Original Article: Marc Orme - Legends Cards Europe (Source)

Mere days after departing Anglesey in North Wales following the second event of the 2019 season, drivers and teams from the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres are back on track this weekend, 1st/2nd June, as part of the huge American Speedfest VII event at Brands Hatch.

Marking the second appearance for the 5/8 scale Legends Cars at the Kent venue’s annual festival of Americana, championship competitors are relishing the prospect of being back at the 1.2-mile Indy Circuit where they will perform in front of thousands of spectators. 

Going into one of the true highlight events of the season, Sy Harraway (Weston-super-Mare) leads the points standings for the first time in his career after taking two victories, four top three results in total, last weekend at Anglesey. The reigning Rookie Champion was also a race winner at Brands during the first event of 2019.

Second in the championship is Miles Rudman (Sutton Coldfield), who was the Rookie Champion back in 2017 and a contender for outright honours this year. Taking his first win of the season last Sunday with a dominant drive in the wet, Rudman is just 60 points adrift of Harraway.

Reigning and five-time Legends Cars Champion John Mickel (Horsham) is third in the standings ahead of rounds five and six and while he is yet to take a race victory in 2019, his points scoring consistency is absolutely as strong as ever and his bid for an unprecedented super sixth title remains on course.

Jack Parker (Wolverhampton), Connor Mills (Upminster) and Marcus Pett (Boston) complete the current championship top six, each of them a proven race winner. Parker and Mills both won at Brands during the season curtain-raiser, local driver Mills taking a magnificent hat-trick, while Pett claimed a winning double last time out at Anglesey to take the first wins of his second full season.

The other race winners so far in 2019 are Sean Smith (Marlow), who is seventh in the championship, and James Hall-Morton (Cleckheaton), who completes the top eight in the title battle. Hall-Morton took his first ever victory in Legends at Brands over Easter weekend, while Smith made an overdue return to the winners’ circle last Saturday at Anglesey. 

Of course, one of the true strengths of the Legends Cars is the quality as well as the quantity of the grids and there are countless drivers all capable of being in among the championship front-runners this weekend. 

Paul Simmons (Lingfield), the reigning and multi-time Masters Champion, Nathan Anthony (Horley), driver of the only Se-Van in Legends racing, Robert King (York), who was a double podium finisher last time out, and Paul Simkiss (Rochdale) will all be ones to watch. 

After missing last weekend’s action, former champ Robin Fountain (Boston) will also be one to keep an eye on during his return and this weekend also marks a welcome reappearance for the No.26 ‘Team Car’ which will be piloted by Rickie Leggatt (Worthing) on Saturday and Tom Grainger (Sidcup) on Sunday. 

One driver who will be looking for a major turn-around in fortunes at Brands Hatch is Will Gibson (Camberley), a proven race winner but someone who has endured a tough season to date with a variety of luckless dramas. Placed just outside the championship top 12 at the present time, Gibson can undoubtedly challenge at the sharp end and most probably will on his return to his ‘home’ track.

“It’s been a busy few days for us with Anglesey last weekend and now American Speedfest VII at Brands Hatch this Saturday and Sunday, and with a big break in the calendar after this weekend’s racing everyone is going to want to carry good momentum forward into the summer”, said Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres owner Phil Cooper.

“We’ve had some outstanding action so far at Brands Hatch and Anglesey, and we’re all delighted to be back at Brands again this weekend which is where it all started for Legends Cars in the UK some 25 years ago. American Speedfest is easily one of the biggest events of the season for us, so we’re looking forward to thrilling thousands of fans across the two days with six of the very best races.”

Qualifying at Brands Hatch on Saturday, 1st June, will get underway at 09.00 with Heat One starting at 12.05, Heat Two will begin at 15.25 and the Final is scheduled for 17.45. On Sunday, 2nd June, qualifying is timetabled for 10.20 with Heat One at 11.45, Heat Two at 14.55 and the Final at 17.55.

Live timing will be carried across the weekend at www.tsl-timing.com with Digitex Television filming all of the action for broadcast at a future date on Amazon Prime, Motorsport TV, BARC TV and on digital satellite channel Front Runner. Legends Cars TV coverage is sponsored by 24hr Solutions.

Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres Points (after Rd4):
1st Sy Harraway, 60CA583A-A566-4E6B-B5C3-EB78A165D336pts; 2nd Miles Rudman, CC165F87-C185-4AE6-98EA-E8C6126F986Dpts; 3rd John Mickel, 0D733713-D826-47FE-9624-912F679A6ADFpts; 
4th Jack Parker, 1555pts; 5th Connor Mills, 1510pts; 6th Marcus Pett, 1505pts