The Darlington and District Motor Club have their annual trip up to Knockhill this weekend with the Northern Sports and Saloons Car Championship. There will be two races over the weekend, one each day, with a 26 car grid taking to circuit over the clockwise and anti-clockwise layouts alongside the Super Lap Scotland events and the All Wheel Drive car show which happens on Sunday 17th.
The championship, as ever, has been very busy already this year; the opening round at Oulton Park was quite a challenge with awful weather, resulting in the loss of one round. They then moved to Croft and Snetterton, both of these venue’s had fabulous weather, which resulted in very fast and close racing.
The current leader Lee Underwood, unfortunately can’t make this weekend (bad holiday planning), but this also opens up the championship for the other guys. Over the last 6-7 years, the last race of the season has been the decider for the actual championship title and only a couple of points have split first and second spots.
Darlington and District Motor Club President, Jeff Wilson, driving his Lotus Elise, joins this weekend. It is a couple of years since Jeff drove at Knockhill and he has never driven the anti-clockwise direction. They are also joined by our youngest ever driver in the form of Dan Kell, people who have followed NSSCC will recognise his Sierra Cosworth, which has been campaigned by Dan’s father Steve in previous years. Knockhill is a great circuit for this car; Steve took a win here several years ago. (The reaction from Steve and the celebrations for the win are of legendary status in the championship).
Several Scottish drivers’s who contest and regularly support the NSSCC are racing this weekend and hoping that home circuit knowledge will go in their favour. The driver’s are: – Class A1, Paul Brydon (BMW), Andrew Morrison (Seat); Class B1 Paul Tough; Class E1 Damien McKay and Kyle Murchie and Jordan Lowing in Class E2. Current champion Mark Leybourne is keen to add his name to the trophy for a second year; he is currently equal third in the championship, but only two points behind current leader Lee Underwood.