John Cooper Challenge at Oulton

Martin Wallbank and Arthur Forster are absolutely level on points heading to Oulton Park on Saturday 4 September for the penultimate round of the John Cooper Challenge.Following a superb round 10 at Rockingham on 29 August, Forster has now matched Wallbank's score and has set the stage for a barnstorming climax to the season. "It's too close to call at the moment. I hope it stays level to the final race at Brands Hatch," says Forster. "I'm certainly trying to win it!"However, Wallbank is just as determined to claim the title and is aiming to be back on top at the awesome Cheshire track after slipping to fourth at Rockingham; his lowest finish of the season to date. "It's all level now," he confirmed after the action-packed Rockingham race.However, the top of the S Class is not just about Wallbank and Forster. A mighty victory at Rockingham was a big boost for defending champion Mark Speller and he is still in touch with the leading pair. If either Wallbank or Forster has a poor result, Speller is ready to pounce. Then there is local ace Andy Sayle, who knows Oulton Park better than most. Pole position at Rockingham showed that the Congleton racer is ready for his first John Cooper Challenge victory, while Nick Smith was also bang on the pace at Rockingham.The contest for the Club Class is looking a little more settled in the hands of Gary Robertshaw, but he cannot relax just yet. Indeed, the former single-seater racer is still well in contention for the overall title and when dropped scores are taken into account, he is only five points down on Wallbank and Forster. "I've just got to keep it near the front. That should make it difficult for them to catch me" says Robertshaw of the final two races of the season.Only six points adrift of Robertshaw is Paddy Murray who drove a superb race at Rockingham to take his second win of the season. If Robertshaw has a bad day, Murray could easily grab the lead of the Club ClassStephen Campbell and Barney Craggs are currently battling for third in the class and still have an outside shot of grabbing the title. Both were in the thick of a monster class contest at Rockingham and even Craggs was nearly lost for words at the end of a frenetic race! James Whelan, Jonathan Shepherd (from nearby Sandbach), series newcomer James Loukes, Graham Parsons and Dave Phillips all add further quality to the Club Class contest.So, with the title race wide open, the penultimate round of the John Cooper Challenge seems certain to maintain the sequence of great races that has typified the season to date!


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