TRIO OF FERRARIS AT BRANDS HATCH
Three Group 4-spec Ferrari 308 Michelottos are set to compete in the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship on the Brands Hatch Stages later this month.
Kevin Jones has regularly competed in his Wurth-liveried example, after working for Michelotto as the leading builder of the firm’s 308s through his life. He finished second in the HRCR Old Stager Championship this year.
But, with two new cars almost finished, Jones’ son Lee will make his debut after co-driving for his father this year. And there will be plenty of competition.
“The plan so far is there’s a good chance we’ll have three for Brands, which is exciting,” said Kevin Jones.
“One is a Pirelli-sponsored car, and the other is a new car for my son. He’ll be running one, I’ll be in the other and a customer in the third car. It’s going to be a proper head-tohead and I might have to find a new co-driver for next year!”
Jones has called for the MN Championship to feature a historic class for next year.
“Absolutely, it should have one [a historic class],” said Jones Sr. “Every rally they put on, there’s more appetite for the real historic cars than there is for some of the Millington cars. You’ve got to have a historic class, even if it’s just one class. If the weather’s tricky – which it is on the winter events most of the time, a Mini would beat the Ferrari anyway. So you don’t have to class it.”
MN Circuit Rally Championship co-ordinator Darren Spann reckons if there’s enough interest, the championship would happily consider a historic element.
“Without question we’d consider a historic class if the interest was there,” said Spann. “When we started the championship the tracks we visited weren’t well known for having a lot of historic entrants. We also didn’t want to step on any of the other championship’s toes by taking entries for them.
“It’s definitely something we’d consider, but it would likely have to come with sponsorship so that we can award a prize. I think for a class like that the competitor needs something to compete for.”