North Yorkshire is set to play host to a number of potential title show downs as Renault champions reach boiling point following a year of stiff competition.
Croft Circuit is playing host to Protyre Formula Renault and the Michelin Clio Cup Race Series with the latter looking set to crown its first ever champion.
Starting with the Clios which have descended into a two horse race with Mike Robinson of Total Control Racing leading by 52 points having won the last four races to put clear air between him and closest rival David Dickenson.
For Robinson a championship crown by the end of play on Sunday 21st September would be the best birthday present the day before his 32nd birthday. Indeed a second present that would make this the best birthday he has ever had is a test in the fourth generation Clios on the TOCA package.
However, with 32 points for a win to say that Robinson’s lead is unbeatable is way wide of the mark. Motor racing is nothing if not unpredictable and stranger things have happened than a 52 point lead quickly become a 12 point deficit in the matter of a few laps.
Put that into the mix with a number of drivers hoping to end the 2014 season with a win to put their confidence on a high going into 2015 and it is true to say that anything could happen.
Westbourne Motorsport’s Luke Herbert has been a stronger contender all year and privateer Paul Streather hasn’t finished outside the points since the season started so will be hoping to continue that marvellous run of form in what is a very hard fought grid.
Moving into the Formula Renault Series, and one man will be bringing a whole lot of history to North Yorkshire as the Grandson of Formula One and IndyCar legend Emerson Fittipaldi – Pietro Fittipaldi – comes to the circuit off the back of a mega eight race winning streak and seventy points ahead going into the penultimate double header of the season before joining the BTCC at Silverstone a weekend later.
Competition is most likely to come from the other side of his garage with Matteo Ferrer one of two men to also score a victory alongside Fittipaldi with the other being Fortec’s Alex Gill. Whether those men can take to the high speed corners of Croft and outsmart the points leader is yet to be seen but their top priority has to be taking points off him to improve their chances heading to Silverstone.
Although, there is an outside chance that Piers Hickin could sweep up from fourth place and make something interesting happen. He has taken eight podium finishes this season so has remarkable consistency in the championship.
Www.TheCheckeredFlag.co.uk will be live at the circuit all weekend bringing all the latest news from the paddock and the sessions to see if Fittipaldi can make a definitive break away and Mike Robinson can hold on to bring the championship home.
