a reduced entry fee, a later test ban date and equal billing on track to the Formula Renault 2.0 cars in the main class.

The championship will have a new event format this season, which will now see the single-seater racers enjoy three races each weekend. The opening encounter will be a 15 minute sprint race, with the final two races taking place over 30 minutes. The championship will once again supporting the British Touring Car Championship for the majority of its rounds, but it will also have two special guest events, supporting the British F3/GT series’ at Silverstone, before heading abroad for the Masters of F3 event at Zandvoort.

Qualifying is also being changed for 2012. The driver’s fastest times in qualifying will set the grid for race three, with their second fastest times setting the grid for race two. The opening race will feature a reverse grid, with a random draw picking a number between six and ten, with those places from the fastest times being reversed.

One final change for 2012 championship will see the Graduate Cup, for drivers under 19 years of age who have yet to complete a season in the Formula Renault 2.0 cars, renamed as the Rookie Trophy.

Formula Renault UK Driver Dan Wells Has Been Chosen For The MSA Academy - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Dan Wells has been named as one ten young circuit racers that are joining the prestigious MSA Academy for 2012. 

Wells heads into the year trying to raise the budget for a title challenge in Formula Renault UK, after a strong 2011 campaign saw him finish runner-up in the Formula Renault UK Finals Series. Being inducted into the MSA Academy means 20 year old Wells will benefit from help and guidance from the MSA’s team of experts, including a number of development sessions throughout the year – focusing on sponsorship, fitness and nutrition. The first meeting takes place on February 1st at the Porsche Human Performance Centre.

Wells said: “I’m delighted to have been invited into the MSA Academy. It means a great deal to be recognised by a scheme such as the academy and I look forward to benefitting from the expert guidance of the MSA team. I know 2012 is going to be a fantastic year with everyone’s support.”

2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series Vice-Champion Dan Wells - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

2011 Formula Renault UK Finals Series Vice-Champion Dan Wells has become an ambassador for the new Motorsport XS website.

Motorsport XS is a new membership scheme for fans that aims to make motorsport more accessible to them.  The company has been working for over a year to arrange discounts with over sixty different partners in Motorsport for its members, with membership costing from £20.

Speaking at the Autosport International Show, Wells told TheCheckeredFlag.co.uk: “I’m trying to give fans an insight into what it is like behind the scenes of being an ambitious young racing driver – I try to be as open as possible via social media to motorsport blogs, which ties in with my GoFundMe page, where fans are able to sponsor my championship challenge this year. All this means Motorsport XS is a perfect brand fit for the two of us, involving the motorsport fans.”

Dan also announced that he would be supporting the Henry Surtees Foundation throughout the season. The brain and physical injury charity was set up following the death of promising young racer Henry Surtees in 2009 and is a charity close to many drivers heart.

20 year old Wells added: “At the end of last year I went to the Henry Surtees Trophy kart race at Buckmore Park and it’s a great cause. John Surtees has been a great help to me throughout my short career, I have a lot of respect for him and I’m very pleased to be supporting the foundation this year.”

Full details on the Motorsport XS initiative and Henry Surtees Foundation can be found at www.motorsportxs.com and www.henrysurteesfoundation.com respectively. Wells hopes to mount a title challenge in the 2012 Formula Renault UK Championship and you can help him achieve that goal by sponsoring him at www.gofundme.com/danwellsracing.

New MSA Team UK Member Josh Webster - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Josh Webster has been unveiled as one of seven drivers included in MSA’s Team UK for 2012, an accolade the Stowmarket-based racer is delighted with.

Team UK lines up the most talented young circuit racers and rally drivers in Britain, with the 2012 line up revealed at the Autosport International Show, where Webster was on the MSA stand throughout the weekend. 17 year old Webster receives the recognition after his excellent two year racing career to date, which saw him finish vice-champion in the 2011 Formula Renault BARC Championship.

Webster recently graduated from the MSA Academy’s Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence and becomes the first driver to graduate from the Academy into the MSA’s national squad. As a member of Team UK, Webster will receive driver coaching, fitness and nutritional guidance, as well as enjoy exclusive visits to the headquarters of Formula One teams and access to some of the most sophisticated simulator equipment available.

Webster, who is working on getting the budget together for an assault on Formula Renault UK in 2012, commented: “I am honoured to be included in the 2012 Team UK squad and I look forward to the first training workshops. I’ll make the most of this fantastic opportunity to learn under the expert guidance of National Race Coach David Brabham and Performance Director Robert Reid. I know it will be hard work, but I’m grateful for my place in the team and will work hard to justify my selection.”

Alex Lynn Led The Formula Renault Field Throughout 2011 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

The 2011 CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship was dominated by one man, Fortec Motorsport’s Alex Lynn taking the title with twelve wins to his name in a year which saw the single-seater series struggling with low grid numbers.

18 year old Lynn headed into the season as the reigning Graduate Cup class and Winter Series champion and used this momentum to be at the top from the off. Lynn took fifteen podiums through the year, with his twelve wins meaning he set a new record for the most wins in a Formula Renault season, breaking James Matthews’ eighteen year old record, ending up winning the title by 46 points.

Taking second in the standings after a late charge was Lynn’s Fortec Motorsport team-mate Oliver Rowland. The Racing Steps Foundation driver had a consistent start to the season, taking six podiums in the first ten races, but the 19 year old had to wait until Round Fifteen at Brands Hatch for his maiden series win. This started a superb late run, which saw him take four wins in the final six races, moving him into second in the championship and cementing his status as the 2011 Graduate Cup winner.

Losing the runners up spot to Rowland was Atech Reid GP’s Tio Ellinas. The Cypriot racer was Lynn’s main rival throughout the year and despite Lynn’s winning streaks, Ellinas kept in touch throughout the year, mainly thanks to an incredibly consistent year where he finished every race and didn’t finish outside the top six in any. Ellinas took a great fifteen podiums in the twenty races, including wins at Donington Park and Snetterton, however it wasn’t enough to keep him second in the points, the 19 year old losing out on  just the number of race wins collected.

Tio Ellinas Narrowly Missed Out On The Vice-Champion Spot - Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography

The best of the rest was Yorkshireman Jack Hawksworth, who ended the year 142 points behind Ellinas in fourth. Hawksworth had a strange season, starting the year with Mark Burdett Motorsport, before moving to Atech Reid GP for a few rounds, before moving back to Mark Burdett at the end of the campaign. Along the way, Hawksworth picked up four podiums, including a maiden series win on his debut with Atech Reid GP at Croft.

Fortec’s strong season was capped off with Mitchell Gilbert making it three of their cars in the top five of the points after a great rookie season. The Australian took five podiums in the eighteen races he competed in, including a maiden win at Croft when his team-mate Lynn was disqualified from the win. Sixth in the points was Daniel Cammish, who joined the series at the fourth meeting of the year at Oulton Park. Racing with Mark Burdett Motorsport, he made an instant impression and ran in the top six regularly through the year, picking up four podium finishes, including three in a row at the end of the season.

One of the main talking points coming out of 2011 was the disappointing campaign suffered by Manor Competition. After 2010 race-winner Ollie Millroy ran out of money early on, the former series champions had Josh Hill, Jordan King and Alice Powell racing for them for the majority of the year, with the trio only able to pick up one podium finish between them during the season, ending the year seventh, eighth and ninth in the points respectively. The team suffered their fair share of misfortune through the year, in particular King, who looked set for a maiden win at Snetterton until he was punted off on the penultimate lap.

Josh Hill Led The Manor Competition Assault In A Tricky Year For The Team - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Also having a tough year was Formula Renault rookie Dan Wells. The 19 year old started the campaign with Antel Motorsport, but after a series of disappointing results, made the decision to switch to Atech Reid GP at Thruxton. Improving throughout the year, Wells enjoyed a strong end to the season, taking fourth place finishes at Rockingham and Brands Hatch, just missing out on a maiden series podium at Brands.

 Final 2011 CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship Standings:

Shahaan Engineer In Action During The Recent Formula Renault Finals Series - Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography

Shahaan Engineer has become the latest driver to join the 2012 Toyota Racing Series, the fifteen race series culminating in the 57^th New Zealand Grand Prix.

Shahaan, who was born in Mumbai and currently resides in Dubai, will be the youngest and least expeienced driver in the Kiwi Championship, which gets under way in a couple of weeks. Engineer is using the series as the next step in his single-seater racing education, hoping to build on his impressive car racing debut in the recent Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series ahead of a planned campaign in the 2012 Formula Renault UK Championship.

The Toyota championship is the perfect series for drivers like Engineer, with five consecutive race weekends meaning it’s one of the most concentrated and intense series in the world, with drivers taking part from top-line championships like GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5.

Engineer said: “I am really excited to race in the Toyota Racing Series, mainly because of the high level of drivers I will have the opportunity to compete against and learn from. There is no other series in the world where a rookie can race against drivers with experience of GP2, Formula Renault 3.5 and other senior championships.”

The Toyota Racing Series will take place over five back-to-back weekends between mid-January and mid-February, with the opening three races to be contested on 14th/15th January at Teretonga Park, Invercargill The series will then head to Timaru International Raceway, Taupo Motorsport Park and then Hampton Downs in Auckland, before the grand finale, the 57^th New Zealand Grand Prix, on 11^th/12^th February at Manfeild in Feilding.

Ed Jones In Action For Fortec In 2011 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

After a successful maiden year in car racing in 2011, Ed Jones has signed up to compete in the 2012 Formula Renault Eurocup with Fortec Motorsport.

Jones’ maiden year saw him finish fourth overall in the BMW InterSteps Championship, scoring multiple podium finishes including a victory at Snetterton. The 16 year old also gained Formula Renault experience by competing in selected rounds of the UK and Eurocup championships, as well as a recent test with the Eurocup team at Motorland.

Jones joins Mikko Pakari and Oliver Rowland in the Fortec Eurocup squad so far, with Fortec’s Eurocup Team Manager Jamie Dye commenting: “I’m really delighted to confirm that Ed will be staying with Fortec and moving up to the Eurocup series in 2012; he’s had a really strong year and has shown excellent potential for the future. The Eurocup Championship is a great one, which provides drivers with an opportunity to shine in front of huge crowds and to learn and race at some fantastic tracks so I think it’ll be a good learning curve for Ed and we’re all very excited for 2012.”

Oliver Rowland Will Race In Europe In 2012 - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Fortec Motorsport have announced that 2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series Champion Oliver Rowland will graduate to the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Series in 2012 with the Daventy-based outfit.

Sheffield-born Rowland enjoyed a superb maiden car racing season in 2011, winning four races on his way to second place in the CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship, picking up the Graduate Cup honours in the process. He followed this up with the Finals Series crown, which was recognised when he won the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award earlier this month.

Rowland has taken part in a number of successful tests with the Eurocup team, both at Motorland and Valencia, where he has topped the timesheets and impressed throughout. Rowland will contest the Eurocup series with full backing from the Racing Steps Foundation once again.

Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Team Manager Jamie Dye said: “Oliver has had a phenomenal year; he is an outstanding talent and the step up to the European arena seems like natural progression for him. He has performed extremely well in testing so far, topping the timesheets in almost every session, which is encouraging for next year. I’m confident that Oliver has exactly what it takes to challenge for the title next season and we’re very excited to have him with us for another year.”

Jordan King Will Compete In New Zealand Over The Winter - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

After heading out to India for the Formula MRF series last winter, Jordan King is again flying abroad this year to compete over the winter, this time to race in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand.

The competitive single-seater championship is spread over five weekends from mid-January to mid-February, visiting tracks at Teretonga, Timaru, Taupo, Hampton Downs and Manfeild. The series uses 215bhp, Tatuus-designed Toyota powered slicks and wings cars, not too dissimilar to what King has used in Formula Renault UK in 2011, meaning the BRDC Rising Star is confident of a strong performance.

King said: “We first thought about entering the Toyota Racing Series last winter, because it’s the only opportunity to get some decent running in good weather at this time of year, especially with the testing ban in the UK. We ended up going to India instead, which obviously worked out really well for us, but people were still telling us that we should try New Zealand, too, and to be honest, when we looked into it all properly, it seemed a logical thing to do.”

The 17-year-old student will have a good opportunity to impress in New Zealand, having signed for front-running outfit M2. King will be up against a high calibre field, including his team-mate, former karting rival and Ferrari Driver Academy member Raffaele Marciello.

The Hugo Boss brand ambassador added: “I’m hoping to gain a lot of seat time, learn some different circuits, build up my level of experience and generally just progress my career a little bit further again. It’s always important to try to keep your hand in and stay race-sharp and fit over the winter ‘off’ season, and it should be beneficial in terms of helping to hone my racecraft.

“If it’s anything like it looked to be this year, then the competition will certainly be pretty tough, with GP3, F3 and Formula Renault drivers there from across Europe and some extremely good local and Asian drivers as well. I’m definitely anticipating a high-calibre field, and hopefully, that should generate some close and exciting racing.

“I would love to come away with some good results – top rookie or top Brit might be a good starting-point to aim for – and feeling like I’ve really achieved something worthwhile. That would be a good confidence boost ahead of the main 2012 season.”

Jordan King - Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

At Snetterton, practice started out well – straightaway, I was lapping inside the top few and we finished the day placed second; we were happy with that and with the progress we had made with the car.

First qualifying went well, too – I set a really good lap time before the red flags flew, which secured us pole position for race one. We were all happy with that, and it gave us confidence for Q2. Unfortunately, that session wasn’t as good – I went out late, which looked initially like it would play into our hands, but a drop in track temperature meant it took longer for the tyres to warm up, so I couldn’t get the best out of them and ended up only sixth.

In race one, I made a really good start and over the first few laps I was able to maintain the gap to Alex Lynn behind. Towards the end, I even began to pull away a little, but then with only a few laps remaining, Lynn’s exhaust broke, which gave him a lot more power and closed the gap right up again. With just over a lap to go, he went for a silly move that wasn’t there and crashed into me.

Following the race, the stewards gave him three points on his licence and a £250 fine, but that didn’t give me back what he had taken away from me. I was so disappointed that we didn’t get the result we should have done. We were the quickest on the track, and we should have won.

After that, race two was very difficult and I was unable to get past anyone because they just defended whenever I got close. It was frustrating that I couldn’t show my true pace, but still a good experience.

Moving on to Silverstone, the one and only test session we had there was good – I ended up second-quickest, which was a timely confidence boost.

In qualifying, though, due to having less track time than the guys who were competing in both Formula Renault UK and the Formula Renault Eurocup over the weekend, it had to be a quick learning process. I don’t think we did a bad job, to be honest, as we were second out of the drivers who didn’t have that advantage.

In race one, my speed wasn’t great, unfortunately, and I got involved in a battle and ended up losing lots of time and a couple of places, so that meant that in the end I finished where I had begun.

The second race started off a lot better. I immediately got up to fourth and was right behind the top three, but then someone had a look up the inside of me. I gave them room, but that also meant I went wide onto the marbles and dropped down to last place. I came back through again to eighth – right on the tail of the group of drivers fighting over fifth – and my speed was good, but it was just a shame about the end result, because we definitely had the pace to have finished on the podium.

2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Winner Oliver Rowland - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Oliver Rowland has been announced as the winner of the 2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, the 2011 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Vice-Champion picking up the prestigious award during the Autosport Awards at Grovsenor House in London.

Rowland overcame Emil Bernstorff, Tom Blomqvist, Alex Lynn, Scott Malvern and Dino Zamparelli to become the 23^rd winner of the award. The Racing Steps Foundation backed driver joins an impressive list of former winners, which includes Jenson Button, Paul di Resta, Dario Franchitti and 2010 victor Lewis Williamson.

The six finalists were tested at a wet and windy Silverstone in November in a Formula 2 single seater, Mercedes DTM machine and McLaren GT3 car, before taking part in interviews with the judging panel. Formula Renault UK Finals Series champion Rowland came out on top and his prizes for winning are a McLaren F1 test, £100,000, BRDC membership, a supply of Puma racewear for 2012 and a TW Steel watch.

The judging panel for this year’s award was led by BRDC president Derek Warwick and included touring car racers Jason Plato and Jamie Green, McLaren’s head of vehicle engineering Mark Williams, commentator Ian Titchmarsh and Autosport’s Marcus Pye and Kevin Turner.

Speaking at the awards, Rowland said: “I don’t really know what to say. It’s been a difficult year, I’ve lost someone close to me in Martin Hines, who’s helped me tremendously over the last six/seven years. It was testing but I came out strong in the end and it showed in the Renault season. There was a lot to learn in my first year and I think we did a good job in moving forward. I’ve learnt a lot and now I’m here and I can’t really believe it.

“If you look at the list of names who’s won in the past, to be stood here, it means everything to me and hopefully people can look at what we’ve achieved. If it wasn’t for people like the Racing Steps Foundation and Fortec Motorsport, I wouldn’t be stood up here and I have to thank them.”

David Pittard At His Recent Porsche Carrera Cup Test

A couple of weeks after enjoying a maiden test in a Porsche Carrera Cup Car, David Pittard is getting set for a switch of disciplines with a test in a Formula Renault, given to him as a prize for finishing on the podium at the Henry Surtees Foundation Kart event.

Pittard will test with championship winning squad Manor Competition at Silverstone later this month and will have to impress both Manor bosses Tony and Sarah Shaw, as well as ex-Formula One World Champion John Surtees. Pittard is looking forward to the test, which will be his first taste of the 210bhp single seater, a car with more downforce than he’s ever driven before.

Pittard commented: “I am really looking forward to testing with the most successful Formula Renault UK team, and to working with the likes of Tony Shaw. To be able to follow in Lewis Hamiltons footsteps and drive for the same team in the same Formula is a serious honour.

“I think the added down force will be the biggest challenge, but I am going to Manor’s workshop on Monday to fit the seat and look through the data, so I am fully prepared with what I have to do and to ensure I gain maximum benefit from the test.

“I will have the added pressure of having the 1964 Formula 1 world champion John Surtees watching me during my test! It is an honour to have met him at the Henry Surtees trophy and I can’t thank him enough for this opportunity. I will be out to impress him and the team right from the word go.”

Dan de Zille Impressed At Rockingham - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Dan de Zille enjoyed another impressive weekend during his maiden Formula Renault campaign with a sixth place finish in Round Five of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series at Rockingham.

Coping well in tricky conditions, de Zille qualified ninth for both the final weekends two races. A good start in the opener saw him leap into fifth position, before slipping into fourth at the second corner. Dan slipped a place when avoiding drivers colliding ahead, before a mistake at the hairpin meant he dropped to seventh. The 019 racewear-backed driver fought back though and took sixth a couple of laps later, before holding on to the spot until the end.

With adrenaline high, the final race of the campaign was set to be eventful and so it proved. The trouble started from the off, with de Zille hit from behind at Deene Hairpin, with a concertina effect crash ending de Zille’s race and two of his rivals. It was a disappointing end to the series for de Zille, but the Formula Ford graduate still left Rockingham happy after a positive campaign.

Dan commented: “It has been a great weekend, I feel like I have made a big improvement in my qualifying performance since last weekend and even though it was wet for the race, I feel like I have got to grips with understanding the slicks on the Formula Renault. I am pleased with the result from Race 1 and feel it bodes well for a good year in the main series, I am looking forward to some serious winter testing now.”  

Vice-Champion Dan Wells Celebrates With The Atech Reid GP Team - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Dan Wells is hoping to mount a title challenge in the 2012 Formula Renault UK Championship after the Atech Reid GP driver starred in the Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series, taking three podiums on his way to second in the championship.

Starting at Snetterton on the 5th/6th November, the Finals Series saw Wells up against thirty Formula Renault rivals, including some of the best drivers from the UK and Eurocup championships. Wells was straight on the pace in Norfolk, running comfortably in the top four in qualifying. After finishing fourth in the first race, Wells narrowly missed out on a maiden win in race two, finishing a close second for his first Formula Renault podium.

His strong run of form continued the next day, qualifying sixth and third for the two races, before going on to finish the races in the same positions, putting him second in the championship heading to Rockingham a week later. The Salisbury-based racer coped well with a tricky qualifying session to put himself fifth for both races, which he converted into third and sixth place finishes to cement his position as the runner up in the championship.

Speaking at Rockingham, Wells said: “I’m relatively happy with the weekend. We should have been P3 in qualifying but I made a mistake on my best lap. We didn’t win both races, so they obviously could have been better, but I’m definitely happy to have outperformed a lot of other drivers here to finish a strong second in the championship.

“Overall, we’ve had three podiums in six races, which is great. At Snetterton we were really strong and in the second race, we were right on the back of Olly [Rowland], but the gap just wasn’t quite there to get the win. It was a shame we came away from the series without that elusive win, but hopefully we’ll be able to come back next year and win the main championship.”

The Finals Series capped off a strong few months for Wells, who was challenging for podium finishes in the final few meetings of main 2011 campaign. Wells now hopes to team up with Atech Reid GP once again for next year’s Formula Renault campaign and believes together they can do well, should a budget be available to him.

Wells concluded: “Atech Reid GP have been fantastic, I just can’t put it into words how great they’ve been and everyone in the team works such long hours, any troubles we have had they’ve got sorted. Everything just works so incredibly well and I feel like we’ve made such strong progress. I hope to be able to find some sponsors to come back to the main series, so I’ve got to work hard over the coming months. If we do come back together next year, we’d be a force to be reckoned with.”

Nick McBride Leads Manor Competition Team-Mate Hector Hurst At Rockingham - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Manor Competition enjoyed a strong conclusion to the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series at Rockingham with both their rookie racers Nick McBride and Hector Hurst impressing, in particular Australian McBride who narrowly avoided a maiden podium finish.

In only his second weekend of Formula Renault action, 20 year old McBride was the quickest of Manor’s two drivers in qualifying, taking eighth on the grid for both races, while Formula Renault BARC graduate Hurst would start twelfth and fourteenth. Their Snetterton team-mate and Manor regular Jordan King would not compete over the weekend, instead electing to focus on European testing.

McBride, from Melbourne, comfortably held eighth early on, but after an early safety car period, he started to come under pressure from team-mate Hurst. He gained a place on lap seven when rival Josh Webster out-braked himself ahead, but Hurst lost out when Webster returned to the track ahead of him. McBride looked to challenge for a top six finish late on, but eventually lost out a place to end up eighth, with Hurst also losing a spot late on to finish tenth.

The final race of the championship saw McBride make a sensational start from eighth to dive into the top four. Hurst’s start couldn’t have been more different, the Hampshire-based racer stalling on the line, dropping him to eighteenth position. While McBride held fourth and looked to challenge for a podium, Hurst mounted a superb recovery drive, benefitting from multiple safety car periods to end up in ninth place, with McBride finishing fourth. In the final championship standings, McBride ends seventh in the points with Hurst 11th and King 12th.

Manor team co-owner Sarah Shaw said: “We’ve been really happy with the progress Nick and Hector have made over the last two weekends, it’s not easy to come into Formula Renault UK against such an experienced and competitive field and be quick but they both managed it.”

“Nick was really close to the podium in the second race and Hector raced well to get another couple of top 10s. We’re definitely happy with the level of performance they’ve shown. This has been a tough year on the whole for the team but we aim to bounce back stronger than ever in 2012.”

Josh Webster Took A Strong Third In The Championship Standings - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Formula Renault UK rookie Josh Webster concluded the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series with two strong drives at Rockingham to end the series a terrific third in the championship standings.

The 17 year old heading to Rockingham in confident mood after securing a sensational podium finish the weekend before at Snetterton. The Mark Burdett Motorsport driver topped the timesheets in the third of the official test sessions, but tricky conditions in qualifying meant he wasn’t quite able to replicate those results.

Webster made a great start to the day’s first race, gaining five places to reach the top five by the end of the opening lap, before a short safety car period. At the restart, a small mistake under braking caused him to run too deep into Deene Hairpin, dropping him to tenth. Webster fought back one place to finish ninth at the flag.

Holding fourth in the championship heading into the final race, Webster knew he had to perform well to reclaim third in the points. He did just that, gaining a place on the opening lap to take sixth, before gaining another spot just after a brief safety car period. A tough race saw him have to deal with two additional safety car interludes, but he coped well and nearly took fourth, before settling for fifth at the finish.

It was enough to see Webster hold off Red Bull-backed competitor Daniil Kvyat by seven points to take third in the standings, ending the series as comfortably the best placed newcomer. Added to his vice-champion status in the Formula Renault BARC series this year, it marks Webster out as one to watch in the main Formula Renault UK season next year.

Webster said: “It’s really good getting third in the points, I’m so happy we managed to achieve it against such tough and experienced competition with just a few days in the car. The field in the Finals Series this year has been unbelievably strong, especially with the guys who came over from Europe, but we did a great job.

“Massive thanks to Mark Burdett, Andy, Robbie and Jack at the team for all their hard work. As always, a huge thank you as well to my sponsors, especially James Palmer of Nine Telecom and Graham and David of Admiral Managed Networks.”

Hector Hurst Showed Strong Pace With Manor Competition - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Hector Hurst enjoyed a competitive debut in Formula Renault UK during the six-race Formula Renault ‘Finals Series’ which took place over two weekends this November, the Lymington-based racer getting in the thick of the action with front-running team Manor Competition.

After a promising maiden car racing campaign in the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship with Scorpio Motorsport, Hurst decided to step up to the Renault UK class during the Finals Series in preparation for a planned attack on the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2012.

The series began at Snetterton and despite no previous testing in the car prior to the weekend, the least experience in the car of all the drivers on track and no previous racing experience on the Norfolk circuit, Hurst was instantly on the pace and ran comfortably in the top ten throughout the weekend, taking a best finish of eighth. There was just one low point though, an incident in front of him on lap one of race three forcing him to dive off track in avoidance. Pitting to repair damage, Hurst ended up finishing 22^nd, a lap down.

Hurst reflected: “The Snetterton weekend was my first time in the car; I’d done zero testing before it. It was a lot different to what I’d expected, I thought the new Formula Renault would be relevant to the previous one which I raced in the BARC series, but it’s actually a completely different style. It was difficult to get used to and hard to understand how you could push and get the most out the car.

“We progressed a lot though in a really strong grid, which helped as you can only improve by pushing yourself against the very best, so that was good. Qualifying eighth for my first race and then running in the top ten throughout the weekend was a really good way to get the campaign going. We had one unfortunate incident, in the third race, where I had to take to the grass to avoid making contact with other cars on the first lap, but still got through the whole week with no damage so that was good.”

One week later the Finals Series headed to Rockingham for its final two races, the Corby-based track being another new circuit for Hurst. Picking up where he left off, Hurst continued to be competitive, taking twelfth and fourteenth in a tricky qualifying session, before two entertaining races saw him end up tenth and ninth. Hurst just missed out on a top ten finish in the standings, ending up eleventh, ahead of many far more experienced UK and Eurocup runners.

Hurst commented: “Qualifying on Saturday wasn’t quite what we expected to be honest, I did get caught out by the red flag and it was all a bit unfortunate timing, ending up mid grid for both races, which wasn’t a disaster but it wasn’t the top five we’d expected. I got my head down in the first race, got a really good start, had some good close battles and came in the top ten again.

“The second race was probably the most eventful race of my career so far. I managed to stall it on the startline and had to restart the engine ending up last. I climbed through the field and ended up in the top ten again, finishing ninth, which was a pretty good end to the weekend considering how the race had begun. I’m pretty happy with how my first stab at Formula Renault UK, against some of the Eurocup competition I hope to compete against next year, has gone.”

Hurst’s debut in the new specification Formula Renault car has wetted his appetite ahead of his planned campaign in the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2012. Looking ahead to next year, Hurst concluded: “Considering how much testing and racing other people had done in the car before this, we were right in there and up to pace with them and beating them, so I’m confident. We haven’t got anything sorted yet, but I’m aiming to get a testing programme arranged from now until the testing ban for the Eurocup comes into place on January 1^st. I think we’ve got a huge amount to build on and a strong starting position already, we’re not starting at the back trying to get to the front, we’re starting well inside the top ten, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t be right on it at the first race.”

2011 Finals Series Vice-Champion Dan Wells Celebrates With The Atech Reid GP Team - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

The 2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series provided a happy fortnight for Atech Reid GP, with the teams lead driver Dan Wells securing second position in the championship standings after a hard fought two races on the final weekend at Rockingham.

After a strong weekend at Snetterton last time out, Wells looked to challenge for wins at Rockingham. A disappointing qualifying session saw Wells only manage fifth, but he produced a great opening race, fighting back from a slow start to end the opening lap fourth, before securing third place for his third podium in five races. The second race proved tougher for Dan, the Salisbury-based driver only managing to take sixth, though it was enough to secure the runners up spot in the standings.

Wells said: “Today has been a mixed bag of emotion. We managed another podium in race one and the second race was all over the place with the amount of safety car periods, but I have finished second in the championship which is just brilliant for me and the team! I am really looking forward to next year!”

Team-mate Geoff Uhrhane enjoyed another competitive weekend, starting with qualifying, where he took thirteenth and fourteenth. After finishing the opening race twelfth, Uhrhane hoped for a strong end to the campaign and it started well, the Australian moving up four places and looking set for a solid top ten finish when a spinning rival ahead hit Geoff off circuit, ending his race there and then.

Uhrhane commented: “There was bound to be carnage in the last race of the series. To make up easy positions all you needed to do was stay consistent and out of trouble. I was able to do that until the dying stages of the race when I started to make a move on the driver ahead who then made a mistake and took us both out. It is really difficult in any series you race in to progress from the mid pack. The trick is to qualify at the front of the grid to stay out of the carnage. That will be my focus for the 2012 championship year.”

Team Principal Anthony Reid added: “The Finals Series has been fantastic for all our drivers. It has given them plenty of track time, fabulous racing experience and has been instrumental in building their racing confidence in time for the 2012 Championship season.

“It was great to share in so many podium celebrations with Dan and it was fabulous to see the improvement in Geoff after making the tricky transition from the Formula Ford category. He really improved his on track pace. Now we will be working on getting him quick on new rubber so he can showcase his pace at the front of the grid where he belongs.

“We have now secured two championship podiums after securing third place in the 2011 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship earlier this year with Tio Ellinas and now second position with Dan Wells. I think you can say that is a positive year.”

Josh Hill Leads His Fortec Team-Mates At Rockingham - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Josh Hill made up for his earlier misfortune with victory in Round Six of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series, the Fortec Motorsport driver coming out on top in an eventful, stop start race at Rockingham.

Hill started the race from pole but a poor start saw him drop to fourth, with fellow Fortec racer Oliver Rowland taking the early lead from team-mates Thomas Jager and Jake Dennis. 2011 InterSteps champion Dennis’ race wasn’t to last long though, a spin at Deene before more contact at Yentwood ending his race, with team-mate Dan de Zille also involved, retiring at Yentwood also.

The stranded Fortec machines caused the introduction of the safety car, which allowed the drivers to form back into line and for those watching to take their breath. Retiring during the safety car period was Melville McKee, the Interwetten.com Junior Team pulling off into the pitlane.

After two laps behind safety car, the race restarted with Rowland getting away cleanly, while behind Hill was instantly in the slipstream of Jager, getting past at Deene, before setting off in pursuit of Rowland. Behind, Dan Wells and Josh Webster were battling for fifth, with Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Webster getting past, dropping Wells into the clutches of John Bryant-Meisner.  

The race was interrupted once again though with the safety car appearing for a second time, this time caused by Tomasz Krzeminski going off at Tarzan and BARC class runner Archie Hamilton spinning at Pif Paf, a retirement that would affect the destination of the BARC class crown. Also dropping out was Korainen Motorsport’s Stefan Wackerbauer, the Red Bull-backed driver retiring in the pitlane.

At the restart, Rowland was unable to break the slipstream like last time, with Hill sticking to his rear across the line and challenging into Deene, though Racing Steps Foundation-backed Rowland was able to hold the place. This didn’t last though, with Hill pouncing on a slight mistake by Rowland at Yentwood to dive past at Chapman for the lead, a move that meant much more than normal after contact between the two in the day’s earlier race.

Hill looked to break clear, but he would have to wait till after another safety car break, caused once again by a Fortec car, this time Ed Jones having to pull off at Deene. The safety car period took just one lap before another restart, with Hill coped with well to maintain the lead.

Behind the action wasn’t stopping, with more cars falling off track. First Atech Reid GP’s Geoff Uhrhane spun out at Yentwood, then Fortec’s Shahaan Engineer retired at the exit of Pif Paf, before BARC runner Steve Durrant pulled off at the first turn after contact with Victor Jiminez earlier in the lap broke his rear wheel.

Fortunately, the safety car wasn’t to appear again, with the race continuing stoppage free over the final few laps. Hill coped with them well to come home for his second win of the Finals Series, leading home series champion Rowland and Jager to complete a Fortec 1-2-3.

Nick McBride took a strong fourth, holding off a determined Webster and Wells, the duo’s top six finishes meaning they finished the series third and second in the championship respectively. Felix Serralles took seventh ahead of Bryant-Meisner, while taking ninth after a superb recovery drive was Hector Hurst, the Manor Competition driver having stalled on the grid, meaning he started last once he had restarted the car. Also recovering well from earlier misfortune was Daniil Kvyat, the Korainen driver having dropped to the back after being caught up in the first lap chaos at the front.

In the BARC class, MGR Motorsport’s James Fletcher completed a perfect weekend by securing a lights to flag win, comfortably leading the race throughout and ending up thirteenth overall. Another strong start put Durrant up to second, with Jiminez running third ahead of Hamilton, who’s retirement meant Jiminez was in control of the overall class honours.

A strong drive by Ivan Taranov saw the Antel Motorsport driver move up to second in class, with Durrant running third before his retirement. Behind, Hillspeed’s Sean Walkinshaw took third, while Jiminez was running fifth heading into the final lap, however a last gasp move on Antel’s Chirag Malhorta saw him take fourth and with it the 2011 Finals Series BARC Class title. Rounding off the BARC class runners was Joe Kibbler, the rookie making the strange decision of running on wet tyres, with every other driver running on slicks on the dry track.

Speaking to thecheckeredflag.co.uk, race-winner Hill said: “After earlier, I wanted to win, but also put one to Olly [Rowland]. I dropped down to fourth because we were on the wet side of the grid and got no traction, but I was lucky as we got a few safety cars so could claw my way back to Olly. I did a pretty decisive move and help the position from there, but it was pretty tricky conditions, changeable grip all the time, so it’s a good win to pick up.

“I came into the series just looking for some good results after this year and I wasn’t particularly looking to win the championship. To get six pole positions out of six, I’m just ecstatic about that, its mega. Obviously I’m a bit frustrated I didn’t win more than two races and the rest of my rests were a bit rubbish, but it’s happened now and I’m just pleased with how my pace was, which I hope to carry through to 2012.”

BARC race-winner Fletcher commented: “It was a perfect weekend, two poles and two wins, I couldn’t really ask for any more. My team have been absolutely great, MGR are a brilliant team. I just want to say thank you to my parents also, I wouldn’t be here without them and there funding. Hopefully I can come into next season and be strong.”

2011 Protyre Formula Renault 2.0 UK Finals Series Champion Oliver Rowland - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Provisional Final 2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series Championship Standings:

1. Oliver Rowland - 190 points

2. Dan Wells – 133 points

3. Josh Webster – 118 points

4. Daniil Kvyat – 111 points

5. Josh Hill – 87 points

6= Thomas Jager – 79 points

6= Nick McBride – 79 points

8=Felix Serralles – 68 points

8= John Bryant-Meisner – 68 points

10. Hans Villemi – 63 points

11. Hector Hurst – 60 points

12. Jordan King – 51 points

Provisional BARC Class Standings:

1. Victor Jiminez – 156 points

2. Archie Hamilton – 153 points

3. James Fletcher – 132 points

4. Sean Walkinshaw – 131 points

5. Joe Kibbler – 106 points

6. Chirag Malhorta – 100 points

7. Ivan Taranov - 98 points

8. Steve Durrant – 22 points

2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series Champion Oliver Rowland - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Oliver Rowland took his fourth race win in five races during the opening race at Rockingham to confirm himself as the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series Champion, the Fortec Motorsport driver overcoming early contact with team-mate and polesitter Josh Hill.

Hill got away well from pole to lead around the first turn, however slight contact with Rowland at the exit of Deene ended his race instantly, a disappointing end to another promising race.  Rowland emerged in the lead, with Korainen Motorsport’s Daniil Kvyat second, ahead of Ed Jones and Dan Wells, who had dropped into the pack after a slow start, before emerging from the melee at Deene in fourth.

The race was quickly placed under the safety car as the marshalls retrieved Hill’s stricken car, as well as the car of BARC runner Chirag Malhorta, who spun at Tarzan. Also in the wars on the opening lap were Thomas Jager, who dropped from fourth to eighteenth after running wide at Deene, and Stefan Wackerbauer, who spun down to twentieth at Tarzan.

At the restart, Rowland instantly broke clear and started to build a gap at the front. Russian racer Kvyat in second soon started coming under pressure from Wells, who passed Jones quickly after the restart. Wells pushed hard to try and nip past, but his car soon went away, so had to drop back and settle for third.

Behind, the action was taking place at the bottom end of the top ten, with Manor Competition team-mates Nick McBride and Hector Hurst battling hard for seventh, however this backed Hurst up into the pack behind and he was soon dispatched by Korainen racer John Bryant-Meisner for eighth. Hurst was soon battling with fellow Formula Renault BARC graduate Josh Webster, who dropped back to ninth after a mistake at Deene, the duo enjoying a great tussle over the final few laps of the race.

At the front, Rowland swept clear to take victory by 4.464 seconds and with it the 2011 Finals Series title. Kvyat took a comfortable second, with Wells in a strong third for Atech Reid GP. Jones took fourth, leading home team-mates Jake Dennis and Dan de Zille. Bryant-Meisner took seventh ahead of McBride and Webster, with Hurst rounding out the top ten. Estonian Hans Villemi finished eleventh, ahead of Geoff Uhrhane and a recovering Jager, while Shahaaan Engineer and Melville McKee completed the top fifteen.

In the BARC class, polesitter James Fletcher avoided the first lap chaos to take the lead, while experienced Renault BARC competitior Steve Durrant diving up to second ahead of Victor Jiminez and Archie Hamilton, while a good opening lap saw Ivan Taranov come up to fifth from the back of the grid. After the restart, RPD Motorsport’s Durrant dropped back, promoting Jiminez and Hamilton into the podium places, however they couldn’t catch MGR Motorsport’s Fletcher who came home for the win.

2011 Finals Series Champion Rowland told thecheckeredflag.co.uk: “It’s good, we came into this race knowing as long as we were sensible, we’d take the championship. Qualifying went reasonably well, bit of a shame to drop to P2, but I got a good start, got Hill into the first corner and then on it was plain sailing. There was a little bit of contact between me and Hill, I lost traction and my rear wheel touched his front wheel, which must have broken something. After the safety car, I pushed for the first three laps and then it was pretty comfortable.”

BARC class winner Fletcher commented: “I’m really happy, the car was great and I love these conditions. I found a really good way with the car, a good rhythm and just glad I got the win at the end. The start was tricky, had to squeeze off Victor [Jiminez], but once we got into it, it was alright.”

Fortec Motorsport's Josh Hill - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Josh Hill confirmed himself as the fastest driver in the Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series by securing a double pole position in qualifying at Rockingham, meaning the Fortec Motorsport driver has taken six podiums in six races in the end of season championship.

After traffic problems in qualifying at Snetterton last weekend, the series organisers decided to split up the FRUK and BARC specification cars into two separate twenty minutes sessions at Rockingham. First out were the BARC cars and with the track drying out every lap, the grid ended up really spread apart as some of the drivers struggled to adapt to the conditions.

MGR Motorsport’s James Fletcher took a double pole position with a best time of 1 min 34.885 seconds; an incredible 2.294 seconds clear of his closest rival, Hillspeed’s Victor Jiminez. Fortec’s Archie Hamilton was third, over three seconds off pole, ahead of Renault BARC regular Steven Durrant. Sean Walkinshaw will line up fifth for both races, 11.7s off pole, ahead of Chirag Malhorta and Joe Kibbler, the duo swapping positions for race two. Ivan Taranov was unable to complete a lap for Antel Motorsport, leaving him at the back of the grid for both races.

The newer FRUK 2.0 cars took the damp track next and after some installation laps to get used to the conditions, the quick times starting coming in. Current Finals Series leader Oliver Rowland set the early pace, but was closely pursued by team-mates Hill and Thomas Jager.  

The drivers’ progress was halted when a red flag emerged after Eurocup runner Hans Villemi ended up in the Tarzan gravel trap. When the green flag came out, six minutes were left on the clock, drivers having just two or three laps left to improve their times.

Doing just that was Hill, the Fortec Motorsport driver going fastest with a 1min 29.735s lap, before setting the fastest second-best lap next time around to secure himself pole position for both of today’s races. Rowland was unable to improve his times after the red flag, leaving him second on the grid for both races.

Third fastest for the first race was Korainen Motorsport’s Daniil Kvyat, joined on row two by Fortec’s Jager. A last gasp lap by Dan Wells put the Brit fifth for Atech Reid GP, ahead of Fortec duo Ed Jones and Jake Dennis. Fastest of the Manor Competition runners in eighth was Nick McBride, with Felix Serralles and Dan de Zille completing the top ten for Fortec.

Behind Hill and Rowland on the grid for race two will be Red Bull Junior Team racer Kvyat once again, ahead of Jager, Wells and Jones. Josh Webster improves from eleventh for race one to line up seventh for race two, with McBride on row four once again, while de Zille and Serralles will once again line up together on row five.

The top fifteen on the grid for Round Five of the Finals Series are:

Josh Hill, Oliver Rowland, Daniil Kvyat, Thomas Jager, Dan Wells, Ed Jones, Jake Dennis, Nick McBride, Felix Serralles, Dan de Zille, Josh Webster, Tomasz Kreminski, Hector Hurst, Geoff Uhrhane and Stefan Wackerbauer.

The top fifteen on the grid for Round Six of the Finals Series are:

Josh Hill, Oliver Rowland, Daniil Kvyat, Thomas Jager, Dan Wells, Ed Jones, Josh Webster, Nick McBride, Dan de Zille, Felix Serralles, Tomasz Kreminski, Jake Dennis, Geoff Uhrhane, John Bryant-Meisner, Hector Hurst.

Mark Burdett Motorsport's Josh Webster - Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography