Dean Stoneman and Frank Wrathall battling it out at Rowrah
A new era of MSA British Championship racing commences at Rowrah this weekend, for the first round of the MSA/TKM Super One Series. The most prestigious title in British karting has transferred to the gearbox, or shifter, class of KZ1 which in the past has produced such illustrious drivers as Frank Wrathall, Dean Stoneman, Nigel Moore and Jack Hawksworth. Wrathall, a former Ginetta G50 champion, is now a British Touring Car Independent winner and podium finisher. Stoneman won the Formula 2 series and now races Porsche Cup. Nigel Moore is also a Ginetta champion and the youngest driver to race at Le Mans whilst Hawksworth is the current Star Mazda champion and now races in Indy Lights. For this weekend 15 KZ1 karts, capable of 90mph, will line up headed by KZ2 ABkC Super 4 champion Matt Dittman, with runner-up James Mudd expected to press him hard. Multiple Super One Max 177 champion Lucas Orrock has transferred disciplines to the shifter classes, whilst Under 18 CIK-FIA World Champion Henry Easthope is also on the list. It will be mega-exciting to see just who comes out top at the twisty Cumbrian track.
For the MSA British Junior Kart Championship, 18 young hopefuls are down to compete for the chase to the junior title. Jamie Caroline comes fresh from winning the ABkC O Plate title the previous weekend, but will face stiff competition, not least from Asia Pacific KF3 Cup winner Jehan Daruvala, the Indian driver supported by Sahara Force India Formula 1 team. Another with strong connections to F1 is Harrison Newey, son of the famed Red Bull Racing designer and Chief Technical Officer. Many of the direct drive senior aces have turned to the Formula KGP class, including former British champions Mark Litchfield and Bobby Game. Current champion Jonathan Davis has moved teams to Praga whilst Stefan Di Resta, brother to Sahara Force India driver Paul Di Resta has recently won the O Plate at the same circuit, and is very much on form. Forty youngsters from age 9 to 13 will compete for the inaugural MSA British Cadet Championship using the new IAME Parilla Gazelle UK motor. Its anyones guess who will come out on top but Oliver York and local driver Jonny Edgar, scion of the title sponsors, have both had strong results at the track. The line up is completed by the senior TKM Extreme and Junior TKM classes competing for the ABkC National Championships. Its an event not to be missed and everyone can follow the action on the TAG Heuer live timing at http://www.tagheuer-timing.co.uk/s1livetiming . Entry lists and timetables are available on the Super One website at http://superoneseries.com/race_entries_msa_tkm/
>For circuit details go to http://superoneseries.com/locations/rowrah-lakeland-stadium/ or to www.cumbriakrc.co.uk.
