Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup.

[Truckerhunk]

Does anyone know the reaction and verdicts for the first season of Sport Maxx and more interstingly,the potential line up for next years season?

[DriversKnow]

Hi, it's James from Dunlop here.

We have had a very positive first season, with an interesting mix of cars. Although it doesn't become a championship until 2008, we were still able to rank the drivers based on their number of class wins. The list below shows the diversity of cars entered (The Seat and one of the Nissans were guest cars, hence the number of drivers) :

1 Martin Wallbank Vauxhall Astra VXR D
2 Simon Shaw Renault Clio 172 C
3 Paul Lund Alfa Romeo 147 B
4 Darelle Wilson Mini Cooper B
5 Simon Gusterson Renault Megane 230 D
6 Jethro Bovingdon Nissan 350Z D
7 Shane Lynch SEAT Leon FR C
7 Adrian Miller Fiat Punto HGT B
9 Mark Weidner MG ZR160 C
10 Michael Weidner MG ZR160 C
11 Chloe Edwards MG ZR160 C
12 Rob Parkman Fiat Punto HGT B
13 Kevin Turner SEAT Leon FR C
13 Keith Wood Fiat Punto HGT B
13 John Hayman SEAT Leon FR C
16 Ian Eveleigh Nissan 350Z D
17 Henry Catchpole Nissan 350Z D
17 Shawn Taylor Nissan 350Z D
19 Robert Gaffney Fiat Punto HGT B
20 James Brunton Citroen Saxo VTR A
21 Martin Gilchrist MG ZR160 C
22 John Barker Nissan 350Z D
22 Gary Cole Citroen Xsara VTS C
22 Simon Holloway VW Lupo Gti B
25 Quentin Laithwaite Renault Clio 182 D
25 Roger Green Nissan 350Z D
25 Mark Hales SEAT Leon FR C
25 Paul Gannon Mini Cooper B

There are a few learnings for next year, with a couple of minor tweaks to the regs and a cap on maximum BHP/tonne for the top class, but overall it was a very successful season with outright wins going to four different models of car and vey close racing in the other classes as well.

We are working on a TV deal for 2008 and this will be announced soon.

There is a drivers forum at: http://www.driversknow.co.uk/forum/topic/?id=42 and a drivers and fans site on Facebook if you want to keep up to date with the news from the Cup.

The 2008 regs will be published by BARC next month, check out www.barc.net

[DriversKnow]

For 2008, our expectation is 25 car grids.

We expect at least three Astra VXRs and a Corsa VXR, two more Puntos, another MG and potentially a BMW 330 or 130 and/or Mazda 3MPS.

During the season fully built 106GTI and Corolla Supercharged cars have been offered for sale in the paddock, although I don'y know if these have found homes yet.

[jonbryant]

I think the idea is there. I think there is the market and the room for a standard saloon car championship in the country and Sport Maxx is probably heading in the right direction.

I'm not sure that the answer has been found totally yet but I'm sure with the introduction of different regs and the switch from a series to a championship in '08 that this will improve.

Hopefully the whole Great and British package can expand accordingly. And perhaps bring in some slightly more "crowd pleasing" series? I may just be biased as I don't like Radical racing but i can't remember a good race...

Look forward to our paths crossing in '08 and wishing the series all the best

JB

[Al Weyman]

I agree there John and I have watched Radical Racing as we were on the Dunlop package at a couple of rounds last year and tried to enjoy it but for me its a no no from a spectators point of view.

[R59]

I think they need to add success ballast to the Radicals, and other tweaks, to close it up. No racing is good to watch when it becomes a spread out procession. You might as well set your deckchair up on the side of the motorway and just imagine it's really a race.

SportsMaxx needs some V8's!!!

And don't be afraid to play with ballast to level it up a bit (more).

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I have watched Radical Racing as we were on the Dunlop package at a couple of rounds last year and tried to enjoy it but for me its a no no from a spectators point of view.

Whilst I don't mind the occasional Radical race, I think one of the 'problems' with the package is with four Radical races in one day, it can be a bit much. That said, I'm glad that the Maxx Cup appears to be moving in the right direction, for I feel that it does fill a gap in current club racing.

[DriversKnow]

Radical have already announced that the are consolidating their championships into one 'British Radical Cup'. This will run on G+B Sundays.

Their Biduro and Powertec Cup cars will be eligible to run in a Clubmans Radical series, which may guest on G+B Saturdays, but not on the main race day.

This leaves the main race day as Mini, Sport Maxx, Radical (2 races each) plus guest series.

[jonbryant]

Try and steal the Legends. They aren't British (but hey, neither are the Minis!) but they sure are crowd pleasers!

I appreciate the hard work involved in putting together the package James and hope that our comments can be taken constructively. I'll certainly be back to take photos of you guys next year anyway. Just maybe not the Radicals