Category: Barc

Albert Webster wins inaugural Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship

Albert Webster has been named the inaugural winner of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship – taking the top prize worth more than £50,000.

The 18-year-old saw off the challenge of more than 100 drivers across the three stages of the competition, earning him prize that includes an entry, car hire, fuel, brakes and tyres for the all-new JCW Sport class that is being introduced for 2024.

Capital Karts in London provided the backdrop to stage one of the competition prior to Christmas before those chosen to progress to stage two descended on Croft Circuit where they able to get to grips with a MINI CHALLENGE Trophy car.

A total of 20 drivers were chosen to compete in the final a day later and sample the new JCW Sport car before judges adjourned to pick their winner, with Webster ultimately coming out on top. 

“I didn’t believe it when my name was called as there were loads of good drivers here, and I expected someone else to win,” said Webster.

“I’ve got a long drive home so it might sink in by then, but this is a great opportunity for anyone. It sounds awesome to be named as the Scholarship winner and I can’t wait to get going.”

While Webster claimed the top prize, Harri Reynolds secured runner-up laurels and with it netted a £7,000 contribution to his 2024 racing programme courtesy off Alliance Racing and NAPA Racing UK. 

ROKiT extends British F4 title sponsorship for another season

ROKiT have announced that they will continue to sponsor the F4 British Championship certified by FIA for a third straight season.

Continuing a partnership that began back in 2022, the single seater series has established itself as one of the most competitive first steps on the ladder to Formula 1 in the world – with 2024 shaping up to be another historic year.

“Supporting the ROKiT British F4 Championship is not only a great pleasure for us, but it’s also a privilege to help develop and nurture the racing talent of tomorrow,” said Jonathan Kendrick, Chairman and co-Founder of the ROKiT Group of Companies.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership again, not only with British F4 but also with our very own driver, Deagen Fairclough, who will continue racing in the championship having finished in a brilliant 3rd place in his debut year last season.

“This season will be bigger than ever and we’re already looking forward to the first race weekend at Donington Park on the 27th and 28th April.”

Eve Lake-Grange, ROKiT F4 Championship Manager, added: “ROKiT have been a fabulous and supportive championship title partner these past two years and we are delighted they are continuing into the 2024 season.

“From the start of our partnership, ROKiT explained that the equality and diversity that British F4 offers has always been part of the attraction of the series and we are delighted that as our championship grid develops for the season, we already have seven nationalities and three female drivers represented.

“We look forward to further elevating the profile of ROKiT British F4 in the year ahead with their support.”

Goodwood reveals theme for 2024 Festival of Speed

Goodwood has revealed the theme for this year’s Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, which is scheduled to take place from Thursday 11th July through to Sunday 14th July.

Celebrating the timeline of propulsion, the 2024 theme ‘Horseless to Hybrid – Revolutions in Power’ will celebrate the evolution of the motor industry, from the very earliest days of the ‘horseless carriage’ to today’s more sustainable sources of power.

Set to cover a timeline of more than 130 years, the West Sussex venue will back in awe of the progress that has been made within the motor industry, as well as looking at what the future holds too. 

This theme of celebration is poised to be a central pillar across all aspects of this year’s Festival of Speed, from the action on the world-famous Hill to to the exhibits within the Future Lab presented by Randox and Electric Avenue.

The central theme of the 2024 Festival of Speed will be supplemented throughout the weekend by several other major celebrations for Niki Lauda, the legendary Shadow team, Joest Racing, and many more.

BARC takes centre stage at star-studded Autosport International

The British Automobile Racing Club lifted the curtain on the 2024 motorsport season in style last week (January 11-14) after taking centre stage at Autosport International in Birmingham. 

Serving as the perfect launchpad for what promises to be another year of top-draw racing, tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans and industry leaders descended on the NEC Arena across all four days to soak 

Making a triumphant return to what is dubbed as Europe’s biggest motorsport show, the BARC stood out from the crowd with a striking stand that welcomed drivers, marshals, officials, co-ordinators and fans aplenty. 

Adorning the stand were a multitude of cars too; solidifying the diversity that the Club offers when it comes to going racing in the UK.

Team BRIT’s British Endurance Championship McLaren garnered plenty of attention while last year’s Britcar Trophy title-winning machine, Dragon Sport’s Renault Clio, also proved to be a real head-turner. 

In addition, the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Track Action, Classic Touring Car Racing Club and the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE JCW were also well-represented as well throughout both the trade and public admission days.

Paul Graham-Fielding, BARC Group Head of Marketing & Communications, said: “The bustling BARC stand wasn’t just an exhibition; it was a vibrant hub where the club’s diverse championships came together, showcasing the incredible world of racing opportunities under the BARC banner. 

“Autosport International 2024 wasn’t just a successful showcase; it was a reaffirmation of BARC’s vital role in UK motorsport.”

Laura Payne appointed JSCC Race Meeting Coordinator

The Junior Saloon Car Championship has announced that Laura Payne will take on the role of Race Meeting Coordinator for the 2024 season and beyond.

Payne joins the popular one-make series for teenage drivers having previously been Coordinator for both the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship and Airtec Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship.

The forthcoming campaign is set to be a milestone one for the JSCC as it celebrates its 10th Anniversary; with a bumper grid already expected to embark on a nine-meeting schedule.

“I’m excited for a new challenge and grateful that the JSCC have put their trust in me,” commented Payne.

“There’s no denying that 2024 and beyond will be big years for the championship and I can’t wait to play my part in it all.”

Championship Manager, Beecroft, added: “Laura brings a wealth of experience to us and will no doubt bolster the existing team we already have in place.

“We’re very fortunate that Laura has chosen to be a part of our growing team.”

The 2024 Junior Saloon Car Championship season commences at Brands Hatch on March 31-April 1.

SIM Motorsport announced as new title sponsors of Caterham Graduates

SIM Motorsport has announced an exciting new partnership with the Caterham Graduates Racing Club, which will see them named as title sponsors for the 2024 season. 

As operators of the UK’s ultimate race car simulator experience centres, this collaboration further solidifies SIM Motorsport’s commitment to making motorsport available and accessible to everyone.

“We are elated to take the helm as the title sponsor for CGRC, a fantastic organisation that shares our passion for the thrill of motorsport,” said Rob Oldland, Commercial Director of SIM Motorsport.

“This collaboration represents a perfect fusion of virtual and real-world racing, and we look forward to exploring the exciting opportunities it affords.”

Matthew Willoughby, CGRC Club Chairman, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome SIM Motorsport as our title sponsor. Their approach to motorsport and their wide range of offerings – providing fun, inclusive, competitive and cost effective racing for everyone, novice or otherwise – absolutely aligns with the values and spirit of the club.”

The 2024 SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship commences at Brands Hatch over the Easter bank holiday weekend, 31 March – 1 April.

BARC to kick off new year at Autosport International Show

The British Automobile Racing Club is poised to kick off the new year in style after confirming its presence at the upcoming Autosport International Show. 

Taking place at the NEC Arena in Birmingham between January 11-14, the four-day show will serve as the perfect launchpad for another year of national and international racing, with thousands of industry experts and fans set to attend.

Making a triumphant return to Europe’s biggest motorsport show for the first time since 2019, the Club will be situated in Hall 3 on Stand 3450.

Showcasing a variety of cars as well as an eye-catching stand, information on all of the Club’s championships, marshal initiatives, venues, membership and much more will be able to be discussed at the event.

Paul Graham-Fielding, BARC Group Head of Marketing & Communications, said: “At Autosport International 2024, the British Automobile Racing Club isn’t just about showcasing cars, it’s about celebrating and growing the community that fuels our sport.

“For the BARC, it’s a chance to showcase our rich heritage and our wide variety of championships. We hope to identify new partnerships, new motorsport talent and continue to grow motorsport in the UK.”

2024 BARC race meetings now available to view

The British Automobile Racing Club is poised for a blockbuster 2024 motorsport season, with all race meetings and marshal training days now available to view online.  

Following on from a hugely successful 2023 campaign, the Club has unveiled a bumper bill of race meetings which will see championships undoubtedly deliver edge-of-the-seat entertainment across the length and breadth of the UK between the months of March and November. 

Categories such as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, British Truck Racing Championship, British Endurance Championship, British Hillclimb Championship and Classic Touring Car Racing Club, plus many more, are just some of the series that are set to take centre stage. 

In addition to running more than 50 race meetings, the Club will continue to take up its customary operational and organisational role across all three Goodwood events; the 81st Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival. 

BARC launches 2024 Officials Recruitment Drive

Do you work effectively as a leader and/or a member of a team? Are you a good communicator? Do you possess great listening and management skills?

The British Automobile Racing Club is currently recruiting ahead of the 2024 season for the following roles:

Event Secretaries

Event Stewards

Race Phones / Radio Communications Personnel

Chief Observers / Deputy Chief Observers

Chief Incident Officers / Deputy Chief Incident Officers

Chief Marshals / Deputy Chief Marshals

Rescue Crew

Safety Car Observer

Safety Car Drivers

Fire Car Crew

Scrutineers

Clerk of the Course

Do you have what it takes to fulfil these roles?

If the answer is yes then please send a brief email to officials@barc.net using BARC Officials Recruitment Drive as the Subject Line and stating which of the roles you would like to be considered for and why.

The Club does not expect successful candidates to jump into these roles immediately. The relevant training and mentoring will be provided.

TOCA announces licence holders for 2024 BTCC season

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship organisers TOCA have today (December 15th) announced the confirmed TOCA BTCC Licence holders for the 2024 season. 

Following yesterday’s entry approval deadline – which had been originally extended by two weeks – the UK’s premier motorsport series is poised to stage an entry of 27 cars for the forthcoming campaign.

Teams will announce full details regarding their respective entries (drivers, team names and sponsors) over the coming weeks and months, prior to the release of the final entry list.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “Given the background of potentially having up to six entries affected within just the last three weeks, the quantity and quality of our 2024 entry further underlines the phenomenal strength and resilience of the BTCC.”

2024 TOCA BTCC License Allocation

Alliance Racing – 4

EXCELR8 Motorsport – 4

West Surrey Racing – 4

Speedworks Motorsport – 4

Power Maxed Racing – 3

One Motorsport – 3

Restart Racing – 2

Aiden Moffat Racing – 2

CBM Racing – 1

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign is scheduled to commence on April 27/28 around Donington Park’s National circuit. 

BARC HQ 2023 Christmas & New Year closing dates

The British Automobile Racing Club headquarters at Thruxton Circuit will be closed during the following dates over the Christmas and New Year periods.

From: Wednesday 20th December 2023 at 17:00

To: Wednesday 3rd January 2024 at 09:00

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible trackside throughout 2024; be it if you are officiating, marshalling, spectating or competing!

From everyone at the BARC and all of our venues around the country; we wish you a safe, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

MINI CHALLENGE opens entry process for 2025 Scholarship

Organisers of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE have confirmed that entries for the 2025 Scholarship programme have opened – two months before a winner for the 2024 competition has even been selected.

Launching its inaugural Scholarship in September of this year, the popular one-make series welcomed more than 100 drivers to battle for a host of prizes, with the winner being awarded a package worth £50,000 towards a season in the new JCW Sport class.

Such has been the popularity of the 2024 Scholarship, series organisers have moved quickly to finalise plans for the 2025 edition to provide potential entrants with as much time as possible to secure their place.

The 2025 competition will run across two days and will be run exclusively at one of the leading race circuits in the UK. Stage 1 will comprise of on-track activities alongside a motorsport quiz and media interviews; Stage 2 will then include the opportunity to drive a MINI CHALLENGE race car.

“Given the interest we had in the 2024 Scholarship, we were keen to push ahead with plans to bring it back and are delighted to now be launching entries for 2025,” said Rhea Beauchamp, Championship Co-Ordinator.

“As we did this time around, we are packing in plenty of activities as we look to uncover new talent and help them make it onto the race track.

“Seeing the way people competing in the 2024 Scholarship embraced the opening stage of the ongoing competition, we look forward to making things even bigger and better for 2025 and providing people with the opportunity to battle for a place on the grid as part of the MINI CHALLENGE family.”

The competition will run in August 2024 with the winner securing the top prize of a package worth £50,000 to compete in the JCW Sport category during the 2025 season.

CLICK HERE to enter the 2025 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship.