Author: Chris Ashby

TOCA support championships set to star at Oulton Park

As always, it won’t just be the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship that will serve up the traditional thrills and spills that fans have become accustomed to at Oulton Park this weekend (August 22/23), with five championships from the TOCA support package all in action as well.

In what has been a frenetic first month of the season, with this being the third event in four weeks, the on-track entertainment is only set to intensify around the Cheshire venue as every point will prove crucial in determining who will be crowned champion come the end of the year.

Harry King has set his stall out as the driver to beat in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB so far, winning three out of fours race already. Joining the grid as the Porsche GB Scholarship winner, the Team Parker Racing ace has wasted no time in settling into the series and will undoubtedly be in the mix for more silverware this weekend.

Giving chase to King are a host of contenders, all of which are led by former champion Josh Webster. Triumphing at the season-opener, Webster has been in fine form ever since and a second victory of the campaign will surely propel him firmly back into contention.

Notable names such as Ross Wylie, Lorcan Hanafin, Scott McKenna, Matthew Graham and Esmee Hawkey, amongst many others, can’t be discounted either over the course of the weekend – making the Carrera Cup GB an unmissable attraction.

The Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup has produced blockbuster moments already this year and the latest instalment of the much-loved series sees Tom Hibbert lead the way after taking a double win last time out.

Along with Will Burns, Gus Burton and Adam Smalley, the Triple M Motorsport driver has been a regular fixture towards the front of the field and it is likely that the aforementioned names will be the pace-setters once more around the challenging 2.23-mile circuit.

Additional Ginetta action at Oulton Park will come in the shape of the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge, as it fills in for the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship.

Home to aspiring GT racers as it combines close racing with a Pro/Am format, the single-make series is renowned for edge-of-the-seat thrills and if the season-opener earlier this month is anything to go by, it is set to be enthralling. Josh Malin, James Taylor and Jonny Wilkinson were the winners last time out and enter the event as the main protagonists.

Debuting on the BTCC support bill for the first time and making the first of several appearances during the remainder of the season will be the MINI CHALLENGE Cooper Championship. Like the JCW category, expect bumper grids from the one-make tin top category and fraught wheel-to-wheel action across the weekend’s two encounters.

Rounding out the weekend’s on-track entertainment will be three pulsating races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost where Carlin’s Zak O’Sullivan will be looking to maintain his early points advantage.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and entry list, click here.

All of Sunday’s action from Oulton Park will be broadcast live on ITV4, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:50.

Oulton Park awaits pulsating BTCC title fight

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to the track this weekend (August 22/23) for Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of at Oulton Park and it is Team BMW’s Colin Turkington that holds the early initiative at the summit of the standings.

Following one weekend off, Britain’s premier motor racing series continues its busy start to the 2020 campaign with what will be the third race meeting in four weeks.

Historically, tens of thousands of spectators have descended on the Cheshire venue for the BTCC’s annual visit down the years but that will sadly not be the case for 2020 due to the event being run behind closed doors.

Chasing a historic fifth drivers’ title, Northern Irishman Turkington has made a flying start to the season, scoring wins at Donington Park and Brands Hatch GP to open up a 17-point advantage, and the four-time reigning champion has shown no signs of slowing down.

Whilst the West Surrey Racing driver has started the year in seemingly scintillating form, it remains anybody’s game to lift the biggest prize in UK motorsport and there is already a long list of challengers on the hunt for the 38-year-old’s crown.

Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton leads the hunt in second place after enjoying a strong start to the year, clinching a maiden victory for the Infiniti Q50 at the season-opener before adding a pair of podiums last time out. The challenging demands of Oulton should be well-suited to the 2017 champion.

Turkington’s team-mate Tom Oliphant has elevated his game this year and has reaped the rewards, claiming a sensational maiden BTCC win in the reverse grid race at Brands Hatch to head into his home event sitting third overall.

Oulton Park will also be home turf for Speedworks Motorsport and Toyota Corolla ace Tom Ingram will be keen to build on his first podium of the season last time out to close the gap to the top three.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish has two wins to his name so far but bad luck in the shape of two non-finishes at Brands Hatch has left him playing catch up.

Carrying less weight however will make the Honda Civic Type R driver one to watch, as will the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus of Rory Butcher who has shown blistering speeds at times.

Ollie Jackson, Stephen Jelley have all made strong starts to the season as well and find themselves rounding out the top ten however none of them can be counted out from making an impact further up the order.

Of those who will be keen to bounce back from a tough start, notable attention should be paid to the Honda trio of Josh Cook, Tom Chilton and Jake Hill, as well as the likes of Senna Proctor, Jack Goff and Aiden Moffat, amidst many more.

To view more information on this weekend’s BTCC event, click here.

All of the action from Oulton Park will be broadcast live on ITV4 on Sunday, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:50.

Thruxton races down memory lane in spectacular style at Historic meeting

Spectators were able to return trackside at Thruxton Circuit this past weekend (August 15/16) for the first time since motorsport resumed in July and they weren’t to be disappointed as they enjoyed two days of high-speed nostalgic racing at the Thruxton Historic.

Welcoming enthusiastic race-goers, the fastest circuit in the UK played host to a stunning display of classic cars as well as eye-catching racing machines – making it a weekend to remember.

The Automobiles Historiques GT & Sports Car Cup provided plenty of entertainment but it was the Austin Healy 3000 pairing of Mark Holme and Jeremy Welch that proved too hot to handle, triumphing by more than 40 seconds at the chequered flag.

Richard Merrell reigned supreme in the HRDC ‘Classic Alfa Challenge’ for 750-116 Alfa Romeos whilst the Ford Mustang duo of David Coyne and Adrian Miles scored victory in the HRDC ‘Jack Sears Trophy’ for Touring Cars 1958 – 1966 in a breathtaking encounter.

There was unrelenting wheel-to-wheel action in the HRDC ‘Thermex Allstars’ for pre-66 Sports, GT and Touring Cars race too which saw David Smithies triumph at the wheel of his Cobra Daytona.

Current British Touring Car Championship star Rory Butcher was another to taste stand on the top step of the podium as he teamed up with Jon Minshaw to drive a Jaguar E-Type to first place in the Motor Racing Legends Pre 63 GT.

Arguably one of the standout races came from the Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Cars. Harking back to the early days of four-wheeled racing, the 23-lap encounter had those in attendance on the edge of their seats and they would see Patrick Blakeney-Edwards and Mike Grant Peterkin claim the win.

Meanwhile, the Motor Racing Legends Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy saw Ben Adams in unstoppable form as he clinched a dominant victory from behind the wheel of his Lola Mk1.

Rounding out the weekend’s retro-themed action were two races from the Motor Racing Legends Historic Touring Car Challenge with Tony Dron Trophy and Sixties Touring Car Challenge with U2TC.

Combining the results from both races, Blakeney-Edwards and Gregor Fiskin emerged produced a sensational performance to walk away as the victors in their Rover SD1.

To view the full classification of results from the 2020 Thruxton Historic, click here.

Thruxton will now welcome the British Racing & Sports Cars Club on August 22/23 before the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Hampshire on September 19/20.

Find out more about information on Thruxton’s race meetings, driving experiences and the latest on our coronavirus guidelines by visiting www.thruxtonracing.co.uk .

Sports Prototype Cup stars at Spa Francorchamps

The British Automobile Racing Club was well represented on the international stage this past weekend (August 15/16) as the Sports Prototype Cup travelled to Belgium to compete at the iconic Spa Francorchamps.

Marking rounds three and four of its sophomore season, the category shared the bill with the FIA World Endurance Championship and produced a pair of action-packed one-hour races to show the potential of the fast-growing UK-based series on the global stage.

With a bumper grid of Revolution A-One prototype machines, the event marked the series’ international debut and it didn’t disappoint.

Morten Dons reigned supreme in the opening encounter around the legendary 4.35-mile circuit, leading home a Mike Smith Motorsport with Breakell Racing one-two result. Dropping to third at the start, Dons was soon on the move and made his way into the lead on lap five.

In what turned out to be a gripping contest, nothing could separate the top three however it was to be Dons that would take the chequered flag ahead of Alex Kapadia and Nigel Greensall.

Faced with the prospect of a wet race in the second bout, Brands Hatch race-winner Scott Mansell showcased his prowess in the challenging conditions to take a sensational victory.

Gaining three positions on the first lap to slot into fourth, the Excelr8 Motorsport driver held station during his opening stint before climbing his way through the order in the second half of the race.

Unfortunately, heavy rain in the latter stages brought out the safety car and then subsequently the red flag, with the safety of all drivers and officials taken into consideration.

That left Mansell to collect the victory ahead of Kapadia and Dons.

The Sports Prototype Cup is next in action on Saturday 19th September with a double-header event scheduled to take place at Snetterton.

Retro-themed extravaganza to take fans back in time at the Thruxton Historic

Thruxton Circuit will reverberate to the sounds of historic and classic motor racing machines this weekend (August 15/16) as it takes a spirited trip down memory lane for the eagerly anticipated ‘Thruxton Historic’ meeting.

Originally scheduled to take place on June 6/7 before the coronavirus pandemic caused calendars to be revised, the two-day spectacle will welcome a limited number of spectators trackside for the first time since lockdown restrictions were eased.

Extensive measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of all staff and visitors will be in place throughout the venue, including the implementation of strict social distancing and other preventative measures such as clear signage, hand sanitiser stations and enhanced cleaning products.

Aiming to build on the success of last year’s Motorsport Celebration, Thruxton Historic will feature a mouth-watering array of sensational sportscars, flame-spitting saloons and evocative racing cars going wheel-to-wheel around the fastest track in the UK.

Confirmed to take centre stage over the course of the weekend include bumpers grids from the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy, Stirling Moss Trophy, HRDC Classic Alfa Challenge, Pre ’63 GT, Historic Touring Car Challenge and the GT & Sports Car Cup – to name but a few.

In addition to the on-track entertainment, those in attendance will be able to cast their eye over a number of stunning classic car displays, situated around the picturesque Hampshire venue.

To read what Thruxton is doing to keep its visitors and colleagues safe this weekend, click here.

Further information on the 2020 Thruxton Historic meeting can be found here.

BTCC action hots up around Brands Hatch Grand Prix

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continued to gather momentum at Brands Hatch this past weekend (August 8/9) with reigning champion Colin Turkington stamping his authority on the early title battle by extending his advantage at the summit of the standings.

On what was a sweltering second event of the season around the Grand Prix circuit of the famous Kent venue, Turkington powered his BMW to a second win of the year whilst Dan Cammish and Tom Oliphant also triumphed – the latter for the first time in the BTCC.

Qualifying on Saturday saw Rory Butcher produce a stunning lap to claim pole position for Motorbase Performance however the Scotsman would be unable to convert it into victory, with cruel luck striking his aspirations.

Launching from pole position, the Ford Focus driver controlled much of the running out front – albeit coming under pressure from Cammish and Turkington before a late safety car period bunched up the field.

On the restart, Butcher saw his hopes of victory slip away immediately as he suffered a puncture. Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish benefited from Butcher’s woe to score his second win of the season with Turkington and a jubilant Ollie Jackson rounding out the podium.

Elation would then turn to despair in race two for Cammish as the Honda driver saw a possible podium finish disappear as his Type R cut out with a handful of laps remaining.

Four-time champion Turkington launched his West Surrey Racing 330i M Sport into a lead that he would never relinquish, and despite the feisty efforts of Tom Ingram in his Toyota Corolla, the Team BMW driver kept his cool to triumph.

Ingram backed off his charge after Cammish’s car cut out – with several others feeling the effects of the searing temperatures as well –  to score his first podium of the year. Ashley Sutton completed the rostrum in his Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50.

Arguably, the story of race two was the sensational charge through the field by Butcher, he scythed his way up the order to finish fourth after starting in 25th.

The BTCC capped off a scorching weekend with a reverse grid encounter that will live long in the memory, as Team BMW’s Oliphant claimed a spectacular maiden win.

Starting sixth, the rear-wheel-drive ace powered his way up to third off the start and then made one of the passes of the season as he blitzed around the outside of Aiden Moffat and Stephen Jelley heading into Paddock Hill Bend to take the lead.

From there, Oliphant didn’t put a wheel wrong as he soaked up extreme race-long pressure from Sutton to cross the line in front and win, handing West Surrey Racing their 300th podium in the BTCC at the same time. Jelley rounded out the rostrum in third.

Following the second event of the season, Turkington leads the BTCC Drivers’ Championship by 16 points ahead of Sutton whilst Team BMW head both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ standings.

Sutton and Laser Tools Racing head both Independents’ categories, with Michael Crees maintaining his lead in the Jack Sears Trophy.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Brands Hatch, click here.

Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes place on August 22/23 at Oulton Park.

TOCA support championships serve up scorching Brands Hatch spectacle

Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout played host to a scorching two days of all-out action this past weekend (August 8/9) as five championships from the TOCA support package served up a feast of entertainment.

Competing alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the Kent venue, sweltering conditions merely added to the high attrition throughout the second event of what is already proving to be a memorable 2020 season.

The Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship threw up its usual mix of thrills and spills, with the duo of Bailey Voisin and Tom Lebbon taking centre stage across the weekend’s three breathless encounters.

R Racing’s Voisin proved to be the driver to beat on Saturday as he powered his way to a pair of race wins, and on Sunday he came oh so close to completing a sensational hat-trick of victories.

Pressurising race-long leader Lebbon, Voisin threw everything at the Elite Motorsport driver but ultimately narrowly missed. For Lebbon, his race three win was his first of the season and he became the first Scholarship winner to triumph in his rookie campaign since 2016.

Tom Hibbert bagged himself a double of his own in the Millers Oils GT4 Supercup, leading Gus Burton and Will Burns across the line in races one and two.

Race three belonged to former Ginetta Junior champion Adam Smalley as he claimed his maiden win in the one-make series, leading Burton and Hibbert to the chequered flag after coming under early pressure.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Harry King continued his sensational start to the season by claiming an impressive pair of wins. Pulling off identical, eye-catching moves for the lead in both encounters, the Porsche GB Scholarship victor extended his lead at the summit of the standings.

Behind, former champion Josh Webster picked up a pair of second place finishes whilst Lorcan Hanafin and Ross Wylie each scored their first podiums of the year as well.

Back by popular demand after starring at Thruxton last year, the Mini 7 Racing Club delivered three blockbuster races. Boasting a grid of more than 45 cars; wheel-to-wheel, slipstreaming action was in full force across each contest.

Aaron Smith claimed outright victory in races one and two before former BTCC champion Andrew Jordan capped off a dream debut in the series by winning race three.

Rounding out the weekend were three scintillating encounters from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost, with Carlin taking a clean sweep. Zak O’Sullivan bagged a dominant double while Christian Mansell scored a breakthrough win.

To view the full classification of results from all championships and sessions, click here.

Oulton Park provides the next stop on the calendar for the TOCA support championships on August 22/23.

BARC launches innovative ‘Open’ races for Sports and Saloon Cars

The British Automobile Racing Club is preparing to break new ground during this condensed 2020 season with the launch of an innovative set of Open Sports/Saloon Car races, the first of which are scheduled to take place at Mallory Park on August 31.

Races will be open to competitors who drive open/closed roof Sports & Saloon cars, regardless of what championship or racing club they compete in, providing they meet current Motorsport UK safety regulations.

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

A total of nine classes have been structured, with dedicated lap times already set for Mallory Park and the subsequent two other race meetings at Pembrey (October 3/4) and Thruxton (October 24/25), which have been added to the schedule due to high levels of interest already.

This format guarantees that everyone will be racing against those doing similar lap times, irrespective of the car they are driving, leading to much closer competition. Classes will be changed post-qualifying and post-race if competitors run two or more laps faster in a qualifying session or race than their nominated class allowance stipulates.

The origins of this format were first mooted to current BARC Group Chief Executive Ben Taylor by former Haymarket Director Derek Redfern a number of years ago. Now, with the demand to go racing greater than ever, the idea is set to be a reality with four races currently confirmed for the remainder of the year.

Commenting on the innovative format, Taylor said: “We are really excited to launch this brand new format of class racing, under a set of regulations we are calling ‘BARC Red’.

“We believe that it has the potential to deliver really exciting racing for the club competitor and allow pretty much any car to compete in our races, irrespective of engine size, power to weight ratio, experience of driver or their budget.

“It should bring more for variety to the grids as well, which have become a little bit one dimensional in recent years with the growth of the single marque series and events. There are loads of cars out there not currently competing, but the joy of this series is that there is no need for eligibility scrutineering – if your car is in line with the Blue Book, it is welcome to race.

“The word ‘Red’ is a nod to Derek, whose idea this was originally. He mentioned it to me at a meeting of the Motor Sports Council while I was working at the MSA and I thought it sounded interesting, but at the time it wasn’t something that was relevant to my role.

“Now I’m at the BARC, it seems to offer a great solution for the current climate and the challenging times we face – we are inevitably going to see the customer demanding more enjoyment for their money, so having fun, exciting racing will be essential.

“The clubs are also going to need to find ways to have full grids to keep costs down for drivers, so this is a way of making sure that all cars and all drivers are able to compete equally on a level playing field.”

For further information or an entry form for these races, please contact David Wheadon via dwheadon@barc.net

Convoy Truck Events to not form part of BTRA race meetings in 2020

The BTRA British Truck Racing Championship will blast back into life at Donington Park later this month however it has been confirmed that the event will not encompass the Convoy in the Park spectacle.

Organised by DVV and Trucksport UK as the ultimate festival of all things trucking, the two-day event celebrates the world’s largest vehicles both on and off the track, along with plenty of fun for all of the family.

Having taken centre stage at Donington Park in recent years, the Convoy Truck Event was set to break new ground in 2020 and stage additional events at Thruxton and Pembrey, as well as the Leicestershire venue.

A statement on the Convoy Truck Events website said: “We are just as disappointed as we know you will be. Things had been looking positive for a couple of weeks, but with the recent rise in Covid-19 cases, local lockdowns and restrictions, we just can’t promise to deliver the kind of show you guys deserve. And we don’t want to deliver anything less.

“The British Truck Racing Championship racing is set to continue at Donington Park on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd August, and under current guidelines spectators will be welcome. So if you were going along to watch the racing, please continue on that basis and visit www.msv.com for tickets.

“But if you were bringing your show truck, or visiting to see the trucks and enjoy the entertainment then we’re afraid for this year it’s the end of the road. To make things as easy as possible, we will be issuing full refunds to everyone who had booked in trucks within the next 14 days. 

“All visitor ticketholders – so those with day tickets, weekend or camping tickets – will be contacted directly by MSV for next steps.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is we are already planning a bigger and better truck bonanza for all three of our Convoys in 2021 – Convoy On The Plain, Convoy In The Park and Convoy Cymru, so please do continue to watch this space.”

Provisional BTRA British Truck Racing Championship 2020 Calendar

August 22/23 – Donington Park

September 19/20 – Snetterton

October 3/4 – Pembrey

November 7/8 – Brands Hatch

BTCC battle set to continue at Brands Hatch

With the dust having just about settled on a pulsating season-opener at Donington Park, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is immediately back in action this weekend (August 8/9) at Brands Hatch for Rounds 4, 5 and 6.

After nearly ten months without racing, Britain’s premier motorsport series blasted back into life in blockbuster fashion and yielding three different winners as Dan Cammish, Colin Turkington and Ashley Sutton all triumphed.

Now, the Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch provides the latest stop on the condensed calendar for the BTCC and championship battle is only set to intensify – with every point set to be crucial in deciding who will lift the coveted title.

The top of the standings has a familiar feel heading into the weekend as reigning, four-time champion Turkington holds the early advantage. The Team BMW driver began the defence of his crown in style with a pole position, win and second place and arrives in Kent with a six point lead.

Having narrowly missed out on the title last year, Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Cammish put the demons of last year behind to kick off the new campaign on the right foot, winning the opener and the Yorkshireman will be keen to continue his quest for a maiden title at the wheel of the rapid Honda Civic Type R this weekend.

Arguably the star of the 2020 curtain-raiser was the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti of Sutton. On his debut for the team, the 2017 champion produced an overtaking masterclass across all three races to not only take a historic maiden win for the car but also fastest lap in each encounter.

Seemingly at one with the rear-wheel-drive machine, the 26-year-old will be one to watch around the iconic 2.43-mile circuit as he aims to close the nine point deficit between himself and Turkington.

Beyond the race winners, Donington Park also saw a host of other drivers underline that they will be firmly in the mix for the title throughout the season.

Rory Butcher, Tom Oliphant, Josh Cook and Chris Smiley all notched podium finishes at the Leicestershire venue and each of them will be keen to add further silverware at Brands Hatch.

Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram made a solid start to the season, as did Matt Neal, Adam Morgan and any one of them could power their way into the early championship conversation.

Of those aiming to bounce back from a rollercoaster weekend; Jake Hill, Tom Chilton, Senna Proctor and Stephen Jelley are four drivers that will be worth keeping a keen eye on.

To view more information on this weekend such as links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Like Donington Park, this weekend’s event at Brands Hatch will be run behind closed doors and with spectators not permitted to attend. ITV4’s live coverage on Sunday will begin at 10:20.

TOCA support championships look to take centre stage at Brands Hatch

After taking on a starring role alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park a few days ago, the TOCA support package will be back in action this weekend (August 8/9) as Brands Hatch stages the latest stop on the calendar.

Set to tackle the 2.43-mile Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue, five championships will be looking to steal the show on what is set to be scorching weekend both on and off the track.

Home to the next generation of racing stars, the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship wasted no time in getting back into the swing of things with three enthralling races kicking off the new season.

Georgi Dimitrov enjoyed a dream debut as he took two wins and a second place to secure an early points lead and the Richardson Racing will need to maintain his form if he is to remain at the summit, with a host of contenders hot on his heels.

Joel Pearson, Tom Lebbon, Aston Millar and Bailey Voisin lead the chase for the British-Bulgarian teenager and with three races scheduled to take place over the course of the weekend, any of them as well as many others, could make their mark.

Will Burns was one who definitely made his mark at Donington Park, winning two races to take control of the Millers Oils GT4 Supercup standings. Aiming to finally clinch the title after coming close on many occasions, Burns enters the weekend’s trio of races as the man to beat – however there are many confident that they can do just that.

Gus Burton scored victory on his debut last time out whilst Tom Hibbert, Adam Smalley and Reece Somerfield all showed that they have the pace to mix it at the front as well.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB boasts a bumper entry list in 2020 and it looks like it will be as competitive as ever in the fastest one-make series in the UK.

Team Parker Racing’s Harry King and Josh Webster took a win apiece under the flightpath of East Midlands airport and the duo look set to renew their battle in the bid to gain the upper hand.

Esmee Hawkey, Scott McKenna and Ross Wyle are a handful of other drivers that will be worth keeping an eye as they aim to take the fight to the early pace setters.

Having garnered plenty of praise when it made a one-off appearance at Thruxton last year, the Dunlop Mini Challenges supported by Mini Spares returns with a mammoth of grid of ‘old school’ Mini machines.

Renowned for slipstreaming one another and multiple cars going wheel-to-wheel, thrills and spills are all-but guaranteed in the series. Featuring on the mammoth entry list too is 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan, who had originally been set to compete in Britain’s premier motorsport category before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Rounding out the weekend’s on-track entertainment will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Three drivers from three different teams reigned supreme at the opener and the big question now is whether that run can continue.

To view more information on this weekend such as links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Like Donington Park, this weekend’s event at Brands Hatch will be run behind closed doors and with spectators not permitted to attend. ITV4’s live coverage on Sunday will begin at 10:20.

Entertainment aplenty as TOCA support championships roar into life at Donington Park

Donington Park played host to a memorable two days of track action on the TOCA support package this past weekend (August 1/2) with five championships kicking off their 2020 campaigns in blockbuster fashion.

Taking centre stage at the Leicestershire venue alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship behind closed doors, edge-of-the-seat entertainment ran throughout each race – setting the scene for what is set to be an enthralling season.

Making its first appearance on the BTCC support bill was the MINI CHALLENGE JCW Championship and it didn’t disappoint. Replacing the Renault UK Clio Cup, the popular one-make series proved to be a smash-hit as a 30-car grid duked it out across three races.

Ant Whorton-Eales underlined his credentials as a title contender as he triumphed in race one ahead of Nathan Harrison and Lewis Brown before Harrison himself struck back with a win of his own in race two.

Max Coates, a familiar name to fans of the BTCC package, then mad it three different winners from three races as he resisted the challenge of Kyle Reid to emerge victorious.

The latest crop of teenage superstars that make up the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship took on a starring role with rookie Georgi Dimitrov enjoying a stellar debut, taking two wins and a second place.

Spearheading Richardson Racing’s line-up, the British-Bulgarian racer lost out to Bailey Voisin in a frenetic opener before going on to be perfection personified for the remainder of the meeting, winning races two and three.

Will Burns also enjoyed a near-perfect weekend in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup as he scooped a brace of race wins and a second place. Bidding to finally capture the crown that has so far eluded him, the former vice-champion was in unstoppable form as he led Gus Burton and Tom Hibbert in races one and two.

Burns’ hopes of completing a clean sweep however were ended by Burton in race three, who capped off a dream GT4 Supercup debut to claim a maiden win in the single-make category.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Josh Webster and Harry King took a win apiece to open their 2020 accounts. King had led a majority of race one before being passed Webster whilst Esmee Hawkey made it a Team Parker Racing 1-2-3.

Race two saw no mistake from Porsche GB Scholarship winner King however as he produced a scintillating lights-to-flag drive to score victory ahead of Scott McKenna and Webster.

Rounding out the weekend were three ultra-competitive races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost where Alex Connor, Zak O’Sullivan and James Hedley shared the spoils.

To view the full classification of results across all sessions and championships, click here.

Several TOCA support championships will now head to Brands Hatch on August 8/9 to continue their 2020 campaigns.