RED DRAGON RACE & TRACK CLUB….MR2 Mk1 Race Series
2009 Season Overview
Not since 2004 has the MR2 Challenge (as was) seen a season such as it was in 2009. The Series which effectively became the MR2 Mk1 Race Series in 2008, because of a split away from the 750 MC has grown to such proportions that it can now be considered a major force within Club Racing. 2009 saw full grids of 30+ cars of which 50% were novice and new entrants to this budget racing series. The first signs of the RDR&TC Mk1 popularity became evident at the first Meet & Greet and Shakedown Meeting at Silverstone in February, when a host of the new breed cars emerged in their resplendent Retro liveries, making the paddock more akin to a touring car meet and along with the increase in spectator traffic to check out the new cars and have “Little Johnny’s” photograph taken, posing meaningfully across the bonnet of Simon Lockey’s Le Mans Gulf liveried MR2 Mk1.
On the track, the sight of the freshly built and graphic’d race cars along with the refreshed older cars from previous seasons gave the commentators renewed vigour in their commentaries. To the spectators who had not previously been to an MR2 Mk1 race, they must have thought they had taken a step back in time, as famous and iconic cars like the Mk1 Martini car of Chris Gray and the Mk1 Alitalia liveried car of Geraint Hughes, gyrated purposefully around the Silverstone circuit in a flash of colour. This feeling of a new and fresh MR2 Mk1 Series was to remain in the minds and hearts throughout the 2009 season.
The Mk1 spectacle duly rolled on to it’s first meeting of the year at Snetterton in April with full supporting grids. At this time even more of the Retro themed cars had been completed, with Chris Shackle’s Silverstone Tyres liveried car along with Richard Hearnden’s Castrol Team car driven by his son Phillip. With a dry day and close racing the Mk1 Series rolled home anticipating what was to be a very wet Pembrey in May.
Next stop for the race boys and girls was to be Silverstone in June, with the gods smiling the Northampton circuit provided beautiful weather and near perfect track conditions, which served up some amazingly close racing, which was only to be matched by Mallory Park and Brands Hatch later in the year. Cadwell Park played host to the next round in the season’s calendar and as usual provided some exciting racing on this tight and twisty full-on drivers’ circuit.
With the season now in full swing and the enthusiasm veritably flowing though the ever increasing paddock, the old hands were showing that there is no substitute for experience with the likes of Alex Gassman, Adam Lockwood, Ross Stoner, Gareth Newton, Jason Jesse and Sarah Wherry showing the newer entrants into this series the way home, taking most of the top spots both in qualifying and finishing positions and by the end of the season Adam Lockwood, Alex Gassman and Ross Stoner were to take home 13 Wins from 14 Starts and 6 Lap Records between them!
Snetterton loomed large for this next round on the calendar and saw the emergence of Jason Jesse’s black and white Blues Brothers Police Patrol car livery, complete with imitation roof lights (removed for scrutineering and racing). This car became an immediate hit with the commentators and spectators alike. Of the new boys, young Chris Shackle, was starting to show promise along with the improving form of Gareth Newton. Snetterton also saw the magnificent liveried Red Bull Mk1 car of Andrew Knight roll into the paddock and into the ranks of the Retro graphic’d cars.
With the paddock in buoyant mood, the Series wound their way to Mallory Park, an old favourite with the Mk1 racers. It was here that the improvement in both tyre and car builds became obvious with lap times tumbling and close racing that would have done major justice to any touring car meeting. The downside of this event was the unfortunate accident of Roger Pullan, which resulted in him breaking his leg on the exit to the infamous Gerrards Corner, but as in all good racing stories, Roger is well on the mend and back in for the 2010 season.
Traditionally, Brands Hatch has always been the last race of the season and 2009 saw no change and as in the 2008 season ….. it rained ….. and then some! With all the previous meetings competitors in evidence, there was only one new boy, Neil Stratton, in his newly built MR2 Mk1 sporting a 1967 liveried Gurney /Westlake Indy car graphics. Although it rained, it did not dampen the spirits or the performance of the boys and girls in this series and interestingly enough the existing Lap Record, previously held in the dry, was broken in the wet!
The overall view of the 2009 season was one of optimism and enthusiasm, as technically this was only the second year as a Mk1 Only Series since the break away. Looking ahead to the 2010 season, we can only report on a continuing high amongst the club with yet again new and enthusiastic drivers registered with the RDR&TC many of which have come from other formulas to join what must be the fastest growing Club series in the universe.
2010 has already seen a plethora of new cars registered, most in Retro schemes like, Silk Cut Jaguar, McLaren F1, Renault F1, Gaggia Le Mans graphics and a very pretty Grolsch/Warsteiner Beer livery and several home brewed liveries. The standard of new guys for the 2010 season is way above any other year in the MR2 Mk1 Racing Series in both it’s current form and the early Challenge seasons with many joining from Caterhams, Fun Cup and Locost.
So it would follow that the entire standard of both cars and competitors will be at an all time high as the MR2 Mk1 continues on it’s seemingly unstoppable journey into one of the great club formulas.
Mo Stoner (Jurno)
The Nippon Challenge is the only UK multi-marque race series for Japanese performance cars, run by the only MSA affiliated club dedicated to Japanese car racing. Whatever model or make of Japanese car be it sports or saloon, you can race it here. Started in 2008 the series has a growing following of spectators and drivers alike. If the idea of an RX7 fighting door to door with an Evo, Impreza, Skyline or Integra rocks your world then this is the se
