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June 07, 2014
Published on tags: World Sport Series General

 

The most open GPVWC championship this season? James Kirk takes you down the top ten talking points following the Austrian Sport Series.
Following its introduction in 2012, the World Sport Series has been a championship of great racing but also one where few people hold the power. In its debut year, the title was easy picking for Torrent Motorsports and its Drivers' champion Borna Spoljaric. As for 2013, there was no doubts Oscar Hardwick would win the Drivers' whilst the Teams' championship was just as easy for Midnight Motorsport as it was for Torrent the year before.

This year however has been remarkably different with only a simple couple of changes to the series and of course a shaken up grid to account of the incredibly open season we're having in 2014.

10: The new Flat6 car provides a brand new challenge

A new car will always provide a new challenge for drivers to get to grips with, though the impact of the brand new Flat6 Porsche on the grid has been larger than anticipated. Race winners of last year (Petter Kaasa and Alex Cooper to name just two) have struggled massively and have nowhere near the impact they had last year.

9: Weight penalties are a brilliant addition

Ironic isn't it? The only sporting rule change of this season, like the International Touring Cup the top five in the championship then the top five of Race 1 in a round must carry weight penalties throughout an evening's event. The weight has arguably led to long-time championship leader, David Jundt's, downfall in recent events.

8: Rain really does make racing better

Short point but one that needs to be made. Austria was a highly entertaining round with rain providing a fascinating spread of strategies from pit lanes starts to grinning and bearing dying wet tyres; we want more please!

7: How hard is it to keep a race win?

As it turns out, pretty difficult. From contact penalties to rfScan penalties to last lap lunges one thing is for certain in WSS 2014 and that's to never count anybody out even after the action is completed!

6: Sloppy start for Midnight

Across the board in 2014, Midnight Motorsport has stumbled off their dominant perch. The case found in WSS was a dire one with Tom Parker providing little relief from an instantly uninterested Alex Cooper leaving the championship hunt.

However, through the efforts of primarily Lewis Redshaw and new 'PGE Group' recruit Matt Richards, the team has found some essence of their glory from last year and enter the halfway point fourth in the table following a much needed 1-2 in Race 2 at Austria. Don't count them out of the Teams' championship battle just yet.

5: Torrent return underwhelming

When Torrent Motorsports was announced to return to the grid with a solid lineup of Martin Palm and race winners Petter Kaasa and Jordan Weekes, needless to say we were expecting a strong challenge for the title. That challenge has yet to materialise however with the team languishing in sixth place in the Teams' after just being overtaken by Enterprise GP and a resurgent Midnight Motorsport. It's not even certain if the fighting spirit seen in 2012 can return this year.

4: How many?!

In 2014, out of ten races, we've had eight different race winners. This is a truly extraordinary stat and one which I certainly hope will grow throughout the second half of 2014. Jundt and Stranne are the only two drivers to have won more than two races this year yet only Jundt is in the top five of the championship. The mind boggles.

3: Brewster strikes silver

Thoroughly deserving of a top three spot is Cosmo Autosport driver Cameron Brewster's incredible season. Though missing Austria, the Englishman has been a "good guy" underdog this season pulling out results in reverse grid races that he could only have dreamed of last season; his best to date being a second place in Race 2 of the Spanish Sport Series.

Cosmo have signed a hidden gem and I expect to see more impressive results from Cam over the next five rounds.

2: Teams' Championship wide open

Such has been the unstable nature of the World Sport Series 2014 that it is practically impossible to tell which way to dice will roll for the top teams in the next five rounds. To me, even the like of Torrent Motorsport in sixth have an outside chance though ultimately the big three to keep an eye on are Smile Power Racing, Edonis Engineering and Ice Cold Racing.

1: Drivers' Championship wide open

Like the Teams' championship, it is anyone's guess who will walk away with first prize this year in the Drivers' championship. I think it will go down to the finale in Monza and I also think we'll have three or more drivers in the hunt.


The only way to find out who wins will be to watch broadcasts themselves and I have no problem with that myself! Silverstone, Hockenheim, the Hungaroring, Spa and Monza await; who dares wins.