Silverstone Motorsport Academy announces plans for the 2005 BRDC Single Seater Championship
Silverstone Motorsport Academy, the UK's centre of excellence for racing driver tuition and coaching, has announced plans for the 2005 BRDC Single Seater Championship. As in 2004, the winner of the 14 round Championship will receive one of the most valuable prize funds on offer at this level of motorsport - £30,000 towards career development and a test with British Formula 3 Championship winning team Alan Docking Racing. The series is widely regarded as the proving ground for aspiring young drivers, providing the ideal apprenticeship for those in the early stages of their careers. Silverstone, in particular, offers drivers the opportunity to follow in the wheel-tracks of F1 champions at the Home of the British Grand Prix. The 2005 calendar includes races on all configurations of the Silverstone circuit, including the world famous Grand Prix track, and also visits Brands Hatch, Rockingham, Croft and Mallory Park.
Participants also benefit from ten exclusive test sessions and comprehensive tuition from Silverstone Motorsport Academy’s professional team of instructors – all of whom have competed and won at either a national or international level. The championship also offers outstanding value for money. The budget required to compete in the full programme of 14 races is just £35,000 (+ VAT). Ken Bowes, manager of Silverstone Motorsport Academy and the 2005 BRDC Single Seater Championship, commented:
“Interest in this year’s championship is higher than ever. We have already filled two thirds of the seats available in the series, so anyone interested should contact us sooner rather than later. “I’m sure the increase in demand has been influenced by the success of drivers who started out in our series. Their success is a clear endorsement of the level and quality of our Championship.
“As an entry level Championship we offer something unique – highly cost-effective seat time with outstanding levels of driver coaching and a completely level playing field which allows the drivers to show their true ability.” As a result of the Championship’s success and popularity, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) – committed to supporting motorsport at a grass roots level - has further increased its investment in the Championship. The BRDC is providing funds to increase the size of the Van Diemen single seater fleet, enabling the 2005 Championship to run as a single class series.
Drivers already signed up include 2004 Class B Champion Mike Moyers, T Car frontrunner Ruth Senior, and BRDC Stars of Tomorrow Karting Series Scholarship winner Richard Singleton. Singleton will be one of three drivers on the grid who have won free drives in various scholarship programmes. He will be joined by the eventual winners of both the Silverstone Academy and Tim Sugden scholarship competitions. Bowes continued:
“The 2004 Championship was the most competitive and hard-fought season ever, with no fewer than five drivers fighting for the title. The eventual winner, Matt Shawyer, impressed Alan Docking enormously. He even admitted that the series was more competitive than he had thought. ‘We are delighted that our series will, once again, provide the most cost-effective racing available in the UK. It will also offer the biggest prize in the sport at this level - our 2005 Champion will receive a £30,000 driver support fund and a Formula 3 test with the Championship winning Alan Docking Racing F3 team.”
Former BRDC Championship winners include the 2004 Formula Ford Festival winner Dan Clarke, the 2004 Avon Tyres Clubman’s Formula Ford Championship winner Ryan Parouty and the 2004 Japanese Formula Toyota Champion Hideto Yasuoka. Clarke and Yasuoka will compete in the British and Japanese F3 Championships respectively in 2005. For further information about the 2005 BRDC Single Seater Championship visit silverstone- circuit.co.uk , or contact Silverstone Motorsport Academy on 08704 588212. -
