UK: Series Brands Hatch preview

RENAULT SPORT RACERS GET READY FOR FINAL SHOWDOWN

Four drivers will be battling it out for the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship title at Kent's Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 9th/10th October in a thrilling finale to the series.

Tom Blomqvist, Lewis Williamson, Tama's Pa'l Kiss and Will Stevens are the title protagonists in a four-way fight for the title crown and the chance to follow in the footsteps of previous champions such as Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen.

Fortec Motorsport's Tom (Saffron Walden), son of rally legend Stig, will start rounds 19 and 20 of the series leading the drivers' standings but only by a margin of one point on dropped scores over Manor Competition's Lewis Williamson (Golspie). Hungarian Tama's Pa'l Kiss, racing for Atech GP, currently lies in third spot despite having led all season with Williamson's team-mate Will Stevens (Oxshott) the remaining title hopeful.

Although all four drivers can still clinch victory, it's likely to come down to a nail-biting showdown between Blomqvist and Williamson -- both 2010 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalists -- with 16-year-old Tom becoming the youngest ever winner of the championship if successful.

The final two rounds of the season, held at the 1.2-mile Indy circuit, will also decide who lifts the Graduate Cup title, a championship for rookie drivers, with Alex Lynn almost certain to wrap this up in the first of the weekend's two races. Meanwhile in the entrants' honours, Manor Competition need their drivers to score just 23 points to put them out of reach of nearest rival Atech GP and hand the New Ollerton-based team its first win since 2005.

Finally, the weekend will also see the debut of Argentinean driver Facundo Conta racing alongside Richard Singleton at Team Firstair.

Clio Cup action...

Spectators to the British Touring Car Championship meeting can also look forward to the final two rounds of the ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin. Team Pyro's Dave Newsham (Inverness) has already secured the drivers' title but the Leicestershire-based team is still yet to clinch the entrants' prize and is facing a two-way battle with Lee Brookes' Total Control Racing squad -- who haven't won the team honours since 2006.

Clio Cup regulars will also be joined by series newcomer Craig Currie driving for 20Ten Racing. The 33-year-old from Newark has limited saloon-car experience but is looking forward to racing alongside the likes of double champion Paul Rivett (Banstead), fresh from his victory last time out at World Series by Renault which attracted crowds totalling 125,000. The weekend will also see the debut for Surrey based youngster Jason Mills racing for front-running team JHR Developments and for the first time Saturday's race will be broadcast live on the ITV Network.

Teenager Josh Cook (Bath), competing with Westbourne Motorsport, also returns to the one-make series while the field will see the absence of Sam Tordoff (Leeds) who instead makes his BTCC debut becoming the fifth different Clio Cup driver to graduate to the Touring Car series this year alone.

Renault Sport UK Championship Promoter Simon North said: "The final two rounds in both one-make series are poised to provide a great spectacle for fans with some of the closest racing we've seen all year. The Formula Renault UK championship in particular is the closest it's been in recent years with Tom Blomqvist potentially becoming the youngest ever winner and even set to finish his debut season higher placed than Lewis Hamilton did in his first year."

The final rounds, 19 and 20, of both the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship and the ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin take place at Kent's Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 9th/10th October.

-source: renault sport uk