Chris Ashby – Page 7 – Welcome to the BARC

Caterham contingent battle it out around Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park provided the setting for an action-packed two days of British Automobile Racing Club entertainment this past weekend (July 13/14) as Caterham Motorsport and the Caterham Graduates Racing Club took centre stage to deliver all-out entertainment.

First-time racers continued their motor racing journeys in the latest round of the Caterham Academy Championship, with one race being staged for the White Group and another for the Green Group.

In the White Group, David Hall fended off the advances of Scott Helme to prevail by more than three seconds while James Hall was unstoppable in the Green Group as he halted Bruno van Dyke’s winning streak to take the chequered flag by more than ten seconds.

Ben Timmons was perfection personified in the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship as he strengthened his title challenge by clinching a sensational hat-trick of race wins.

Timmons entered the weekend as the driver to beat and he duly lived up to all expectations as he bounced back from narrowly missing out on pole position to take a victory clean sweep. Ben Wheatley, Lyonel Tollemache, James Emson and Stephen Merritt all tallied podiums behind him.

Spoils were shared in the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship as Harry Cook and Tom Wyllys both stood on the top step of the podium, Cook doing so twice as he came oh-so close to winning all three races like Timmons.

Cook beat Taylor O’Flanagan to the chequered flag in a pulsating opener before Wyllys then gave it everything he had to try and overhaul the race one winner in the second bout. While he was unable to do so on that occasion, he did finally triumph in the weekend’s finale.

Over in the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship, only two of the three scheduled races were run, with the spoils of battle going the way of Adam Kene and Paul Goldstein.

The Sim Motorsport Caterham Graduates Racing Club was also in attendance over the course of the weekend at Cadwell Park and they too didn’t disappoint when it came to delivering wheel-to-wheel thrills.

In the Sigma 135 Class, Jamie Winrow was in a league of his own in races one and two as he led home Goldstein however the tables would turn in race three as the latter would take victory ahead of Tom McEwing and Alaric Barney.

Meanwhile, the Sigma 150 Class saw three different drivers stand on the top step of the podium; underlining just how competitive the one-make series has been since the opening round of the campaign.

Jamie Ellwood kicked off proceedings by claiming a narrow victory ahead of reigning champion Harry Senior in a tense first race before the current title holder then had his moment in the sun as he edged out Henry Heaton in race two; Heaton would be then be the star of race three.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Cadwell Park, CLICK HERE.

British F4 enjoys historic weekend at Zandvoort

The ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA made history this past weekend (July 13/14) as the single-seater series staged its first-ever overseas event at Zandvoort; with Deagen Fairclough and Alex Ninovic claiming the all-important race wins.

On what was a milestone outing in the Netherlands, a record-breaking grid of 27 cars showcased their talents on European soil – just a few weeks before the venue stages the coveted Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

Hitch Pulse-Eight’s Fairclough was the driver to beat in qualifying on Friday afternoon as he mastered the wet conditions to clinch yet another pole position, beating team-mate Reza Seewooruthun to top spot by more than three tenths of a second.

Fairclough – who has been the driver to chase since the 2024 blasted into life at Donington Park in April – maintained his front-running form in the weekend’s opening contest as he went on to claim a commanding lights-to-flag victory.

In challenging conditions, Fairclough blasted away from the front row of the grid and ultimately never looked back as he built up a comfortable lead over the subsequent laps, taking the chequered flag by over eight seconds in the end.

Behind, Rodin Motorsport’s Ninovic extended his sensational run of successive podiums to eight as he got the better of Martin Molner in the early exchanges to net second place, with Molnar completing the rostrum in third.

Unfortunately, the weekend’s second bout would take two attempts to run after a technical issue with the start lights caused a mass pile-up and damage to a number of cars.

When the action did resume on Sunday morning, Ninovic underlined his credentials as a championship contender by making a lightening start from the second row of the grid to take the lead from team-mate Abbi Pulling.

Once out front, the Rodin ace controlled proceedings while Pulling – who is one of the leading lights of the F1 Academy this year – held off the charging Fairclough to secure second, with the race one winner settling for third.

Fairclough returned to the top step of the podium in the weekend’s final bout as he once again didn’t put a wheel wrong after starting from pole position. Like he had done earlier in the weekend, the second-year racer quickly broke free of the chasing pack to comfortably triumph.

Seewooruthun added to his silverware collection by scooping runners-up laurels while Jack Sherwood emerged unscathed from contact with Ninovic – which cost the latter a trip to the pit lane – to finish in third.

The ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA continues its 2024 season back on home soil as the series ventures to Knockhill on August 10/11.

BARC preparing to stage AutoSOLO event at Thruxton

The British Automobile Racing Club is poised to stage the Southern Car Club AutoSOLO at Thruxton Circuit on Sunday 21st July.

Designed to test precision and car control on a fun course laid out in the Thruxton paddock, the competition is open to all BARC members – with prizes awarded to the top BARC finisher and the top BARC Junior under 21.

The aim of an AutoSOLO is to negotiate as quickly as possible a memorised, low-speed course without hitting any markers – it is all about car control and is only open to standard road cars, which must be driven to and from the event.

Whilst the event may be at slower pace to the normal sort of events that take place at Thruxton, AutoSOLOs are still highly competitive and leave thousands of competitors all over the country smiling.

The course will be laid out in the paddock at Thruxton and will be marked out by plastic pylons or cones. There will be a number of tests to tackle, with two attempts at each.

The driver with the lowest accumulated time is the winner, although penalties are incurred for hitting cones, failing to stop on a line, or for taking the wrong route. Due to AutoSOLO being a low-speed event, there is no need for special safety gear which means that anyone with a car can enter.

Regulations and entry details for the event can be found HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – July 13/14

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for Cadwell Park this weekend for what promises to be a blockbuster two days of Caterham track action.

Caterham Motorsport will headline proceedings at the Lincolnshire venue with races from their Academy, Roadsport, 270R and 310R Championship’s, while there will also be high-octane thrills from the Caterham Graduates Racing Club.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 13th July | 13:55 | WATCH LIVE
Sunday 14th July | 09:15 | WATCH LIVE

Also taking place from Thursday 10th July through to Sunday 13th July is the 2024 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. Four days of full-throttle action from the famous West Sussex venue will be available to watch on the official Goodwood YouTube channel.

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meetings at Cadwell Park and Goodwood, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

BARC battles the elements to deliver Thruxton thriller

The British Automobile Racing Club served up two days of blockbuster entertainment on home turf this past weekend (July 6/7) as a number of championships battled the elements around the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton.

Welcoming a bumper crowd for the 2024 edition of Convoy on the Plain, the high-speed Hampshire venue played host to a feast of exciting wheel-to-wheel battles across two full-throttle days – with the British Truck Racing Championship topping the bill.

Returning to action after an almost two-month hiatus, the titans of truck racing had everyone on the edge of their seats as they produced five blockbuster contests around the flowing 2.356-mile layout.

In Division 1, reigning eight-time champion Ryan Smith was untouchable out front as he bolstered his quest for a ninth consecutive title by delivering a five-star performance in his Daimler Freightliner.

Smith converted pole position in races one and two into comfortable lights-to-flag victories before he then showcased his overtaking prowess in the remaining three reverse grid contests, coming from the back of the grid to complete a clean sweep of race wins.

Division 2 saw John Powell and the returning Paul Rivett renew their rivalry as they enjoyed a share of the spoils that were on offer. Powell struck first with victory across the first three races before Rivett – who was returning from injury – tallied a double of his own.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship made a welcome return to Thruxton and the next generation of UK racers didn’t disappoint either as they delivered a trio of captivating races that were packed with action.

Harry Smith scored his fifth win of the season in the weekend’s opening bout, although this only came after on-the-road winner Jonathan Moore was given a one-place penalty after the chequered flag had fallen.

Neither Smith or Moore would be able to do anything about Josh Selvadorai in the remaining two bouts, with Selvadorai underlining his credentials as one to watch in the title battle by scoring back-to-back wins.

Matt Simpson’s absence from the Pickup Truck Racing Championship opened the door for the chasing pack to close in, and that’s exactly what they did as three different drivers stood on the top step of the podium.

Dale Gent held off a number of drivers to claim a hard-fought victory in race one before the experienced Mark Willis battled his way to the front to clinch a commanding victory in race two. Ryan Hadfield then capped off proceedings with a superlative victory in the weekend’s finale.

Ross Alexander was perfection personified in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport series as he powered his way to a hat-trick of wins – the second time this season he has achieved the feat.

Alexander entered the meeting as one of the favourites to triumph and he duly lived up to all expectations as he got the better of Stephen Berry and Freddy Hewitt in his Mini Cooper S on each occasion.

The Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw high-drama as Steve McDermid and Fergus Campbell clashed exiting Noble Corner in race one which resulted in substantial damage that ruled them out of both contests.

With two of the favourites to fight for victory watching on from the sidelines, Jonathan Candler stepped up to triumph in race one before Robb Addison then edged out Maninder Golhar to emerge victorious in race two.

Over in the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires, slip-streaming was at a premium as the tin top category delivered incredible racing which often saw three or more cars going side-by-side on the run up Woodham Hill.

Daniel Munro and Mark Ridout proved to be the stars of the show as they each claimed a win apiece. Munro held off Ridout for his crowning glory in race one before the latter struck back in devastating fashion in race two, winning by more than ten seconds.

Rounding out the weekend were two races from the ever-entertaining Track Action contingent, with victories going the way of Paul Roddison and Charlotte Birch – the pair being the cream of the crop throughout.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Thruxton, CLICK HERE.

BARC produces captivating Oulton Park race day

The British Automobile Racing Club took on a starring role at Oulton Park this past Saturday (July 6) as four championships produced high drama, wheel-to-wheel entertainment and plenty of enthralling talking points.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the one-day meeting – which took place around the 2.692-mile International layout of the Cheshire venue – was expected to be packed with action from start-to-finish; and it duly delivered in challenging conditions.

Topping the bill was the latest two-hour instalment of the British Endurance Championship in association with Motorsport UK, which saw the PB Racing with JMH duo of Peter Erceg and Marcus Clutton maintain their 100% winning record.

Arriving at Oulton Park having claimed victory in the previous three events this season, the Audi GT3 duo cemented their status as the team to beat in the overall standings by firstly blasting their way to pole position in qualifying by more than five seconds.

Lining up on the front row of the grid, Erceg and Clutton wasted no time in underlining their front-running credentials by quickly establishing a lead at the front of the field. As the race progressed, their lead only grew and they ultimately went on to triumph by four laps.

While Erceg and Clutton comfortably reigned supreme, the battle for the remaining two spots on the podium had everyone captivated. Xentek Motorsport would have enough in hand to clinch second while the Porsche 992 Cup duo of Nick Hull and Richard Avery claimed third place.

Fireworks flew in the Britcar Trophy Championship as the Ginetta G56 GTA proved to be the car to beat, with Marco Anastasi and Seb Dubois enjoying a share of the spoils that were on offer across the day’s two 50-minute contests.

Stephen Fresle and Ben Green had paced the opposition to snare pole position in qualifying however they were unable to stop the Datum Motorsport duo of Anastasi and Maurizio Sciglio as they forced their way to the front and then set about duking it out for overall honours.

Remarkably there was less than a tenth of second separating the top two in the day’s second bout as Dubois held off the charging Dragon Sport Opel Astra of Rhys Lloyd and Harri Reynolds to score victory.

The North West Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, didn’t disappoint those that were in attendance either as a bumper entry list served up two very contrasting contests.

Race one proved to be one largely dominated by Stuart Pearson as he guided his AB Sabre to a commanding win of more than 11 seconds over Ben Roberts and Connor Modro, who filled the remaining spots on the podium.

Modro turned the tables on Roberts and Pearson in a shortened, red-flag affected race two a few hours later however as he blasted his Westfield Aero to victory lane by a little under two seconds.

Concluding proceedings at the picturesque track were two races from the Heroes of FF1600 Sprint Cup Series, which proved to be one of the leading lights at the Thruxton Historic meeting last month.

Richard Tarling maintained his race-winning form from Thruxton to tally a narrow victory in race one before Callum Grant, who had shadowed Tarling in the opener, then came to the fore to score victory in the finale.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Oulton Park, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – July 6/7

The British Automobile Racing Club takes centre stage with on home turf this weekend (July 6/7) as the British Truck Racing Championship headlines Convoy on the Plain at Thruxton Circuit.

On what promises to be a full-throttle feast of entertainment around the fastest circuit in the country, five colossal contests from the titans of truck racing are guaranteed to have everyone on the edge of their seats.

Making up the all-action support bill is the likes of the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Pickup Truck Racing Championship, MGOC Championship, Hyundai Coupe Cup and Track Action.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meetings at Thruxton, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

Issue 2 of Apex Magazine now available to read for all BARC members

Issue 2 of the British Automobile Racing Club’s official magazine, Apex, is now available to read, with copies having hit members doorsteps in recent weeks.

Packed with the latest news and centre reports, as well as Martin Hunt’s Marshal Matters and the customary piece from The Intercooler, the bumper edition of the magazine also includes a number of must-read features too.

This latest issues sees the Club sit down with singe-seater star Abbi Pulling while Sam Osborne gives his take on the British Truck Racing Championship, after getting a last-minute call up to race at Pembrey back in May.

To become a member of the BARC and to receive a copy of the magazine, head to https://www.barc.net/membership/.

Festival of Speed and Revival dates revealed for next year

Goodwood has announced its 2025 dates for both the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and the Revival.

Following on from pencilling in the 82nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport – which is slated for April 12/13 – the West Sussex venue has now also announced the remaining dates of what promises to be another full-throttle year of all things speed.

The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will once again bring together the world’s greatest names in motorsport, motoring and technology for yet another summer celebration; with the taking place between July 10-13.

Later in the year, Goodwood will then step back in time on September 12-14 for the Revival, which is a spectacular celebration of the Motor Circuit as it was between 1948 and 1966.

To find out more information on all Goodwood motorsport events in 2025, visit https://www.goodwood.com/grr/.

Goodwood announces 82nd Members’ Meeting dates

Goodwood has announced that the 82nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport will take place on April 12/13 2025.

Once again kicking off the Goodwood motorsport season, the two-day event will see Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club witness what promises to be a packed weekend of motorsport, off-track activities and plenty else besides.

Among some of the unmissable attractions will be a full timetable of historic racing which features everything from the pre-war Edwardian machines of the S.F. Edge Trophy, to the ever-entertaining Group 1 racers of the Gordon Spice Trophy and the historic motorcycles of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy.

Exact details for the 82nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport are due to be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

BARC to create Heritage brand for classic and historic racing

The British Automobile Racing Club has announced that it will create a new brand under the “BARC Heritage” banner.

Designed to cater for older racing and machinery, the BARC Heritage line signals a strong desire by the BARC to re-establish its credentials in the retro, classic and historic racing space. The announcement was made at last weekend’s hugely successful Thruxton Historic race meeting, which boasted a great racing line-up of incredible older cars from the 1950s right up to the 1990s.

In deference to the extraordinary history of the UK’s oldest racing club, BARC Heritage will utilise the original BARC shield logo that was taken out of commission in 2014, but which still adorns the pitlane at Goodwood Race Circuit.

BARC has engaged seasoned historic racer and event organiser, Rob Manger, to lead the BARC Heritage push. Manger is the driving force behind the stunningly successful revival of the Jochen Rindt Trophy for single seater racing cars up to 2-litres that has appeared at the Thruxton Historic meeting every year since 2021.

Ben Taylor, BARC CEO, said: “The BARC has been around in one form or another for more than 110 years and consequently boasts the most amazing history. We have talked for a long time about making more of the club’s heritage and the time seems right to get something started now.

“The retro scene is very relevant and popular and although BARC has the fabulous Classic Touring Car Racing Club, we haven’t been properly represented in this space for a while. It’s an area that we want to get back into, so we just need to remind people that BARC has great credentials in this area and we’re serious about this sector of the sport.

“We already organise more than 20 club race meetings a year, as well as the BTCC package and of course the three Goodwood events. We have also had great feedback from the Thruxton Historic, so we are confident in our ability to put on quality race events that competitors really enjoy. We are absolutely not looking to compete with the big historic meetings and festivals, but we do think we might be able to offer something for the competitors who just want to go racing for fun with their friends at decent circuits for a fair price.”

Rob Manger, BARC Heritage, added: “BARC is such a great institution and has an amazing history, but it can definitely make more of it. What I have learned from running the JRT is that these drivers, with their lovely cars, just want to be able to race them a few times a year. They don’t necessarily want the bells and whistles of the big invitation-only meetings, or to chase a championship, but they do like to feel that they are wanted, respected, are getting value for money and that they won’t always be the last race on a Sunday!

“From the conversations that I have been having, it seems there might be an opportunity for BARC to offer a home to a couple of championships, or just bring in the odd race here and there. The message is come and talk to us and let’s see what’s possible under this new BARC Heritage banner.”

Tom Ingram, Josh Cook and Jake Hill triumph as BTCC hits half-way mark

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship reached the halfway mark of the 2024 season in blockbuster fashion this past weekend (June 22/23) as Tom Ingram, Josh Cook and Jake Hill blasted their way to victory at Oulton Park.

Basked in glorious sunshine, qualifying kicked proceedings off on Saturday afternoon and the session belonged to Team BRISTOL MOTORS’ Ingram as he obliterated the existing BTCC lap record to secure a second successive pole position in the series; taking his tally to three for the season.

In what proved to be a relentless battle in the Cheshire sun, Ingram went almost half a second quicker than last year’s pole time to claim bragging rights, while NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton delivered another stunning performance to join him on the front row.

Behind the top two were the stablemates of Ingram and Sutton as the trio of Dan Cammish, Tom Chilton and Dan Rowbottom filled third, fourth and fifth on the grid for the first of Sunday’s three races.

There was no denying Ingram in the opening bout on Sunday as he withstood an early challenge from Sutton to clinch not only a third win of the season but also the 30th of his career.

Fans were treated to a thrilling start to the race as two of the series’ leading lights went wheel-to-wheel, with contact being made between them at both the Island hairpin and Hislops chicane. Despite Sutton’s best efforts Ingram maintained the lead throughout and that was to be that for the reminder of the contest as Ingram led home Sutton and Cammish.

LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ driver Cook then opened his account for the season in race two as he powered his way to glory after producing one of the finest opening laps in recent memory.

Starting in eighth and on the Goodyear soft tyre, the Toyota Corolla racer avoided a melee at turn one before then blitzing the top four to take the lead by the end of the first tour. Once out front Cook steadily pulled clear of the chasing pack to take the chequered flag by more than eight seconds over Ingram and Hill who were second and third.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW of Hill then capped off a scorching day of racing by claiming victory in the reverse grid finale on the last lap.

Hill – who is undoubtedly in the form of his life at the moment – hunted down long-time race leader Mikey Doble before making a decisive move on final tour to net him a fifth win of the season.

Despite relinquishing the lead in the final moments, Doble recorded a first-ever finish in the BTCC and he did so by leading home team-mate Aron Taylor-Smith for a maiden Power Maxed Racing double podium.

Heading into the series’ annual summer break, Hill holds a slender advantage over Ingram at the top of the Drivers’ Championship whilst Ford and NAPA Racing UK currently lead the way in the Manufacturer-Constructors Championship and Teams’ Championship respectively.

Taylor-Smith and Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing head the standings in both the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ categories, with Doble proving to be the driver to beat in the Jack Sears Trophy after five events.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Oulton Park, CLICK HERE.

The BTCC season recommences on the weekend of July 27/28; where Croft Circuit plays host to Rounds 16, 17 and 18.

Tickets for the BTCC’s annual trip to North Yorkshire can be purchased online at https://croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc.