AND THE OTHERS
When Autosport runs this annual feature, there are usually seven or eight new categories about to be launched. Not this year. A whopping 13 new series are planned and more announcements possible at Autosport International next week. So here’s a round-up of some of the other classes due to start in 2019.
One of those new series has a familiar name: Z Cars. The series for BMW Z3s and Z4s was originally scheduled to launch in 2017 but never got beyond two cars running in Motorsport Vision Racing’s Allcomers series. But now it’s back with new management and the signs are much more encouraging, with seven cars racing in Allcomers at Brands Hatch in November.
A properly ‘new’ offering from MSVR is the Focus Cup. This features centrally-run turbodiesel Ford Focus Zetecs that will be randomly selected for drivers ahead of each round to ensure complete parity.
The arrive-and-drive element is aimed at drivers on a tight budget.
Speaking of budget, after the success of the Citroen C1 Challenge, the Scottish Motor Racing Club wants to get in on the act by offering sprint races for C1s at Knockhill. But whether the 10-lap contests will prove anywhere near as popular as the endurance races south of the border remains to be seen.
A series featuring cars with a little more power than the C1 will be the UK Sports Prototype Cup. This British Automobile Racing Club category will feature the brand new Revolution prototype that has been created by Radical co-founder Phil Abbott, as well as a class for Radical SR3S. Given the difficulties the LMP3 Cup has had in attracting entries, and the shortlived Britcar Prototype series, it will be interesting to see if this fares better.
Also new from the BARC is Series Elite. This is a one-make Jaguar category aimed at older racers. Originally the F-type GT4 was going to be raced by the over-fifties, but this has since changed to the XE Project 8 saloon and the age limit has been dropped to over-forties.
And finally, for something completely different, take a look at Sonny Howard’s new Wildcat Sprint Car series for the Us-style racers (more details on page 62). Unlike some of 2019’s offerings, this is something genuinely unique.