Post by Catriona on Jun 2, 2010 15:11:27 GMT
(Originally posted 3rd April 2005)
Eight years in top class karting is good grounding for any driver in motorsport and it held Kirkcaldy's Jonathan Adam in particularly good stead. 1999 saw him win the Scottish TKM Challenge (as previously won by David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and Allan McNish) and he was Scottish Super Series Champion in '99 and 2000. Scottish Open Champion in 2001, he stepped up to the 100 National class and came fifth in the British Championship in 2002. Test drives in both Formula Renault and in a Renault Clio were forthcoming that year but he was looking to Formula Ford to make the next logical step.
To say he was something of a revelation in the 2003 Scottish Formula Ford Zetec Championship would be something of an understatement. It was where most of the readers of this website would have first come across the young hotshoe and he immediately made an impact. From the get-go he was on the pace of the front of the field and over the course of the season he collected two race victories, third in the overall standings and overall victory in the Newcomer Class. Add to this he made three starts for Team DFR in Formula Renault at Donington Park, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park and it was a pretty busy year. He wasn't going to sit around though and he was moving up again for 2004.
Deciding to plump for tin-tops next, Adam signed up for the Renault Clio Cup with Total Control Racing and was testing as soon as possible - even testing in March at Knockhill in an XR2 to get as much seat time in a hatchback as possible. Some may have thought that going from one season in Scottish Formula Ford straight up to what is considered to be the step immediately below the British Touring Car Championship was maybe a bit much but he immediately proved them wrong by finishing second and fifth in the first two rounds at Thruxton!
Things got even better in the next round at Brands Hatch where he took pole position and his first win! A mediocre weekend at Silverstone was followed by two excellent wins at Oulton Park and a further victory at Thruxton. Croft was in the same vein with a victory in the first race but as at Thruxton a DNF in the second race which was proving to be costly. Two second place finishes at Knockhill helped to get things back on track and the good form continued with a first and a second at Brands Hatch.
Engine problems left him with 2 third place finishes at the penultimate round at Snetterton and although he went into the final round with a chance at the title he failed to finish and a win for Paul Rivett sewed up the Championship. A disappointing end to the season then, but third in the points overall wasn't something to be sniffed at and the youngster had made a lot of people sit up and take notice.
A test in a BTCC Vauxhall Astra followed and soon afterwards Adam took the Clio Winter Cup after finishing on the podium in all of the four races (including a win at Pembrey.) With no touring car budget being available, Adam is set to return to the Clios this season, with hopes of claiming the title at the second attempt.
Eight years in top class karting is good grounding for any driver in motorsport and it held Kirkcaldy's Jonathan Adam in particularly good stead. 1999 saw him win the Scottish TKM Challenge (as previously won by David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and Allan McNish) and he was Scottish Super Series Champion in '99 and 2000. Scottish Open Champion in 2001, he stepped up to the 100 National class and came fifth in the British Championship in 2002. Test drives in both Formula Renault and in a Renault Clio were forthcoming that year but he was looking to Formula Ford to make the next logical step.
To say he was something of a revelation in the 2003 Scottish Formula Ford Zetec Championship would be something of an understatement. It was where most of the readers of this website would have first come across the young hotshoe and he immediately made an impact. From the get-go he was on the pace of the front of the field and over the course of the season he collected two race victories, third in the overall standings and overall victory in the Newcomer Class. Add to this he made three starts for Team DFR in Formula Renault at Donington Park, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park and it was a pretty busy year. He wasn't going to sit around though and he was moving up again for 2004.
Deciding to plump for tin-tops next, Adam signed up for the Renault Clio Cup with Total Control Racing and was testing as soon as possible - even testing in March at Knockhill in an XR2 to get as much seat time in a hatchback as possible. Some may have thought that going from one season in Scottish Formula Ford straight up to what is considered to be the step immediately below the British Touring Car Championship was maybe a bit much but he immediately proved them wrong by finishing second and fifth in the first two rounds at Thruxton!
Things got even better in the next round at Brands Hatch where he took pole position and his first win! A mediocre weekend at Silverstone was followed by two excellent wins at Oulton Park and a further victory at Thruxton. Croft was in the same vein with a victory in the first race but as at Thruxton a DNF in the second race which was proving to be costly. Two second place finishes at Knockhill helped to get things back on track and the good form continued with a first and a second at Brands Hatch.
Engine problems left him with 2 third place finishes at the penultimate round at Snetterton and although he went into the final round with a chance at the title he failed to finish and a win for Paul Rivett sewed up the Championship. A disappointing end to the season then, but third in the points overall wasn't something to be sniffed at and the youngster had made a lot of people sit up and take notice.
A test in a BTCC Vauxhall Astra followed and soon afterwards Adam took the Clio Winter Cup after finishing on the podium in all of the four races (including a win at Pembrey.) With no touring car budget being available, Adam is set to return to the Clios this season, with hopes of claiming the title at the second attempt.