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Hillspeed Confirm 2008 BARC FR Driver Line Up
In the Formula Renault BARC Championship, Hillspeed returns with a three-car line-up ahead of the new season. Offering great continuity for the team, Omani 26-year-old Ahmad Al Harthy and 16-year-old British-born Bahraini racer Menasheh Idafar both continue with the squad having raced as Hillspeed team-mates in the winter series.
Hathersage-based Al Harthy, of course, competed with Hillspeed throughout 2007 in Formula Renault BARC and took a best overall race result of fifth position at Oulton Park, eventually finishing 15th overall in the headline FR2000 Class. In the BARC class of the winter series he then finished third overall in the standings with three podiums.
Idafar, who has a UK residence in London but attends school in Switzerland, made his Formula Renault BARC debut in 2007 in the FR2000 Class. Joining Hillspeed for the four-round Winter Championship, the teenager went on to achieve two class podiums on his way to fifth position overall in the BARC driver standings.
The team’s third entry into Formula Renault BARC this season comes from 16-year-old Michael Lyons, a driver with strong family connections to the historic racing scene and someone who made headlines last year as the youngest ever racer to pilot a Formula One car in the Grand Prix Masters series.
Making his competitive debut in a modern junior single-seater during last November’s winter series with a privateer entry, Felsted-based Lyons went on to take part in a couple of tests with Hillspeed following the conclusion of the championship. The Essex racer has now elected to join the squad for this year’s full BARC season.
“To have three cars in the BARC championship is terrific news for everyone ay Hillspeed”, added Ollerenshaw, “I’m confident both Ahmad and Menasheh will perform well this season and Michael has a lot of promise which we aim to help him unlock.
“All in all 2008 should be a very exciting year for Hillspeed, we’re feeling pretty confident but we’re by no means underestimating the competition but we are hopeful of a strong year from all of our drivers.”
The 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship will begin at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Easter Sunday, 23rd March, and Easter Monday, 24th March.
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