Robbie Dalgleish wins Daytona drive after season-long battle goes to wire

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In a tense battle which went right to the final weekend for five separate championships, Robbie Dalgleish secured the once-in-a-lifetime drive at Daytona International Speedway in January as he was also crowned Mini Challenge Cooper Pro champion.

Coming into the past weekend (October 19/20), five different drivers remained in contention for the prize drive in IMSA’s four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona, in a Sunoco-liveried car, thanks to the Anglo American Oil Company.

At Snetterton, the final races for the F3 Cup, and the Mini Challenge JCW and Cooper Pro drivers helped the final standings take place. Despite podium finishes and championship titles for Cian Carey in the former, and James Gornall in JCW, neither managed to maintain their average point score to finish ahead of Kelvin Fletcher, whose GT4 title in the British GT Championship left him right in the mix.

With only partial points on offer in the Cooper Pro class, Toby Goodman also fell out of contention, leaving just series-rival Robbie Dalgleish and Fletcher in with a chance of the prize. However, with a second-place finish in the final race of the season, Dalgleish claimed not only the championship title but also the Challenge seat.

Robbie follows last year’s Sunoco 240 Challenge victor Kyle Reid in claiming the drive after taking the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro title and will now begin preparations for a step into GT4 machinery around the fabled Daytona International Speedway road course.

The prize drive is available thanks to the generosity of the Anglo American Oil Company, which has helped a number of European racers enjoy a life-changing drive at Daytona. The entry fee from all Challenge hopefuls, as well as donations from members of the public, is given to Team Fox for Parkinson’s Research, a worthy cause.

Final Sunoco 240 Challenge standings (average points per race):

Robbie Dalgleish (Mini Challenge Cooper Pro): 98.53
Kelvin Fletcher (British GT Championship – GT4 Am: 96.36
James Gornall (Mini Challenge JCW): 95.58
Rob Keogh (Ginetta G40 Cup): 94.71
Toby Goodman (Mini Challenge Cooper Pro): 94.00

Robbie Dalgleish, 2019 Sunoco 240 Challenge winner

“At the start of the year we said we wanted to win the Mini Challenge, Scottish Mini Cooper Cup, and the Sunoco 240 Challenge, but that wasn’t really realistic, yet we’ve gone and done it!

“It was such a tense weekend – everything that has gone on has been crazy. If someone had said ‘you’d write a car off, get a spare car, all the politics…’ you wouldn’t believe it, but we’ve got the result. I have to give a big shout out to the team, my dad has set up the car, my mum has supported me so much, and my sponsors Evolution BPS without whom we wouldn’t even be racing.

“I am ecstatic to win the Sunoco 240 Challenge. I just have to let my new job know that I’ll be off to Daytona in January!”

Anders Hildebrand, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd

“We have another Mini Challenge champion! Sometimes you might think we want someone from another series, but it demonstrates that the winners of the Cooper Pro class are really good and that they can make the jump from the low-powered Mini to a GT4 car without any problem.

“I’ve been impressed with Robbie’s racing this year. He doesn’t make mistakes and that is how you win championships as well as the Challenge and his consistency and speed have been impressive all season long. It will be great to have another group of mad Scottish people along with us in January too!

“This prize is something to give back to the racers. I know how hard it was when I raced myself, so to win something like this where you go to another continent and race a car with a new team is quite an experience. It is all paid for, the flights, licence, race suit, everything. It is a life-changing prize that the drivers will never forget, even if they don’t go any further in their career.”

To find out more about the Sunoco Challenge please visit: http://www.sunocochallenge.com/

To find out more about Team Fox, the grassroots community fundraising program of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, please visit: https://www.michaeljfox.org/teamfox

What are the Sunoco Challenges?

The Sunoco Challenges provide an accurate assessment and comparison of performances across multiple championships during any given season. Points are awarded for qualifying and race results, including fastest lap, which are then converted into an individual average score for each competing driver over the course of a full campaign.

That means each race weekend offers drivers an equal chance to climb and drop down their respective Sunoco Challenge table. It also ensures that performances are taken into consideration across an entire season while placing less emphasis on one-off or unfair results.

This year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge champion will win a fully-funded race seat at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, courtesy of Whelen. Sunoco’s 240 Challenge champion will contest Daytona’s 240-minute BMW Endurance Challenge support race held over the same January weekend at the wheel of a Sunoco-supported GT4 car.

The Sunoco Challenges are organised by Sunoco Racing Fuels’ official European distributor, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge-eligible series:

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
British GT Championship – GT3 Pro and GT4 Pro

Sunoco 240 Challenge-eligible series:

British GT Championship – GT3 Am and GT4 Am
F3 Cup
GT Cup Championship
Mini Challenge – JCW and Cooper Pro
Radical UK Challenge
Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta G40 Cup
Touring Car Trophy / TCR UK

Summer shake up for Sunoco Challenges as Goodman and Simmons make progress

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Once again, It is all change at the top of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge and Sunoco 240 Challenge standings, with only a few points separating the top of both after an enthralling few weeks of racing.

It is still almost impossible to tell who will come out on top to win those Rolex 24 At Daytona and BMW Endurance Challenge At Daytona drives as the thrilling battles to lead the standings continue.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge: Simmons remains in contention

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship drivers continue to remain the focal point of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge. Series leader Clement Novalak returns to the top of the standings thanks to a podium finish in Belgium.

Hot on his heels is rival Ayrton Simmons who had an outstanding weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, taking a win, a podium, and two pole positions, which puts him right back in contention with only one and a half average points separating him and Clement.

A difficult weekend for Johnathan Hoggard has pushed him into third place despite his perfect point-scoring weekend at Donington Park, but a strong trip to Brands Hatch could change that quite quickly. Jonny Cocker, in the British GT Championship, is only two average points behind Johnathan after he finished seventh in GT3 at Spa, with Seb Priaulx fifth after a sixth-place finish in GT4 in the same contest.

Click here for the complete Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings.

Sunoco 240 Challenge: Carey remains on top whilst Goodman jumps to third.

It could not be closer in the Sunoco 240 Challenge where Cian Carey holds onto the lead despite no track action over the last few weeks. However, it remains an extremely tight fight for the top spot as Robbie Dalgleish closed the gap to Cian with only 1.96 average points between the pair after the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro driver stood on each step of the podium in three races at Brands Hatch.

Toby Goodman has vaulted himself into third place after a superb weekend in Kent as well. He took two wins and a third place, as well as a pole position, to move 0.12 average points ahead of Dominik Jackson, who bounced back from a DNF in race one at Oulton Park to take a win and second place in the Radical Challenge Championship, keeping his hopes alive.

Another driver on the move is British GT Championship competitor Kelvin Fletcher. He leaps ahead of Scott McKenna, who has not raced in the previous few weeks. Just five average points cover fifth to 11th in the standings, so a strong weekend for Jerome De Sadeleer, Nathan Harrison, Rob Keogh, James Gornall, or Alastair Barclay will bring them right back into the mix.

Click here for the complete Sunoco 240 Challenge standings.

What are the Sunoco Challenges?

The Sunoco Challenges provide an accurate assessment and comparison of performances across multiple championships during any given season. Points are awarded for qualifying and race results, including fastest lap, which are then converted into an individual average score for each competing driver over the course of a full campaign.

That means each race weekend offers drivers an equal chance to climb and drop down their respective Sunoco Challenge table. It also ensures that performances are taken into consideration across an entire season while placing less emphasis on one-off or unfair results.

This year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge champion will win a fully funded race seat at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, courtesy of Whelen. Sunoco’s 240 Challenge champion will contest Daytona’s 240-minute BMW Endurance Challenge support race held over the same January weekend at the wheel of a Sunoco-supported GT4 car.

The Sunoco Challenges are organised by Sunoco Racing Fuels’ official European distributor, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge-eligible series:

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
British GT Championship – GT3 Pro and GT4 Pro

Sunoco 240 Challenge-eligible series:

British GT Championship – GT3 Am and GT4 Am
F3 Cup
GT Cup Championship
Mini Challenge – JCW and Cooper Pro
Radical UK Challenge
Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta G40 Cup
Touring Car Trophy / TCR UK

Jackson and McKenna climb back into contention while Hoggard reasserts control in Sunoco Challenges

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Last month the Sunoco Whelen Challenge and Sunoco 240 Challenge standings had changed drastically, and things are no different this time out.

At this rate, neither contest will have a clear victor until the very end of the season, when two deserving winners will race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona, respectively.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge: Hoggard leapfrogs into lead

A perfect weekend at Donington Park, from an eligible points-scoring point of view, means Johnathan Hoggard climbs from fourth place to the lead of the Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings. Taking two pole positions and two wins in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, the youngster heads series rival Clement Novalak by almost seven average points.

Meanwhile, another podium finish for Jonny Cocker in GT3 in the British GT Championship keeps him in third place, ensuring that neither Johnathan nor Clement can relax. Just behind him, Seb Priaulx’s GT4 victory keeps the youngster in contention and puts him ahead of Ayrton Simmons, with the leading five starting to pull clear of the rest of the pack.

Click here for the complete Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings

Sunoco 240 Challenge: McKenna races forward while Jackson dominates

With the leading duo of Robbie Dalgleish and Cian Carey not in action over the past few weeks, their close battle atop the Sunoco 240 Challenge standings has not changed, however things are on the move behind.

Dominik Jackson had a fantastic trip to Spa in the Radical Challenge Championship, taking three wins to move up one spot into third place. Scott McKenna, meanwhile, took two victories in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge at Zandvoort to jump from 12th to fourth, narrowly moving ahead of James Gornall, who had a second and fourth in the Mini Challenge UK JCW series at Donington Park.

Click here for the complete Sunoco 240 Challenge standings

What are the Sunoco Challenges?

The Sunoco Challenges provide an accurate assessment and comparison of performances across multiple championships during any given season. Points are awarded for qualifying and race results, including fastest lap, which are then converted into an individual average score for each competing driver over the course of a full campaign.

That means each race weekend offers drivers an equal chance to climb and drop down their respective Sunoco Challenge table. It also ensures that performances are taken into consideration across an entire season while placing less emphasis on one-off or unfair results.

This year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge champion will win a fully funded race seat at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, courtesy of Whelen. Sunoco’s 240 Challenge champion will contest Daytona’s 240-minute BMW Endurance Challenge support race held over the same January weekend at the wheel of a Sunoco-supported GT4 car.

The Sunoco Challenges are organised by Sunoco Racing Fuels’ official European distributor, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge-eligible series:

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
British GT Championship – GT3 Pro and Silver, and GT4 Pro and Silver

Sunoco 240 Challenge-eligible series:

British GT Championship – GT3 Am and GT4 Am
F3 Cup
GT Cup Championship
Mini Challenge – JCW and Cooper Pro
Radical UK Challenge
Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta G40 Cup
Touring Car Trophy / TCR UK

All change in Sunoco Challenges as battles heat up into summer stretch

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What a difference one month makes to the top of the standings in the Sunoco Whelen Challenge and Sunoco 240 Challenge. With such variation from week to week it is virtually impossible to tell who might emerge victorious at this stage, but it clearly will be an enthralling battle to the final positions at the end of the year when we’ll find out who wins those coveted drives in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and BMW Endurance Challenge At Daytona.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge: Simmons shoots into contention

It is all about the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship drivers at the top of the standings as Ayrton Simmons vaults into second place after taking a win and a third place in the two Sunoco Whelen Challenge eligible races at Silverstone and he closes in on leader Clement Novalak with just eight average points between the pair. The leader in the standings took a win himself, but a sixth-place fin ish has left him vulnerable to his series rival. Jonny Cocker sits in third position after he finished eighth at the challenging three-hour Silverstone 500 during the same weekend, though BRDC F3 driver Johnathan Hoggard is merely fractions of a point behind in fourth.

Click here for the complete Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings.

Clement Novalak takes a win at Silverstone in the BRDC British F3 Championship Jonny Cocker in action in the British GT Championship at Silverstone

Sunoco 240 Challenge: Dalgleish capitalises on Carey’s misfortune

Things could not be closer for the leading drivers in the Sunoco 240 Challenge, where a host of non-finishes has shaken things up a good amount in recent weeks. Toppling then-leader Cian Carey is Robbie Dalgleish who took a win and second place in the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro class at Oulton Park. Carey was in action the same day but a DNF after finishing third in race one has dropped him into second place, albeit with just one point between the pair. Just behind is Alistair Barclay who had a solid weekend at Silverstone with a third and fourth place and keeping a close watch is Jerome De Sadeleer who has not taken to the track since May but will be out at Spa shortly. A good weekend could really put him into contention.

Click here for the complete Sunoco 240 Challenge standings.

Robbie Dalgleish racing in Mini Challenge at Oulton Park Cian Carey races in F3 Cup at Oulton Park

What are the Sunoco Challenges?

The Sunoco Challenges provide an accurate assessment and comparison of performances across multiple championships during any given season. Points are awarded for qualifying and race results, including fastest lap, which are then converted into an individual average score for each competing driver over the course of a full campaign.

That means each race weekend offers drivers an equal chance to climb and drop down their respective Sunoco Challenge table. It also ensures that performances are taken into consideration across an entire season while placing less emphasis on one-off or unfair results.

This year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge champion will win a fully funded race seat at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, courtesy of Whelen. Sunoco’s 240 Challenge champion will contest Daytona’s 240-minute BMW Endurance Challenge support race held over the same January weekend at the wheel of a Sunoco-supported GT4 car.

The Sunoco Challenges are organised by Sunoco Racing Fuels’ official European distributor, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge-eligible series:

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
British GT Championship – GT3 Pro and GT4 Pro

Sunoco 240 Challenge-eligible series:

British GT Championship – GT3 Am and GT4 Am
F3 Cup
GT Cup Championship
Mini Challenge – JCW and Cooper Pro
Radical UK Challenge
Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta G40 Cup
Touring Car Trophy / TCR UK

Novolak and Barclay head early running in Sunoco Challenge standings

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With all eligible series having now started their 2019 campaigns, the Sunoco Whelen Challenge and Sunoco 240 Challenge standings are starting to take shape. The BRDC British F3 Championship again heads the way in the former, after Linus Lundqvist won the prestigious drive at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in January, while a remarkable five drivers from five different series fill the top places in the Sunoco 240 Challenge.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge: Novolak heads the way

Clement Novolak sits atop the Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings after leaving Oulton Park with a win and a second place finish. However, he is joined on 102.50 average points by Johnathan Hoggard who took a win and a third in Cheshire. Hoggard has taken advantage of the Team Fox five average point boost donation, whereas Novolak is yet to do so, so this could pull the latter clear at a later date.

The first of the British GT Championship runners sits third, as Jonny Cocker finished fourth in race one at Oulton Park but followed up with the victory in race two after excellent work by team-mate Sam De Haan, who is competing in the Sunoco 240 Challenge. Cocker is looking strong with 95.75 average points ahead of this weekend’s races at Snetterton.

Just behind on 80.00 average points is Ayrton Simmons, another BRDC F3 driver, after he scored a second and third place to open the season, though a DNF in race two leaves him a little behind at this stage. Narrowly in fifth with 79.20 average points is the first GT4 competitor in British GT, as Seb Priaulx recorded a pole position and race win alongside Scott Maxwell.

Click here for the complete Sunoco Whelen Challenge standings.

Sunoco 240 Challenge: Barclay fending off host of competitors

Alistair Barclay has the lead in the Sunoco 240 Challenge, but it is a narrow advantage in these early stages of the season. His three wins, three pole positions, and two fastest laps in the Ginetta G40 Cup, as well as his Team Fox five average points donation boost mean he has 138.33 average points.

Close behind, with 131.67 average points, is Cian Carey, racing in F3 Cup this year. Cian has not been outside the top three in the six races so far, taking three wins to boot.

Robbie Dalgleish sits third, with 117.50 average points from the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro driver, hoping to emulate Kyle Reid who claimed the Sunoco-backed drive at Daytona earlier this year. With James Gornall from Mini Challenge JCW on 107.50 and Jerome De Sadeleer from Radical UK Challenge on 105.00, not only are the top five places closely fought, but there are five different championships represented in those places.

However, with those having had two race weekends so far, the standings are likely to change significantly after two more races for the eligible British GT Championship GT3 and GT4 Am drivers, as well as those in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and Mini Challenge JCW series this weekend. It will be an exciting battle throughout the year and one well worth keeping an eye on.

Click here for the complete Sunoco 240 Challenge standings.

What are the Sunoco Challenges?

The Sunoco Challenges provide an accurate assessment and comparison of performances across multiple championships during any given season. Points are awarded for qualifying and race results, including fastest lap, which are then converted into an individual average score for each competing driver over the course of a full campaign.

That means each race weekend offers drivers an equal chance to climb and drop down their respective Sunoco Challenge table. It also ensures that performances are taken into consideration across an entire season while placing less emphasis on one-off or unfair results.

This year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge champion will win a fully funded race seat at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, courtesy of Whelen. Sunoco’s 240 Challenge champion will contest Daytona’s 240-minute BMW Endurance Challenge support race held over the same January weekend at the wheel of a Sunoco-supported GT4 car.

The Sunoco Challenges are organised by Sunoco Racing Fuels’ official European distributor, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge-eligible series:

BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
British GT Championship – GT3 Pro and GT4 Pro

Sunoco 240 Challenge-eligible series:

British GT Championship – GT3 Am and GT4 Am
F3 Cup
Britcar Endurance
GT Cup Championship
Mini Challenge – JCW and Cooper Pro
Radical UK Challenge
Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta G40 Cup
Touring Car Trophy / TCR UK

240 Challenge Winner Reid – To Race With Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW At Daytona

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Anglo American Oil Company Ltd, distributors for Sunoco Race Fuels throughout UK, Europe and the Middle East, are today delighted to announce that Kyle Reid, winner of this years Sunoco 240 Challenge, will be driving for Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW race team in a BMW M4 GT4.

Reid will be joining Toby Grahovec and Jayson Clunie for the IMSA Michelin Pilot – BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway on 25th January 2019.

Kyle Reid (29) is this year’s Sunoco 240 Challenge winner, and the 2018 the Mini Challenge UK Cooper Pro Champion. He was able to take the championship and the Challenge prize win with some impressive results. Out of 20 races, Kyle was on the podium 18 times, winning 15 races.

Agreeing the deal with Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW for Kyle’s fully funded prize drive, Anders Hildebrand, Managing Director of AAOC, said, “Kyle is our 8th winner of the Sunoco 240 Challenge and beat over 160 other competitors from Mini Challenge, Radical, British GT, F3 Cup, Britcar, GT Cup and LMP3 to win the race seat at the 4-hour endurance race at Daytona. The Challenge point system is structured to promote speed and consistency, both important attributes to become a successful endurance driver, and for sure Kyle proved by winning the 2019 240 Challenge that he has an abundance of both.  I’ve seen Kyle race on many occasions and am confident that he will do a very good job. His commitment and preparation for this opportunity is second to none and he has already spent time in the Base Performance simulator with 2016 Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner Jonny Adam as his coach to learn the track and get a feeling for the BMW GT4 car he will be racing. I’m also very excited that we, this year, have teamed up with Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW team manager Toby Grahovec who will also be one of the drivers in the BMW that Kyle will race. We are very much looking forward to working with Toby and to present Kyle to his team – this could be the year we’ll have a good chance of a podium”. 

Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW’s Toby Grahovec added, “We are very excited to have Kyle join us at Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW. With his outstanding track record, we believe he will be a great asset in helping us pursue victory”.

In the 2018 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, the Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW M4 GT4 was impressive with a second place at Sebring with Grahovec and Clunie as well as a fourth place at the BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway.

 

Mini Cooper Pro Challenge Champion Reid Wins Sunoco 240 Challenge & The Daytona Prize Drive

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Kyle Reid has won the Sunoco 240 Challenge after wrapping up the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro class title at Rockingham last weekend (September 28/29). The 29-year-old Scot, who hails from the Highlands, will now travel to the legendary Daytona International Speedway this coming January to compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona support race.

Reid’s final score of 105.91 reflects a dominant 2018 campaign that resulted in one of the junior Sunoco Challenge’s highest-ever average totals. Indeed, he has remained a permeant fixture at the top of the standings all season long despite the best efforts of Steve Burgess whose hopes of winning the prize were ended during a difficult Radical UK outing at the same venue yesterday.

The scale of Reid’s achievement is even more impressive given his day job in South Africa means he must fly to every Mini Challenge round, while his team – SCK Motorsport – travel the breadth of Britain from their base in Scotland.

Reid follows in the footsteps of another Mini Challenge Cooper Pro champion, Max Bladon, who won the Sunoco 240 Challenge in 2016. Like Bladon, Reid can now look forward to a fully-funded outing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge’s four-hour endurance race at the wheel of a GT4-spec supercar on January 25th, 2019.

Meanwhile, the senior Sunoco Whelen Challenge will be decided on October 13/14 when BRDC British F3 Championship protagonists Linus Lundqvist and Nicolai Kjaergaard attempt to overhaul current leader Phil Keen.

Kyle Reid, 2019 Sunoco 240 Challenge winner: “I’m speechless; I mean this sort of thing just doesn’t happen to a lad from the Highlands who races a Mini! Obviously, I’ve been keeping tabs on the 240 Challenge and knew I had a good chance but it’s not something you think about during a weekend when the primary focus is on winning races and the championship, which we managed to do at Rockingham. So, to get the call from Anders [Hildebrand] saying I’m going to Daytona, well, that’s just incredible! Sure, it’s a big step, but Max Bladon proved that it needn’t be too daunting. Daytona is an incredible race circuit that not many Europeans ever get a chance to compete on. It’s beyond my wildest expectations!

“There are a lot of people and sponsors without whom I couldn’t have achieved this: Tim Sleigh, Barry Homes, my Mum, Dad and my wife Laura, have all been so incredibly supportive, while William Nicol, AK System Solutions, Paint Technic, Mintech Spares, RAM Tubulars, Ocean Rig Skyros and Smart Air Solutions have been there every step of the way. A huge ‘thank you’ to all of them!”

Anders Hildebrand, Anglo American Oil Company Ltd: “I’m delighted that Kyle Reid has won the 2019 Sunoco 240 Challenge crown following another impressive performance at Rockingham. Kyle becomes our eighth 240 winner and second from the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro series in three years. Switching from a Mini to racing a GT4 supercar around Daytona’s legendary oval might seem like a daunting prospect but I’ve no doubt whatsoever that Kyle can do extremely well. After all, the 240 Challenge is designed to showcase the talents of young drivers that wouldn’t ordinarily have the chance to race in America. Our first Cooper winner, Max Bladon, was right on the money and raced impressively at Daytona, so there’s no reason why Kyle can’t do the same in January.”

Antony Williams, Mini Challenge: “It is fantastic news that Kyle Reid has won the Sunoco 240 challenge and will be following in the footsteps of previous Cooper Class winner Max Bladon in representing the MINI CHALLENGE at Daytona. Kyle has been incredible this year, winning more races than any other Cooper Pro class driver and being a gentleman along the way. Congratulations to him and we very much look forward to hearing how he gets on racing in the USA”

Keen Sensationally Pinches Sunoco Whelen Challenge Lead With One Weekend Remaining

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2015 Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner Phil Keen is the new Challenge front-runner following a thrilling and unpredictable weekend of racing at Donington Park last weekend that saw erstwhile leader Linus Lundqvist, from Sweden, endure a troubled BRDC Formula 3 outing.

The young Swede headed into the penultimate round with a chance of winning the senior competition’s Rolex 24 At Daytona prize drive thanks to his near-18-point advantage. However, two troubled outings in the Challenge-eligible races resulted in his season’s average reducing by 12.26 marks to 86.07.

Keen, meanwhile, approached his final British GT appearance fully aware that only a victory would maintain his hopes of winning both the GT3 Drivers’ title and Sunoco Whelen Challenge. But while a second win of the season ultimately didn’t deliver the championship, victory and pole position helped increase his season’s average by 5.73 points to move the Barwell Lamborghini driver just 0.1 points ahead of Lundqvist.

The British F3 Championship leader’s difficult weekend was compounded by domestic title rival Nicolai Kjaergaard who kept himself in both the Formula 3 and Sunoco Whelen Challenge title hunt by claiming two wins and a fastest lap across the two eligible races. The Dane’s new improved total of 79.64 points is thus 6.43 shy of Keen’s total.

And so, the Sunoco Whelen Challenge rolls on to Silverstone in three weeks’ time (October 13/14) when Lundqvist and Kjaegaard go head-to-head for the British F3 and senior Sunoco crowns. The former’s task is undoubtedly much simpler: score 175 points from a possible 280. His adversary, on the other hand, requires a near-perfect weekend comprising two pole positions, two fastest laps, a victory and second place while also hoping Lundqvist fails to improve his average. The 265 points earned for those results would also take him above Keen’s current table-topping total.

Watching from home will be Keen, who – as a former winner – ordinarily wouldn’t be eligible to contest another Sunoco Challenge. However, as a celebration of the competition’s 10th anniversary, its organisers – Anglo American Oil Company – allowed all former champions a chance to test themselves once again.

One of them, Jonny Adam, now lies fourth in the standings after wrapping up his third British GT title at Keen’s expense on Sunday. His final average score of 77 points could yet result in two former winners also topping 2019’s standings.

Two more British GT3 Pros – Nicki Thiim and Yelmer Buurman – complete the top-six ahead of Radical racer Stuart Moseley and British GT4’s leading Pro, Charlie Fagg, while the top-10 is rounded out by Marco Sorensen and Patrik Matthiesen.

 

Lundqvist requires:

1x win and 1x 3rd = 175

1x pole, 1x 2nd and 1x 3rd = 180

2x pole, 1x 4th and 1x 3rd = 180

2x pole, 1x fastest lap, 1x 4th and 1x 5th = 180

2x pole, 2x fastest lap and 2x 5th = 190  

Kjaegaard requires:

2x pole, 2x fastest lap, 1x 1st and 1x 2nd = 265 points

Sunoco 240 Challenge Is Still All To Play For

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Sunoco 240 Challenge Up For Grabs!!

It’s crunch time in the 2019 Sunoco Whelen and 240 Challenges, both of which could be decided in the next 10 days when the remaining contenders compete in BRDC British F3, British GT, Mini Cooper Challenge and Radical UK Challenge events around the UK.

The driver who will compete in the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona’s official support race could also be decided on September 29/30 when leading contenders from Mini Challenge Cooper and Radical UK Challenge go head-to-head at Rockingham.

Kyle Reid has looked untouchable for much of the season after making a fast start, but as his average reduces with every less-than-perfect weekend so the consistency of Steve Burgess becomes ever more apparent. The pair are now separated by just 4.28 points ahead of Reid’s final three Cooper races at Rockingham, while Burgess and title rival Dominik Jackson – himself 11.7 points shy of the 240 top spot – also have another Radical round to come at Silverstone on October 13/14.

If Reid continues to maintain his current average per race score, Burgess must outscore Reid by 10.9 points per race. Jackson meanwhile needs a 29 point swing per race over Reid, and an 18.3 points per race swing to overhaul Burgess, to claim the 240 Challenge at the final Radical event at Silverstone in October.

There is a final potential twist in this intriguing battle for the 240 Challenge – if both Reid and Burgess gain the perfect score in all their remaining races, Burgess will snatch the prize by 0.38 points.

Sunoco 240 Challenge: No Change At the Top

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With the top-six drivers, including long-time leader Kyle Reid, not in action at Brands Hatch, the focus shifted to the amateur drivers racing in British GT3 and GT4.

Kelvin Fletcher has led the category’s charge in recent weeks and again improved his average score by finishing second in GT4’s Pro/Am class. His new 87.45-point total is 29.22 marks behind that of Reid, whose lead over nearest rival Steve Burgess (Radical Challenge) remains 14.59 points.

Burgess, as well as those drivers occupying positions three to six, will go head-to-head this weekend when Brands Hatch hosts Mini Challenge JCW and Radical Challenge heads to Snetterton. Reid, meanwhile, returns to action at Brands Hatch’s ‘Mini Fest’ on August 25-26.

The only other significant change saw Flick Haigh move from 14th to 10th after claiming fastest Am lap en route to British GT3 victory alongside Jonny Adam.