A host of new teams and drivers join the Radical fold for this year, with the series attracting a luminary from the world of sailing, plus drivers and teams making full-time switches from the TOCA paddock and LMP3 championships.
The revised format will bring fierce racing amongst the field of 226bhp SR3 RSX sports prototypes, with 20 minutes more action across the condensed two-day schedule. With the two endurance races extended to 50 minutes each, plus a 20-minute sprint race, there’s a bumper season in store with flourishing grids to match.
Heading the charge for the crown will be reigning champion, Dominik Jackson. Returning to the fray for his third term, the RAW Motorsport ace opened his title-winning campaign with victory at Donington Park last year, taking six further wins and 14 podiums on his way to the spoils. The Lincolnshire property developer/entrepreneur will be aiming for a repeat performance at his home circuit next weekend.
“I’m really looking forward to rejoining the Radical Challenge,” says Jackson. “The performance and level of competition is too hard to ignore in this series. It will be great to see some new faces, which will hopefully make the racing as close as we experienced in 2018.”
Aiming to spoil Jackson’s plans for a title defence will be 360 Racing’s Jerôme de Sadeleer. The 2017 Radical SR1 Cup champion graduated to the Challenge for 2018 with outstanding success, counting a trio of victories at Donington Park and Rockingham among his haul of nine podiums to rank third overall in his debut SR3 season.
“Donington Park is one of my favourite tracks and I’m looking for a strong start to my third season of racing,” comments de Sadeleer. “With the breadth of talent and influx of new drivers in Radical Challenge, you could be battling with anyone from a silver grade driver to a top amateur. I’ve put in some solid testing over the winter, so I can’t wait to get this campaign underway.”
Experienced sportscar team, Hart GT joins the Radical ranks with Dubai 24 Hours class winner and former Ginetta GT4 SuperCup class champion, Jac Constable making a full-time switch from the British Touring Car Championship support package. The Chesterfield outfit will be looking to build multi-car entries across the Radical championships in the coming seasons.
Sporting excellence of a different kind will also grace the Radical paddock. New Zealand professional sailor, Grant Dalton O.B.E. – who has raced around the world seven times and took Emirates Team New Zealand to America’s Cup victory in 2017 – is set to make his UK sportscar debut.
Although a complete newcomer to the Radical Challenge, Dalton is no stranger to racing success on two and four wheels. Boasting 15 years of experience contesting a variety of series in his homeland, he’s a regular Central Muscle Cars top-three contender in his 1970 Chevrolet Camaro. In 2014, Dalton entered the Manx GP as a newcomer before gaining a coveted finisher’s medal for the 2015 F1 Classic TT, with an impressive average speed of 97.047mph. He currently competes in classic endurance racing with his Team NZ Wild Hogs 1982 Suzuki Katana, including European Endurance Legends.
“I’ve watched Radical cars with envy for many years and been impressed by what must be the most successful one-make class in the world,” says Dalton. “I’ve already got a Radical SR8 I shipped out to race in New Zealand, but I’ve always wanted to race the SR3 in the UK and Europe. Donington will be my first time in the car and I’ve never driven in the wet before, so there might be a lot to learn! It will be a toe in the water before racing at Spa-Francorchamps in June. I’m honoured to be racing with Radical and I’m just going to enjoy being on the grid.”
There will be more than a few contenders knocking on the door of the Challenge winner’s circle from the first round, not least RAW Motorsport’s Elliot Goodman. Having rounded out his 2018 campaign with a maiden podium at Rockingham to rank fifth in the standings, Goodman could well become a regular visitor to the rostrum.
Team 360 Racing’s Mark Richards can also be counted among the top-five contenders. Despite contesting only the second half of last season, he outlined his championship potential with two second-place and a third-place podium at Oulton Park and Rockingham, to finish seventh in the standings.
Other drivers returning with top-three honours are Radical stalwart and team Scorpio driver Brian Caudwell, who will be looking to build on his pair of second place finishes bagged at Brands Hatch and Rockingham. Brian Murphy returns with his privateer team, Orwin Racing, hoping to add to his 2018 tally of two third places, at Oulton Park and Rockingham.
Tackling his first full Challenge season since 2016 following a switch from LMP3, Jason Rishover will be looking to maximise consistent time in the SR3 and work his way to the front with 360 Racing. With Spencer Bourne, Peter Brookes, Barry Liversidge, John Caudwell, Rod Goodman, Marcello Marateotto, Oli Marateotto Jnr, Peter Tyler and John MacLeod all lining-up at Donington Park, the midfield fight promises to be a fierce one.
Last, but by no means least, the voice of Radio Le Mans, John Hindhaugh, swaps his commentary booth for the wheel of a Radical SR3 RSX for the very first time, as a media guest entry with the Radical Works Team. As director of Radio Show Limited, ‘Hindy’ and his team are renowned for world-class, live online streaming of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to millions across the globe, IMSA radio in America, the Nürburgring 24 Hours and Hankook 24 Hours Series, to name a few flagship championships and events.
Hindhaugh has dabbled in the odd GT and sportscar outing amid his hectic broadcasting schedule, and Donington Park won’t be his first foray competing on Hankook tyres, having ranked an outstanding second in the 2017 Hankook 24H CoTA SP3 class for Aston Martin Lagonda alongside Andy Palmer, Peter Cate and Paul Hollywood. However, John’s Radical Challenge debut will be his first opportunity to master a prototype sportscar with downforce.
The Radical Challenge gets underway at Donington Park on Saturday, 6 April, with a 20-minute qualifying session at 09.05. The first of two 50-minute endurance races takes place at 11:15 ahead of a 20-minute sprint battle at 13.20. The action concludes on Sunday with the final endurance race at 11.00 (all timings remain provisional). Live timing is available via www.tsl-timing.com. Race highlights will also be available from the Radical Sportscars Facebook page, and via the new Radical TV YouTube channel.