March 31, 2013

 

With three rounds of thrilling GPVWC action now under our belts, there is no better time than now to assess the drivers currently on the crest of a wave, and some other drivers already finding themselves in a sticky situation.
We'll deliver opinion on a sprinkling of drivers from all three open wheeler series. Let's start with the obvious, shall we?

Dave Carr-Smith - HOT

The move to Nordsjoen Racing for DCS in 2013 was not unexpected, but many, including Dave himself felt that this may be somewhat of a rebuilding season for the Italian outfit, after a difficult 2012 in which they failed to secure any silverware for the first time since the 2007 season. Dave's scintillating form during these first three Superleague races have set tongues wagging though, and Nordsjoen have immediately shown they may well be the biggest challenger to Midnight Motorsport. Two wins and a third place were surely beyond what the team expected, but Dave's ability to get the tyres working in a reasonable operating temperature despite changeable race conditions has seen him able to trump others he initially may not have expected to be able to race with during pre-season. With now ex-teammate Lee Morris having his contract terminated, it will be interesting to see how and Dave and his new teammate, whoever it may be will connect. Right now though, it's difficult to see who else but the Midnight Motorsport boys as potential party poopers for Dave's early season charge.

Jamez Shepherd - HOT

The pre-season Supercup championship favourite has delivered on the expectations so far, and more to boot. Two wins and a second place as well as some astounding performances during Qualifying have put the Australian firmly in the driving seat, even at this early stage. Even after an eventful race at Sepang, to come away with a second place and pushing eventual winner Sindre Grimseth right to the finish shows Shepherd's dominance. Looking through the Supercup field, while there is plenty of talent to choose from, it is difficult to see who else will be able to keep pace with Jamez. Whether the likes of Target Racing, Ryan Walker and Jordan Weekes can provide a realistic challenge remains to be seen. Jamez has been linked with the now vacant drive at Nordsjoen Racing in the Superleague, but whether he'll give up his seat at CSG to move back up to Superleague looks unlikely at this time. (Nordsjoen's driver announcement had not yet been made before going to press).

Ryan Walker - HOT

Despite playing second fiddle to Shepherd in the battle at the front of the Supercup field, three podium finishes from the the first three races is an excellent return from the Scotsman, Ryan Walker. After an up and down couple of years switching between Superleague and Supercup, it seems like Ryan has finally found a home at Satellite Racing, and is surely producing the best racing of his career at this point. Although a former race winner in this series a few years ago, when you couple in the fact of a stronger pool of talented drivers he's currently competing against now alongside his results, he really is doing an impressive drop. Second in the championship is certainly more than he, and many others expected, though we are still relatively early in proceedings. Satellite Racing will be delighted with Ryan's results so far, and here's to hoping he can continue this form.

Woods Racing - NOT

Two points from three races is not what team boss Ollie Woods would have expected at this moment in time. There is no doubt the Woods Superleague car is a good one, but the luck has not been on their side for a number of reasons. With Tom Parker stepping aside from driving duties for the time being, the team have drafted back in old friend Mark Wicks for the next few races, while regular driver Teemu Toikka has suffered at the hands of 'eager' driving from his rivals in his first two races after being forced to miss the opening round. Toikka and Wicks both showed the car's promise during Qualifying at the recent race at the Red Bull Ring, but both drivers suffered bad luck and were unable to achieve the car's potential in results. Plenty of time to recover for the team, but it's fair to say their start to the season has been a little more stressful than they would have liked.

Tuomas Koriala - NOT

How the mighty have fallen. Tuomas came into the GPVWC at the back end of last season bright eyed and eager to impress. He was keen to flex his muscles during pre-season, and was not shy in reiterating his confidence of being a consistent front runner and a probable championship contender in the Formula Challenge. Zero points from the opening three rounds is certainly not the return anyone was expecting. Tuomas has been outspoken about his rival drivers in the series, and has been rather opinionated of late. Some would say the talking should be done on track, but he has plenty of races to try and prove he does have the speed he promised on during pre-season, but he's not been able to deliver on it just yet.

Ghovand Keanie - NOT

Ghovand has certainly not made himself the most popular of drivers since joining the league. Another fairly outspoken driver, and is not afraid to say how he feels about any particular topic. Has made some fleeting appearances in the Formula Challenge series, and lasted a grand total of two races, both at Sepang before being dropped by SimInk Motorsport after failing to acknowledge and adhere to the rules. His aggressive nature both on and off the track has not made him many friends, something which doesn't seem to affect him. Ghovand has the chance to try and repair his reputation at Sisu GP in the FC series, and if he can sort himself out and deliver on his undoubted talent and speed, better days could be ahead for the Dutchman.