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2020 Season Review: Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship

The Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship proved to be one of the leading lights of the British Touring Car Championship support package this past season as Tom Lebbon made history by becoming the first Scholarship winner to take the overall title in their maiden campaign.

Serving up more of its entertaining brand of action-packed, wheel-to-wheel racing across what was an ultra-competitive season, the one-make series once again showcased the next generation of emerging motorsport talent across eight high-octane events.

Earning a fully-funded season in the championship after triumphing out of 68 aspiring teenagers in the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, Lebbon entered the year as one to watch but nobody could have foreseen what was to come from the Elite Motorsport driver.

After a delayed start, the season kicked off at Donington Park with Lebbon providing a flavour of what lay ahead by netting a podium, as Georgi Dimitrov and Bailey Voisin shared the spoils.

One week later at Brands Hatch the 15-year-old came to the fore and established himself as a credible contender, powering his way to an impressive first win in scorching conditions.

Consistent points finishes towards the sharp end of the grid would keep Lebbon in the title picture as the rounds ticked by, with the trio of Voisin, Dimitrov and the emerging Josh Rattican also firmly in the hunt for the coveted prize.

As the series reached the business end of the season though it was Lebbon that really hit his stride. At Croft, the rookie claimed one of the most dominant Ginetta Junior wins in recent memory before really cranking up the heat two weeks later.

Taking centre stage during the penultimate event of the season at Snetterton, Lebbon became the first driver since Louis Foster in 2018 to record a weekend victory hat-trick. In the process of closing the gap at the summit of the points, he was also provisionally wrapped up the Ginetta Junior Championship ‘Rookie’ champion for 2020.

Entering the Brands Hatch series finale trailing Voisin by 11 points, Lebbon produced a superlative final day performance to net a pair of second place finishes and overturn the deficit to be crowned champion.

2020 Season Review: Kumho BMW Championship

The Kumho BMW Championship was at its brilliant best this year as it served up a memorable season, with a total of three class champions being crowned come the final chequered flag being waved.

Home to some of the most iconic models of the German manufacturer in recent decades, an action-packed ten-race campaign kept fans on the edge of their seats right up until the final lap.

Visiting Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Mallory Park and Thruxton, the Kumho BMW contingent boasted bumper entry lists throughout what was an unprecedented year too, underlining the continuing popularity after more than 30 years.

In Class A, James Card emerged as the driver to beat as he powered he E36 M3 to the summit of the standings. Double wins at Brands Hatch and Snetterton kickstarted his campaign off on the right foot and he only continued to improve as the season progressed.

Another double at Mallory Park, in addition to further podium finishes in the remaining rounds, proved enough to hand Card the honours ahead of Darren Morgan-Owen, Brad Sheehan and Michael Pensavalle.

Class B saw Sunny Gill prevail from an intriguing three-way battle for supremacy ahead of series stalwarts’ Trevor Ford and Russell Dack. The cornerstone of Gill’s triumph came in the opening six races as he triumphed on no less than five occasions, with Ford winning the remaining contest.

Despite a late five-race winning streak charge from Dack and his E46 M3, Gill kept the points ticking over to ensure he ended the year as champion.

Ralph Kirk rounded out the list of winners in the Kumho BMW Championship as he clinched the Class C crown. Making a handful of appearances, Kirk netted a brace of wins at Oulton Park and Mallory Park to run out as a convincing winner.

2020 Season Review: Ginetta Racing Drivers Club

The Ginetta Racing Drivers Club launched the careers of 15 new rookie drivers this season however it was Marc Warren who proved to be the standout talent with a 100% podium record which included ten wins to secure him the title.

Providing petrolheads with the opportunity to swap a seat in the grandstand for a seat on the grid, the single-make series is open to drivers who are looking to take their first steps into motorsport.

As an ideal proving ground, competing drivers are given all the necessary components to forge a career on four wheels; including their very own G40 Club car, an ARDS test, multiple training days and much more.

Featuring on the British GT Championship support package once again, a total of 15 high-octane races at five of the UK’s most popular venues comprised the revised calendar for 2020.

Setting his stall out from the outset, Warren emerged as the lead figure in the series as he not only gained experience but also built up an illustrious CV. Tallying win after win, Warren put himself out of touch with a handful of contests remaining.

A new class, launched this year for more experienced drivers, went the way of Stephen Docker, who powered his way to an impressive tally of nine victories.

2020 Season Review: Caterham Graduates Championship

In a year like no other, one thing remained the same in 2020 and that was that the Caterham Graduates Championship delivered another vintage year of high-octane, wheel-to-wheel entertainment.

Due to the delayed start and the unprecedented nature of the season, championship titles weren’t up for grabs however outright race honours were, and each one was fiercely fought over during the course of the six-event campaign.

Armed with a bumper entry list, the series lifted the curtain on its shortened season with a trio of races taking centre stage at Croft. Harry Heaton would go on to make his mark as he powered his way to a sensational hat-trick of wins at the North Yorkshire venue.

Speeding onto Mallory Park next, the popular one-make series saw another impressive hat-trick achieved, this time by Harry Senior as he reigned supreme in emphatic style.

The undulating twists and turns of Cadwell Park provided the next stop on the calendar and it would be Senior that emerged as the driver to beat once again as he notched another two wins to his ever-improving tally. Jamie Ellwood meanwhile also triumphed, clinching his first victory of the year.

Senior’s scintillating run of form continued as the series ventured to Snetterton in late August as he added another two wins to his list of triumphs. Andrew Whitton ensured that Senior didn’t complete a clean sweep however as he ascended to the top step of the podium in the remaining encounter.

Oulton Park would see a carbon copy of Snetterton as both Senior and Whitton starred before the Caterham contingent wrapped up its campaign at Silverstone.

Having proven himself as the driver to beat for a majority of the year, Senior signed off his season in a dominant manner by netting a further two wins around the home of British Motor Racing.

The 2021 Caterham Graduates Championship is set to return to its traditional format with a host of events taking place and champions set to be crowned.

2020 Season Review: Mighty Minis Championship

Never short of producing entertainment, the Mighty Minis Championship made its mark in 2020 as it delivered six rounds of scintillating door-to-door action across three unmissable events.

Home to one of the most iconic cars to ever go into mass production, the one-make series continued to garner a cult following as it produced full-throttle thrills and spills at Croft, Castle Combe and Thruxton.

Like several other British Automobile Racing Club categories, the Mighty Minis Championship had been set to end its season at Brands Hatch on November 7/8. However, due to the introduction of a second national lockdown the annual pilgrimage to the Kent venue was cancelled.

After narrowly missing out on the Mighty Mini crown to Greg Daw last year, Paul Ogborn bounced back with a vengeance this year to secure the title in style.

Four wins from the first four races provided the cornerstone of Ogborn’s charge, with two points finishes at Thruxton topping up the points pot.

Elsewhere, Ian Slark prevented Neven Kirkpatrick from successfully defending his Super Mighty Mini title after producing a commanding performance from start-to-finish.

Kirkpatrick hit the ground running winning three races on the bounce before Slark came to the fore at Castle Combe with a win of his own. Adding another victory in treacherous conditions at Thruxton, Slark was crowned champion by just six points over the ultra-consistent David Kirkpatrick.

2020 Season Review: Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Domination is just one word that can be attributed to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2020 as Harry King swept aside the competition to be crowned champion at the very first time of asking.

The 19-year-old produced a stunning season-long performance to reign supreme in the fastest and most successful single marque GT championship in the UK, wrapping up the crown with one event to spare and racking up countless victories.

Having stormed to the Ginetta GT4 Supercup title in 2019, King secured the coveted role as Porsche GB’s Junior driver for the 2020-21 seasons after coming out on top of a four-driver shootout at Silverstone.

His prize, one of the biggest in UK motorsport, consisted of £85,000 towards his budget for each of the next two seasons as well as a specialist training programme at the Porsche Human Performance Centre and technical support from Porsche Motorsport.

Putting pen-to-paper on a deal to join leading outfit Team Parker Racing, King wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat as he kicked off his campaign with a win and second place at Donington Park.

From there, King was unstoppable as he bagged wins at Brands Hatch GP, Oulton Park, Knockhill, Silverstone, Snetterton and Brands Hatch Indy; continuing to extend his advantage at the summit of the standings on the TOCA support package.

Were it not for a few bouts of bad luck along the way, King could well have added to his impressive tally of wins, of which there were 12 in total.

Josh Webster, Will Martin, Ross Wylie and Matthew Graham were the other victors over the course of the season. None of them however would be able to match King as he marched towards the title in his rookie campaign.

Elsewhere, Team Parker Racing made it a clean sweep of Carrera Cup GB titles as Esmee Hawkey claimed the Pro-Am title and Justin Sherwood wrapped up the Am crown.

2020 Season Review: Ginetta G40 Cup

The Ginetta G40 Cup belonged to Tom Golding in 2020 as the CTS Motorsport driver rewrote the history books by becoming the first-ever two-time champion.

Having reigned supreme back in 2018, Golding made a triumphant return to the series to underline his credentials as a true rising star.

Aimed towards drivers that have recently shed their novice skins, the single-make category once again showcased why the Ginetta motorsport ladder has proven to be so effective in bringing the next generation of racers through the ranks.

Taking centre stage on the British GT Championship support package, the G40 Cup served up a total of 15 pulsating races across five events – with a host of thrills and spills along the way.

Oulton Park provided the backdrop to the season-opener and Golding wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat, netting a brace of wins before Giles Dawson prevented him from completing a clean sweep.

Dawson went toe-to-toe with Golding in the early rounds, winning twice at Donington Park, however he could not withstand the juggernaut-like form of the former champion.

Winning the final race of the weekend at Donington Park, Golding went on to be unstoppable at Brands Hatch, winning all three races to put himself within touching distance of the crown.

Golding provisionally wrapped up the title with a meeting to spare as he scored a stunning hat-trick of wins back at Donington Park to extend his winning streak to seven on the bounce. He also ensured he finished the year with a 100% podium record.

Electing to sit out the season finale having secured an unassailable lead at the summit of the standings, Golding rounded off his season by stepping up into the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge where he enjoyed further success.

Next year will see the Ginetta G40 Cup combine with the GT5 Challenge to form one grid, with a calendar of seven events across both the British GT Championship and British Touring Car Championship packages confirmed.

2020 Season Review: Junior Saloon Car Championship

History was made in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in 2020 as Lewis Saunders cemented his legacy as one of the series’ most successful competitors by becoming the first-ever double champion.

Lifting the coveted crown in 2018 before narrowly missing out on retaining it the following year, the 16-year-old entered his third season as the hot favourite for the title and he duly lived up to the hype by producing a virtuoso performance from start-to-finish.

Providing the first steps on the motorsport ladder for 14 to 17-year-old’s and bridging the gap between karting and cars, the one-make category has become the perfect platform for teenagers to forge a career behind the wheel at an affordable price.

With a blend of experienced and rookie drivers making up the bumper entry list for this year’s revised seven-round schedule, the usual edge-of-the-seat entertainment that has become customary in the championship took centre stage once more – with Saunders emerging as the benchmark.

Retaining the support from British Touring Car Championship outfit Ciceley Motorsport, the cornerstone of Saunders’ title charge began as soon as the lights went out in July as he embarked on an impressive winning streak that would stretch across ten races.

Double wins at Cadwell Park, Croft, Brands Hatch, Knockhill and Mallory Park built up a commanding lead at the summit of the standings, however he didn’t always have things his own way.

Alex Solley, Charlie Hand, Ruben Hage, Benjamin Greenhill and Scholarship victor Deagen Fairclough were just some of the regular challengers towards the sharp end of the field, all of whom constantly remained within striking distance of Saunders as each round passed.

Solley would come to the fore towards the end of the season as he scored a brace of wins at both Silverstone and Oulton Park, however by then it had proved too late in the day to overhaul points leader Saunders.

Finishing hot on the heels of the youngster in the remaining four races of the campaign, Saunders bagged valuable points to put one hand on the championship trophy heading into the series finale at Brands Hatch.

Unfortunately, due to a second national lockdown being implemented in the days leading up to the final two rounds of the year, the annual visit to Kent was cancelled and that subsequently meant Saunders was crowned as champion for the second time in his career, rewriting the history books at the same time.

2020 Season Review: BTRA British Truck Racing Championship

Heavyweight thrills and spills formed the backbone of what was a shortened BTRA British Truck Racing Championship in 2020 as Ryan Smith and Steven Powell reigned supreme to claim championship silverware in Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, the titans of truck racing served up a feast of unmissable wheel-to-wheel entertainment for the enthusiastic crowds that flocked trackside.

Despite the calendar comprising of just three events – Donington Park, Snetterton and Thruxton – no less than 14 races were staged over the course of the season, each one setting pulses racing.

Division 1 saw the familiar theme of Smith underlining his superlative racecraft by being crowned champion for a fifth consecutive year. Having been the man to beat over the past four seasons, the MAN driver entered the season as the hot favourite and duly delivered another vintage title-winning performance.

Kicking his campaign off with a double win at Donington Park, Smith added another victory at Snetterton before really hitting his stride when the series descended on what would ultimately prove to be the final round of the season at Thruxton.

Former champions David Jenkins and Stuart Oliver, as well as front running protagonists Martin Gibson and John Newell, found themselves in the battle for supremacy as each round passed too, setting up what was set to be a grandstand finish.

Unfortunately, the introduction of a second national lockdown prior to the series finale at Brands Hatch caused the event to be cancelled, subsequently crowning Smith as champion by a handful of points.

In Division 2, Powell paired rapid speed with consistency to wrap up the title. After narrowly missing out on the crown to Luke Garrett during the past two years, the MAN racer made a lightening start as he won four out of five races at the season-opener.

Establishing himself as the lead contender following his virtuoso performance under the flightpath of East Midlands airport, Powell would go on to score a further four wins across the remaining two events to wrap up the title.

Whilst Powell and Garrett went head-to-head for the coveted crown, other notable performers included Craig Reid, John Powell and Craig Evans.

BTCC announces several rule changes for 2021 season

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed a number of regulation and procedural changes ahead of the 2021 season.

Following on from an end-of-season meeting between Series Organisers TOCA and all participating teams, tweaks to the qualifying format, tyre options, success ballast and fan enhancements have all been ratified.

Having been trialled at Snetterton in 2020, the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying session will return next year; this time at Donington Park, Snetterton and Silverstone.

Those three events will see the traditional 30-minute session replaced by a marginally reduced window of 25 minutes for drivers to record their lap times. After a short five-minute break, the fastest ten competitors will then progress into a ten-minute session to determine the top ten places on the grid.

Competitors will use variety of tyre compounds during the season as well as the ‘Option’ tyre is phased back-in at four of the ten scheduled events.

Oulton Park, Croft and Snetterton will see the Goodyear soft tyre used as the ‘Option’ whilst the Goodyear medium compound is the selected ‘Option’ tyre at Knockhill.

Over the course of those four events the ‘Option’ tyre must be used in one of the three races. Teams do not have to specify which race they will use the compound in before qualifying, with all choices being declared upon the cars leaving the pit-lane on their way to the grid.

Events at Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone will see only the Goodyear medium compound allocated, whilst both visits to Thruxton will see only the hard compound used.

Success ballast will be increased for the forthcoming campaign with the maximum weight of 75kgs being reintroduced, an increase from the current 60kgs. Ballast will be issued throughout the top ten as follows for 2021: 75kgs-66kgs-57kgs-48kgs-39kgs-33kgs-27kgs-21kgs-15kgs-9kgs.

Finally, following the initiative’s successful introduction at Silverstone in 2019, pit garages will again be reversed for the benefit of fans at events at those venues where it is practical to do so.

Pit garages will face into the paddock area, rather than the pit-lane, meaning teams and drivers will carry out a majority of their preparation work in clear view of spectators and adding a further dimension to the fan experience during a race weekend.

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will commence at Brands Hatch on April 3/4.

2020 Season Review: Sports Prototype Cup

The Sports Prototype Cup’s sophomore season proved to be a smash-hit in 2020 as it boasted bumper grids, exciting races and a debut on the international motorsport stage.

Debuting in 2019 with the aim of providing a multi-marque racing environment for lightweight sports prototype cars to race in a premium race weekend package, the category continued to grow in stature this past year as it delivered a memorable four-event campaign.

Brands Hatch provided the backdrop for the season-opener and it was Alex Kapadia who narrowly edged out Scott Mansell in race one to open his account for the year. Mansell would strike back in race two, getting the better of Bradley Ellis to take home a share of the spoils.

Rounds three and four saw the series go international for the first time, travelling to Belgium to tackle Spa Francorchamps and share the billing with the FIA World Endurance Championship. The category would produce a pair of action-packed one-hour races to show the potential of the fast-growing UK-based series on the global stage.

Morten Dons reigned supreme in the opening encounter around the legendary 4.35-mile circuit before Mansell tallied his second win of the season in a rain-affected race two.

Returning to British shores, Snetterton provided the latest stop on the calendar for two more contests and the Norfolk venue didn’t disappoint.

Spoils were ultimately split between James Abbott and Dons, each of them standing on the top step of the podium whilst there was also a podium finish for Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Chris Hoy, who was making his debut in the series.

The Sports Prototype Cup then brought its sensational season to a close back in mainland Europe, thrilling a 25,000-strong crowd as it starred at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve before the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prémio De Portugal.

Taking centre stage alongside the biggest motor racing series in the world, an exclusive 17-car Revolution A-One Trophy field got plenty of pulses racing. 

Michel Frey claimed a commanding lights-to-flag victory in race one before Kapadia came to the fore to win the final race of the season. Kapadia’s victory would cement his position as the top ranked Cup driver of the 2020 season.

Work has already begun on the 2021 calendar for the series, with a mix of national and international premium events set to make up the schedule.

2020 Season Review: C1 Challenge

Having established itself as one of the staple categories that compete under the British Automobile Racing Club umbrella, the C1 Challenge enjoyed another superlative season as it produced big grids and exciting on-track entertainment.

Providing a low-cost method of competing in motorsport, the single-make series continues to remain as one of the fastest growing categories in the country since launching more than three years ago, surpassing the 150-car build mark.

Due to the impact the coronavirus pandemic, the C1 contingent announced a revised calendar comprising of three events for the remainder of 2020 however this would become two following confirmation that Pembrey would be unable to stage race meetings.

Hitting the track for the first time at Donington Park, an impressive 50-car entry list took centre stage for a three-hour encounter which finished with the top two being split by little over half a second.

The Progressive Motorsport Ltd duo of Howard Hayens and Dave Ward narrowly edged out Team Davies after a sensational 91 laps around the 1.98-mile track.

Always keen to make history where possible, the series then descended on the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, for the very first time to stage another three-hour bonanza.

Renowned for its high-speed flowing corners, the Hampshire venue saw a bumper 45-car grid race into the darkness – producing a staggering spectacle.

Completing a total of 96 laps, the Hybrid Tune trio of Stephen James, David Meenan and Ben Simonds ran out as race winners, scoring victory by more than 90 seconds at the chequered flag.

The 2021 season for the C1 Challenge will hopefully see a return to some normality, with a seven event calendar having been provisionally announced already.