Just two race meetings remain in the Legends Cars Championship with MRF Tyres season, beginning with the visit to Snetterton 300 Circuit this coming weekend – an event which will be absolutely pivotal as the battle to become 2022 Champion nears its conclusion.
With three races at the Norfolk track on Saturday, 17th September, and three more on Sunday, 18th September, there will be a total of 1,200 points available which clearly leaves the potential for a lot to change before the season finale at Brands Hatch in early November.
That said, reigning and two-time champion Miles Rudman (Sutton Coldfield) holds a very healthy lead of 540 points ahead of the category’s arrival at Snetterton after adding two more wins to his tally at Donington Park last month. His bid to become only the third driver in the championship’s history to win three titles is looking well on course.
His two main challengers, and realistically the only drivers other than Rudman likely to lift the coveted title, are five-time former champion John Mickel (Horsham) and the winningest driver of the current season to-date Will Gibson (Camberley).
Gibson claimed a hat-trick of victories three weeks ago at Donington to close to within just 55 points of second placed Mickel, taking Gibson’s tally of wins for the year to 12 – one more than Rudman at this stage. Mickel, who is still eyeing an unprecedented super sixth Legends crown, has been ultra-consistent again this year and has five wins to his credit.
Fourth in the standings is Steve Whitelegg (Bury), who has been increasingly competitive as the season has progressed. Taking his first two wins of the year at Anglesey in North Wales in June, Whitelegg then added another victory last time out at Donington.
Marcus Pett (Boston), another of this year’s race winners, is fifth in the standings and less than 200 points shy of Whitelegg, all set for a career best championship result. Sixth in the title race is Jack Parker (Wolverhampton), who did miss the second event of the campaign at Brands Hatch when his partner Lori gave birth to their baby daughter Starlette.
Others in the championship top 10 include the very consistent and competitive Charlie Budd (Henley-on-Thames), Andy Bird (Calne) and Team Car racer Gareth Sheridan (Altrincham). Past race winners Paul Simmons (Lingfield) and Nick Bridgeman (Baldock) are just outside the top 10.
Things couldn’t be closer in the Rookie Cup battle where Oli Schlup (Cuckfield) and Ben Higgins (Powys) are tied on points, equal 14th in the overall championship, with Higgins having taken his maiden outright podium at Donington three weeks ago. Only 70 points behind is the equally impressive Luke Simmons (Lingfield), all three drivers having delivered some superb racing.
Another driver to visit the podium for the first time at Donington was Kieran Beaty (Hexham), capping his strongest event yet with a terrific top three performance. He and brother Mark Beaty (Gosforth) sponsor the Legends Cars Championship with MRF Tyres television and online coverage through their business Parc Lane Cars.
As has been the case throughout 2022, of course, the Legends Cars will be running with SulNOx fuel conditioner at Snetterton as the championship sits at the vanguard of moves to achieve cleaner and greener racing.
Poignantly at Snetterton, all of the cars will carry a special tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the second day of the race meeting taking place, of course, the day before The Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey in central London.
“We feel it’s incredibly important to pay our respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with our small tribute on the cars next weekend”, said Phil Cooper, Legends Cars Championship with MRF Tyres owner, “On behalf of everyone associated with Legends Cars, I would like to express our profound sorrow and send our heartfelt sympathy to the Royal Family.
“Looking ahead to the racing at Snetterton, we’re entering the most crucial stage of the season and even though we have just two events to go, there’s still a lot of action left with 12 races between now and the end of the championship. Snetterton is going to be a very important weekend, both for the main title battle and the Rookie battle, and we can’t wait to watch it unfold.
“Miles [Rudman] obviously holds a strong lead at the top of the table, but everyone knows how capable John [Mickel] and Will [Gibson] are. Anything can happen in Legends Cars, especially with so many points still available. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend of racing and I’m intrigued to see how things will look when the chequered flag falls at the end of Sunday’s last race.”
Qualifying for round 12 of the season at Snetterton 300 Circuit will get underway at 09.25 on Saturday, 17th September, with Heat One beginning at 11.50, Heat Two following at 14.10 and the Final scheduled to start at 17.10.
On Sunday, 18th September, qualifying will commence at 09.00 with Heat One starting at 11.45, Heat Two following at 14.45 and the round 13 Final set to conclude the weekend’s track action at 17.25. All of the Snetterton action will be filmed by Digitex Television for upcoming broadcast on YouTube and other platforms, including Amazon and Freesports TV.
Provisional 2022 Legends Cars National Championship Points (after Rd11):
1st Miles Rudman, 5510pts; 2nd John Mickel, 4970pts; 3rd Will Gibson, 4915pts;
4th Steve Whitelegg, 4240pts; 5th Marcus Pett, 4075pts; 6th Jack Parker, 3190pts
