final drive - Mundo Motorizado

Caterham R600
Caterham cans new R600 series
Latest Seven will not get its own series in 2013 as British marque struggles with numbers
THE NEW CATERHAM
R600 Superlight series
will not run in 2013, after
failing to attract enough drivers
to guarantee a viable grid.
AUTOSPORT understands the
Dartford manufacturer set itself
a minimum target of 15 cars for
the new five-round series, which
Caterham conceived to replace the
slickshod R400 formula that
was last run in 2009.
Clio Cup
Wakefield and
Modell to Clios
RENAULT CLIO CUP SQUAD
Scuderia Vittoria will run two more
cars in the 2013 championship after
adding Ginetta GT Supercup refugee
Josh Wakefield and ex-karter Devon
Modell to its line-up.
The team has already announced KX
Akademy racers Stefan Hodgetts, Ant
Whorton-Eales and Luke Herbert for
2013. The additions of ex-Trofeo Abarth
racer Wakefield and car-racing rookie
Modell mean the line-up now stands
at five cars, with more expected.
Team boss Danny Buxton said:
“Josh has had a couple of testing
years in diferent formulas, but has
IN BRIEF
FORMER SILVERSTONE
24 Hours race winners John
Gaw and Phil Dryburgh will
Gaw/Dryburgh Aston is back
74 autosport.com January 31 2013
Caterham has decided to
suspend the new series until 2014
and remains hopeful a slickshod,
supercharged category will offer
a next step on the Caterham ladder
for graduates of the R300 Superlight
series, which has grown strongly
since its launch in 2009.
A Caterham spokesman said:
“We imposed the 15-car limit from
the start and didn’t quite reach it.
It’s hard to say exactly why but it’s
race an Aston Martin
Vantage in British GT in
2012. Richard Poole/Mark
Abra have also committed
to a full season in their new
Barwell-run Vantage.
INTERSTEPS CHAMPION
Matt Parry has confirmed
Wakefield had a difficult season in Ginetta G55
shown he possesses great pace. I’m
confident he’ll do well.
“Devon is a really exciting talent who
held a huge reputation in karting by
beating the likes of Max Chilton and
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs along the way.”
“He is a very intelligent, calm and
confident driver, who possesses great
pace, and I’m sure he will surprise a lot
of people in the TOCA paddock.”
plans to graduate to
Formula Renault NEC this
year. The 18-year-old
Caterham F1-backed
Welshman will also contest
selected Eurocup races
with the Fortec squad
that guided him to the
InterSteps crown in 2012.
probably a combination of factors.
“It’s a big decision to delay it for
12 months, but probably a sensible
one. It’s disappointing for the guys
that have signed up, but the car is
brilliant and we’re confident we’ll
get a good grid for next year.”
Leading Caterham team boss
Derrick Rowe, whose DPR squad
planned to run several cars in the
new series, suggested a late launch
for the R600, combined with similar
BRDC F4
Dalton makes F4 switch with MGR
FORMULA RENAULT BARC
podium finisher Jake Dalton will
switch to the new BRDC Formula 4
Championship this season.
Dalton, 17, will remain with the
Mark Godwin Racing squad that ran
him to eighth overall in the Renault
BARC standings in 2012.
Dalton said: “Getting to race on
some fantastic circuits and support
the DTM and F3, not to mention the
prize fund, [means] I feel this could
open lots of doors for my future
and makes it the right choice.”
MGR team principal Mark Godwin
added: “We’re delighted to welcome
Jake back to the MGR team and I
FORMULA RENAULT
squad Mark Burdett
Motorsport will run
20-year-old Colombian
Andres Mendez in the NEC
this season. Mendez, who
raced in Star Mazda last
year, joined the team after
reviewing onboard footage
costs to rival Ginetta and Radical
series, had made it difficult for
Caterham to reach its 15-car target
with the R600.
He said his team would now
revert to running four cars in R300.
“R600 is potentially a real low-cost
alternative for someone aspiring to
GTs so hopefully it will appear in
2014,” he said. “In the interim we
will continue to run an ultracompetitive
R300 squad.”
of ex-Burdett racer and
2012 Star Mazda champ
Jack Hawksworth.
EX-BRITISH GT AND BTCC
racer Phil Glew will return
to Time Attack in 2013. The
2009 Clio Cup champion,
who won Time Attack when
know he’s going to be a great
addition to our line-up.
“I was impressed with his pace
and attitude last year, and I’m really
looking forward to continuing
this partnership in F4.”
Dalton finished eighth in FR BARC in 2012
he last contested a full
programme in 2007, will
drive a Subaru Impreza.
Glew will drive BC Impreza
PICS: EBREY/LAT, WALKER