Author: Chris Ashby

BARC championships entertain the masses at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, this past weekend (September 16/17) for a full-throttle two days of track action that had everyone perched on the edge of their seats. 

Entering the business end of the 2023 season, every position and point proved to be crucial as eight championships wrote the latest chapter in their campaigns around the flowing 1.64-mile National layout. 

Topping the bill were three pulsating contests from the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy; which has set up a tantalising title showdown with Tom Ovenden and Alex Solley now separated by just 30 points at the top of the standings. 

Neither Ovenden or Solley would claim outright wins over the course of the weekend; instead that honour fell the way of Nathan Edwards and Rhys Hurd. Hot on the heels of his maiden victory, Edwards produced a pair of superlative defence drive in races one and two to triumph.

Hurd then became the latest driver to add his name to the ever-growing MINI CHALLENGE Trophy winners list this year as he charged to glory in a frenetic finale ahead of Gabe Fairbrother and the ever-impressive Edwards. 

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Daire Flock and Cameron Pratt-Thompson continued their battle for the title by once again being the drivers to beat. Westbourne Motorsport’s Flock struck first with a charging drive from fifth to win race one before his title protagonist then took on a starring role.

Pratt-Thompson – who is in his Rookie season in the popular one-make series for teenage drivers – went on to hold off Flock in races two and three by the narrowest of margins to make significant in-roads towards the standings summit. 

Elsewhere, Stephen Berry and Charlie Newton-Darbey enjoyed a share of the spoils in what were three blockbuster MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport bouts. The Track Attack Race Club meanwhile concluded its campaign with a trio of races that were won by Charlotte Birch and Paul Roddison.

Bryan Bransom and James Card scored a victory apiece in the Kumho BMW Championship whilst Jonny Rockett reigned supreme in a highly-entertaining OT Publishing Coupe Cup 40-minute endurance race.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw its fair share of drama too as reigning champion Steve McDermid saw his chances of retaining the crown dealt a blow as he was disqualified from race one. 

McDermid did bounce back in race two however he could do nothing to stop Scott Bugner and Maninder Golhar from claiming victory.

Rounding out the weekend’s action were a trio of captivating contests from the British Superkart Racing Club and its bumper 46-kart entry list – with Jack Tritton, Liam Morley and Brian Jones coming out on top. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Silverstone, CLICK HERE. 

BTRC, CTCRC and Britcar delivers Snetterton spectacular

Snetterton played host to a blockbuster two days of wheel-to-wheel entertainment this past weekend (September 16/17) as the British Automobile Racing Club and four of its biggest categories took centre stage in Norfolk. 

On what proved to be a captivating outing around the challenging 300 layout, a bumper crowd flocked trackside to witness action from the British Endurance Championship, British Truck Racing Championship, Classic Touring Car Racing Club,  and the Britcar Trophy.

The performance of Peter Erceg and Marcus Clutton in the PB Racing Audi R8 GT3 was a sight to behold as they chalked up yet another victory in the Motorsport UK British Endurance Championship.

Having been the team to beat when it comes to outright victories this year prior to the penultimate meeting of the campaign, Erceg and Clutton were arguably in a league of their own as they romped to a comfortable lights-to-flag victory.

Blasting their way to pole position in qualifying, the duo converted their front row start into a commanding lead over the course of the opening stint of the two-hour bout, and from there they continued to build an advantage over the chasing pack.

As the race wore on, Erceg and Clutton extended their lead further and ultimately went on to lap the entire field at least once on their way to claiming the chequered flag.

Behind, Track Focused’s Mike McCollum and Sean Cooper produced a superlative drive at the wheel of a KTM GT4 to clinch second overall whilst the Venture Innovations Mercedes AMG GT4 of Chris Jones and Matt George completed the podium in third.

That result for Jones and George ensured they remain firmly in contention for the overall title as the series heads to Donington Park in October, with main protagonists Team HARD’s Brad Thurston and Daryl Deleon having banked solid points.

Also taking centre stage around the 300 layout were two enthralling 50-minute contests from the ROWE Britcar Trophy Championship. Like the British Endurance Championship, Snetterton marked the penultimate stop on the calendar for the multi-class series and the battle for supremacy proved to be just as intense.

Race one saw a captivating duel for top spot play out, with Simon Clark fending off the race-long advances Axel Van Nederveen in his Porsche 997 Carrera S to clinch victory by a little over a second.

Assetto Motorsport’s Julian Wantling and Jim Edwards completed the podium in their Ginetta G56 GTA in third. That wasn’t to be the only piece of silverware the duo claimed on the day either as they went on to repeat the feat in race two.

Geoff Steel Racing’s Lee Goldsmith – who was running out of the Invitation Class in a BMW M3 E90 – claimed victory in Britcar’s second bout however he was certainly made to work for it as Datum Motorsport’s Marco Anastasi closed to within half a second in the latter stages.

Five colossal contests from the British Truck Racing Championship took place, and with the series entering the home stretch of its 2023 campaign, every point was crucial in deciding the battle for title supremacy. 

In Division 1, reigning seven-time champion Ryan Smith took another step closer to retaining his crown for an eighth successive year as he maintained his unbeaten pole position streak in qualifying and then followed it up by a hat-trick of race wins. 

The Daimler Freightliner driver could well have left Snetterton with four wins however officials deemed he had gained an unfair advantage on his way to the chequered flag and was hit with a five-second time penalty. 

David Jenkins – who prior to Snetterton hadn’t stood on the top step of the podium this year – inherited victory in race four, adding that success to the maiden one that he had claimed just a few hours earlier in the weekend’s third bout.

Over in Division 2, NAPA Racing UK’s Paul Rivett bolstered his own championship challenge with another near-perfect performance – all of which has seen him further close the gap to Adam Bint at the top of the standings. 

Like he did at Donington Park in August, the MAN TGX driver charged to pole position and four commanding race wins. John Powell emerged as the only driver that could stop Rivett, with the DAF driver triumphing in race four.

Variety was the spice of life when it came to the Classic Touring Car Racing Club as some of the most iconic and nostalgic tin tops from down the years provided an abundance of edge-of-the-seat thrills across six unmissable races.

Jonathan Corker was in imperious form at the wheel of his Datsun 510 as he claimed a brace of wins in the amalgamated Poultec Pre ’66 Touring Cars and Orange Aero Pre ’83 Touring Cars races; which boasted a bumper grid in excess of 30 cars.

Elsewhere, Nick Vaughan and his Audi A3 proved too much for the opposition in the combined Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder and Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge as he tallied a pair of narrow victories.

The CTCRC clean sweeps continued in the Laser Tools Pre ’93 Touring Cars, Burty Haulage Pre ’03, Touring Cars and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series as Martin Reynolds guided his stunning Ford Escort Mk2 to victory twice. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Snetterton, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 16/17

The British Automobile Racing Club is entering the home stretch of its 2023 season and this weekend sees two unmissable race meetings take place.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with all the action that is being broadcast over the course of this weekend: 

SNETTERTON

Snetterton will play host to an action-packed two days of epic proportions as the British Truck Racing Championship writes the latest chapter of what is proving to be another captivating campaign.

Tin top thrills and spills will be served up in the shape of the Classic Touring Car Racing Club whilst the British Endurance Championship and ROWE Britcar Trophy Championship will also star.

Saturday 16th September – 12:30 // WATCH HERE

Sunday 17th September – 10:30 // WATCH HERE

SILVERSTONE 

At the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, a number of championships are poised to take centre stage on the National circuit.

Featuring on the billing around the 1.64-mile layout includes the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Junior Saloon Car Championship, Track Attack Race Club, Kumho BMW Championship, OT Publishing Coupe Cup and Lancaster Insurance MGOC Championship.

Saturday 16th September – 14:00 // WATCH HERE

Sunday 17th September – 09:40 // WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meeting, CLICK HERE.

Goodwood Revival serves up weekend of retro-themed thrills to remember

The Goodwood Revival served up a trip down memory like no other this past weekend (September 8-10) as tens of thousands of spectators soaked up the scorching temperatures for the world-famous event in West Sussex.

Bringing together iconic competitors and glorious machines, the Revival – which is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the historic racing calendar – brought the curtain down on another entertaining year at the venue in style.

As has been the case for a number of years, the British Automobile Racing Club played its part in the three-day spectacle with many of its hugely admired officials and volunteers attending the event to fulfil a number of operational and marshalling roles.

Famous faces and machinery proved to be tucked around every corner and when it came to headline acts on-track, nobody could look beyond the St Marys Trophy presented by Motul, which was for saloon cars of the 1950s.

Producing jaw-dropping sideways shenanigans across two frenetic races, the spoils of victory ultimately fell the way of Romain Dumas and Fred Shephard for the second year in succession as they piloted their Ford Thunderbird to a brace of victories.

Another showpiece spectacle was the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy Celebration, which was centred around closed-cockpit GT and Prototypes between 1960-1964, and it was packed with drama in the shape of changeable weather conditions and two big crashes. 

Three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx and William Paul survived what was a race of attrition to claim the coveted victory in a 1965 Jaguar E-type semi-lightweight.

Friday evening saw cars of the type that raced in the 1953 Goodwood 9 Hour take centre stage in the eagerly-anticipated one-hour Freddie March Memorial Trophy contest. After narrowly missing out on pole position in qualifying, the team of Richard Bradley and Richard Wilson guided their Maserati 250S to the win in commanding style.

The Glover Trophy, which is for 1.5-litre Grand Prix cars between 1961 and 1965, provided plenty of thrills as Andrew Willis and Ben Mitchell engaged in a ding-dong battle for overall spoils – with Willis ultimately coming out on top in his BRM P261 by less than half a second.

Sports prototype cars from the mid-1960s featured in the Whitsun Trophy and the glory years werewolf and truly alive as James Davison headed last year’s winner Oliver Bryant and Stuart Hall in a McLaren-Chevrolet M1B.

Bryant did end up standing on the top step of the podium – in the Sussex Trophy – whilst Horatio Fitz-Simon won the Chichester Cup and William Nuthall the Richmond & Gordon Trophies; Nuthall doing so for a second year on the bounce.

Elsewhere, Rob Hall claimed honours in the Lavant Cup presented by Sky Cinema in a Ferrari 250M whilst the Goodwood Trophy – which was for Grand Prix & Voiturette Cars of the 1930 and 1940s – went the way of Ian Baxter in an Alta 61 IS.

In celebration of the first-ever Le Mans 24-Hours, 1920s sportscars of the type that competed in the inaugural race starred in the Rudge-Whitworth Cup; with Ben Collings and Gareth Graham triumphing in a Bentley Speed Model.

Goodwood capped off a year of celebrating all things Porsche with the Fordwater Trophy, which was this time open to early Porsche 911s; former BTCC title winner Andrew Jordan and Matthew Holme proved too much for the opposition in the end.

It wasn’t just four-wheel machines that had those in attendance captivated as the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy showcased some jaw-dropping 1950s motorcycles. 

Steve Plater and Glen English claimed victory in race one however a second place finish followed by a win in race two gave the team of Michael Rutter and Michael Russell overall victory on their 1961 Norton Manx 30M.

Concluding what was a momentous weekend was the Settringham Cup, which saw a total of 65 youngsters line up in Austin J40s for two feel-good dashes to the flag. On combined results, Luca Franchitti claimed outright honours after finishing third and fifth respectively.

To view the full classification of results from this year’s Goodwood Revival, CLICK HERE.

BARC’ing Mad Podcast: Episode 7 – September 8th 2023

Episode 7 of the British Automobile Racing Club’s new-for-2023 podcast, BARC’ing Mad, is now live and available to listen to.

In partnership with BP Fleet Solutions UK, the fortnightly podcast – which is hosted by Alan Hyde and Ian Waterhouse – is packed with full-throttle news, reviews and captivating interviews.

The series’ seventh episode sees Motorsport News Editor Matt James return to discuss the biggest topics from motorsport in the UK and around the world before the top two in the ROKiT F4 British Championship – Louis Sharp and Will Macintyre – preview their fledgling careers and the prospect of a thrilling title showdown next month.

BARC’ing Mad is available to listen to across all popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

You can also watch each episode via the Club’s official YouTube channel.

Wallace Menzies clinches historic fourth consecutive British Hillclimb title

Wallace Menzies continued his reign in the Motorsport UK British Hillclimb Championship presented by Avon Tyres this year after wrapping up a fourth consecutive title at Prescott at the start of the month (September 2/3).

Having been the benchmark in the prestigious series over the course of the last three seasons, the Gould GR59M driver third and fourth place run-off finishes at the Gloucestershire venue to clinch the coveted crown with a round to spare. 

Menzies’ championship triumph also saw him join a very elite club too as he became the first person since Ken Wharton in 1951 to 1954 to win the title four years on the bounce. 

Commenting on his title success, Menzies said: “You can’t win the Championship in a weekend, but you can definitely lose it in a weekend. We had to hang onto Scott’s shirt tails these last two weekends, just to make sure. 

“To win one British Hillclimb Championship title was amazing and fantastic; so this will take some time to sink in.”

The British Hillclimb Championship now moves onto its final round, which takes place at Loton Park in Shropshire, over the weekend of the 23/24 September. 

Date and venue confirmed for BARC Championship Awards Evening

The British Automobile Racing Club is delighted to announce that its annual Championship Awards Evening will take place on Saturday 3rd February 2024 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon.

On what is always one of the biggest prize-giving nights of the year, race suits and overalls will be swapped for black ties and ball gowns as the great and good of UK motorsport come together for what should be an unforgettable evening.

Celebrating a momentous 2023 season, the star-studded evening will include a three-course dinner alongside the customary trophy presentations and live entertainment.

Tickets for the Club’s ‘Big Night Out’ will be on sale shortly, with more information set to follow in due course. 

Caterham celebrates 50th Anniversary in style at Donington Park

Caterham Cars marked its Golden Anniversary in spectacular style this past weekend (September 2/3) as the iconic British sports car manufacturer staged its 50th Festival at Donington Park. 

Celebrating five decades of the world-famous marque at the Leicestershire venue, the two-day event was packed with blockbuster racing, parades and paddock displays; which included the latest Caterham Cars range of UK models and its very own heritage timeline.

Ahead of its eagerly-anticipated appearance on the British Touring Car Championship support bill at Silverstone later this month, the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven UK Championship had everyone captivated as they served up three frenetic races on the National layout.

Aaron Head proved to be the cream of the crop as he charged to a hat-trick of victories; all of them coming by the slender margin of less than one second as Stephen Lyall and Lewis Thompson kept him within touching distance throughout.

Hugo Bush snared a brace of race wins in the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship however his chances of clinching a hat-trick like Head were thwarted as Taylor O’Flanagan reigned supreme in race two.

The Mission Motorsport Caterham 270R Championship saw Freddie Chiddicks bring the curtain down on what has been a mesmerising campaign for himself by adding to more wins to his season tally.

Chiddicks utilised all of his pace and experience to hold off the chasing pack in races one and three to emerge victorious. Marc Jones came out on top of a pulsating battle with Ben Timmons to triumph in an entertaining second contest.

In the Vertex Caterham Roadsport Championship, Rob Kennerley clinched a pair of wins whilst Henry Speeks and Nick Highton each claimed victory in the respective White and Green races of the Adrian Flux Insurance Caterham Academy.

The Caterham Academy also held an additional bout – its coveted Autumn Trophy – which saw Jonathan Emery triumph, leading home Henry Morris and Arif Hanif to take the chequered flag.

Joining in on the celebrations under the flight path of East Midlands airport was the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship; which staged the penultimate rounds of its season.

Ben Wheatley continued what has been a year to remember by bagging two more wins in the Sigma 135 class whilst Will Stillwell and James McCall snared a win apiece in the amalgamated Sigma 150 and Sigmax bouts.

Concluding the weekend’s track action were two races from the CSCC Gold Arts Magnificent Sevens, which saw Stephen Nuttall and Christian Pittard lead a bumper grid to score one victory each.

To view the full classification of results from Caterham’s 50th Festival, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 2/3

The British Automobile Racing Club join Caterham at Donington Park this weekend for two days of racing, parades and celebrations as the world-famous manufacturer celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with all the action that is being broadcast:

DONINGTON PARK

Saturday 2nd September // 14:00 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 3rd September // 09:00 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meeting, CLICK HERE.

BARC partners with The Lifestyle Card

The British Automobile Racing Club has partnered with The Lifestyle Card to offer members access to 5,000+ discounts, locally, nationally & online.

We are gifting all BARC members a FREE Lifestyle membership as a “thank you” from the British Automobile Racing Club. The Lifestyle Card is a multi-award-winning loyalty card with discounts covering all aspects of your lifestyle.

Once you’re on the Lifestyle Card website, you simply need to click ‘Claim Your Membership’, proceed to checkout and complete your ‘Billing Details’ (no bank details required); it will state £0.00 at checkout. There’s no need to download an app, save the website as a bookmark to any mobile device for quick and easy on-the-go access.

It’s effortless to access offers and discounts. Show your digital card to the participating businesses to receive your discount. Once logged into your account, you can view hidden promo codes and links for online deals and offers.

The Lifestyle Card provides members instant access to over 5,000 discounts across all aspects of their lifestyle. With thousands of deals covering local, independent, national, and online businesses, plenty of opportunities exist to save money.

The BARC Lifestyle card not only offers members the ability to access great savings, it promotes & supports businesses of all sizes and encourages people to put money back into their local community.

So, to save money on shopping, days out and experiences, trades, pet services, professional services, gyms, eating out, health & wellbeing, golf, hair & beauty, theme parks & attractions and luxury brands, sign up for your FREE BARC lifestyle card HERE!

ROKiT British F4 announces two-day 2024 Driver Test in October

The ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA has announced a dedicated 2024 Driver Test to be held at Snetterton Circuit on 26-27 October, for drivers looking to enter the 2024 season.

The two-day event provides drivers the opportunity to sample British F4’s Generation 2 Tatuus chassis and build up test mileage around the Norfolk track’s 2.96-mile ‘300’ layout.

All of the championship’s leading teams have committed their attendance, allowing plentiful networking opportunities and first-hand insight, providing the next generation motorsport stars of the future with all the tools to plan their off season, in order maximise success of their 2024 season.

Drivers wishing to participate in the two-day test can contact teams currently registered to compete in the championship by clicking here.

Eve Lake-Grange, ROKiT British F4 Championship Manager said, “Creating opportunities and pathways into British F4 is a core part of the championship proposition.

“Last year, we ran this Driver Test for prospective 2023 season drivers and were overwhelmed for the demand it generated from drivers eager to understand first-hand about British F4 and the role it plays in delivering talent right up to Formula 1. The test offers potential 2024 season drivers the opportunity to get to grips with the latest generation British F4 car and meet each of the teams involved, all of whom are renowned for their success in the discipline.”

“The ROKiT British F4 2024 season starts here, and I am very excited to see the next cohort of talent embark on their single seater journeys.”

Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram & Rory Butcher triumph on BTCC’s return to Donington Park GP

The battle for supremacy in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw more twists and turns play out this past weekend (August 26/27) as Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher charged to victory at Donington Park. 

Entering the business end of the 2023 season, the UK’s premier motorsport series took centre stage on the Leicestershire venue’s GP layout for the first time in more than two decades – and the frenetic tin top action that followed didn’t disappoint. 

With every point proving to be crucial in deciding the destiny of this year’s title, qualifying on Saturday afternoon saw an almighty battle for pole position take place; with Sutton ultimately claiming bragging rights.

In what proved to be a ding-dong battle between the series’ leading title contenders, Sutton and Ingram spent a majority of the session trading fastest times before the NAPA Racing UK stamped his authority on proceedings to clinch his fifth pole of the year.

Had it not been for a slight lock-up on his final flying lap, Ingram could have clinched top spot however he settled for second ahead of Ricky Collard, Colin Turkington and Aron Taylor-Smith – who completed the top five.

Sutton made history in a wet opening encounter as he charged to an impressive ninth victory of the season, which in-turn saw him set a new record for the most wins in a single season in the current NGTC era.

Despite dropping to third on the opening lap, the Ford Focus driver took just two laps to power back into the lead and once out front, he paced the opposition to comfortably triumph ahead of a charging Jake Hill and Ingram. 

Reigning champion Ingram showed that he won’t be giving up his title without a fight however as he produced a battling performance to score victory in race two. 

Blasting away from third, the Hyundai driver wasted no time in muscling his way past Hill and then set off in pursuit of Sutton, making a brilliant pass on the run down to the Old Hairpin a few laps later.

Despite coming under pressure from Sutton in the subsequent laps, the 2022 champion got his head down and soon stretched his advantage to cruise to the top step of the podium. Behind, Sutton fended off the advances of Hill to clinch second.

Race three saw Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Butcher claim his first win of the season after long-time race leader Dan Lloyd endured heartbreak on the final lap, when a driveshaft snapped and sent him spinning out of contention.

Pole-sitter Lloyd had dealt with everything that was thrown at him in the reverse grid bout however with half a lap remaining, the Team HARD driver spun wildly into the gravel on the approach to McLean’s.

Lloyd’s despair was Butcher’s elation as he claimed a much-needed victory ahead of CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Taylor-Smith – who was back on the podium for the first time in seven years – and Team BMW’s Adam Morgan.

Heading into the penultimate event of the season at the end of September, Sutton holds a 42-point advantage at the top of the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Ingram, with Hill, Turkington and Dan Cammish round out the top five. 

NAPA Racing UK continue their march at the summit of the Teams’ Championship, whilst BMW narrowly edge Ford in the battle for the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title. 

Josh Cook and One Motorsport with Starline Racing remain close to retaining their respective Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ crowns, whilst Andrew Watson sets the pace in the ultra-competitive Jack Sears Trophy. 

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Donington Park, CLICK HERE.

The penultimate event of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will see Rounds 25, 26 & 27 play out around the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, on September 23/24.