Category: Barc

Hendy Performance leads the way with BARC Safety Car

The British Automobile Racing Club has extended its partnership with Hendy Group – the UK’s premier family motor group – with the supply of the Club’s new Safety Car for the 2022 season.

Adorned with a spectacular livery to complement the sleek bodywork, the all-new Kia ProCeed GT-line will be in action at all BARC race meetings this year. The Safety Car will play an essential role at the start of races, and will also be deployed should the officials decide that a Safety Car intervention is required to neutralise the action temporarily.

BARC’s relationship with Hendy Performance has been led to date by Thruxton Circuit which has a number of Hendy cars on its prestigious driving experience fleet. It is a natural fit for the South’s premier race circuit to join forces with one of Southern England’s most successful companies – the Hendy Group turned over almost £1 billion in 2021.

On 24th July, Thruxton will host the Hendy Performance Open Day for the second time, a family-friendly celebration of all things fun and the Hampshire venue. The day is free to attend and tickets can be obtained from the Thruxton website: thruxtonracing.co.uk.

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “We very much value the relationship that has been created with Hendy Group and the success of the Hendy Performance Open Day last year was a clear indication that the fit between the two organisations is very effective.

“We have extended that involvement for this year and the new Safety Car will be up and down the UK’s motorway to all our race meetings, at the head of the racing pack on the track, and in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers in the course of the season. It should be a great promotional asset for both parties.”

Sun shines on Silverstone as BARC serves up blockbuster weekend

The British Automobile Racing Club basked in the Spring sunshine at Silverstone this past weekend (March 26/27) as a number of championships kick-started their 2022 campaigns, serving up two days of blockbuster entertainment on the International layout around the Home of British Motor Racing.

Headlining the weekend’s track action was no less than eight races from the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, in particular the Super Tourers which proved to be a smash-hit as they wound back the years to a golden era of the British Touring Car Championship. 

Jason Minshaw piloted the 1998 Rickard Rydell title-winning Volvo S40 to victory in the opening bout before Anthony Reid – who was reunited with his 1998 Nissan Primera – claimed the plaudits in race two after a thrilling battle with Minshaw and John Cleland. 

Stephen Primett drove his Ford Escort Mk1 to the top step of the podium in both amalgamated Pre ’66 & Pre ’83 races whilst Dave Griffin did the same in the combined Pre ’93 and Jaguar Challenge encounters. 

The theme of one driver reigning supreme in both contests continued in the Classic Thunder and Blue Oval Saloon Series races as Jason Davies triumphed in his Ford Sierra Cosworth. 

Big grids ran throughout the Caterham Graduates Championship too, which saw two drivers lay down their markers as the early pace-setters. Jamie Winrow was in a league of his own in the 135 bouts whilst Harry Senior starred in the combined 150 and Sigmax races.

Harry Hickton enjoyed the perfect start to the new Junior Saloon Car Championship season as he charged to a commanding pair of race wins. Entering the season as one of the title favourites in the one-make series, Hickton didn’t put a wheel wrong to prevail out front. 

James Card completed a clean sweep in the Kumho BMW Championship as he picked up where he left off last year, clinching pole position and then following it up with back-to-back victories in his trusty E36 M3.

Rounding off the weekend’s racing was an abundance of wheel-to-wheel action from the Mini 7 Racing Club. With the battle for supremacy going down to the wire, the Dunlop Mini Challenge supported by Mini Spares Miglia class saw Rupert Deeth and Andrew Jordan share the spoils.

There was further success for the Jordan family as Andrew’s father, Mike, produced a superlative display in the Dunlop Mini Challenge supported by Mini Spares Se7en category bagged an impressive pair of race wins. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions from Silverstone, CLICK HERE. 

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

Issue 1 of 2022 BARC Magazine hits members’ doorsteps

The latest issue – the first of 2022 – of the British Automobile Racing Club magazine has landed, exclusive to all members.

Alongside rounding up the latest news, checking in with our centres and Martin Hunt’s latest Marshal Matters blog, we have a number of must-read features too.

We recap what was a momentous BARC Awards Evening back in February, unearth what is set to be a new era for the ROKiT F4 British Championship and delve into the archives to look back on years gone by, plus much more.

To become a member of the BARC and to receive a copy of the magazine, head to https://www.barc.net/membership/.

BARC sends medical supplies to Ukraine

The British Automobile Racing Club is supporting the relief efforts in Ukraine by donating medical supplies to the country. The first shipment left the United Kingdom on Monday 21st March, bound for Poland where it was then transferred by Ukrainian medics to the city of Lviv. 

The items sent to Eastern Europe included IV fluids, trauma and burns dressings, torniquets and airway management equipment that had been donated by the club, its rescue units and marshals. A second delivery of medical supplies which will include stretchers, defibrillators and splints is due to be sent soon.

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “The outpouring of support for the Ukrainian struggle has been extraordinary. People all over the UK are looking at what they can do to support the country and it is only right that we as an organisation donate what we can to the cause. I’d like to thank Martin Hunt and his team for taking the lead in this and making it happen.” 

Where To Watch BARC LIVE: Silverstone – March 26/27

The British Automobile Racing Club returns to Silverstone this weekend (March 26/27) for an action-packed two days of track action around the International circuit – and our cameras will be there to broadcast every race live online.

Following on from a hugely successful 2022 curtain-raiser which saw in excess of 100,000 views across Facebook and YouTube, we’re back for what should be another entertaining live stream spectacle.

Taking centre stage around the Home of British Motor Racing will be the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, Junior Saloon Car Championship, Caterham Graduates Championship, Kumho BMW Championship and Mini 7 Racing Club.

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 14:05 – Facebook | YouTube

Sunday Race Show – Starting from 08:50 – Facebook | YouTube

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meeting at Silverstone, 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.

Spectators welcome to Croft for pre-season BTCC test

Croft Circuit is set to permit fans to attend the upcoming Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship test day on April 6 in exchange for a donation to its chosen charity for 2022, Race Against Dementia.

As the UK’s premier motorsport series gears up for another season – one which will see the introduction of hybrid technology throughout the grid – Croft will play host to the first of three official test days where a majority of the grid will be in attendance.

Normally held behind closed doors, the North Yorkshire venue is opening its gates for fans to get a flavour of the action that is to come this year. Whilst there is no admittance charge, a minimum donation of £5.00 per person on the gate is requested, all of which will go to charity.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return to Croft on June 25/26 for Rounds 13, 14 & 15. Tickets are available to purchase online.

Croft Nostalgia to return as part of Historic Sports Car Club event

After an absence of three years, one of the highlights of the local motorsporting scene is set to return with the announcement that the Croft Nostalgia Event will feature at the North Yorkshire race track on Sunday 4th September 2022.

This will be the tenth running of the popular event and promises to be another unforgettable event as the North East’s premier racing circuit pays homage to yesteryear once again as part of the Historic Sports Car Club race meeting over the weekend.

The event is acknowledged as one of the best events in the north of England, with an eclectic mix of exhilarating motorsport on track along with displays of military vehicles, classic cars and other interesting vehicles which are registered pre-1976. Most of these vehicles will be able to take part in track parades during the day.

There will also be live music, trade stands and fairground attractions for the crowds to enjoy and the friendly atmosphere at Croft Circuit allows everyone to get close to the race cars in the paddock area along with the display vehicles of all shapes and sizes which are a must for a photo opportunity.

Application forms to lodge an interest to display a vehicle are now available to be downloaded from the Croft Circuit website https://www.croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/nostalgia until Friday 5th August 2022 or until all space is allocated, whichever comes first.

Ticket prices start at just £15 for Saturday’s race action with the admission fee on the Sunday £25 per adult on the gate, but currently £20 in advance until Friday 26th August 2022.

Children aged 15 and under are admitted FREE, there is FREE car parking and FREE paddock access. For further information, please contact Croft Circuit on 01325 721815 or www.croftcircuit.co.uk.

BARC kicks off 2022 season in style at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club kicked off its 2022 season in sensational style at Silverstone this past weekend (March 12/13) with the British Endurance Championship, Praga Cup and Britcar Trophy Championship all taking centre stage.

After months of excitement and anticipation, the Grand Prix layout of the Northamptonshire venue provided the backdrop for the first track action of the year for the Club, with TV cameras in attendance to broadcast every lap on Facebook and YouTube. 

Headlining the weekend was the new-for-2022 British Endurance Championship, the Motorsport UK-sanctioned iteration of what was formerly known as the Britcar Endurance Championship.

With revised regulations, and a modified class structure to guarantee competitiveness across a range of machines, the three-hour encounter served up a feast of entertainment for those watching both trackside and online.

Having qualified towards the lower end of the top ten, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 pairing of Lucky Khera and Lee Frost produced a superlative performance during the race to clinch a dominant victory – lapping the entire field on their way to the top step of the podium. 

Following on from a groundbreaking 2021 where they featured alongside Britcar, the inaugural Praga Cup made its debut at the Home of British Motor Racing and it too didn’t disappoint. 

Two one-hour races had fans on the edge of their seats from start-to-finish, with just under two seconds separating the top three in the opening bout. Alex Connor and Tom Canning edged out the competition to win race one before Charlie Hall and Scott Mittell teamed up to prevail in race two. 

Capping off the endurance competition was a brace of contests from the Britcar Trophy Championship which saw Ginetta entrants SVG Motorsport and Motus One score a win apiece.

The Super Series by the British Superkart Racing Club saw three pulsating races play out, with the spoils being shared between Matt Robinson and Liam Morley; Robinson heading Morley to clinch a pair of wins.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action was a solitary race from the Uncle Lukes Snetterton Saloons with Z Cars Racing Championship, where Rhys Lloyd claimed a dominant victory in his Opel Astra TCR.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions from Silverstone, CLICK HERE.

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

BARC signs Armed Forces Covenant

The British Automobile Racing Club last month signed the Armed Forces Covenant, committing the club and its venues to supporting serving personnel, service leavers, veterans and their families.

The BARC has always had close ties with the armed forces and this has developed in the past decade with its relationship with Mission Motorsport, the forces’ motorsport charity.

Further cementing its reputation as a Forces-friendly organisation, the covenant pledges to acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “We have a great history with the armed forces, not least because all three of our circuits are former RAF airfields. Thruxton is right in the heart of a huge military community in Hampshire, while Croft too has Catterick right on its doorstep. As a result we have always been very conscious of the military links in our areas.

“Signing the Covenant formalises this commitment and ensures that we will make even greater efforts to support the Service communities in our recruitment, our events and our staffing.”

To find out more information on the Armed Forces Covenant, head to https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/. 

Mission Motorsport celebrates 10th anniversary at Thruxton

At the start of this month, Mission Motorsport celebrated its 10th Anniversary at Thruxton Circuit, the very venue where it had launched exactly a decade before. 

Launched at the Hampshire venue on 1st March 2012, the pioneering charity has gone on to achieve extraordinary success, helping those affected by military operations by engaging them through motorsport. It was a great privilege to be able to host their return to Thruxton in commemoration of such a milestone. 

The charity has grown dramatically since those early days of track days, and now encompasses a wide range of support skills, training and employment opportunities, enabling Mission Motorsport to have helped over 2000 service veterans via their variety of programmes. 

One of the biggest and most notable achievements by the charity has been the establishment of ‘Race of Remembrance’ – which is now an annual fixture on the national motorsport calendar at Anglesey Circuit. Last year Thruxton held the first Karting of Remembrance event on the same date, which was a successful sell-out and will be repeated in 2022.

To find out more on Mission Motorsport’s journey over the past decade, please take the time to watch the following inspiring video with the Charity’s founder and CEO James Cameron: 

Ben Taylor, BARC Chief Executive, said: “I’ve been a huge fan of Mission Motorsport’s work since the very early days and I was thrilled to find that BARC was already heavily connected with the charity when I arrived here. We have already hosted many events at Thruxton and Croft and we look forward to building on that and extending our support of the military community.”

Further information on Mission Motorsport and their initiatives can be found here: https://www.missionmotorsport.org/ourmission

Where To Watch BARC LIVE: Silverstone – March 12/13

The British Automobile Racing Club lifts the curtain on the 2022 season this coming weekend (March 12/13) with an action-packed two days of competition at Silverstone – and our cameras will be there to broadcast every lap on Facebook and YouTube.

Viewers will be able to see the new-for-2022 British Endurance Championship, Britcar Trophy Championship, Praga Cup and British Superkart Racing Club over the course of both days around the Home of British Motor Racing. 

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 11:05 – Facebook | YouTube

Sunday Race Show – Starting from 10:45 – Facebook | YouTube

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meeting at Silverstone, 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.

BARC North West Centre gears up for 38th running of CNC Heads Championship

The BARC North Western Centre is very pleased to announce the 38th running of the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Championship in 2022.

The Championship is being sponsored by CNC Heads owned by competitor Ric Wood for the fifteenth successive season, we thank Ric for his continued support. Without this great support, in so many ways, there is no doubt the Championship would not be as strong as it currently is. Also this season we welcome back Graeme Laslett’s Car Service Packs Company as a valued partner.

The Championship continues the well-trodden path of recent years with very favourable entry fees and few technical changes. We visit the usual popular circuits in the North and Midlands. This season sees a return to our ‘second home’ of Anglesey for a triple header meeting in September. There is another triple meeting at the end of April at Cadwell Park, with double headers at Croft, Donington Park (with the trucks) and at the final round at Oulton Park. The season commences on the 2nd April with a single round at Oulton Park, there is a third Oulton Park visit for the Dave Simpson Memorial round at the end of May.

Registrations have been open for a few weeks and entries are already starting to come in for the opening rounds. Most of the regulars from the last few seasons have registered including six of the top seven in last year’s Championship, these include Champion Jamie Cryer in his Ginetta G20, Jon Woolfitt in his Spire GTR, the Mazda MX5 of Graeme Smith and the Citroen Xsara of Paul Rotheroe. Other returnees include Roddie Paterson (Caterham), Garry Wardle (Seat Leon and Porsche GT3), Ric Walker (BMW Mini) and Tim Foxlow (Escort RSR).

It is great to see the continued support of all the regulars but it is equally important to welcome new blood to the Championship. Newbies (though not necessarily new to the sport) include Richard Armiger (Vauxhall Tigra), Peter Smith (Class A Renault Megane) and Connor Harvey (Caterham 7) – welcome to all of you and those returning after a break from the Championship. Registered numbers are now approaching 50 drivers with 60 cars.

If you have a car and are interested but not sure if it is eligible then why not give Peter Gorrie, our Eligibility Scrutineer a call on 07813 848671 or email him at petergorrieracing@gmail.com  

For those of you thinking of joining the CNC Heads Championship family, details can be found on the CNC Heads page at barcnorthwestern.co.uk or if you have any questions then either mail John Leck at johnleck.racing@hotmail.co.uk or give John a ring on 07889 760872.