KARTERS GET CHANCE TO MAKE THEIR MARK
This weekend drivers in the Renault-backed championships within the ELF B4 Group Super One Karting Series have the opportunity to enhance their reputations in front of prospective single-seater car racing teams, including Formula Renault UK, during round two of the season at Shenington Kart Racing circuit. Every Formula Renault UK and Formula Renault BARC team manager has been invited to attend the two-day meeting at the Oxfordshire circuit giving the stars of Renault Formula A, Renault Formula ICA and Renault Formula JICA the chance to impress.
Leading the Formula Renault UK presence will be two teams making their debut in the Championship in 2006. Taunton-based Coles Racing has a 15-year pedigree at the top level of karting with six Super One titles to its name and Team Manager Adrian Coles is now targeting similar success in Formula Renault UK. Rochester-based Jamun Racing Services will also attend with former Renault Formula ICA and Renault Formula A contender Duncan Tappy (West Ewell, Surrey) who graduated to Formula Renault UK this season.
Both teams will have FR2.0 cars on display with drivers and team members on hand to offer advice to current karting stars on the best way to further their career. Tappy battled for the Renault Formula A title as recently as 2003, scoring four podium finishes on his way to third in the Championship. Adrian Coles combined winning the 1999 Super One Formula TKM Championship with being a successful Team Manager, adding three more Super One titles in the space of three years from 2002-2004 as Team Manager.
Explaining the purpose of presenting the team’s Formula Renault UK car at Shenington, Coles said: “The opportunity for karters to see a Formula Renault UK car at close quarters and speak to the engineers and drivers who work in the series is tremendous for them. Asking questions of the drivers will be particularly beneficial especially in terms of career options.
“There are a lot of options for young drivers to consider and to speak to other drivers who have faced the same choices will be very helpful. Formula Renault UK is recognised as the top single-seater series and with Formula Renault BARC making great strides this year that is another choice. We always get asked what step to take and within two sentences questions are raised about the budgets. I’ll be glad to have the team on hand to answer some of those questions.”
Coles Racing’s boasts a long list of kart drivers who have progressed to compete in single-seater series including Dean Smith and Sam Bird, who both race in the Formula Renault UK Championship, and current Formula Renault BARC Championship leader Richard Singleton.
Coles believes both the team and drivers benefit from its two-pronged attack, saying: “To young drivers who are coming through the ranks of karting now, Coles Racing is a familiar name to them and they will be quicker to come forward and ask questions of us about car racing. The two categories are like chalk and cheese but I made sure we had experienced engineers who know how to get the best from Formula Renault UK cars and that is expertise they are happy to pass on to our drivers.”
The second ELF B4 Group Super One Karting Series meeting will be held on 29th/30th April at Shenington Kart Club near Banbury. The Renault Race Centre, which travels to British Touring Car Championship events in support of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin and ELF Renault Clio Cup Championships will also attend, providing hospitality throughout the weekend. Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the MSA, will also attend the meeting.
