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Fran Jones, Tottenham Hotspur Head of International Development, Q&A

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:04:24 GMT

Superleague Formula: Spurs came very close to winning the Superleague Formula crown in 2009. You must be pleased with the club’s second season on-track.
Fran Jones: We are absolutely delighted with our results this season. Our driver Craig Dolby and our race team Alan Docking Racing have performed superbly and all the credit has to go to them for getting so close to winning the Championship.

SF: What do you think were the key ingredients to that success?
FJ: Craig has been very, very fast this year and that has to be the main ingredient. If you ask anyone involved in the Championship, I’m sure they would say that he has been the most exciting driver to watch because he is so fearless on the track but without ever being dangerous. People want to see overtaking and Craig certainly did that as much as he could.
Of course being fast is great but to compete for the Championship, the car also has to be consistent and reliable and that is what the team has delivered for him. Last season our driver Duncan Tappy was also very fast and performed really well for us but the car itself was much less reliable and so he suffered as a result.

SF: It was Liverpool who ultimately pipped Spurs to the crown. Is there a little bit extra incentive when you’re going wheel-to-wheel with a fellow Premiership side?
FJ: Of course we always want to perform well against our Barclays Premier League rivals whether that’s on the pitch or on the track so our battle for the title did have a bit of extra spice to it. The two clubs have an excellent relationship off the pitch so we had lots of friendly banter during the series. The league table doesn’t lie in football and it doesn’t lie in motor racing. They finished top of the league and deservedly won the Championship so we congratulate them.
It’s not just Liverpool though with whom we have a rivalry as we also have a history with several of the other teams taking part in Superleague Formula. We’ve beaten Anderlecht and Atletico de Madrid in European Finals and have competed against the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Seville in the UEFA Cup in recent seasons so there’s practically a club rivalry on every straight and at every corner!

SF: Why did the Superleague Formula concept appeal to Tottenham Hotspur?
FJ: As a Club we are always looking for opportunities to raise awareness for our brand overseas. The opportunity to be part of Superleague Formula appealed to us because it is a different way of building our brand and connecting with a different audience that we might not otherwise reach through football. We also like to innovate so we were very proud to be the first English to team to join the series.

SF: What were your impressions after attending the Superleague Formula weekend in Monza earlier this year?
FJ: I’ve been to a Superleague Formula weekend before so I very much knew what to expect. It’s a great experience for everyone involved and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to get to a race weekend to give it a go. The format of the weekend is fantastic and it means the action hardly stops on either day. Superleague Formula has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting around.

SF: How do you see Tottenham Hotspur using SF in the future to broaden its global appeal?
FJ: I’m really looking forward to the series getting out of Europe and into other continents. The interest in football and motor racing in Asia and the Americas for example is huge. Because these are strategically important markets for Tottenham Hotspur, being part of Superleague Formula is a way for us to engage with the audiences and our large fan bases in those regions in a completely different way. Our fans are incredibly passionate and loyal. Through international tours and friendly matches we try to give them an opportunity to see the team in action but we can’t get to every country each year so Superleague is another opportunity where they can cheer the team on first hand.

SF: And finally, your thoughts and hopes for next season?
FJ: I’m confident that Superleague Formula will continue to grow and become even more popular. Superleague Formula can give motor racing fans the things that are important to them that they perhaps don’t get with other series’. I’ve no doubt that once they’ve had an opportunity at Superleague Formula races to get up close and personal with the cars and the drivers and seen the amount of overtaking and great racing, I’m sure they’ll be hooked in exactly the same way as we are.
On the track itself, the aim for next season has to be to win the Championship. Certainly if you speak to Craig, that is what he and the team will be striving for and we’ll be doing all we can to support him and help him to achieve that.

Craig Dolby Q&A

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:54:30 GMT

Superleague Formula: You went straight from racing in French Formula Renault to Superleague Formula. How did you find the transition?

Craig Dolby: “It was so exciting when we first went to Donington last year. It was unbelievable going from 200bhp to 750. But surprisingly I got used to it quite quickly. I actually enjoyed the additional power because you could use it to control and set the car up better. Any young driver, when they’re given a big car, is going to have a grin on their face and enjoy it so that was an amazing feeling. But after the first couple of laps it’s back to focusing on the job in hand, trying to get the best out of the car and myself. It was a mega experience though. Those first couple of laps were just mind blowing.

“It’s by far the most powerful thing I’ve ever driven. Even now when you go out of the pit lane and put your foot down you just have to smile! It’s like a dream for me because to race against the drivers I am, for me, is unbelievable.”

SF: It’s a big hike in performance. How did you get the drive?

CD: “I didn’t think it would be directly possible to go from Renault straight into Superleague. But from racing in Belgium with Astromega, they trusted me and knew what I could do in a racing car so they’re the ones who gave me the chance. No one really knew me, in Superleague at least, at the start of last season so you’re sitting there in the drivers’ briefing surrounded by people like Antonio Pizzonia and I’m thinking, ‘Hang on, this is going to be massive’. Then at the second race at Nurburgring I was on the podium twice with two second places and everyone else was like, ‘He can drive!’ which was unbelievable for me. I didn’t expect those results straight away, I really didn’t.

“I got the phone call one week before Donington so it was a bit last minute but they trusted me and I did a job for them, more than what was expected of me last season. Then this season we’ve proven that we’re title contenders. It’s good being one of the youngsters. Me and Max (Wissel), two guys who no one really knows, came through together and we’re now beating the top guns so it’s good fun.”

SF: So how many times had you driven the car before the opening race?

CD: “None! I got the phone call while on holiday with my parents a week before the Donington race. And they said ‘Right Craig, you’re racing next weekend in Superleague’. I hadn’t driven any racing car for eight months before jumping straight into the Superleague car literally on the Thursday. We didn’t do any testing because of mechanical problems though, so I’d only done four laps going into Saturday’s qualifying!

“We then turned up for round two at Nurburgring, where I’d never been before, qualified fifth and got two second places, one of which came from the back row of the reverse grid which was fairly good, especially as I was the first driver to get a double podium. Considering the kind of people I was racing against, for me, that was a massive confidence boost.”

SF: Did you really expect to be as competitive so quickly?

“I knew I could do the job, because I wouldn’t be here if I thought any differently. But the first couple of rounds I knew were going to be the steepest learning curve I’d ever experienced in my life. The best thing I’ve ever done was get from fifth to third at the first corner in Germany. I had Robert Doornbos and Antonio Pizzonia right in front of me and in the nine laps up until my pit stop, I learned so much from following them and watching what they did, seeing how hard they could brake with the carbon disks because I’d not used them before. I was just learning and improving myself. I caught Antonio and forced him into a few mistakes which allowed me to overtake during the pit stops. After doing something like that, my confidence was sky-high and I knew I could do the business.

“People doubted me to start with because they’d never heard of me. I was worried what other people would think about me being there. Then after the second round, all the talk was positive and I’ve loved every second ever since.”

SF: Presumably you’ve found the second season easier then?

CD: “A few bits are easier, like you know the car better. Moving teams was quite difficult because I was very close to Astromega so to go into a new team was quite strange because I’d grown up with them. But I’ve settled in at Alan Docking Racing really well and I love it there. Having said that, it’s been difficult this year because the competition is a lot stronger than last season. Last year there were probably five people who could win races or be in the top three all the time. This year the whole field is capable of fighting for wins, which makes the reverse grid very difficult. It’s challenging but fun because we all respect each other out there. I’d say overall it’s easier, but then fighting for the championship is never easy.”

SF: You’re 58 points behind Liverpool at the top of the League. Can you still catch them?

CD: “From two seasons of Superleague, anything is possible! With 50 points for a race win, all Adrian (Valles) and Liverpool needs is a bad result like we had at Estoril and I’m right back up there. There’s 200 points left on the table and I’m going to be trying to get most of them so who knows.

SF: And the target for Monza?

CD: “I’d like to have two podiums to be honest and a race win would definitely be nice. But I’ve never been there before so I’m going to have fun learning the circuit. It has an historical place in motorsport so I’m looking forward to being there. It’s a fast one as well. The racing is going to be exciting because of the slipstreaming while push-to-pass will also play a part as it’s important when and where we use it. I think it’s going to be very interesting. There’s going to be some very quick guys, like Pantano. It’s his home circuit and was on pole there in GP2 last season. But hopefully I can be right up there fighting for the race win.”

SF: You’re still only 21. What does the future hold for Craig Dolby?

CD: “Who knows what the future holds but I’d love to do a third season in Superleague, especially if they’re putting more races on. People are starting to look at it as a very strong championship so if it keeps getting stronger and stronger then why leave? If it keeps progressing like it is now then it could even challenge F1 one day.

“I just love being here because what other championship can say they’ve got as many good drivers? Bar Formula 1, the likes of GP2 and Renault World Series have got good drivers. But at the last race in Estoril I can honestly say that Superleague was probably fielding one of the strongest grids in the world.”

Tottenham Hotspur aim to go top of the league with further success on home ground

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:56:41 GMT

“I’m really revved up for Donington,” admitted Dolby who lives locally in Melton Mowbray. “I raced in Superleague for Anderlecht at Donington last season and had a miserable time but 12 months on I’m riding a crest of a wave. I’m placed third in the championship standings after a win, third, ninth and 10th and my aim is to be leading the series after the two Donington races – it’s definitely achievable the way I’m driving this year.”

The 21-year-old rising star is banking on extra support to fuel his chances of overtaking current leaders Liverpool FC. Intriguingly the two teams meet again a couple of weeks later – at White Hart Lane rather than Donington – on the opening day of the English Premier League.

“Of course I want the Spurs fans to head north up the M1 to support me in their car – that would be a massive boost for me,” he continued. “Standing on the winner’s rostrum having just won the opening race in Belgium and listening to ‘Glory, glory Tottenham Hotspur’ bellowing out from the speakers was a very emotional moment for me and one I’m determined to repeat for the fans on ‘home’ soil.”

Advance adult tickets are £10 (Saturday), £15 (Sunday) or £20 (weekend ticket). Tickets can be purchased from the Donington Museum (open seven days a week, 9-5pm) or on-line at www.donington-park.co.uk

Superleague Formula gets thumbs-up from Teams, Clubs and Drivers after the inaugural season

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:49:15 GMT

Superleague Formula’s first season main figures from motorsport and football give their evaluation on 2008 inaugural championship.

Daily quotes will be available on SF website!

Brit scores for Germany in Superleague

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:22:35 GMT

In front of 34,000 fans, Walker started from fourth on the grid and actually dropped a spot after three laps. Following his pit stop on lap nine, Walker began to move through the pack to grab second place on lap 15.

He then began a pursuit of Galatasaray's Alessandro Pier Guidi who had opened up a large early lead.

The Brit was able take the lead when Turkish car suffered a large spin while trying to hold off the German entry.

Walker was then able to run to the chequered flag to lead home Corinthians driver Antonio Pizzonia and newly crowned Superleague Formula champion, Davide Rigon aboard the Beijing Guoan machine. Walker's performance is even more remarkable considering the fact he missed an entire day's running yesterday.

The Brit also gave himself a major scare in race one when the removable steering wheel came off in his hands on the formation lap – forcing him to start from pit lane.

Walker becomes the first British driver to claim a victory in Superleague Formula. He also scored his new club's first victory in the championship. Walker's only other Superleague Formula outing this year came at the Nurburgring when he filled in at Rangers to score that club's season best result of fourth.
Liverpool FC's Adrian Valles completed a day to forget after suffering a gearbox issue in race two. The Reds had earlier dominated race one and were headed for victory until suffering a fuel pressure issue on the final lap.

Race one podium finisher Tottenham Hotspur also suffered a gearbox problem in race two, putting Duncan Tappy out the event.

Rangers driver Ryan Dalziel completed a solid final race of the 2008 Superleague Formula season finishing in sixth position.

RSC Anderlecht driver Craig Dolby completed the season as the highest placed British driver after finishing eighth in the final race. Dolby scored 303 points for his Belgian club to finish the championship in sixth position.

Liverpool FC was the highest performing UK club in the series with the Spaniard Valles behind the wheel. The Reds finished fourth overall ahead of Spurs (11th) and Rangers (13th).

Chinese club Beijing Guoan earned the Superleague Formula "Premiership" on 413 points ahead of PSV Eindhoven, 337; AC Milan, 335; Liverpool FC, 325; AS Roma, 307; RSC Anderlecht, 303, FC Porto, 277; Galatasaray, 277; Corinthians, 264; Sevilla, 262; Tottenham Hotspur, 257; Al-Ain, 244; Rangers, 227; Borussia Dortmund, 218; FC Basel, 205; Flamengo, 189; Olympiacos, 161; Atletico Madrid, 132.

James Walker (Borussia Dortmund)
"When I scored fourth for Rangers at the Nurburgring it was a surprise but this was an even bigger surprise.
"I had never been here before and we missed practice and qualifying yesterday so to come away with a victory has done the end of my year a world of good.
"I am actually pretty lucky because on the out lap in race one this morning the steering wheel came off in my hand which gave me a fright and forced me to get it checked and I had to start from pit lane on cold tyres.
"I just stayed out of trouble in the first race and got some more miles under my belt and aimed at really getting stuck in during race two. We have come away with an excellent result."

Duncan Tappy (Tottenham Hotspur)
"The car was fast in race one, it was really really fast, so we brought it home in third and I am really happy with that.
"In the second race we had a gear selection problem and it got to the stage where I could not change up a gear.
"It got so bad that it would not work anyway so I had to bring it in.
"The season in general has been great and I have enjoyed every minute of it.
"It is so different. It has been a breath of fresh air for motorsport and I am hoping I am going to be involved in it again.
"I have proved that when the car is right we are on the money. "

Ryan Dalziel (Rangers)
“Today was mixed, we had a good second race. We started near the front due to the gear box issue in the first race.
"We had good race pace and we made a bad call when we pitted and I think if we had pitted with everybody else we would have finished third or forth.
"We lost a lot of time with old tyres and we went from third to seventh I think but it was a good result, sixth, and it was a good way to finish off the season.
"It has been a difficult season for us, and I kind of wish we could start again at round three.
"Credit goes to Superleague for getting this thing going and it has been impressive for its first year. I have been in a couple of series’ in their debut season, most recently was Champ Cars, and they did not do anywhere near as good a job as this."

Adrian Valles (Liverpool FC)
“We showed the car was good this weekend but we had some problems.
"We deserved to win this championship and I hope I can come back next year and win it for Liverpool.
"In the race I did a good move to take PSV Eindhoven and everything was looking good and then suddenly we started to have problems down shifting
"A few laps later we had fuel problems again and I had to bring it in.”

Craig Dolby (RSC Anderlecht)
“Galatasary dropped a lot of oil and could see the line of oil and it just went round the corner.
"I must have caught a little bit of it and I spun which was a shame because up until then I was driving my socks off.
"I loved it, going round the outside of PSV in turn one, inside of Al Ain, I out braked Doornbos into turn six.
"I loved it and I never ever give up. I want to do well in both races and I want it to be exciting for people to watch.
"If someone had told me I was going to get these results today I would have taken them yesterday so I am over the moon in a way, and the car is back on some kind of form so I am happy with that. It is just a shame it is the end of the season."

Full results can be download by clicking on this link

Liverpool beat Milan at Home to score Vallelunga pole

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:44:12 GMT

The two clubs are strong rivals on both the football pitch and the race track – contesting the 2005 and '07 Champions League Finals and also finishing 1-2 in the first race at the Estoril round of the football-themed motor racing championship.

Liverpool FC's Adrian Valles was behind at the first sector split in the single lap pole position shoot-out but bounced back in the final two sectors to push AC Milan's Robert Doornbos from the pole.

The result was the first pole position for Liverpool, the English club that has taken two race victories to date in 2008.

Liverpool's UK rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers had contrasting days in qualifying. Rangers' Ryan Dalziel had one of his best performances of the year, nearly making the qualifying shoot-out after an engine change during the morning.

The Glasgow-born Scot will start from position ten in the first of tomorrow's two races.

London club Tottenham Hotspur may have enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks after the appointment of new manager Harry Redknapp, but the club's Superleague Formula driver Duncan Tappy had an unlucky day to be only 13th on the grid.

Tappy returns to the Spurs seat this weekend after a date clash forced him out of the Estoril round but the British driver was unable to find a good balance for qualifying and is set to make further changes before tomorrow's first race.

British driver Craig Dolby had a strong day aboard the RSC Anderlecht car. Dolby put the Belgian club into sixth position on the grid for first race tomorrow. Dolby was third fastest in the group B qualifying session but was beaten by AC Milan's Robert Doornbos in his quarter-final shoot-out.

ADRIAN VALLES (Liverpool)
"Vallelunga is a new track for me so this morning I concentrated on learning the circuit but it was wet and I was a little bit worried to go into qualifying in the dry without any experience.
"We didn't really perform that well in the qualifying session but it was enough to make the shoot-out. We worked on improving the car during the shoot-outs and I managed to do a really good lap to get the pole.
"The team did a really good job and we are getting close to the right set-up so lets see if we can win again."

RYAN DALZIEL (Rangers)
“We have had a difficult weekend so far but the result in qualifying we are quite happy with to start 10th.
"We missed the first two practice sessions with an engine change so we only got practice three and then went straight into qualifying. We were only a second off the top half of the group. We have made progress since the last race and continually made progress today so we are looking forward to using race one as a test session so we can have a better assault in race two."

DUNCAN TAPPY (Tottenham Hotspur)
“With regards to Qualifying I was pretty disappointed, because in practice we thought it was going ok and then in qualifying, it was very different.
“I think we got lost a little bit with the set up and the team are re-assessing where they are, and we are hoping to try and use the first race tomorrow as a test session and have a drastic change to the car and see what happens.
“Its not only me, its Borja as well, my team mate in the Sevilla car , he is really struggling as well, so we have a bit of a jump to make but hopefully we’ll do that."

CRAIG DOLBY (RSC Anderlecht)
“We have had some troubles with the car this morning and we have nearly got to the bottom of the all.
“We still had a few good laps to get through to the shoot out. It was a good lap, as it was my first flying lap in the dry and obviously some people have done the pre season testing here, so they knew where to push and I didn’t.
“I have never been here in my life before this morning and I am pleased with what we did."

Full results can be download by clicking on this link.

Tottenham Hotspur join the Superleague Formula grid

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:12:38 GMT

The north London club becomes the 16th Superleague Formula outfit and the second UK club alongside Scottish giants, Rangers.

Spurs' blue and white livery will be carried by one of the 750 horsepower, V12 powered Superleague Formula Panoz chassis at the championship s debut round at Britain's Donington Park circuit on August 30/31.

Tottenham Hotspur is one of the most successful football clubs in both England and Europe with two championships, eight FA Cup wins, seven FA Community Shield wins and four League Cups wins (now known as the Carling Cup), including last season's victory against Chelsea.

Once again Spurs will be competing in Europe having qualified for the UEFA Cup last season, a competition the Club won in 1972 and 1984.

The Tottenham Hotspur Superleague Formula team will battle on the track against football clubs from around the world including AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht, Flamengo, FC Basel, Galatasaray, Corinthians, Sevilla FC, Rangers, Al Ain, Beijing Guoan and AS Roma.

"Superleague Formula is an exciting new concept and looks to bring together two of the most popular sports in the world," said Paul Barber, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur.

"As a Club we are always looking for ways to appeal to our global fan base and Superleague Formula gives us the opportunity to do that. Some of the biggest football clubs in the world are already involved and we are pleased to be joining them.

"We intend to be as competitive on the track as we are on the pitch, and we hope our fans will join us in supporting the team at Donington Park on the 30-31 August for the opening race of the season."

Tottenham Hotspur's Superleague Formula entry will be officially unveiled for the club's fans at the pre-season friendly against AS Roma at White Hart Lane on August 10.

Tottenham Hotspur's pre-season rival AS Roma was announced as a Superleague Formula entry last Wednesday in Rome.

"We are thrilled to have a top-line club like Spurs join our championship," Superleague Formula President and CEO, Alex Andreu said.

“England was one of the final pieces of the Superleague Formula puzzle we had to complete.

"Tottenham Hotspur is one of the most talented and entertaining football teams in the Premier League and I hope their racing team will show similar qualities on the track.

"Although the team driver does not have to be the same nationality as the club, we certainly have no shortage of British drivers who are very keen to drive for Tottenham Hotspur."