Chris Ashby – Page 55 – Welcome to the BARC

2020 Season Review: Quaife MINI CHALLENGE

Filling the boots of the UK Clio Cup on the British Touring Car Championship support package, the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE came with a wealth of expectation and excitement this past year and it duly lived up to the hype as it produced a stellar campaign, resulting in Nathan Harrison being crowned champion.

Viewed as one of the country’s leading tin-top, single-make categories and billed as a unique stepping stone up the UK motorsport ladder, the series has become synonymous with no-holds barred, close-quarter racing – and 2020 proved to be no different.

Boasting a bumper entry list for what was a condensed season, the JCW contingent saw no less than seven drivers visit the top step of the podium whilst a further five also picked up silverware along the way.

After narrowly missing out on the crown in the year previous, Excelr8 Motorsport’s Harrison entered the season as one of the title favourites and he underlined his talents with a sensational performance to finally lift the coveted crown.

Wins at Donington Park, Silverstone and Snetterton were vital in his march towards the summit of the standings however it was his relentless consistency that really provided the building blocks for his championship challenge.

Picking up a further three podium finishes as well as several other big points, Harrison had enough in hand at the final round to wrap up the title in style.

Despite being crowned champion, Harrison didn’t have things all his own way and he was ultimately pushed all the way to the final chequered flag of the season. Dan Zelos, former champion Ant Whorton-Eales, Max Bird, Lewis Brown and Max Coates were his main protagonists over the course of the campaign.

As Harrison savoured the glory of capturing the overall title, several other competitors enjoyed championship success as well. Isaac Smith secured the Rookie Cup whilst Zelos was crowned Graduate Cup winner. Elsewhere, the Directors Cup went the way of James Griffith.

2020 Season Review: CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship

The CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship produced another scintillating season of four-wheeled action this past season as Jamie Cryer became the latest driver to taste title glory.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the championship is a cost-effective category that is open to all manner of cars regardless of their make, model or power output.

Boasting an illustrious history that spans more than three decades, the series runs under a multi-class format which showcases that variety really is the spice of the life and 2020 proved to be no exception.

Despite the difficulties faced due to the coronavirus pandemic, bumper grids were present at every round of the condensed campaign – taking centre stage at Cadwell Park, Oulton Park and Donington Park.

Running out of Class E and at the wheel of his Ginetta G20, Cryer was perfection personified as he wracked up the points and wins to not only triumph in his class but also the overall championship.

Elsewhere, Class A spoils fell the way of Paul Rose whilst Luke Armiger and Danny Bird were victorious in classes B and C respectively. Garry Wardle and Guy Carter were champions in Class D and F.

2020 Season Review: BARC Red Sports/Saloons

The British Automobile Racing Club broke new ground in 2020 with the launch of an innovative set of Open Sports/Saloon Car races at three different race meetings.

Open to competitors who drove open/closed roof Sports & Saloon cars, regardless of what championship or racing club they compete in and providing they met current Motorsport UK safety regulations, the format garnered plenty of attention from the outset and duly delivered.

Formatted to feature a 20-minute qualifying session and two 20-minute races over the course of a weekend, entries were accepted with a pre declared lap time for the specific circuit upon which competitors have entered into.

A variety of classes were structured and the format guaranteed that everyone raced against those doing similar lap times, irrespective of the car they are driving, leading to much closer competition. Classes were changed post-qualifying and post-race if competitors ran two or more laps faster in a qualifying session or race than their nominated class allowance stipulates.

Blasting into life at Mallory Park, Joss Ronchetti became the inaugural race-winner as he powered his Talbot Sunbeam Lotus to a brace of victories before the category then traveled to the fastest circuit in the UK, whilst continuing to grow in stature as well.

Back-to-back weekend’s at Thruxton then followed with Jamie Sturges triumphing twice before Clive Wood would dominant proceedings during the second event around the fastest circuit in the UK, piloting his Mallock to victory on two occasions.

With more races planned for 2021, the Club’s Open Sports/Saloon races and its unique format look set to flourish even further.

2020 Season Review: Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship

The Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship proved to be one of the leading lights of the British Touring Car Championship support package this past season as Tom Lebbon made history by becoming the first Scholarship winner to take the overall title in their maiden campaign.

Serving up more of its entertaining brand of action-packed, wheel-to-wheel racing across what was an ultra-competitive season, the one-make series once again showcased the next generation of emerging motorsport talent across eight high-octane events.

Earning a fully-funded season in the championship after triumphing out of 68 aspiring teenagers in the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, Lebbon entered the year as one to watch but nobody could have foreseen what was to come from the Elite Motorsport driver.

After a delayed start, the season kicked off at Donington Park with Lebbon providing a flavour of what lay ahead by netting a podium, as Georgi Dimitrov and Bailey Voisin shared the spoils.

One week later at Brands Hatch the 15-year-old came to the fore and established himself as a credible contender, powering his way to an impressive first win in scorching conditions.

Consistent points finishes towards the sharp end of the grid would keep Lebbon in the title picture as the rounds ticked by, with the trio of Voisin, Dimitrov and the emerging Josh Rattican also firmly in the hunt for the coveted prize.

As the series reached the business end of the season though it was Lebbon that really hit his stride. At Croft, the rookie claimed one of the most dominant Ginetta Junior wins in recent memory before really cranking up the heat two weeks later.

Taking centre stage during the penultimate event of the season at Snetterton, Lebbon became the first driver since Louis Foster in 2018 to record a weekend victory hat-trick. In the process of closing the gap at the summit of the points, he was also provisionally wrapped up the Ginetta Junior Championship ‘Rookie’ champion for 2020.

Entering the Brands Hatch series finale trailing Voisin by 11 points, Lebbon produced a superlative final day performance to net a pair of second place finishes and overturn the deficit to be crowned champion.

2020 Season Review: Kumho BMW Championship

The Kumho BMW Championship was at its brilliant best this year as it served up a memorable season, with a total of three class champions being crowned come the final chequered flag being waved.

Home to some of the most iconic models of the German manufacturer in recent decades, an action-packed ten-race campaign kept fans on the edge of their seats right up until the final lap.

Visiting Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Mallory Park and Thruxton, the Kumho BMW contingent boasted bumper entry lists throughout what was an unprecedented year too, underlining the continuing popularity after more than 30 years.

In Class A, James Card emerged as the driver to beat as he powered he E36 M3 to the summit of the standings. Double wins at Brands Hatch and Snetterton kickstarted his campaign off on the right foot and he only continued to improve as the season progressed.

Another double at Mallory Park, in addition to further podium finishes in the remaining rounds, proved enough to hand Card the honours ahead of Darren Morgan-Owen, Brad Sheehan and Michael Pensavalle.

Class B saw Sunny Gill prevail from an intriguing three-way battle for supremacy ahead of series stalwarts’ Trevor Ford and Russell Dack. The cornerstone of Gill’s triumph came in the opening six races as he triumphed on no less than five occasions, with Ford winning the remaining contest.

Despite a late five-race winning streak charge from Dack and his E46 M3, Gill kept the points ticking over to ensure he ended the year as champion.

Ralph Kirk rounded out the list of winners in the Kumho BMW Championship as he clinched the Class C crown. Making a handful of appearances, Kirk netted a brace of wins at Oulton Park and Mallory Park to run out as a convincing winner.

2020 Season Review: Ginetta Racing Drivers Club

The Ginetta Racing Drivers Club launched the careers of 15 new rookie drivers this season however it was Marc Warren who proved to be the standout talent with a 100% podium record which included ten wins to secure him the title.

Providing petrolheads with the opportunity to swap a seat in the grandstand for a seat on the grid, the single-make series is open to drivers who are looking to take their first steps into motorsport.

As an ideal proving ground, competing drivers are given all the necessary components to forge a career on four wheels; including their very own G40 Club car, an ARDS test, multiple training days and much more.

Featuring on the British GT Championship support package once again, a total of 15 high-octane races at five of the UK’s most popular venues comprised the revised calendar for 2020.

Setting his stall out from the outset, Warren emerged as the lead figure in the series as he not only gained experience but also built up an illustrious CV. Tallying win after win, Warren put himself out of touch with a handful of contests remaining.

A new class, launched this year for more experienced drivers, went the way of Stephen Docker, who powered his way to an impressive tally of nine victories.

2020 Season Review: Caterham Graduates Championship

In a year like no other, one thing remained the same in 2020 and that was that the Caterham Graduates Championship delivered another vintage year of high-octane, wheel-to-wheel entertainment.

Due to the delayed start and the unprecedented nature of the season, championship titles weren’t up for grabs however outright race honours were, and each one was fiercely fought over during the course of the six-event campaign.

Armed with a bumper entry list, the series lifted the curtain on its shortened season with a trio of races taking centre stage at Croft. Harry Heaton would go on to make his mark as he powered his way to a sensational hat-trick of wins at the North Yorkshire venue.

Speeding onto Mallory Park next, the popular one-make series saw another impressive hat-trick achieved, this time by Harry Senior as he reigned supreme in emphatic style.

The undulating twists and turns of Cadwell Park provided the next stop on the calendar and it would be Senior that emerged as the driver to beat once again as he notched another two wins to his ever-improving tally. Jamie Ellwood meanwhile also triumphed, clinching his first victory of the year.

Senior’s scintillating run of form continued as the series ventured to Snetterton in late August as he added another two wins to his list of triumphs. Andrew Whitton ensured that Senior didn’t complete a clean sweep however as he ascended to the top step of the podium in the remaining encounter.

Oulton Park would see a carbon copy of Snetterton as both Senior and Whitton starred before the Caterham contingent wrapped up its campaign at Silverstone.

Having proven himself as the driver to beat for a majority of the year, Senior signed off his season in a dominant manner by netting a further two wins around the home of British Motor Racing.

The 2021 Caterham Graduates Championship is set to return to its traditional format with a host of events taking place and champions set to be crowned.

2020 Season Review: Mighty Minis Championship

Never short of producing entertainment, the Mighty Minis Championship made its mark in 2020 as it delivered six rounds of scintillating door-to-door action across three unmissable events.

Home to one of the most iconic cars to ever go into mass production, the one-make series continued to garner a cult following as it produced full-throttle thrills and spills at Croft, Castle Combe and Thruxton.

Like several other British Automobile Racing Club categories, the Mighty Minis Championship had been set to end its season at Brands Hatch on November 7/8. However, due to the introduction of a second national lockdown the annual pilgrimage to the Kent venue was cancelled.

After narrowly missing out on the Mighty Mini crown to Greg Daw last year, Paul Ogborn bounced back with a vengeance this year to secure the title in style.

Four wins from the first four races provided the cornerstone of Ogborn’s charge, with two points finishes at Thruxton topping up the points pot.

Elsewhere, Ian Slark prevented Neven Kirkpatrick from successfully defending his Super Mighty Mini title after producing a commanding performance from start-to-finish.

Kirkpatrick hit the ground running winning three races on the bounce before Slark came to the fore at Castle Combe with a win of his own. Adding another victory in treacherous conditions at Thruxton, Slark was crowned champion by just six points over the ultra-consistent David Kirkpatrick.

2020 Season Review: Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Domination is just one word that can be attributed to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2020 as Harry King swept aside the competition to be crowned champion at the very first time of asking.

The 19-year-old produced a stunning season-long performance to reign supreme in the fastest and most successful single marque GT championship in the UK, wrapping up the crown with one event to spare and racking up countless victories.

Having stormed to the Ginetta GT4 Supercup title in 2019, King secured the coveted role as Porsche GB’s Junior driver for the 2020-21 seasons after coming out on top of a four-driver shootout at Silverstone.

His prize, one of the biggest in UK motorsport, consisted of £85,000 towards his budget for each of the next two seasons as well as a specialist training programme at the Porsche Human Performance Centre and technical support from Porsche Motorsport.

Putting pen-to-paper on a deal to join leading outfit Team Parker Racing, King wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat as he kicked off his campaign with a win and second place at Donington Park.

From there, King was unstoppable as he bagged wins at Brands Hatch GP, Oulton Park, Knockhill, Silverstone, Snetterton and Brands Hatch Indy; continuing to extend his advantage at the summit of the standings on the TOCA support package.

Were it not for a few bouts of bad luck along the way, King could well have added to his impressive tally of wins, of which there were 12 in total.

Josh Webster, Will Martin, Ross Wylie and Matthew Graham were the other victors over the course of the season. None of them however would be able to match King as he marched towards the title in his rookie campaign.

Elsewhere, Team Parker Racing made it a clean sweep of Carrera Cup GB titles as Esmee Hawkey claimed the Pro-Am title and Justin Sherwood wrapped up the Am crown.

2020 Season Review: Ginetta G40 Cup

The Ginetta G40 Cup belonged to Tom Golding in 2020 as the CTS Motorsport driver rewrote the history books by becoming the first-ever two-time champion.

Having reigned supreme back in 2018, Golding made a triumphant return to the series to underline his credentials as a true rising star.

Aimed towards drivers that have recently shed their novice skins, the single-make category once again showcased why the Ginetta motorsport ladder has proven to be so effective in bringing the next generation of racers through the ranks.

Taking centre stage on the British GT Championship support package, the G40 Cup served up a total of 15 pulsating races across five events – with a host of thrills and spills along the way.

Oulton Park provided the backdrop to the season-opener and Golding wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat, netting a brace of wins before Giles Dawson prevented him from completing a clean sweep.

Dawson went toe-to-toe with Golding in the early rounds, winning twice at Donington Park, however he could not withstand the juggernaut-like form of the former champion.

Winning the final race of the weekend at Donington Park, Golding went on to be unstoppable at Brands Hatch, winning all three races to put himself within touching distance of the crown.

Golding provisionally wrapped up the title with a meeting to spare as he scored a stunning hat-trick of wins back at Donington Park to extend his winning streak to seven on the bounce. He also ensured he finished the year with a 100% podium record.

Electing to sit out the season finale having secured an unassailable lead at the summit of the standings, Golding rounded off his season by stepping up into the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge where he enjoyed further success.

Next year will see the Ginetta G40 Cup combine with the GT5 Challenge to form one grid, with a calendar of seven events across both the British GT Championship and British Touring Car Championship packages confirmed.

2020 Season Review: Junior Saloon Car Championship

History was made in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in 2020 as Lewis Saunders cemented his legacy as one of the series’ most successful competitors by becoming the first-ever double champion.

Lifting the coveted crown in 2018 before narrowly missing out on retaining it the following year, the 16-year-old entered his third season as the hot favourite for the title and he duly lived up to the hype by producing a virtuoso performance from start-to-finish.

Providing the first steps on the motorsport ladder for 14 to 17-year-old’s and bridging the gap between karting and cars, the one-make category has become the perfect platform for teenagers to forge a career behind the wheel at an affordable price.

With a blend of experienced and rookie drivers making up the bumper entry list for this year’s revised seven-round schedule, the usual edge-of-the-seat entertainment that has become customary in the championship took centre stage once more – with Saunders emerging as the benchmark.

Retaining the support from British Touring Car Championship outfit Ciceley Motorsport, the cornerstone of Saunders’ title charge began as soon as the lights went out in July as he embarked on an impressive winning streak that would stretch across ten races.

Double wins at Cadwell Park, Croft, Brands Hatch, Knockhill and Mallory Park built up a commanding lead at the summit of the standings, however he didn’t always have things his own way.

Alex Solley, Charlie Hand, Ruben Hage, Benjamin Greenhill and Scholarship victor Deagen Fairclough were just some of the regular challengers towards the sharp end of the field, all of whom constantly remained within striking distance of Saunders as each round passed.

Solley would come to the fore towards the end of the season as he scored a brace of wins at both Silverstone and Oulton Park, however by then it had proved too late in the day to overhaul points leader Saunders.

Finishing hot on the heels of the youngster in the remaining four races of the campaign, Saunders bagged valuable points to put one hand on the championship trophy heading into the series finale at Brands Hatch.

Unfortunately, due to a second national lockdown being implemented in the days leading up to the final two rounds of the year, the annual visit to Kent was cancelled and that subsequently meant Saunders was crowned as champion for the second time in his career, rewriting the history books at the same time.

2020 Season Review: BTRA British Truck Racing Championship

Heavyweight thrills and spills formed the backbone of what was a shortened BTRA British Truck Racing Championship in 2020 as Ryan Smith and Steven Powell reigned supreme to claim championship silverware in Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, the titans of truck racing served up a feast of unmissable wheel-to-wheel entertainment for the enthusiastic crowds that flocked trackside.

Despite the calendar comprising of just three events – Donington Park, Snetterton and Thruxton – no less than 14 races were staged over the course of the season, each one setting pulses racing.

Division 1 saw the familiar theme of Smith underlining his superlative racecraft by being crowned champion for a fifth consecutive year. Having been the man to beat over the past four seasons, the MAN driver entered the season as the hot favourite and duly delivered another vintage title-winning performance.

Kicking his campaign off with a double win at Donington Park, Smith added another victory at Snetterton before really hitting his stride when the series descended on what would ultimately prove to be the final round of the season at Thruxton.

Former champions David Jenkins and Stuart Oliver, as well as front running protagonists Martin Gibson and John Newell, found themselves in the battle for supremacy as each round passed too, setting up what was set to be a grandstand finish.

Unfortunately, the introduction of a second national lockdown prior to the series finale at Brands Hatch caused the event to be cancelled, subsequently crowning Smith as champion by a handful of points.

In Division 2, Powell paired rapid speed with consistency to wrap up the title. After narrowly missing out on the crown to Luke Garrett during the past two years, the MAN racer made a lightening start as he won four out of five races at the season-opener.

Establishing himself as the lead contender following his virtuoso performance under the flightpath of East Midlands airport, Powell would go on to score a further four wins across the remaining two events to wrap up the title.

Whilst Powell and Garrett went head-to-head for the coveted crown, other notable performers included Craig Reid, John Powell and Craig Evans.