Dark Xploder Racing

Dark Xploder Racing
Base	United Kingdom
Team Principal	Monil Santilal
Noted drivers	Kevin Schröder Stuart Ingers Byron van het Bolscher
GPG Super League career
First entry	S1 Austrian GP
Races entered	60
Race victories	1
Fastest laps	1
Final entry	S4 British GP

Dark Xploder Racing, also known as Dark Exploder Team or by its abbreviation DXR, is a Portuguese former GPGSL racing team, who raced under British license for one season. It was founded by team owner Monil Santilal. The team entered the GPGSL in Season 1, as one of the founders teams. It stayed in the series until Season 4 when Santilal decided to focus on being a driver only, closing the team.

Racing History

Season 1

The team entered Season 1 of the GPGSL as Dark Exploder Team, powered by Ferrari engines and Bridgestone tyres they signed Francisco Fapitalle and Kevin Schröder as drivers, while team owner Monil Santilal decided to drive to another team, he made of this a tradition as he never drove for his own team. Schröder scored points regularly and Fapitalle even managed a 3rd place podium at the British Grand Prix, but they couldn't keep with the pace of the top teams and finished the season with the 7th place in the constructors championship.

Season 2

For the Season 2 Schröder joined the prior year champions Minardi and Fapitalle retired, with this the team hired rookies Byron van het Bolscher and Stuart Ingers as their main drivers, and with the introduction of the test drivers they also hired rookie Dan Mills and KBR's former owner and driver Kyran Brazier. The season marked their first and only win in the series, at the United States Grand Prix by the hands of Ingers, he would later in the season score another podium with his 2nd place at the Czech Grand Prix, but despite those strong performances the team could only finish the year with a 6th place in the constructors championship, mostly because of the bad season that Van Het Bolscher had.

Season 3

In Season 3 the team changed its name to Dark Xploder Team and its tyres supplier to Dunlop, but they managed to keep their fours drivers of the previous season under contract, Brazier retired though after the Dutch Grand Prix . Once again Ingers scored a podium, this time a 2nd place at the European Grand Prix, but his season wasn't as good as his last one, and even witht the improved perfomances of Van Het Bolscher the team would finish the year with a drop to 7th place in the constructors championship.

Season 4

Following the changes of the prior year, the team switched bases, moving from Portugal to the old home of motorsports, United Kingdom. DXR kept its main drivers, but with Mills heading to his own team True North Racing they would start the season without test drivers. Later at the Hungarian Grand Prix rookies Glen Sheppard and Ashley Teagle were signed as test drivers, they would compete at the testers championship, a new feature of the season. Ingers scored a podium for his third straight season, this time a 3rd place at the Malaysian Grand Prix but once again the team was stucked at the middle of the standings, now with a 6th place.

Following the change of rules for Season 5 in which team owners could not be main drivers anymore, Santilal decided to close DXR and focus on his driving career.

Complete GrandPrixGames Super League Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; underlined races indicate most places gained)

Season	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
1	Ferrari	B		AUT	BRA	MON	CAN	GBR	GER	BEL	ITA	JPN	AUS								56	7th
			Francisco Fapitalle	19	14	12	13	3	11	15	12	15	Ret
			Kevin Schröder	9	5	13	19	5	16	10	9	5	6
2	Ferrari	B		AUS	MON	BEL	ESP	BRA	JPN	AUT	USA	NED	CAN	ITA	GER	SAM	CZE	TUR	GBR		93	6th
			Byron van het Bolscher	16	10	11	14	7	16	17	Ret	14	13	16	9	9	19	12	10
			Stuart Ingers	Ret	7	Ret	8	11	6	15	1	6	16	Ret	15	6	2	8	Ret
3	Ferrari	D		AUS	GER	USA	CAN	EUR	SAM	NED	BEL	MAL	ENG	HUN	ITA	JPN	SMR	BRA	MON	GBR	93	7th
			Stuart Ingers	Ret	Ret	10	7	2	4	12	5	11	11	16	11	18	10	Ret	7	19
			Byron van het Bolscher	7	12	7	9	Ret	18	9	Ret	Ret	14	8	Ret	14	12	19	12	5
4	Ferrari	D		AUS	ITA	BEL	JPN	EUR	MON	PAC	RSA	HUN	GER	BRA	UAE	MAL	USA	CAN	NED	GBR	80	6th
			Stuart Ingers	7	7	19	21	11	14	Ret	16	9	20	14	11	3	14	16	7	10
			Byron van het Bolscher	13	9	4	17	20	12	7	14	20	8	18	19	10	20	5	15	9

Gallery

S1: Debut and 7th in the standings

S2: First win at the hands of Ingers

S3: Minor name change and new livery

S4: Final season as Santilal decided to focus on his driving career