Author: Chris Ashby

2020 Season Review: Cayman Islands Porsche Sprint Challenge GB

The Cayman Islands Porsche Sprint Challenge GB made an immediate impact during its eagerly-anticipated debut in 2020, crowning James Dorlin as its inaugural champion and laying down the building blocks for years to come.

Introduced as the latest championship to be added to the Porsche Motorsport GB pyramid, sitting between the Porsche Classic Boxster Cup and Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the one-make series proved to be a smash-hit from the get-go.

Accommodating both amateur and professional drivers alike, the championship operated a two-category structure in the shape of Pro and Am; with the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport series starring on both the British Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship support packages.

No stranger to the British Automobile Racing Club after winning titles in both the Junior Saloon Car Championship and Michelin Clio Cup Series, In2 Racing’s Dorlin entered the season as one of the favourites to challenge for the crown and the 21-year-old wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat.

Kicking the season off at Snetterton, Dorlin produced a masterful performance to win both races and assume top spot in the overall standings. The former Renault UK Clio Cup vice-champion would then triumph at Donington Park as well after seeing Tom Jackson open his account for the year.

Jackson would prove to be Dorlin’s closest challenger over the course of the campaign and the Rob Boston Racing ace racked up further wins at Brands Hatch and Donington Park once again to close the gap to Dorlin.

As the championship reached the business end of the season, a heavy crash at Croft for Jackson all but ended his title aspirations as Dorlin showed his class, winning three of the final four contests to write his name into the history books as the first-ever Cayman Islands Porsche Sprint Challenge GB champion.

In the Amateur category, Ambrogio Perfetti charged to six wins and two second place finishes to secure the title ahead of Ian Humphris.

2020 Season Review: Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge

The battle for supremacy in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge went down to the  very last lap of the season in 2020, and when all was said done it was Josh Malin that prevailed as champion.

Armed with an ultra-competitive grid and renowned for producing wheel-to-wheel entertainment, the one-make series strengthened its reputation as one of the best proving grounds for budding GT drivers.

Open to drivers of all ages and experience, the GT5 Challenge took centre stage on both the British Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship support packages.

In what proved to be a vintage year for the championship, four drivers came to the fore over the course of the season to battle for outright honours: Malin, James Taylor, Gordie Mutch and Jonny Wilkinson.

Oulton Park played host to the season-opener and it would see Malin, Wilkinson and Taylor share the spoils. That theme would continue between those three, with the addition of the emerging Mutch, throughout the remainder of the season as they dazzled fans at almost every turn.

As the business end of the season came into view, the fight for top spot soon came down to Richardson Racing’s Malin and Elite Motorsport’s Taylor.

Separated by just seven points heading into the final event of the year at Silverstone, the duelling title protagonists served up a finale that will live long in the memory as Taylor grabbed the advantage by storming to a crucial victory in race one. 

Malin went into last race of the season with a one point deficit to Taylor, however he edged out his rival in a thrilling winner-takes-all finale to secure his first Ginetta title by the smallest of margins.

Whilst Malin was crowned champion in the Pro class, Ian Duggan reigned supreme in the Am category to lift the coveted title.

The Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge looks set to grow in stature even further in 2021 as it combines grids with the Ginetta G40 Cup.

Classic Touring Car Racing Club to reintroduce prize money in 2021

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club has announced that it will be bringing back prize money for drivers finishing in first, second and third place at the end of the 2021 season in each of its championships.

Providing bumper grids and edge-of-the-seat entertainment at British Automobile Racing Club events for many years, the CTCRC is aiming to give back to its loyal competitors by offering up cash prizes for the top three in each championship next year.

The Poultec – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, Shell Oil Pre ’83 Touring Car Championship, Laser Tools Pre-93 Touring Cars Championship, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars Championship, Burton Power Products Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship are set to make up the illustrious list of categories that fall under the CTCRC banner next year.

Stuart Caie, CTCRC Chairman, said: “For many years, it’s been a one-way street financially for club racing; pay this, pay that, renew everything after ten minutes and start again.

“In 2021 the Classic Touring Car Racing Club are going to reverse the flow of money out of drivers’ pockets to ensure they benefit directly from the success of their own club. We are a club created by the people for the people run by an extremely dedicated team of volunteers.

“In some cases, club racing has been in a bit of decline for the last ten years, but our grids are strong as we continue to look at new and diverse ways of attracting members. We feel that prize money is the next step forward in that strategy – you only have to look over the fence to oval racing to see that prize money can help to bring large grids and great racing.”

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, added: “CTCRC has been one of the jewels of the BARC stable for many decades. They are constantly innovating and coming up with new ideas to make sure that their members get great value for money in their racing. We are delighted to work with them and together I am sure that 2021 will be an even bigger success.”

To find out more information about the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, visit www.classictouringcar.com.

Truck Sport UK agrees multi-year deal with BARC for BTRC commercial rights

Truck Sport Promotions Ltd have agreed a minimum three-year deal with the British Automobile Racing Club to hold the commercial rights to Truck Racing in the UK, which will include the promotion and management of the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC).

With the aim of creating a professional platform for the heavyweight series, the BARC will continue to hold a new Motorsport UK race championship permit for the British title and together with Truck Sport UK, will plan and organise the BTRC.

Truck Sport UK will also continue to work closely with Road Transport Media Ltd, publishers of Commercial Motor and Truck & Driver, to maximise the media exposure of the championship to relevant audiences within the road transport and logistics sectors, as well as further afield.

In addition to the deal with the BARC, Truck Sport UK will continue to work in partnership with Road Transport Media Ltd to develop further the already established CONVOY branded events, of which there are three being planned for the 2021 season.

To find out more information on the British Truck Racing Championship, head to https://www.barc.net/championship/british-truck-racing-association-championship/

Ashley Sutton: “Winning second BTCC title is an absolute dream”

Ashley Sutton has admitted that it is an ‘absolute dream’ to have become a two-time champion of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after wrapping up the crown at Brands Hatch this past weekend.

The Laser Tools Racing driver had entered the season finale with ground to make up on Colin Turkington and he did just that as he powered his Infiniti Q50 to second place in race one before scoring an empathic win in race two.

Sitting in the box seat heading into the final contest of the campaign, the rear-wheel-drive ace battled his way to sixth place amidst the tricky conditions to seal the most coveted prize in UK motorsport for the second time, having previously won it in 2017 in a Subaru Levorg.

In addition, Sutton made it a year to remember by also clinching the BTCC Independent Drivers’ Championship and helped guide Laser Tools Racing to a maiden BTCC Independent Teams’ Championship.

Commenting on his success, Sutton said: “Two-time British Touring Car Champion – what a feeling! This one feels even sweeter than back in 2017 and it’s an absolute dream; it’s been a while since an Independent team won the overall championship and huge credit has to go to everyone at Laser Tools Racing, BMR Engineering, all of the teams sponsors, my own personal sponsors, my family and friends – none of this would have been possible without them.

“They say that the second title is easier to win than the first but I can tell you that isn’t the case at all. We came into the weekend as prepared as we could have been and I was feeling confident we would be strong in those wet conditions – I love them.

“I said I was going to come all guns blazing and I did that to a point, however I’ve learnt the lesson at Croft and knew that we had to be smart. Scoring a podium in the first race was a great start and then the car came alive in race two, it surprised me a bit. In race three I wasn’t willing to make a move on Colin until he made a mistake or left the door open, which he did and I made the most of it. I’d like to think that we won the championship in that last race with the inner racer showing.

“Back in March at Media Day we rolled out this brand new car but because of the pandemic we basically had to put it back on the shelf. We’ve had our ups and downs but everyone has pulled together to achieve three titles is phenomenal; not bad at all for a first year.

“Standing on that podium wasn’t the same without the fans, they really make the BTCC what it is. Hopefully we’ve been able to put on a show for everyone this season during what has been a difficult year and fingers crossed we will be able to welcome them back trackside in 2021.

“We’ll savour this moment but I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead. I want to make my mark on the BTCC, keep racking up the wins, podiums, championships and achieve the sort of things like Lewis [Hamilton] has done in F1.”

Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club Saloon & GT Championship joins BARC ranks for 2021

The British Automobile Racing Club is delighted to announce that the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club Saloon & GT Championship will join its ranks and race alongside the Classic Touring Car Racing Club from the start of the 2021 season.

Having been a crowd favourite on the UK racing scene since the late 1990’s, the JEC was established over 21 years ago and has since become renowned for producing classic club racing with its bumper grids of XK Series machines and Saloon & GT Championship.

After reaching an agreement with the BARC and CTCRC, the one-make championship will now look to continue moving forward and flourishing, as well as adding to its storied history.

Chris Robinson, JEC Racing Competition Secretary, said: “After eighteen successful years with CSCC we felt to grow our numbers it was important for us to have our own grid for our Saloon’s & GT’s”.

“The CTCRC have been running highly successful classic touring car racing with BARC for many years and we felt with Jaguar’s great history in touring car racing and with what CTCRC and BARC have achieved that this was the perfect platform for us to race with.”

Colin Porter, JEC Racing Coordinator, continued: “We are excited to be racing with CTCRC and BARC in 2021 and look forward to the commercial opportunities that the excellent media coverage that Classic Touring Car Racing Club enjoys could bring us.”

Ben Taylor, BARC Group Chief Executive, added: “While this has been a truly challenging year for everyone, I am very proud of the way the BARC has responded to it. The team has worked extremely hard to deliver a meaningful calendar of events for all our championships and we have had great feedback from everyone.

“To be able to add a new championship to the fold for 2021 is great news. We look forward to welcoming the Jaguars to the BARC and they will fit perfectly into the CTCRC package which continues to flourish thanks to the unstinting efforts of Stuart Caie and the committee.”

Tickets now on sale for both 2021 BTCC race meetings at Thruxton

As the dust settles on the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Thruxton Circuit is already giving fans plenty to cheer about by putting tickets for its two 2021 events on-sale.

Coming off the back of an unprecedented season which saw Ashley Sutton crowned champion for a second time, Britain’s premier motorsport series will enjoy a double dose of touring car thrills around the fastest circuit in the UK next year – the first coming on May 8/9 before a visit later in the season on August 28/29.

With Christmas just around the corner, the Hampshire venue is offering fans a discount until the end of December that can see them save more than 30% compared to ‘on the gate’ prices.

In addition to the BTCC, tickets for the return of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship on June 4/5/6 are also now on-sale at special pre-Christmas prices.

Ticket options for all three blockbuster events can be found by visiting https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/news/1057/btcc-bsb-christmas-tickets-2021.

Should Thruxton be unable to have spectators at a race meeting in 2021, customers will have the option of either a full refund or to transfer their tickets.

Stringent measures are in place to ensure that Thruxton operates a COVID safe environment, ensuring that spectators remain safe whilst soaking up the on-track action.

To find out more information on Thruxton’s COVID protocols, as well as all of the latest information regarding its 2021 race meetings, head to https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/.

Ashley Sutton crowned two-time BTCC champion at Brands Hatch finale

Ashley Sutton returned to the summit of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship mountain at Brands Hatch this past weekend (November 14/15) as the Laser Tools Racing driver was crowned champion for the second time in his career.

Heading into the season finale sitting second in the standings and needing to overturn a nine-point deficit to Colin Turkington, the Infiniti Q50 driver produced a superlative final day performance to become a two-time champion by 14 points.

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.

Bringing the curtain down on a dramatic season of tin top thrills and spills at the Kent venue, treacherous weather conditions played their part across both days – adding to the nail-biting spectacle.

Sutton kicked off his weekend in style during qualifying as he powered his way to third whilst Turkington could only manage eighth. Pole position though would go the way of Toyota Gazoo Racing with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram after a late surge to the top of the times in the session.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish produced one of the best drives of his BTCC career to-date in the opening contest on Sunday, moving from fourth on the grid in the extreme wet to chalk up his fourth win of the season.

Making his way to the front with a number of daring moves, Cammish never looked back once out front whilst Sutton took control of the standings as he followed the Honda man home, with Ingram third and Turkington splashing his way to ninth.

Sutton edged closer in his quest to be crowned champion in race two as he stormed to victory in a pulsating wet-dry penultimate race of the season. Opting to run slick tyres and starting second, the 2017 champion held position during the early stages whilst those on wets came to the fore.

A handful of laps later however, the slick-shod cars were in the ascendancy and rear-wheel-drive wasted no time in moving into the lead. Once out front, he powered his way to a commanding fifth win of the season whilst Ingram, Cammish and Turkington followed.

Three drivers – Sutton, Turkington and Cammish – went into the final bout of the year still in contention for the crown but as conditions deteriorated once again, nothing would stop Sutton earning a deserving second title.

Passing Turkington in the latter stages, the five-time race winner cruised to fifth place as Rory Butcher dominated proceedings up front, claiming an impressive victory on Motorbase Performance’s home turf.

In the end it was Sutton that lifted the most coveted prize in UK motorsport for the second time in his still short career with Turkington, Cammish, Ingram and Butcher rounding out the top five in the standings.

Team BMW concluded its campaign by wrapping up the BTCC Teams’ Championship and BTCC Manufacturers’ Championship titles. Michael Crees meanwhile was the victor of the Jack Sears Trophy, much to his delight.

To view the full classification of results from the final event of the 2020 season, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return in 2021, with the opening rounds scheduled to begin next April.

Five-way BTCC title showdown set to take centre stage at Brands Hatch

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set for an unmissable season finale at Brands Hatch this coming weekend (November 14/15) as the destiny of this year’s title will be decided between five drivers.

In what has been an unprecedented year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Britain’s premier racing series has served up another vintage year of tin top thrills – all of which has been condensed into nine events over the course of the past three and a half months.

Now, the battle to be crowned King of the BTCC looks set to go down to the wire with three races around the Indy circuit on Sunday and a maximum of 67 points up for grabs.

Four-time and reigning BTCC champion Colin Turkington heads into the weekend in the box seat after reclaiming the points lead last time out at Snetterton. The Team BMW scored a double win and 60-point haul at the Norfolk venue to open up a nine-point lead over his nearest challenger.

No stranger to heading into the final round of the season in contention for the title, the West Surrey Racing ace will undoubtedly look to draw on all of his experience as he bids to clinch a record-breaking fifth championship.

Leading the chase for the Northern Irishman is Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton. Bidding to become a two-time champion, the Infiniti Q50 driver has been one of the standout performers of the season, scoring four victories and producing a string of superlative fightback drivers along the way.

Renowned for his never-say-die attitude, expect the 2017 champion to come out all guns blazing over the course of the weekend as he aims to take the fight to Turkington.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish has been Mr. Consistency once again this year and his relentless form sits him third and 25 points off the summit. The Honda man came within half a lap of glory last year and he will need to be on top form if he is to achieve the feat this time around.

For the fourth consecutive year, Toyota Gazoo Racing with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram are in with a shout of championship glory. Three wins and countless other podiums have been the backbone of Ingram’s campaign and the former Indie champion

Arguably viewed as the outsider in the battle for title supremacy, the Toyota Corolla driver has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The fifth and final contender for the biggest prize in UK motorsport is Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher. Enjoying an impressive maiden season with the all-new Ford Focus ST, the Scotsman has

Trailing Turkington by 63 points, Butcher is the real long shot but you can expect him to make his presence known towards the front of the field regardless.

Aside from the Drivers’ Championship, a host of other titles will be decided at Brands Hatch as well in the BTCC.

Team BMW sit on the cusp of wrapping up the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles whilst Sutton will look to help Laser Tools Racing clinch a maiden Independent Team’s crown. Sutton already has one title in the bag courtesy of having already secured an unassailable lead in the Independent Drivers’ Championship.

Michael Crees leads the Jack Sears Trophy whilst Turkington could be crowned the inaugural Goodyear Wingfoot Award winner, thanks to his outstanding qualifying performances so far.

To find out more information on this weekend’s unmissable BTCC season finale, such as links to live timing and commentary, click here.

Champions to be crowned throughout unmissable TOCA support package

It won’t just be the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship that will crown champions at Brands Hatch this weekend (November 14/15) as titles will be decided throughout the TOCA support package as well.

Taking centre stage alongside the UK’s premier motorsport series since the 2020 campaign roared into life back in August, each support championship has served up a feast of entertainment over the course of the past three and a half months.

In the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, a three-way battle between Bailey Voisin, Tom Lebbon and Josh Rattican will come to a head across two blockbuster encounters. All three have been a force to be reckoned

Voisin enters the weekend in the box seat, holding an 11-point lead over Lebbon who is looking to make history as the first-ever Scholarship winner to win the main prize in their first year. Rattican meanwhile is a further ten points back, well within striking distance.

Will Burns sits on the cusp of being crowed Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion for the first time, having been runner-up on two previous occasions. The Rob Boston Racing driver has been the man to beat for a majority of the season, scoring no less than five victories and a further eight podiums to-date.

Burns’ nearest challenger is Gus Burton, who has proven to be a revelation during his maiden campaign. Burton will need things to fall his way however he has shown he is more than capable of running towards the front in the ultra-competitive series.

The Quaife MINI CHALLENGE has proven to be a smash-hit during its first year on the TOCA support package and it too will crown a champion around the Indy circuit of the famous Kent venue.

Nathan Harrison holds the lead but with Ant Whorton-Eales, Dan Zelos, Tom Rawlings and Max Bird all hot on his heels, the stage is set for an enthralling battle for supremacy.

It’s set to be all to play for in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost as the single-seater category brings the curtain down on another season with three scheduled contests.

Zak O’Sullivan and Luke Browning are tied on points so it will be a simple case of whoever outscores the other will be crowned champion.

One championship that has already been settled is the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, with Harry King have secured an unassailable lead last time out at Snetterton. King has been the benchmark driver during his rookie year and will undoubtedly look to put the exclamation point on what has been a scintillating campaign.

To find out more information on this weekend’s finale at Brands Hatch, such as links to live timing and commentary, click here.

Titles decided during dramatic Brands Hatch TOCA support showdown

Alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch this past weekend (November 14/15), high drama ran throughout the TOCA support race championships as titles were decided and champions were crowned.

Bringing the curtain down on an unprecedented season which has consisted of nine events crammed into just three-and-a-half months, treacherous weather conditions added to the spectacle over the course of two blockbuster days at the Kent venue.

History was made in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship as Tom Lebbon secured the title following a tense finale. Tallying a pair of second place finishes, the Elite Motorsport driver became the first Ginetta Junior Scholarship winner to win the overall crown at the first attempt.

Lebbon had been in the thick of a three-way title fight alongside Josh Rattican and Bailey Voisin for a majority of the season but came good at the end, triumphing in sensational style. Rattican and Josh Millar would claim the final race wins of the season.

In the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Will Burns was finally crowned champion after a superlative campaign. Having twice been a runner-up in the series, the Rob Boston Racing driver made no mistake this year as he paired raw speed with consistency to net the title.

Burns wrapped the championship up in the opening encounter as Adam Smalley and Gus Burton shared the remaining spoils of the 2020 season.

Having made their mark during their first year on the TOCA support bill, the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE signed off a stellar debut season with two enthralling bouts. As Max Bird and Lewis Brown took a win apiece, Excelr8 Motorsport’s Harrison held his nerve to deliver too formidable drives which would prove good enough for the title.

After clinching the title at Snetterton last month, Harry King put an exclamation point on his domination of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with another stunning display. Sweeping the competition aside this year, the Porsche GB Scholarship winner racked up his 11th and 12th wins of the season to sign off the year as a worthy champion.

The final title to be decided around the Indy layout was the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost, with Luke Browning emerging as the victor in dramatic circumstances.

Zak O’Sullivan won the final round of the year however heavy rain hit the circuit and, on the grounds of safety with the entire field on slick tyres, the race was red-flagged. Half points were awarded and that swung the pendulum back to Browning, crowning him champion by four markers.

To view the full classification of results and championship points for each category, click here.

Ian Watson to retire as BARC General Manager at the end of 2020

The British Automobile Racing Club has announced that Ian Watson will retire from his position of General Manager at the end of this year. After spending the past two decades at the organisation, Ian will step down from his day-to-day post but will continue his association with the BARC as he takes up a consultancy role for 2021.

Joining the Club in 2000 as Business Development Manager, Ian subsequently assumed the post of General Manager and since then has played a pivotal role in the Club’s growth, overseeing the Competitions and Marshals Departments. He has had the key responsibility of organising the Club’s racing calendar and events each year, as well as a host of other important duties.

In addition, Ian has also brought a number of high-profile events to the Club’s expansive portfolio, including the Pure McLaren GT4 Series, FIA World Endurance Championship and FIA World Rallycross Championship. He also played a crucial part in seeing the Club accredited with the Achievement of Excellence rating in the FIA Institute’s Sustainability Programme in 2016.

“I’ve really enjoyed the past 20 years at the British Automobile Racing Club but I feel that it is the right time to take things a little easier and enjoy slowing down a bit,” said Ian on the subject of his impending retirement.

“Over the past two decades I have been privileged to work alongside some great people and they have all made my time at the Club unforgettable. I’ve been involved in motorsport pretty much all my life so to have had the career I’ve subsequently had has been brilliant. I’ll still be involved with the Club in terms of the BTCC and a number of other events so I won’t be disappearing completely.”

Alongside his new consultancy position within the BARC, Ian will remain Senior Clerk of the Course for the British Touring Car Championship and Clerk of the Course for a number of key events into 2021 and beyond.

BARC Club Chairman, Tony Scott-Andrews, said: “There are very few in the UK motorsport community with such a detailed knowledge of the sport and the way it operates as Ian. Not only has he organised the calendar of events over the years but he has run the events themselves as the Clerk of the Course, a Clerk par excellence as evidenced by his continuing involvement with the BTCC and other high profile events.

“He has done so much over the years to make BARC the club that it is today and he will be sorely missed. I thank him for all that he has done for the club and indeed for all that he has contributed to motorsport in general and to ensuring the safety of all those involved.”

BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor added: “I have known Ian since before he was at the BARC, but I had not worked closely with him until I came to the club last year. I know that he has mentored so many people throughout the sport in recent years and his knowledge and experience has been a huge help to me as I settled into my role. I am delighted that Ian will continue to work with us in the future, not least in supporting his replacement in due course.”

The BARC are is now recruiting for Ian’s replacement. Full details can be found HERE.