Keen Sensationally Pinches Sunoco Whelen Challenge Lead With One Weekend Remaining

2015 Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner Phil Keen is the new Challenge front-runner following a thrilling and unpredictable weekend of racing at Donington Park last weekend that saw erstwhile leader Linus Lundqvist, from Sweden, endure a troubled BRDC Formula 3 outing.

The young Swede headed into the penultimate round with a chance of winning the senior competition’s Rolex 24 At Daytona prize drive thanks to his near-18-point advantage. However, two troubled outings in the Challenge-eligible races resulted in his season’s average reducing by 12.26 marks to 86.07.

Keen, meanwhile, approached his final British GT appearance fully aware that only a victory would maintain his hopes of winning both the GT3 Drivers’ title and Sunoco Whelen Challenge. But while a second win of the season ultimately didn’t deliver the championship, victory and pole position helped increase his season’s average by 5.73 points to move the Barwell Lamborghini driver just 0.1 points ahead of Lundqvist.

The British F3 Championship leader’s difficult weekend was compounded by domestic title rival Nicolai Kjaergaard who kept himself in both the Formula 3 and Sunoco Whelen Challenge title hunt by claiming two wins and a fastest lap across the two eligible races. The Dane’s new improved total of 79.64 points is thus 6.43 shy of Keen’s total.

And so, the Sunoco Whelen Challenge rolls on to Silverstone in three weeks’ time (October 13/14) when Lundqvist and Kjaegaard go head-to-head for the British F3 and senior Sunoco crowns. The former’s task is undoubtedly much simpler: score 175 points from a possible 280. His adversary, on the other hand, requires a near-perfect weekend comprising two pole positions, two fastest laps, a victory and second place while also hoping Lundqvist fails to improve his average. The 265 points earned for those results would also take him above Keen’s current table-topping total.

Watching from home will be Keen, who – as a former winner – ordinarily wouldn’t be eligible to contest another Sunoco Challenge. However, as a celebration of the competition’s 10th anniversary, its organisers – Anglo American Oil Company – allowed all former champions a chance to test themselves once again.

One of them, Jonny Adam, now lies fourth in the standings after wrapping up his third British GT title at Keen’s expense on Sunday. His final average score of 77 points could yet result in two former winners also topping 2019’s standings.

Two more British GT3 Pros – Nicki Thiim and Yelmer Buurman – complete the top-six ahead of Radical racer Stuart Moseley and British GT4’s leading Pro, Charlie Fagg, while the top-10 is rounded out by Marco Sorensen and Patrik Matthiesen.

 

Lundqvist requires:

1x win and 1x 3rd = 175

1x pole, 1x 2nd and 1x 3rd = 180

2x pole, 1x 4th and 1x 3rd = 180

2x pole, 1x fastest lap, 1x 4th and 1x 5th = 180

2x pole, 2x fastest lap and 2x 5th = 190  

Kjaegaard requires:

2x pole, 2x fastest lap, 1x 1st and 1x 2nd = 265 points

Sunoco 240 Challenge Is Still All To Play For

Sunoco 240 Challenge Up For Grabs!!

It’s crunch time in the 2019 Sunoco Whelen and 240 Challenges, both of which could be decided in the next 10 days when the remaining contenders compete in BRDC British F3, British GT, Mini Cooper Challenge and Radical UK Challenge events around the UK.

The driver who will compete in the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona’s official support race could also be decided on September 29/30 when leading contenders from Mini Challenge Cooper and Radical UK Challenge go head-to-head at Rockingham.

Kyle Reid has looked untouchable for much of the season after making a fast start, but as his average reduces with every less-than-perfect weekend so the consistency of Steve Burgess becomes ever more apparent. The pair are now separated by just 4.28 points ahead of Reid’s final three Cooper races at Rockingham, while Burgess and title rival Dominik Jackson – himself 11.7 points shy of the 240 top spot – also have another Radical round to come at Silverstone on October 13/14.

If Reid continues to maintain his current average per race score, Burgess must outscore Reid by 10.9 points per race. Jackson meanwhile needs a 29 point swing per race over Reid, and an 18.3 points per race swing to overhaul Burgess, to claim the 240 Challenge at the final Radical event at Silverstone in October.

There is a final potential twist in this intriguing battle for the 240 Challenge – if both Reid and Burgess gain the perfect score in all their remaining races, Burgess will snatch the prize by 0.38 points.

Sunoco Whelen Challenge Title Up For Grabs This Weekend

It’s crunch time in the 2019 Sunoco Whelen and 240 Challenges, both of which could be decided in the next 10 days when the remaining contenders compete in BRDC British F3, British GT, Mini Cooper Challenge and Radical UK Challenge events around the UK.

Lundqvist Poised To Seal Daytona Drive At Donington

   

 

Up first it’s the senior competition and a chance for long-time leader Linus Lundqvist to claim the Rolex 24 At Daytona prize drive with a British F3 round to spare. The Swede has been rock solid all season and currently enjoys a 17.89-point lead over former winner Phil Keen who, like Lundqvist, is competing at Donington Park this weekend.

Their respective British GT and F3 title rivals, Jonny Adam and Nicolai Kjaergaard, also retain a chance of winning the Sunoco Whelen Challenge, although both are more than 20 points shy of top spot.

In truth it’s Lundqvist’s competition to lose given both he and Kjaergaard have four races in which to increase (but also decrease) their totals, whereas Keen and Adam – who square off for the British GT3 title this weekend – have only one event with which to improve their scores. All of that will be a foregone conclusion should Lundqvist accumulate the perfect 140 points in both of Donington’s Sunoco Challenge-eligible races before British F3 heads to Silverstone for its season finale on October 13/14.

Whether the coronation waits another three weeks also depends on his rivals’ performances this weekend. Keen and Adam both essentially require perfect scores for pole position, fastest race lap and victory if they’re to apply any pressure on the current leader, while Kjaergaard – who is also aiming to halt Lundqvist’s British F3 title march – must outscore his championship adversary by 71 Sunoco points per race over the remaining four outings. It’s a tall order by anyone’s standards!