Rangers F.C. (Superleague Formula team)

Last updated

Rangers F.C. SF Racing Team
Rangers-FC logo.gif
Founded2008
CountryFlag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Driver(s) Ryan Dalziel (2008)
James Walker (2008)
John Martin (2009)
First race 2008 Donington
Last race 2009 Jarama
Rounds12
Ch'ships0
Total points468 (including Super Finals)
2010 positionn/a (n/a pts)
RacesPolesWinsPodiumsF. Laps
240020
NOTE - Data not including Super Finals
The Rangers car out on display (2008) Superleague Formula Rangers.JPG
The Rangers car out on display (2008)
Ryan Dalziel on the grid during the 2008 Donington weekend. SF Donington Rangers grid.jpg
Ryan Dalziel on the grid during the 2008 Donington weekend.
Ryan Dalziel during race 2 on a wet Donington Park track in 2008. RangersDonington.jpg
Ryan Dalziel during race 2 on a wet Donington Park track in 2008.

Rangers FC Superleague Formula team was the open wheel single seater motor racing team of Rangers. The Rangers racing team competes in the Superleague Formula. It has been operated by Alan Docking Racing for all seasons, although Team West-Tec operated the Rangers team in 2008 pre-season. The car was revealed outside Ibrox Stadium with the Rangers first team present, including manager Walter Smith. [1] Rangers Football Club had a team in the Superleague Formula race car series. The Rangers F.C. team had been operated by Alan Docking Racing. In 2008 Ryan Dalziel drove for Rangers F.C. in the team's maiden season. [2] James Walker also drove for the team in one round of the 2008 season and posted their best result, a fourth-place finish. [3]

Contents

2008 season

In 2008 Ryan Dalziel drove for Rangers F.C. in the team's maiden season finished overall in the mid table in 13th. It was only 1 of 3 teams that completed the whole season (a world record at the time) but did not get on to the podium. [2] James Walker also drove for the team in one round of the 2008 season and posted their best result, a fourth-place finish. [3]

2009 season

For the 2009 Superleague Formula season, John Martin was the driver. [4] For the first round of the season Rangers F.C. had a bad weekend. In race one Rangers got caught up in a mistake from Olympiacos CFP (Davide Rigon) eliminating them from the race. In race 2 Rangers F.C. led after lap 1 and built up a lead before the pitstop window opened. The car got stuck on the jack in the pits and lost 35 seconds coming out in 13th place. [5] After that driver John Martin made a small mistake putting Rangers F.C. out of the race.

At the Zolder round Rangers F.C. got to their first 'Pole Shoot Out' of qualifying and narrowly lost out on pole to FC Midtjylland (Kasper Andersen). John Martin and Rangers F.C. followed this up with a debut podium finishing in 2nd place. [6] In the second race of the day at Circuit Zolder Rangers F.C. retired early with gearbox problems. [7]

At the Donington round Rangers F.C. and John Martin claimed their 2nd podium in Superleague Formula. They were in position to win race one before being impeded by PSV Eindhoven (Dominick Muermans) allowing FC Basel to get their first win. Rangers F.C. finished 2nd. In race two John Martin and Rangers F.C. crashed into A.C. Milan (Giorgio Pantano) ending both teams races. In the 6 car 'Super Final' Rangers F.C. and John Martin claimed their very first Superleague Formula win, passing FC Basel 1893 (Max Wissel) with 2 laps to go.

At the Estoril round it was the first time Rangers F.C. finished both races this season. They claimed a 5th place and an 8th place. During race two Rangers F.C. had an incident with Atlético Madrid (María de Villota) which sent both teams spinning and dropping a couple of places.

For the 2009 season, the team were much more successful with Australian driver John Martin posting three podium places including one win at Donington Park. [8] [9]

The Rangers team did not compete in the 2010 Superleague Formula season as it was not named in the provisional entry list, which included which race teams might operate each car. [10]

Record

(key)

2008

Operator(s)Driver(s)123456PointsRank
DON NÜR ZOL EST VAL JER
Alan Docking Racing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ryan Dalziel 81481713155715622713th
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Walker 412

2009

Operator(s)Driver(s)123456PointsRank
MAG ZOL DON EST MOZ JAR
Alan Docking Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Martin 1716X215216158X1112109X24110th

Related Research Articles

Ryan Dalziel is a Scottish professional racing driver. Dalziel has seen the most success in his career in the United States, racing in the American Le Mans Series GT1 class and the Champ Car World Series, and winning the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan Gommendy</span> French professional racing driver

Tristan Gommendy is a French professional racing driver who last competed in the European Le Mans Series with Duqueine Team.

Superleague Formula was an open wheel single seater motor racing formula, which started in 2008, at Donington Park in the United Kingdom. The league introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. It used the slogan 'The Beautiful Race: Football at 300 km/h'. By 2011 the link with football was fading with more than half the teams no longer associated with football teams. It was founded by businessmen Alex Andreu and Robin Webb. On 19 May 2010, Andreu stepped down in his role as series president, with Alfredo Brisac named as his successor not many weeks later. The season ran between April and November at the same time as most other European race series. Every team used identical cars and 750-horsepower V-12 engines. The Sonangol Group was the series' title sponsor from June 2009 until the end of the 2010 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Martin (Australian racing driver)</span> Australian racing driver

John Martin is an Australian professional racing driver. Martin has had wide experience racing in European based open-wheel series since 2006. In that time Martin has had a wide experience of open-wheel racing having driven in various national and international series driving Formula Ford, Formula 3, A1 Grand Prix and Formula Renault 3.5. For the past two season Martin has raced for several teams in the football inspired series Superleague Formula. Martin has long been associated with the British Alan Docking Racing team having raced with them in a variety of formulae for four of the five years he has been racing in Europe. In 2012 Martin will again race with ADR, racing an Oreca 03 sports car in the LMP2 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Walker (racing driver)</span>

James Walker is a professional racing driver from Great Britain.

Julien Jousse is a professional racing driver from France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Superleague Formula season</span>

The 2008 Superleague Formula season was the inaugural Superleague Formula championship. The season started very late in 2008 with the first round being on August 31 at Donington Park. There were six rounds in total with the successful season finale at Circuito Permanente de Jerez on 23 November. In the 18 cars on the grid were established A1GP and GP2 drivers as well as two ex-Formula One race starters, Robert Doornbos and Antônio Pizzonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Donington Park Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2008 Donington Park Superleague Formula round was the inaugural round of the Superleague Formula championship, with the races taking place on 31 August 2008. Seventeen football teams were represented on the grid, with a win each for Beijing Guoan and Sevilla FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Nürburgring Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2008 Nürburgring Superleague Formula round was the second round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship, with the races taking place on September 21, 2008. Eighteen football teams were represented on the grid, one more than at the opening round at Donington Park, with the introduction of the car representing Atlético Madrid driven by Andy Soucek. Other driver changes saw debuts for James Walker and Antônio Pizzonia. The meeting saw wins for A.C. Milan and PSV Eindhoven, while Beijing Guoan extended their championship lead to 24 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round was the third round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship, with the races taking place on October 5, 2008. Eighteen football teams were represented on the grid, the same number of teams as there was at the Nürburgring. There were three driver changes for this round of the championship: Ryan Dalziel returned to the Rangers F.C. car, after missing the previous round due to a clash with his Rolex Sports Car Series commitments at Miller Motorsports Park. Two drivers made their debuts, with Dutchman Paul Meijer replacing Nelson Philippe in the car representing Borussia Dortmund and Belgian Bertrand Baguette replaced Andreas Zuber in the Al Ain car. The meeting saw a first win for Liverpool F.C. and a second win for championship leaders Beijing Guoan. However, the championship lead for the Chinese side was cut to 14 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Superleague Formula season</span>

The 2009 Superleague Formula season was the second Superleague Formula championship. The series was rebranded the "Superleague Formula by Sonangol" for this season and also 2010 with the Angolan oil company becoming the title sponsor. It began on June 28 at Magny-Cours and finished on November 8 at Jarama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Jerez Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2008 Jerez Superleague Formula round was the sixth and final round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship, with the races taking place on November 23, 2008. Eighteen football teams were represented on the grid, the same number of teams as there was at the previous four rounds. There were two driver changes before this round of the championship: James Walker replaced Enrico Toccacelo in the Borussia Dortmund car and Bertrand Baguette returned to the Al Ain cockpit replacing Dominick Muermans. Paul Meijer had been expected to return, however his injury from the previous round at Vallelunga kept him out. The meeting saw a second win for A.C. Milan and a first win for Borussia Dortmund. With a ninth in the first race coupled with other low placings for Liverpool F.C. and PSV Eindhoven, Beijing Guoan clinched the first Superleague Formula title. With a third in the final race, Beijing won the title with 413 points, some 66 points clear of PSV, and two points further back were Milan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dani Clos</span> Spanish YouTuber and former racing driver

Daniel Clos Álvarez is a Spanish former professional racecar driver and YouTuber. In 2012, he was the test driver for the now defunct HRT Formula One team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Brundle</span> British racing driver

Alexander Brundle is a British racing driver and broadcaster. He was the 2016 European Le Mans Series champion (LMP3) and is the son of Formula One driver-turned-commentator Martin Brundle. He attended Oakham School in Rutland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tottenham Hotspur (Superleague Formula team)</span>

Tottenham Hotspur Superleague Formula team was the racing team of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., a football team that competes in England in the Premier League. The Tottenham Hotspur F.C. racing team competed in the Superleague Formula for only three seasons. It was operated in 2008 first by GTA Motor Competición and for the other two seasons was operated by Alan Docking Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing Guoan (Superleague Formula team)</span>

Beijing Guoan Superleague Formula team is the racing team of Beijing Guoan, a football team that competes in China in the Chinese Super League. The Beijing Guoan racing team competes in the Superleague Formula. They are operated by Alan Docking Racing. They would not return until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool F.C. (Superleague Formula team)</span> Motor racing team

Liverpool F.C. Superleague Formula team was the racing team of Liverpool F.C., a football team that competes in England in the Premier League. The Liverpool F.C. racing team competed in the Superleague Formula. They have been operated by Hitech Junior Team in all seasons, although the team changed name to Atech Grand Prix for 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borussia Dortmund (Superleague Formula team)</span>

Borussia Dortmund Superleague Formula team was the racing team of Borussia Dortmund, a football club that competes in Germany in the Fußball-Bundesliga. The Borussia Dortmund racing team competed in the Superleague Formula. They were operated by former Formula One team Zakspeed. They did not return for the 2009 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Zolder Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2009 Zolder Superleague Formula round was the second round of the 2009 Superleague Formula season, with the races taking place on 6 January 2009. The main support series for the event was the EuroBOSS series. Other supporting events included the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge, Formule Ford Benelux, Dutch Supercar Challenge and the Dunlop Endurance Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Jarama Superleague Formula round</span>

The 2009 Jarama Superleague Formula round was the sixth round and last of the 2009 Superleague Formula season, with the races taking place on November 8, 2009.

References

  1. "A Winning Formula". Rangers official site. Retrieved 20 June 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "Hometown boy Dalziel excited with Rangers drive". Andy Darley. britsonpole.com. 21 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2012. Lanarkshire's Ryan Dalziel says he's delighted and excited to have landed the chance to drive for Glasgow Rangers in Superleague Formula.
  3. 1 2 "Walker enjoys superleague debut". BBC Sport. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2012. Jersey racing driver James Walker has said he enjoyed his debut in motor racing's Superleague Formula event at Germany's Nurburgring at the weekend. Racing for the Glasgow Rangers team as a replacement for their regular driver Walker was fastest in practice.
  4. "Martin joins Rangers for Superleague". Autosport. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  5. "John Martin Racing". Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  6. http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/articles/martin-makes-his-mark-20090719_2254024_1727038%5B%5D
  7. "John Martin Racing". Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  8. "Martin joins Rangers for Superleague". Steven English. autosport.com. 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012. A1GP racer John Martin his signed to race the Glasgow Rangers FC car in this season's Superleague Formula.
  9. "Rangers upholds home honour at Superleague Formula Donington round". f1sa.com. 2 August 2009. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2012. Rangers' Australian driving ace John Martin swept his high powered machine to second place in the opening 44 minutes + 1 lap race before scoring the Scottish Premier League club, and his own, maiden Superleague race by winning the €100,000 "Weekend Winner" title in the concluding Super Final
  10. "Superleague Formula by Sonangol selects nine racing teams for 2010". Superleague Formula. 26 February 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)