The HITEK Electronic Materials Alfa Romeo Championship returns to the popular Donington Park venue after a break of almost two years but this time the races are taking place on the 2.49 mile GP circuit for the first time in almost 10 years.
Ian Stapleton took both race wins on that day, race 2 finishing at almost 7:00 pm on the Sunday evening! It was a different class structure back then, Ian’s class A1 or Modified GTV setting a fastest lap of just under 1:48, although this was 5 seconds away from troubling Tim Lewis’s lap record of 1:42.767 in the supercharged Alfasud Sprint, a record that will require a tremendous effort from any driver and car combination to overhaul. Also racing on that Sunday evening were 3 drivers that are racing this weekend, Roger Evans in the class C or V6 156 GTA and Stacey Dennis and James Ford in the class E or Twin Spark Cup cars, James setting a new lap record in race 1 earlier that day.
Leading the championship with 4 races to go is 4 times champion Tom Hill in his Revs Italia V6 class 3.2 GT from Stacey Dennis in the SYNETIQ sponsored Bianco Motorsports Power Trophy class leading Giulietta. Toby Broome lies 3rd in his Bianco Motorsports 156 Twin Spark with Richard and James Ford close behind in their Twin Spark 156s, although the order is shuffled around if the 2 dropped score rule is brought into play, as will be the case at the conclusion of the season.
The leading Modified class Alfa 4C of Mike Hilton is likely to be a contender for overall honours although 2nd and 4th placed drivers Barry McMahon and Scott Austin are sadly unlikely to race their cars again this season. 3rd placed driver Mark Skeggs is having a successful first season with the Alfas and will once again be out in his GTV. Jamie Thwaites is in his now familiar and very competitive TCR Giulietta and Andy Page returns in the 116 Giulietta, both drivers aiming to keep up the pressure on the class leaders and hoping to climb into the podium slots. In Riccardo Losselli’s absence due to work commitments it looks as though Simon Scott, one of Jamie Porter’s Alfa Workshop team and a former Alfaracer competitor from the late 90s and 2005, will drive the Alfa Mito to complete the Modified class line-up.
In the Power Trophy class, Stacey Dennis is likely to be the sole entrant in the Giulietta although she will be keen to pick up a healthy points total to keep in touch with the overall leaders going into the Silverstone races next month.
Joining Tom Hill in the V6 class will be Revs Italia’s Roger Evans in his 156 GTA, second in class Dave Messenger in the Darnells Engineering 156 GTA and third placed Gabriele Iaccarino in his GT, the latter two hoping to consolidate their podium standings.
In the Twin Spark Cup class, Toby Broome and James and Richard Ford are joined once again by season regular Adrian Norman in his 147 and newcomer this year Edward Robinson, enjoying getting to grips with the Bianco Motorsports supported 156 and, with Adrian, looking to continue making progress toward challenging for a podium result. Thanks go once again to our main sponsors HITEK Electronic Materials, the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, Yokohama Tyres and Axis Shift for their valued contribution to making this a successful championship, and to the 750 Motor Club for their continued support.