Junior Championship set to smash record as crews head for Round One.
The 2009 season saw Junior Rallying hit the stages across Britain for the very first time; in what was history in the making for British Rallying and, in 2010, its back, bigger and better than before.
The inaugural Kick Energy Acceleration TV Formula 1000 Junior Championship began at the Three Sisters Race Circuit, Wigan, for the Roskirk Stages. Immediately, two names topped the eleven drivers on the leaderboard – Ashley Slights and Cameron Davies. The battle between the seventeen and fourteen year old, respectively, continued throughout the season and, at the season decider in Teesside, the pair drew dead level in the points after an entertaining battle on the event.
Becoming the inaugural champions, sharing the title, meant the pair go into the history books as the youngest winners of a British rally championship. For 2010, Ashley graduates to the Rally First 1.4 category of the BTRDA forest championship, whilst Cameron rejoins the Junior championship as reigning champion.
However, this season, the Junior 1000 series is set to expand dramatically, with more than 25 Juniors expected to compete throughout the year, eclipsing the seventeen registered crews of 2009. As entries fill for the opening round, a return trip to the Roskirk Stages, 19 juniors have entered the event, with eight of the entries coming from newcomers to the series these being Charlie Stephens, Tom Henman, Robert Kennedy, Niall Moroney, Ellis Belton, David Humpston, Henry Andrew and Amar Singh.
With six rounds counting to the inaugural title in 2009, this year, the drivers, all aged 14-16, will face a tougher challenge with 9 scoring rounds, with 7 rounds to count. The challenge, taking them the length and breadth of the UK, will see them tackle two day events for the first time as well as the night stages on the Hall Trophy Memorial rally at Blyton, in late November.
It was also confirmed at the Autosport International Show in January that the championship’s title sponsors, Kick Energy and Acceleration TV return for the 2010 season, giving the championship impressive support and, retaining its title of the Kick Energy Acceleration TV Formula 1000 Junior Championship. Not only that, but the championship benefits from the continued support of rallyschool.co.uk, Questmead, Mayes Motorsport and Falken tyres in 2010;
“To have such a high calibre backing for the Junior championship is fantastic and we’re thankful to each and every backer for their continued support and faith in what we’re constantly achieving with the championship” commented Formula 1000 club chairman Tristan Dodd
With Slights graduating to the BTRDA championship this year, the championships other graduate, Matthew Jackson is set to return to action in the Formula 1000 ‘adult’ tarmac championship – this time with a new car. Jackson’s previous steed, which was the very first Formula 1000 car built, more than five years ago, has been replaced by a freshly rebuilt ex-works Nissan Motorsport Europe Micra shell.
The Micra, which has dominated the F1000 championships since the club began, is quickly being joined by a number of cars from other manufacturers. Notably, the Citroen C1 of Chris Ingram became the first of its kind to be rallied in mainland UK. This year however, Ingram’s C1 is set to be joined by five other cars from four other manufacturers – these being a Fiat Cinquecento, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and, the usual Nissan Micra, proving variety is one ingredient to close competition!
As nineteen of Britain’s youngest rally drivers head towards the start of a brand new season, who is to be the fastest teenager in the UK? To find out more information on the Kick Energy Acceleration TV Formula 1000 Junior Championship or the rest of the championships F1000 has to offer, please visit http://www.formula1000.co.uk
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