BUSY WEEKEND FOR NAPA RACING UK
20 Apr 2023
In addition to the British Touring Car Championship season opener, Donington Park will also host the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the MINI CHALLENGE JCW this weekend (22nd – 23rd April 2023).
21-year old Hugo Ellis will be back behind the wheel of his #8 Porsche as he begins his second season with top team Joe Tandy Racing (JTR) in the Pro-category.
Meanwhile, NAPA Racing UK will make their debut in the MINI CHALLENGE JCW this weekend. #18 Lewis Selby will make his first appearance in the JCW championship, competing for not only the Rookie Cup but also the Directors Cup, while #77 Jamie Osborne will compete in his first outing with the team after having previously competed in the MINI CHALLENGE in 2022.
PORSCHE CARRERA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP EXPLAINED
The championship consists of three categories, based on the drivers’ pace and experience: Professional, Professional-Amateur and Amateur. Here is the race format:
Race 1
Each driver’s fastest qualifying time will determine their place on the starting grid.
Race 2
The finishing order of the first race will determine the starting grid for the second race of each weekend. However, different to last year, if a driver does not finish in Race 1, they will now start behind the last race-finisher within their category and not at the back of the entire grid.
Both Race 1 and Race 2 will have standing starts.
Points Structure
Drivers will score 1 point for setting the fastest lap in each race, whilst drivers who set the fastest lap time within their category during qualifying will be awarded 2 championship points.
Race 1 points allocation:
1st – 12 points
2nd – 10 points
3rd – 8 points
4th – 6 points
5th – 4 points
Then going down in single points to 8th place.
Race 2 points allocation:
1st – 10 points
2nd – 8 points
3rd – 6 points
Then going down in single points to 8th place.
MINI CHALLENGE JCW EXPLAINED
For 2023, the JCW class will continue as a stepping-stone for drivers sighting their sights on the BTCC, with seven racing meetings on the TOCA package.
This weekend will feature 3 rounds at Donington Park. The format will be a 1 x 30-minute qualifying session, followed by a 1 x 20-minute race on the Saturday and 2 x 20-minute races on the Sunday.
The single qualifying session will be used to determine the starting order for the opening race of the weekend.
The grid for the second race will be determined by the finishing order of race one. While the grid for race three will be based on the results of race two, a reverse grid will be in place for the leading runners. If there are more than 20 entries, the top four to top six will be reversed – the exact number once again being determined via a reverse grid draw.
Points are awarded to each driver to finish a race on a sliding scale from 50 points for the winner down to 15 for those drivers’ finishing 20th and lower. Bonus points are awarded for scoring pole position and then for setting the fastest lap in each race.
Drivers will also be presented with an award to the top finisher in the Rookie, Graduate and Directors Cup.
KEEP UP TO SPEED
You can watch all races live on ITV4 from 10.45am on Sunday or keep up to date on TSL timings: https://bit.ly/2MDjSpV
Follow @NAPARacingUK on social media to never miss an update!
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