Introduction

With the new season approaching fast, I thought it was time to wind the clock back to 2003 and review the season and nominate my Top Ten (now a time honoured tradition!) drivers in each class, those that nearly made it and those that didn't deliver! Ill also touch on an array of emerging talent in both classes and look forward to the 2004 season, giving my predictions for race winners and overall champions. No further intro required, let's get straight into my top ten in the lightweight class.

Lightweights

Actual Championship position in brackets.

Just missing out on my top 10:

• Simon Joannou
• Simon Lloyd
• Will Tew

1. Marc Craddock

No surprises here really, this was the year that Marc did what he set out to do by winning the championship for a third time. After coming so close three years in a row (having won it both in 98 and 99) Marc looked really hungry and fired up right from the word go, and despite Nick Clark's mid season charge, he always seemed to have things under control with respect to wrapping up the LW title. He really was the class of the field on many occasions, but the highlights for me were his win at Bayford (although I always expected him to come out of top, given his experience), his second at GYG and his win at Birmingham Wheels (even if this was a tad boring for those watching). The most thrilling race was probably at Clay (round 7), his dice with James McLean a thrilling spectacle although ultimately he lost out to the latter on this occasion.

GYG was a superb drive, mainly because he did it on a less than competitive kart. I was stood in the pit lane when he came in to change his kart after the 3 laps practice at GYG and I had to tell him there were no spares. He remained calm and knew he therefore had to drive the wheels off a kart that was perhaps not quite as quick as the other front runners around him. This he did, and he did it superbly. He never gave up and was rewarded with 4th on track, 2nd after a number of penalties demoted the top 2 down the order. I know many a top driver who would not achieved what Marc achieved that day, that was the sign of a true champion. He was in a class of his own at BW, dominating the entire event and looking every bit the champion, just when it really mattered. 8 podium finishes in all, only one of those a third!

Hard to see anyone beating him again in 2004 and even harder to pick holes in his 2003 campaign. I didn't like him walking away after crashing out at Clay, but accept at this level he really knew restarting was going to deliver nothing more than 100 points. A tardy opening lap at Lydd at round 5 and perhaps a rather clumsy move on the outgoing champion in the heats at the final round, but I'm really struggling to find any other minor faults in what was a near perfect season. Worthy champion beyond doubt and I think it's going to be a record 4th title in 2004 and - out of interest - I said he would be champion in 2003 at this time last year! One final non racing issue, it's a big year all round as he is finally marrying long time (ish!) girlfriend Kelly, the others can only hope this acts as a distraction both during the lead-up and after the event!

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2. Nick Clark

I put Nick at number two because over the course of the season, he was probably the true runner up and was the only driver to really threaten Marc's championship challenge. He lost a certain second overall by not turning up at the last race, and was pushed down to third by the brilliant Ben Yeomans at the last gasp in the championship. That aside, Nick had by far his best season, winning three races and closing to within 10 points of Marc before disaster struck at Birmingham Wheels. An off in one of the heats left him in the B final, as it did at the next round at Rye. He duly won both B finals, but its too much to expect even a top driver like Nick to get any higher than the top 10 from that far back in the A final. These two races put paid to his championship challenge, but this was a much improved and much more focused Nick Clark in 2003.

Best race for me was GYG when he charged through from grid 9 to finish third on track, promoted to winner after the top two were given penalties. His win at Lydd was also impressive, holding off a whole string of top drivers who were trying to find a way past whilst second at Whilton was another top drive, in very tricky (dark, slippery) conditions. Apart from his two bad rounds late in the year, I think he should have perhaps beaten young Mr Yeomans at both Bayford and Clay (round 4), although the latter drove brilliantly on both occasions to keep Nick at bay.

Nick is a very laid back driver, I only once saw him lose his rag (Clay round 7!) and I think he has learn't that qualifying is the essence of a good A final result. He secured a number of poles early in the season and was always up there in the top 3 rows with the exception of BW and Rye. I'm unsure of his plans for 2004, I just hope he does another full sprint season in order to keep Mr Craddock honest, although he will have to raise his game another notch to beat Marc in 2004. One final aspect, (much the same as Marc), I like the fact that he drives the wheels off every kart he gets, doesn't moan about equipment and drives very sportingly (hard but very fair) when on the track. Best season to date, three great wins - this was the sort of performance we always knew Nick would deliver when at his best.

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3. Ben Yeomans

I suppose Ben will be a tad upset at only getting my number three rating, but if he was honest with himself this is both a great improvement from last year and his true position over the course of the year. I gave Ben a hard time in my end of year report last year, he took that criticism on board and made the necessary adjustments to silence me in 2003! Of all the top drivers, he was the one that made the quantum leap forward in 2003 and he ended the season by winning both final races, one in the dry and one in very difficult conditions at the final round, proving he can deliver in the wet as well as the dry.

His qualifying was much improved, and as well as the two wins he took three thirds and a second proving his consistency at the sharp end of the A final. His best race for me wasn't either of his wins, but his fighting sprit at Bayford Meadows. He made Craddock work hard that day and he then kept Clark at bay over the last few laps. Equally impressive was his third at Clay (round 4) and his third at Birmingham Wheels, this particular race showing that he was not afraid to put a move on his Endurance team mate Mr Randall, although the latter did muscle his way back into second later in the race.

No real criticisms from me this year, although I felt his opening lap at GYG was a tad poor as he allowed himself to get hustled down the order a bit, but apart from that he gets my vote for not only the most improved front runner but he also set himself aside from a number of other top drivers as the driver most likely to challenge Craddock in years to come and he left me with no doubt of his potential to be a future C-100 champion. Brilliant season, two fantastic wins and didn't Lance look happy all season long (a very proud father me thinks!).

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4. Trevor Randall

Trevor doesn't need me to tell him he had a disappointing season, he knows that already. I struggle to work out what went wrong really, he was simply brilliant in 2002 and yet he really struggled to repeat that form in 2003. There were signs of brilliance, namely a storming drive from the back of the grid to 5th at round one and a runway win at Clay (round 4), but that was about it really. He seemed in awe of Marc a lot of the time, struggling to come to terms with the latter's dominance in the early part of the season no doubt! Its fair to say he had his share of bad luck, something that seems to happen to champions these days, but even so, I just don't think he had the pace of the three noted above.

Aside from a little lack of pace (did he put a tad too much weight on that accounted for this?), I think he needs to re-establish his qualifying form from 2002 as he seemed to start too many from down the order after 'offs' in the heats. He needs his confidence back and he also needs to get his head straight on race days and not get distracted by minor indifferences in the karts (something I believe Marc and Nick excel at). With all that said and done, I know (as does most of the paddock) that he is still a great driver, and we all want the old Trevor back, the one that dominated C-100 in 2002 and made the championship such a great spectacle in 2002. 2004 must be better for him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him come out guns blazing, eager to fight to get his title back.

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5. Luigi Mazza

If Trevor was a bit of disappointment, then Luigi was a bit of a flop! The 2001 champion never once stepped onto the podium and never looked anything like the driver that took the title two years ago. Again, I'm stumped for an explanation and worried that his days at the sharp end of the grid are over. There were limited signs of brilliance, namely at GYG when he led the A final, but he allowed himself to get drawn into an on-track feud with another top driver that probably lost him the race. He was the fastest guy on track in that A final, and yet somehow he ended up 5th, the last driver in the lead battle.

His qualifying was often poor, although he seemed to be able to consistently finish in the top 6 in the finals, although in today's ultra competitive environment this just isn't good enough for a championship challenge. Rumours persist that he is off to race in the Italian equivalent of C-100 and maybe a fresh challenge is what he needs, although I for one would be gutted to see him leave the club. He remains a really nice bloke, a fair and sporting driver and I can't imagine C-100 without him. I want to see him back at the front and winning races, so I can only hope that he gives it one more go and changes his rather laid back approach into a more aggressive, focused assault on the championship in 2004.

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6. Graeme Coombes

This was the year when Mr Coombes started to show signs of being a consistent front runner, although he still has a mountain to climb before he qualifies for a place in front of any of those noted above. That said, he was the best of the rest for me, and he seems to have modelled himself on a similar approach and attitude to that of the new champion, Mr Craddock. He is quite relaxed, a fair and sporting driver and someone who wants success and is still prepared to learn from others. His best races were at Clay (round 4) where he led for a few laps before finishing a career best second and at the final round where to took third.

His qualifying improved ten-fold this year although he still had three poor rounds where he didn't even make the A final and this needs to be corrected for 2004. Secondly, he has to make the jump from the 6-10 finishing bracket to a regular top 5 finisher if he wants to get into the top 5 overall next year. I think he has the pace, maybe there is a lack (understandably) of race craft that still needs to be developed, but rest assured he will learn this and continue to grow in 2004. It's a bit of a make or break year, its about time he turned some good qualifying performances into race wins, not an easy task given his relative newness to top level karting, but I think he may just pull it off in 2004. Best season to date, two great results and plenty more to come.

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7. Martin Bond

Like Ben, Martin may feel a little aggrieved to be one place lower than his championship finishing position, but yet again I didn't think he lived up to my expectations. Here is a driver with a wealth of experience who should be winning races. Unfortunately, on so many occasions, he could do no better than a top 6 although there were flashes of brilliance over the course of the season. Second at round one was the highlight of the year and 4th at Birmingham was another good drive. However, that elusive first win still eludes him and it's difficult to see it ever materialising based on 2003 performances.

With all that said and done, I know I being a tad unfair on a driver who doesn't compete in the Endurance series and doesn't test. This explains most of his under achievement and in fact it's fair to say that 6th overall was a good result given this fact. However, I still think he isn't quite living up to his potential and I can't see a solution to this without investing in more track time. He still seems to enjoy his racing, he is regular and helpful member of the club - I just get frustrated at him not being right up the front and challenging the likes of Craddock and Clark. Good-ish season, great second place at round 1 but still not delivering his full potential.

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8. Giles Handley

Time for a rant! Here is a driver that is capable of finishing at least in the top 5 overall, if not the top 3. He is fast, confident and eager to do well. So where is it all going wrong? Well, that seems quite simple to me as I watch the races unfold. Firstly, there are too many mistakes, usually in the heats but sometimes in the final as well. Secondly, he needs to learn that there are no points for fastest laps, either in the heats of the finals. Thirdly, driving 110% all the time is not the way to get results. You do that when you really have too, the rest of the time you need to drive within your limits and get good finishing results. Fourthly, I would say he is a bit over aggressive on track, which more often than not results in him coming off worse!

Take all that on board Giles, and the others are going to find you a real handful in 2004. Ignore it as you did in 2003 and don't be surprised when you end another season with just one podium finish. I'm not saying any of this out of spite, more out of frustration at seeing a talented driver waste his chances of winning races. You have all the ingredients of a race winner, including the pace, but its never going to happen unless you chance your approach to racing. I know you won't like this, but you HAVE to digest it and learn from it, as Ben Yeomans did in 2004. I'll keep my distance from you at round one!! Rant over....

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9. Paul Lloyd

I'm so pleased that Paul finally secured a top three finish at the final round, second being a career best result and one that underlines his potential in years to come. He secured pole twice this year, once at Clay and once at Rye and yet both came to nothing and both neither his fault. It was two great opportunities wasted, and yet he kept his cool, kept his chin up and seemed to know that it would all come together soon. This was the year that Paul emerged from his brother's shadow, and took on the mantle of number one Lloyd brother on track. He looked ultra quick at times, made all but one A final and was a consistent top 10 finisher most of the time.

Paul is another emerging top driver, again with many similar qualities to the likes of Craddock and Yeomans and it's great to see him do so well. He has turned his pace into some good results and has now both led an A final (Rye- briefly!) and proved his worth in both dry and wet conditions. He has to maintain this momentum in 2004 and I would expect to see him secure 2 or 3 podium finishes next year although I think that elusive first win will be hard to come by. His best season ever, a great result at the final round and one to watch in 2004.

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10. Andy Cowell

Maybe some people will be surprised that I ranked Andy ahead of Simon Lloyd and Simon Joannou, both of whom actually finished in the top 10, but I think Andy had a great season although he is still his own worse enemy when it comes to picking up numerous penalties. We all joke about this, but it's almost a foregone conclusion that he gets at least one penalty in at least one heat and yet I can't understand why he just doesn't calm his driving down and stay out of trouble! The pace is there, and he drove superbly to take second at Lydd this year and had a few more good qualifying performances that saw him take up position at the sharp end of the A final.

I don't think he means to be so aggressive on track, I think he just misjudges too many overtaking moves with some clumsy half heated attempts! He then gets himself involved in slugging it out with some of these drivers on track instead of trying to stay out of further trouble. If Andy could just put this into practice, I think he would start to see the results come flooding in (as well as seeing far less penalty boards and having a few irate drivers coming after him!) but I'm getting tired of hoping he will work it out for himself and change his approach. Read this loud and clear Andy, you are not fulfilling your potential; you are over driving and driving too aggressively. Continue and you will not get results, change and it will all come together. That said, I think he had a good year, I was pleased to see him come second at Lydd and I'm sure he is intelligent (somewhat debatable after the eardrum piercing incident!) enough to take this on board and do something about it!

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Just outside my Top Ten.

• Simon Joannou
• Simon Lloyd
• Will Tew

Simon Joannou will probably be the most disappointed driver in this LW review, because he will wonder why he isn't in my top ten. It was a tough call to give the final place to Andy Cowell or Simon, but I gave it too Andy because he scored a great second mid season whilst Simon failed to make the top 6 all season. Where Simon did well was with his consistency. He was a regular in the top 10 (2 x 8ths, 2 x 9th) and was probably heading for a top 5 at Bayford before being taken out by Luigi Mazza. However, I was a little disappointed that he didn't feature in the top 5 or 6 all season and I think he has to make that a target in 2004. His qualifying frequently let him down, but overall this was a pretty impressive first full season, and when all is said and done, I have to admit that there are not many drivers who come in and finish in the top 10 overall in their first year.

Simon Lloyd really was upstaged by his little brother this year, but Simon will probably be delighted for his brother whilst a little frustrated at his own achievements. Having won an A final in 2002, we all expected a few more podium finishes from Simon, but it never happened and in all honesty, it never looked like happening. 4th at Bayford was a good result at round 3 and he looked a little more competitive at the final two races, but this aside he didn't seem to have the pace that he had in 2002. Maybe becoming a father for the first time was a little distracting, and I'm hoping he can recapture his 2002 form before the start of the 2004 season.

Will Tew seemed to come from nowhere to be a front runner in 2003. His second at Rye was the highlight of the season and well deserved. He also took a brilliant 5th at Lydd and this was the race that bought him to everyone's attention whilst he looked at ease mixing it with the front runners on both this occasion and at Rye. For me, he was the 'find' of the season and I just hope this form continues because it's great to see some fresh blood at the sharp end of the grid. Will is the sort of driver that is destined to win a race in the near future and was of course the deserving winner of 'Most improved driver' in 2003. One to watch in 2004.

Those that didn't 'cut the mustard'

• Stefano Marra
• Vince Bond
• Guiseppe Ferro
• Andrea Fioravanti
• Gwyn Pollard

A few big failures in 2003, none more so than Stefano Marra. What a difference a year makes and I can't really work out how Stefano has fallen from being a top 4 driver in 2003 to just a top 10 driver at best. The season started ok, taking a hard earn't third at round 2, but after that he never really featured. He didn't seem to have the pace that saw him feature in the top 6 on a regular basis in 2002 and he also failed to make the A final on two occasions. I've no idea what happened in 2003, I can't pinpoint any one thing about his driving so let's just put it down to bad luck and hope he bounces back this year.

Once again, I was disappointed with Vince Bond and I struggle to understand how he can finish 21st overall and only score one top ten finish (last round, 9th place - by far his best effort of the season). He only made 6 A finals, when I believe he should have been in every single one. A lack of outright pace, some poor qualifying, two many offs - the list goes on. I write this out of frustration with Vince more than anything else, I still think he is much better than the results suggest, but it is results that count.

Andrea Fioravanti also failed to impress this year, his best effort coming at GYG when he took 9th in the A final after running as high as 6th early in the race. He only competed in 9 events which left him down in 17th overall, this position made worse by only making it into 7 A finals. I think he focuses too much on defending in races rather than trying to progress up the grid and his qualifying frequently means he has to start further back then desired.

The Italians are going to think that I'm ganging up on them, but..... I also think Guiseppe Ferro had a really poor season, this even more disappointing after a number of brilliant races the year before. It started well enough, leading the opening race before spinning out a few laps from home but once again proving how quick he is at Buckmore and in difficult conditions. He took second on track on Lydd, only to be docked two places after nudging Ben Yeomans out the way for second whilst 6th at Clay and Ellough was indicative of his true pace and ability. That aside, it was a fruitless season, missing three races and never making the podium at all. Not sure on the reasons for non appearance, but this was enough to keep him outside the top 25 overall and I have to say he looked downbeat about his performances and unfocused a lot of the time.

Gwyn Pollard is another driver that continues to frustrate me (and, in fairness, himself!). He has been around a long time and every now and then he turns in a worthy performance and underlines his true pace and ability, but such performances are few and far between unfortunately. He made 4 A finals this season, the rest of his season being a combination of C and B finals that left him 30th overall. I think he is back for at least one more season and it's another chance to prove his true worth before he goes off car racing in the feature.

Those making Progress.

• Ian Hindley
• Dave Cottrell
• Peter Hutton
• Simon Mace
• Pete Staples
• Darren Tea
• Ant Teall
• Andy Marson

One thing I like about the LW class, is that I can see a lot of up and coming drivers although with the exception of Will Tew I think they all have quite a way to go before they get anywhere near the top 6. Ian Hindley was an impressive newcomer, soon establishing himself as a regular A finalist and heat winner. He has the consistency, taking 5 or 6 finishes around the 14th-16th mark although as I noted earlier, he needs to turn up the wick and start to progress into the top 10 during 2004.

Dave Cottrell started the season with some impressive performances and a number of heat wins, taking a year best 12th at round 3. However, by mid season his form fell apart and he seemed both ragged and inconsistent as the season progressed. Where that early season form went is a mystery to all of us, especially as he fell back into the C final at times! However, I think the pace is there for the future and I expect to see him back up there this year.

The Teal brothers made further progress this year, Darren taking a career best 9th at Rye whilst Ant finished two places higher overall in the championship, taking 18th after making the A final on 6 occasions. Good steady season for both of them, but they need a bit more pace and also need to be more consentient with their qualifying. Andy Marson was an impressive newcomer, taking a great 9th at BW although this was by far his best result of the season. This was undoubtedly a 'settling in' season for Andy, but he has the potential to be a regular A finalist in 2004, provided he can cut out the mistakes and qualify further up the order.

I have to say, I've really impressed with Pete Stapes. He really did make some quantum leaps forward this year, making 5 A finals and finishing 13th at BW late in the season. His pace is much improved, as evident by a few heat wins over the course of the season and much more self belief in himself. Further progress could be hard, but I admire the way he works at it and tries to secure help from the leading drivers. 2004 will be a hard year for Pete, but I think he will continue his impressive progress up the order and he should be targeting 2 or 3 top 10 finishes this year.

Pete Hutton did well to finish 14th overall this season, helped by a brilliant 6th at BW (which should have been 5th!) and two other appearance in the top 10. He only failed to make the A final on one occasion and really built on everything he learnt in 2002. Like Pete, further progress is going to be tough, but he is committed and also has a sensible approach to his racing.

Simon Mace should have ended the season with at least a top 6 finish, but he spun out of the final race whilst battling with the more established stars in difficult conditions at the final race. He seems at his best in the wet, maybe he is slightly too heavy to be competitive in the dry in the LW class, and its true to say all his best performances seem to come in the wet (he was also 12th at round one in the wet). He is very inconsistent most of the time, usually qualifying and finishing somewhere in the top 10 in the B final. I think he should consider going up to the HW class, or get on a diet and drop a few KG's in order to increase his competitiveness in the LW class.

And what about the rest?

• Keith Segal
• Matt Cockerham
• Anton Killick
• Steve Townsend
• Peter Wallis

I was really pleased to see Keith Segal back in the A final on a regular basis, especially in the second half of the season. He seemed more consistent, stayed out of trouble and was rewarded with a number of mid A final finishing results. Matt Cockerham made steady progress this year, making 6 A finals and taking a couple of 12th places along the way. He lacks a little confidence in his ability at times and perhaps need to be slightly more aggressive, but this was progress in the right direction. Anton Killick improved dramatically as the season progressed, making a number of A finals and taking a very impressive 11th at Ellough Park. He is another driver to watch in 2004, and I expect more A final appearances and a few top ten finishes.

Pete Wallis had another up and down season, making 4 A finals but frequently finding himself in trouble and getting involved in either his own or other peoples accidents. I think he seems to attract trouble a lot of the time, sometimes this is his own doing although he frequently seems to point the finger elsewhere. When he hooks it all and has a good day, he tends to get the results he deserves but a lot of his races were a distant call from that great 4th at Rye a few years back! Steve Townsend had another frustrating year, but re-established himself in the last four races with a place in the A final each time. Steve is a C-100 old-timer having competed since 1997, so we expect to see him in the A final on a regular basis although he seems to spend so much of his time near the front of the B final!

2004 Predictions.

I've said a lot already about what I expect from certain drivers during my 2003 year review above, but Ill summarise a bit of this and make clear my predictions for the year. I'm a little uncertain of Luigi Mazza's plans this year with respect to the Sprint series, so Ill leave him out of the equation for now. When its all over, I expect Marc to be champion once again this year although expect Ben Yeomans, Trevor and Nick to be a lot closer this year. Trevor will bounce back this year without a doubt whilst Ben has now established himself as a real force to be reckoned with and we all know how good Nick is, although I fear he will struggle from time to time due to not racing in the Endurance series.

In terms of race winners, it will be Craddock, Randall, Yeomans, Clark, Handley and Paul Lloyd, whilst I expect to see Joannou, Coombes, Mazza,Tew and Cowell on the podium at least once. Look out for Andy Marson, Steve Youle (in for a full season), Anton Killick and Dave Cottrell as well whilst I'm hoping that Lee Pilcher will be back for a full season this year. There again, I've been wrong in the past.....!