Introduction
The European Championship was first contested in 1978, with the first European Championship contested over two legs at Long Eaton and Rochdale with Stuart Smith (391) the inaugural winner. From the 1979 season it has always been contested at a single meeting. The European Championship has been held ever since except for the 1980 season.
Northampton International Raceway has played host to the European Championship for the majority of its running, currently in an unbroken run having hosted it every year since 1994. For the 2018 championship it would switch surfaces, from tarmac to shale, as as the Brafield track become Northampton International Shaleway.
For the majority of its life, the top twenty drivers in the Grading Points were automatically seeded onto the grid, with a certain amount of overseas drivers, predominantly from Holland. The rest of the thirty-two car grid would be made up of drivers who would qualify during the meeting and/or weekend when the European was run. The title race was held in a closed grid, graded order style, in a similar order to how Grand Finals are contested just without the gaps between the grades. This made it rather difficult for the drivers at the back as they would need to battle through the field, they were helped slightly with the race contested over 25 laps, only the World Championship Final is contested over as many laps. The race was usually held as the first race on the Sunday of a weekend of racing.
In 2017 it was all change as the race adopted a full qualification method with no UK registered drivers automatically seeded onto the grid. With the racing held over a weekend and the races on Saturday night and Sunday counting towards qualification and the order in which the closed grid was made up, the top points scorer would be in “pole position” for the race. Nigel Green (445) would take the first win in this format.
How it Works
Qualification
The European Championship is traditionally held over a weekend with the points scored on Saturday and Sunday determining qualifiers for the race that would double as the meeting final. Depending on attending drivers a certain number of overseas competitors will start automatically on rows 3, 6, 9, 12. The exact number depends on the drivers in attendance. Thirty-two drivers will start the race.
The Race
The race is held over twenty-five laps in a closed grid formation with the top points scorer in pole position, overseas drivers may be seeded onto rows 3,6,9,12.
Defending Champion – Tom Harris (84)
Title and Roof Colour
| Title | European Champion |
| Roof Colour | Red and Yellow |
Most Wins By A Driver
| Number | Driver | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 84/1 | Tom Harris | 5 |
| 515/1 | Frankie Wainman Jnr | 4 |
| 33/1 | Peter Falding | 3 |
| 53 | John Lund | 3 |
| 199 | Mike Close | 2 |
| 250 | Keith Chambers | 2 |
| 318 | Rob Speak | 2 |
| 2 | Paul Harrison | 2 |
Most Podiums By A Driver
| Rank | Drivers | Podiums |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515/1) | 12 |
| 2 | Paul Harrison (2/22) | 10 |
| 3 | Peter Falding (33/1) | 6 |
| = | John Lund (53) | 6 |
| = | Tom Harris (84/1) | 6 |
| 6 | Paul Hines (259) | 5 |
| 7 | Dan Johnson (4) | 4 |
| = | Mike Close (199) | 4 |
| = | Andy Smith (391) | 4 |
| = | Lee Fairhurst (217) | 4 |
| 11 | Mark Gilbank (21) | 3 |
| = | Ryan Harrison (197) | 3 |
| = | Dave Mellor (304) | 3 |
| 14 | Bert Finnikin (55) | 2 |
| = | Craig Finnikin (55) | 2 |
| = | Brian Powles (154) | 2 |
| = | Len Wolfenden (190) | 2 |
| = | Frankie Wainman (212) | 2 |
| = | Gary Castell (247) | 2 |
| = | Keith Chambers (250) | 2 |
| = | Rob Speak (318) | 2 |
| = | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | 2 |
| = | Nigel Whorton (422) | 2 |
| = | Nigel Green (445) | 2 |
| = | Bobby Burns (471) | 2 |
| = | Ron Kroonder (H217) | 2 |
| = | Mat Newson (16) | 2 |
| = | Danny Wainman (212) | 2 |
Full List Of Winners
| Year | Track | Champion | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Long Eaton (1st Leg) | Stuart Smith (391) | Brian Powles (154) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1978 | Rochdale (2nd Leg) | Stuart Smith (391) | Dave Hodgson (272) | Frankie Wainman (212) |
| 1978 | Overall | Stuart Smith (391) | Mike Close (199) | Brian Powles (154) |
| 1979 | Harringay | Glyn Pursey (175) | Mick Noden (306) | Brian Wharton (408) |
| 1980 | Event Not Held | - | - | - |
| 1981 | Northampton | Len Wolfenden (190) | Brian Powles (154) | Frankie Wainman (212) |
| 1982 | Northampton | Mike Close (199) | Len Wolfenden (190) | Rod Falding (36) |
| 1983 | Northampton | Mike Close (199) | Dave Mellor (304) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1984 | Northampton | John Cayzer (495) | Harry Smith (100) | Dave Mellor (304) |
| 1985 | Northampton | Danny Clarke (203) | Dave Mellor (304) | Mike Close (199) |
| 1986 | Skegness | Bert Finnikin (55) | Bobby Burns (471) | Dave Berresford (260) |
| 1987 | Aycliffe | Ian Smith (367) | John Toulson (286) | Richard Ainsworth (354) |
| 1988 | Northampton | Frankie Wainman (212) | John Lund (53) | Paul Harrison (22) |
| 1989 | Hednesford | John Lund (53) | Peter Falding (33) | Nigel Whorton (422) |
| 1990 | Skegness | Mike James (417) | Paul Harrison (22) | Bobby Burns (471) |
| 1991 | Northampton | Peter Falding (33) | John Lund (53) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 1992 | Hednesford | John Lund (53) | Ron Kroonder (H217) | Paul Harrison (2) |
| 1993 | Skegness | Peter Falding (33) | Nigel Whorton (422) | Chris Elwell (501) |
| 1994 | Northampton | Peter Falding (1) | Ron Kroonder (H217) | John Lund (53) |
| 1995 | Northampton | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Andy Smith (391) | Peter Falding (33) |
| 1996 | Northampton | Keith Chambers (250) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Ray Witts (180) |
| 1997 | Northampton | Keith Chambers (250) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Gaz Bott (41) |
| 1998 | Northampton | Paul Harrison (2) | Andy Smith (391) | Jason Holden (38) |
| 1999 | Northampton | Murray Harrison (97) | Andy Smith (391) | Peter Falding (33) |
| 2000 | Northampton | Rob Speak (318) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Paul Harrison (2) |
| 2001 | Northampton | Rob Speak (318) | Gary Castell (247) | Paul Harrison (2) |
| 2002 | Northampton | John Lund (53) | Paul Harrison (2) | Mark Gilbank (21) |
| 2003 | Northampton | Paul Harrison (2) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Gary Castell (247) |
| 2004 | Northampton | Nick Smith (51) | Paul Harrison (2) | Dave Schaap (H007) |
| 2005 | Northampton | Paul Hines (259) | Carlos Perez (305) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2006 | Northampton | Frankie Wainman Jnr (1) | Marco Jenigga (H221) | Paul Harrison (2) |
| 2007 | Northampton | James Neachell (322) | Ryan Harrison (197) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2008 | Northampton | Dan Johnson (4) | Paul Hines (259) | Mark Gilbank (21) |
| 2009 | Northampton | Lee Fairhurst (217) | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Mark Gilbank (21) |
| 2010 | Northampton | Luke Davidson (464) | Andy Smith (1) | Chris Cowley (37) |
| 2011 | Northampton | Mick Sworder (150) | Danny Smidt (H148) | Will Yarrow (22) |
| 2012 | Northampton | Tom Harris (84) | Dan Johnson (4) | Craig Finnikin (55) |
| 2013 | Northampton | Ryan Harrison (197) | Dan Johnson (4) | Paul Hines (259) |
| 2014 | Northampton | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Danny Wainman (212) | Mat Newson (16) |
| 2015 | Northampton | Tom Harris (84) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Lee Fairhurst (217) |
| 2016 | Northampton | Dan Johnson (4) | Nigel Green (445) | Lee Fairhurst (217) |
| 2017 | Northampton | Nigel Green (445) | Ryan Harrison (197) | Shaun Webster (48) |
| 2018 | Northampton | Tom Harris (84) | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Will Hunter (220) |
| 2019 | Northampton | Craig Finnikin (55) | Paul Hines (259) | Tom Harris (84) |
| 2020 | Event not held | - | - | - |
| 2021 | Northampton | Tom Harris (1) | Lee Fairhurst (217) | Mat Newson (16) |
| 2022 | Northampton | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Phoebe Wainman (211) | Frankie Wainman Jnr Jnr (555) |
| 2023 | Mildenhall | Tom Harris (84) | Paul Hines (259) | Danny Wainman (212) |
For more in-depth historical information in relation to the BriSCA F1 European Championship please follow the link below:
https://www.briscaf1stox.uk/website/champs_choices.php?champ=3