Formula Renault BARC Championship entrant Russell Racing is aiming to enjoy its most successful outing of the 2007 campaign at Snetterton next weekend, 11th/12th August, during the third double-header race meeting of the season, rounds seven and eight.Mark Gillibrand has been the most successful of the Russell Racing drivers so far this season, from six race starts he has been in the points on three occasions with a best result of eighth position at Oulton Park Island Circuit during round four, the Manchester racer’s ‘home’ track.Currently in 16th position in the FR2000 Class standings, Mark is only six points shy of the top 10 and at the Norfolk venue next weekend both he and his Warwickshire-based team are hoping to make further inroads as the season enters its second half.Although failing to finish his debut Formula Renault BARC race at Donington Park at the end of April, Bahraini racer Essa Mohammed has completed all five of the subsequent rounds with a best result of 11th in class – one place shy of the points – at Oulton Park.Buoyed by a career best qualifying performance in wet conditions at Silverstone National Circuit a fortnight ago, Menasheh Idafar has high hopes of continuing his recent form at Snetterton. Like countryman Essa, a season’s best at Oulton Park, 12th in class, shows he could well be in the battle for points sooner rather than later.Mohamed Al A’li, the third of the squad’s 16-year-old Bahraini drivers who all compete under the Middle East-Russell Racing banner, has shown superb raw pace since his debut at Croft in North Yorkshire during the second event of the year, a fact underlined when he climbed from 25th on the grid to 14th in class at Silverstone during round seven.Looking ahead to the start of the second half of the 2007 championship, Russell Racing owner Tim Russell commented: “We’re confident our cars will work well at Snetterton and we’re quite confident Mark could challenge for his fourth points finish of the season if qualifying goes well. He’s hungry to be in the top 10 and certainly has every chance.“Our three Bahraini drivers will, of course, have a lot to learn during qualifying but we’re sure they’ll cope well and make continual progress throughout the weekend. It’s good having one qualifying session and race each day of the event, hopefully we’ll kick off the second half of the championship with our best outing of the season so far.”Qualifying for round seven of the Formula Renault BARC Championship will take place at 09.25 on Saturday, 11th August, with the race itself following at 15.15. Round eight qualifying is scheduled for 09.25 on Sunday, 12th August, with the race expected to get underway at 14.30.All four RR drivers set to test at Thruxton next weekAhead of next weekend’s race action at Snetterton, Russell Racing’s quartet of drivers are expected to take part in an official test session at the ultra-fast Thruxton Circuit on Wednesday, 8th August, the outing acting as the pre-event practice for the 11th round of the season which will take place at the Hampshire venue on Sunday, 16th September.

With none of the team’s current line-up having experienced the demanding circuit in a Formula Renault before, the test will undoubtedly be challenging but it will provide essential running at what is widely-regarded as the UK’s most awe-inspiring venue.“It’s important for our drivers to take part in the test at Thruxton as it’s the kind of circuit you have to treat with incredible respect”, added Tim Russell, “We’ll only have two short sessions but it will at least offer the chance to learn the correct lines and to get used to how the car will behave at a track the like of which they’ve never been to before”