Twice as long and double the points! That is what lies in store for competitors in the fifth round of the ACU/Sorrymate.com Natural Endurance championship at Donington Park
Instead of the usual three hour Endurance race this time there will be a six-hour event, with the winners collecting 50 points.
Just 22 points cover the top four in this Hottrax Motorsport organised series.
Team Prime Factors Performance House Racing, comprised of Michael Brown and Stefan Cappella, top the National 1000 points’ table, thanks to three victories in succession to their credit.
In second place, 14 points adrift, is Linxcel Trick Moto Racing (Mark Clark, Hudson Kennaugh and Johnny Towers), winners of the opening round of the series.
Third, five points further back, is Pitstop Racing (Martin Brand and Peter and Marc Dilks), runners-up in last season’s National 600 championship, but this year running in the big class.
Fourth is Go Racing Developments 1000 (Greg Allsop and Andy Carpenter) three points adrift.
It could all change at Donington.
It is a long race on a difficult and testing circuit.
Other teams, not directly involved in the championship, might well play a part in the results and the allocation of points.
ATM Racing, made up of three top EMRA big bike riders, Tim Howells, Mark Littler and Andrew Nicholson will be in the running.
Local star from nearby Derby, Darren Bellworthy joins up with Paul Brighouse in Frame Fast. Bellworthy can beat the very best on his home track.
Team Edge top the National 600 championship, after finishing second in the opening round at Brands Hatch and then winning the next three races.
Sadly team owner Nick Edge will be without 2014 Isle of Man Supersport TT winner Gary Johnson for this race and the foreseeable future after he crashed later in the week at the Isle of Man and injured himself badly.
In his place at Donington will be William White, a front runner in last season’s Michelin Power Cup 600 class.
Team Edge hold a comfortable lead of 29 points over last year’s champions, Team Sorrymate.com (Richard Charlton, Colin Norris and Warren Verwey).
Just eight points further back are Van Hire Racing (Adrian Hartog and Les Liney).
T. Watson Bikes (Rick Dickinson, Forest Dunn and Tom Stephens) top the Sorrymate Clubman 1000 Endurance class heading to Donington, after winning three of the opening four rounds.
They are just seven points clear of Seven Racing (Tim Forman and Mark Mellon) who will be joined at Donington by Darren “The Pole” Wnukowski, who raced with them at the Cadwell Park round.
Team Army 1 (Peter Brown, Dean Martin and Paul Whyatt), one of three Army teams in the whole championship, is third in the Clubman 1000 series, trailing Seven by 26 points.
Big Lads Racing are made up three characters who all raced last season in the Hottrax support classes, Bob Barton, Joe Connolly and Laurie Sands. They are fourth in the standings, five points down on the Army lads.
Team Army 2, (Andrew Day, Wayne Morgan and Richard Spencer-Fleet), top the Sorrymate Clubman 600 class, after three wins from four races.
It is a close fought thing behind them, with just five points covering the next four teams.
P, M and M Racing, (Mark Bainbridge, Paul Harrison and Michael Rigby) is second, Endeavour Racing (Richard Brown, Stuart Fitton and Martin Tromans) third, Still Game Racing (James Butterworth and David Muir) fourth and Team Sorrymate.com Juniors (Karen Brown, Fergus Dalgarno and PhIl Paxton) fifth.
The Endurance races will take place on the Saturday, complimented by support races, with a full programme of sprint events on the Sunday/
Activities start at 9.0am daily.
Admission on the Saturday or Sunday is £15, with a weekend ticket £25.