Category: Barc

British Rallycross gearing up for Easter Monday show-stopper at Lydden Hill

The Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship will descend on Lydden Hill this coming Bank Holiday Monday (April 22) with five-time champion Julian Godfrey looking to build on his strong start to the 2019 season.

In what has become a traditional event over the Easter period at the spiritual home of rallycross, a bumper crowd is expected to turn out in force to witness the latest chapter of what has already been an entertaining campaign of sideways thrills.

Silverstone provided the backdrop for the season-opener last month and Godfrey laid down the gauntlet to his rivals as he claimed a clean sweep of victories across all heats and then the final to charge into the points lead.

Chasing a sixth crown, the multiple champion will be behind the wheel of a former title-winning Ford Fiesta instead of his Spencer Sport-run Mitsubishi Mirage for the second round of the year – adding further intrigue before lights out.

Irish Rallycross champion Derek Tohill made his mark at Silverstone with a string of notable performance, ultimately finishing second, and he has confirmed he will race in his Ford Fiesta too. If the cards fall his way, Tohill could well be the man to take the fight to Godfrey over the course of the day.

Jake Harris will make his first start of the year in a Citroen DS3 whilst Pat Doran will also fly flag for the French marque in his trusty Citroen C4, and the former champion will have his sights set on building on his podium start to the year.

Roger Thomas and Andy Grant are set for maiden outings in a Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus respectively whilst rounding out the front-running contenders are Steve Hill, Steve Mundy, Mike Manning and Liam Manning.

Alongside the Supercar class of the Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship, an all-out action supporting cast will also keep fans on the edge-of-their-seats.

Tristan Ovenden is the early pace-setter in the Motorsport UK Supernational Championship and he heads a list of quick local drivers in the two-wheel-drive category including Paul Coney, Darren Scott and Fred Ling.

In the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship, Luke Constantine leads the way however he will have to be wary of the threat from Tom Constantine and others if he wants to stay there come the end of race day.

Elsewhere the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, BMW Mini Rallycross Championship, Retro Rallycross Championship and RX150 Championship will all be in action too.

To ensure you don’t miss a second of the racing on Easter Monday, head to the official event page here.

Touring car stars set the scene for double bill of tin-top thrills

The stars of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and several of its support categories descended on Thruxton today (17 April) for a key test ahead of a tantalising double helping of the UK’s premier motor racing series over the coming months.

For the first time since 2007, Thruxton will play host to the BTCC twice this season – on 18-19 May and 16-18 August. As the fastest circuit in the country – with speeds reaching an eye-watering 160mph through the quickest sections – the popular Hampshire track presents a unique challenge. That means every opportunity to put miles on the clock is precious – and between them, the 29 touring car drivers in attendance today logged more than 1,200 laps.

Whetting the appetite for the forthcoming race meetings, fans enjoyed free entry to the test to watch their tin-top heroes in action – and if the drivers’ awe-inspiring commitment through Thruxton’s flat-out sweepers is anything to go by, spectators are in for a real treat come May and August.

Halfords Yuasa Racing star Dan Cammish was arguably the most committed of all, setting a scintillating pace in the morning session that nobody could match in the afternoon. More than three tenths-of-a-second under the existing lap record, the Yorkshireman led a Honda Civic 1-2-3 at the top of the timesheets, ahead of BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley and Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance ace Rory Butcher.

In evidence of just how close and intense the competition is in the BTCC, less than one second blanketed the gaggle of cars from Butcher in third all the way back to Stephen Jelley in 20th – setting the scene for six sensational races.

“I always enjoy coming to Thruxton,” enthused Cammish, the series’ reigning Jack Sears Trophy Champion. “It’s a lot of fun to drive and Honda has historically gone well round here. It’s a bit of a home track for us too, so it’s fantastic to have two race weekends this year.

“Thruxton is well-known as the fastest circuit in the country, and it feels every bit of it when you’re driving round. No matter how many laps you’ve done, Church corner never gets boring – it’s always an adventure. It’s enjoyable enough to drive on your own – but when you’re in a pack of 30 cars, it becomes a challenge like no other…”

More high-profile names at the test included defending title-holder Colin Turkington (sixth overall), current championship leader and Thruxton instructor Josh Cook from nearby Bath (seventh), Hampshire’s own Rob Collard (12th), five-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s brother Nicolas Hamilton (24th) and former F1 podium-finisher Mark Blundell (28th).

Making his BTCC debut this year, the 1992 Le Mans 24 Hours winner is still finding his feet in the series and adapting to its famously cut-and-thrust, doorhandle-to-doorhandle nature. He admitted that he also needed to re-adjust to Thruxton’s particular demands, having not driven the track for more than three decades…

“Thruxton is pretty unique as a circuit, and I think everybody really enjoys coming here,” said Blundell. “It’s a one-off – there’s nowhere else like it in the world. It’s flat-out and the lap just unfolds in front of you, with extremely challenging corners like Church that call for maximum commitment. It’s a remarkable place. You get a slot of slipstreaming in the races – which is vital for the drivers and very exciting for the fans.”

In addition to the BTCC, leading lights from the F4 British Championship – the Formula 1 stars of the future – the Ginetta Junior Championship for prodigiously talented 14-to-17-year-olds and the Ginetta GT5 Challenge took to the track, offering a glimpse of the wide variety of entertainment to be enjoyed later this year.

Advance tickets for the two Thruxton BTCC race meetings are available from just ÂŁ13 for Saturday entry and ÂŁ29 for Sunday. Accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For further information or to buy tickets, see thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc (May), thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc-aug (August) or call 01264 882222.

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

For season or individual race meeting accreditation, please e-mail: press@barc.net

BARC produces spellbinding weekend in Spring sunshine at Croft

The British Automobile Racing Club produced a spellbinding two days of track action at Croft Circuit this past weekend (April 13/14), with a trio of championships continuing to gather momentum.

On what was the first event on the newly laid surface at Croft, the sun shone on a busy trackside crowd – all of whom soaked up a feast of thrills and spills across both days.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Scott McIntyre proved to be in irresistible form as he produced a flawless weekend performance, scoring a pair of pole positions and a pair of race wins.

Having come into the weekend trailing defending champion Lewis Saunders in the standings, the former Scholarship winner underlined his credentials as a threat for the title in North Yorkshire in fine style.

Separated by little over three tenths of a second at the chequered flag, McIntyre narrowly edged out Jemma Moore in race one whilst Saunders followed the duelling duo to round off the podium. 

Race two later in the weekend would see the roles reversed with Saunders being the closest challenger to McIntyre, albeit he wasn’t able to topple the impressive teenage as he chalked up his third consecutive victory of the year, with Moore capping off a stellar weekend with another podium finish.

Records were broken in the Caterham Graduates Championship as the popular one-make category boasted a bumper 33-car entry for its second event of the season. Coming off the back of a pulsating 2019 curtain-raiser at Silverstone, Samuel Wilson showcased his talents behind the wheel with a mesmerising performance.

Bagging pole position and a new lap record around the iconic 2.1 mile circuit, Wilson emerged to be in a league of his own as he broke away from the chasing pack in race one to cross the line by more than eight seconds ahead of Jamie Ellwood and Stephen Clark

Wilson was then in even more dominant form in race two as he again converted pole position into a commanding lead. Piloting his SigMax machine, Wilson scampered into the distance to clinch the chequered flag ten seconds ahead of Ellwood and Clark once again – capping off a stellar two days of track action.

Paul Roddison picked up where he left off last year in the Max5 Racing Championship as the series roared into life for the first time in 2019. Having been the man to beat in 2018, the Roddison  juggernaut continued as he bagged victory in all three encounters.

Taking pole position ahead of Ian Loversidge in qualifying, Roddison showed his challengers a clean set of heels as he romped away to notch a perfect hat-trick amongst the Spring sunshine.

Loversidge, Matthew Tidmarsh, Jeremy Shipley and Andrew Pretorius all netted podiums behind the dominant Roddison.

Competing alongside the BARC categories was the Mini 7 Racing Club and the North Sports Saloon Car Championship where Lee Deegan, Aaron Smith, Joe Thompson, Dom Burger and Park Brydon ran out the victors in their respective championships.

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

Croft lays down foundations for new season with full-circuit resurfacing

Croft Circuit is gearing up to reverberate to the sound of horsepower once more as a busy year of British motorsport is set to begin at the North Yorkshire venue following the completion of the entire circuit being resurfaced.

Coming off the back of another memorable season on-track last year, the much-loved circuit focused on executing long harboured plans to resurface during the off-season, with consultations between the circuit landlord and the British Automobile Racing Club taking place.

In conjunction with the UK’s leading sustainable building materials group Tarmac, work to remove all 2.1 miles of tarmac, prepare the ground and then lay new tarmac began in early April – with the work ultimately finishing less than two weeks later.

Such was the meticulous preparation by Tarmac, lines of test tarmac were firstly laid in the paddock to make sure the different batches of tarmac were consistent in their formulation and grip.

Whilst the newly tarmacked surface is set to provide new levels of grip for competitors, the unique character and challenges that Croft has always presented remains the same, with the venue set continue producing edge-of-the-seat entertainment.

“It has been a huge project but one that has proven to be very rewarding for everyone involved as the circuit now looks even more wonderful given that all of the work has been completed,” explained Tracey Morley, Croft Circuit Manager.

“A full resurface has been long overdue and conversations regarding the process had been ongoing for a number of months. One of the major points we worked on with Tarmac was to ensure that the circuit retained its character and the unique challenges it presented teams, drivers and riders.

“We’ve been successfully able to do that whilst also eliminating all of the past issues, ultimately enhancing the experience for everyone that visits the circuit and takes to the track.

“To see Croft looking better than ever is a real positive and in-turn it has set us up for what is shaping up to be another busy season of racing – starting this weekend with the British Automobile Racing Club.”

The BARC will stage the first event on the new surface this weekend (April 13/14) before Croft embarks on another spectacular summer of racing with the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (June 15/16) and the Croft Retro & Classic Weekend (August 3/4) serving as the headliners.

For more information of Croft’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit: www.croftcircuit.co.uk

For season and individual race meeting accreditation, please e-mail: press@barc.net

BARC championship trio gearing up for Croft corker

The British Automobile Racing Club travels to North Yorkshire this weekend (April 13/14) for a pulsating two days of action at Croft, with three of the Club’s championships set to go all-out to steal the show.

In recent weeks Croft has seen hive of activity with a brand new track surface being laid around the entire 2.1 mile circuit, and this weekend marks the first event since the extensive work has been completed.

An entertaining pair races at Oulton Park kicked off the Junior Saloon Car Championship last month and the one-make series will continue to gather momentum at Croft. Showcasing the very best UK talent aged between 14 and 17, the Citroen Saxo category has forged a path for itself in recent years as the place to be for those wanting to take their first steps onto the motorsport ladder.

Reigning champion Lewis Saunders currently resides as the driver to beat at the summit of the points after a win and second place last time out, however a raft of drivers will be keen to topple him across the weekend’s two races.

Fellow Oulton Park race-winner Scott McIntyre, Thomas Ward, Owen Hizzey, Alex Jay and Kyle Nisbet all find themselves within striking distance of the current title holder and will be ones to watch.

The Caterham Graduates Championship has also enjoyed another stellar start to the season with an edge-of-the-seat curtain-raiser at Silverstone providing the building blocks for what is shaping up to be another vintage year.

Split into multiple classes depending on engine capacity, the popular single-marque series has become a stable for close-quarter action down the years and that is set to be no different as they face the challenges Croft presents.

Samuel Wilson, Jamie Ellwood, Jon Curry, Kevin Barrett and Luke Balmforth are just a handful of drivers to keep a keen eye on as the weekend progresses.

Whilst both the JSCC and the Caterham Graduates have already competed this year, the Max5 Racing Championship will kick its 2019 campaign this weekend. Run on the principle of providing exciting racing at an affordable price, the championship is set to scale new heights once more this year.

Classes A, B & C are well populated with a raft of familiar names including reigning champion Paul Roddison, Jeremy Shipley, Ian Loversidge and Andrew Pretorius – all of them whom are set to be firmly in the mix across both races.

Joining the BARC categories over the course of the weekend will be the Mini Miglia Championship, Mini Se7en Championship, and the North Saloons and Sports Car Championship.

The final race of the weekend will also see the NSSCC welcome ‘Allcomers’ for a 15-minute encounter that is likely set to end the event on a high note.

For more information on this weekend’s race meeting including links to timetables and live timing, click here. Ticket information can be found by visiting the Croft website here.

MV Commercial becomes title sponsor of 2019 BTRA Championship

The British Truck Racing Association has announced that the leading supplier of new and used trucks in the UK, MV Commercial, will become the title sponsor of the BTRA Championship for 2019.

Titled the MV Commercial BTRA Championship for the forthcoming season, the announcement comes off the back of a collaborative effort between the BTRA, MV Commercial, the British Automobile Racing Club and Truck & Driver Magazine to widen the audience of fans across the UK.

Since it’s inception in 2001, MV Commercial has grown to become one of the UK’s leading manufacturer of original build crane trucks and construction recycling vehicles. Today it operates a rental fleet of more than 1,600 vehicles, and has over 280 ready to trucks for sale or hire, strategically placed across three sites in Aidrie, Haydock and St Albans, including a wide selection of Ready to Go plant trucks, tippers, grabs, recovery vehicles and trailers.

The company also provides complete design, build and sales service for top specification commercial vehicles.

Speaking about the sponsorship Tom O’Rourke, CEO of MV Commercial, commented: “Truck racing is one of the most exciting motorsports for spectators and is increasingly becoming a popular event for the entire trucking world.

“We are exceptionally proud to sponsor the 2019 season and continue to help grow the truck racing scene.”

BTRA Chairman, Steve Horne, added: “We are thrilled to welcome MV Commercial as title sponsors to the BTRA Championship – it is a perfect partnership for both parties. We’ve continued to build on the strong relationship with Truck & Driver Magazine and they have played a valuable part in this deal too.

“The BTRA is renowned for producing edge-of-the-seat entertainment wherever we go and we’re excited to share that all with MV Commercial moving forward, of course of whom are no strangers to the series either.”

The MV Commercial BTRA Championship begins its season at Brands Hatch over the Easter bank holiday weekend (April 21/22) before then visiting Pembrey, Thruxton, Nurburgring, Donington Park and Snetterton, ultimately capping off the season back at Pembrey and Brands Hatch.

TOCA opens tender process for BTCC hybrid system

British Touring Car Championship organisers TOCA have announced that it is inviting expressions of interest from companies to supply the hybrid system.

The introduction of the system is originally planed for the 2022 season, but with the previously started goal of being brought forward to 2021 if key parameters are met.

Over the course of the past nine months, TOCA has met with industry experts to clearly define the technical, performance, system specification, servicing and commercial requirements, with a comprehensive document available to those parties interested in tending.

The winning contractor will be required to a produce a light, cost effective, low-voltage hybrid system with proven durability. Once complete, the hybrid system will be incorporated into the current specification BTCC cars in addition to their two-litre turbocharged engines.

Those with an expression of interest should contact:

Peter Riches

BTCC Technical Director

richesst@aol.com

01953 797169

Goodwood serves up nostalgic entertainment at 77th Members Meeting

Goodwood basked in a fountain of nostalgia this past weekend (April 6/7) as the 77th Members Meeting provided all-out entertainment in front of a bumper trackside crowd.

Taking a spirited trip down memory lane, iconic cars, bikes and competitors took centre stage at the Sussex venue as the clock was wound back to a bygone era of edge-of-the-seat thrills and spills.

The Betty Richmond Trophy, which played homage to the Mini, enjoyed a stellar inaugural event as Nick Swift swept the opposition aside in the final. Following a pair of heat races, a 30-car Austin Mini Cooper S grid delivered a spellbinding finale, with Swift narrowly pipping Nicholas Padmore and Jonathan Lewis to the chequered flag to take the spoils.

Ben Richmond and Andrew Hibberd were the class of the field in the Derek Bell Trophy as the two duked it out for supremacy in their Brabham-Ford’s, Richmond getting the better of Hibberd as the flag fell by just a tenth of a second.

As it has done in years gone by, The Gerry Marshall Trophy proved to be a smash-hit with some of the top touring cars from yesteryear going wheel-to-wheel across two races. The pairing of Jani and Wood were the one’s to beat in race one as they steered their Rover 3500 to victory whilst Stig Blomquist then did the same in race two.

The jaw-dropping 1963 Jaguar E-Type was the car to beat in the Graham Hill Trophy as the pairing of Minshaw and Keen dominated proceedings, finishing more than 17 seconds ahead of their nearest challengers.

Former F1 race David Coulthard was amongst the silverware in the Tony Gaze Trophy whilst Julian  Majzub edged out Tony Lees in arguably the closest race of the weekend in the S.F. Edge Trophy – a mere 0.018 separating the pair as they crossed the line.

Victories for John Pearson, William Nuthall, Gregor Fisken and Cameron Jackson rounded out the list of four-wheeled winners, each scoring victory in the Peter Collins Trophy, Parnell Cup, John Duff Trophy and Gurney Cup respectively.

Fans of two-wheeled nostalgia were also well-catered for during the two days in the Sheene Trophy where Graham Higlett rode his 1972 Rob North Triumph T150 to the top step of the rostrum.

For the full classification of results from the weekend, click here.

Goodwood will now begin preparations for its next event of the year with the ultimate summer garden party, Festival of Speed, which takes place on

TOCA support championships star at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch played host to a memorable two days of racing on the TOCA support package this past weekend (April 6/7), with a raft of show-stealing performances across all championships.

Taking centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, five categories produced  spell-binding edge-of-the-seat entertainment amid the challenging conditions.

Showcasing the next generation of motorsport talent aged between 14 and 17, the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship was back and better than ever with a pair of pulsating encounters wowing those in attendance.

Richardson Racing’s James Taylor edged a thrilling season-opener as he pipped debutant Zak O’Sullivan to the chequered flag by little over half a second, whilst 2018 Winter Series champion James Hedley rounded out the podium.

Race two saw Tom Emson emerge victorious from a nail-biting race which ultimately saw the top three covered by a mere 0.133. Narrowly missing out on the win was Hedley and Lorcan Hanafin, who had led a majority of the race.

The final season of the Renault UK Clio Cup began with Max Coates reigning supreme, enjoying a near-perfect weekend as he bagged a pair of pole positions and race wins. After topping the times in qualifying, the Team HARD driver converted his front row start into a lead that he would never lose as he led Jack Young and Brett Lidsey.

Young would be the winner on the road in the second race of the weekend but was later penalised after falling foul of rules regarding braking under the safety car. Despite having dominated proceedings, Young was issued a one-second time penalty, handing the win to Young whilst Lidsey once again bagged a podium.

In the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup triple-header; Reece Somerfield, Harry King and the returning Will Burns took a win each to set up a tantalising year of on-track action.

Spoils were also shared in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB as two of the pre-season favourites, Dan Harper and George Gamble, set their stalls out as credible title contenders with a win each – Harper the one that finished the weekend on top of the standings.

Capping off the weekend’s racing was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost, with the spoils being shared between Sebastian Alvarez, Luke Browning and Louis Foster who each took a win apiece.

From the full classification of results, click here.

All five TOCA support championships now head to Donington Park for the next event of the season, taking place on April 26/27.

BTCC kicks off 2019 season in style at Brands Hatch

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship kicked off its 2019 season in entertaining style at Brands Hatch this past weekend (April 6/7) as Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan and Rory Butcher shared the spoils to take a win apiece.

In front of a bumper trackside crowds amid challenging and changeable conditions, Britain’s premier race series underlined why it remans the biggest and best tin top category with a pulsating three encounters.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton was the man to beat in qualifying as he got the best out of his rear-wheel-drive Levorg in the damp conditions to clinch pole position ahead of former team-mate and double champion Jason Plato.

Sutton would be unable to convert his front row start into victory however as the conditions once again played their part, with drivers opting for different tyre tactics. As others switched to the wet Dunlop BluResponse compound, BTC Racing’s Josh Cook elected to gamble on dry tyres starting from tenth.

Dropping down the order in the early stages, the Honda driver soon became the man to watch as he set the fastest lap on lap five. Scything through the order, and bringing a number of other dry tyre runners with him, Cook was soon on the back of race leader Sutton and duly made his move with ease.

As Cook made his escape out front and onto a third career victory, the final podium places were also occupied with those that had stuck their neck out and opted to go against the grain. Jake Hill and Tom Chilton enjoyed similar charging drives to finish second and third respectively.

Changeable conditions once again played their part in the second race of the day, however unlike the first, all drivers opted for to run the dry compound. BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan ensured it was a debut to remember for the all-new BMW 330i M Sport as he opened his account for the new season in emphatic fashion.

The early running saw a host of overtaking take place, with Jordan and Sutton making the most progress towards the front. Soon a three-way battle for the lead began as a ballast-laden Cook valiantly fended off the charging duo, although 2017 champion Sutton soon made a move stick with a daring late lunge under brakes heading into Graham Hill Bend.

Jordan followed Sutton through and was soon hounding the back of the Levorg, dispatching him to take the lead on the start-finish line. From there the West Surrey Racing driver was unchallenged as he pulled away to take victory, whilst Sutton withstood a barraging attack at the end to fend off Adam Morgan, Hill and Stephen Jelley.

Cobra Sport AmD Autoaid/RCIB Insurance’s Butcher clinched a maiden BTCC victory in the reverse grid encounter after Chilton was handed a post-race penalty.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s Chilton had taken the lead on lap 13 after contact with Matt Neal, and it would be that subsequent contact that led to Chilton being penalised by the stewards.

Having looked after his tyres in the early stages, Butcher became a man on a mission in the latter part of the race as he caught and passed the scrapping pair of Neal and Jelley. Contact between those two would lead to Neal suffering left-rear suspension damage on the final lap, which allowed Jelley to jump into third and take his first BTCC podium in nearly ten years.

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

Leaving Brands Hatch Cook and BTC Racing find themselves sitting atop of the BTCC Drivers’, Teams’, Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ Championship standings.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship nows descends on Thruxton on April 17 for the customary TOCA test before the Rounds 4, 5 and 6 at Donington Park on April 27/28.

BTCC ready for 2019 blast off at Brands Hatch

After several months of driver announcements and pre-season testing, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is primed and ready to roar back into life this weekend (April 6/7) for the opening event of the season at Brands Hatch.

Billed as Britain’s biggest motorsport series, 2019 boasts another competitive 30-car capacity entry list – including ten different marques and an impressive 12 models of car. In addition, this year’s grid includes five former champions and 18 BTCC race-winners – further underlining the strength in depth the series possesses.

Having kicked off the new season at Hever Castle and Brands Hatch last week, where more than 3000 laps were clocked by the entire field, the talking is set to stop on Sunday as Rounds 1, 2 & 3 kick off proceedings.

Reigning champions West Surrey Racing enter the weekend bidding to ignite their title defence as they debut the BMW 330i M Sport. The manufacturer squad fired out a warning shot in testing with Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan both on the pace, and Tom Oliphant was not far behind either.

Toyota’s long-awaited return to the BTCC has set tongues wagging and both Speedworks Motorsport and Tom Ingram will see where they stack up with its Corolla whilst the Halfords Yuasa Racing duo of Matt Neal and Dan Cammish will be keen to score points early on.

Power Maxed Racing boast one of the most experienced driver line-ups, with Jason Plato and Rob Collard returning to front-wheel-drive to spearhead Vauxhall’s championship charge.  Elsewhere, Adrian Flux Subaru Racing have retained the services of 2017 champion Ashley Sutton and recruited race-winner Senna Proctor in a bid to regain their title.

Beyond the manufacturer entrants sits a raft of title contenders amongst the Independent ranks, with Motorbase Performance leading the way. Tom Chilton proved to be a worthy challenger in 2018 and will be keen to bounce back at the teams local circuit, with Ollie Jackson and Nicolas Hamilton also added.

BTC Racing have aligned themselves with Team Dynamics, secured to brand new Honda Civic Type Rs and signed Josh Cook to join Chris Smiley. If the cards fall their way, BTC Racing could become a force to be reckoned with over the course of the year.

Aiden Moffat, Adam Morgan and Daniel Rowbottom head up the Mercedes Benz A-Class entrants whilst Matt Simpson and Stephen Jelly will also be keen to move further up the order this year.

Team HARD. and AMD Tuning both class Brands Hatch as their local circuit and the two will be keen to make home advantage count. Both Sam Tordoff and Rory Butcher showcased what the AMD Hondas can do at last week’s test, with Tordoff topping the times under the official lap record. Jake Hill and former F1 racer Mark Blundell are also part of the AMD stable in a pair of Audi S3s.

Jack Goff, Bobby Thompson, Michael Crees and Carl Boardley have been selected to lead Team HARD and their quartet of Volkswagen CCs. Goff was the man to beat at the season-opener last year, storming to pole position and then victory.

Rounding off the grid this year will be Excelr8 Motorsport, who make their BTCC debuts with Rob Smith and Sam Osborne in the former race-winning MG6 machines.

With 30 drivers all geared up for the start of the new season, the stage is set for the BTCC to produce another unforgettable year of racing, with the fight to secure the UK’s biggest motorsport crown the focus of everyone.

ITV4 will once again screen every second of the season live with coverage for this weekend beginning on Saturday as qualifying takes place from 15:00 on itv.com/btcc. ITV4’s coverage on race day begins at 10:15.

For more information on this weekend’s opening event of the year, click here.

Goodwood gearing up to roll back the years at 77th Members Meeting

Goodwood is set to take a spirited trip down memory lane this weekend (April 6/7) as it hosts the 77th Members Meeting, with a mouth-watering array of iconic machines primed to take centre stage.

In what is the opening weekend of the year of the West Sussex venue, Goodwood will aim to recreate the atmosphere and camaraderie of the original BARC Meetings that were held at the circuit through the late-1940s to mid-60s.

As is always the case when it comes to the Members Meeting, the modern era will become just a memory once you walk through the gates as those in attendance are transported back to yesteryear.

The 2019 edition of the Members Meeting once again boasts a diverse range of races, with the Gerry Marshall Trophy topping the bill. Run in memory of British saloon-car legend Gerry Marshall, the two-part race for Group 1 saloon cars between 1970 and 1982 will likely be a highlight of the weekend.

Paying homage to the cars that first raced at Goodwood Motor Circuit, a mixture of pre-war grand prix cars and the latest post war machinery will compete in the Parnell Cup. Elsewhere the Tony Gaze Trophy will feature a raft of stunning 1950s GT machines.

Fans of nostalgia single seater action will be well-catered for as one-litre Formula 3 cars that competed between 1964 and 1970 will duke it out for victory in the Derek Bell Cup.

The Members Meeting will also pay tribute to Canadian motorsport legend John Duff with jaw-dropping machinery from the late 1920s going wheel-to-wheel, whilst the Graham Hill Trophy will also be up for grabs for GT cars of a type that raced at Goodwood from 1960 to 1966.

The ultimate David-versus-Goliath battle will be found in the Gurney Trophy as Group 4 and Group 7 sports racing cars bid to steal the show.

Making a welcome return to the race programme is the Peter Collins Trophy, which features drum-braked sport scars from the 1950s such as Maserati and Jaguar as just some of the marques being represented.

Rounding out the enthralling Members Meeting weekend will be the Betty Richmond Trophy and the Sheene Trophy, showcasing the very best Mini saloons and iconic two-wheeled motorcycles.

This weekend’s action from Goodwood will be streamed live online via YouTube, whilst all other event information can be found here.