Chris Ashby – Page 78 – Welcome to the BARC

Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton triumph in action-packed BTCC encounters at Croft

Croft Circuit played host to an action-packed Rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (June 15/16) as thousands flocked to the North Yorkshire venue to see Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton share the spoils.

Faced with challenging weather conditions on both Saturday and Sunday, Britain’s premier race series served up a feast of entertainment as records tumbled around the newly resurfaced 2.12 mile circuit.

In qualifying, BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan set a new lap record to score his first pole position since 2014, despite plenty of disruption throughout the session. No less than five red flag stoppages, the last of which was caused by Jordan himself, truncated the session.

Launching off the line, the 2013 champion continued his rich vein of form as he took a lights-to-flag victory. Dealing with race-long attention from BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley, as well as a lengthy safety car period, the 30-year-old proved to be in a league of his own as he powered his way to the chequered flag.

The battle for the final spot on the podium fell the way of Tom Chilton after he held off the advances of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant for the entirety of the 18-lap encounter.

Race two proved to be a similar story for Jordan as he converted pole position into his fifth win of the season, replicating his double-winning performance at Croft last time out.

Making a good getaway, Jordan pulled out a comfortable gap in the opening stages as the chasing pack battled with second place Smiley. Turkington finally got the better of his Northern Irish counterpart but by that time the gap to Jordan was too big.

Reeling him in over the course of a handful of laps, the West Surrey Racing duo held station to record their latest 1-2 finish of the season. Yorkshireman Dan Cammish gave locals plenty to cheer about as he continued his recent run of form with a podium on home turf.

BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor carried out the reverse grid draw live on ITV4 and pulled number nine out of the bowl, promoting Chilton onto pole position.

With heavy rain falling before the race the question on everybody’s lips was what tyres to go for – wets or slicks. As the sun broke through the clouds, a majority of the field opted for wet tyres with Tom Ingram, who was starting third, rolling the dice and gambling with slicks.

As the lights went out, Ingram tumbled down the order as those on wets got the best of the conditions. At the front, Chilton held the lead and fended off the advances of Josh Cook whilst Jason Plato joined remained with touching distance of the pair too.

Laps ticked by however Ingram’s progress didn’t come into effect until the final stages of the race, by which time he was too far back to challenge those in the points. Chilton meanwhile held on to record his first win of the season whilst Cook kept his championship challenge going with a second place finish.

Double champion Plato was back on the rostrum after a year-long drought, getting a big cheer as he made it onto the podium. Ashley Sutton and Matt Neal rounded out the top five with Sutton producing a string of mesmerising overtakes heading into the hairpin.

Leaving Croft, Turkington is now the sole leader in the standings – holding an 11-point advantage over Cook whilst Sutton remains a further two points back.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Oulton Park at the end of the month on June 29/30 for Rounds 13, 14 & 15, before then heading into the annual summer break.

TOCA support championships put on a show at Croft

Challenging conditions only added to the edge-of-the-seat entertainment at Croft Circuit this past weekend (June 15/16) as all five TOCA support championships took centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Virtue of the recent resurfacing that has taken place at the North Yorkshire venue, lap times tumbled across each series – making it a record-breaking weekend for the TOCA support package.

Arguably taking centre stage over the course of the weekend was home hero Max Coates who produced a near-perfect performance in the Renault UK Clio Cup. Hailing from nearby Scorton, Coates gave those in attendance plenty to cheer about as he scored two wins in the one-make series.

Coates led from start-to-finish in treacherously wet conditions to win Saturday’s opening race before then coming out on top in an epic showdown with Jack Young on Sunday. Dicing for the lead, Coates would finish second on the road however a time-penalty for on-the-road winner Young promoted the local man to the top of the podium once more.

Whilst Coates revelled in the euphoria of winning on home soil, Brett Lidsey and Jamie Bond also picked up podiums across both races too.

Based in Yorkshire, Croft also proved to be a home event for Ginetta, showcasing action from both the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

Unsafe weather conditions meant that the opening Junior encounter had to be cancelled, however the second race did take place. Coming off the back of a breakthrough win at Thruxton last time out, Will Martin was bag in the winners circle as he produced an assured drive to triumph.

The GT4 Supercup meanwhile saw all three of its races take place, with Harry King further establishing himself as a main threat for the title with two wins. Tom Hibbert, who had been the man to beat in qualifying, opened his winning account for the season too.

History was made in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB too as the first-ever Pro-Am overall victory was taken by Team Parker Racing’s Karl Leonard. Race one of the series saw Daniel Harper continue his rich vein of form as he bagged a win in race one, despite suffering a late spin which almost saw him drop to second place.

Race two however was the history-making encounter as the heavens opened as the field completed their formation lap. All but three cars opted to dart into the pit-lane and bolt on wet tyres, setting up a titanic cat-and-mouse race.

As those on slicks battled the conditions, the wet runners began to claw their way into contention and following a safety car and late inside, Leonard emerged victorious to write his name into Carrera Cup GB folklore.

Heavy rainfall meant that only two F4 British Championship races took place, both of which were won by Carlin’s Zane Maloney.

For the full classification of results from all sessions at Croft, click here.

All five championships from the TOCA support package will join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park on June 29/30 for the latest event of the 2019 season.

BTCC reveals fresh look to 2020 calendar

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced its calendar for the 2020 season, boasting a revised order of events with Silverstone taking on a second race meeting in place of Thruxton – which has done so this year.

Confirmed by Series Organisers TOCA, the 2020 campaign will once again comprise of 30 races across ten weekends – three per event of equal distance.

Donington Park will lift the curtain on the new BTCC season in late March before the series then descends on Kent for the second meeting of the year as Brands Hatch plays host to Rounds 4, 5 & 6.

The first of two visits to Silverstone will follow just a couple of weeks later with the National circuit being used before the championship then heads to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton.

Oulton Park will round out the first half of the season in mid-June before the annual summer break comes into effect, with Snetterton remaining as the starting point for the second of the year.

Having traditionally been a fixture during the first of the year in recent times, Croft is set for a BTCC summer spectacular as it hosts the seventh meeting on the calendar – with Knockhill swiftly following a fortnight later.

The penultimate event of the 2020 season will see Silverstone take up its usual spot on the schedule however unlike previous years, the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue will be used.

Brands Hatch will bring the curtain down on the year with three title-deciding races around the iconic Grand Prix circuit in October.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – Donington Park – March 28/29

Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – Brands Hatch (Indy) – April 11/12

Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – Silverstone (National) – April 25/26

Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – Thruxton – May 16/17

Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – Oulton Park – June 13/14

Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – Snetterton – July 25/26

Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – Croft – August 15/16

Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – Knockhill – August 29/30

Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – Silverstone (International) – September 26/27

Rounds 28, 29 & 30 – Brands Hatch (Grand Prix) – October 10/11

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s Season Launch is set to be announced at a later date.

To keep up-to-date with all of the latest BTCC information, head to btcc.net.

BTCC battle heads north to tackle recently resurfaced Croft

The battle for supremacy in the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will see the series head to North Yorkshire this weekend (June 15/16) as Croft Circuit plays host to Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – and it is all to play for at the top of the standings.

Coming off the back of a scintillating weekend of racing at Thruxton in mid-May, Britain’s premier race series ventures to the north-east for a pivotal three encounters around the 2.13 mile layout.

One major change to take place at the venue since the BTCC’s last visit in 2018 has been the resurfacing of the entire circuit, meaning the drivers could be facing a different feel on-track altogether.

Historically, Croft has been better suited to rear-wheel-drive machinery down the years – with BMW and Subaru amassing 11 victories from the past 15 races – and many eyes will be fixed on those two outfits to reign supreme once again.

Dubbed the ‘King of Croft’, reigning champion and joint championship leader Colin Turkington will be looking to extend his impressive win tally around the BARC-run venue as he aims to put clear distance between himself and the chasing pack.

Ashley Sutton meanwhile has forged a path as Turkington’s main challenger to the ‘King of Croft’ mantel having enjoyed plenty of success in recent years. At the wheel of his Subaru Levorg, the 2017 champion has emerged as a consistent challenger already this season, notching four podiums so far.

Throw into the mix three-time 2019 winner Andrew Jordan, Tom Oliphant and local man Senna Proctor, and the potential of further rear-wheel-success could well continue.

Rory Butcher finds himself sharing the points lead with Turkington and he could well spring a surprise as he bids to lead the front-wheel-drive challenge. Having notched a breakthrough win at Brands Hatch, the Scotsman has been a tour-de-force in his Honda Civic Type R and could well continue his rich vein of form in the north east.

Two more Yorkshire home heroes pilot Civic Type R’s and both will be keen to make their mark on home soil. Sam Tordoff and Dan Cammish were in the thick of the action at Thruxton last time out and both will be hoping they’ll be in the mix at Croft.

The likes of Josh Cook, Tom Ingram, Matt Neal, Tom Chilton and Jason Plato, amongst many more, are also likely to be in the battle at the sharp end of the grid – making it a weekend that is not to be missed.

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

TOCA support championship title fights set to go up another gear at Croft

Croft Circuit won’t just welcome the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend (June 15/16) but also the hugely popular TOCA support package too, with a full complement of six championship all looking to take centre stage.

Following a pulsating third event of the season at Thruxton which saw just a handful of the customary categories compete, this weekend’s visit to North Yorkshire see’s the usual variety back on in action on a recently resurfaced track.

A home race for the manufacturer, Ginetta will be keen to put on a show and in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, a show will undoubtedly be produced. In what has been one of the most competitive starts to a season in recent history, the battle for supremacy is wide open with Reece Somerfield leading the way.

Enjoying his best run of results in the series, five podiums from six races, Somerfield has been a revelation but he will need to fight tooth and nail to remain at the summit. Harry King, Will Burns, Tom Hibbert and Mike Epps are just a few of the drivers with their sights set on the top of the points.

The Ginetta fun won’t stop there however as the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship will also be in action for two thrilling encounters. Showcasing the next generation of UK motorsport talent, the single-make category has had fans on the edge of their seats so far and that theme is likely to continue at Croft.

James Hedley finds himself in the pound seat heading into the weekend with three race wins proving to be the backbone of his championship challenge. The competition is tough however with the likes of Zak O’Sullivan, James Taylor and Douglas Motorsport duo Gus Burton and Lorcan Hanafin all hot on his heels.

Unpredictability is one of the biggest traits when it comes to the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and the flowing curves of Croft are set to ensure that continues no doubt over Saturday and Sunday.

Making their first appearance at Croft since 2016 will be the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. A popular draw wherever they go, the Carrera Cup is one of the fastest one-make championships around and this year’s crop of drivers look set to take the title fight down to the wire.

Second year star Daniel Harper is the early pace-setter after notching two wins however the likes of Lewis Plato, George Gamble and Josh Webster will all be notable names to keep an eye on as they bid to close the gap to the reigning Scholarship winner.

Whilst the Porsche Carrera Cup GB will be returning to Croft, the Renault UK Clio Cup will be paying its final visit to the venue as it continues its final season. Boasting a bigger grid, a majority of the cheers over the course of the weekend are likely to fall the way of local hero Max Coates.

Firmly in the title hunt, Coates will be keen to repeat his victory from last year and topple the two in the standings, Jack Young and Brett Lidsey. Northern Irishman Young was the man to beat last time out at Donington Park and with a partnership with Eddie Stobart recently announced, he will be a hard man to beat with momentum on his side.

Also not to counted out of contention in the tin top series will be Jade Edwards, Ben Colburn, James Colburn and Aaron Thompson, amongst a handful more.

Capping off the weekend’s support action in the north-east will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – Powered by Ford EcoBoost.

For more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Six Renault UK Clio Cup drivers to compete on International stage at French Formula 1 Grand Prix

The Renault UK Clio Cup will be represented by six drivers in Renault Sport Racing’s International Clio Cup Open at this month’s French Formula 1 Grand Prix (June21/22/23).

Jack Young, Brett Lidsey, Aaron Thompson, Ben Colburn, James Colburn and Luke Warr will all fly the flag for the one-make series around the demanding Paul Ricard Circuit, going wheel-to-wheel against some of the fastest drivers in championships around the world.

Following this weekend’s latest rounds at Croft Circuit (June 22/23), drivers and their cars will make the trip across the channel.

Currently residing first and second in the standings, Young and Lidsey are no strangers to the International Open having contested the ‘Clio Cup World Final’ in November around the 3.6 mile layout.

Teenage sensation Young famously emerged as the outright winner from the race after beating no less than 90 drivers from six different countries.

Whilst Young and Lidsey have cut their teeth on the international stage, it will be a new experience for the Westbourne Motorsport Colburn brothers, Thompson and Warr.

Qualifying to determine their positions on the capacity 50-car grid will be on Saturday morning, followed by race one which follows later that day – straight after F1’s final third free practice session. Race two will then take place on Sunday morning as part of the warm-up act to the French Formula 1 Grand Prix.

As Renault are a major partner of the French Grand Prix, the event will effectively mark the 40th anniversary of the company’s first race victory in F1 (Dijon, 1 July 1979) when Jean-Pierre Jabouille crossed the line first in the team’s RS10.

BTCC stars to raise vital funds for charity with online auction and track walk at Croft

Stars from the UK’s premier motorsport series will put their best foot forward at Croft Circuit this weekend (15/16 June) for a public track walk jointly in aid of Children with Cancer and the Alzheimer’s Society – and many have also donated signed merchandise and exclusive experiences to an online auction that launched last night.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Croft, presented by Tarmac is the blue riband event on the popular North Yorkshire circuit’s calendar, as 30 of the finest racing drivers in the country get set to go doorhandle-to-doorhandle for glory in front of capacity crowds.

Last year, an impromptu track walk on the Saturday evening raised more than £550 for nearby Butterwick House Children’s Hospice, inspiring an even bigger push 12 months on, with BTCC title partner Kwik Fit’s dedicated charity Children with Cancer and Croft’s own chosen charity for 2019, the Alzheimer’s Society both set to benefit from the money collected.

The track walk will begin as soon as racing finishes on Saturday (c.18:15), with drivers and fans invited to gather at the end of the pit garages near to the pit-lane exit. Drivers currently confirmed to take part include joint championship leader Rory Butcher, Yorkshire’s own Dan Cammish and Senna Proctor, two-time Independents’ Champion Tom Ingram, race-winners Stephen Jelley and Matt Simpson and Team HARD rookie Michael Crees. Fans are asked to donate what they can to join the stars of the show on a lap of the circuit on foot.

Additionally, a variety of BTCC-related items and experiences are going ‘under the hammer’ to add to the fundraising total. All of them can be viewed and bid for on the Croft Circuit Facebook page (www.facebook.com/croftcircuit/), with the following all on offer to the highest bidders:

A Tom Ingram T-shirt, hoodie and cap bundle
Three opportunities to join Tom and the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters crew for afternoon tea and a garage tour at Croft on Sunday*
Signed PopbangColour prints of Rory Butcher and Dan Cammish
The race boots set to be worn at Croft this weekend by Dan Cammish (autographed)
Michael Crees-signed caps
A meet-and-greet plus grid walk with Ciceley Motorsport*
Five limited-edition commemorative 60^th anniversary BTCC posters (only 100 ever produced)
Two 2018 BTCC season review DVDs (signed by defending champion Colin Turkington)
Saturday garage tour and Sunday grid walk for two with Power Maxed Racing at Croft this weekend*

The auction will end at 8pm on Monday, 17 June, with the two starred items above ending earlier at 8pm this Thursday (13 June). The Team Toyota GB with Ginsters and Ciceley Motorsport lots do not include circuit entry.

Tickets to the BTCC’s only north-eastern event of the year are still available to purchase on the gate, priced at just £15 for Saturday entry (BTCC Qualifying), £30 for Sunday (BTCC Race Day) or £39 for the full weekend. Accompanied children aged 12 and under are admitted free of charge, with tickets for 13-to-15-year-olds beginning at £5. Further details can be seen at: www.croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc

More information on all of Croft’s driving experiences and racing events can be found at www.croftcircuit.co.uk

Spoils shared as Citroen C1 Series stars at Pembrey

Spoils were shared at Pembrey Circuit this past weekend (June 8/9) as the Distrigo Parts Distribution Citroen C1 Series served up two pulsating six-hour endurance races.

In what was the latest visit to South Wales by the British Automobile Racing Club, the C1 contingent served up another memorable weekend of competition as a total of 36 cars vied for supremacy across the weekend’s races.

Following a frenetic qualifying session, the opening six-hour race proved to be a memorable affair as Spy Motorsport triumphed. Leaving it until the final 60-minutes to make their way to the front, the trio of Scott Parkin, Joshua Potter and Peter Keen ran out as the winners.

Clocking a staggering 238 laps around the Welsh track, Spy Motorsport lapped their way all the way up to fourth by the end, taking the chequered flag by just under 50 seconds.

Race two would see the Spy Motorsport outfit unable to repeat their heroics of the day before, however they came close. Bidding to make it back-to-back victories, Saturday’s victors produced a battling performance to finish third.

Having stormed their way to pole position in qualifying, Viking duo Richard Grindrod and Jonathan Hoggarth proved to be in a league of their own as they clinched victory ahead of Amigo Motorsport.

Two races from the Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship also gave locals plenty to cheer about as well, with no one driver setting their stall out as the man to beat during Sunday’s pair of j pulsating encounters.

Keith Butcher, at the wheel of his Audi R8 ALMS, claimed overall honours in race one in commanding style before Mike Moss piloted his Caterham 7 to victory in the second race of the day later on.

For the full classification of results from all sessions at Pembrey, click here.

Father’s Day fun at Croft as Britain’s biggest motorsport series races north

Father’s Day this year is set to be extra-special in the north-east of the country, as the UK’s premier motorsport series – the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) – speeds into Croft Circuit for a weekend of high-octane entertainment (June 15/16).

What better way to treat dad than with tickets – still discounted until Monday morning (June 10) – to see 30 of the finest drivers in Britain duelling doorhandle-to-doorhandle around a track that has always proven popular amongst competitors and fans alike?

If the action so far this season is any indicator, spectators are in for a superb weekend’s racing at the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Croft, presented by Tarmac. The circuit – situated just down the road from Darlington in North Yorkshire – invariably delivers thrills ‘n’ spills by the bucketload, and with five different winners and 15 podium-finishers from the opening nine races, unpredictability is very much the name of the game.

Just five points separate the leading four drivers in the standings at this stage, with the top two – defending champion Colin Turkington and Honda rival Rory Butcher – tied at the top of the table.

The former has earned the sobriquet ‘King of Croft’ for his spectacular success in North Yorkshire – racing to 12 wins at the track since 2005 – while for the latter, it is almost a second ‘home circuit’ hailing as he does from Kirkcaldy just north of the border. Both are eager to maintain their early-season momentum next weekend.

“I’m always excited about going to Croft,” enthused Turkington, who is chasing a fourth BTCC drivers crown in 2019. “It’s my favourite circuit on the calendar with a lot of happy memories, and I think we’re in good shape. The track has been resurfaced for this year and we’re bringing the new BMW 3 Series there for the first time so there will obviously be some learning to do, but we know what’s made us fast at Croft in the past so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be strong again.

“The first complex is the place to watch from – that’s where the action is. Actually, Turn One is probably my favourite corner because it’s much faster than you think it should be, so you’ve really got to commit through there. There’s always a lively enthusiastic crowd at Croft, and I definitely feed off that.”

“Croft is just ace – heading up through the Jim Clark Esses into Sunny In and Out is an absolute buzz and a thrill,” echoed Butcherm who broke his BTCC duck in the Brands Hatch curtain-raiser back in April. “It’s also a bit closer to home for me than most track, so we should get some Scottish fans crossing the border to support me.

“We’ve got a new surface there that’s just been re-laid, and whilst the Honda struggled last year on the old track, that should hopefully allow us to be a bit further up the field. All the teams are effectively going to be making a fresh start, so it’s going to be interesting. It’s all to play for…”

It’s not just the headlining BTCC that will thrills the crowds at Croft, with a fast-and-furious feast of support series adding to the appeal. The Formula 1 superstars of the future will go wheel-to-wheel in the F4 British Championship, with the next-generation touring car heroes earning their spurs in the Renault UK Clio Cup. Croft shares its race date with the 87th edition of the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, and you may just spot a future winner of the race in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Ginetta Junior Championship and Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

Tickets to the BTCC’s only north-eastern event of the year can be purchased in advance priced at just £12 for Saturday entry (BTCC Qualifying), £24 for Sunday (BTCC Race Day) or £35 for the full weekend. Accompanied children aged £12 and under are admitted free of charge, with tickets for 13-to-15-year-olds beginning at £3. Further details can be found at: http://croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc

More information on all of Croft’s driving experiences and racing events can be found at http://croftcircuit.co.uk/

BARC heads to Pembrey for Citroen C1 Series enduros

The British Automobile Racing Club will descend on Pembrey Circuit this weekend (June 8/9) as the Distrigo Parts Distribution Citroen C1 Series takes centre stage for two six-hour endurance races.

Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the Citroen C1 Series has become a smash-hit since its inaugural events in 2017, and now it heads to the home of Welsh motorsport for what should be a pulsating two days.

Having already written themselves into the history books after fielding the biggest grid in UK motorsport, 99 at Silverstone, the C1 contingent are set to make their mark once more with a pair of six-hour encounters around the flowing curves of Pembrey.

Another bumper entry list has been confirmed for the weekend with a raft of drivers all set to get behind the wheel of their Citroen C1 machines at some stage over the course of the weekend.

With a qualifying session set to decide the grid for the races, fans in attendance can look forward to plenty of thrills and spills as the C1 Series serves up a total of 12 hours worth of racing.

Fans will have plenty of local stars to cheer on as well as the Welsh Racing Drivers Association Sports & Saloon Championship joins in on the action on Sunday.

Boasting a diverse grid of cars that are all set to go wheel-to-wheel in the battle for supremacy, two races from the WRDA will likely be the cherry on top of what will be a memorable weekend of racing in South Wales.

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

Thousands lap up an automotive extravaganza at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry served up a memorable two days this past weekend (June 1/2) as thousands turned out for the annual automotive extravaganza that celebrates Coventry’s heritage as Britain’s ‘motor city’.

Growing in size and stature as each year passes, the 2019 edition of the city centre spectacle proved to be the biggest and best yet for the ultimate summer party.

The centrepiece of the weekend proved to be the city’s road network transforming into a race track, titled the GT Radical Sprint Circuit. With major parts of Coventry’s ring road closing to form the 1.13 mile layout, all eyes were on the diverse range of machinery that was set to pit itself against the clock to see who would claim the spoils of being fastest.

Rounds 9 & 10 of the BARC Connaught Sprint Championship proved to be the main focus on the GT Radical Sprint Circuit as the category wrote the latest chapter in what has already been a memorable campaign.

Saturday would see Clive Woodster as the man to beat as he set the fastest time in his Radical SR4. On a slightly damper Sunday, Chris Edwards came to the fore at the wheel of his Mazda 323 GTX to walk away with the bragging rights.

Double BTCC champion Jason Plato was also on hand to meet fans and put on a show from behind the wheel of his Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra.

Other machinery to wow crowds around the ring road circuit included various entrants from the MV Commercial BTRA Championship following a three-year absence and Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup.

Supercars, car clubs and motorcycles also joined in on the ring road shenanigans as they too took to the tarmac to turn a wheel.

On Sunday, the ring road provided a fitting backdrop as a spectacular parade of 1,000 classic Citroens convoyed together to mark the French manufacturers centenary celebrations.

Away from the time trial course, the Skydome Fueltopia Arena saw plenty of thrills and spills take place across both days with modern classic, modified and custom cars both in action and on display, setting pulses racing.

In addition, the Formula G Championship had fans on the edge-of-their-seats too whilst there were also drift demos from Michelle Westby, stunt bikes and more.

Away from the circuit and arena, spectators also lapped up hundreds of classic motorbikes and cars that were on display, family fun area, fairground rides and attractions, food stalls and plenty of entertainment – including three music stages.

For more information on the 2019 Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry, head to https://www.coventrymotofest.com/.

To view the full classification of results from the BARC Connaught Sprint Championship, click here.

Donington Park plays host to memorable BARC weekend

Donington Park welcomed the British Automobile Racing Club this past weekend (June 1/2) for an entertaining two days of racing which saw a total of six championships in action.

Descending on the Leicestershire venue with the Motorsport UK British Superkart GP headlining the weekend’s action, those in attendance were treated to a mouth-watering array of wheel-to-wheel action from start to finish.

Providing a slip-streaming masterclass, the British Superkart Championship offered up huge grids and plenty of thrills along the way too. In the combined F250, F450 & Division 1 races; Liam Morley and Peter Elkmann tasted victory whilst the F125 class saw Kirk Cattermole and Morley triumph.

The coveted Motorsport UK British Superkart GP served up plenty of entertainment as the weekends centrepiece with Elkmann winning the Division 1 race, Paul Platt the F250/F450 National and Morley the F125 Open category.

On Saturday, the Dunlop Endurance Championship took to the spotlight as it staged its latest two one-hour races under the flight path of East Midlands airport. Following a pulsating qualifying session, race one spoils fell the way of the MacG Racing Taranis, driven by Jonny MacGregor.

Having finished as runners-up earlier in the day, VR Motorsport bounced back in the second Britcar encounter to score victory in race two. Tim Gray and Alastair Boulton shared driving duties of the impressive Praga R1T to finish nearly half a minute of their nearest challengers.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns was back in action with another pulsating triple-header. Peter Richings claimed overall honours in the opening race of the weekend as he added to his already impressive 2019 win tally.

Races two and three saw Clive Wood and Steve Dickens come to the fore as they made it three different winners from three races.

Elsewhere, the Caterham Graduates Championship welcomed one of the biggest grids of its already successful season with more 50 cars battling it out over the course of the two days.

Stephen Clark and Samuel Wilson were the victors in the combined Sigmax, Mega & Classic races whilst Luke Balmforth and Jason McCormack did the same in the amalgamated Sigma 125, 135 & 150 class encounters.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owner’s Club Championship saw honours even between William Sharpe and Steve McDermid as they each took a win apiece at the wheel of their MG ZR’s.

Following on from a ground-breaking inaugural event at Silverstone in April, the UK Sports Prototype Cup was back in action. Encompassing both the Radical and Revolution classes, a healthy grid of 12 competitors battled it out for supremacy.

Rob Wheldon set his stall out as the driver to beat in races one and two as he romped to victory however his chances of competing a sensational hat-trick were halted by James Abbott, who ended the weekend topping the podium.

For the full classification of results from all sessions at Donington Park, click here.