Author: Chris Ashby

Michelin Clio Cup Series to hold Donington Park taster day

The Michelin Clio Cup Series is to hold a taster day at Donington Park on Sunday November 4th as it begins to shift its attention towards the 2019 season.

Coming off the back of another pulsating year which saw Ben Palmer and Nic Harrison successfully defend their Race and Road class titles respectively, the one-make series is looking to build on its recent success by moving forwards once more.

Aimed at prospective new entries and interested parties, prospective Race entrants will need to hold a valid MSA Race Licence and will be accompanied on the day by Westbourne Motorsport’s experienced team of instructors.

For those looking to try their hand in the Road series machine, previous track day experience will be suitable enough.

Whilst teams and drivers will have the opportunity to sample cars and take to the track, the day will also provide people with the chance to hear from current and past entries on their time in the series.

James Dorlin, champion in 2016, one of many drivers that has used the Clio Cup Series as a perfect springboard having gone on to reign supreme in the Renault UK Clio Cup, winning the overall title this past season.

In addition, the championships promotional strategy for the future will be a topic of discussion for all attendees as well.

For those interested in booking a slot or attending the day, contact Michelin Clio Cup Series Championship Administrator Pauline Hillon via pauline.hillon@gmail.com or call 01332 391081.

British Rallycross speeds into Pembrey for pivotal race day

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship returns to Pembrey this Sunday (September 23) for the penultimate round of the 2018 season, one that will be pivotal in deciding the destiny of this years title.

In what has been another pulsating campaign for the series, just two rounds now remain – the first of which takes place in South Wales this weekend before moving onto Silverstone in early November.

Tackling the new rallycross layout at the Welsh venue in late June, a bumper crowd was treated to a feast of edge-of-the-seat-thrills, something that is customary when it comes to the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship.

Basking in the summer sun, Ollie O’Donovan underlined his superiority with a dominant display to win rounds four and five. Despite holding the record for the most victories this season, the Irishman still finds himself trailing series leader Mark Higgins in the standings.

Spearheading Albatec Racing’s challenge, Higgins has been a revelation in his maiden season and holds a slender three-point lead after picking up victory at Lydden Hill last time out. Proving to be the perennial pace-setter last time out at Pembrey, Higgins will be hoping he can showcase more front-running pace at the wheel of his Peugeot 208 Supercar.

O’Donovan holds second in the points with five-time champion Julian Godfrey a further five points adrift. Godfrey has been at the wheel of the Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage this season and has endured his own fair share of ups and downs.

Beyond the top three, Steve Hill has enjoyed a steady campaign whilst the likes of Roger Thomas, Mad Mark, Kevin Proctor and Steve Mundy have all been regular runners too.

Never short of entertainment, the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship is set to steal the show at Pembrey but that won’t be the only track action on show during the day.

Aside from the Supercar category includes a raft of support championships such as the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship, MSA Supernational Championship, Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, Retro Rallycross and RX 150.

Tickets for the event will be available to purchase on the gate from £15.00, with gates opening from 07:30. Track action is scheduled to begin at 09:30.

For more information, head to www.pembreycircuit.co.uk or www.rallycrossbrx.com

Ollie O’Donovan takes a clean sweep in British Rallycross double-header at Pembrey

Ollie O’Donovan produced a stellar performance in rounds four and five of the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship this past weekend (June 23/24), sweeping his way to two wins at Pembrey Circuit.

Soaking up the Welsh sunshine on the brand-new rallycross circuit at the British Automobile Racing Club-operated venue, the high-octane championship delivered its usual mix of thrills and spills across both days. Having prevailed at Croft last time out, O’Donovan arrived at Pembrey as the form man and dually carried that momentum with him. Qualifying heats on day one saw five-time champion Julian Godfrey cement himself as the man to beat in the newly rebuilt Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage.

Topping the times across all three sessions, Godfrey entered the latter stages of the day in superlative form, however he was unable to convert that into victory – with a puncture halting both his and Albatec Racing’s Mark Higgins in the final.

At the wheel of his Ford Focus, O’Donovan surged to victory, his second successive triumph in the championship whilst Steve Hill and Roger Thomas rounded off the podium in their respective machines too.

If Godfrey had been the king of the qualifying heats on day one, Higgins claimed that mantel on day two as he looked to be in irresistible form. Topping the times in every session that he took part in in the run up to the final, the Manxman looked like he would be hard to deny a second win of the season.

O’Donovan however had other ideas as he got the jump on the Peugeot driver during the second Supercar final of the weekend and despite Higgins’ best efforts, he was unable to find a way past the Irishman – who scored victory and with it strengthened his lead at the summit of the championship standings. Godfrey capped off his weekend with a third place finish.

Elsewhere, spoils were shared in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship as Simon Ovenden and Max Weatherley took a win apiece whilst Jack Thorne and Tristan Ovenden were victorious in the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship.

The MSA Junior Rallycross Championship proved to be a family affair as Tom Constantine and Luke Constantine prevailed. Rounding out the list of race winners were Kris Hudson and Drew Bellerby, both of whom scored victory in the BMW Mini Rallycross Championship.

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship resumes on July 29 as the series makes its second visit to Croft for round six.

Action aplenty from TOCA support package at Oulton Park

Oulton Park played a host to a blockbuster two days of TOCA support race action this past weekend (June 9/10) as familiar stars prevailed and a variety of new faces came to the fore.

On what proved to be a scorcher both on and off the track, all five championships were in action around the Cheshire venue to write the latest chapter in their respective 2018 campaigns.

Spoils were shared in the Ginetta Junior Championship around the 2.23 mile circuit as Adam Smalley and Luke Browning took a win apiece. Browning had looked to be an unstoppable force in the series for 14 to 17-year-old’s, winning a fraught race one – however that was only the start of the story.

Due to the differential of his Richardson Racing machine having an insufficient amount of oil, Browning was excluded which therefore gifted Smalley the win ahead of Fin Green and Louis Foster. The team have since appealed the decision meaning the results remains provisional.

Having lost victory on Saturday, Browning and Richardson Racing struck back on Sunday with a flawless performance in race two as he romped into the distance to triumph by more than 11 seconds ahead of Foster and Greg Johnston.

The Renault UK Clio Cup had a familiar feel to it as James Dorlin continued his recent domination. Entering the weekend as the championship leader having won four races in-a-row, the Westbourne Motorsport driver stormed to pair of pole positions and dually backed it up in race one.

Launching off the line, Dorlin propelled himself into a lead that he ultimately never lost as he controlled the pace at the front to comfortably take his fifth victory on the bounce, extending his points advantage at the same time. Paul Rivett and Max Coates filled the remaining podium positions.

Dorlin’s win streak came to an end in the second race of the weekend however as Coates made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium. Getting the jump on Dorlin off the line, the Pyro racer withstood race-long pressure from Rivett, Dorlin and Bradley Burns to seal a second win of the year – closing the gap to Dorlin in the points too.

There was a brand new winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB over the weekend as Tom Wrigley took a breakthrough victory in race one. In a league of his own in qualifying, the JTR driver controlled proceedings to take a lights-to-flag win ahead of Lewis Plato and Tio Ellinas.

Race two of the popular tin top category saw another first-win take place, this time for Daniel Harper. In another frenetic bout, the JTR youngster kept his cool to storm to the chequered flag, with Plato and Ellinas once again occupying the remaining podium spots.

Fans were treated to two races from the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup and neither didn’t disappoint. Charlie Ladell further established himself as the man to beat in the series in the opener as he bagged victory in race. Withstanding early pressure from Harry King, the Rob Boston Racing driver stretched his legs out front and took victory by more than four seconds ahead of Carl Boardley and Adam Shephard.

Ladell further extended his ever-growing championship lead in race two in the GT4 Supercup as he once again put on a dazzling display at the front of the field, beating Boardley and Shepherd to the chequered flag for the second time in succession.

There was the traditional blend of high drama and entertainment in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost over the course of the weekend too, with a trio of races keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

Dennis Hauger became the latest driver to enter the winners circle in race one, clinching his maiden win in the single seater category despite finishing behind Kiern Jewiss on the road. A three-second time penalty demoted Jewiss to second whilst Patrik Pasma rounded off the podium.

Ayrton Simmons underlined his title credentials in the second race of the weekend as he won a tense 20-minute battle ahead of Jack Doohan. Outright honours fell the way of Jewiss in the final race as he led home Pasma and Paavo Tonteri.

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

The Ginetta Junior Championship, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Renault UK Clio Cup and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost heads to Croft on June 23/24 for the latest chapter of the season.

Advance tickets for the fifth meeting of the year 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.

Anglesey awaits trio of BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to the picturesque setting of Anglesey Circuit this weekend (May 26/27) with three championships geared up to compete.

On what is the first of several visits that will be made to the North Wales-based venue by the Club during the 2018 campaign, the action is set to be frenetic – with a bumper XX race programme in place.

Set to top the billing is the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres, which hits the track for the the fourth time this year. Last in action at Croft, the much-loved 5/8 scale category heads to Anglesey having already delivered an abundance of thrills.

Defending champion John Mickel leads the way going into the weekend virtue of a near-perfect performance last time out. Holding a sizeable advantage ay the summit of points, Mickel is currently in the box seat – however as has been proved in years gone by, nothing is for certain in Legends racing.

Leading the chase of the multiple champion is Steve Whitelegg, who has two wins to his name already this year. Also in the mix and not to be discounted is Miles Rudman, Jack Parker and last year’s runner-up Ben Power, who rounds out the top five.

As has been the case in previous years, both the Scottish and Irish Legends will be competing over the weekend too; meaning there will be no less 13 races across the three categories.

One of the highlights of the weekend is set to be the standalone ‘Nations Cup’ on the Sunday afternoon where competitors from all three championships will battle it out for the coveted trophy.

Also in action will the BARC’s North Western Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship. Having boasted bumper entry lists at all rounds thus far, another enthralling weekend of racing is set to unfold with a diverse variety of cars set to compete.

Of those to look out for, the Saker of Paul Rose will be a credible contender for victories whilst Jamie Cryer, Andrew Southcott, Dave Harvey and Luke Armiger lead a long list of challengers that will also all be keen to power themselves to the top of the rostrum.

Rounding off the BARC portion of the action will be a pair of 20-minute encounters from the Max5 Racing Championship. Open to those drivers wishing to compete in the well-known Mazda models, the series has enjoyed a stellar start to the new season, with events at Pembrey and Snetterton.

At the helm of proceedings has been Paul Roddison, who has won four out of four thus far. Whilst Roddison will be focused on adding to his impressive win tally, the likes of Matthew Tidmarsh, Jeremy Shipley, Andrew Pretorious and Lee Hollin will be keen to notch their first wins of the year respectively.

Also in action over the weekend is the Celtic Speed Scottish Mini Cooper Cup.

BTCC battle heads to Donington Park

The latest exhilarating chapter of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be played out this weekend (April 28/29), with Donington Park providing the backdrop for rounds four, five and six.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the series kicked into life at Brands Hatch in blockbuster fashion at the start of the month and that level of excitement is set to continue under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Three breathtaking races around the Kent venue brought three different winners as Jack Goff, Senna Proctor and Tom Ingram all topped the rostrum. Such is the competitive nature of this years grid, nobody visited the podium more than once – meaning a total of nine different drivers picked up silverware.

Further proof of how open the BTCC is this year is that the top ten in the championship standings sees ten different marques operated by ten different teams filling those spots. At the helm of the points arriving at the second event of the year is Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram.

Adding a race win to a pair of solid points finishes at the curtain-raiser, the Toyota Avensis driver holds a slender three-point buffer over fellow Brands Hatch winner Goff and will carry 75kgs of success ballast into qualifying and race one.

Scoring a win at Donington Park last year, the Independent champion will be keen to further cement himself as the man to beat in the early stages; however challenges are set to come from all angles.

At the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R, Goff showcased that he isn’t a man to count out this year and he will be sighting further silverware for WIX Racing with Eurotech.

Adam Morgan and Rob Austin both scored podiums at Brands Hatch and the pair will be looking for more of the same in their respective machines. Despite expecting a tough time, reigning champion Ashley Sutton underlined his quality at the opening event to descend on Donington Park firmly in the mix in fifth.

Double champion Colin Turkington is another top name that will be eyeing victory to further ignite his title battle. Power Maxed Racing’s Proctor achieved that feat in a race that will live long in the memory for years to come having charged from P27 on slick tyres and a drying track.

Ollie Jackson, Rory Butcher and Mike Bushell round out the names that will carry success ballast into the weekend, virtue of their respective positions in the championship.

In total, 25 out of the 32 drivers competing this year having already scored points – once again echoing the level of competitiveness that the BTCC boasts this year.

Beyond the top ten, a host of names will be looking to strike at Donington Park and thrust themselves into contention. The likes of Andrew Jordan, Matt Neal, Sam Tordoff, Tom Chilton, Rob Collard, Josh Cook, Dan Cammish and Jason Plato, to name a few, will be notable drivers to look out for.

The introduction of the Dunlop hard option tyre will also no doubt play its part over the course of what is set to be a thrilling weekend of tin top action from Britain’s premier motor racing series.

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.