Category: Barc

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry primed to get city centre pulses racing

The streets of Coventry City Centre are set to be transformed this weekend (June 1/2) as Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry puts on a show like no other in the heart of the UK’s Motor City.

Combining thrilling motorsport, heritage displays, global street food, live music and more; MotoFest Coventry is set to be the ultimate summer party.

One of the highlights of the weekend will undoubtedly be surrounding competitive motorsport taking place around the ring road of Coventry. Cars, motorbikes, supercars and classics will take to the track over the course of both days to set pulses racing in the crowds.

Headlining the action will likely be a variety of machines that will be competing in the latest round of the BARC Connaught Speed Championship. Pitting driver and car against the stopwatch, all eyes will be on the championship to see who comes out on top.

Double Kwik Fit British Touring Car champion Jason Plato will be in attendance too to meet the thousands of fans set to line the pavements and also get behind the wheel of his Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra.

Following a three-year absence, some of the stars from the MV Commercial BTRA Championship will return to action to showcase their 1000bhp heavyweight behemoths. Multiple champion Stuart Oliver will be joined by Ray Coleman, John Bowler, Brad Smith and more.

Elsewhere, the Skydome Fueltopic Arena will be the place to be for modern classic, modified and custom cars to be found, both in action and on static display. The arena will also play host to Formula G Championship and London Cartel as well.

As part of its centenary celebrations, more than 1000 Citroen cars will line the streets for a display like no other whilst the world’s first ever urban inter-varsity drone race, including Coventry, Warwick, Oxford, Cambridge and Aston Universities will take place in the action arena on Saturday.

Across the whole weekend, there will also be kids go-karts in the Interactive Motor World; mini Land Rovers in the JLR Zone and a fire station open day.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, head to https://www.coventrymotofest.com/

Silverstone revved up for BARC spectacular around National layout

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Silverstone this weekend (June 1/2) for what should be a memorable two days of track action as several championship continue their 2019 campaigns.

In what is the latest visit to the Northamptonshire venue by the Club, the National layout will play host to a selection of categories – all of which are keen on taking centre stage as the battle for supremacy rages on.

Variety has always been the spice of life in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club and an eclectic mix of saloon cars from all eras will roll back the years across eight blockbuster encounters.

Racing will come from the Paul Inch – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, CTCRC Group 1 Touring Car Championship, Envirotec Hygiene Services Pre-93 Touring Cars, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship.

Small in stature but packing a real punch under the bonnet, those in attendance are set to witness a slipstreaming battle like no other as the Mighty Minis Championship hit the track for the second time this year.

Mini racing is renowned for putting spectators on the edge of their seats and competitors from both the Mighty Mini and Super Mighty Mini classes will likely live up to that mantel in the weekend’s two races.

The next generation of racers will be in action too as the Junior Saloon Car Championship returns from an in-season break to pick up where they left off last. Scott McIntyre and Lewis Saunders have proven to be the benchmark

Garrie Whittaker will look to extend his winning streak in the Kumho BMW Championship as he bids to carry out a perfect season. Having won six outright races on the bounce, Whittaker has been the man to beat in the lone manufacturer series.

Showcasing some of the most iconic models produced by BMW from down the years, the championship has hit new heights this year with grid sizes continuing to swell.

Rounding off the weekend’s action from the BARC will be a pair of races from the SmarTrack Series Elite. Breaking cover at Brands Hatch earlier this month, the single-make Jaguar category will look to rev up the crowd as it stages its inaugural two races of the season.

Despite a relatively small grid being confirmed for the curtain-raiser, expect plenty of wheel-to-wheel action from the thunderous 600bhp machinery around the iconic curves of Silverstone.

Action from the Historic 750 Motor Club and CALM 4-Pot Porsche Trophy will be races to watch too.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, click here.

Thruxton ready to race down memory lane

The wait is almost over. Twelve months on from the circuit’s hugely successful 50th birthday party, the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration – powered by Motor Sport Magazine – will rev into life this weekend (1/2 June), bringing with it an air of nostalgia and ‘days gone by’ to the popular Hampshire venue.

Appropriately enough for a festival honouring the very best in motoring, motorsport and one of the golden eras of aviation, the rapidly approaching Thruxton Motorsport Celebration will take place at Britain’s fastest racetrack, which previously served as an RAF airfield.

A mouth-watering array of sensational sportscars, flame-spitting saloons and evocative single-seaters will thrill the crowds, with no fewer than 15 races on the bill as the past comes back to life for the weekend.

Boasting all-round family appeal, the event truly does have something for everyone, with a tremendous variety of high-octane activities across the two days. Both modern and historic cars will take to the circuit for races and high-speed demonstration runs, offering spectators the opportunity to reminisce about bygone eras and marvel at cutting-edge motorsport technology.

One of the most compelling stories will be told in the RAC Woodcote Trophy/Stirling Moss Trophy races, in which two old rivals will go head-to-head for the first time in almost seven decades. Piloted respectively by Roy Salvadori and James Scott-Douglas, the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica and Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120 finished fourth and sixth in the 1952 British Empire Trophy race on the Isle of Man’s Douglas street circuit. Sixty-seven years later, the cars will be reunited in the hands of father-and-son duo, Steve and Josh Ward.

Flashbacks to yesteryear will continue with a ‘Battle of Britain’ flypast scheduled for both days, which will undoubtedly grab the attention of aviation fans. This magical moment will feature one of just six Hawker Hurricanes left in the country as well as the legendary Douglas C-47 Dakota military transport aircraft.

Back down on terra firma, local motorcycling hero Tommy Bridewell (Devizes) will wow spectators aboard his 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship challenger – the potent Oxford Racing Ducati. Accompanying the Wiltshireman on-track will be a host of iconic racing cars, including some of Lola’s most successful designs such as the rip-roaring V8 T332 and the T70.

A variety of car clubs will make the journey from across the UK, from the MX-5 Owners Club – celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019 – to the Porsche Club GB and the GT40 Enthusiasts Club, all of whom will be exhibiting stunning examples of truly classic cars. Thruxton’s impressive collection of resident supercars will similarly take pride of place.

Add into the mix coach rides around the circuit, sideways skid pan experiences, axe-throwing for the ultimate thrill-seeking experience and live music on Saturday evening from classic rock tribute band ‘The Cellarats’, and all the ingredients are firmly in place for another retro-themed blockbuster.

“The Thruxton Motorsport Celebration really does offer fun for the whole family,” enthused Thruxton Director, Bill Coombs. “There will be so much to do across the two days and something for everyone. For me, particular highlights will be the Frazer Nash / Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar face-off, and seeing Tommy Bridewell on his 2019 BSB bike – a nice little teaser for fans ahead of the summer race meeting in a couple of months’ time.

“The Battle of Britain flypasts will similarly be great to watch and will I’m sure bring back some memories, while the sheer number of classic cars going on display will unquestionably be a sight to behold. Both on and off-track, the weekend promises to be a flat-out thrill ride from start to finish.”

Tickets for the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration are still available to purchase on the gate, priced at just ÂŁ15 for Saturday entry and ÂŁ25 for Sunday. Accompanied children aged 15 and under will be admitted free of charge. For further information, visit thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/celebration or call 01264 882222.

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: www.thruxtonracing.co.uk

BARC trio set pulses racing at Anglesey

Anglesey Circuit provided a fitting backdrop for a memorable two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (May 25/26) as three championships took centre stage in North Wales.

In what was the first of a handful of visits to the picturesque venue this year, challenging and changeable conditions greeted the Distrigo Parts Distribution Citroen C1 Series, CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship and Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres – adding to the spectacle.

Coming off the back of their history-making weekend at Silverstone where a brand new record for the largest grid was set, the C1 Series fielded a 25-car grid for four-hour encounter.

In what proved to be an action-packed 240 minutes, the PrepTech UK team came to the fore to ultimately cross the line and clinch a popular victory, Having qualified tenth, the duo of Colin Lewis and Nicole Drought powered their way up the order

Rounding out the podium was Team Davies, made up of John Davies and Matthew Davies, and Majestic Motorsport; which housed the trio of Greg Richardson, Geoff Richardson and Jonathan Taylor.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres saw plenty of wheel-to-wheel action over the course of the weekend as Sy Harraway moved to the top of the points.

Underlining the unpredictable nature of the championship, the action proved to be frenetic over the course of both days. Harraway emerged as one of the big winners as he bagged himself a pair of wins alongside with the points lead.

Marcus Pett also secured a double of his own whilst Sean Smith and Miles Rudman weren’t to be denied the spotlight either as they each topped the podium too.

Alongside the British contingent, fans were also treated to Scottish and Irish Legends action too.

Capping off the weekend’s action from Anglesey was a pair of races from the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship. Open to all manner of cars and running under a multi-class format, non-stop entertainment is part of the norm with the series, and it didn’t disappoint in North Wales.

However, despite a bumper 29-car entry list nobody was able to stop Danny Bird from stealing the show. At the wheel of his Spire GTR, Bird was unstoppable as he romped to pole position in qualifying and then took a hat-trick of race wins.

For the full classification of results from each session, click here.

2CV’s and Hyundai Coupe Cup star at Mallory Park

The British Automobile Racing Club served up a pulsating day of track action at Mallory Park this past Bank Holiday Monday (May 27), with two categories taking centre stage.

Spoils were shared in the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship as three different drivers topped the podium over the course of the day, underlining the competitiveness of the iconic one-make series.

Staging a triple-header as it moves ever-closer to its finale, the 2CV contingent saw David O’Keeffe come to the fore first as he beat reigning champion Pete Sparrow and Tom Perry.

O’Keeffe nearly made it two-from-two in the second encounter had it not been for Brian Heerey. Capping off the day’s action was an exhilarating third race, won by Perry who backed up his race one podium performance with a first win of the year.

Wayne Rockett continued his stellar start to the season in the Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup as he notched a pair of race wins around the challenging Leicestershire venue.

Having been the man to beat at the Brands Hatch season-opener in April, Rockett maintained his unbeaten start to 2019 with another virtuoso performance. Narrowly pipping Alex Cursley to pole position in qualifying, Rockett found himself embroiled in a day-long duel with Cursely.

The pair proved to be inseparable in the opening encounter as they made their escape from the chasing pack to power into the distance. More than ten seconds clear of Nick Moore in third place, Rockett and Cursely went back-and-forth for outright honours, with less than a second covering them at the flag.

Riding high off of his third win in succession, Rockett added another triumph in race two of the day as he once again dominated proceedings to lead Cursely and Moore across the line.

Alongside the day’s BARC action were races from the MGCC Lackford Engineering MG Midget & Sprite Challenge.

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

Timmy Hansen claims FIA World Rallycross Championship victory at Silverstone

The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy made an emphatic mark at Silverstone this past weekend, with the Dayinsure World RX of Great Britain headlining the hugely popular SpeedMachine Festival.

As has been the case in previous years, the British Automobile Racing Club played its part in the event as it appointed marshals and officials, as well as ensuring the meeting ran as smoothly as possible.

In what proved to be a pulsating two days of adrenaline-fuelled sideways thrills and spills, Timmy Hanse came to the fore to claim victory in a gripping final ahead of Andreas Bakkerud and Anton Marklund.

Having emerged as the man to beat across the weekend’s four qualifying heats, Hansen was in fine form as he made his way through the semi-finals. The Team Hansen MJP Peugeot 208 driver then became embroiled in a titanic battle with Bakkerud before coming out on top.

Virtue of his success on British soil, Hansen became the first double winner of the current season and moved to the summit of the championship standings after his brother, Kevin Hansen, found himself in strife during his own semi-final.

“Today Andreas (Bakkerud) found some more pace and he was able to win both qualifying sessions,” Hansen said. “In the final, he had about a half a car better launch than me, it was tight going in to the first corner.

“Coming out second I knew I had to stay super close. I was absolutely on his bumper just before my joker lap which was a perfect lap.

“I kept on pushing, he went in to the joker a lap later, and when we merged I saw that I had a bit more speed and seeing him behind as we hit the finish line was a great feeling. I definitely had to work very hard to day to get this result.”

British fans would see Liam Doran make the final but the Audi driver was unable to make an impression whilst Oliver Bennett provided plenty to cheer about as he made his first FIA World RX semi-final in his Mini.

Elsewhere, Mark Higgins made his first rallycross appearance since winning the British title late last year to star with Albatec Racing.

Aside from the FIA World Rallycross Championship there was also action from the RX2 Series and FIA European Rallycross Championship, won by Oliver Ericsson and Robin Larsson respectively.

Alongside the edge-of-the-seat rallycross entertainment, SpeedMachine Festival also played host to plenty of high-speed demonstrations from a variety of disciplines including the MV Commercial BTRA Championship.

Live music, street food and car displays were also encompassed throughout the weekend, making it an event to remember at the home of British motorsport.

BARC trio heads to picturesque North Wales to tackle Anglesey

The British Automobile Racing Club will head to North Wales this weekend (May 25/26) for what is set to be a spectacular two days of competition around the picturesque Anglesey Circuit.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the picturesque venue – which overlooks the Irish Sea – will play host to a selection of BARC categories, all of which will continue what are proving to be captivating 2019 campaigns.

Coming off the back of a history-making event at Silverstone where a new record for the largest starting grid in the UK was set, the Distrigo Parts Distribution Citroen C1 Series is back in action – this time for a four-hour race.

Staging a 99-car 24-hour race at the home of British motorsport last month, the popular one-make series now has a place in the record books, although it is showing no signs of slowing down with another bumper entry list has been confirmed for this weekend.

The weekend will also see the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres continue its 25th Anniversary campaign with a host of races. Roaring into life at Brands Hatch over the Easter bank holiday, the pocket rocket series is a smash-hit wherever it goes.

Connor Mills sits on top of the standings heading into the second event of the season courtesy of his Brands Hatch hat-trick however the competition is proving be to fierce with reigning champion John Mickel, Sy Harraway, Jack Parker and James Hall-Morton leading the chasing pack.

With six heats scheduled across the weekend, the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres is a spectacle that is not to be missed.

Both the Scottish and Irish Legends Championships will also take to the track too, combining together for their own block of heats.

Capping off the weekend’s track action will be two races from the BARC North West Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship. Open to all manner of machinery, the multi-class series showcases variety of the highest order, with Anglesey marking the third stop on the calendar.

Andrew Southcoott, David Harvey and Jon Woolfit are just three drivers that will be in contention for outright honours during Saturday’s two encounters.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event at Anglesey, click here.

Mallory Park gearing up for Bank Holiday Monday BARC race day

The British Automobile Racing Club pays its first visit of the year to Mallory Park this coming Bank Holiday Monday (May 27) with the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship and Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup both in action.

Visiting the Leicestershire venue on three occasions during the course of the 2019 campaign, the unique challengers thrown up by the circuit is set to make it a day to remember on-track for the BARC’s duo of categories.

Mallory Park marks the halfway point in the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship season and the battle for supremacy is set to intensify even further in the race for the title across a trio of races.

Several drivers find themselves in the mix for the grand prize but reigning champion Pete Sparrow is the man to beat heading into the event, topping the standings comfortably. Chalking up four wins from five races already, Sparrow has taken on the mantel of defending champion with ease and will be a hard man to stop.

Lien Davies and Simon Clarke, both of whom are tied on points for second place, lead the chase to Sparrow however they won’t be the only drivers to keep an eye on – with the likes of Nick Crispin, Brian Heerey, Nick Clarke and more all likely to be in contention as well.

Two races from the Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup will likely come to the fore and be the stars of the show on Monday, with a bumper entry list confirmed for the

Billed as a budget conscious, single-make category for Hyundai Coupe machines, the series has continued to rise through the ranks in recent years – with 2019 shaping up to be its strongest yet.

Brands Hatch provided the backdrop for the new season over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and it was Wayne Rockett that set his stall out as the early pace-setter. Winning both races around the Indy circuit, Rockett reigned supreme and will be looking to extend his winning streak further.

Alex Cursely, Nick Moore, Kevin Smiles, James Goodwin and Zac Hughes were all competitive last time out and could well be topping the rostrum too.

To find out more information on Monday’s Mallory Park event such as links to live timing and timetables, click here.

FIA World Rallycross Championship heads to UK shores to tackle Silverstone

The FIA World Rallycross Championship descends on UK soil this weekend (May 25/26) as Silverstone plays host to the Dayinsure World Rallycross of Great Britain – the headline act of the SpeedMachine Festival.

Marking the fourth stop on the calendar for the adrenaline-fuelled series, the battle for supremacy across both the loose and tarmac surfaces is set to have fans on the edge of their seats.

Kevin Hansen enters the weekend as the man to beat, leading his brother Timmy by 11 points in the overall standings. The Peugeot 208 scored victory at Abu Dhabi and Barcelona respectively to kick off the campaign and have proven to be the cars to beat thus far.

Last time out at Belgium however saw Timur Timerzyanov powered his way to a maiden victory and with it, leap into third place in the standings. With the top three having all triumphed, a fourth different winner could be on the cards at Silverstone.

Janis Baumanis, Andreas Bakkerud and Niclas Gronholm round out the top six overall and will be one’s to watch as they bid to join the ever-growing list of event winners in 2019.

British fans will have plenty of home heroes to cheer on too in the shape of Monster Energy RX Cartel driver Liam Doran and Oliver Bennett. Joining Doran and Bennett in a bid to feed off the home support will be 2018 British Rallycross champion Mark Higgins and current BRX series leader Derek Tohill.

Alongside the rapid fire Supercars will be action from both the RX2 and European Championship’s too.

Whilst the FIA World Rallycross Championship will take centre stage at the Northamptonshire venue, the SpeedMachine Festival is set to offer those in attendance much more than just racing over the course of the weekend.

Manufacturer passenger laps will take place around the circuit whilst there will also be demonstrations from the MV Commercial BTRA Championship, Retro Rallycross Championship, Monster Energy Drift, Top Methanol Dragsters and more.

ROKIT Williams Racing Formula 1 team will also be on hand to give fans a unique pit garage experience too, further adding the spectacle.

In addition, the family fun area, trade stands and street food stalls will all sit in the shadows of the main stage which will see live music performed by Sean Paul, Jax Jones, Faithless, Artful Dodger and several more.

To find out more information on the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s annual visit to the UK and about the SpeedMachine Festival, click here.

Thruxton hosts thrilling weekend of BTCC action as Jordan stars for BMW

A bumper crowd witnessed another breathtaking weekend of motorsport as Thruxton Circuit played host to Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Andrew Jordan was the star of the show at the famous Hampshire venue, taking victory in the first two races of the day behind the wheel of his BMW Pirtek Racing 330i M Sport.

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook also stood on the top step after a win in race three as fans who had travelled from all over the country were treated to some spectacular racing around Britain’s fastest track.

A full programme of support series’ action alongside qualifying ensured it was the best-attended Saturday in 20 years, while the banking was absolutely packed as race one got underway on Sunday afternoon.

In total, fans enjoyed 14 outstanding races, headlined by the brilliant BTCC but were also wowed by contests from Formula 4, Ginettas and Minis.

The late-spring weather held out and the hugely popular chicane grandstands and spectator banks around the circuit were filled, while the state-of-the-art Thruxton Centre – which opened only a year ago – was a hive of activity throughout the weekend.

Sam Tordoff of Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance made a stellar start from pole once the highly-anticipated BTCC action got underway, having set a new lap record of 1m15.511s the previous afternoon.

Jordan jumped Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish into second while defending champion and West Surrey Racing star Colin Turkington, Tordoff’s team-mate Rory Butcher and Sterling Insurance Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato led the chasing pack.

The leading trio proceeded to pull away as battles raged behind, with BTCC veteran and fan-favourite Matt Neal muscling his way around the outside of Ash Sutton’s Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg for seventh.

Tordoff looked set for a comfortable victory before a power steering issue caused a big wobble through the legendary Church corner on Lap 13, allowing Jordan to get a run on the 29-year-old, make a move around the outside at the chicane and cruise home for his second win of the season in front of the packed grandstands.

Race two began in familiar fashion, with the BMW pair of Jordan and Turkington both enjoying blistering starts as Cammish bogged down from third on the grid.

Tordoff went door-to-door with Turkington through Allard and past the imposing Thruxton Centre but wasn’t able to hold off the three-time champion into the Complex, meaning it was a BMW one-two at the end of lap one.

There was also plenty of action further back with contact between the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford of Ollie Jackson and the BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R of Chris Smiley, causing the former to retire and the latter to drop down the field.

Jordan and Turkington streaked away at the front to secure a comfortable one-two while Cammish rounded out the rostrum after working his way past Tordoff at the chicane on lap five, making contact with the AmD driver under braking and forcing both drivers to cut behind the tyre pillar on the apex of the corner.

Tordoff later dropped behind Plato and Matt Neal while Rob Collard produced a heart-in-mouth moment on the grass alongside Rory Butcher and Aidan Moffatt’s Laser Tools Racing Mercedes got sideways at the final chicane, hampering Team Parker Racing’s Stephen Jelley as supporters were treated to brilliant wheel-to-wheel action.

Former McLaren F1 Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh conducted the reverse grid draw, pulling Sutton’s number out of the hat to sit on pole for the ever-popular final race of the day.

However, it was Cook that got the best launch and snatched the lead on the way into the Complex before the safety car was called into action following contact between Collard and the Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes of Adam Morgan.

Jordan’s strong weekend ended sourly when the BMW Pirtek star was tipped around by Stephen Jelley on the restart, but things were calmer near the front as Cook showed great pace to hold a comfortable lead.

Butcher capped a strong weekend with an excellent pass on Sutton for second into the final chicane on lap five, keeping his cool through a second safety car period to bank a sizeable points haul and move level with Turkington at the top of the Championship.

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes on June 15/16, with Rounds 10, 11 and 12 taking place at Croft.

Fans have another chance to get their fill of touring car action at Thruxton when the BTCC field makes a second visit to the circuit later in the season for Rounds 19, 20 and 21 on August 17/18.

In the meantime, supporters can get their fill of automotive action at the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration on 1/2 June where there will be a mouth-watering array of sensational sportscars, flame-spitting saloons and evocative single-seaters.

The annual event, founded following the success of our 50th anniversary celebration, will feature iconic on-track demonstrations in addition to stunning ‘Battle of Britain’ flypasts as the past comes back to life at the fastest circuit in the country.

“We were delighted to welcome such a fantastic crowd to witness a sensational weekend of racing,” said Thruxton Director, Bill Coombs. “The thrills and spills of the BTCC were there for all to see, but the entire bill of racing provided such great entertainment. The Minis were a wonderful addition to the line-up and seeing so many of them slipstreaming and getting sideways was a real joy.

“The Saturday alone produced the best attendance figures we’ve seen in some two decades, which shows the great appeal of the BTCC and Thruxton as a venue. The Thruxton Centre, which has been open for business almost a year, was a hive of activity throughout with guests enjoying the facilities over the weekend. The best thing about it all… is that we have a chance to do it all again in August this year as the BTCC makes two visits to Hampshire in 2019. Attention now turns to the Thruxton Motorsport Celebration at the beginning of June, which I’m sure will be a wonderful event.”

TOCA support championships serve up Thruxton thriller

The ultra-fast sweeping corners of Thruxton Circuit proved to be a fitting challenge for the TOCA support package this past weekend (May 18/19) as four championships served up a feast of entertainment.

In what was a slightly different look to the supporting cast of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in Hampshire, a bumper crowd lined the spectator bankings to witness the latest chapter of each category unfold.

As expected, the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship served up a breathless two races with Will Martin and James Hedley taking a win apiece. Martin was the teenager to beat in race one as he survived an early challenge from a raft of drivers to break clear of the pack and power towards a commanding victory.

With two wins to his name already, Hedley added to his tally in a back-and-forth second race as he scrapped with impressive rookie Zak O’Sullivan, ultimately getting the better of him to take the chequered flag by a mere three tenths of a second.

The Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge made the first of its two appearances on the TOCA package and didn’t disappoint. Geri Nicosia continued his love affair with the ultra-fast Hampshire venue as he enjoyed further success.

Storming to the front of the field after starting seventh, Nicosia powered on to his third win in five races at Thruxton – heading the duelling duo of Scott McKenna and Ruben del Sarte.

Last year’s Ginetta Junior champion Adam Smalley offered up a reminder of what can do behind the wheel on the TOCA package in race two as he clinched his third win of the season to round out the weekend’s action.

Taking centre stage over the course of the weekend was the Mini Se7en Racing Club, which wowed crowds across all four races on its guest appearance. Providing exhilarating door-to-door thrills at every opportunity, the iconic tin tops of yesteryear rolled back the years in sensational style.

In the Dunlop Mini Se7en Challenge supported by Mini Spares, Darren Thomas claimed victory in the opening encounter ahead of Joe Thompson and Dom Burger. Thomas made it two from two in the second race of the weekend live on ITV4, narrowly pipping Burger and Andrew Deviny.

The faster Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenge supported by Mini Spares also had fans on the edge of their seats with Chris Morgan pipping Kane Astin and Aaron Smith to overall honours in race one.

Having just missed out on the podium in race one, Nick Padmore bounced back in the second encounter to top the podium as he led Morgan and Lee Deegan across the line.

Capping off the weekend’s action was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – Powered by Ford EcoBoost with the spoils shared between Luke Browning and Zane Maloney, the latter winning twice.

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

The TOCA support package will return to full strength on June 15/16 as the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Renault UK Clio Cup and Porsche Carrera Cup GB are all back in action alongside the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – Powered by Ford EcoBoost at Croft.

Tickets for the fourth event of the season, held in North Yorkshire, are available to purchase online from http://croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc.

Thruxton Circuit Dares To Be Different

Thruxton Circuit played host to a hugely successful Dare To Be Different (D2BD) event earlier today, as over 100 schoolgirls got a first-hand experience of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Hampshire circuit teamed up with the pioneering charity to put on an action-packed day of activities designed to inspire more girls to get into motorsport.

Pupils from local primary schools were invited to Britain’s fastest racetrack ahead of this weekend’s BTCC event, taking part in garage tours and meeting star drivers such as Jason Plato, Tom Ingram, Josh Cook and Michael Crees.

D2BD, founded by former Williams F1 test driver Susie Wolff and Motorsport UK, is an initiative designed to inspire female participation and challenge preconceptions in a traditionally male-orientated environment.

And today’s event gave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the BTCC through exclusive access to the Thruxton paddock, as well as developing their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills with a number of tricky engineering challenges.

The schoolgirls then tried a spot of presenting with ITV Sport journalist and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman, taking the place of the host, interviewer and interview subject to get an insight into motorsport media.

The group also tested their reactions and questioned engineers about their roles within the teams before getting their hands dirty with the Pirelli Pit-Stop Challenge.

Meanwhile, the F1 in Schools Programme was present to showcase its inspirational learning resources with D2BD aiming to ‘Drive Female Talent’ and highlight potential career paths within motorsport.

The day was rounded off with a prize giving ceremony in the stunning Thruxton Centre for the fastest pit-stop team and best media presentation.

Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato said: “They’ve had a fantastic time and hopefully it will light a candle in a few of their minds that motorsport is a great opportunity. Not just for driving the car, because there are many more things in motorsport than driving the car.

“I’ve been in this game a long time, and it was a male-dominated place when I started. It’s not now, and it’s a better paddock for it. It has changed massively, and I think the way the world is at the moment motorsport needs to be more inclusive.

“It’s a great initiative and it opens their mind up to all sorts of opportunities, whether they be science-based, sports-based, nutrition… there’s a million and one different offshoots in motorsport.”

ITV Motorsport presenter and D2BD Ambassador Louise Goodman said: “What a great event! I’ve been working with Dare To Be Different since it was set up and I just think it’s a brilliant initiative. I’ve spent pretty much my entire working life in motorsport and I have seen the numbers of women involved change, but if you look at the numbers its still not gone far enough.

“What Dare To Be Different is all about is working on the premise that you’ve got to see it to be it. It’s showing girls and importantly their parents and teachers that there are a whole range of career opportunities in motorsport. In F1 they don’t care if you’re male or female, they just want the best of everything. We’ve got to get more girls engaged in engineering and STEM activities with motorsport-orientated career options and subjects at the bottom level. It’s all about changing those perceptions.”

Thruxton Circuit Director Bill Coombs said: “It came about after a chance conversation with Alan Gow and we were fortunate to have Friday free of any testing but still had all the teams here, so it was an ideal opportunity for Dare To Be Different to come down and take advantage of everything else that is going on, and be hosted in our Thruxton Centre.

“We’re very pleased to be able to help out, and the initiative has been very well supported by all of the teams. We’ve had about 100 children here from different schools and they’re been around to all the teams, having a very full day of activity.”

The D2BD event took place on the eve of Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, which commences tomorrow at the Hampshire venue.

Tickets for the BTCC’s visit on 18/19 May can be purchased on the gate, starting at £17 for Saturday (qualifying) and £34 for Sunday (race day). Children aged 13-15 get in for £5 on Saturday and £10 on Sunday; accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For further information, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/