As I write this the 2022 season is just 6 weeks away at the Silverstone National circuit on 30th April when our first 2 races of the season will be contested.
Registrations have been coming in steadily and if you haven’t yet registered can I please urge you to do so, and if you haven’t yet formulated your racing plans can I also urge you to join the Alfa Romeo Championship for this season! We have made good progress over the past few years increasing our grid numbers and we very much want that to continue to secure a strong future for Alfa racing in the UK. This is not something we can take for granted so please get busy prepping those race cars if you aren’t doing so already!
You are all very important to us.
1. The new Power Trophy Class
Our reformulated Power Trophy class is ideal for a range of cars, including MiTOs, Giuliettas, Punto Abarths Alfa 33s, Lancia Betas etc. For example, not so long ago there were lots of racing 33s about and surely some of them can be refettled and readied for racing again. With the V6 cars moving into their own class this is an ideal opportunity for a range of 4-cylinder cars to make their mark in the Championship and be a competitive proposition at a reasonable cost. With the power to weight ratio limited reduced to 155 bhp at the wheels per 1000 kg (and even lower for diesel and turbo models) and no rolling road test required up front, what an ideal opportunity this is for many racers! So, what are you waiting for…..
2. The new V6 Class
In an effort to keep costs at a reasonable level we have defined a tight specification for our V6 Alfa racers. For those that really want to push to boat out there is always the Modified class but we see the new V6 class as a great opportunity to promote close exciting racing similar to that which we have enjoyed in the Twin Spark Cup class in recent years.
3. Sponsorship and Sponsorship Stickers
We are still in discussion with a number of sponsors and hope to have finalised details in the next week or so. We once again welcome HITEK Electronic Materials Ltd as our title sponsor. We have also finalised deals with Yokohama and Black ‘n’ Rounds and are also finalising (we anticipate) agreements with the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club, Bing Digital and Andrew Lee and others. As soon as we have the full picture Tony Herbert will send out the stickers and we will also provide details as to where the stickers are to be placed on the cars. It is very important that all cars display these correctly according to the contracts we will have signed with the sponsors.
4. Anglesey
Once again we will be guests of the Ferrari Owners’ Club at one of our scheduled Championship meetings, this time at Anglesey on 23rd/24th July. The event at Croft last season was a great success and we are aiming for a repeat this year. There will be a chance to race on both the International and Coastal circuits over the weekend. Anglesey is a spectacular circuit and well worth making a weekend of it on the picturesque island, repaying the effort of travelling there many times over. Not only that, but we will pay £100 to every driver that races there, so how can you resist?
There is also a testing day on the Friday. There are 6 x 20-minute sessions, 3 in the morning utilising the International circuit and 3 in the afternoon on the Coastal circuit. The testing fee is £195 for the full day and there is a half-day option for £150. From personal experience I can vouch for the fact a day’s testing will pay dividends when it comes to qualifying so it is highly recommended if your funds and/or work schedule allow it. The booking form is attached to this email and this should be returned directly to Anglesey circuit.
5. £100 Rewards
As stated above, ARCA will reward every driver who races at Anglesey in July with £100. In addition we will do the same for every driver who races at Croft on 28th/29th May. We are committed to mitigating the costs of racing as far as our sponsorship funds allow. We will see what else we can do to help you to race!
6. Points
A reminder that there will be no dropped scores applicable this season. In recent years our season has reduced from 16 rounds to 14 rounds to 12 rounds. This has been a part of our strategy to attract bigger grids to our races which is key to our success and our continued existence as a Championship. At the ARCA Panel meeting in November we renewed the discussion regarding dropped scores and decided by a majority vote to scrap them for this season. I personally felt that with only 12 races to contest, every race should count. However, there are arguments both ways, particularly if a driver is unable to race at a meeting for whatever valid reason or due to circumstances beyond their control. So we will keep this under review during this season for 2023 and would welcome drivers’ views.
Can’t wait to go racing again!
Andy Robinson
Championship Coordinator