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Registration for
the 2008 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship opened on
Thursday, 10th January with 14 drivers already signed up to contest
the prestigious single-seater Championship. With former champions including 2007
Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen (2000) and runner-up Lewis Hamilton
(2003), the pedigree of the series attracts the highest standard of young
drivers.
Reigning
Graduate Cup champion Adam Christodoulou (Lichfield), whose prize for winning
the rookie class is a free registration in this year’s Championship, returns
with the CR Scuderia Formula Renault team formerly known as AKA Cobra. Joining
him is karting sensation Scott Jenkins (Bristol) and one other driver to be
announced by the team shortly. A fourth driver is expected to join the
line-up.
Former multiple
champion team Manor Competition registered three drivers on the first day with
Alexander Sims (Peterborough), a race winner in 2007, returning for a crack at
the title. He is joined by his 2007 team-mate Kris Loane (Kesh, Co Fermanagh)
and Henry Surtees (Lingfield), who contested the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter
Cup.
Mark Burdett
Motorsport also registered three drivers, with Richard Kent (Olney) the only one
to have Formula Renault UK experience after racing in the 2006 Winter Cup.
Completing the trio are Tom Armour (Billericay) and Dutch pilot Thomas
Hylkema.
Apotex Scorpio
Motorsport, which took Will Bratt to third place overall in the 2007
Championship, has registered two drivers so far. Japanese driver Sho Hanawa
returns for a second season in the Championship alongside Formula Renault BARC
graduate Kieren Clark (Royston).
Hillspeed makes
its full return to the Formula Renault UK Championship with 2006 Formula Renault
BARC champion Richard Singleton (Conwy), whose car was engineered by Hillspeed
in the second half of last season. He is partnered by Welsh compatriot Alex
Morgan (Bridgend), who enters his third season in the series.
The final driver
to register on the opening day, which saw a queue at the Renault Sport UK stand
at the Autosport International show, is Alpine Motorsport’s Dean Stoneman
(Southampton). The former karting champion is the 2007 Formula Renault BARC
vice-champion and steps up to Formula Renault UK after claiming a podium finish
in the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Cup.
Reigning
Entrants champion Fortec Motorsport is yet to register any drivers but is once
again expected to run four cars.
Speaking at the
end of a busy day of registrations, Championship Manager Simon North commented:
“It has been a very good day and to have 14 drivers confirmed on the grid by
early January is great news. There is still six weeks until official testing
begins and 11 weeks until the first race so we anticipate more drivers will join
what is shaping up to be yet another competitive season.”
The closing date
for registrations is Monday, 4th February, but registrations can
still be accepted after this date at the Championship Manager’s
discretion.
2008 Formula
Renault UK Championship Registered drivers (to 11th
January)
3 Richard
Singleton GBR
Hillspeed
4 Alex
Morgan
GBR
Hillspeed
5 Adam
Christodoulou GBR
CR Scuderia Formula Renault
7 Dean
Stoneman GBR
Alpine Motorsport
20 Kieren
Clark GBR
Apotex Scorpio Motorsport
21 Sho
Hanawa JPN
Apotex Scorpio Motorsport
22 Alexander
Sims
GBR
Manor Competition
23 Driver name withheld pending announcement by CR Scuderia Formula
Renault
24 Henry
Surtees GBR
Manor Competition
25 Thomas
Hylkema NED
Mark Burdett Motorsport
26 Richard
Kent GBR
Mark Burdett Motorsport
27 Tom
Armour GBR
Mark Burdett Motorsport
35 Kris
Loane GBR
Manor Competition
43 Scott
Jenkins GBR
CR Scuderia Formula Renault
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