2019 Silly Season Thread

[Ben Atkins]

DASH CUP ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE WITH BTC SERIES; ASPIRA JUNIORS TO SUPPORT BTC

August 7th, 2018

Dash Cup announced their alliance with the leading touring car racing series in Britain, the BTC, as the Aspira Juniors series will support the series every race weekend as a part of their multi-race weekends which feature a variety of races. The Aspira Juniors had been struggling since 2017, but Dash Cup are hoping that this new partnership with the BTC will be able to broaden the field, bringing in more young talent.

This will mean the Aspira Juniors will follow the BTC schedule, in which all races are inside the United Kingdom, but there will also be three companion races with the Dash Cup Pirelli Super Stocks series; the BTC season opener at Brands Hatch, Croft and the returning Super Stocks endurance race at Oulton Park, which will again feature driver swaps.

The Aspira Juniors has featured drivers between the age of 14-17, with the intention of the series being to find young talent that are set to be the future of racing. Successful drivers to come from the series include Lexie Percy, who has won races in America, in the NAAC series, and Kailin Donohue who has won several races in the Pirelli Super Stock Series over the last few years.

The running of the series will remain unchanged from the original format from 2015-2016, featuring both a rookie and graduate class with both crowning a champion; as well as an overall champion for the driver who scores the most points from both classes.

As a result of the alliance, Dash Cup Pirelli Super Stocks broadcasts will feature highlights of the BTC and Aspira Juniors races.

PIRELLI SUPER STOCKS TO CHANGE RACE FORMAT; REVERT TO TWO CAR TEAMS

August 26th, 2018

Dash Cup CEO Dean Thompson announced that the Pirelli Super Stocks will revert to a single race format for all race weekends after decreased field sizes in 2018. As a result of this, teams will be restricted to running two full-time cars in 2019, while a third part-time car will be able to run in a limited amount of races.

Many teams had already downsized for 2018, with STS ATK Racing downsizing to three cars and Team Kwik Fit downsizing to two cars, meaning that these changes do not come as an inconvenience to most teams.

The series will elect to run longer races as a result, with multiple pit stops likely to be a part of the races for the first time in the series' history. As normal, each race will be capped at a 40 car field, with the prestigious Spa Grand Prix set to feature 46 cars. Teams will also not be limited to how many cars they can enter for the Spa Grand Prix and the season ending New York Grand Prix. Additionally, teams will be permitted to enter all three of their cars for the Oulton Park Endurance Race.

---------

Surprise! Dash Cup will be returning for one last run in 2019! As noted above, each team will feature two full-time cars with one part-time car running selected races.

This thread can be used for rumours for the Pirelli Super Stocks series, the Aspira Juniors series and the BTC series. The plan is to have BTC and Aspira Juniors have occasional standalone videos, but primarily feature as highlights in the Super Stocks pre-race.

The Super Stocks will use the GNS mod, the Aspira Juniors will use the Sportsman mod and the BTC will use the Rally PTA mod.

Go wild!

[Lucstar88]

Autosport France to return with 2 car effort.

After a internal fight that crippled the team's effort, the french team is expected to return in 2019. Pascal Vallee would return to the #27, AXA Insurace while Suzette Doiron would return in the #43, Canal+ sponsored entry. Rumors also are swirling that Mario Cormier, former Aspira Juniors driver and grandson of the AF founder, will show up part time to a few events in a #4, Chanel sponsored entry.

Mauricio Gallardo expected to return to STS ATK.
After winning a race in 2017, it is expected that the former Spanish Touring Car driver will return with STS ATK,

[day500champ1]

NAAC driver, Ryan Griffin, is reportedly interested in attempting a full season in Dash Cup.

[bsoyuz]

Hannagan Enterprises to cease european operations temporarily, Kanako takes over

Due to undisclosed reasons, Patrick O'Hannagan and Hannagan Enterprises will be ceasing operations in Europe temporarily, technically capitulating the shop and cars to the Kanako Motor Company's Motorsport Branch. According to Kanako European Operations President, Lucian Bertrand "Hannagan saw more fit to focus in the reformed Overdrive Championship Series and World Challenge Cup using Kanako Engines. They'd simply not have the resources to manage a two front team, so we are taking over the operation in order to retain the grid slot."

The lineup is currently unknown but its expected that the team field a duo of drivers already in Dash Cup, with the 3rd driver being part of Kanako's Development Team. The effort will be based in Cork, Ireland and managed by French sports car legend Mathias Baudin.

Gabriel Macena Racing goes through reformation, Macena not contesting the full season

Following a disastrous 2018 season that saw the team facing wrecking, blowouts and all around a lack of speed, Gabriel Macena decided that the operation needed to be restarted from the ground up. "The team just started to collapse under its won weight because nobody here can't seem to get a grasp at engineering, it's stupid and I hate it" - said Macena according to several sources in a team meeting late 2018.

According to those same sources, Macena gave the greenlight for Luc and Rebecca Pellerin, which were driving for the team between 2016 and 2018 to return to the NAAC should they wish so, therefore leaving the team without two of its winningest drivers. At the moment it is unknown if Kailin Donohue, which debuted in 2017 for the team and proceeded to win at Rockingham, will return to the operation. In the meantime it is also rumored Tanya Carter has been called upon by the team, in which her brother Ross, who suffered a career ending injury in the 2016 Round of Lausitzring, works as one of the team principals.

Macena himself, who is a multiple time TM Lights Winner and won the 2014 TM Master Cup Series Independent's Trophy Special Race at Gravis City, will not run a full-time effort like in 2016, contesting select events in the #71 car.

[SpeedDemon37]

Perreault Interested in Possible Dash Cup Return
30 August 2018


Swiss racing driver Jean-Marc Perreault hasn't raced in the premier division of Dash Cup since the touring car era in 2015. After being called up from the EuroV8 Cup by FIAM Engineering to pilot one of its cars in place of a departing Giuseppe Marchetti, he scored a best finish of 6th-place at the Norisring street circuit in Germany after contesting the final half of the season.

The French-speaking driver hasn't attempted a race in Dash Cup since, but he has indicated that he hopes to pursue a return to the globally popular stock car championship in 2019, either in a full-schedule car or in a partial-schedule third car for any team with whom he may be able to arrange a deal. He did not mention as to whether or not his long-time sponsor Auchan would be sponsoring his car should he succeed in securing a drive.

Perreault does have past experience in stock car racing; he competed in the European Late Model Challenge in 2014, scoring two race victories for the French team Autosport Rochambeau by the conclusion of the season.

[NASCARLOVER427]

Former PART team to come to Super Stocks

Benjamin Dangerfield, former driver in PART and the NAAC, has announced his intention to run the full Dash Cup Super Stocks schedule under the Canada National Team banner along with former teammate in PART, Max Shivelen. Dangerfield and Shivelen raced together in PART in 2015 under the slightly different name Canada Olympic Team where Dangerfield won in his home country in the series' race at Trois-Rivieres. It is most likely the team will run under the numbers used in PART in 2015, 94 for Shivelen and 95 for Dangerfield.

[pennst24]

Silverback Motorsports Group to Return in 2019

Silverback Motorsports Group, Inc. announces their intention to return with an entry into the 2019 Super Series season. The team's drivers are not known at this point, but they are expected to feature an all new lineup for 2019.

[UndyingLight]

Maven Dragons International looks to start up a two car team in 2019
Little is known about Maven Dragons Autoracing GP or (MDGP, for short), except that the team is run by mostly rallycross drivers, legends and rookies alike. Funds have been rather amassed to save up to run for a full stock-car sim like this for years, according to Germanic owner, L. Rennan W. Donner.

"In my years over at rallycross, I have accustomed the idea of how to run a team and keep my patrons happy thereat. However, I have always had this amounting desire to move up into stock car racing, and I believe that Dach Cup could be my show. While I will not run for this team, I will be its owner."

As stated prior, this would be a two car team, but drivers are still being searched for. Mr. Donner mentioned a young Finnish driver by the name of Tervin Garnes who has been very illustrious in his rallycross career scoring a couple wins, but more or less being faded in the backround. L. Donner perhaps is taking a risk here.

Suggestions show that L. Donner is looking at another driver, but those details are to be determined. He is also in talks with a potential manufacturer of Gessler. More details are to come soon.

Maven Dragons Development to begin a one-car Aspira Juniours developmental team
L. Rennan W. Donner also stated in his press-formats that he looks to fund an Aspira Juniours team so-as he can develop young lads who want to begin a career in racing. He turns to look at his own nephew (age 17) by the name of J. Barton Donner to develop his team and skill. Again, more details are coming soon.

Master Sport International also looks towards a BTC team
Master Sport International, or USA, or Europe, or Motorsports, or any form of the name had an atrocious Dash Cup stint in 2018, and lost a lot of money. Alexa Lake intends to start a one car team in BTC in hopes to recover her team, some money, and some fame.

[gwoodard41]

Terra International Motorsports will likely return with Ambercroft and Motoko

The team announced shortly after the announcement about the reorganization was made. They stated that Ashley Ambercroft and Sakura Motoko, the two primary drivers for the team are available to run a full season. The team will most likely bring in the new Interceptor or Impulse as their chassis, as long as the officials allow it. The team hopes to reserve the numbers 110 and 220 for the season.

[Rovenami]

Freya and Saito looking to enter Dash Cup with Takumi Hirano

Freya and Saito return to Dash Cup competition after a disastrous 2016 Aspira Junior Series campaign. The team has decided to run its own manufacturer under the codename "Skuld". They have also announced that Takumi Hirano will drive for them with backing from Panasonic. The team plans to run the season with car number 46.

[Ben Atkins]

Matilda Dillinger looking for drive after split from STS ATK Racing

2016 Dash Cup champion Matilda Dillinger is set to be put into free agency after STS ATK Racing elected to keep Harriet Wallace and Mauricio Gallardo in their two full-time cars, despite Dillinger finding her feet in the series after a tricky 2017. Dillinger, who won only a single race en route to winning the 2016 Pirelli Super Stocks championship, struggled in 2017, finishing outside of the top 20 in points, with a win at Darlington Speedway being her only highlight of the season.

Despite three wins so far in 2018, Dillinger has been snubbed in favour of Harriet Wallace, who has won five races, including a weekend sweep at Toddring, so far, and Spaniard Mauricio Gallardo, who has taken two wins at this point in the season, but is higher in the points than Dillinger due to more consistent results.

Dillinger was penned down to race for Citra Performance Racing; STS ATK Racing's sister team, in 2018, but the team elected to bring Evie Vance back after she spent a season away, as well as bringing on fellow Brit Ryan Truro, Jr, who shocked the world with his podium with backmarkers Proline GP at this years Spa Grand Prix.

Dillinger has had backing for some races from clothing brand Suburban for the past three seasons, but she has had no sponsorship on her car for many races this season. RA Kwik Fit Racing are allegedly interested in signing Dillinger, but are set to look at the driver market a little more in depth before making a decision, with Dillinger keeping her options open as well.

[The_Wall_91]

Tony Long: "I Want 2 More Chances, Spa and New York"

One time former laughing stock turned in to surprise in Dash Cup, Tony Long announced today that he wants 2 more chances, to run the Spa GP and the New York season finale.

Tony wants a chance at Spa because of 2016. In 2016, Tony's car that he was planning to use for the Spa GP was destroyed in a late race crash in the France race weekend, crushing Tony's hope of seeing the green at Spa. The car, driven by Romain Carpant, had already claimed a 3rd in the sprint and was running top 5 all of the main race until the crash.

"I still remember that crash like it was yesterday," Tony said. "We (Long Family Autosport) were having a David vs. Goliath weekend. A small team like ours had put together an amazing car that was good enough to not only keep up, but to compete with some of the biggest teams in the series."

Tony Long left Dash Cup after 2017 but he has said that he is open to one-off efforts if the time is there. With Dash Cup making a 2019 season possible, Tony knew that coming back to a series that made him a champion (Aspira Juniors Drivers Champion) would be a great finale before he sets off to other ventures.

"Spa and New York are the biggest races, open to everyone, and I want to throw my hat in to the ring as a driver" Tony said. "(Long Family Autosport) and my schedule is allowing me to go ahead and put, hopefully, a Hollywood like ending to my Dash Cup career. I miss a lot of my friends from Dash Cup and to hopefully get the chance to see them and race with them again would truly bring happiness for me."

"I would love the opportunity to drive for my one of my racing heroes with Tom Delgado" Tony said after being asked who he wanted to drive for. "Tom was one of many people who helped me early in my career to support me when I was struggling to get results in Dash Cup. I want to do these 2 races as a thank you to Tom and it would be an absolute honor to drive for him."

[V8fan12]

Jack Golden switches to STS, Perreault to drive the #54

After a number of seasons running the Lycoia chassis, Jack Golden Enterprises has switched to the STS Arrow in an effort to become more competitive. As the series regulations now only permit two full-time cars and one part-time entry, the team has ditched the #7 car and Siobhan McLean is now a free agent. The #54 Tissot car will be driven by Jean-Marc Perreault on his return to Dash Cup competition, while the #29 remains open but sources tell us that the seat is expected to be filled by a returning Natalie Kendall. The #70 Starbucks entry will go part-time and be driven by Proline refugee Becky O'Rodagh.

[navycook75]

Snowdrift retains both drivers for 2019

As expected, Snowdrift Motorsports will retain both 2018 champ Justin Keith and runner up Elizabeth Francisco. They'll also retain the sponsor Ohara Hotels after the company put a lot of money into the team last year.

[Backmarker]

Dietrich and Schmidt exploring Super Stocks partnerships

After last appearing in the series in select races in 2015, following an unsuccessful full-time effort in 2014, Dietrich-Schmidt Motors is reportedly exploring discussions with Super Stocks teams to offer technical support, along with sponsorship from long-time partner Equest Financial. Co-owners Thomas Dietrich and Peter Van der Schmidt have apparently expressed interest in driving for an operation that would be in need of a third driver or endurance driver. Provided that the events do not conflict with DSM's TM Europe or Master Cup operations, it can be expected that Deitrich and Van der Schmidt would be particularly interested in competing before their home crowds at Eurospeedway and Lake Gooi, respectively.

[1LapDash]

French Touring Car Driver Looking For Fame In the Dash Cup

Benoit Lothaire-Irvine, a 27-year-old French touring car driver with past success is interested in joining the Dash Cup series after leaving touring car racing for a few years to try something different. Benoit hopes to find a ride and be a contender in the Dash Cup racing world.

[UndyingLight]

Maven Dragons International confirms some line up
William Barton, who co-owns this team with James Taylor has shed some light on their three entries. CM Nova will be their chassis model, and all numbers and sponsors have been confirmed.

#5 - Vodafone CM Nova - Tervin Garnes (Age 20) - He is a Finnish native. (Owned by Tyfon Vergansc, Garnes' step dad).
#17 - Castrol GTX CM Nova - TBD - TBD - (Owned by William Barton).
#52 - Castrol GTX CM Nova - Marcello Bachelli (Age 35 - Bah-Kelly)/Claira Svhela (Age 22 - Seh-Vey-La). He is from Italy, while Svhela is from Norway. Bachelli will run all road courses, while Svhela will run non-road courses (Owned by William Barton).

French Touring Car Driver Looking For Fame In the Dash Cup

Benoit Lothaire-Irvine, a 27-year-old French touring car driver with past success is interested in joining the Dash Cup series after leaving touring car racing for a few years to try something different. Benoit hopes to find a ride and be a contender in the Dash Cup racing world.

William Barton, of Maven Dragons International offers Lothaire-Irvine the #17 Castrol GTX CM Nova. Does he accept?

[1LapDash]

Maven Dragons International confirms some line up
William Barton, who co-owns this team with James Taylor has shed some light on their three entries. CM Nova will be their chassis model, and all numbers and sponsors have been confirmed.

#5 - Vodafone CM Nova - Tervin Garnes (Age 20) - He is a Finnish native. (Owned by Tyfon Vergansc, Garnes' step dad).
#17 - Castrol GTX CM Nova - TBD - TBD - (Owned by William Barton).
#52 - Castrol GTX CM Nova - Marcello Bachelli (Age 35 - Bah-Kelly)/Claira Svhela (Age 22 - Seh-Vey-La). He is from Italy, while Svhela is from Norway. Bachelli will run all road courses, while Svhela will run non-road courses (Owned by William Barton).

French Touring Car Driver Looking For Fame In the Dash Cup

Benoit Lothaire-Irvine, a 27-year-old French touring car driver with past success is interested in joining the Dash Cup series after leaving touring car racing for a few years to try something different. Benoit hopes to find a ride and be a contender in the Dash Cup racing world.

William Barton, of Maven Dragons International offers Lothaire-Irvine the #17 Castrol GTX CM Nova. Does he accept?

Benoit Lothaire-Irvine enthusiastically accepts the offer.

[SnakePlissken]

PIRELLI SUPER STOCKS

InvAsian Force:

#24 - Ultraman - Susumu Hayata
#66 - Science Patrol - Hiroko Fuji (female)
#76 - Danny Lee Rayma - Infra-Man

One offs/special events:

#2 - Sweet Revenge - Monty Zooma
#3 - 3 MuskeGears - Alexandre D'Artagan
#9 - Agony of DeFeet - Pierre Eifel
#25 - Quack Up! - Pekin Duk
#69 - Meeso Horns - Poon Tang (female)
#16 - Snake Coils - Kurt Plissken (depending on scheduling and if the TMMC gets underway in 2019)

Juniors Cloak & Dagger:

#12 - Chicken Fries - J.W. Cogburn
#24 - ZIMA - Cole Winters

[Ben Atkins]

DASH CUP CONFIRM QUALIFYING RACES FOR ALL PIRELLI SUPER STOCKS EVENTS IN 2019

October 19th, 2018

Dash Cup CEO Dean Thompson announced before the championship banquet in Manchester that there will be qualifying races for all events in the Pirelli Super Stocks series in 2019 after a higher rate of interest in the series than anticipated. Currently, 16 teams are entered with more entries due to be processed, meaning qualifying races have had to be implemented to accommodate for the increased amount of entries for the upcoming year.

Along with this announcement, it was revealed that part-time entries will be able to compete in 9 races, half of the schedule, but this will include all three special events (Spa, Oulton Park and New York), meaning part-time teams will be able to compete in 6 regular season events of their choice.

Currently, all 16 confirmed teams have finalised their full-time driver lineups, with 15 rookies currently in the lineup.

[navycook75]

Snowdrift confirms third driver

Snowdrift Motorsports Team Boss David Andrews announced that European Endurance driver Hanayo Ohara will run the third car. Ohara, who is the daughter of Kazuchika Ohara, the owner of Ohara Hotels, is a former Rolex 24 winner and won this years 24 hour race at Lemans in the GT class. Ohara runs under the Japanese flag despite currently living in Italy.

Ohara made her only start in the series at Spa last year, where she finished seventh.

[BWard]

Return to Dash Cup likely for Ward

Englishman Barney Ward has stated that he may possibly be returning to the Dash Cup series in the 2019 season. The 31 year old has not driven in the series since 2016 and has competing in minor British racing leagues afterwards, but has recently said that he has missed the competitive and close quarters racing that the series provides and is interested in signing up to a team that can put him back in the mix of being close to the front runners.

"Since my rather dark days in the formerly known ARLA series I found a brand new home in Dash Cup and I immediately felt comfortable with the car as it seemed to suit my driving style a lot more. I felt restored both physically and mentally and had lots of fun mixing it with a lot of great drivers. Sure I made some mistakes here and there but we all do, and 2014 was probably my best year in the series so far with a few wins and a Top 10 finish in points. I then went through a few different teams afterwards and kind of became a revolving door which I didn't like that much and it was sort of demotivating me from racing, and my results weren't so great either so I decided to take a break for a while and return home. But now I've had time to rest and relax for a bit, I feel ready to come back whether it's part-time or full-time and have fun again in a series I love and embrace very much because of how much it has grown internationally now and it can only help in moving things forward for the sport."

[racingfreak1999]

OOC: I did run this, in regards to 2017 and 2018, by Ben in Discord

Ren-Ran/FAC Autosport to return with Ishikawa and Rantanen

After a quiet 2018 season, Ren-Ran/FAC Autosport plan to return with the lineup of Aki Ishikawa and Tahvo Rantanen for the 2019 Dash Cup season.  Ishikawa, 28, a two-time Formula Overdrive race winner, and Rantanen, 19, the son of team co-owner and two-time race winner Miko Rantanen, both went full-time in 2018 after the two split the team's 64 car in 2017 and after the elder Rantanen stepped down from full-time racing after that year.

Miko Rantanen will return to the team's part-time entry in his usual 777.  The numbers for the full-time entries have not been announced.

[Ben Atkins]

There are still roughly around 10-15 spots available for the Aspira Juniors series, as well as 8 slots available for the BTC series. On top of that, I will be accepting more Pirelli Stocks entries than I originally thought, mainly due to a larger interest from everything than I was anticipating!

There will also be guest drivers for every round of the BTC, with the only race taken so far being the first Oulton Park event. I am also accepting entries for this!

Feel free to keep the entries coming! I may be starting to finalise entries soon and begin painting cars and some promo work to get the ball rolling on the series.

[UndyingLight]

Officialised Entry lists (up to Ben, of course)

Pirelli Super Stocks:
Maven Dragons Racing
Tyfon Vergansc car owner
#5 - Tervin Garnes - Vodafone - Endurance: Torsten Savergen

William Barton car owner
#17 - Benoit Lothaire-Irvine - Castrol GTX
#52 - Marcello Bachelli/Claira Svhela - Castrol GTX - Endurance: Ezekiel Heinds

Aspira Juniours:
Maven Dragons Development (Changes to line-up)
#7 - Karl Ericsson - Finland - TBD - Endurance: Keith Ericcson (age 43, from Finland)

BTC:
Master Sport International will try for a one-car BTC team. American Alexa Lake bids for the #26 she always loves to drive and for CM if they're a part of BTC (EDIT: I saw the roster now)

#026 - Alexa Lake - CM Nova?? - Binco - Endurance(?): Joshua Lake (age 19). Alexa Lake is now 27 in this sport.

[V8fan12]

JGE splits with Mackintosh in Aspira Juniors series
Jack Golden Enterprises has split in their partnership with Mackintosh Motor Sport in the Dash Cup Aspira Juniors series. Both teams will now field separate entries in the competition in 2019. It is understood that JGE will field the #03 for Tarryn Bradshaw and the #49 for Will Pennington with sponsorship from Monster Energy while Mackintosh is expected to continue with the #27 Royal Bank of Scotland car driven by Emma Mackintosh.

Summary of my entries:
Super Stocks

Jack Golden Enterprises
#29 Natalie Kendall - HSBC/L'Oreal Paris
#54 Jean-Marc Perreault - Tissot/Schindler Group
#90 (PT) Becky O'Rodagh - Starbucks/VisitIreland.ie

Aspira Juniors

Jack Golden Enterprises
#03 Tarryn Bradshaw - Monster Energy/3 Mobile
#49 Will Pennington - Monster Energy/Amazon

Mackintosh Motor Sport
#27 Emma Mackintosh - Royal Bank of Scotland

[Magus978]

Tom Delgado Racing Academy Graduate Looking for 2019 Aspira Juniors Drives

A member of the Tom Delgado Racing Academy graduating class of 2018 has made it known that she is looking for a drive for the 2019 Dash Cup Aspira Juniors season. Shae McAuley, 16, looks to get her career off on the right foot after she graduated from the academy at the top of her stock car class.

Shae was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 20, 2002. However, her family moved to Wales, where her mother was born, when she was just 2 years old. Although she holds US citizenship because she was born in the country, she has opted to represent Wales to honor her mother, who passed away from ALS in 2017. She lists her in-season residence as Brooklyn, NY, as she has been granted an exemption by the TDR academy to continue to live and train at their facilities until her first full professional season comes to an end.

[Ben Atkins]

DASH CUP ANNOUNCES QUALIFYING FORMAT FOR REGULAR SEASON RACES

November 30th, 2018

Dash Cup officials have announced the qualifying format with the inclusion of qualifying races for the 2019 Pirelli Super Stocks series. With the high volume of entries currently received and expected for the upcoming season, Dash Cup officials have had to readjust the race weekend format, with the three race format no longer being used for the first time since the 2013 season.

All regular race weekends, starting at the season opener at Toddring, will have a single car qualifying runs for all entrants. The fastest 30 drivers will automatically advance to the race, and will keep their positions based on where they qualified, meaning this session will be for the pole position as well. Drivers who qualified 31st or below will be entered into a qualifying race.

The qualifying race will be 20% of the distance of the full race, with the top 10 finishers making their way into the race. Positions 41st and 42nd will be decided by the fastest single car qualifiers that finish the race. If a driver fails to finish the qualifying race due to a mechanical issue or crash damage, they will not qualify for the event, no matter their qualifying time. In the case a car fails to finish and still places inside the top 10, they will still qualify for the event.

This race format will be used for every event with exception to the Spa Grand Prix, where the qualifying format will be announced on a later date.

[Ben Atkins]

I would like to get an early start on this, so if there are any more entries that anyone wants in the series (any three of them) then this is a final call for them. I am hoping to set a deadline for painting stuff so I can start some planned pre-season projects I have in the works!

[Electric Wolf]

Gareth Moss Autosport to enter two-car team in Aspira Juniors for 2019 season

The little team that did has become the two-car team that can.

Gareth Moss' surprise effort in the 2014 TM Master Cup Series Round of Decatur promised more from the English entrepeneur in the future. Following the event, Moss told the press "if we are going to make more serious attempts, we need to do a better job of collecting the parts we need in advance" and this led to a hiatus of nearly four years to focus on other endeavors. That, however, was finally broken a few weeks ago as Gareth Moss Autosport's social media accounts that have been inactive for nearly the entire time since their last attempt suddenly announced intentions of fielding a two-car team in Dash Cup's Aspira Juniors division for the 2019 season. His son Connor is listed as the car owner for both entries whilst Gareth handles the upper management responsibilities.

Car numbers 50 and 90 were revealed with young British motorcycle rider Darren Mills occupying the first seat, sponsorship provided by Lonsdale. Barclays returns to the team to sponsor the #90 car, but 15-year-old Finnish phenom Antti-Pekka Tuomisto was announced the driver just this afternoon.

"I think this is a team that is heading in a good direction," Mills said when asked of his familiarity with Moss and the team. "I mean, yeah, we might not be a group with a lot of experience, but we're young, and I think we can surprise a lot of fans and drivers in the paddock next year. I'm really quite excited."

Mills brings associate sponsorship from Rockstar Energy and comes off of a 6th-placed finish in the English Youth Superbike Championship. He accrued one podium finish of 3rd at Valencia this past June, but crashed out of three races during the season. With no other offers in categories like Moto3 or the MotoGP Rookie Division, the 18-year-old has taken his talents to Dash Cup to find a new haven.

"The team has a good atmosphere," Tuomisto said to the press; the attention clearly unfamiliar to him. "We are all very hungry and have not much to lose. We know it will not be a[n] easy season, but we must learn from our first races and go faster."

Tuomisto has raced in several disciplines through his very young career such as karting, rally cars and in superbikes like his new teammate. However, unlike Mills, he brings no major funding with him to the new operation and started two races in the EYSC as a wild card entry for Gas & Go Motorsport at the Sachsenring, crashing out to a 27th-place classification in substitution for the injured Marco Teglinese, and finishing 22nd of 28 entrants at the season finale of Valenciana. Tuomisto has earned a lot of praise in his native Finland where he has rocketed through the ranks of motorsport.

[Ben Atkins]

I apologise for the lack of updates over the last few months. I will be looking to make some progress on this fairly shortly as work has recently been kicking my ass (again), but I have some time off upcoming so I will make the most of that time to post some necessary things to finally get the ball rolling on this series!

Feel free to continue posting rumours for all three series! I'm still looking for a couple more entries for the BTC and Aspira Juniors series!

[RyanB06]

Just a heads-up: expect an updated Aspira JR template sooner rather than later to reflect 2019 specs.

[Sponsored content]