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Gurston Down cancels remaining 2020 events

Gurston Down Speed Hillclimb has confirmed that it has cancelled its remaining events that were scheduled to take place in 2020.

Operated by the Club’s South West Centre, the Salisbury-based venue had been set to play host to the likes of the British Hillclimb Championship, amongst other meetings, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

A statement on Gurston Down’s website read: “After an exhaustive Committee meeting on the 29th June 2020, BARC South West Centre have to announce that we will not be running an event on 30th August 2020.

“As many of you already know, as a consequence, there will be no hill climb events at Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb for the 2020 season. The Turbo Dynamics Gurston Down Hill Climb Championship and the Cavendish Ships Store BARC SW Top Ten Challenge have both been cancelled as has our Annual Awards Dinner in November.

“The Committee heard from all of those involved in the running of the event, discussed the safety and financial implications, as well as views from each of the committee members.

“The primary concern of the Committee was driver and stakeholder safety. The Committee, by majority vote, decided that the event could not be run taking into account all of the current guidance issued by Motorsport UK, BARC, HM Government and the other stakeholders.

“Our Competition Secretary, Nick Revels will be in touch with all competitors over the next few weeks to arrange refunds. These refunds will be processed as quickly as possible.”

BARC championships ready to get back on track at Cadwell Park

The British Automobile Racing Club will take centre stage at Cadwell Park this weekend (July 4/5) for the first event of the 2020 season; with a blockbuster two days of ultra-competitive action lined up.

After months of uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UK motorsport scene is set to kick back into life although spectators will not be permitted to attend and strict post-lockdown rules are now in place to combat the spread of the virus.

Packed with tight turns, flowing corners and undulation; the Lincolnshire-based venue has been a popular destination for racers down the years and is set to be a fitting backdrop to start what will be a condensed and frenetic campaign over the coming months.

Topping the bill over the course of the weekend will be two races from the Junior Saloon Car Championship, home to the stars of tomorrow. Open to drivers aged 14 to 17, the one-make series has become renowned for producing plenty of thrills and spills and this year is set to be no different.

Former champion Lewis Saunders headlines the entry list as he bids to become the first two-time JSCC champion however he will be faced with a host of challengers including Ruben Hage, Harry Rice and Scholarship victor Deagen Fairclough, amongst others.

Variety is the spice of life when it comes to the Classic Touring Car Championship and this year’s eclectic mix of tin top machines is shaping up to be no different.

Racing from 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, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Products Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship will undoubtedly provide thrilling entertainment.

Action from the Club’s North West Centre flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship will also take place during the weekend. Home to all manner of machinery, a bumper grid of differing machines are all set for battle across the multiple classes that are in place.

Steeped in more than 25 years worth of history, the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship has become a stalwart of the BARC and it will begin a three-event series this weekend.

With two races scheduled to take place and defending champion Pete Sparrow absent from the entry list, the door is wide open for someone to be crowned champion. Nick Crispin, Lien Davies and Chris Yates are just three possible contenders that could claim the throne.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action will be racing from the much-loved British Superkarts Championship, where high-octane speeds will be clocked just inches off the ground.

To view more information on this weekend’s 2020 curtain-raiser at Cadwell Park, including the full entry list and official BARC guidelines, click here.

Pembrey Circuit unveils revised provisional 2020 events schedule

Pembrey Circuit is set to play host to a blockbuster season of top-draw racing for the remainder of 2020 after unveiling a revised provisional schedule made up of eight events.

Having had to press pause on celebrating its 30th Anniversary in association with the British Automobile Racing Club due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the home of Welsh motorsport is primed to finally stage race meetings after already opening its doors for professional teams to test.

The Welsh lockdown has provided the venue with the opportunity to complete the build of its brand new garage complex, with further improvements having also been carried out in recent months too.

Working closely with the Welsh Government and Carmarthenshire County Council, the South Wales circuit will now aim to move from exclusive testing to playing host to race meetings.

All dates and events remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

Phil Davies, Pembrey Circuit Manager, said: “These have been trying months for everyone but I am proud that we have been able to persevere through this pandemic and come out the other side in a strong position.

“In recent weeks we have welcomed a host of professional teams for private testing and these have proven to be very successful with our own guidelines in place. Now we are looking forward to playing host to events.

“This hasn’t been the way we had planned to celebrate our 30th Anniversary but with our new garage complex finally built we are certain to make the best of it.”

Pembrey Circuit – Revised Provisional 2020 Calendar

August 8/9 – Toyo Tires BTRDA Rallycross Championship

August 29/30 – British Supermoto Championship

September 12/13 – British Automobile Racing Club

September 26/27 – Classic Motorcycle Racing Club

October 3/4 – BTRC British Truck Racing Championship

October 9/10/11 – NGRR Motorcycle Championships

October 17/18 – Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy

December 28 – Christmas Stages Rally

Croft Circuit revved up to get back racing in 2020

As a return to racing draws nearer following, Croft Circuit is readying itself to play host to top-level motorsport once more in 2020 – with a four-event post-lockdown schedule having been announced.

The British Automobile Racing Club will lift the curtain on the revised schedule with a two-day bonanza on July 11/12, with the likes of the Legends Cars Championship and Dunlop Endurance Championship, amongst others, all in action.

On September 5/6, the Darlington & District Motor Club will take centre stage with a wide range of cars all vying to reign supreme before the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship rolls into North Yorkshire.

Scheduled to take place on October 10/11, Croft will play host to a pivotal three races for Britain’s premier race series as the 2020 finale draws ever-closer.

Croft’s condensed calendar will then draw to a close on December 13 with the annual Christmas Stages Rally.

Croft Circuit – Revised Provisional 2020 Calendar

July 11/12 – British Automobile Racing Club

September 5/6 – Darlington & District Motor Club

October 10/11 – Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship

December 13 – Christmas Stages Rally

BARC announces revised provisional 2020 calendar for remainder of the year

The British Automobile Racing Club can today (June 22) reveal its revised provisional calendar for the remainder 2020; kicking off on July 4/5 and running right the way through until November 22.

Following on from the suspension of UK motorsport in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club has worked tirelessly to put together a calendar with the dates available that will suit each individual championship.

Unfortunately, both the British Hillclimb Championship and BARC Connaught Speed Championship have elected to cancel their 2020 campaigns, with the focus now on 2021.

To view the full revised list of 2020 British Automobile Racing Club race meetings, CLICK HERE.

All dates remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

Those wishing to enter a race meeting can do so via the BARC Competitor Entry System.

For those that do not have a Username to access the BARC Competitor Entry System or if you have a general enquiry, please contact BARC Competitors secretary David Wheadon via 01264 882209 or dwheadon@barc.net.

Guidelines for Competitors and Officials have also been published in relation to how BARC race meetings will operate moving forward. They can be viewed by heading to https://www.barc.net/barc-publishes-covid-19-guidelines-for-competitors-and-officials/

BARC begins to get back to work as head office partially re-opens

The British Automobile Racing Club will begin getting back to work from today (Monday 22nd June) with the partial re-opening of its head office at Thruxton Circuit, in particular the Competitions Department.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club’s main office has been closed since late March with all administrative staff furloughed.

With a return to racing on the horizon, the Competitions Department has resumed work in order to prepare for race meetings – starting with those that are being held in July. The rest of the Club’s staff remain furloughed at this point.

Those wishing to enquire about events, whether a competitor or marshal, should contact David Wheadon or Paula Brown via the following means of communication:

David Wheadon – Competitions Secretary – 01264 882209 – dwheadon@barc.net

Paula Brown – Marshals Secretary – 01264 882210 – pbrown@barc.net

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “It feels like a long time since we closed the doors and sent everyone home, but I would like to thank all our staff, members, competitors and supporters for their patience in recent months.

“We cannot wait to get started again and we are detecting that most people feel the same way, and are desperate to go racing.

“Obviously things will have changed in the meantime and there will be some noticeable changes to our operations and protocols, but we are confident that we can provide a safe and controlled environment for people to enjoy their motor sport at our events and venues.

“We would ask everyone to take particular care of themselves and those around them and ensure that when we do resume, we do so sensibly and responsibly for the safety and well-being of all.”

To view the post-lockdown revised events calendar for the remainder of the year, click here. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

As has been the case throughout this pandemic, the well-being of staff, competitors, officials and all potential visitors to our venues and events remain at the forefront of our considerations at all times.

To that end, changes have been made to operations and protocols which will be communicated to all relevant parties in advance of any events moving forward. This situation will be kept constantly under review and may be subject to change at short notice.

All dates remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines.

‘Raceday Programme with a Difference’ launched for BTCC fans

Fans of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be primed for the start of the post-lockdown 2020 season, whether watching at home on the sofa or trackside, courtesy of the ‘Raceday Programme with a Difference’ which is on sale now.

Put together by ITV4’s lead commentator David Addison, Motorsport News’ Matt James and more, the programmes serves as the perfect season guide ahead of the curtain-raiser at Donington Park on August 1/2.

The programme is packed with the latest news, features, the revised calendar, an extensive entry list and team guide, social media directory and much more.

The 2020 BTCC Raceday Programme with a Difference can be purchased from https://www.btcc-programme.co.uk/ and costs £6.00, including postage.

BARC Connaught Speed Championship sets sights on 2021 after cancelling 2020 campaign

The BARC Connaught Speed Championship is setting its sights on hitting the ground running in 2021 after confirming that it has postponed its 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Organised and run by the Club’s Midlands Centre, the popular series was hoping to hit new heights after enjoying a stellar 2019 season.

With the first 13 rounds of the 2020 campaign postponed due to the suspension of motorsport in the UK from the end of March, the Midlands Centre kept in close contact with venues and competitors, discussing a range of scenarios and outlining possible contingency plans accordingly.

Unfortunately, based on the availability of dates needed to secure sufficient rounds and create a viable series, the Midlands Centre has elected to cancel the 2020 season with immediate effect.

A club statement said: “We fully appreciate the resultant disappointment amongst our competitors. After the considerable amount of work already invested by Bob Adams, our Championship Coordinator, and other members of the Midlands Centre Competitions Team, this decision has not been taken lightly and is a significant disappointment to us all.

“Based upon conversations with some of our long-standing competitors, we have decided to provide three options regarding the 2020 Championship Registration Fee.

“Those options are as follows: A roll over to the 2021 BARC Speed Championship, a donation to Mind, the championship’s 2020 charity, or a full refund. Bob will be contacting competitors individually regarding their preference.”

The BARC Midlands Centre may not be staging the 2020 BARC Connaught Speed Championship however it is working on potentially running a ‘Grand Finale Sprint’ at Curborough on October 17.

British Hillclimb Championship elects to cancel 2020 season

The British Hillclimb Championship has taken the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled to stage 34 rounds at 11 different venues over the course of the year, the series had been working alongside venues and Motorsport UK on staging a foreshortened season which would take place starting in August, running at five venues over seven weekend’s.

However, recent announcements from the Bugatti Owners’ Club and Prescott Hill has meant that neither the British Hillclimb Championship presented by Avon Tyres or the British Hillclimb Cup presented by Footman James will proceed.

A statement from organisers read: “Clearly this decision was not taken lightly and we have listened to the opinions of the venues and the competitors, who rightly have concerns about safety, before deciding it was better not to continue to try to run a championship this year.

“We will now start plans for 2021 and it is our intention to revise and invigorate the Championship and to implement some changes that will take the Championship forward for another 75 years.

“For any competitor who has registered for the Championships we offer the option of leaving your entry intact, and this will be carried forward to next season regardless of any pricing alterations that may come into effect during that year.”

Competitors are encouraged to contact the British Hillclimb Championship Administrator Jackie Wilson via jackie@britishhillclimb.co.uk.

Goodwood confirms cancellation of 2020 Festival of Speed and Revival events

Goodwood has announced that its 2020 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and Godwood Revival have been cancelled until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

Renowned for creating bespoke events every year, Goodwood confirmed that the current social distancing measures that are in place to fight the pandemic would comprise the experience at both events for all involved.

The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard was originally scheduled to take place on July 9/10/11/12; whilst the Goodwood Revival was pencilled in for September 11/12/13.

Both events join the now subsequently join the 78th Members’ Meeting, slated for March 28/29, in not being run this year.

A Goodwood statement said: “Summer is normally an exciting time at Goodwood, as we welcome hundreds of thousands of guests to our headline events.

“Sadly, that’s not to be this year, as we have had to take the decision not to hold the Festival of Speed and Revival in 2020.”

Ticket holders to the cancelled events have now been given the option to roll their tickets over into 2021, or request a refund.

Supporters of the famous West Sussex venue however are encouraged to join a revived Goodwood Supporters’ Association, which is aimed at keeping the spirit of Goodwood motorsport alive.

For more information, head to the Goodwood website.

M-Sport appointed as new BTCC TOCA engine suppliers from 2022

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed that it has awarded a five-year contract for the supply of a new ‘TOCA BTCC engine’ to global motorsport industry leader M-Sport.

Following its successful tender submission and subsequent voting by all teams, M-Sport will now develop, build and supply the TOCA engine to the UK’s premier motorsport series from 2022 to 2026.

Since the introduction of the NGTC regulations in 2011, one key aspect of the regulations has been to make available the competitive TOCA engine with proven durability and strict cost-controls, should any team choose not to run their own engines.

M-Sport will work through a development programme of the new TOCA engine, including rigorous testing and manufacture during 2021, before then introducing it into the series the following year.

In addition to the production of the new-specification engine in the next year, M-Sport will also work closely with Cosworth – who have been awarded the contract to design, supply and service the new BTCC Hybrid System, which will also be introduced in 2022.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome M-Sport into the BTCC family and congratulate them on their successful tender.

“The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is testament to M-Sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top of such a competitive and comprehensive process.

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Swindon Powertrain, who have been such an integral part of the success of the BTCC engine regulations, and we look forward to working closely with them for the remaining two seasons of their contract.”

Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to have been selected to supply the new TOCA BTCC engine in 2022. The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project.

“I firmly believe that M-Sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country, and with the development of our on-site Evaluation Centre this capability is only going to increase.”

BTCC announces revised provisional 2020 calendar

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has unveiled a revised calendar for the 2020 season, comprising of nine events instead of the scheduled ten and set to run from August through to mid-November.

Series organisers TOCA have taken the decision to provisionally plan events from August onwards, however, the calendar will of course remain conditional upon receiving appropriate government directives and approvals regarding the resumption of sporting activities. Should the BTCC be unable to resume at that time, the calendar will be amended accordingly.

In the new provisional schedule, Donington Park will play host to the 2020 season-opener as originally planned, albeit on August 1/2. The first of two visits to Brands Hatch will swiftly follow the next weekend before trips to Oulton Park and Knockhill round out what is set to be a busy month of four events in five weekends for the series.

Thruxton will then stage the fifth event of the season on September 19/20 before Silverstone follows a week later for three high-octane races around the National layout of the Northamptonshire venue. Silverstone’s second meeting around the International layout has been cancelled.

The BTCC’s annual pilgrimage to North Yorkshire and Croft has been moved to October 10/11 whilst Snetterton will provide the backdrop for the penultimate event of the season.

As has been the case in years gone by, the Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch will stage the final round of the season, but at the later date of November 14/15.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “These are incredibly challenging times for the whole nation. Through it all, we have seen the importance of being both adaptable and pragmatic… and the BTCC is no different. So it’s entirely logical to draft plans and lock-in our provisional dates, with the ability to amend those if circumstances dictate.

“Obviously this calendar presents a hectic four months, with three separate back-to-back events and four events in the first five weeks alone. But our teams and drivers are fully up for the challenge – there’s such enormous energy, enthusiasm and passion for the BTCC that everyone will want to just roll up their sleeves and get the action underway when the time comes to go racing.

“However, the over-arching element will always be to ensure we have the correct procedures and protocols in place, in order to provide a safe environment. But before that time comes the most important thing we can all do is to please stay safe and also protect the health of others.”

Provisional 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Donington Park – Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – August 1/2

Brands Hatch Indy – Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – August 8/9

Oulton Park – Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – August 22/23

Knockhill – Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – August 29/30

Thruxton – Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – September 19/20

Silverstone National – Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – September 26/27

Croft – Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – October 10/11

Snetterton – Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – October 24/25

Brands Hatch GP – Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – November 14/15