Author: Chris Ashby

Title battles heat up on TOCA support bill at Donington Park GP

Donington Park provided a fitting backdrop for an unmissable feast of entertainment on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship support bill this past weekend (August 26/27) as four championships wrote the latest chapter in their respective season-long stories. 

With the business end of the 2023 campaign rapidly drawing into sight, the legendary Grand Prix layout of the Leicestershire venue was the battleground for a pulsating two days of wheel-to-wheel action, all in front of a bumper trackside crowd.

Louis Sharp and Will Macintyre will head into the final round of the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA separated by just a single point following an action-packed penultimate meeting of the season.

On what proved to be a pivotal weekend for the single-seater series, Rodin Carlin’s Sharp kicked off proceedings with a commanding victory in the opening encounter before Dion Gowda triumphed in the the re-run Snetterton race from earlier in the year.

Deagen Fairclough underlined his credentials as being somewhat of a wet-weather specialist as he charged to victory in the reverse grid bout before Gabriel Still concluded a busy outing for the series by claiming his first-ever win of the campaign. 

Sharp and Macintyre will now head into the season finale – which takes place at Brands Hatch GP in early October – split by a single point and with it all to play for in the battle to be crowned the series’ next champion.

The Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy saw further twists and turns play out as Tom Ovenden maintained his advantage at the summit of the standings by charging onto the top step of the podium.

The tin top series was packed with frenetic door-to-door action as expected, with Alex Solley kicking things off with a superb win in race one before Nathan Edwards then claimed an emotional maiden victory in race two.

Ovenden – who had been in the mix from the get-go – started on the front row of the reverse grid contest and wasted no time in powering into a lead that he would ultimately hold until the red flag came out late on.

Adam Smalley edged closer to clinching the coveted Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain as he chalked up his third victory of the season in supreme style. 

The Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker driver – who is also the Porsche GB Junior driver – could do nothing to stop James Kellett from triumphing in the opening bout but was wheel-perfect in race two as he led home Will Martin and Kellett.

Concluding the action under the flightpath of East Midlands airport was a trio of races from the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain, which made a triumphant return to the support bill after missing Knockhill. 

Century Motorsport’s Will Jenkins clinched pole position in a dry-to-wet qualifying and he made no mistake converting it into victory as he held off a charging Joe Warhurst in the weekend’s opening encounter.

Marc Warren then strengthened his position at the summit of the Amateur Category as he claimed an impressive pair of outright victories in his Raceway Motorsport machine.

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

The Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, provides the penultimate stop on the calendar for the TOCA package on September 23/24, with the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven UK Championship poised to join the fray for a one-off appearance. 

Classic 2CV Racing Club concludes 2023 season in all weathers at Snetterton

The Classic 2CV Racing Club concluded its 2023 season in action-packed style this past weekend (August 25-27) with yet another memorable Citroen 2CV 24-Hour Race around the Snetterton 200 circuit. 

Renowned for being one of the most coveted events on the national motorsport calendar every year, this year’s edition of the day-long contest had everyone on the edge of their seats as the team of Slarky Malarky reigned supreme.

Pretty much every conceivable weather condition battered the circuit over the course of the race but that didn’t stop the squad of Neil Slark, Ian Slark, Alec Graham and Ryan Taylor from triumphing in superlative style.

At the wheel of their Mini Grande, the quartet qualified in fifth for the prestigious encounter but produced a masterful performance when the lights went out.

Leading the way on a handful of occasions in the early running, the team established a footing at the end of the tenth hour and from there they wouldn’t be unseated from top spot.

Completing a total of 734 laps, the Slarky Malarky foursome finished four laps clear of their nearest rivals – Misfits – to clinch a famous victory.

Leading the way in the 2CV ranks was the KT Racing trio of Kris Tovey, Peter Rundle and Louis Tyson; who served up a mesmerising drive to clinch third place overall.

Tovey arrived at Snetterton in the pound seat of the 2CV title battle and his teams commanding performance – which saw them finish 17 laps ahead of the next 2CV outfit – saw him claim the 2023 championship crown.

That wasn’t to be the only action from the Norfolk venue however as the Junior Saloon Car Championship wrote the latest chapter of its campaign with two blockbuster races that were won by Daire Flock and Cameron Pratt-Thompson.

Entering the business end of the season, the one-make category saw a little over half a second split Flock and Pratt-Thompson in both races as they battled for supremacy; picking up crucial points in the title fight along the way. 

Rounding out the captivating on-track thrills and spills on the 1.984-mile layout were a pair of races from the always entertaining Track Attack Race Club. 

Boasting an ultra-competitive grid, Paul Roddison – who is a previous winner of the coveted BARC President’s Cup – finally opened his account for the season in the series as he chalked up two commanding victories in his Volkswagen Scirocco.

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

Croft all set for new-look Historic Race Weekend and Show

The new-look Croft Historic Race Weekend and Show will take place at Croft Circuit next weekend (2/3 September) and as ever, the event will be one of the highlights on the social calendar in the region.

The popular meeting at North Yorkshire’s premier racetrack has been an established fixture on the calendar for over a decade in the guise of both the Croft Nostalgia and Croft Retro meeting, but for 2023, the organisers have planned something a bit special to incorporate classic cars and vintage vehicles from the 1950s up to the 1980s for the first time.

On track, a series of races from the Historic Sports Car Club will take place including Historic Touring Cars where spectators can also see the likes of Mini Coopers, Ford Anglias, Lotus Cortinas and Ford Mustangs in action for saloon cars that were in production before 1966.

The Aurora Trophy, featuring powerful Formula 5000 and Formula 3 single-seaters built and raced between 1967 and 1979, will also race twice over the two days whilst the 70s Roadsports Championship will see road-legal production sports cars produced in the 1970s and provides a varied field with Porsches, Datsuns and MGs among other marques.

Classes for Historic Formula 3, Classic Formula Ford, Historic Formula Ford/2000 and Superkarts will also feature over the weekend along with Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons and the Guards Trophy with Pre ’66 GT cars and Pre ’69 sports racing cars with an international pedigree competing over a mini-enduro format of 60 minutes on Sunday afternoon.

There will be a series of track parades taking place throughout Sunday morning whilst away from the circuit, there will be around 600 vintage vehicles and classic cars of all makes, shapes and sizes on display for fans to get up close to.

The whole event is geared around something for all the family to enjoy on Sunday with live music, dancing, and entertainment ranging from the 1950s to the 1980s as well as FREE fairground rides, all of which is included in the admission ticket. People are encouraged to dress in period costume with prizes for the best.

Qualifying will begin on Saturday morning at 9.30am with the first of nine races starting at 13.42 with a further nine races on Sunday commencing at 9.30am also. Adult admission prices are ÂŁ16 for Saturday and ÂŁ21 for Sunday. All accompanied children aged 15 and under go free with parking and paddock access also free.

For further details and tickets, please visit www.croftcircuit.co.uk or call 01325 721815.

BARC’ing Mad Podcast: Episode 6 – August 25th 2023

Episode 6 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’ sixth episode sees the hosts discuss the latest news and results from around the BARC with Event Manager David Wheadon before then speaking to two-time British Touring Car Champion John Cleland in an interview that is simply not to be missed.

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.

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport poised for inaugural ‘enduro race’ at Donington Park

The MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport is set to bring the curtain down on its maiden season with the British Automobile Racing Club in superlative style with an endurance race at Donington Park in October. 

Signing off its inaugural season at the East Midlands venue on October 14/15, the single-manufacturer series will introduce a two-driver long-distance race to conclude what has been a hugely successful inaugural year.

Rob Austin, MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport Coordinator, said: “As you are aware we have been gaining momentum since we started the series this season, with grids in excess of 20 cars for each race. We have 24 confirmed for Silverstone and 25 for Donington Park.

“In addition, we are going to run our first-ever MINI enduro race on the Sunday after our last round at Donington, dubbed ‘MINI LE DONS’. We have 30 entries for what will be a two-driver event.

“Looking ahead to 2024, we have had huge interest as with continue to the championship with a draft calendar in place which may also include an end of season ‘enduro weekend’ series.

“Airtec, Garmin, Absolute Alignment and Norfolk Mini look set to continue as championship partners and with our close relationship with MINI CHALLENGE continuing to blossom, things couldn’t be any brighter.”

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – August 26/27

The British Automobile Racing Club is revved up for another action-packed two days of on-track thrills this weekend (August 26/27) with events taking place at Donington Park and Snetterton – and they’re both available to watch live online.

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 

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads into the business of the season with three more blockbuster races, this time on the legendary GP layout of Donington Park – which hasn’t featured on the calendar since 2002.

Complimenting the UK’s premier motorsport series will be a bumper supporting cast which includes the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Porsche Sprint Challenge GB and Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE JCW.

Saturday 26th August // 15:30 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 27th August // 11:15 – WATCH HERE

SNETTERTON

At Snetterton, the Classic 2CV Racing Club brings the curtain down on its 2023 season with its showpiece event; the Citroen 2CV 24-Hour Race. 

Saturday 26th August // 15:00 – WATCH HERE

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

Caterham Motorsport headlines action-packed weekend at Snetterton

Caterham Motorsport headlined an entertaining two days of track action as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at Snetterton this past weekend (August 19/20).

Basked in bright sunshine, the Norfolk venue – which is set to host more BARC wheel-to-wheel thrills in just a few days time – provided the backdrop to no less than 22 races in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Having produced edge-of-the-seat entertainment wherever they have been so far this season, it came as no surprise that Caterham’s quintet of championships topped the billing in spectacular style on the near three-mile 300 layout. 

Ahead of their appearance on the British Touring Car Championship support package next month, the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven UK Championship served up a trio of pulsating contests that were won by Stephen Lyall, Aaron Head and Lewis Thompson.

The Adrian Flux Insurance Caterham Academy produced four equally frenetic encounters with Jonathan Emery and Nick Highton scoring a win apiece in the Green Group whilst Istvan Demes and Matthew Kirtland did the same in the White Group.

Ben Timmons was perfection personified in the Vertex Caterham Roadsport Championship as he claimed a brace of narrow victories, the first of which was clinched by the slender margin of just 0.158 seconds over Toby Ballard. 

In the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship, Charlie Lower maintained his title charge with an impressive double win however he was denied a hat-trick by the ever-impressive Duncan Mallard.

Rounding out the flurry of Caterham thrills were three races from the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship, all of which won by the superlative Jack Sales. 

The MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport also featured over the course of the weekend and it provided arguably one of the standout performances as Charlie Newton-Darby romped to a hat-trick of race wins in commanding fashion.

Elsewhere, Tommy Grout triumphed in the Uncle Luke’s Snetterton Saloons whilst Lee Harpham and Tom Rushforth shared the spoils in The Super Series by British Superkart Racing Club’s three contests.

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

North Western Centre set for anniversary celebrations at Oulton Park in October

The BARC’s North Western Centre is set to mark the 40th Anniversary on its own Sports/Saloon Championship later this year with a celebrate as its Oulton Park race meeting on Saturday 14th October.

It was at Oulton Park on the 31st March 1984 that the championship, then a Special GT Challenge, held its first round with a small grid of 10 cars starting the race and Bob Trotter cruising to victory in his Ford Escort RS2000.

The Challenge became a Championship the following year and within a few years the average grid had increased to over 30 cars. Over the 40 years of friendly but competitive racing, the Centre has run over 460 races, in which over 700 drivers have competed.

Chris Maries currently holds the record for starting the most races at 222 in no less than 25 or so different cars. Ric Wood, owner of CNC Heads – the championship’s current sponsor – has across a staggering 35 years of the category.

The strength of the championship has been built on stability of the regulations, firm but fair application of the regulations and cost effective, non-contact competition.

There is no registration fee, entry fees are kept as low as possible, which has resulted in increased grids that allow for the low level of fees. In addition competitors only pay for their time on track as refunds are given for sessions missed for valid reasons.

These principles plus the family atmosphere in the Paddock should allow for the continued health of the championship.

The North Western Centre thanks all of its current sponsors, CNC Heads and CSP Car Service Packs, for their continued support. 

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – August 19/20

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for Norfolk this weekend (August 19/20) for the first of two race meetings at Snetterton this month.

Taking centre stage around the 300 layout across Saturday and Sunday, Caterham Motorsport will headline proceedings with all five of their championships continuing their respective 2023 campaigns.

Joining them will be the runners and riders from the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport, Snetterton Saloons and the British Superkarts Racing Club.

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

SNETTERTON

Saturday 19th August // 12:45 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 20th August // 08:45 – WATCH HERE

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

Connor Mills crowned inaugural Legends Cars Elite Cup champion in dramatic fashion

Connor Mills wrote himself into the history books at Knockhill this past weekend (August 12/13) as he was crowned the inaugural Champion of the Legends Cars Elite Cup with JLM. 

On what proved to be a breathtaking finale north of the border, Mills overturned an 80-point deficit in the final race of the series to clinch the coveted crown ahead of Robert Barrable and Jack Parker. 

Mills had begun the 5/8 scale series – which was supporting the British Touring Car Championship across three events this year – having barrel rolled into the Paddock Hill Bend gravel trap at Brands Hatch back in May but he bounced back in supreme style.

Notable performances at Croft brought him back into contention arriving at Knockhill, where just about everything happened amidst atrocious weather conditions at times. 

The Team HARD supported driver blasted his way to victory in Saturday’s final by a mere 0.005 seconds; which set him up for a Sunday that will undoubtedly live long in the memory. 

Picking up pivotal points in the opening contest, Mills went on to withstand a barrage of attacks in heat two to triumph and crucially keep him within striking distance of then category leader Barrable. 

With both drivers starting the near the back of the 31-car field, the race to be champion was on. Slicing their way up the order, Barrable unfortunately found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as he was caught up in a multi-car accident at the hairpin.

Mills meanwhile managed to make his way through the melee untroubled, moving into the top ten in the process, and from there he climbed up to seventh to take the title by just 20 points.

“I didn’t know where I’d finished [in the final race],” said Mills. “I tried to take two cars at the last corner, I’ve never gone so hard on the brakes in my life! The car is bits and bones, I’ve never ragged a car like that in my life. 

“There is a lot of hard work that goes into this, it’s a real team effort. At the start of the year we barrel rolled into Paddock Hill Bend [at Brands Hatch] and now we’ve won the title! 

“Big thanks to everyone, Team HARD and especially my Mum and Dad. It’s good to get another title as a Dad and lad operation!”

Following the conclusion of the Legends Cars Elite Cup with JLM, next on the schedule for the drivers and teams will be the resumption of the Legends Cars Championship with allgrowth Ltd – which takes place at Snetterton on October 7/8.

Convoy in the Park serves up spectacular weekend of action at Donington Park

Donington Park played host to a spectacular two days of track action this past weekend (August 12/13) as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage for the 2023 edition of Convoy in the Park. 

On what proved to be a race meeting that will live long in the memory for the thousands of spectators that flocked to the world-famous Leicestershire venue; a total of six championships and one all-new guest category put on an unmissable on-track show. 

Headlining the action on the 1.64-mile National layout were five blockbusters contests from the British Truck Racing Championship, where there was entertainment aplenty across both Division 1 and Division 2. 

In Division 1, Ryan Smith’s pursuit of an unprecedented eighth consecutive title remained on course as he swept his way to a hat-trick of race wins. Simon Reid prevented the Daimler Freightliner driver from a clean sweep as he bagged a brace of his own in the remaining races.

Over in Division 2, Paul Rivett enjoyed one of the strongest weekend’s of his BTRC career to-date as he thrust himself firmly in title contention with a near wheel-perfect performance. The NAPA Racing UK scored a stunning four wins and had it not been for a retirement in race one, it could have been five. Instead, John Powell clinched an important victory. 

That wasn’t to be the only truck racing that took place though as the brand-new International Truck Prix – which boasted an entry list packed with high-profile names including Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness MBE – made its long-awaited debut.

Former BTRC race winner turned FIA European Truck Racing competitor Jamie Anderson underlined his credentials with a masterful performance as he scooped three of the four race wins that were on offer over the course of the weekend.

Anderson came oh-so close to completing a clean sweep in the fourth contest however a sensational defensive drive from Mark Taylor ensured that a new face stood on the top step of the podium. 

Standing on top of the rostrum became a familiar feeling for Matt Simpson who got his title challenge back on-track with a hat-trick of wins in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship. 

The former BTCC race winner was at times in a league of his own as he blitzed the opposition to claim pole position in qualifying and from there he didn’t put a wheel wrong as he tallied of trio of victories in commanding fashion.

Dale Gent also picked up a win as the series squeezed in an additional contest which was carried over from Thruxton; having originally not taken place at the high-speed Hampshire venue due to timetable delays. 

The battle for supremacy in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw further twists and turns play out as both Scott Bugner and Steve McDermid scored a win apiece whilst spoils were also shared between Steve Harris and Andrew Southcott in the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship.

Bryan Bransom was in imperious form in the Kumho BMW Championship as he swept his way to a brace of race wins. At the wheel of his BMW E46 M3, Bransom narrowly edged out James Card on two occasions to add to his already remarkable silverware collection. 

Concluding the weekend’s track action at Donington Park were two races from the Avon Tyres/Wheel Images Intermarque Silhouette Series, both of which were won by the formidable Lewis Smith.

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

Classic Touring Cars headline tin top festival at Croft

The British Automobile Racing Club packed in an abundance of wheel-to-wheel entertainment across two days at Croft this past weekend (August 12/13) as the Classic Touring Car Racing Club took centre stage in North Yorkshire. 

Two weeks on from the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to the 2.10-mile circuit, tin tops from a variety of eras had those in attendance on the edge of their seats as they wrote the latest chapter of what has already been an action-packed season.

Headlining proceedings were two races from the amalgamated Laser Tools Super Tourers, Burty Haulage Pre ’03 Touring Cars and Laser Tools Pre ’93 Touring Cars; which showcased machines that are often revered fondly amongst BTCC folklore.

Stewart Whyte piloted his ex-Tom Kristensen 2000 Honda Accord to victory ahead of Jason Hughes in the weekend’s opening contest and the experienced racer then doubled his account on Sunday, heading Ian Bower in race two.

The Poultec Pre ’66 Touring Cars and Orange Aero Pre ’83 Touring Cars saw William Davison take a clean sweep of wins whilst Bower and Nick Vaughan triumphed in the Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series bouts.

Concluding the Classic Touring Car Racing Club action were two races from the Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge, which were won by Colin Philpott.

Elsewhere, the Junior Saloon Car Championship maintained the theme of high-speed thrills and spills with two blockbuster races that will undoubtedly play a critical role in deciding who is crowned champion come the end of the season. 

Arriving at Croft in the pound seat at the top of the standings, Daire Flock was wheel-perfect in race one as he converted pole position into a comfortable lights-to-flag victory ahead of Jack James and Jonathan Moore.

Race two for the 14 to 17-year-old one-make series saw a carbon copy result as Flock once again resisted the race-long advances of James to claim victory and crucially, take a massive step towards being crowned champion.

Concluding the weekend’s on-track entertainment were no less than six pulsating races from the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship. 

Ben Wheatley and Richard Groom enjoyed a share of the spoils in the trio of Sigma 135 contests whilst Will Stilwell blasted his way to an impressive hat-trick of race wins in the combined Sigma 150 and Sigmax bouts.

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