K- CLASS THUNDER ENDURO SEASON 2 REVIEW
Season 1 was a new experience, so the teams were quick to learn from that and with the new rule changes, to register their cars straight away, confident they had a winner ready for the eleven rounds ahead. Testing started, and panic set in as teams changed cars from those with high speed to those that had fuel tanks allowing them to cut down the amount of stops. In fact 5 of the first 6 teams to register changed the cars they showed up for in round 1 from those initially registered. Some of those changes were inspired, for others they turned out to be a total disaster. The rules this season were for faster more sporty cars, the largest entry in Class C for rear wheel drive, Class A was well populated for the all wheel drive, and Class B for Front Wheel drive was again minus an entry. The AM class had been formed, whilst Forever Forward had a year off (returns in Season 3), and the series had an extra long race midseason at Le Mans. Most of last year’s runners returned, some were new. One team and driver dominated the points and won the most races, but the action through the field was closer than ever and in fact many felt this was by far a better season than the first on track. The support Championship was set up, and proved fun and varied as well. It was a good season and an average of 20 runners started each round, with three rounds having a full grid of 24 runners.
AWARDS
Drivers Champion – NikeMikeRules
Team Champion – RML with Hoonigan
Class Champion – RangersRick
Class A Champion – RangersRick
Class C Champion – NikeMikeRules
AM Champion - Basslinejunkio
Super Lap – RangersRick
Forever Forward – N/A
Independent Winner – JDR Racing
Most improved driver(s): Devilsbogeyman / Badbeat
Best Looking Car – TVR Sagaris
Car of the Championship – RML with Hoonigan TVR Sagaris
Race of the Season – Spa / Sebring
Drive of the Season – Penfold at Bathurst / Atom Stew at Road Atlanta
Best 3 Support Series – 1. Citroen 2CV, 2. Formula Mazda, 3. THORS Utes
Funniest Moment – The mad Citroen 2CV’s at Road Atlanta
THE CIRCUITS
The calendar was voted for in Season 2 by those racing in series 1, and bought a few new venues to the series, funnily enough though most of these proved to unpopular with those taking part. Some of the old favourites like; Mugello, Road Atlanta, Long Beach and Sebring all provided great entertainment, whilst Spa with a varied Pi was a classic with 5 different drivers capable of victory. Le Mans Bugatti held the midseason long distance race with the format liked, but the series managed to find the good weather again where ever it went, so the first wet race never sadly happened. The best races voted by those taking part, was a tie between the round at Spa and the race at Sebring. Both these circuits are off to the Touring Car Sunday Series next season, and will be missed.
THE CARS
780Pi was the base this season, as cars went down to 725 and up to 820. The higher Pi seemed to hinder some more than help, with the cars overpowered, whilst the lower Pi had less of an effect to some than in season 1. What masks that slightly though, is that more cars got down to or closer to the lower Pi this season, than they had the season before. For the first time ever a car was built that could do a race on one set of tyres and a tank of fuel, the Alfa 33 of CK Motorsport was as light as a feather and kind on everything. RML with Hoonigan than managed to cleverly engineer the TVR to do the same at certain venues, and this was a killer to the rest of the field, as the team managed to build a car that had few if any weaknesses and it dominated at most tracks, especially in the hands of two of the best drivers in the series. Some cars surprised and some just frustrated their drivers, but was really different from last season, was if the car was a pig from day one, it stayed that way for most of the season. Was it the rules, or was it that most teams hit the sweet spot from the start?
Car and driver of the year, NikeMike and the TVR dominated season 2.
2CV's were the best support series, won by Bradderstig
THE TEAMS
RML entered two teams this season, reigning champion Nikemikerules stayed with the main team, whilst fellow team owner Robraceruk moved off to set up and race for the Development team. Some of this came about due to finding a car that suited both drivers. Nikemike showed up for media day in a Mustang, Robraceruk in a Lotus Espirit that had been seen testing briefly in season 1 with Team Hard. The Lotus looked a good pick in preseason testing, and with new teammate Mad2210, they got to work racking up the mileage and were well prepared for the season ahead. As for the sister team, they had a problem. The Mustang was quick but thirsty, in fact preseason testing with other teams had shown RML that they would be handicapped by maybe having to pit more than once. The team looked for another car quickly, and signed WeeBilly and the TVR Sagaris in one go, and all of a sudden they were quicker than the Mustang and kinder to boot on fuel and tyres. The TVR was without a doubt the best car in the championship, the fact every other driver bar one voted for it, tells you the rest of the pitlane looked at it in awe. At Le Mans the demonstration by the pair was crushing to the rest of the field, and it was the most comfortable win seem in the history of the series. The car seemed to handle Pi drops well, it was good on handling, and light and fast on the straights. But that takes nothing away from the drivers and the team. You have to be able to drive it fast, and Nikemike and Billy did that, whilst they also did a great job eking out the fuel and tyre wear as well, winning with skill more than speed at Long Beach for example. The Lotus wasn’t a bad car for the sister team either, and Robraceruk especially rung its neck. It will go down as a mystery on how the car never won a race; the badluck was mostly at the door of car 44 in the season. Any weak points? Pi blunder at Sebring when the car ran to high and was disqualified, that maybe all it had.
It would be easy to say that reigning Team Champions KRR Racing had a bad season, but one half of the garage had a very good season in truth. The team were quick to unveil the Porsche Cayman for the new season, but that was scrapped for the Nissan 370z. The Nissan wasn’t a bad car in AWD form, but was a handful with rear oversteer in RWD trim. After the sweet handling Lancia, this was a shock to the team. It didn’t help that the team seemed divided as well, and as the season wore on it became obvious that the two drivers were going their separate ways in season 3.
DARE had a promising season in Season 1 with the Lotus Evora, and went big for Season 2, retaining CQR Posh Rob and joining him was Bradderstig, in a pair of beautiful Ferrari 360s The Ferrari’s were very good at 780, harder on the tyres than the TVR and slightly slower, although they had very good fast speed cornering. The team were hopeful for a successful season, and in truth it wasn’t a bad one at all, but they just got trounced by the TVR so outright wins eluded them. The team also didn’t get its head around the fuel issues, meaning it was harder on strategy as well. Both drivers drove well and worked as a team, and they are back again for next season, where they will be bang on the pace. The sister team DART didn’t have the season they had hoped for. They spent to long testing different cars, passing up on the TVR was not the best decision you will ever see. The Alfa was a big heavy car, looked nice and sounded brilliant, but it struggled badly with low speed understeer. Both drivers also found it inconsistent and it was good to see they learned from the mistakes of this season, and made a decision first for Season 3, instead of going up a blind alley. What has also changed is the team will only be engineering the BMW’s next season and spending more time testing their own car rather than others.
Cerberus thought about keeping the Ford Escorts, then bagged the Ford GT that’s others had looked at, and then showed up with a pair of Audi TT’s. If DART were struggling to make their minds up, Cerberus were in a complete land of confusion. The Audi TT improved over the season, but it struggled mostly due to the wheelbase, making it very critical and inconsistent. The team had an aim for a victory outright and to win Class A, but the latter was out of their reach by the time they started to unlock the cars potential at Sebring. The teams Escorts ended up being sold to a new team, K-Class Vapes. Cerberus offered technical support and then watched the Escort outperform the Audi on many tracks, rather demoralising to both its drivers. The Escort is a good safe car, and Basslinejunkio put that to good use. Its launch was the best out of corner, although the diff setup did give it a dip in the torque. It wasn’t a bad car at all for a new driver to join the series in, and was consistent across most circuits. The team goes alone next season and with two cars as well.
Hoppers Sport entered 2 teams and 4 cars, a massive undertaking. They had support from DART in the first half of the season, and entered owner Hopperswwfc in a Porsche and AtomStew in a Subaru, the second car of each was vacant until midseason. The Porsche was a good car, fast and handled well, this was proved at Le Mans when a second version appeared for J47TEE, and the team had it first ever victory a week later at Sebring. Sadly the pennies run out and it was down to one again for the team owner. The Subaru had promise and that promise was unlocked when AtomStew started to engineer his own car and discard the DART setup. The win at Road Atlanta was a fine reward and a second car appeared for the series first lady driver at Bathurst. J47TEE and AtomStew worked hard on the Porsche and the Subaru and proved both cars were winners in the right hands.
CK Motorsport was the only team to attempt a race without stopping in season 1, and then became the team to turn it into an art form in season 2. The Alfa 33 was the oldest car in the series, and the pretty little sports car was light as a feather and handled a treat. The early season saw it built at DART, and it put Piekey in the hunt for the drivers’ championship, but the long race at Le Mans started a bad run. The engine blew and from then on the car didn’t seem its self, and it dropped away. Some fast tracks didn’t help, and for the final few rounds CK Motorsport took the build in house and with it a return to some of the form seen earlier in the season. Next season the team join KRR and it will be great to see how they do with another driver and team supporting on the engineering front.
JDR Racing is a self run team by driver Nitrorushmini, who rocked up with a 2002 Corvette. A lot of people looked at the American car at the start of the season, and said it wouldn’t work, it would be too heavy. Well didn’t JDR prove all wrong? The Corvette went very well, with a nice balance of power and handling and it was regularly found just outside the podium positions. The team also did a fantastic job in the support series, Nitro often well up in any car the support series was running. The team are keen to expand to two cars and it will be great watching them grow. They bagged the independent crown as well, which was a great reward.
Quicksilver had a very good season last season with the Dodge Viper, but it was a struggle with the Aston Martin Vantage. No doubting the Aston Martin was a beautiful powerful car, but it was a heavy handful and the moment the Pi dropped the weight piled on which wore out tyres and in the early laps of many races had the driver in some fantastic slides. It was a hard season for the team, and you sensed they missed the Dodge, a cart its driver always excels in.
Team Hard showed up for half the rounds with the Mercedes GT, which was a beast of a car and left driver RGreenwood with muscles on his arms that a body builder would have been proud of. Another car that sounded the part, it was a handful to drive, although RGreenwood showed it had promise at Spa when he was battling in the top 3. You get the impression they need two drivers and more technical support for next season to get the most out of the car they run.
DMR surprised everyone with the Kia Stinger for media day and the car looked promising. By the time round 1 was out the way, it was getting called names like the tank, and the submarine. It was a long car and replaced the original plan of running a Bentley. Out of the frying pan into the fire sprung to mind. The team tried hard, and lead driver Kenty got it in some strong positions in the early laps, but having the turning circle of the QE2 meant it didn’t stay there for long. Next season they have done a deal to run the Renault GTA, which could be an absolutely inspired decision and will see both Penfold and Kenty further up the field at the flag.
We had two of the Mercedes A45, as the Fife Flyer returned and SMEG Racing joined the series. The two teams were very separate and both in AWD. As last year, the car got stronger as the season went on; in fact both cars improved massively as did the drivers, going from backmarkers and in to the midfield. The Fife Flyers are back next season, whilst SMEG racing has joined forces with K-Calss Vapes racing. Both Devilsbogeyman and Badbeat will start favourites for the AM crown.
Four other teams made one off appearances. Sauber surprised us all by showing up for round 1 with a Caddy at Brands Hatch, but the car didn’t get out of the pits. It reappeared at Le Mans and was a handful, but in the hands of CarcrazyCal entertained and was rapid. Red Bull racing only entered at Brands Hatch, wining the ProAm support class, although the Thunder Enduro BMW had promise we never saw it fulfilled. Alert-It came in refreshed with a Nissan GTR, and it scored points on its debut for Capt Storer before the team closed up and the driver retired. A self run Private Aston Martin appeared for DaveyGallardo at Sebring, but it never appeared again.
BMR Sutton won from here, in a difficult season
Robraceruk drove well but lacked luck
THE DRIVERS TOP 15 (VOTED BY THOSE TAKING PART)
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1. NikeMikeRules (up 2 places)
Absolutely dominant was how to describe this seasons performance from Nikmikerules. Yes he had the best car, but he made it work and made very few mistakes. At one point of the season he looked under attack from the CK Motorsport Alfa 33 of ABigPieKey, which had managed to do races without stopping, so Mike and the team managed to engineer and match that, which helped him win at Long Beach. At other tracks he scored wins and podiums when in truth he wasn’t the quickest, and showed the consistency that others couldn’t get over a race distance. He did have the odd off days to show he wasn’t without flaws, Sebring was again for the second season his weakest circuit, and the corner cutting at Monza which saw a penalty was something the best driver in the series should have been well above doing. That aside, you have to doubt that anyone this season could have matched the results he achieved in the same car, and that is why his fellow racers voted him the best driver in the series, a title he fully deserved.
Magic Moment: Long Beach fuel run Moment to Forget: Monza Corner Cutting
2. Bradderstig (up 4 places)
Bradderstig went in a second season with high hopes and a favourite for the title, and left it for a second season without winning a race. How can the person who has won more TORC races, have never won a Thunder Enduro race? You would think it’s a complete mystery but the facts were he couldn’t compete with Nikemikerules and the TVR this season. The Ferrari was a fine car, and possibly the second fastest on the track, but it missed something to the TVR on handling, power and fuel consumption. Yes it was only little bits, but add this together and then the races the car was at its best, so was Mike in the TVR, and that is why Bradders never won a race for the second time. He was the only person to take the fight to the TVR’s in all 3 of the Base Pi races, and led each as well, but he was passed and didn’t have the speed to match the British Sports Car. The Ferrari handled well but it didn’t like the Pi drop and also was heavy on fuel at times, limiting the strategy. Bradders beat his rvial to the Support Series crown, which shows he has the pace to match his rival, but for Season 3 he is in desperate need of a car that is equal over the whole season, to the run RML roll up for the reigning Champion. One thing that is massive credit to him, is that win or lose, he always races with a smile.
Magic Moment: Support Series Glory Moment to Forget: Running out of fuel at Monza
3. RangersRick (Down 2 places)
Rick was voted the number one driver in the series last season, but down to 3 this time around, but the funny thing is, he most likely drove better this season than the last. The pre-season was chaos, change of car and the title winning KRR team undecided it seemed on everything. In fact you sensed they weren’t much of a team and that maybe Rick and BMR Sutton had gone their separate ways before the lights turned green at Brands Hatch. This bought the best out of Rick, who drove brilliantly to win the Class A title and the Overall Class title. He made very few errors, a bit of door bashing with his teammate at Road Atlanta cost him third in the title race, but at races like Hockenheim he was the only driver to give the TVR something to worry about. Rick always started high up the grids, and the AWD gave him a promising early start on most tracks. In fact he was the only driver in the series to do a clean lap at every single race, and that was an achievement in itself. Rick is off to Hoppers Sport next season, a new experience that he is looking forward to.
Magic Moment: Hockenheim Moment to Forget: Road Atlanta
4. ABigPieKey (New entry)
CK Motorsport used the oldest car of all with the Alfa 33, and with it, it bagged them their first ever victory at Mugello and ABigPieKey third in the Championship overall. The team and driver went well last season in the Nissan, and were aiming for podiums and top 5 in the Championship. The bettered that, but you sensed they were disappointed. Early season they looked like taking the title fight to Nikmike, but after a brilliant win at Mugello, they seem to hit a poor patch, unreliability and also tracks that highlighted the serious lack of straight line speed. The always made up time in the second half of the race, not having to stop was a major plus for the team and helped them tactically. The team struggled technically and had some help from DART, and they knew to take it to the next level they need to improve on that aspect. Joining up with KRR could be a brilliant move and if they get the car right, ABigPieKey and BMR Sutton will be right in the hunt for team honours.
Magic Moment: Win at Mugello Moment to Forget: Engine failure at Le Mans
5. Robraceruk (up 3 places)
On the outside 7th in the final championship standings is a great result for Robraceruk, yet he went away disappointed with the season as the results should have been better. The Lotus was a great car, well set up and tested down to the smallest detail, so the team hit the ground running on day one. Early season results were good and when the Pi drops hit the top runners, RML Development and Robraceruk fancied their chances of a win. Monza saw the team lead for the first time, until and engine issue slowed him down. Sebring was a good drive but then the car fell afoul of the regulations and was disqualified. Road Atlanta could have been a challenge for a podium, but he got stuck by behind some robust defending and ended up down the order. Spa was his big day, in the hunt for victory all race, he had it in the bag until two miles from home and the brakes went on him. Some of the other drives were very good, especially in all of the three base Pi races. He and the team haven’t got downhearted though, they are determined to grab that victory next season and with a bit more luck and the same level of performances, he very well may break his Thunder Enduro duck.
Magic Moment: Up to lap 24 Eau Rouge Moment to forget: Lap 24 Kemmel Straight
6. Nitrorushmini (New Entry)
New to the series, Nitrorushmini was the rookie of the season and impressed all with his consistency. The new JDR Racing team entered a Corvette, which a few others in the pitlane believed would be too heavy for the rules. It was a great car, fast and consistent and the driver got the maximum out of it. Mugello was the highlight of the season, without ABigPieKey doing the race without stopping, Nitro would have won the race. The great thing about the driver, was he always got the maximum out of it, only Long Beach being a disappointing day, but that owed more to damage in a crash not of his making. Nitro also managed to lift the ProAM support class, and in fact if it wasn’t for a missed round or two, may have beaten Bradderstig to the outright crown. JDR Racing managed to grab the Independents crown, which was deserving of the drivers efforts, and they will be back next season. A win will not be far away for a driver and team that impressed many.
Magic Moment: Second at Mugello Moment to Forget: Missed rounds may have cost Support glory
7. WeeBilly (New Entry)
The fact WeeBilly is a new entry in the top 12 drivers is more down to the lack of races than his speed. WeeBilly showed up with a TVR and quickly merged his team with RML, giving the Champion access to what turned out to the car of the season, and the pair of them the team’s title. WeeBilly and Nikemeike seemed equally matched, and that was proved at Le Mans in the two driver race, where Billy took the victory, agreed by the two drivers it seemed. This was to make up for Monza, where Billy crossed the line first but was hit with a penalty. He drove brilliantly in a style that saved fuel and allowed him to the race without stopping, but was then hit with a penalty for exceeding track limits. Like his teammate who did the same, it was completely unnecessary as he would of still finished in the same position without doing this. After Le Mans the motivation didn’t seem the same, the race was a bit scrappy at Road Atlanta, although he drove well in the underpowered car from a lowly grid, then to Bathurst when he had a scrappy opening few laps, retired and was never seen again, and by all accounts has retired from the series.
Magic Moment: Le Mans victory Moment to Forget: Corner cutting that cost Monza win
8. CQR Rob (Up 1 place)
CQR Rob improved massively in season 1 and many believed the Ferrari and teaming up with Bradderstig would bring glory, but in the end it was a bit disappointing. Rob started the season with disappointment, the car braking down at Brands Hatch when in sight of the podium. At Hockenehim he scored his best ever result with second place, and all looked good but then it tapered off. He kept Bradderstig honest, and was a little bit less hard on the fuel and tyres, but like his teammate he was struggling when the Pi dropped. A few missed rounds stopped the DARE team lifting the teams title, but RML can also point out to the rounds WeeBilly missed as well. Although it ended up a little disappointing for results, the grid are left in no doubt that CQR Posh Rob will be a title challenger next season, and the great relationship with Bradderstig could be what helps them go one better in the teams championship.
Magic Moment: Second at Hockenheim Moment to forget: Lost podium in round 1
9. Devils Lord (Down 3 places)
Last season’s Class A winner went into the season with high hopes of a repeat and ended it completely disappointed. The first half of the season was a disaster, the team made a last second swap to the Audi TT from a mooted Ford GT, and you were left wondering if that was a mistake, as the Audi proved hard to find the sweet spot on. Then the frustrations reached a new level, as his class winning car from last season went well at its new home. By midseason you really felt that Devil Lord’s season was a waste of his time, but then it all started to click into pace. The team found something at Sebring and that worked well for teammate Kinkycowboys, and when those bits found their way on to Devil Lords car at Road Atlanta he was fighting for a win. A mistake there left him down the order, but at Bathurst he was just as quick and scored a best ever second, although he felt he should have won. Devil Lord is back in the Escort next season, and the proven car driver combo will be out to repeat season 1 glory.
Magic Moment: Bathurst Moment to Forget: Crash at Road Atlanta
10. Major Raver (same as last season)
Raver went in with high hopes for the new season, and was left with a season of disappointment. The Alfa was a fine looking car, but a struggle from day one; it also seemed very inconsistent on lap times. At Road Atlanta he came third, but should have been second but for a late driver error, at Spa he came through the field and was catching the leaders until another driver error put him in the wall and retirement. Some races were a real struggle this season and he seemed to get the most out of the car, in fact he felt he drove better than in Season 1. Still questions remain about his early laps, far too often he was found off the circuit or in a spin that meant a fight through the field, in fact Major Raver never made up a place from his starting position till the end of lap 2 all season, that needs sorting if he is to win a race in Season 3.
Magic Moment: Road Atlanta Podium Moment to Forget: Spa error at Eau Rouge
11. KinkyCowboys (New entry)
Kinky and the Cerberus team were one of the first to pick a car for the new season, and then changed late in the preseason, and that left them on the back foot. Kinky found the car like his teammate did a real struggle. He showed flashes of speed though, and for the first half of the season had the better of his teammate. At Sebring he unlocked something and his drive from near last to second was one of the highlights of the season. After that though, the momentum in the team completely shifted and Devil Lord was the faster of the two drivers and Kinky seemed to overdrive and made a few errors trying to keep up. Some call him the Colin Chapman of the series, clever mind always thinking ahead, it may be going back to what he knows next season with the Escort, that could be the best thing to happen to a driver who needs a win.
Magic Moment: Fightback at Sebring Moment to Forget: Causing a pile up at Watkins Glen
12. Mad2210 (Down 5 places)
It was a bizarre season for Mad. Many were keen to see how he went in the same car and equipment as Robraceruk, but he was beaten by his teammate more often than not. He drove very well, and was one of the most consistent drivers in the series with very few mistakes. His lap times also improved in the second half of races, especially in clean air and it maybe that his lost time was in those early laps of races, and by the time he had cleared those around him his rivals were gone. He drove well at Brands Hatch and at Sebring, and in fact Mad was the hardest driver to find a standout or a moment to forget such was that consistency. Many in the series talk of his clean driving in a battle, and it will be fascinating to see how he goes with a second season at RML. He will be a facture in the ProAM class
Magic Moment: Beating his teammate at Mugello Moment to Forget: Losing to his teammate in the final standings
13. Basslinejunkio (New Entry)
Basslinejunkio showed up at Mugello in round 3 with one of last season’s Cerberus Ford Escorts. Bass is known to be a quick driver, but has not been consistent of late in THORS series, so the admins put him in AM. What it did was give him something to fight for, and fight for it he did, driving quickly and consistently, and romping into the AM honours. The new K-Class Vapes team got support from Cerberus with the Escort and that allowed the driver to get on and race. 6th place at Long Beach, was followed by 5th at Road Atlanta, and at the latter he felt he could have been higher up. He was often one of the drivers to make up places in the early laps, yes he was AWD, but he was forceful but fair with a number of those early lap passes and by the time the race had settled down he was clear of his class rivals. He has a teammate for next season, a new car and a move to the ProAm class. If the car is good, he will be one of the fastest in the ProAm class.
14. AtomStew (New Entry)
Season 1 and the first half of season 2 was all about a driver who was quick and erratic, often high up with some of the races fastest laps, but one of the first in the wall or retirement. AtomStew had massive electrical issues which didn’t help either but these improved at Sebring, and so did the Subaru BRZ, as the driver took on the development of the car himself and started to get it more to his liking. It’s fitting that the next round at Road Atlanta was typical AtomStew. He was last after getting it all wrong on lap 1, he then fell off a few more times, but he was faster than anyone else, and won the race, quick but entertaining. At Bathurst he could of won again, but grabbed a second podium and drove possibly his best race in the series there. The final rounds didn’t go the way he had hoped with some reliability issues, but AtomStew proved what many had already knew in the pitlane, a fast driver who could win a race. If he comes back next season he will be a massive darkhorse.
Magic Moment: Win at Road Atlanta Moment to Forget: Couldn’t get the car to fire up at Long Beach
15. Devilsbogeyman (New Entry)
When you see Devilsbogeyman, you expect to see Mercedes as his car next to him. Once again the Scottish driver and his enthusiastic team of Fife Flyers, rolled out the Mercedes A45, hoping for Class A honours. The first half of the season was full of electrical issues that had blighted the car last season, and the team came close to giving up and closing. Things improved at Le Mans, and he then started to get on top of the car, mirroring his second half of last season. He drove brilliantly at Sebring, fighting in the top 5 early on and always on for a good result, 7th place was earned on merit and his best result ever. Bathurst was another superb performance and he was robbed by problems in his pitstop of at least matching that result. His battles with the other Mercedes of Badbeat were entertaining, and he will start as a big favourite with his rival for AM honours next season.
Magic Moment: Fighting for top 6 at Sebring Moment to forget: Wheel problems at Bathurst
Basslinejunkio won the AM Class.
ScarletWitch became the first lady driver in the series.
(The Rest are not in voted order)
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CelticFox31 – 8th in Championship
CelticFox was hoping to go one better and reach the top step of the podium this season, but it ended up being a very disappointing season. The Aston Martin Vantage was a brave decision, it was powerful and fast, but heavy and a handful on cold tryes. Celtic got it in some great slides on cold tyres, which proved the battle he had. At fast tracks like Monza he was very good and other circuits like Sebring it was nasty and saw him retiring early on. Celtic and the Quicksilver team like to go their own way and do their own thing, which has to be applauded, and many hope that his car for next season has him regularly up in the top 5 positions which his talent deserves.
Magic Moment: Monza podium fight Moment to forget: Sebring
BMR Sutton - 12th in Championship
What a horrible season for one of the fastest drivers in the Championship. BMR Sutton did not like the Nissan, well he did in a straightline but not in fast corners or on the brakes. Long Beach was a good drive, Monza was mega from on his roof to winning the race. But then you had Mugello and Hockenheim where he hit a few cars, as he struggled to get the power down out of corners. It was obvious to all the KRR were in two unlike last season and a new start and a new car that handles a dream could see a new BMR Sutton, and if he drives like he did at Monza then even NikeMike should be afraid.
Magic Moment: Comeback win at Monza Moment to forget: Mugello and Hockenheim
Kenty - 16th in Championship
Media day saw DMR unveil the new Kia Stinger and in Kenty’s hands the car looked good. Little did we know it wasn’t. In the opening two rounds it wasn’t bad, but then it became obvious as other cars improved, the Kia was too long and too heavy. Kenty made up more places in the opening 3 laps than any other driver, but then he was often seen going backwards and out of the points. The team has secured the Renault Alpine for next season, and a few down the pitlane are predicting Kenty will not only win a race but come alive and challenge for the title.
Magic Moment: Monza after lap 1 Moment to Forget: Second half of many races
J47TEE - 18th in Championship
New to the series, J47TEE, or JT as known to most, showed up at Le Mans in a second Hoppers Sport Porsche. A first lap crash left him last, but he drove well to get into the top 10 and give the team its best result. Next time out at Sebring he trounced the field and the series had a new star driver, but sadly that was all we saw. Budget issues meant the second Porsche remained parked up and we never got to see JT again. He is back for next season and staying with Hoppers Sport, and will judging on form in those two races, be a driver to beat.
Magic Moment: Sebring win Moment of Forget: Missing the rest of the season
Wambogini21 - 19th in the Championship
The second DART Alfa Romeo had many of the issues of the first, and blur how well its driver drove. Wambogini found the Alfa a horrible car to drive at times, at Le Mans he parked it, it was so bad. At Spa he drove sensibly and came home 6th with the fastest lap, proving his speed. He was regularly in a scrap with Basslinjunkio, but the Escort driver had the experience to beat him more often than not. Work commitments meant he missed some rounds, and testing was nonexistent. Next season he is hoping to address that and with it move the DART team further up the championship
Magic Moment: Spa Moment to Forget: Le Mans
Badbeat - 20th in the Championship
One of the most improved drivers in the series, Badbeat set up his own team and bought one of last season’s Fife Flyers Mercedes. Badbeat worked hard and got his head around engineering the car by mid season which saw an improvement in results. He drove really well at Sebring, fighting the second Mercedes for a long time, until he was slowed at the end. At Bathurst he came 8th, his best ever drive and won the AM class, with a brilliantly polished drive. He managed to lift the AM Support series as well, beating his faster rival, but drove sensibly and impressive, especially in the season finale at Watkins Glen. Next season he teams up with Bass, and starts the year as AM Class favourite. It’s been a very promising season for him to build on.
Magic Moment: Bathurst Moment to forget: Brake issues at Spa
CarCrazyCal - 21st in the Championship
Cal wasn’t expected to race at all this season, but arrived at the season opener at Brands in the wild Caddy. We didn’t get to see how wild as the car stalled on the grid. At Le Mans it reappeared, as wild as ever, and manhandled with skill by its quick driver to a finish in the top 10. The series missed Cal this season, and sadly it looks like any entry next season will be a one off.
Magic Moment: Le Mans Moment to Forget: Left on the grid at Brands Hatch
Penfold - 23rd in the Championship
Here is a driver that lives in hope of a car that handles well. Penfold like teammate Kenty started the season hopeful that the new Kia would do the job, and found out quickly it was a bit of a dog. Luck wasn’t with him much early season, but he picked up the odd points but found himself outside of the AM title chase which was his seasons aim. He went to Bathurst dreading the whole race, if a car wasn’t suited to the great racing mountain, the Kia Stinger was it. His drive was brilliant, he finished 12th overall which was his best ever finish, and beat many faster drivers who didn’t have the discipline he had. It was nice that his rivals appreciated it so much and voted it the joint best drive of the season. He showed the same measured approach at the last two races as well, and it’s likely that he drove his best Thunder Enduro races ever. Next season, like Kenty, he has massive hopes of success with his new car, and will be hoping to take AM honours.
Magic Moment: Brilliant Bathurst Moment to forget: Le Mans
RGrrenwood – 24th in the Championship
Another part season for RGreenwood, staying with the Team Hard team. It was a tough one, the Mercedes GT was a difficult car, fast but needing some help on setup, you felt that the team needed two drivers regularly to get the most out of it. He tried everything at Spa to wrestle the car into contention, and led at one stage, only to be cruelly robbed with a dead engine 3 laps from home.
Magic Moment: Spa fighting for the lead Moment to forget: Spa track limits
Capt Storer – 25th in the Championship
Alert_it returned for a one off in the self title Godzilla. The Nissan was a beast, but in fact Storer did well to bring it home in 14th place on its debut at Brands Hatch. And that was it, team and driver not seen again. It is rumoured they are having another go next season, but will it be more than the first two rounds?
Magic Moment: 14th at Brands Hatch Moment to forget: Not showing up again.
ScarletWitch – 26th in the Championship
The first lady driver of the Thunder Enduro, made her debut at Bathurst. Scarlet found the race difficult in a car new to her and retired it midrace. She reappeared at Watkins Glen for the final round, and drove full of promise, finishing third in the AM class which was a great performance. She is returning for Season 3, has bought the Subaru’s off Hoppers Sport and is setting up her own team. Don’t beat surprised that going on her Watkins Glen form, the AM class could be won by the first lady of the series.
Magic Moment: Watkins Glen AM podium Moment to Forget: Bathurst debut
NorlinRacer – 27th in the Championship
Norlin set up his own team to run the BMW and showed a bit of promise at Brands Hatch, although the car retired. He also managed to win the Support race ProAM class. Sadly he wasn’t seen again after that first round.
Magic Moment: Support race at Brands Hatch Moment to forget: Thunder Enduro race at Brands Hatch
HoppersWWFC 28th in the Championship
It’s been a great series for the Hoppers Sport cars, but not for the driver. Hoppers was the only driver to do more than one round and not score a championship point. Last season he showed flashes of promise, but this season he fell away from those he had battled with in Season 1, the gap to rivals Devilsbogeyman and Badbeat as much as 4 seconds at some tracks. Hoppers is one of the best liked characters in the pit lane, but 10 livery changes to his Porsche but no testing at most tracks, showed why it wasn’t a good season. He has RangersRick next season as a teammate, and this is his big chance for his most successful season ever.
Magic Moment: Opening laps at Monza Moment to forget: Sebring, over 10 seconds slower than his teammate.
DaveyGallardo - 29th in the Championship
Came full of hope at Sebring, in a smart Aston Martin, and was never seen again
Magic Moment: Nice looking car Moment to forget: Retired after 6 laps
DARE spent all season chasing a win that never came.
Nitrorush and AtomStew impressed all.
THE SUPPORT SERIES
Different cars every week, some were fun, some mad but it proved a great way success that it stays for next season. The Citroen 2CVS were built by Bradderstig, and most were dreading them at Road Atlanta, but they proved to be the most popular series and a major success. The Classic F1 cars were hated at Monza, although Wambogini and CelticFox impressed in them, so when the Formula Mazda cars were used at Spa many were wary. They surprised a lot of people, as they became the second most popular cars used in the season. Both the THORS Utes and Porsche’s were well received, as were the TORC Touring Cars at Bathurst. Truth was, the different cars each week was a very popular addition to the Thunder Enduro meeting and will return next season.
SEASON 3
So we go down in Pi for next season and everyone starts at the top Pi of 725. The hope is this might tempt a few FWD cars, although initial testing has not seen much evidence of that. Forever Forward returns, as does a tweak in the team points as well. The cars are closer based to the ModSports series which has given us some brilliant racing and early testing seems to support the belief that this will be the closest season yet. New tracks join the bill, including some shorter circuits which will change strategy, also added is the most stop once in a race, which can be the first or the second to last lap. This will mean a few more tactics coming into play as well. Nikemike will be favourite for a third crown, but will he manage the drop in Pi as well as his rivals next season?
Cerberus and DMR both struggled with their cars.
