Author: Chris Ashby

Silverstone spoils shared as BTCC title battle goes down to the wire

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will go down to the wire at Brands Hatch in two weeks time following an action-packed penultimate event of the season at Silverstone this past weekend (September 15/16).

Sam Tordoff, Tom Ingram and Aiden Moffat shared the spoils to score victory however it was Colin Turkington that left the Northamptonshire venue leading the standings, despite his advantage being slashed to 34 points.

Qualifying proved to be a frenetic affair around the 1.64 mile circuit with track space proving to be critical. As the clock ticked to zero, Tordoff emerged as the man to beat as he set a blistering time of 58.480 to score his and Motorbase Performance’s first pole position of the year.

Ricky Collard took on a starring role in the session in just his third race meeting, piloting his West Surrey Racing BMW to second place – just 0.018 from pole. Tom Chilton, Jack Goff and Andrew Jordan meanwhile rounded out the top five.

Of the top three in the championship standings heading into the weekend, Colin Turkington was the highest qualifier in 18th, with Ingram 19th and Ashley Sutton 25th.

Having had to endure his own fair share of bad luck throughout the season, Tordoff delivered a near-perfect performance in the opening encounter to score his maiden victory of the season.

After a season of bad luck Tordoff converted his pole position into a first victory of the season. Holding his lead off the line, the former series runner-up led home a Motorbase one-two as Tom Chilton scored second, despite launching a challenge for the lead in the closing stages.

Despite making an early challenge for top spot, Collard dropped to fifth at one stage before clawing his way back to third, ultimately crossing the line to take a popular breakthrough rostrum. Throttle issues scuppered Jordan’s chances of big points whilst Turkington threaded his way to eighth. Sutton meanwhile produced a feisty drive to climb through the order into 11th.

Scoring just a single point in race one and trailing Turkington by 50, many eyes were focused on what Ingram could achieve in round 26. Free of ballast and on the faster tyre compound, the Speedworks Motorsport served up a mesmerising performance as he charged from 14th to score his third victory of the season, and crucially reigniting his title chances.

Vaulting into fifth on the opening tour, Ingram continued his charge and hit the front on lap ten, never to be seen again afterwards. Adam Morgan muscled his way into second whilst Tordoff, after leading early on, relinquished his lead in the ballast-laden Ford Focus RS to round off the podium.

Turkington battled the harder and slower tyre to salvage eighth once again. Reigning champion Sutton meanwhile lured a disastrous race as he failed to make the start due to mechanics still working on the car in the garage as the pit lane opened.

With Aiden Moffat drawn on pole position for the final race of the weekend, the Laser Tools Racing driver became the 16th different victor of the season as he produced a defensive masterclass to score his first win of the year.

In what turned out to be a pulsating 25-lap encounter, Moffat starved off a race-long attack from Ingram, Turkington, Rob Austin, Josh Cook and Chilton to pilot his Mercedes Benz A-Class to the chequered flag.

Pipping Turkington to second place, Ingram closed the points deficit to the 34 points – ensuring he will head to Brands Hatch at the end of the month still in contention to battle for the biggest prize in British motorsport.

One title was wrapped up at Silverstone as Dan Cammish built up an unassailable lead in the Jack Sears Trophy.

For the full classification of results from all sessions over the course of the weekend as well as the championship standings, click here.

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will draw to a close at Brands Hatch on September 29/30 with all titles set to be decided.

Classic Formula Ford and Max5’s star at Mallory Park

Mallory Park played host to a memorable Sunday (August 5) of racing this past weekend as the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship and Max5 Racing Championship continued their 2018 campaigns.

Tackling the twists and turns of the popular Leicestershire-based venue, both championships were in fine form as they took a step closer to deciding their individual champions.

In the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship, two pulsating single-seater races saw spoils shared between two drivers. In race one, Ben Tinkler powered his Van Diemen RF80 to victory ahead of Benn Tilley.

Both Tinkler and Tilley proved to be a in a league of their own in the opening encounter as they diced for the win. In the end, little over half a second separated the pair at the chequered flag with Tinkler coming out on top. Rounding off the podium, albeit five seconds down the road, was Jordan Harrison in his Lola T504E.

Race two from the Classic Formula Ford contingent saw the roles reversed as Tilley this time walked away as the winner. Keeping fans on the edge-of-their-seats, the top three pulled out a substantial advantage early on and began to scrap amongst themselves soon after.

Tilley in the end came away as the victor whilst Tinkler and Mark Yates ensured he had to work for his latest win in the series.

The Max5 Racing Championship had a familiar feel to it as Paul Roddison scored another pair of wins to further strengthen his position as the man to beat in the one-make championship.

Topping the times in both practice and qualifying, Roddison led home two identical races as he beat Jeremy Shipley and Ian Loversidge to the top step of the rostrum in both.

Also on track at Mallory Park was the latest rounds of the Cartek Motorsport Ford Saloon Series where wins went the way of Paul Nevill and Simon Horrobin.

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

Andrew Jordan wins BTCC shootout at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship continued its Diamond Jubilee celebrations at one of the biggest motorsport events of the year this past weekend, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with Andrew Jordan coming out on top as the victor.

Taking place from July 12th to July 15th, more than 100,000 spectators poured through the gates each day to soak up the sun and all things automotive, with the BTCC taking on its own starring role.

Last staging a shootout at the event in 2016, the series returned with six drivers all vying for the bragging rights of being fastest up the iconic 1.16 mile hill.

Triumphing two years ago, 2013 champion Jordan retained his monaca as the man to beat after firstly piloting his West Surrey Racing BMW 1-Series to the top of the times in the two sessions held on Friday and Saturday.

Once again leading the way on Sunday morning, the BMW Pirtek Racing driver lit up the timesheets when it really mattered during Sunday afternoon’s main event, clocking what was to be an unbeatable time of 52.58 to win the BTCC shootout.

Commenting on the victory, Jordan said: “It’s an amazing feeling to be the BTCC’s King of the Hill and a great way to get my first ‘win’ of the season. The Goodwood hillclimb is an incredible challenge and you have to straddle that fine line between being incredibly brave and a bit cautious to get to the top in the best time.

“I’ve had a fantastic time so my thanks go to the guys from WSR for preparing the car and to the Duke of Richmond and his organising team at Goodwood for putting on such an incredible event again. I’m certain this success can inspire us to go and take BMW Pirtek Racing’s first BTCC race win of the year very soon.”

Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Josh Cook finished second after hustling his Vauxhall Astra between the hay bales to record a time of 54.06, narrowly ahead of Adam Morgan who was third despite having a wild moment on the grass exiting Molecomb.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal was fourth with Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram fifth, the pair separated by little under eight tenths of a second at the end.

Rounding out the list of runners was Rob Austin in the HMS Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Despite starting strongly, Austin appeared to encounter trouble towards the middle part of the climb and was unable to push on further, ultimately setting a time of 65.53.

Away from the modern day touring car machinery there was also a host of iconic machines on display. The Austin 105 that piloted Jack Sears to the inaugural British Saloon Car Championship title in 1958 took pride of place, as did a Volvo 850 Estate and Alfa Romeo 155 from 1994.

Elsewhere a Ford Galaxie 500, Ford Escort Twin Came, Triumph Dolomite Sprint, Rover SD1 Vitesse, Jaguar MK1 and Morris Mini Cooper S all garnered plenty of attention.

For the full classification of hillclimb times from the BTCC contingent, click here.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns to action on July 28/29 at Snetterton for rounds 16, 17 & 18. In-keeping with the BTCC’s 60th anniversary, round 18 of the series will be a ‘Diamond Double’ race which will see all drivers compete on the same tyre and without success ballast, whilst points will be doubled too.

BTCC shines at Oulton Park as three new winners make their mark

Matt Simpson, Colin Turkington and Rob Collard took a win apiece as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship served up a scintillating three races at Oulton Park this past weekend (June 9/10).

In searing temperatures and a bumper crowd, Britain’s premier racing series saw three different drivers scaled the top step of the podium – taking the 2018 tally to nine victory from 12 races.

Qualifying saw history made as Simpson set a new lap record on his way to his first-ever BTCC pole position. Firing a warning shot in free practice after setting the pace, the Simpson Racing driver backed-up his front-running pace by setting a blistering time of 1:25.750 around the 2.23 mile Cheshire venue – a lap that would was ultimately never bettered.

Motorbase Performance also enjoyed a strong qualifying session as Sam Tordoff pipped team-mate Tom Chilton to second place whilst BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan rounded out the top four.

As the lights went out for the opening encounter of the weekend, Simpson launched his Honda Civic Type R into a lead that he ultimately would never lose. Controlling the pace, Simpson delivered a measured drive and despite coming under late pressure in the closing stages, he had enough in hand to score a popular breakthrough triumph.

Behind Simpson was the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS of Tom Chilton, who bagged his and the teams maiden rostrum finish of the year. The former Independents champion resisted a near race-long challenge from the BMW of Andrew Jordan to keep second place as Jordan capped the podium.

Unfortunately for Simpson he was unable to see if he could replicate his race one performance, forced to instead watch on from the sidelines as his race-winning machine underwent an engine change.

With everyone moving up a spot on the grid, Chilton blasted away from pole position and held off the early advances of Jordan as the field filed down The Avenue into Dentons. Further back there was action aplenty as Dan Cammish, Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat and Ashley Sutton were all caught up in an incident, Moffat and Cammish coming off worse out of the four.

Back at the front however all eyes were on Turkington as he made up places in no time at all, soon surging into second place. Producing a textbook pass on Chilton into Lodge corner, the double champion powered his BMW into the distance and on to an emotional first win of the season for both himself and West Surrey Racing.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal slipped past Chilton at Old Hall a couple of laps later but was unable to catch Turkington, settling for second whilst Chilton bagged a second podium of the day.

Race three saw Rob Austin drawn on pole position but there was to be drama further back as a multi-car accident brought the red flag out immediately. Coming together with Mike Bushell, the quartet of Tom Oliphant, Rory Butcher, Daniel Lloyd and Chris Smiley all saw their races come to a premature end – with substantial damage bestowing all of them.

On the restart, Austin was powerless to stop fellow front row starter Rob Collard from getting the jump on him off the line, setting into second place behind the West Surrey Racing pilot. Building up an early advantage, Collard soon gapped the Alfa Romeo driver and stamped his authority on the race.

Austin had looked on course for a second podium of the season but cruel fate was to strike as he slowed, forcing him to retire to the pits. That left West Surrey Racing to pick up a famous 1-2-3 finish as Jordan and Turkington followed Collard to a mammoth haul of silverware.

As a result of the weekend’s three races, Turkington leaves Oulton Park as the championship leader, 12 points ahead of Adam Morgan and Jack Goff.

For the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions over the course of the weekend, click here.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championships heads to North Yorkshire next with Croft playing host to rounds 13, 14 and 15 on June 23/24 – marking the traditional halfway point of the season.

Advance tickets for the fifth meeting of the 2018 campaign are available until June 14, priced at just £11 for Saturday, £24 for Sunday and £33 for the full weekend. Head to the Croft Circuit website for more information.

C1 Challenge & Pickup Trucks produce mesmerising Rockingham showing

A series of firsts took place at Rockingham this past weekend (May 11/12/13) as the Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge and Pickup Truck Racing Championship produced non-stop action around the popular Corby venue.

In what proved to be three days of high-octane on-track thrills, the weekend was largely dominated by the C1 Challenge, which staged both three and 24hr endurance races.

The event not only marked the first time that the one-make tin top category had visited Rockingham, but also the inaugural 24hr race the venue had held since its opened its doors in 2001.

Boasting an entry list of more than 50 cars and 200 drivers, action began on Saturday at 17:00 in treacherous conditions as the series roared into life. Following a frenetic opening hour, where positions were being swapped on a regular basis throughout the field, teams and drivers settled into the race as the laps and clock began to tick by.

Following a full days racing, Team C’est La Vie emerged as the victors, finishing two laps ahead of their nearest challengers. James Macintyre-Ure, Robin Welsh, Paul Dickinson, Max Maxted and Chris Chadwick shared driving duties of the #349 machine and were regular front runners, leading a majority of the race.

Second place went the way of Richard Dalton, Louis Tyson and Peter Rundle, running under the Daltonator banner. Leading the race for a couple of hours overnight, the trio were unable to remain at the summit of the standings, dropping to second.

Rounding off the podium after 24 hours was HE Racing, made up of Symon, Hannah, Edward and Harry Cockhill.

Such was the popularity of the 24hr race, an additional three-hour encounter was also run during the weekend for those that were unable to secure a spot in the main event.

Boasting a starting grid of 32 cars, Poorboys Racing emerged as race winners with James Kenyon and Stewart Linn behind the wheel. The duo notched 91 laps overall, winning the race by a single lap ahead of Old Hat Motorsport and Hurricane Motorsport, who finished second and third respectively.

History was also made in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship on Saturday as they made the first of several visits to the Northamptonshire circuit this year. Traditionally competing on the challenging oval layout, the series debuted on the International Super Sports Car Circuit, the same layout used by the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Lea Wood further cemented his status as the man to beat in the series in race one as he stormed to victory. His road to the chequered flag however wasn’t a smooth one as he fought back after dropping to fifth, ultimately threading his way into top spot on lap ten. From there, Wood powered his way to his fourth win of 2018 whilst reigning champion Scott Bourne and Mark Willis rounded off the podium.

In race two, Carl Boardley hit the front to take victory. Dicing with Wood throughout the race, Boardley went on to be in a class of his own as he stretched his legs out front, crossing the line over four seconds ahead of Wood, who further extended his championship lead. Bourne picked up another podium finish in third, albeit more than 20 second behind the race winner.

The Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge is next in action at Pembrey on June 9/10 whilst the Pickup Truck Racing Championship visits Thruxton on July 7/8.

Pembrey’s Spring Truckfest proves to be a smash-hit

Pembrey Circuit played host to memorable two day of racing this past weekend (April 21/22) as the British Automobile Racing Club descended on South Wales for Spring Truckfest.

In front of a bumper crowd, a trio of championships from the Club joined a host of other categories to entertain those who turned out in force in searing heat and the occasional rain shower.

Headlining the weekend was the BTRA Truck Racing Championship, which was competing for the second time this season after a frenetic curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch. Arriving as the early point’s leader, reigning champion Ryan Smith produced a mesmerising display in Division 1 to further cement his status as the man to beat.

Having won three races at Brands Hatch, the double title winner was a man on a mission at Pembrey winning four out of the five races, all in commanding fashion. The Smith juggernaut came to an end when David Jenkins notched his second race win of the season, doing so under intense pressure from Smith right the way up the chequered flag.

In Division 2, spoils were shared between a trio of drivers. Luke Garrett and Steve Powell charged their way to a brace of victories each whilst Craig Reid notched what proved to be a popular maiden win in the championship.

Elsewhere, the Hyundai Coupe Cup arguably stole the show as it ran three high-octane races; all of them jam-packed with plenty of bumper-to-bumper moments. Steve Kite continued his impressive run of victories in the opening encounter, narrowly pipping Wayne Rockett.

Kite and Rockett emerged as the drivers to watch throughout the weekend as they scrapped for top spot across all three races. Having missed out in race one, Rockett got the better of Kite in the second to score his maiden victory in the series and then backed it up with another in the reverse grid race.

The Max5 Racing Championship kicked into life at Pembrey following a lengthy off-season and there was plenty for Paul Roddison to smile about. Having topped the times in both practice and qualifying, Roddison took a dominant double ahead of Jeremy Shipley and Lee Malin in both races.

There were plenty of jaw-dropping moments in the Dunlop Mini Miglia Championship and Dunlop Mini Se7en Championship too. Aaron Smith scored two wins in the Miglia races whilst Darren Thomas and Max Hunter took a win apiece in the Mini Se7en encounters.

Track Attack Racing Club boasted a bumper and diverse entry list with William Di Claudio piloting his Peugeot 106 GTI to a brace of wins.

Rounding off the action was the Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship which saw Chris Everill and Damian Longotano take the top step of the podium each.

For the full classification of results, click here.

Champions crowned in contrasting conditions at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club brought the curtain down on a host of championships at Silverstone this past weekend (October 6/7) with titles being decided in contrasting conditions.

Tackling the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue, heavy rain battered the circuit on Saturday before dry conditions greeted teams and drivers on Sunday.

In the midst of the treacherous conditions was the Dunlop Endurance Championship which staged a pair of 50-minute races, the second being shortened down from two hours.

Race one saw the pairing of John Seale and Jamie Stanley pilot their JMH Automotive Ferrari 488 to victory before David Mason and Ross Wylie underlined their title credentials with an impressive performance in race two to triumph.

The latest exciting chapter in the Junior Saloon Car Championship was written at Silverstone as the one-make series continues its charge towards the title crescendo. With qualifying based on championship order, the weekend’s two encounters proved to be pulsating from start-to-finish.

Lewis Saunders narrowly pipped Joel Wren and Steven Chandler in race one before Ben Kasperczak made a welcome return to the top step of the podium to score victory in the second race of the day, his third of the season.

Titles had already been decided in the Michelin Clio Cup Series prior to the weekend but that didn’t stop Ben Palmer from putting the exclamation point on an otherwise year of dominance. The double champion continued his unbeaten run with victory in race one but was unable to make it a clean sweep with a non-finish in the final round of the year.

Ben Colburn ultimately picked up the honours as he scored his first win of the season on his way to securing second in the championship. In the Road class, Nic Harrison added a further two race wins to his tally to cap off a memorable season as champion.

Clive Wood and Steve Dickens were the standout performers in the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototypes Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns; Wood bagging himself a double whilst Dickens kicked off the weekend topping the rostrum.

Wood would have more to celebrate as he wrapped up the title in the CSP1 class whilst Michelle Hayward and Pippa Tanner-Wood did the same in the CSP2 and CSP3 classes respectively.

The Kumho BMW Championship finished with a flourish as Garrie Whittaker showcased his superiority with a pair of overall race wins at the wheel of his BMW E36 M3.

Elsewhere in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, spoils were shared between Martin Willis and Stuart Plotnek as they took a win apiece in two hotly-contested races.

For the full classification of results from each session at Silverstone, click here.

TOCA support championships instensify at Silverstone

Silverstone played host to a mesmerising two days of action from all five TOCA support championship’s this past weekend (September 15/16), with title battles further intensifying.

Louis Foster continued his march towards the summit of the Ginetta Junior Championship by adding to his impressive win tally. Having won four of the previous five races, Foster became the first driver this season to score a hat-trick of victories in a single weekend.

Following a red flag stoppage in race one for an accident which involved his title rival Adam Smalley, the Elite Motorsport driver maximised his opportunity to beat James Hedley and Luke Browning. Foster had to work even harder for his second win of the weekend as he withstood the challenge of Patrick Kibble and Browning – half a second covering the trio at the flag.

Foster underlined his recent dominance in the series with another stunning drive to beat Smalley and Kibble; and with it leave Northamptonshire as the new championship leader.

In the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup Charlie Ladell took a big step towards wrapping up the title with a trio of impressive performances. Having been the epitome of consistency throughout the year, the Rob Boston Racing driver made a return to winning ways in race one as he stormed to victory ahead of Harry King and Tom Roche.

Ladell doubled up in race two as he once again led King to the chequered flag whilst Carl Boardley snatched the final spot on the rostrum from Angus Fender on the final lap. Boardley bounced back in race three later in the day as he kept his championship aspirations alive with a controlled victory.

The Renault UK Clio Cup saw another twist in the title battle whilst it also welcomed a new name to the winners circle. As Max Coates spun out of the opening race, Bradley Burns came to the fore to write his name into the history books as the youngest ever race winner in the series – aged at just 17. Delivering a measured driver after muscling his way to the front, Burns kept his cool to take the chequered flag ahead of Paul Rivett and Daniel Rowbottom.

Burns put the exclamation point on his weekend at Silverstone with another storming drive to make it a dominant double. Following an early battle with James Dorlin, Burns hit the front and was subsequently never challenged as Dorlin fended off Rivett.

There were plenty of edge-of-the-seat thrills in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, however nobody could stop Dino Zamparelli in the first 28-lap race. Starting from pole position, the Redline Racing driver left his rivals in his wake as he charged to a fourth victory of the year whilst Tio Ellinas and Tom Wrigley rounded off the podium.

Wrigley would better his race one performance in the second Carrera Cup encounter later in the day as he jumped George Gamble off the line to power away and notch his latest victory. Dan Harper and Lewis Plato bagged silverware whilst Ellinas clawed back some points over Zamparelli in fourth.

Capping off a pulsating weekend of TOCA support championship action at Silverstone was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Johnathan Hoggard continued his impressive run of form in a frenetic opening encounter to notch his six win of the season, fending off the advances of series leader Kiern Jewiss and Jack Doohan along the way.

Doohan stormed to victory in race two ahead of Patrik Pasma and Ayrton Simmons before Hoggard capped off the day by narrowly triumphing in the third and final encounter of the weekend, adding to his already impressive win tally.

For the full classification of results from all championships, click here.

The TOCA support package will bring the curtain down on the 2018 season with what will likely be a dramatic final event of the season at Brands Hatch on September 29/30 – where titles will across the board will be decided.

TOCA support championship deliver non-stop entertainment at Croft

There was high-drama, championship warning shots being fired, first-time wins being claimed and local drivers coming to the fore on the TOCA support package at Croft this past weekend (June 23/24).

Marking the latest stop on the calendar and the last before the annual summer break, four championships were in action in front of a bumper Yorkshire crowd, all of which were basking in the searing sun.

Entering the weekend just a handful of points off of the standings summit, Max Coates enjoyed a dream weekend in the Renault UK Clio Cup. Living just a stones throw away from the circuit, the Pyro driver had home support on his side as he charged to pole position in both races.

Losing the lead in race one to Paul Rivett, Coates hounded the multiple champion in the opener but was ultimately unable to make his move, settling for second whilst Daniel Rowbottom finished third.

Coates wasn’t to be denied in race two however as he led Rivett from lights-to-flag, taking an emotional home victory and vaulting to the top of the points. James Dorlin, who had entered the weekend as the series leader, endured a nightmare two races – scoring a best finish of sixth.

Carl Boardley took a sizeable chunk out of Charlie Ladell’s lead in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup over the course of three races. Boardley stormed to victory in races one and two around the Yorkshire venue, issuing a severe warning shot to his title rival in the process.

Ladell had looked set to score a win of his own in the third race however tyre degradation proved to be his undoing. That therefore opened the door for Harry King to pounce on those ahead of him and power onto a win that was more than seven seconds come the chequered flag.

There was a double-winner in the Ginetta Junior Championship too, with Adam Smalley strengthening his position atop the points standings. The Elite Motorsport driver powered his distinctly coloured machine to wins in races one and two, leaving his chief title rivals in his wake.

Race three proved to be an action-packed encounter with Smalley losing out at the start to Luke Browning. His lead wasn’t to last long though as Fin Green slipped past Browning on the opening tour and from there wasn’t challenged – going on to score his maiden victory in the series.

The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost was in fine form too as Kiern Jewiss starred once again, scoring his fifth victory of the season. Jewiss’ triumph further emphasised his status as one of the leading contenders for the single seater crown.

Jewiss bagged his latest victory in round 14, either side of wins for Dennis Hauger as he threw his hat into the mix for title glory too.

For the full classification of results from all championship sessions over the weekend, click here.

The TOCA support package returns to action on July 28/29 at Snetterton, with all five categories hitting the track to kickstart the second half of the 2018 season.

TOCA support package ready for party in the park at Oulton

The TOCA support package is back to full capacity this weekend (June 9/10) with five championships descending on Oulton Park for the latest event of the 2018 season.

With three categories only making the annual visit to Thruxton last time out, the hugely popular Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship supporting cast are back to full strength and ready to steal the show.

It has been a frenetic three events for the Renault UK Clio Cup and that is only set to continue at the Cheshire venue, with James Dorlin leading the way. The Westbourne Motorsport driver enters the weekend in control of the championship standings and with momentum on his side having won four races in-a-row.

Keen to extend that winning run, Dorlin will be one to watch although a host of front runners are all waiting in the wings, keen to score a win and end Dorlin’s victory streak. Max Coates, Paul Rivett and Daniel Rowbottom have all been firmly in the mix thus far, and along with a host of others, should be not be discounted at all.

The Ginetta Junior Championship is guaranteed to provide edge-of-the-seat entertainment wherever it goes and arriving at Oulton Park, Adam Smalley controls the standings after scoring a win and a second place at Thruxton.

Flying the flag for Elite Motorsport, Smalley has been one of many leading lights so far this season along with Louis Foster and Luke Browning, fellow race winners and the drivers that occupy second and third overall.

Having not raced at Thruxton, the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup returns to action this weekend with Charlie Ladell looking to pick up from where he left things as the dominant force. On the podium in every race thus far, as well as scoring three wins, the Rob Boston Racing driver has established himself as the early pace-setter, but his rein could come under a threat from a host of contenders.

Carl Boardley, Harry King, Tom Roche and Jac Constable are all firmly in the mix towards the front and none of them can be overlooked to take the fight to Ladell this weekend.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB is back on British soil and back on the TOCA package too after racing at Monza shortly after Donington Park. Returning from its traditional trip overseas, the one-make category currently has Dino Zamparelli leading the way after a string of impressive performances.

Spearheading the Redline Racing charge, Zamparelli has lived up to the mantel of title favourite so far but pressure from the likes of Lewis Plato and George Gamble will test him further.

Rounding out the track action from the TOCA support paddock this weekend will be three high-octane single seater encounters from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

With nine races in the books already, Ayrton Simmons remains the man to beat at the top of the standings have notched seven podium finishes already. Consistency has been key for the JHR Developments driver but the pack is chasing him and leading it is multiple race-winner Kiern Jewiss – a youngster who is getting better as each round passes.

Also in the mix for outright honours this weekend will likely be the Red Bull duo of Jack Doohan and Dennis Hauger, as well as Fortec Motorsports’ Johnathan Hoggard.

FIA World RX descends on Silverstone for inaugural event

The FIA World Rallycross Championship heads to British shores this weekend (May 25/26/27) for the highly-anticipated Speedmachine Festival, held at Silverstone.

Moving from its spiritual home of Lydden Hill to the Northamptonshire venue, the British Automobile Racing Club will once again play a role in the organisation and administration for the fourth event of the season for the series this year.

In what is an eagerly-anticipated event, on-track action is just the beginning of what those attending can expect.

Live music, street food and drink, drifting, track demos and display’s and manufacturer test drives are just a flavour of the off-track entertainment whilst there will be full-throttle thrills ’n’ spills on-track.

Situated in the shadow of the Silverstone Wing on the Stowe circuit, the new-for-2018 rallycross layout at the home of British motorsport has already had rave reviews after operating for the first time in March at the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser.

Reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson enters the weekend as the man to beat, sitting atop of the drivers’ standings. Winning the opening two events, the Volkswagen racer has been in irresistible form, as has his team-mate Petter Solberg, making them both ones to keep a keen eye on.

Sebastian Loeb is hot on Kristoffersson’s heels however after notching victory in Belgium. The nine-time World Rally champion arrives at Silverstone having already tasting success around the new venue, emerging as the winner at the British round only a couple of months ago.

Throw into the mix the EKS duo of Andreas Bakkerud and Mattias Ekstrom and picking a winner for outright glory will prove to be difficult.

Fans will have plenty of home heroes to cheer on as well with 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan heading up the entry list. Reverting to his roots for the first of three rounds with MJP Racing Team Austria in a Ford Fiesta, Jordan is set to take on a starring role.

Ollie O’Donovan, Oliver Bennett, Andy Scott and Mark Higgins will all also fly the British flag on home soil over the weekend, each looking to make their mark along the way.

Away from the FIA World Rallycross Championship there will also be plenty of edge-of-the-seat thrills from the RX2 and European Rallycross categories.

New Series Elite Championship launches

A new one-make series has today (April 24) launched aimed towards mature budding race drivers with a lower-age restriction of 50 years, titled Series Elite.

Running under the British Automobile Racing Club umbrella, the championship will see drivers compete in identical Jaguar F-TYPE GT4 machines – starting at Brands Hatch in late October before embarking on a full 12-race season in 2019.

Targeting high net worth individuals and offering a turnkey racing opportunity, Series Elite is designed to appeal to both amateurs and more experienced racers.

Drivers will be provided with all the relevant training, testing and race experience needed to compete in the new series, with their cars stored and prepared at a centralised team facility.

Series Director, Graeme Glew, said: “Currently there is no series that caters specifically for older drivers who want to compete at a high level with like-minded racers. We’re filling this gap with Series Elite supported by Jaguar’s race car expertise.

“Our competitors will own their own cars, but all the other aspects of going racing – preparing the cars, transporting them, arranging hospitality, travel and accommodation – will be arranged for them. With time at a premium it will allow drivers to fulfil their desire to go racing with minimal effort and fit into their busy lifestyle.

“Our offering will also extend off-track too, with high-class hospitality and exclusive lifestyle events outside of race weekends to expand the race experience into new areas, such as ice-driving.”

Greg Clark, Director Vehicle Personalisation at Jaguar Land Rover adds, “The Jaguar F-TYPE GT4 was developed last year for Invictus Games Racing and following this we were approached to develop the car for Series Elite.

“The concept and series profile is an obvious fit for Jaguar and it is an appropriate next step for us to expand production of the GT4 car, with a controlled environment and build schedule for this year.

“We are looking forward to seeing the first grid of cars at Brands Hatch before the full season with a 20-car field in 2019.”

The series’ inaugural weekend takes place at Brands Hatch on October 27/28 as part of a bumper two days of BARC racing. Series Elite is set to visit Silverstone, Donington Park, Rockingham, Brands Hatch and a yet to be decided international venue next year.

For more information, head to www.serieselite.com