WINTER SERIES LINE-UPHathersage-based Formula Renault team Hillspeed has announced it will field a capacity four-car assault on the 2008 Formula Renault UK Winter Championship as the squad aims to retain the title it won last November with Welshman Richard Singleton.Concentrating this year on the Formula Renault BARC Championship with a three-car entry, Hillspeed will retain the services of championship front-runner Menasheh Idafar and his regular BARC team-mate Michael Lyons for the upcoming four-race winter series which is set to begin on Saturday, 1st November, at Croft in North Yorkshire.Both drivers will make the step-up to 2008-specification Formula Renault UK cars for the Winter Championship with 17-year-old British-born Bahraini Idafar likely to lead the team’s attack. Fellow 17-year-old Lyons, meanwhile, will be aiming to build on the promise he has shown this year in Formula Renault BARC.Joining the duo in Hillspeed colours will be category newcomers James Theodore and Immanuel Bryson-Haynes who will both pilot BARC-specification cars in the Formula Renault UK Winter Championship. Theodore graduates to Formula Renault directly from karting where he has this year been competing in the ultra-competitive and highly prestigious B4/Renault ABkC KF2 National Championship. Away from motorsport, the 16-year-old has recently started his A-level studies in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Law.Previously a title winner in a number of club karting championships, including success in the Mini Max Class of the Motors TV Championship, Telford-based Theodore, who started karting at the age of eight in cadets, has impressed Hillspeed team boss Richard Ollerenshaw in recent test outings.Bryson-Haynes, a business and IT consultant away from the track, is a 24-year-old Anglo-Australian who is changing disciplines from the realms of saloon car endurance competition to single-seaters. Born in Sydney, Australia, of English parentage, Bryson-Haynes now lives and works in the City of London and is keen to establish himself as a successful racer in the BARC Class of the Formula Renault UK Winter Championship. Like new team-mate Theodore, Bryson-Haynes has tested with Hillspeed in recent months.Speaking on his exciting four-car line-up for the winter series, Richard Ollerenshaw said: “We’re obviously absolutely delighted to have four drivers confirmed so early for the Winter Championship and it’ll be great to have a presence again in both the full UK class and the BARC class.“We’re not going into the series with any preconceptions but we’re confident Menasheh should do very well on his competitive debut in a Formula Renault UK car. We’re hopeful Mick will adapt nicely to the UK specification car too and make good progress. The team is excited to be working with both James and Immanuel, they’ll both do a good job.”

Silverstone hosts Formula Renault BARC finale next weekendBefore thoughts turn to the upcoming Formula Renault UK Winter Championship, Hillspeed has its sights set on a successful conclusion to the 2008 Formula Renault BARC series with the season finale – rounds 11 and 12 – taking place at Silverstone National Circuit over the weekend 4th/5th October.Idafar is currently the team’s best placed driver in fourth position in the headline FR2000 Class standings and will be very keen to make a return to the podium to sign-off the season strongly.Ahmad Al Harthy is just nine points behind Idafar in the championship and off the back of his maiden Formula Renault BARC pole position at Thruxton last time out, coupled with his second podium of 2008, the Omani racer has a great opportunity to do well.For Lyons, a top 15 championship finish looks assured and he’ll be giving his all to try and add another couple of top 10 points scoring finishes to his season’s tally which has so far seen a best result of seventh position.It has also been confirmed today, James Theodore will actually make his competitive debut in a Formula Renault BARC car as part of the season finale at Silverstone next weekend with the run forming part of his preparations for the upcoming winter series.Richard Ollerenshaw commented: “We’ve had a good year and we’ll certainly be aiming to get at least one driver on the podium in both Silverstone races. We know we have the pace and ability to be strong next weekend so hopefully Hillspeed can end the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship on a high.”Provisional 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship Standings (after Rd10):4th Menasheh Idafar, 65pts; 5th Ahmad Al Harthy, 56pts; 14th Michael Lyons, 8pts