Author: Chris Ashby

BARC championships serve up Snetterton spectacular

Snetterton played host to a memorable two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (May 5/6) as five championships continued their 2019 campaigns around the Norfolk venue.

In what proved to be a bank holiday to remember, edge of the seat entertainment was served up from start-to-finish as a variety of categories tackled the challenging 2.99 circuit layout.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship saw spoils shared as Thomas Ward and Scott McIntyre took a win apiece. Having entered the weekend sitting atop of the standings, McIntyre was keen to extend his advantage at the summit and set about doing so by storming to pole position in qualifying.

McIntyre was unable to convert it into victory however as Ward stormed into the lead and ultimately powered his way to a first win of the season as he led McIntyre and reigning champion Lewis Saunders across the line.

Race two would see McIntyre and Saunders in a league of their own as they pulled away from the chasing gap to lead by more than ten seconds. With little separating the pair as the laps ticked by, former Scholarship winner McIntyre managed to pull away to win once again, with Saunders and Jemma Moore rounding out the rostrum.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns was back in action for its second event of the year, and it didn’t disappoint.

Three races yielded a dominant day in each class as three drivers produced stunning hat-trick performances, although they didn’t always have things their own way. On a bank holiday weekend which saw fierce competition, Clive Wood led the way with a scintillating display in class CSP1, winning all three races.

Elsewhere, CSP2 honours went the way of Mike Evans whilst Brian Hunter completed the trio of hat-tricks by triumphing in the CSP3 category.

A jaw-dropping 40-car grid in the Caterham Graduates Championship was a sight to behold and the on-track action ensured those in attendance were gripped. Samuel Wilson continued his strong start to the year with victory in race one, heading the duelling duo of Jamie Winrow and Jamie Ellwood by more than eight seconds.

Wilson’s winning streak came to an end in race two however as an ultra-close battle between Winrow, Ellwood and Stephen Clark covered by just three tenths of a second as the chequered flag flew – with Winrow coming out on top.

The Classic Touring Car Championship was back in action for the third time this year and its block of races didn’t disappoint. James Burrows and Martin Reynolds were the victors in the Pre ’66 Touring Car Championship encounters whilst Mark Osborne was at the double in the Pre ’83 Touring Car Championship.

Stephen Pearson meanwhile swept his to victory in the amalgamated Pre ’93 / Pre ’03 / Pre ’05 Touring Car Championships. Capping off the CTCRC winners was James Janicki and Andrew Wilson, each of whom triumphed in the combined Classic Thunder Touring Car Championship & Blue Oval Touring Car Championship.

Rounding out the weekend’s action were a handful of races from the British Superkart Championship, with Liam Morley, Sam Moss, Andy Bird and Jason Dredge all standing on the top step of the podium at one stage.

For the full results from all of the weekend’s sessions across each championship, click here.

SmarTrack Series Elite to run demonstration sessions at Brands Hatch

With extensive taster testing and overall refinements taking place in recent months on the production line, the first of the SmarTrack Series Elite Jaguar Project 8 cars will break cover at Brands Hatch this weekend (May 11/12).

As part of the British Automobile Racing Club’s race meeting, two race prepared cars will take part in four demonstration sessions of 15-20 minutes each, around the Indy circuit, over the course of the weekend.

Giving drivers an opportunity to fine tune their cars, the demonstrations will also allow for the public to witness the potential of the extraordinary 600bhp, 200mph all-wheel-drive machines in the flesh.

The ground-breaking one-make series roars into life at the Kent venue before then moving on to Silverstone, where a six-car, fully competitive grid will fight out the first ever races, before returning to Brands Hatch, and subsequently on to Donington Park, Snetterton and the Algarve. Jaguar Land Rover SVO will ultimately produce 20 cars for the series, meaning grids will increase throughout the year.

On revealing the plans for the weekend, Series Founder, Graeme Glew said: “We are delighted to be able to show off the cars this weekend, and can think of few better places to do so than Brands Hatch.

“Despite some delays outside of our control which have meant we are not quite ready to start competitive racing, I wanted to ensure that the public got at least a taste of things to come, so I am grateful to the BARC for providing time in a busy schedule to get out on track and introduce the cars.

“We have more cars arriving every day, and a growing roster of engaged drivers, so we look forward to returning again in June to show the Brands Hatch public Series Elite in full competitive action”.

Designed to appeal to both amateurs and more experienced racers aged 40 and above, Series Elite’s cars are available to purchase or to rent on an arrive-and-drive basis providing the drivers that are interested possess the minimum of a National A Licence.

For more information, head to www.serieselite.com

BARC bank holiday bonanza ready to be played out at Snetterton

The British Automobile Racing Club is gearing up for another bank holiday bonanza of on-track action this coming weekend (May 5/6) as five championships travel Norfolk to take on the challenges of Snetterton.

With the 2019 season now in full swing, events are coming thick and fast for the Club with this weekend’s meeting set to be an enthralling affair.

The battle for supremacy will rumble on in the Junior Saloon Car Championship this weekend, with Snetterton providing the stage for the third event of what has already been an enthralling season.

Offering aspiring racers aged between the ages of 14 to 17 to make the transition from karts to cars, the JSCC has become the perfect platform for teenagers to forge a career in motorsport at an affordable price, and this year has already seen events at Oulton Park and Croft.

Scott McIntyre finds himself in the lead of the championship standings virtue of three consecutive wins however his advantage is a slender one over reigning champion Lewis Saunders.

Beyond the top two, Thomas Ward has enjoyed a strong start to the year to sit third whilst the likes of Jemma Moore, Owen Hizzey, Alex Jay, Leo Panayiotu and TJ Rodriguez, among many more, will all be keen to close the gap to the leaders.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns is back in action with another trio of races after roaring into life at Brands Hatch a few weeks ago.

The multi-class category has become a cornerstone of British motorsport down the years and the 2019 edition has already served up plenty of talking points.

Clive Wood and Peter Richings shared the outright spoils last time out and the pair will be keen to carry their momentum forward. The likes of Morris Hart, Barry Webb, Mike Evans, Pippa Tanner-Wood and Brian Hunter however will all be looking to enjoy success too.

Snetterton will mark the third weekend of the year for the Caterham Graduates Championship, with another sizeable entry list revved up for a high-octane two days of racing. With varying classes ensuring parity remains throughout, the championship has been a stable for thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing down the years.

Samuel Wilson has emerged as the head figure in the series and has been perfection personified thus far, leading the way in the SigMax category. Throughout the grid, drivers to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend as well as Wilson include Jamie Ellwood, Robin Webb, Paul Hawker and many more.

The very best saloon cars from down the years will be in action in the Classic Touring Car Championship, which will continue its 2019 campaign at Snetterton after an impressive opening two events at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch.

As always, the Paul Inch – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, CTCRC Group 1 Touring Car Championship, Envirotec Hygiene Services Pre-93 Touring Cars, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship will respectively amalgamate.

Drivers to keep a close eye on include AJ Owen, Stephen Primett, Don Hughes, Richard Wood, Mike Luck, Johnathan Lewis and many more.

Rounding out the action will be a handful of races from the jaw-dropping British Superkart Championship, which resumes after an eventful season-opener at Cadwell Park last month.

For more information on this weekend’s event at Snetterton, including links to timetables and live timing, click here.

TOCA support championships take on starring role at Donington Park

Donington Park delivered a breathtaking two days of TOCA support race action this past weekend (April 27/28) as title battles continued to intensify across all five championships.

All aiming to take on a starring role alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the Leicestershire venue, action

Jack Young asserted himself as the man to beat in the Renault UK Clio Cup as he enjoyed a near-perfect weekend to rocket to the summit of the standings. Scorching his way to pole position on Saturday, the MRM Racing wrote his name into the history books the following day by becoming the youngest driver to win a race in the series.

Brett Lidsey and Ben Colburn proved to be Young’s closest challengers over the course of the race but neither could stop the Northern Irishman. Brands Hatch race winner Max Coates meanwhile battled back from a pit lane start before retiring with a mechanical issue.

Young underlined his supremacy once again later in the day as he scored a second successive win to the tune of nine seconds ahead of Lidsey and the charging Coates.

Spoils were shared in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB as Daniel Harper and the returning Josh Webster claimed a win apiece. Having secured a last-minute deal to join the grid with Team Parker Racing, former champion Webster was on the pace from the get-go and marked his return with a podium in race one.

Harper however was the one to beat in the opener as he produced a mesmerising performance to fend off George Gamble and score his second victory of the year already. Webster would show

James Hedley made his mark on the Michelin Ginetta Junior championship as notched an impressive brace of wins and a second place finish in an exciting trio of races. Hedley produced a battling display in race one to catch pole sitter Roman Bilinski but was unable to make a move.

Having settled for second, post-race checks led to Bilinski being disqualified and thus promoting the teenager to the top step of the podium. James Taylor then came to the fore in the second race of the weekend as he scored his second win of the year before Hedley added to his tally with an impressive drive to cap off the event with more silverware.

Elsewhere the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup proved to be ultra-competitive once more with three drivers topping the podium over the course of the event. Harry King continued his impressive start to the year with victory in race one before Will Burns and Tom Hibbert each enjoyed success.

Capping off the TOCA support action was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship with Louis Foster and Bart Horsten triumphing.

Both the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and F4 B will be joined by the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and Mini Se7en Championship at Thruxton for the third event of the 2019 season on May 18/19.

The remaining three championships will return to action on June 15/16 in North Yorkshire at Croft.

For the full classification of results, click here.

McAttack Racing produce incredible comeback to win C1 Racing Series 24-hour race

McAttack Racing produced one of the greatest comebacks in British motorsport at Silverstone this past weekend (April 26/27/28) as they came from the back of the grid to win the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series 24-hour race.

Around the iconic full 3.67 mile Grand Prix layout of the Northamptonshire venue, the British Automobile Racing Club’s hugely popular one-make category wrote its name into the history books by fielding a stunning 99-car grid.

Eclipsing the previous record held by Britcar of 75 cars to make a race start, the C1 Racing Club served up a tantalising event which saw a total of 442 drivers compete over the course of the race.

Qualifying in darkness threw up plenty of entertainment on the Friday evening and it was to the McAttack Racing trio of Declan McDonnell, Joe Wiggin and Simon Walker-Hansell that set the fastest time of 3:02.035 to clinch top spot.

Having been the victors last year when the event was staged at Rockingham, the trio entered the weekend as one of the favourites and their pole position in qualifying had looked to cement their status.

However, post-qualifying checks flagged up that the car was underweight and that the team would have to start from the back of the grid in 99th. Starting 98th due to one team electing to start from the pit lane, the team slowly climbed their way up the ranks as the race progressed, breaking into the top 15 in the ninth hour.

With 17 hours having passed, the trio were soon into the top five and 90 minutes later they elevated themselves up into second place. Hitting the front in hour 14 of the race, Circuit Pro had become the team beat in the race as they established themselves as commanding leaders.

Simon Harrison, Patrick Watts and Timothy Hartland had qualified their machine in 15th during qualifying and looked to be on course to record a memorable victory. With the race entering its final stages, Circuit Pro crossed the line with two seconds to spare, forcing one more lap to be run.

Lapping much faster than the leaders, the McAttack trio managed to catch and pass Circuit Pro on the final lap to record a victory that is set to live long in the memory.

MSAR Old Hat Motorsport rounded out the podium but it wasn’t without encountering their own travails as the race wore on. Having started on the outside of the front row, the team of Callum Hutchings, Tony Hutchings, Daniel Bruce and James Keepin had to battle back from tumbling down the order early on.

C-Tron Racing and Team Merlin International rounded out the top five having both come close to challenging for the podium as well at one stage.

With a total of 99 cars and 24 hours worth of racing, the event wasn’t to be without incident with the safety car making a variety of appearances in the early stages, as well as through the night.

Philip Myatt, Founder of the C1 Racing Club, said: “The 24-hour race has been a great success. It hasn’t been without its accidents, but its hard to expect no contact with 99 cars circulating!

“It has been a great achievement for the club to now hold the record for the biggest grid that the UK has ever seen and my thanks must go to the 150 officials and marshals who have braved the tough weather conditions throughout the night.

“We’ve welcomed 442 drivers over the 24 hours, all with varying levels of racing experience, which will always make for an interesting race!”

For the full classification of results from every hour of the race, click here.

The Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series are next in action on May 25/26 at Anglesey.

Silverstone plays host to memorable BARC race day

It wasn’t just the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series that competed at Silverstone this past weekend (April 27/28) as several other British Automobile Racing Club categories took centre stage to continue their 2019 campaigns.

Setting the scene for the history-making main event later in the day on Saturday, a variety of different championships tackled the infamous Grand Prix circuit to serve up a feast of thrills and spills.

Making their second appearance at the venue already this year, the Dunlop Endurance Championship staged a further two one-hour encounters. Race one proved to be a frenetic affair as the VR Motorsport duo of Tim Gray and Alastair Boulton piloted their Praga R1T to the chequered flag in commanding style, finishing ahead of their nearest challengers by more than 40 seconds.

Any hopes of repeating that success were extinguished in race two later in the day however as the pair were forced to retire after 15 laps. With the race one victors watching on from the sidelines, FF Corse’s Wayne Marrs and Charlie Hollings took full advantage to lead a Ferrari 488 Challenge 1-2-3.

Silverstone provided the starting point for the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup, BARC Saloon Series and TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge too, with the trio amalgamating together for two blockbuster races.

Bringing together a diverse range of saloon cars to go wheel-to-wheel with each other, all three categories were well represented. At the wheel of his Ford Escort RS2000 MkII, Craig Rainer proved to be the driver to beat as he stormed to victory in both races,

Rainer dominated proceedings in the opener but didn’t have things all his own way however as the Ford man was kept honest in the second encounter by the Honda Civic of Chris Sparks.

Rounding out the action around the 3.67 mile circuit was the Sports Prototype Cup, which made its own piece of history by running for the first-ever time.

Aimed at providing a multi-marque racing environment for lightweight sports prototype cars to race in a premium race weekend package, the new series was home to both the Radical SR3 and brand-new Revolution machine.

Despite a small grid competing the action proved to be fast-paced with outright hours shared between Rob Wheldon and Bruce Crawley.

For the full classification of results, click here.

Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram score BTCC victories during action packed Donington Park weekend

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship produced three action packed races at Donington Park this past weekend (April 27/28), with Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram leaving the Leicestershire venue with a share of the spoils.

Following on from a pulsating season-opener at Brands Hatch, the second event of the 2019 campaign saw the top two from last year come to the fore and score their first wins in their respective new machines.

Ever-changing conditions in qualifying on Saturday made for a challenging battle for pole position but once the dust settled it was reigning champion Turkington that topped the times, claiming a maiden pole for the new 330i M Sport and his first since 2016.

Turkington converted his front row start into a commanding race one victory as drama ensued behind. A multi-car accident on the opening lap led to several retirements and heavy damage as Andrew Jordan’s BMW slid sideways after receiving contact exiting the Old Hairpin.

With nowhere to go, the Mercedes A-Class of Adam Morgan made contact with the side of Jordan’s car, whilst Ollie Jackson, Jake Hill and Matt Simpson were all caught up in the incident too.

Jordan was taken to hospital for precautionary checks but the crash caused significant damage to his 330i M Sport – ruling him out for the rest of the day.

Once the race restarted, defending champion Turkington served up a virtuoso performance to claim his first win of the season ahead of Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton and his Team BMW team-mate Tom Oliphant – who scored his first podium in the series.

Turkington produced a carbon copy performance in the second race of the day under the flight path of East Midlands airport, once again dealing with two safety car periods. On both occasions the Northern Irishman made his escape on the restart and was never troubled as further drama took place behind.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal, 20 years on from his first-ever BTCC win at circuit, had kept his head down for most of the weekend until race two. Working his way through the order, the Honda driver dispatched Sutton with just two laps to go to take second place.

Sutton would hang on to third after producing yet another defensive masterclass, this time from Tom Chilton and Rory Butcher.

The all-new Toyota Corolla clinched a breakthrough victory in the reverse grid encounter as Ingram delivered a stellar lights-to-flag drive. In front of more than 4,500 Toyota members and their families, the Speedworks Motorsport ace was not to be denied a first win of the year – and it proved to be an emotional one at that.

Beginning the race on pole position, the 2018 runner-up scampered into the distance and was untroubled despite a brief safety car period. Behind, Rob Collard clinched his and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s first piece of silverware whilst Josh Cook rounded out the podium in his BTC Racing Type R.

Virtue of his two podiums at Donington Park, Sutton has moved to the head of the BTCC Drivers’ Championship however just six points cover the top five.

Honda remain at the summit of the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructor standings whilst Team BMW lead the Teams’ leaderboard. Chilton leads the way in the Independent Drivers’ however it is BTC Racing that continue to have a stranglehold on the Independent Teams’. AMD Tuning’s Butcher extended his advantage in the Jack Sears Trophy.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Thruxton for the third event of the season on May 18/19.

BTCC races into Donington Park for second event of the season

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will speed into Donington Park this weekend (April 27/28) for the second event of the 2019 season, and the battle for supremacy at the summit is set to only intensify.

An ultra-competitive opening weekend at Brands Hatch showed that the BTCC is set to be as fierce as ever this year with Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan and Rory Butcher scoring a win apiece, with a total of eight drivers scaling the rostrum across the three races.

With the early-season formbook making for intriguing reading, the annual trip to Leicestershire will be a pivotal one as the leading contenders bid to assert themselves towards the standings summit.

BTC Racing’s Cook arrives in Leicestershire leading the way after his Brands Hatch victory and the 1.95 mile track holds happy memories for the Honda driver after clinching a maiden BTCC pole position and victory there last year.

Ladened with maximum ballast, the Civic Type R driver will be in fighting form as he aims to extend his slender points advantage. Tom Chilton and Stephen Jelley each took on starring roles at round one, and the pair will be eyeing more silverware in a big to close the gap to Cook.

Off the back of claiming a maiden BTCC victory for both himself and the team, AMD Tuning’s Butcher is another driver to keep an eye on, with the Honda Civic Type R proving to be a potent weapon down the years under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Adam Morgan and Jake Hill were podium finishers at Brands Hatch and both shouldn’t be discounted from adding to their silverware hauls too. Hot on the heels of them are a trio of former champions in the shape of Ashley Sutton, Andrew Jordan and Matt Neal.

Sutton stormed to pole position at the season-opener whilst local man Jordan delivered a mesmerising drive to give the new BMW 3-Series victory on its competitive debut. Elsewhere, it has been 20 years since three-time champion Neal wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first Independent to win a race, and the Honda man will be keen to roll back the years and top the podium once more during the weekend.

Tom Ingram rounds out the top ten as it stands and the Toyota Corolla driver will be looking to feed off of the local support he’ll as 4,500 supporters, comprised of members and their families from Toyota Manufacturing UK, will attend Donington Park to cheer on the reigning Independents champion.

Beyond the top ten, current title holder Colin Turkington will be looking to bounce back from a challenging opening round, with the Vauxhall duo of Jason Plato and Rob Collard will be looking to do the same.

Aiden Moffat, Chris Smiley and Jack Goff, amongst many more contenders, have enjoyed varied success down the years too and will be worth keeping an eye on as the weekend progresses.

Rounds 4, 5 & 6 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be available to watch on ITV4 this Sunday with build-up beginning at 10:40.

For more information on this weekend’s event such as the official entry list and timetable, click here.

All-out action expected from TOCA support championships at Donington Park

Coming off the back of a pulsating opening event of the season for all five championships, the TOCA support package continues this weekend (April 27/28) under the flightpath of East Midlands airport at Donington Park – and it’s all to play for.

In the Renault UK Clio Cup, Max Coates and Jack Young look set to renew their battle after emerging as the stars of Brands Hatch. Winning both races at the Kent circuit, Coates got the better of his closest challenger and the pair will be expected to be inseparable once more across the weekend’s pair of races.

Beyond the top two however sits some serious opposition with the quartet of Brett Lidsey, Ethan Hammerton, Jade Edwards and Ben Colburn all aiming to take the fight to Coates and Young and halt their momentum.

The Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup produced three different race winners at the Brands Hatch opener and if the racing so far is anything to go by, this weekend’s triple-header is set to produce some captivating action.

Harry King, Reece Somerfield and Will Burns shared the spoils first time out and the trio will be ones to watch as they bid to build on their strong starts. Behind, former BTCC ace Mike Epps enjoyed an encouraging Supercup debut and he will be keen to build on his strong start.

Tom Hibbertt, Fin Green, Carl Shield and Carlito Miracco are all sure to be in the battle at the front of the field as well.

There were two new winners in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship at the start of the month and the depth of this years talent in the series suggests that more could spring up in Leicestershire.

James Taylor and Tom Emson emerged as the victors from a thrilling opening weekend and the pair find themselves as the one’s to beat arriving at Donington Park. Whilst they each have a victory in their pockets already, adding to their tally is set to be a difficult with a raft of teenage sensations all eager to make their mark.

The likes of James Hedley, Ethan Brooks, Zak O’Sullivan, Lorcan Hanafin, Theo Edgerton and Casper Stevenson are just a handful of stars revved up for racing to resume, especially as this weekend will see three races take place.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Daniel Harper will look to extend his advantage at the summit of the championship standings over the weekend’s two races. Making a flying start to the season with a first and third, the Northern Irishman sees him head the way by two points early on.

Lewis Plato leads the chase for the JTR man whilst fellow Brands Hatch race winner George Gamble isn’t far behind either. Two 23-lap duels around the undulating Donington layout will provide further clarity on who will be in the mix for the title this year across all classes.

Capping off the TOCA support action as always will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

To find out more information on this weekend’s second TOCA event of the 2019 season, click here.

C1 Racing Series revved up for history-making Silverstone event

History is set to be made at Silverstone this weekend (April 26/27/28) as the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series headlines the latest British Automobile Racing Club meeting with a 98-car field competing in its first 24-hour race of the year.

Eclipsing the previous record for the biggest grid at a British motorsport event of 75, the one-make series will write its name into the history books on what should be an event to remember around the iconic 3.67 mile Grand Prix circuit.

Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series has emerged as one of the fastest growing categories in the country since launching midway through 2017.

Making waves last year with two 24-hour races at Rockingham, the C1 contingent moves to Silverstone with a staggering 434 set the be behind the wheel at some stage over the course of the event.

Kicking things off at 17:30 on Saturday evening, the series will race into the darkness and into the night, with all-out entertainment set to be high on the agenda right the way through until the chequered flag falls the following day.

Prior to the C1 Racing Series roaring into action, the Dunlop Endurance Championship run their second consecutive event of the season at the Northamptonshire venue. Two one-hour encounters with a glittering array of supercars will provide a thrilling spectacle for those in attendance, and the action is likely to be as competitive as ever.

The VR Motorsport Praga R1T of Tim Gray and the JMH Lamborghini Huracan pairing of John Seale and Marcus Clutton ran out winners during the season-opener and both will be ones to watch again. However, with a bumper grid of more than 30 cars set to compete, front-running contenders are set to spring up from all angles.

Fans of all things tin tops will be well-catered for as well as the BARC Saloon Series, TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge and the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup amalgamate together to kick off their campaigns with two 20-minute races taking place.

Bringing together some of the most awe-inspiring saloons from a variety of eras, the action is set to be fast-paced from start to finish with the likes of Ken Lark, Alex Kite and Jeffrey Windsor set to take on starring roles.

Capping off the weekend’s BARC action will be the inaugural two races from the Sports Prototype Cup. Featuring the Radical SR3 Trophy and new Revolution Race Car, the championship is aimed at providing a multi-marque racing environment for lightweight sports prototype cars to race in a premium race weekend package.

Breaking cover for the first time, the season-opener showcases a depth of talent with former Radical Challenge victor Rob Wheldon, James Abbott, Morten Dons and Johan Boris Scheier all set to go wheel-to-wheel in the battle for supremacy.

With history set to be made, the BARC is set for a fever-filled three days of on-track action.

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

SmarTrack Series Elite gearing up for inaugural race meeting

In what has been a frenetic start to the 2019 season for the British Automobile Racing Club, one category is yet to break cover and turn a wheel, however preparations are beginning to ramp up for the SmarTrack Series Elite to do just that next month.

Set to descend on Brands Hatch on May 11/12 for its first-ever race meeting, the one-make series is aiming to break new ground as it roars into life at the Kent venue before then moving on to Silverstone, Donington Park, Snetterton and the Algarve.

Designed to appeal to both amateurs and more experienced racers aged 40 and above, the 200mph all-wheel drive Jaguar XE SV Project 8 has been the machine chosen to take on a starring role in the series.

Receiving rave reviews on Amazon Prime’s hit show The Grand Tour, the monstrous 600bhp machine is set to ensure pulses are racing from the get-go when the category finally launches in a couple of weeks.

Multiple Olympic cycling champion turned racer Sir Chris Hoy is aiming to join the field for the series finale in Portugal and has also been impressed by the Project 8.

Hoy stated: “Having driven the car on track in the wet I was particularly impressed with the traction out of corners. It gets the power down so well and in a very un-intimidating way.

“I’ve not driven a race car with 600bhp that’s been able to do it better – Bravo Jaguar!”

With extensive taster testing and overall refinements taking place in recent months on the production line, the opening rounds of the season will be ‘Exhibition Races’ with four cars set to take to the start.

From there, grids are set to grow as each event passes with six confirmed for Silverstone and eight for its second visit to Brands Hatch. In total. Jaguar Land Rover SVO have produced 20 Project 8 cars for the series to allow numbers to increase over the course of the year.

In addition, cars are available to rent on an arrive-and-drive basis providing the drivers that are interested possess the minimum of a National A Licence.

Practice on the Friday, followed by qualifying and two races across Saturday and Sunday make up the opening meeting for the SmarTrack Series Elite, with VIP hospitality also available as well.

Graeme Glew: “Since approaching the British Automobile Racing Club over two years ago with the concept of Series Elite we have been testing with over 60 drivers, and that is within the last six months.

“It will be marvellous to see the cars raced in anger by like minded gentleman drivers at Brands Hatch next month.”

Any interested drivers wanting to test a Project 8 car can do so at an exclusive track day on Tuesday 30th April at Jaguar’s own test track near Coventry.

For more information on the SmarTrack Series Elite, head to www.serieselite.com or contact Graeme via graeme@f1.co.uk.

Cadwell Park plays host to frenetic BARC race day

The British Automobile Racing Club’s bumper bank holiday schedule included a scintillating Sunday (April 21) at Cadwell Park last weekend, with four championships taking on a starring role.

In what is the first of several trips to the undulating Lincolnshire-based venue over the course of the 2019 campaign for the BARC, the Easter Sunday event set pulses races from the get-go.

Three pulsating races from the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship proved to be one of the highlights of the day as reigning champion Pete Sparrow and Lien Davies shared the spoils.

Boasting a bumper entry list for their second event of the year, the iconic machines went wheel-to-wheel around the challenging twists and turns that Cadwell Park had to offer, producing spectacular racing along the way.

Former title winner Davies was the first to strike as he claimed outright honours in race one, leading Sparrow and Nick Crispin across the line – the trio covered by little over three seconds.

Having dominated the season-opener at Silverstone, Sparrow was soon back to winning ways in race two as he edged out Luca Proietti and Simon Clarke before then adding a second victory later in the day, heading Davies and Proietti in the finale.

The Mighty Minis Championship lifted the curtain on its 2019 campaign with a pair of thrilling races, won Neven Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick. One of the last categories to kick-start their seasons, the Mini contingent wasted no time in serving up a feast of entertainment.

At the wheel of his #11 machine, Neven Kirkpatrick leapt into the lead on lap four and was never challenged after as he led Alex Comis and David Kirkpatrick across the line. Not happy to settle for third place, the latter Kirkpatrick bounced in race two to triumph ahead of Comis and Steven Rideout.

Andrew Southcott was the man to beat in the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship as he piloted his MG Modsport 2300 to a brace of wins. Southcott edged out David Harvey to pole position earlier in the morning and that proved to be the theme for the rest of the day as Harvey ended up as the nearest challenge to Southcott.

Rounding out the podium was Paul Dobson and Paul Woolfitt, the pair picking up a piece of silverware each.

Capping off the day’s action was two races from the British Superkart Championship, both ultimately won by Gareth James.

For the full classification of results at Cadwell Park, click here.