BARC championships produce thrilling weekend of racing at Cadwell Park

The British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at Cadwell Park this past weekend (April 23/24) and delivered a feast of entertainment as a number of championships wrote the latest chapter in their 2022 campaigns.

Making what is to be the one and only visit to the Lincolnshire circuit this year, no less than six categories were in attendance and each of them put on a show for the bumper crowd that was in attendance.

Off the back of what was a pulsating season-opener at Silverstone last month, the Caterham Graduates Championship saw six races play out around the undulating twists and turns – two for each category.

In the Sigma 150 class, Harry Senior reigned supreme to score yet another brace of wins whilst Jamie Winrow did the same in the Sigma 135 category. Max Haynes made it a clean sweep of double victories for drivers in the championship as he swept the Sigmax races.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship saw Harry Hickton continue his impressive start to the season as he racked up a pair of victories. Coming off the back of a sensational season-opener, Hickton add two more wins to his CV to strengthen his hold on the early points lead.

Had it not been for Maximus Hall in race one, Hickton could have clinched a hat-trick of wins. Hall withstood the charging championship leader in the opening bout to clinch his first win of the season in impressive fashion.

The CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship – the North West Centre’s flagship series – also served up a trio of enthralling races, with the spoils being shared between Paul Dobson and Jon Woolfitt, the latter winning twice. 

Arguably the oldest cars to compete over the course of the weekend came in the Classic 2CV Racing Club, which lifted the curtain on its 2022 season with two frenetic races. Gary Adnitt reigned supreme as he clinched an impressive brace of wins.

The Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup hit the track for the first time this year with a bumper grid however at the front, a familiar name stole the show. After being the driver to beat in 2021, Alex Cursely picked up where he left off last year by storming to a brace of wins. 

Rounding out the weekend’s track action was a trio of races from the Super Series by the British Superkart Racing Club. Matt Robinson and Lee Harpham emerged as the standout drivers as they bagged a win apiece.

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

BARC live streams amass impressive viewing figures

The British Automobile Racing Club has made a flying start to the 2022 season, in particular online where it has already racked up more than 350,000 views on its race meetings that were streamed live across Facebook and YouTube.

Renewing its partnership with 247.TV for a second year, the BARC is once again putting its championships in front of a global audience by amassing staggering viewing figures for the domestic motorsport scene.

Silverstone’s famous Grand Prix circuit provided the backdrop for the new season to begin with 110,000 viewers tuning in to watch the opening rounds of the British Endurance Championship, Praga Cup and Britcar Trophy over the course of two days in mid-March.

A return to Silverstone at the end of March saw the Classic Touring Car Racing Club take centre stage in front of more than 65,000 viewers whilst a single Oulton Park race day in early April brought in another 65,000 people.

Most recently, the British Truck Racing Championship blasted into life at Brands Hatch on a full-throttle Easter weekend which included a number of other categories and saw 100,000 fans soak up the highly entertaining action.

The BARC’s YouTube channel has grown over the past month with almost 4,000 new subscribers, taking the total number to more than 23,000.

Three events in May will enable fans to enjoy more of the best national motorsport action in the country at Pembrey on May 7/8, Snetterton on May 14/15 and Oulton Park on May 28 all being broadcast live.

Thruxton announces multi-year partnership with Advanced KFS Special Vehicles

Thruxton Circuit has announced a multi-year partnership with local engineering specialist Advanced KFS Special Vehicles (AKFS).

The partnership has seen both the race control building and pit lane garages transformed ahead of the new motorsport season with the introduction of the AKFS Racetrack and AddVenture branding.

Boasting over 30 years of experience, Advanced KFS Special Vehicles has experience in the field of manufacturing after-market vehicles for a variety of industries and services including; grounds maintenance vehicles, car transporters/recovery vehicles and plant hire vehicles.

Iain Knight, Chairman of AKFS, said: “We are hugely passionate motorsport enthusiasts at AKFS and are delighted to promote our Racetruck and AddVenture vehicles with extensive branding on the Thruxton pit lane buildings including the garages and race control. 

“With high-profile events like BTCC and BSB featuring regularly, it’s an ideal way for us to connect with race fans and competitors alike.” 

Thruxton’s first event of the season takes place on April 23/24 as the Classic Sports Car Club descends on Hampshire before the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship takes centre stage on May 28/29.

Tickets for all 2022 race meetings at Thruxton can be purchased via https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/. 

BARC championships serve up Easter extravaganza at Brands Hatch

The British Automobile Racing Club produced an Easter extravaganza of track at Brands Hatch this past weekend (April 16/17) as six championships took centre stage.

Basked in bright sunshine and with a bumper crowd in attendance at the Kent venue, the weekend was headlined by the British Truck Racing Championship – which was kicking off making its first appearance of 2022. 

Division 1 began with Ryan Smith underlining his dominance as the reigning six-time champion converted pole position into a dominant victory. That would be to be his only win however as David Jenkins bagged a brace and the duo of Stuart Oliver and Simon Reid also opened their accounts for the year.

In Division 2, John Powell got the best start of the seven competing drivers as he steered his DAF to a hat-trick of wins whilst the returning Luke Garrett and ultra-consistent Brad Smith also triumphed. 

From the titans of truck racing to the pocket rockets of the Legends Cars National Championship, where three drivers shared the spoils to stand on the top step of the podium.

Staging six pulsating races around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit over the course of the weekend, defending champion Miles Rudman kicked off proceedings with a sensational win before going on to podium a further five times.

Will Gibson was arguably the star of the show as he too made it a podium clean sweep, with four of them being victories. Multiple champion John Mickel was the other driver to emerge victorious during the weekend as he won Sunday’s finale. 

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club served up no less than eight races over the course of the weekend, each as captivating as the last. In the two Pre ’66 encounters, spoils were shared between Piers Grange and Alan Greenhalgh whilst Don Hughes won both amalgamated Pre ’03 and Jaguar Challenge contests. 

In the combined Pre ’83 and Pre ’83 Touring Cars races, Dave Griffin proved too much for the opposition as he won twice; Andrew Wilson would go on to do the same in the Classic Thunder and Blue Oval Saloon Series encounters.

George Turiccki enjoyed the perfect start to the defence of his Pickup Truck Racing Championship as he chalked up a pair of race wins. Setting the fastest times in both parts of qualifying, the defending two-time champion didn’t put a wheel wrong to triumph twice.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship was another category that lifted the curtain on a new season, with a bumper grid producing some memorable wheel-to-wheel moments.

After reigning supreme last year, Steve McDermid picked up from where he left off as he powered his way to an impressive pair of race wins whilst Steve Darbey, William Sharpe, Fergus Campbell and Jack Woodcock all scored podiums. 

Rounding out the weekend’s track action were two races from the Kumho BMW Championship. Showcasing some of the most iconic models from the Bavarian marque, Niall Bradley piloted his E36 M3 to the top step of the rostrum.

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

Watch all of the action that was streamed live across both days on the BARC’s official YouTube channel HERE.

Where To Watch BARC LIVE: Brands Hatch – April 16/17

The British Automobile Racing Club descends on Brands Hatch for the first time this year with a blockbuster weekend two days of on-track entertainment comprising of a staggering 25 races.

Five races that are guaranteed to have fans on the edge-of-their-seats – both trackside and watching online – will come from the British Truck Racing Championship as they blast into life for a brand new season.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, there is nothing quite like seeing the heavyweight behemoths of Divison 1 and Division 2 go wheel-to-wheel, and we’ll bring every lap live on Facebook and YouTube.

Elsewhere, the Classic Touring Car Racing Club and Kumho BMW Championship’s will continue their 2022 campaigns whilst the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship and Pickup Truck Racing Championship are set to lift the curtain on their own seasons as well.

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

Saturday Race Show – Starting from 12:15 – Facebook | YouTube

Sunday Race Show – Starting from 10:15 – Facebook | YouTube

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

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

Ashley Sutton sets the pace as BTCC Season Launch concludes at Thruxton

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship brought the curtain down on its 2022 Season Launch at Thruxton today (April 13) with reigning champion Ashley Sutton topping the times in the final official pre-season test.

After months of anticipation and excitement, the 2022 BTCC campaign officially launched at an exclusive event event in the Thruxton Centre on Tuesday evening where invited guests were introduced to the drivers and informed on the introduction of hybrid technology.

Following the completion of official championship photography and ITV filming, cars hit the track for an action-packed day of testing in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

With a total of 1250 laps being completed around the fastest circuit in the UK, triple champion Sutton left it late in the afternoon before storming to the top of the timesheets and ultimately claiming the bragging rights.

Dipping well under the existing lap record, the NAPA Racing UK driver set a best time of 1:15.607s to end the day a tenth of a second quicker than morning pace-setter Jake Hill. 

Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s Daniel Rowbottom had held first place for much of the afternoon before being bettered; the Jack Sears Trophy winner ultimately finished third.

Hotly tipped title contenders Tom Ingram and Gordon Shedden rounded out the top five – the latter doing so in the closing stages of the day after being involved in an incident during the morning session.

Dan Cammish, Adam Morgan, Colin Turkington, Daniel Lloyd and Jason Plato rounded out the top ten with a total of 26 of the 29 entrants ultimately hitting the high-speed Hampshire track over the course of the day.

Away from testing and media duties, the BTCC Season Launch also saw the welcome return of the Pit Lane Autograph Session, which took place during the lunch break for the first time since the end of 2019. 

To view the full classification of times from testing at Thruxton, CLICK HERE.

Donington Park plays host to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship curtain-raiser on April 23/24.

Official entry list revealed for 2022 BTCC season

The 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship was officially presented at Thruxton Circuit today (April 12) with a mouth-watering 29-car grid entry list confirmed.

Coming off the back of a blockbuster 2021 campaign which saw Ashley Sutton crowned champion for the third time in his career, the UK’s premier motorsport series embarks on a brand new era as it introduces hybrid technology this year. 

Becoming the first major touring car championship in the world to integrate hybrid power, the forthcoming season looks set to be as competitive as ever with former champions, proven contenders and young challengers all set to battle it out for the coveted crown. 

Topping the entry list is Sutton who returns to defend his crown and chase what could be a record-equalling fourth championship –  however a host of contenders will all be snapping at his wheels.

Making the switch to Motorbase Performance to drive a Ford Focus ST under the Napa Racing UK banner, all eyes will be on the triple champion as he gets reacquainted with front-wheel-drive and teams up with the returning Dan Cammish. Sam Osborne and Ollie Jackson make up the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan side of Motorbase’s four-car entry.

Bidding to stand on his own in the record books and take the fight to Sutton is West Surrey Racing’s Colin Turkington. Back behind the wheel of the BMW 330e M Sport, the Northern Irishman will undoubtedly be in the mix as he heads up Team BMW along with Stephen Jelley. Jake Hill fills the third seat at the reigning Manufacturer champions in the ROKiT MB Motorsport entry.

One of the biggest stories to follow this year will undoubtedly be Jason Plato’s ‘farewell tour’ after he announced that 2022 will be his last season in the series. Chasing his 100th BTCC win, the double champion has joined Josh Cook and Jade Edwards at Rich Energy with BTC Racing to pilot a Honda Civic Type R. 

Halfords Racing with Cataclean will also field Honda Civic Type R’s for their unchanged line-up of three-time champion Gordon Shedden and last year’s Jack Sears Trophy winner Dan Rowbottom. 

There is consistency at Toyota Gazoo Racing UK too as Rory Butcher remains behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla for a second successive season and he is joined by Ricky Collard – the son of former race winner Rob – who gets a full campaign after making a handful of appearances back in 2018. 

Former championship runner-up Tom Ingram made the switch to Excelr8 TradePriceCars.com last year and it proved to be an inspired move as he reaped plenty of rewards. Back behind the wheel of the Hyundai i30N for a second season, Ingram will have his sights firmly set on title glory and he will be pushed on with the additions of Tom Chilton, Dan Lloyd and Jack Butel to the squad.

Adam Morgan will lead Car Gods with Ciceley Motosport once again and the multiple race winner is joined at the BMW squad by George Gamble. At Power Maxed Racing, fan favourite Michael Crees is back to get behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Astra with former British GT champion Ash Hand partnering him. 

Laser Tools Racing will look to defend their Teams’ and Independent Teams’ titles with an all-Scottish Infiniti Q50 pairing as the experienced Aiden Moffat is joined by Dexter Pattison.  A third Infiniti Q50 will be piloted by Rick Parfitt, who is back in the BTCC for a second season. 

Rounding out this entry list is Team HARD. Racing, which once again fields a quartet of Cupra Leon’s for Aron Taylor-Smith, Jack Goff, Bobby Thompson and Nicolas Hamilton. 

2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Entry List

CAR NO.

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

TEAM/DRIVER STATUS

1

Ashley Sutton

NAPA Racing UK

Ford Focus ST

Manufacturer / Constructor

3

Tom Chilton 

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com

Hyundai i30N

Manufacturer / Constructor

6

Rory Butcher

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK

Toyota Corolla

Manufacturer / Constructor

9

Dan Cammish

NAPA Racing UK

Ford Focus ST

Manufacturer / Constructor

11

Jason Plato

Rich Energy with BTC Racing

Honda Civic Type R

Independent

12

Stephen Jelley

Team BMW

BMW 330e M Sport

Manufacturer / Constructor

16

Aiden Moffat

Laser Tools Racing

Infiniti Q50

Independent

17

Dexter Patterson

Laser Tools Racing

Infiniti Q50

Independent / JST 

19

Bobby Thompson

Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero

Cupra Leon

Independent / JST

21

Ricky Collard

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK

Toyota Corolla

Manufacturer / Constructor

24

Jake Hill

ROKiT MB Motorsport

BMW 330e M Sport

Manufacturer / Constructor

28

Nicolas Hamilton

Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing

Cupra Leon

Independent / JST

31

Jack Goff

Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero

Cupra Leon

Independent

32

Dan Rowbottom

Halfords Racing with Cataclean

Honda Civic Type R

Manufacturer / Constructor

33

Adam Morgan

Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport

BMW 330e M Sport

Independent

40

Aron Taylor-Smith

Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing

Cupra Leon

Independent

42

George Gamble

Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport

BMW 330e M Sport

Independent / JST

48

Ollie Jackson

Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan

Ford Focus ST

Manufacturer / Constructor

50

Colin Turkington

Team BMW

BMW 330e M Sport

Manufacturer / Constructor

52

Gordon Shedden

Halfords Racing with Cataclean

Honda Civic Type R

Manufacturer / Constructor

62

Rick Parfitt

Upton Steel with Euro Car Parts Racing

Infiniti Q50

Independent / JST

66

Josh Cook

Rich Energy with BTC Racing

Honda Civic Type R

Independent

77

Sam Osborne

Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan

Ford Focus ST

Manufacturer / Constructor / JST

80

Tom Ingram

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com

Hyundai i30N

Manufacturer / Constructor

96

Jack Butel

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com

Hyundai i30N

Manufacturer / Constructor

97

Ash Hand

CarStore Power Maxed Racing

Vauxhall Astra

Independent / JST

99

Jade Edwards

Rich Energy with BTC Racing

Honda Civic Type R

Independent / JST

123

Dan Lloyd

Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com

Hyundai i30N

Independent

777

Michael Crees

CarStore Power Maxed Racing

Vauxhall Astra

Independent

* JST – Jack Sears Trophy

The 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences on April 23/24 at Donington Park.

BTCC begins new hybrid era at Thruxton Season Launch

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship officially lifted the curtain on the 2022 season at Thruxton Circuit this evening (April 12) with the launch of the all-new hybrid era. 

Becoming the first major touring car series in the world to integrate hybrid power into all of its race cars, the Season Launch event at the home of the British Automobile Racing Club saw the capacity 29-car grid unveiled and details on the new TOCA Hybrid shared.

First announced back in 2019 by Series Organisers TOCA, the hybrid system has been designed and developed by the world-renowned Cosworth Electronics. 

Drivers will be in control of when to deploy the hybrid system via a button on the steering wheel, which will see cars receive up to 15 seconds per lap of additional hybrid power – a benefit that can strategically be used to either attack or defend during racing conditions.

Full details on the new TOCA Hybrid introduction can be found HERE.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “When we announced in 2018 that we would be integrating hybrid power for this year, nobody knew the enormous headwinds that would confront us.

“The pandemic, the ongoing global supply chain issues (particularly with microchips and electronics), the further disruptions as a result of the terrible invasion of Ukraine and the significant price increases of just about everything across the board have all provided huge challenges to the project.

“So, it’s important that I acknowledge and thank the outstanding work that Cosworth, the teams, our suppliers and my TOCA Technical Team have put in to get where we are today. Yes, we were all up against it – we still are in some other areas – but the great effort that everyone has made against all those obstacles is something that we should all be incredibly proud of. So, my sincere appreciation goes out to everyone that really put their shoulders to the wheel and got this programme done.

“Whilst hybrid is the headline news for this year, we also have the introduction of a completely new TOCA engine by M-Sport which will be used by half the grid, the introduction of the new 20% sustainable fuel and a whole new Cosworth ECU and electronics system.

“So, with everything that is new for this year, it’s been a massive undertaking and we shouldn’t underestimate for a moment everything that went into this. Being the first touring car championship in the world to go hybrid meant there were no learnings that we could take from others, but I’m delighted that we’ve achieved this important milestone in the long and proud history of this championship.

“And of course, we will reap the rewards going forward, as hybrid keeps the BTCC absolutely relevant to the world around us and has future-proofed the championship – and the teams’ investments – for at least the next five years.

“Kwik Fit, Goodyear and ITV continue as our incredibly loyal, enthusiastic and highly committed partners and remain vital to the ongoing success of the BTCC, with the latter providing even greater coverage in 2022.

“We’re all looking forward to this new era in the BTCC and I thank everyone for playing their part in this amazing championship.”

The greater coverage that Gow alluded to is that the BTCC will once again enjoy live free-to-air TV coverage.

Whilst ITV4 will continue as the ‘home’ of the BTCC with its all-day-live and free-to-air coverage, both the Brands Hatch Indy (May 15) and Oulton Park (June 12) events will also be broadcast live on ITV for three hours on each race day.

“I’m incredibly proud that, once again, the BTCC reaches new heights in our UK television broadcasting,” added Gow. “As I’ve said many times, our live and free-to-air broadcasts are the envy of the sport – so for the ITV Network to further evolve and increase their coverage of the BTCC once again underlines their tremendous enthusiasm for, and commitment to, our great championship.”

Porsche Carrera Cup GB gears up for 20th anniversary season

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB is set to embark on a milestone season this year with the fastest single-marque GT championship in the UK celebrating its 20th anniversary by introducing a brand new car.

Having been at the forefront of one-make competition both nationally and internationally for two decades, the ultra-competitive series is set to usher in a new era in 2022 as it takes centre stage on the British Touring Car Championship support bill.

Going from strength to strength in recent years, the championship is set to scale new heights with the arrival of the sensational ‘Type 992’ 911 GT3 Cup – which made an appearance during testing at Thruxton last year.

Powered by an evolved 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine producing 510 hp and 470 Nm torque, the car features a six-speed sequential gearbox which, for the first time, uses a paddleshift with an electronic actuator for faster, seamless gear shifts.

Providing a springboard for the careers such as former champions Dan Harper, Harry King, Charlie Eastwood and Dan Cammish, the championship is undoubtedly set to add another name to the aforementioned list in 2022.

With the likes of Redline Racing, JTR, Team Parker Racing and Richardson Racing, amongst several others, the battle for supremacy at the front of the field is set to be as competitive as ever.

Notable names to look out for over the course of the season include 2021 race winners Kiern Jewiss and Will Martin, Porsche GB Junior victory Adam Smalley, GT ace Seb Morris, Sprint Challenge GB champion Theo Edgerton and British GT title holder Gus Burton – to name but a few. 

The 20th season of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB gets underway at Donington Park on April 23/24.

Goodwood roars into life with action-packed 79th Members’ Meeting

Goodwood Motor Circuit lifted the curtain on what is set to be another captivating year of motorsport thrills on the West Sussex grounds this past weekend (April 9/10) as the 79th Members’ Meeting took centre stage.

Returning to its traditional Spring slot on the calendar after two COVID-affected years, the two-day spectacle took those in attendance on a spirited trip down memory lane 

Open to members and fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club, the event is staged to recapture the intimacy and camaraderie of the members-only race weekends held in Goodwood’s heyday – with the British Automobile Racing Club playing a significant role.

Arguably one of the highlights of the weekend was the two-part Gerry Marshall Trophy, which saw some of the most iconic tin tops that once graced the British Touring Car Championship go wheel-to-wheel.

Part one saw the Chevrolet Camaro pairing of Tetley and Buncombe comfortably win before Tetley underlined his dominance with a measured victory in the second bout.

Patrick Blakeney-Edwards enjoyed a memorable 79MM as he claimed an impressive brace of victories; one in the AFP Fane Trophy and the other in the Varzi Trophy.

The Derek Bell Cup saw a frenetic battle at the front however it was Andrew Hibberd that piloted a stunning Brabham-Ford BT18 to victory. Elsewhere, the team of Minshaw and Keen worked well to guide a 1964 Jaguar E-Type to claim overall honours in the Graham Hill Trophy.

Fans of two-wheeled racing were well catered for too courtesy of the Hailwood Trophy & Sheene Trophy. Levi Day and Dan Jackson scored a win apiece however it was Jackson that emerged on top on the combined result.

In the Surtees Trophy, less than half a second separated the top two at the end of a pulsating 25-minute encounter with Oliver Bryant narrowly getting the better of Rob Hall.

Andrew Kirkaldy, James Colburn, Charles Rainford and James Thorpe triumphed in the Robert Brooks Trophy, Sopwith Cup, Weslake Cup and Peter Collins Trophy respectively to round out the weekend.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at the Goodwood 79th Members’ Meeting, CLICK HERE. 

Thruxton opens new spectator viewing area around high-speed Noble corner

Thruxton Circuit will give spectators even more choice on where to watch the on-track action this year after recently opening a new viewing area overlooking the high-speed Noble corner.

In what is the latest development to take place at the Hampshire venue, significant work – much of it in ground preparation and new fencing – during the off-season will now give visitors a brand new vantage point to watch the action on two and four wheels in 2022.

Visitors will be able to watch competitors negotiate the Complex (Campbell, Cobb, Seagrave), then thread their way through the left-hander of Noble before powering their way towards Goodwood and on to Church, which remains the fastest corner in UK motorsport.

Circuit commentary unfortunately won’t be available at the new viewing section due to local planning restrictions however fans can tune in to Radio Thruxton – available on 87.7FM – to ensure they keep abreast of the action.

Pat Blakeney, Thruxton Circuit Manager, said: “I’m delighted to be able to open up this viewing area to spectators as it’s been on my wish list for a number of years. The view from here is absolutely stunning and one that spectators have previously never seen before”.

Thruxton’s first event of the season takes place on Wednesday 13th April as the British Touring Car Championship stages its 2022 Season Launch before the Classic Sports Car Club takes centre stage on April 23/24.

ROKiT British F4 edges closer to the start of new season

Preparations for the 2022 ROKit F4 British Championship certified by FIA continued this week as the single seater series held its official Season Launch at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone.

Taking centre stage around the National circuit, teams and drivers had the opportunity to meet the media, showcase their liveries and take part in nearly six hours of testing ahead of the Donington Park curtain-raiser later this month. 

The 2022 campaign is one of change Britain’s FIA Formula 4 category with new organisers in Motorsport UK, the introduction of a new chassis, engine and tyre providers and a whole host of prizes that have been designed to create a pathway for drivers within the sport.

Many of Europe’s leading teams have entered the championship for this season including Virtuosi Racing, Hitech GP and Chris Dittmann Racing, who have joined Carlin, Phinsys by Argenti and JHR Developments – who set the pace on during Tuesday testing.

Joseph Loake, who enters his second season with the team, ended up setting a benchmark time of 54.032 seconds to claim the early bragging rights ahead of team-mate and fellow sophomore racer Georgi Dimitrov. 

Carlin and McLaren F1 Junior Ugo Ugochukwu ended the day third fastest whilst the Argenti duo of Aiden Neate and Mercedes F1 Junior Daniel Guinchard, who rounded out the top five.

Filling the remainder of the top ten was Williams F1 Junior Oliver Gray, Eduardo Coseteng, Louis Sharp, Michael Shin and Noah Lisle.

Less than three weeks now remain until the 2022 ROKiT British F4 season begins in front of a capacity trackside audience and ITV4’s television cameras at Donington Park.