Category: Barc

BARC heads back to Mallory Park for Sunday spectacular

The British Automobile Racing Club will make its second and final visit to Mallory Park of the 2020 campaign this coming Sunday (October 11), with four championships all keen to make their mark in front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd.

Serving up a feast of entertainment at the Leicestershire venue back in late August, further thrills and spills are expected to have fans on the edge of their seats once more.

Headlining the day’s action will be two races from the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship. Bringing the curtain down on its season, the much-loved one-make series will take centre stage for its title-decider.

Coming off the back of events at Cadwell Park and Snetterton, Alec Graham finds himself in the box seat to be crowned champion however things are far from guaranteed. Holding a 12-point advantage at the standings summit, Graham will be keen to wrap up the title as quickly as possible.

Aiming to overhaul Graham’s slender advantage is Sandro Proietti and when you throw into the mix the likes of former champion Lien Davies, Nick Crispin, Mick Storey and Luca Proietti, the fight for supremacy could go in any direction.

Steeped in a rich history, the Kumho BMW Championship has dazzled down the years and the multi-class category will look to continue doing just that this weekend as it resumes its 2020 campaign.

Open to all manner of models that have been built by the Bavarian manufacturer, the Kumho BMW contingent have delivered a string of sensational wheel-to-wheel battles this year already; with the likes of James Card, Niall Bradley and Brad Sheehan will undoubtedly be in the mix.

Sunday will also see the Kumho BMW Championship joined by the BARC Saloon Series, as the two join forces to form one bumper grid.

Elsewhere, the Hyundai Coupe Cup has once again proven to be a smash-hit this year. Roaring into life a few years ago, the Coupe Cup is a budget conscious, single-make category for first and second generation two-lite Hyundai Coupe machines.

Notable names to look out for at Mallory Park across the categories two encounters include  Alex Cursley, Wayne Rockett, Mark Dicken and Kevin Smiles – to name but a few.

Rounding out the day’s action will be a pair of races from the Historic F3 Championship.

To view more information on Sunday’s race day at Mallory Park, including where to follow live timing and to view the event timetable, click here.

Sports Prototype Cup boasts biggest grid of its short history for F1 weekend appearance

The Sports Prototype Cup will field the biggest grid of its short history later this month as it takes centre stage alongside the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prémio De Portugal at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

Announced as a support race for Formula 1’s return to Portugal on October 24/25, the ever-growing category will look to make its mark on the weekend with two races – one before f1 qualifying on Saturday and the other before the Grand Prix on Sunday.

As it stands, a total of 20 drivers have entered to compete, with 17 Revolution A-One machines set to hit the track. The appetite to race in the series is underlined by its rapid rise having only debuted a little over a year ago.

Heading the entry list – which boasts drivers from ten different nationalities – is 2020 race winners Alex Kapadia and Morten Dons, whilst many will be keen to see how Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy fares.

Phil Abbott, Managing Director of Revolution Race Cars, said: “The strength of the grid is impressive both in terms of numbers and team and driver quality. We only announced this race eight weeks ago and for twenty drivers to commit in such a short period of time provides us with a great platform ahead of the 2021 season.”

James Bailey, Director of PitBox91 and Promoter of the Sports Prototype Cup added: “The launch of this event has shone a spotlight on the brilliance of the Revolution A-One’s design and performance. We are proud to have a long-term agreement to grow this class.

“It’s helped us grow our grid size and sets us up well for our multi-class race at Le Castellet in November where other prototypes can also join.”

TOCA support championship deliver blockbuster entertainment at Silverstone

Silverstone played host to a memorable two days of TOCA support race action this past weekend (September 26/27) as five championships continued their 2020 campaigns around the 1.64-mile National layout.

Sharing centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the Home of British Motor Racing, wheel-to-wheel battles were a constant theme across the weekend as each category edged closer towards the business end of the season.

As they have done all season, the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship served up a feast of entertainment where there was high drama and a string of notable performances.

Bailey Voisin emerged as the big winner from the weekend as he powered his R Racing G40 to a brace of wins. Georgi Dimitrov claimed the remaining victory, keeping his calm amidst a truncated race two to score his fourth win of the year.

Making their third and final appearance on the TOCA support bill this year, the Protyre Ginetta GT5 Challenge produced a sensational two races with Josh Malin claiming a near-perfect score to claim the championship lead.

Malin powered his Richardson Racing machine to the top step of the podium in both races to put himself in prime position to be crowned champion with just two races remaining.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB saw redemption fall the way of Harry King as he made a return to winning ways. After seeing two wins slip away at Thruxton, King was back on the top step of the podium in emphatic style, taking a commanding victory ahead of Will Martin and Sam MacLeod in the opening encounter.

Race two would see King reign supreme once again as he powered his way up the order to score victory and in doing so, take a step closer to clinching the title. Matthew Graham settled for second after leading for much of the race whilst Martin rounded off the podium.

Spoils were shared in the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE JCW Championship across three feisty races around the famous Northamptonshire venue. Nathan Harrison converted pole position into a commanding race one victory before Ant Whorton-Eales strengthened his series lead with a win in race two.

Jamsport Racing’s Tom Rawlings then held off race-long attention from Callum Newsham and Ronan Pearson to prevail from a frenetic third encounter.

The weekend was rounded off by three scintillating contests from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Alex Connor, Zak O’Sullivan and Casper Stevenson each took a win apiece.

To view the full classification of results from all championship sessions, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and TOCA support categories now head to Croft Circuit on October 10/11 for the next event of the 2020 season.

BTCC produces sensational day of racing at Silverstone

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship produced a sensational day of racing at Silverstone this past weekend (September 26/27) which saw the title pendulum swing back and forth, ultimately ending with Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton maintaining his standings lead.

Dan Cammish, Colin Turkington and Ollie Jackson shared the spoils across three wild contests around the Home of British Motor Racing, all of which would have had fans undoubtedly on the edge of their seats watching on ITV2.

Qualifying around the 1.64-mile National layout proved to be a carbon copy of the week previous as Cammish stormed to pole position, setting a new lap record along the way.

The Halfords Yuasa Racing driver was this time able to convert his front row start into a victory as he narrowly edged out Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram to close the gap in the standings.

Cammish and Ingram swapped places twice on the opening tour before the Honda Civic Type R driver established his position at the helm of the field and powered his way to a third win of the season ahead of Ingram and Rory Butcher, who had produced an impressive defensive drive to finish third.

Race two would see Team BMW’s Turkington come to the fore as he scored victory and with it, retook the championship lead as both Sutton and Ingram hit trouble.

Ingram took the lead on the first lap whilst behind, contact between Sutton and Butcher sent the pair tumbling down the order. With those two not in contention, Turkington set about moving forward and made an overtake around the outside of Woodcote on Cammish stick on lap nine.

Setting off in pursuit of Ingram, second soon became the race lead as Ingram’s Toyota Corolla suffered a front left puncture under braking into Becketts. The reigning champion then had further fortune as Sutton suffered the same fate as Ingram, pitting to rectify a puncture.

As the drama settled down, Cammish powered his way to second place whilst Carlube Triple R Racing with Mac Tools’ Adam Morgan reaped the benefits of a late set-up change on his Mercedes A-Class to claim third.

Likely to go down in the history books as one of the all-time classic BTCC races, the reverse grid encounter had just about everything as Motorbase Performance’s Ollie Jackson scored a famous maiden victory.

With the sun setting on the Northamptonshire venue, 2017 champion Sutton produced one of the drive’s of his career as he scythed his way through the field from 26th to second by the chequered flag – although this became third following a post-race time penalty.

The action began in dramatic fashion as Butcher suffered a scary high speed crash at Becketts, barrel-rolling after impacting the barriers. Thankfully, the Scotsman emerged from the car unscathed.

Following a lengthy delay to repair the barriers, a 12-lap sprint took place and it was all-out action. Jackson jumped the BMW of Tom Oliphant off the line and soaked up an intense amount of pressure all the way to the chequered flag to hang on.

Behind, all eyes were on Sutton as he charged up the order in his Infiniti Q50 – completing one eye-catching move after another. Sutton would find a way past Oliphant in the end however the positions would be reversed after he was adjudged to have gained an unfair advantage during his duel with Oliphant.

Leaving Silverstone after a rollercoaster race day, Sutton’s race three heroics means he now holds a four-point lead over Turkington, with Cammish a further 13 markers back.

Team BMW remain firmly in control of the BTCC Teams’ Championship and BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship, holding a comfortable lead in both.

Sutton and Laser Tools Racing continue to lead the Independent Drivers’ Championship and Independent Teams’ Championship respectively, whilst Bobby Thompson has moved to the summit of the Jack Sears Trophy.

To view the full classifications of results from all BTCC sessions, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship next heads to North Yorkshire where Rounds 19, 20 & 21 of the season will play out around Croft Circuit on October 10/11.

Thruxton to welcome BTRA British Truck Racing Championship on October 31/November 1

Thruxton will welcome the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship after all in 2020 following confirmation that the series will visit the circuit on October 31/November 1.

Originally scheduled to visit the Hampshire venue in June, the championship’s hopes of competing around the fastest track in the UK were all but over after being cancelled due to lockdown.

However, the BTRA’s upcoming annual visit to Pembrey Circuit on October 3/4 has subsequently been cancelled due to the current Welsh Government regulations. 

Rather than cancel the meeting, the BARC has changed the venue and the date, so that the trucks will now head to Thruxton for their penultimate event of the season.

The event will mark the second British Automobile Racing Club race meeting in as many weeks at Thruxton as well, with a host of championship already confirmed to compete on October 24/25.

Subject to government guidelines at the time, it is hoped that spectators will be permitted to attend the meeting, in accordance with social distancing guidelines. A limited number of tickets will be available to purchase online from www.thruxtonracing.co.uk.

Ben Taylor, British Automobile Racing Club Chief Executive, said: “It’s a real shame for Pembrey to lose its truck meeting, but the opportunity to move it to Thruxton made it an easy decision and should bring some much-needed revenue into the BARC group at this difficult time.

“We are grateful to everyone involved for making this possible at such short notice and look forward to a great weekend at the end of next month.”

Show stopping weekend on the horizon for TOCA support bill at Silverstone

Silverstone’s National layout plays host to the latest instalment of the 2020 season for five TOCA support championships this weekend (September 26/27), where blockbuster entertainment is all-but guaranteed.

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, the business end of the campaign begins at the home of British motorsport – and it is set to be a show stopping two days.

Thrills and spills have been a constant theme of the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and the pendulum at the summit of the standings has continued to swing back and forth as each round has passed.

Scholarship winner Tom Lebbon is the latest driver to lead the standings but with three encounters scheduled to take place and the likes of Bailey Voisin, Josh Rattican, Georgi Dimitrov and Joel Pearson breathing down his neck, things could change in an instant.

Embarking on their second event in as many weekend’s, the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge returns to the TOCA package with an enthralling title battle brewing.

Jonny Wilkinson, Josh Malin, Gordie Mutch and James Taylor have been the lead protagonists throughout the season thus far and the quartet will undoubtedly be the ones to watch around the flowing 1.64-mile Northamptonshire venue.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Harry King has proven to be in a league of his own at times however two punctures at Thruxton when in a race-winning position has seen his advantage in the points slashed.

Likely to be the driver to beat, King will hope to open up his advantage in the standings once again whilst Josh Webster, Will Martin and Ross Wylie – amongst others will continue in their pursuit of the Scholarship victor.

The Quaife MINI CHALLENGE JCW Championship is also back in action at Silverstone with its own title battle gathering pace. It has been all-out action in the tin top category so far this year and as it stands no less than six drivers are in the mix for the coveted prize.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action will be a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. JHR Developments ace James Hedley holds the momentum as it stands after clinching a sensational hat-trick at Thruxton.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and the event timetable, click here.

Silverstone provides next stop on the calendar of thrilling BTCC campaign

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is speeding towards the business end of the season and with it still all to play for, this weekend’s (September 26/37) visit to Silverstone could yet see another shift in power.

One week on from a frenetic weekend at the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton, the UK’s most prestigious series heads to the home of British motorsport for what could be a pivotal three contests in deciding the destiny of this year’s title.

Sitting on top of the standings heading to the Northamptonshire venue is Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton, who holds an 18-point lead over reigning champion Colin Turkington.

At the wheel of the Infiniti Q50 this year, the 2017 title winner has been in sublime form and is one of only two drivers to score points in every race so far. His four wins have been the cornerstone of his challenge and now out front, he will be a hard man to unseat as he chases a second crown.

Having led the standings up until Thruxton, Team BMW’s Turkington will be looking to bounce back from a frustrating weekend at the high-speed Hampshire track. Like Sutton, the Northern Irishman has been sensational and with less ballast on-board his BMW 330i M Sport, the 38-year-old will be gunning to gain ground.

Given that rear-wheel-drive machinery should be better-suited to the flowing layout of Silverstone, both Sutton and Turkington will be eyeing more silverware however both will undoubtedly have one eye on the chasing pack.

Leading that chase is Toyota Gazoo Racing with Ginsters ace Tom Ingram, whose two wins at Thruxton have fired him into contention. With his sights firmly set on the top two, Ingram will be confident of closing the points deficit further, especially as he was a double-winner at Silverstone last year.

Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish have tallied a brace of wins each and the duo round out the top five, both optimistic that they too can stake their claim to the biggest prize in UK motorsport.

Tom Oliphant, Tom Chilton, Adam Morgan, Matt Neal and Senna Proctor round out the top ten and all five have stood on the podium at some stage during the season.

Beyond the top ten, a host of others drivers will be keen to make their mark as the series ventures into the second half of the campaign.

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook put his run of bad luck behind him to triumph at Thruxton and the Honda driver will be chasing more silverware, as will Jake Hill and Chris Smiley.

One of the biggest stories over the course of the weekend will be the eagerly anticipated debut of Jade Edwards. Becoming the first female driver to compete in the BTCC since 2007, Edwards will take over driving duties of the Power Maxed Car Care Racing Vauxhall Astra.

With twists and turns undoubtedly set to play out around the National layout of Silverstone, the battle for supremacy in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is only set to intensify.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Pembrey Circuit abandons remaining race meetings for 2020 season

It comes with great disappointment to announce that Pembrey Circuit has cancelled its entire race programme for the remainder of 2020.

Due to the regulations imposed by the Welsh Government regarding the organisation of outdoor sporting activities, Pembrey has not yet been able to host a competitive race meeting this year.

The worsening coronavirus picture has now led to the cancellation of the remaining events that were still scheduled to visit the Carmarthenshire circuit this season.

The following events have therefore been cancelled:

26/27 September – Classic Racing Motorcycle Club

3/4 October – BTRA British Truck Racing Championship

10/11 October – NGRR Championship

In addition, the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy event on 18 October has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.

The British Automobile Racing Club, owner of Pembrey, is currently investigating the possibility of moving the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship meeting to Thruxton instead. Further details on this will be announced as soon as possible.

Ben Taylor, Chief Executive of the British Automobile Racing Club, said: “This is bitterly disappointing news for our competitors, fans, staff, and the whole local community, particularly as we were hoping to rescue some income from the end of this disastrous year.

“2020 was meant to be the 30th anniversary of a venue that generates more than £10m annually for the local economy, but instead we haven’t managed to host a single race meeting this season.”

Phil Davies, Pembrey Circuit Manager, added: “We appreciate the disappointment that cancelling these events will bring to our loyal supporters, but sadly it is out of our hands.

“We are grateful for everyone’s understanding at this difficult time and look forward to welcoming our visitors back to Pembrey again very soon.”

Customers who purchased tickets in advance will be refunded in full, in line with the policy across all BARC venues.

BARC delivers spectacular Snetterton showstopper

Snetterton Circuit played host to a breathtaking two days of British Automobile Racing Club track action this past weekend (September 19/20) as six championships took centre stage in Norfolk.

As the condensed 2020 campaign reaches the business end of the season, every point is proving crucial in deciding who will and won’t be crowned champion, and with the stakes as high as ever it added up to an unmissable feast of entertainment.

Producing heavyweight thrills and spills, the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship made its mark with five tantalising encounters.

In Division 1, ten-time title winner Stuart Oliver powered his Volvo to a brace of wins whilst there were also victories for reigning champion Ryan Smith, Mark Taylor and Tom O’Rourke – who triumphed for the very first time in the series.

There were double wins in Division 2 as well as both Luke Garrett and Craig Reid stood on the top step twice whilst Steven Powell also got in on the action at the wheel of his MAN.

From the five tonne, 1000bhp monsters of the BTRA to the small but bonnet-punching Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres, the hits kept on coming over the course of the weekend at Snetterton.

Six frenetic races had fans on the edge of their seats and it was defending champion Miles Rudman that enjoyed the greatest success as he swept his way to a sensational hat-trick of heat wins. John Mickel scored a double of his own whilst Jack Parker picked up the spoils in the remaining race.

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club was in full force

Andy Robinson’s Ford Falcon proved to be the class of the field in the amalgamated Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship and Burton Power Products Blue Oval Saloon Series races whilst David Griffin did the same in the combined Laser Tools Pre-93 Touring Cars Championship and Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars Championship encounters.

Victories meanwhile were shared in the Poultec – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars and Shell Oil Pre 83′ Touring Car Championship races as David Howard and Mark Lucock each triumphed.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship once again boasted a healthy grid and the racing proved to be as thrilling as ever with Steve Darbey and Steve McDermid emerging as the drivers to beat, each of them taking a victory apiece.

Spoils were also split in the much-loved Sports Prototype Cup as well as James Abbott and Morten Dons stood on the top of the rostrum. There was also a podium finish for gold medal Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, who was making his debut in the series.

Rounding off the weekend’s spectacular action were races from the Mini 7 Racing Club.

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

You can also watch all of the action back online by clicking here.

BTCC title race takes another twist as Tom Ingram and Josh Cook win at Thruxton

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title race took another twist at Thruxton this past weekend (September 19/20) as Tom Ingram fired himself into contention with a sensational double win, before BTC Racing’s Josh Cook triumphed in the finale.

On a blockbuster race day around the fastest circuit in the UK, Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton moved to the summit of the standings following a trio of top five results after reigning four-time champion Colin Turkington encountered trouble.

Taking place behind closed doors and without spectators, the BTCC’s annual visit to Hampshire marked the halfway point in the season and it proved to be pivotal in setting the tone for the events to come.

Qualifying on Saturday proved to be a hotly contested affair as Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish narrowly edged out Ingram to take his second career pole position, setting a new lap record around the high-speed 2.35-mile circuit for good measure as well.

When the lights went out for race one it was Ingram who made the better of the starts as he blasted his Toyota Corolla into a lead that he would ultimately never lose to take his first win of the 2020 season.

Gapping the rest of the field early on, Ingram and Cammish served up a fascinating race-long duel as they pushed the limits of themselves and their cars.

Behind, Matt Neal maintained his incredible record of scoring a podium at Thruxton every year since 2002, edging out the Mercedes of Adam Morgan.

Race two was to be a carbon copy of race one as Ingram soaked up intense pressure from Cammish to claim a second lights-to-flag victory, aiding his championship challenge greatly. Like race one, the Honda Civic Type R of Neal finished third.

Having endured rotten luck in recent rounds, the reverse grid encounter belonged to Cook as he scored a commanding victory around his home circuit – continuing his run of scoring a BTCC victory in each of the last four visits to the track.

Drawn on pole position virtue of the reverse grid draw, Cook didn’t put a wheel wrong as he led home a BTC Racing 1-2 with team-mate Tom Chilton following him home to record the team’s best-ever result.

Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher rounded out the rostrum in third after an enthralling fight with Sutton and Ingram.

For Turkington, the Team BMW driver saw his day unravel in the opening encounter as a misfire resulted in a first non-points finish of the campaign and forced him to fight back in races one and two.

Two fourth place finishes and a fifth for Sutton gave him a 26-point swing on Turkington in the standings and now sees him leading the BTCC Drivers’ Championship by 16 points. Ingram’s impressive performance has moved him into third, 34 points adrift.

Despite not tallying a podium, BMW continue to head both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ standings whilst Sutton and Laser Tools

Michael Crees enjoyed his best weekend to-date in the BTCC with two top ten finishes and that has aided his quest for the Jack Sears Trophy, which he continues to lead.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Thruxton, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Silverstone National on September 26/27 for Rounds 16, 17 & 18.

TOCA support championships serve up drama and entertainment at Thruxton

Thruxton Circuit’s high-speed nature and unique challenge played its part this weekend (September 19/20) on the TOCA support package as five championships continued their 2020 campaigns producing a feast of drama and entertainment.

Taking centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship around the fastest circuit in the UK, the action proved to be fast and furious as the title battles in each category further intensified.

Bailey Voisin and Josh Rattican shared the spoils on a frenetic weekend in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, taking a win apiece. Voisin strengthened his position in the standings in race one as he led home Rattican and Tom Lebbon, extending his winning streak at the same time.

Rattican however turned the tables in a blockbuster second race which saw a series of incidents take place throughout the field. When the dust settled however, the R Racing driver kept his cool and scored his first win of the season ahead of Lebbon and Josh Millar.

Jamie Falvey became the newest winner in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup as he powered his way to an impressive pair of wins. Falvery’s breakthrough came in an enthralling opening encounter before he doubled up with an impressive lights-to-flag drive in race two.

Race three around the 2.35-mile Hampshire venue belonged to Tom Hibbert, who soaked up plenty of pressure to hold on to his third win of the season and with it, claim the overall championship lead.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB saw heartbreak for upon Harry King as he twice suffered a puncture when comfortably out front. Having been the driver to beat so far this year, the Team Parker Racing looked set to add to his already impressive season statistics only to be cruelly robbed.

Instead, Will Martin and Ross Wylie took advantage of King’s misfortune to chalk up their maiden race wins in the championship.

Tin top thrills and spills were in full force when it came to the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy as a bumper grid went wheel-to-wheel – sometimes six abreast round parts of the circuit – to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Ben Kasperczak, Leonardo Panayiotou and Andrew Langley each battled through the drama to tally a win apiece in the end.

Capping off what proved to be a breathtaking weekend was a virtuoso performance from James Hedley, who claimed a masterful hat-trick of race wins in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost around his local circuit.

To view the full classification of results from all championships and session that competed at Thruxton, click here.

Several championships will now join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone National this coming weekend (September 26/27) for the latest rounds of the 2020 season.

BTCC extends TV deal with ITV until 2026

TOCA – organisers of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – has announced that it has signed a new five-year television contract with ITV, extending its current UK-wide free-to-air broadcasting arrangement through to the end of the 2026 season.

Having broadcast Britain’s premier motorsport series since 2002, this latest deal will take the relationship into a 25th consecutive year – making it one of the longest British sporting TV partnerships on record.

The new contract will commence from 2022 and will see ITV continue to screen the championship live and exclusive on its free-to-air ITV4 and ITV4HD channels, with at least seven hours of coverage from each race day.

Qualifying will continue to be streamed on the ITV website whilst highlights programmes and online videos will take fans even closer to the action.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I’m immensely proud of the great and close partnership that we have with ITV. Their commitment and enthusiasm to bring the BTCC to as wide an audience as possible is absolutely unrivalled.

“It was vital to me that the BTCC maintained its vast live free-to-air coverage. Simply, we want the maximum amount of people to be able to watch our great racing – it’s the bedrock of our enormous popularity. So hiding our championship away behind a paywall would only have the exact opposite effect.

“With the new hybrid regulations and our fantastic broadcasting coverage now locked into place right through to the end of 2026, it provides the solid foundation on which all our teams and partners can base, and build, their involvement.

“I’m not sure how many major motorsport championships in the world have an unbroken (and in fact increasing) free-to-air broadcasting relationship spanning a quarter of a century with the same broadcaster, but by my reckoning it’s probably only one… the iconic British Touring Car Championship.”