Author: Chris Ashby

Sports Prototype Cup launches ‘Silverstone Open’ event for May race meeting

Silverstone’s legendary Grand Prix circuit is set to host a special double-header for some of the fastest prototype race cars this coming Spring Bank Holiday weekend as PitBox91, promoters of the Sports Prototype Cup, launch the ‘Silverstone Open’.

With neither the FIA World Endurance Championship or European Le Mans Series heading to British shores this year, the event on Saturday 29th May will give fans a chance to see powerful, high downforce endurance racing cars in action.

The Open will feature classes for Le Mans style prototypes (including Ginetta G58, LMP3 and historic LMP cars), the Revolution A-One, Radical SR3 and an Unlimited class for cars such as Jades, Junos, Clubmans, other Radical models and Sports 2000 type cars.

James Bailey, Sports Prototype Cup promoter, said: “Silverstone Grand Prix circuit is the perfect venue for high downforce prototype cars. In 2018, the Open Sportscar Series ran a Silverstone GP event, attracting 41 cars representing twelve different manufacturers.

“Since the demise of that series, we have been lobbied by competitors to recreate that event and we are delighted to be able to provide an hour of racing with our double-header format.”

Entries for the event are now open, with more information being found at www.sportsprototypecup.com.

BTCC announces revised 2021 calendar

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced a revised calendar for the forthcoming 2021 campaign.

In order to maximise the opportunity to have spectators and guests in attendance at events this year, a decision by Series Organisers TOCA has been made to push back the start of the season by five weeks.

The shift in the schedule means that Thruxton will now play host to the opening event of the season for the first time since 2010.

Snetterton will immediately follow before Brands Hatch Indy stages the third event on the calendar. Late July and August will see Britain’s premier motorsport series visit Oulton Park and Knockhill before Thruxton’s second race meeting of the year.

Back-to-back weekends at Croft and Silverstone follow in September before Donington Park welcomes the series to Leicestershire for the penultimate event of the 2021 season.

Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix circuit will hold the Season Finale – as originally planned – albeit at the slightly later date of October 23/24.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

May 8/9 – Thruxton

May 15/16 – Snetterton

June 12/13 – Brands Hatch Indy

July 31/August 1 – Oulton Park

August 14/15 – Knockhill

August 28/29 – Thruxton

September 18/19 – Croft

September 25/26 – Silverstone National

October 9/10 – Donington Park

October 23/24 – Brands Hatch Grand Prix

BTCC confirms capacity 29-car grid for 2021 season

TOCA, Series Organisers of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, has announced that a maximum 29-car entry list has been confirmed for the 2021 season.

Following the entry approval deadline, the maximum number of TOCA BTCC Licences (TBLs) have been submitted by competing teams. Each team must hold a TBL for each car entered, with 29 being held between teams and a further three by TOCA.

As has been the case in recent years, TOCA has chosen not to allocate any of its TBLs to either existing teams or new entrants in keeping with its previously stated policy of wishing to gradually reduce the size of the BTCC grid.

Notable allocations amongst the grid include a second entry for Speedworks Motorsport, a third car for Laser Tools Racing and the return to three cars for West Surrey Racing.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “Although we are all going through this most incredibly gruelling period, it’s enormous testament to the strength and popularity of the BTCC that we have a full entry.

“Even more remarkable is the fact that a third of the grid will be new-build cars that have been constructed in the off-season. All of which means that we have yet another fabulous, and even more unpredictable, season in store.”

2021 TOCA BTCC LICENSE ALLOCATION

Aiden Moffat Racing – 1

BMR Racing – 1

Boardley Motorsport – 2

BTC Racing – 3

Ciceley Motorsport – 2

Excelr8 Motorsport – 2

Motorbase Performance – 4

Power Maxed Racing – 2

Speedworks Motorsport – 2

Team Dynamics – 2

Team HARD – 3

Trade Price Cars Racing – 2

West Surrey Racing – 3

Teams will announce full details regarding their respective entries (drivers, team names and sponsors) over the coming weeks and months, prior to the release of the finalised entry list for the forthcoming season in March.

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season is scheduled to begin at Brands Hatch on April 3/4.

BARC 2021 Awards Lunch cancelled

The British Automobile Racing Club regrets to announce that this year’s BARC Awards Lunch – scheduled to take place at the Thruxton Centre on Saturday 6th February 2021 – has had to be cancelled as a result of the current government guidelines regarding the COVID-19 situation.

The February date was itself already a low-key replacement for one of the biggest black tie prize-giving events of the year, celebrating the achievements of drivers, officials and marshals during the previous season.

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “We knew that weekend events and hotel stays would be out of the question this year, so a lunch event at the new Thruxton Centre seemed to offer the perfect solution to honour the 2020 achievements of our members.

“As with so many plans, however, we have little option but to cancel that as well and have done so as soon as possible to give people a month’s notice. We will do our best to make sure that all those who would have been honoured will get their moment of glory in due course.

“In the meantime, we will continue our preparations for the 2021 season with a great deal of optimism about the new campaign.”

British Automobile Racing Club announces full 2021 events calendar

The British Automobile Racing Club is delighted to announce its full provisional events calendar for the forthcoming 2021 motorsport season; with the start scheduled for late March and running all the way through until mid-November.

Following on from an unprecedented 2020 campaign which was affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Club has unveiled a bumper list of race meetings which will see championships undoubtedly deliver edge-of-the-seat entertainment across the length and breadth of the UK.

Categories such as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, British Truck Racing Championship, Legends Cars National Championship and many more will take centre stage over the course of what will undoubtedly be a season to remember.

In addition to staging more than 40 race meetings, the Club continue to take up its customary operational and organisational role across all three Goodwood events; the 78th Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival.

Please note that all events remain provisional and subject to change in accordance with the latest guidelines from the UK government regarding COVID-19.

To view the full list of scheduled 2021 British Automobile Racing Club race meetings, CLICK HERE.

Mark Turner appointed BARC Sporting Manager

The British Automobile Racing Club is delighted to announce that Mark Turner has been appointed to the role of Sporting Manager and will head up the Club’s Competitions Department with immediate effect, following the semi-retirement of Ian Watson who will continue as Race Director of the BTCC for BARC.

Mark will lead the experienced team, focusing on delivering excellent customer service to club members, competitors, marshals, officials and many others in a comprehensive schedule of events and race meetings.

Boasting a wealth of motorsport experience that spans more than two decades, Mark’s career started as co-ordinator for the SEAT Cupra Championship where he began his affiliation with the BARC.  He moved to working directly for the Club managing both Formula BMW Pacific and the British Schools Karting Championship.

His international career continued as Series Manager for the China-focused Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup.  Mark spearheaded Audi’s inaugural one-make championship for the entire program taking the series across Asia.  At the end of the Audi program, in 2019, Mark became Series Manager for the world’s first production based electric car series – the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY which supported the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Mark Turner, BARC Sporting Manager, said: “I’m delighted to be re-joining the BARC as its new Sporting Manager. I have a great affection for the Club; it’s where I learnt the most about the industry.  Having worked internationally for almost 15 years if I was to return to any national club it was always going to be this one.

“When I started out in motorsport I soon became involved with the Club and have always maintained close ties to it throughout the variety of roles I have held.

“Given the situation we all find ourselves in, this is an unusual time to land a new role but with the fact that everything is changing now is the time to look to the future. The Club has a tremendous history that spans more than 100 years and I’m focused on building on that to ensure that it continues to thrive for the next century.”

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, added: “We are delighted that Mark has joined us and I look forward to working with him to shape the future of this great club. His wide-ranging experience throughout the sport will be invaluable in helping us to evolve the BARC offering and bring it up to date for the benefit of all our existing and future customers.”

Important update on National Lockdown Restrictions for the BARC

In line with the latest government lockdown restrictions that were introduced on 5 January to combat the spread of COVID-19, the British Automobile Racing Club’s head office at Thruxton Circuit will be closed until mid-February.

The majority of staff are either working from home or furloughed so if you have an enquiry and don’t know who to contact, please email info@barc.net and a member of our team will reply as soon as possible.

The Club’s Competitions Department is continuing its preparations for the start of the new season, which is still scheduled to begin as planned at the end of March.

The Club’s three race circuits – Croft, Pembrey and Thruxton – are also closed in line with government restrictions. Specific updates for each circuit can be found on their individual websites.

We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks alongside the government’s proposed review in mid-February and we look forward to the resumption of activities as soon as possible.

We would like to thank everyone for their understanding at this difficult time and urge them to follow all official guidance to do what they can to keep themselves and others safe and well.

A message from BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor

As we close the door on what has been a truly unprecedented year, I would like to thank everyone that has played their part in an extraordinary motorsport season.

A year that started with so much promise and optimism has turned out to be like no other that any of us have experienced before or ever care to again. We send our very best wishes to everyone that has been affected by the virus this year. How little we knew back then; and how little we still know in many respects.

In the face of the pandemic, it is quite extraordinary that we’ve managed to rescue anything from the motorsport season at all. But, undeterred by the changes and the restrictions, the PPE and the face masks, not to mention the absence of spectators, the sport was able to deliver a meaningful half-season between July and November. Achieving this is testament to the sheer bloody-mindedness of the motorsport community!

We have had to change some of our procedures and processes but evolution is never a bad thing. Administration went digital, the marshals had to adapt to provide their essential cover in changing circumstances, and the scrutineers’ role has changed somewhat.

The one thing that has been evident throughout all of this is that everyone has just mucked in. That collective spirit and camaraderie has reinforced the fact that this sport, by and large, is done by people who love what they do and they are not going to let the virus get in the way of their enjoyment.

So whether you are a Club member, competitor, official, marshal, volunteer, spectator, or one of the amazing members of staff, I would like to thank you for the extraordinary efforts you have made to keep the show on the road this year. We couldn’t have done it without you.

The BARC will be back in 2021 with a full calendar of quality race events spread across the whole country and I know that the entire sport is hoping for better times in the near future.

For now, I wish you a safe and socially-distanced Christmas, and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Best wishes

Ben Taylor

BARC Chief Executive

BARC HQ 2020 Christmas & New Year Closing Dates

The British Automobile Racing Club headquarters at Thruxton Circuit will be closed during the following dates over the Christmas and New Year periods.

From: Wednesday 23rd December 2020 at 17:00

To: Monday 4th January 2021 at 09:00

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible trackside throughout 2021; be it if you are officiating, marshalling, spectating or competing!

From everyone at the BARC and all of our venues around the country; we wish you a safe, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

British Truck Racing Championship ramps up preparations for 2021 season

The British Truck Racing Championship looks set to scale even greater heights next year as preparations continue to ramp up ahead of the 2021 season.

Coming off the back of an unprecedented yet successful campaign which saw Ryan Smith and Steven Powell crowned champions in Division 1 and 2 respectively, exciting plans for the forthcoming year are taking place.

As has already been announced, the British Automobile Racing Club and Truck Sport UK will work together to run and promote the series for 2021 with the aim of creating and growing what is already an exciting championship for competitors and spectators alike.

Having only staged three race meetings in 2020, the calendar returns to its traditional format of eight events. One of the standout weekends on the schedule will be the inclusion of an international round once again at Zolder in Belgium on September 11/12 as part of a truck racing festival alongside a host of other European championships.

Undoubtedly one of the big successes of 2020 was the running of one single field of 20 trucks, which made for a stunning spectacle and led to some great racing. With a bumper grid of 20 trucks expected to compete over the course of the season once again, the BTRC Trophy will be introduced to ensure that restrictions aren’t placed on allowing new people to join the championship.

The BTRC Trophy will provide an additional grid at three of the main events in the course of the season: the two new Convoy events at Pembrey and Thruxton, as well as the season finale at Brands Hatch in November. The Trophy will be aimed at competitors who may not want to commit to the entire season and to new drivers who might want to get a taste for the sport.

Finally, as in 2020, all races will feature live streaming TV coverage whilst work is also underway on securing a post-produced TV show as well.

Entries for the 2021 British Truck Racing Championship are now open, with the entry form being found here.

2020 Season Review: Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship

Despite having to run behind closed doors and cram a nine-event, 27-race season into just over three months, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship delivered another nail-biting year of entertainment in 2020 which culminated in Ashley Sutton being crowned champion for a second time.

Jam-packed with the usual twists and turns that fans have become accustomed to, the battle to lift the most coveted prize in British motorsport once again went down to the wire, with Sutton ultimately reigning supreme.

Rising to the challenge of staging a season in what has been an unprecedented year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the BTCC boasted bumper grids and in return served up a feast of tin top thrills and spills.

Making the switch to Laser Tools Racing and armed with a brand-new Infiniti Q50, 2017 champion Sutton underlined his credentials as a true touring car superstar by piecing together a sensational title challenge.

Going toe-to-toe with four-time champion Colin Turkington throughout the season, Sutton tallied no less than five wins as well as a further five podium finishes to topple the Northern Irishman and secure his second title in four seasons.

Some of the most memorable moments over the course of the year came from Sutton himself as he staged a number of stunning comeback drives to carve his way through the field and recover valuable points.

Overcoming a nine-point deficit on the final day of the season, Sutton mastered the challenging wet conditions to become the first Independent entrant to lift the title since Andrew Jordan in 2013.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish, Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram and Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher all staked their claim to the big prize during the year but none could ultimately stop Sutton’s charge.

Elsewhere, the quartet of Josh Cook, Ollie Jackson, Adam Morgan and Tom Oliphant were race winners along the way too.

The 2020 season also saw the history books rewritten as Jade Edwards became the first female driver to race in the series since Fiona Leggate in 2007. Edwards competed at Silverstone for Power Maxed Racing Jessica Hawkins made her BTCC bow at Snetterton.

In addition to clinching the biggest prize in UK motorsport, Sutton also wrapped up the BTCC Independent Drivers’ Championship and helped guide Laser Tools Racing to a maiden BTCC Independent Teams’ Championship title as well.

Team BMW wrapped up the BTCC Teams’ Championship and BTCC Manufacturers’ Championship titles. BTC Racing’s Michael Crees meanwhile was the victor of the Jack Sears Trophy, much to his delight.

2020 Season Review: Dunlop Endurance Championship

New champions came to the fore in the Dunlop Endurance Championship this year following what was a hard-fought shortened campaign.

Like every other motorsport category in the UK, Britcar found themselves affected by the coronavirus pandemic and were forced to reschedule their original calendar into a more compact XX-round season.

Renowned for being at the forefront of promoting affordable and realistic multi-class endurance racing in the UK, the Dunlop Endurance Championship saw that the appetite to go racing was stronger than ever as it boasted bumper grids throughout the year.

The Endurance category provided a fierce battle towards the summit of the standings but it was to be the VR Motorsport duo of Danny Harrison and Jem Hepworth that proved too much for the opposition, running out as eventual winners.

At the wheel of the potent Praga R1T, the pair were a constant feature towards the front of the field as they paired teamwork and consistency with raw speed and

Other notable mentions from the Endurance category include the SB Engineering Ferrari trio of Paul Bailey, Ross Wylie & Andy Schulz and VR Motorsport’s other Praga pairing of Jack Fabby and Garry Townsend.

Open to cars whose performance does not match up against GT4 or TCR machinery, the new-for-2020 Trophy class welcomed a host of new and old faces for a feast of on-track entertainment.

When the dust had finally settled on the season, JC Racing’s Oliver Smith narrowly edged out Johnathan Barrett to become the inaugural champion after producing a stellar string of performances in his BMW M3 E36.

With drivers and teams already firming up plans for the forthcoming 2021 campaign, Britcar looks set for another blockbuster year next season.