Tag: BARC

Paul Rivett crowned Renault UK Clio Cup champion following successful MSA appeal

Paul Rivett is now a four-time Renault UK Clio Cup champion after winning an appeal to over-turn a stewards’ decision to disqualify him from round 16 of the season at Silverstone in September.

More than a month on from Westbourne Motorsport’s James Dorlin provisionally winning the championship at Brands Hatch, the Motor Sport Association’s (MSA) National Court took place on November 6 where the matter was decided.

Having been originally disqualified from the final result of round 16 by the Clio Cup Clerk of the Course following an on-track incident with title rival Max Coates, Rivett appealed the disqualification at the circuit however the decision was upheld by the stewards.

Rivett and WDE Motorsport then chose to lodge a further appeal at the MSA’s National Court and after further evidence was heard, the Court ruled in Rivett’s favour.

Reinstated into third position in that Silverstone race, Rivett was handed back 20 championship points which was enough to take him to the top of the standings ahead of Dorlin and allow him to add to his 2002, 2004 & 2011 crowns.

“A fourth title is very special but I’d also say extra special because this is the one I’ve had to work the hardest for,” Rivett said. “This title shows just how much the WDE team has grown and improved since I first joined them in 2014.

“Looking back I’d say the pivotal moment in the season was Donington Park in April – we suffered a very heavy crash in race one and the crew only had three hours to get my car repaired for race two.

“The fact they managed it and it was still good enough to take fourth place was massive for us – it earned us 18 points without which we would not have won this title.

“To everyone in this team – the mechanics, technicians, team boss Wayne Eason, all my sponsors and my family – I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’.”

Click here for the amended and final Renault UK Clio Cup championship standings.

Croft Circuit reveals blockbuster 2019 events calendar

Croft Circuit is preparing itself for a blockbuster season of racing in 2019 after unveiling a bumper calendar made up of 17 events.

Following on from an action-packed 2018 season which saw capacity crowds flock through the gates, the North Yorkshire venue is already gearing up for the new year with the likes of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship and Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship set to take centre stage.

The Darlington & District Motor Club’s Jack Frost Rally will kick off the new motorsport season on February 17 before attention switches to two wheels and the North East Motorcycle Racing Club in late March.

A variety of British Automobile Racing Club championships will descend on Croft in mid-April before Easter Monday play’s host to a special Spring Sprint event – the perfect tonic to cap off the Bank Holiday weekend.

The British Racing & Sports Car Club and the Darlington & District Motor Club will headline proceedings in May before the 750 Motor Club makes its one and only visit to the venue at the start of June.

Croft’s flagship event of the year will come on June 15/16 as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship makes its annual visit for three titanic races. Playing host to rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the season

Early July will see the British Racing & Sports Car Club return before the Ferrari Challenge UK makes its eagerly-anticipated first visit to the track.

As summer continues to unfold, the action show no signs of relenting at Croft as the Historic & Sports Car Club will take fans on a spirited trip down memory lane on August 3/4.

The Darlington & District Motor Club’s third and final visit to Croft will take place on August 17/18 before the edge-of-the-seat, sideways thrills from the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship will be showcased on September 8.

There is a return by the British Automobile Racing Club too in September before No Limits Bike Racing and the season finale of the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship brings the curtain down on what should be a memorable year for Croft.

2019 Croft Circuit Calendar

February 17 – Jack Frost Rally

March 23/24 – North East Motorcycle Racing Club

April 13/14 – British Automobile Racing Club

April 22 – Easter Monday Spring Sprint Meeting

May 4/5 – British Racing & Sports Car Club

May 18/19 – Darlington & District Motor Club

June 1/2 – 750 Motor Club

June 15/16 – Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship

July 6/7 – British Racing & Sports Car Club

July 20/21 – Ferrari Challenge UK

August 3/4 – Historic & Sports Car Club

August 17/18 – Darlington & District Motor Club

September 8 – Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship

September 21/22 – British Automobile Racing Club

October 12/13 – No Limits Bike Racing

October 27 – Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship

Tickets for all events are set to go on sale in the coming weeks, with more information set to be found at croftcircuit.co.uk/racing.

You can also keep up-to-date with the latest ticket alerts by following Croft Circuit on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Series Elite garners rave reviews and plenty of interest on public debut

Series Elite and the striking Jaguar XE SV Project 8 made its public debut at Silverstone last week with a host of potential racers left impressed.

As preparations continue for the inaugural season in 2019, a total of 18 different drivers got behind the wheel to test the SVO built car at MotosportDays.LIVE.

With expert coaching and tuition being provided by Ray Grimes and Andy Schulz, those that took to the track got to grips with the monstrous machine around the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue – with the cars running faultlessly across both days.

Series Elite CEO, Graeme Glew, said: “We had a mixture of drivers, some with past race experience, some already racing in other series and quite a few complete novices so a good mix, so far we have nine confirmed orders so we are looking strong for a twenty-car grid in 2019.

“With several options in addition to outright purchase, drivers can get behind the wheel using an attractive finance package and even a rental option. Series Elite is becoming a very viable and exciting route for our potential customers.”

Series Elite’s Ian Fletcher added: “MotorsportDays.LIVE provided us with the perfect platform with which to launch the Series Elite Jaguar Project 8’s to the public for the first time.

“The feedback we received from guests was phenomenal and the car performed faultlessly. We have no doubt Series Elite is going to be a fantastic success.”

Further tests for potential drivers are available at Donington Park on Monday 19th November and at Silverstone on Saturday 1st December.

For more information on Series Elite and the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, head to serieselite.com, or contact Ian Fletcher on 07814 723204 or Graeme Glew on 07894 980911.

Brits take centre stage as Jack Young triumphs in Clio Cup International Final

Renault UK Clio Cup drivers underlined their class at Paul Ricard this past weekend (November 3/4) as Jack Young led a British 1-2 in the Clio Cup International Final to win a brand new Renault Megane R.S.

Bringing together the top Clio Cup competitors from around the world, the coveted race saw drivers from Central European, Chinese, Spanish, French, British and Italian Clio Cups battle it out to bring the curtain down on a successful 2018 campaign in France.

Having showcased their supremacy in the Central European block of races, with Max Coates triumphing in race one before Young scored a win of his own in the second encounter, the British duo turned the wick on their competition in qualifying for the grand final.

Fighting for track position against 37 other Clio Cup cars in the 30-minute session, Young and Coates hit the top of the timesheets midway through qualifying and were then never bettered, with Young edging UK championship runner-up Coates by a mere 0.210.

Brett Lidsey, the third UK Clio Cup competitor competing at the event, hustled his MRM Racing machine to fifth place – further underlining the superiority of the British contingent.

Getting a clean start as the lights went out, Young converted his pole position into a lead that he would ultimately never lose, producing a superlative lights-to-flag performance.

With Coates and Benoßt Castagné hot on the heels of the 17-year-old Northern Irishman, the top three soon broke away from the chasing pack, as battles took place throughout the bumper field.

Lidsey would run as high as fourth at one stage but would soon tumble down the order before being involved in an incident with David Pouget, which put the Frenchman on his roof and ended Lidsey’s race on the spot.

Back at the front, last year’s Clio Cup Junior champion held his nerve to take the chequered flag and land the biggest prize of his relatively short career so far. Coates finished second whilst CastagnĂ© rounded out the rostrum in third place.

Commenting on his victory, Young said: “This is amazing! Honestly, I still don’t quite believe it looking at how strong the field was. Max pushed me all race long, like he did earlier in the weekend.

“Little by little, he closed the gap, but I managed to pull away after the safety car. From there, I just had to control until the chequered flag.

“This is great and unreal, but I hope I’ll be able to defend this title next year!”

Mark Higgins wins British Rallycross Championship title at sensational Silverstone finale

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship went down to the wire at Silverstone on Sunday (November 4) with Mark Higgins emerging victorious from a three-way title tussle to be crowned champion.

Arriving at the Northamptonshire venue sitting third in the drivers standings, all eyes were on Higgins to see if he could overhaul Ollie O’Donovan and Julian Godfrey to lift the coveted title.

With a deficit of six points to make up to series leader O’Donovan, the Albatec Racing driver kicked his pursuit of championship glory off in emphatic style as he charged from sixth on the grid to take victory in the first round of qualifying heats, setting the fastest time along the way too.

Oliver Bennett was the benchmark driver in Q2 and Q3 but he saw his hopes of victory extinguished in the first semi-final when his Ford Fiesta caught fire. Former champion Dan Rooke, on his return to the championship since lifting the crown in 2016, claimed his place in the final by taking the win whilst Higgins led the way in the second semi-final.

Starting from pole position in the final race of the season, Higgins served up a flawless drive to pilot his Peugeot 208 to take a third win of the year and with it, the 2018 title – writing his name into the history books as the 20th British Rallycross champion.

“It’s been a highly emotional year with big highs, and very big lows but that’s motorsport as we know,” Higgins said. “We’ve been a strong team all season, and I’ve had great support from Albatec Racing. To have the support too from Eddie Stobart has been really important.

“Of course, working with the students from the University of Bolton has been a big challenge but they’ve all performed really well. It’s great to come away from a race that was clean and fair and to win that and the title, well, I’m over the moon.”

Elsewhere, Tom Constantine got the better of brother Luke to win the final round of the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship and with it, the title too.

Dave Bellerby proved to be the benchmark driver in the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship as he scored victory in daughter Paige’s Lotus Exige.

Rounding out the list of winners was Tom Llewellin, Martin Hawkes, Chrissy Palmer and Ray Morgan who took the spoils in the Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, RX150 Championship and Retro Rallycross Championship respectively.

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

British Truck Racing headlines Brands Hatch blockbuster

Brands Hatch played host to a spectacular two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (November 3/4) with yet more champions being crowned.

With a sensational firework display lighting up the sky to close out the weekend’s on-track entertainment, a bumper crowd descended on the Kent circuit to witness a feast of entertainment.

Topping the bill was the final round of the British Truck Racing Association Championship, which saw eight races run and two titles being decided.

In Division 1, Ryan Smith clinched his third title in succession as he pipped title rival David Jenkins in a pulsating opening race. Having been the benchmark driver all season, the MAN racer’s 21st victory of the season proved to be enough to see him join an elite list of champions.

Jamie Anderson, Stuart Oliver and John Newell scored a win apiece in the remaining Division 1 races to bring the curtain down on season that will live long in the memory.

Despite enduring his own share of bad luck towards the end of the season, two wins at Brands Hatch for Luke Garrett was enough for him to be crowned champion in Division 2.

Watching on as chief protagonist Brad Smith cantered to victory in the opening race, Garrett held his nerve to achieve a lifelong dream. Eric Forsstrom added his name to the long list of Division 2 winners by also triumphing.

John Mickel wrote his name into the history books of the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres by wrapping up his fourth consecutive title. Solid points across the trio of races on day one was enough for Mickel to be crowned champion for a fifth time in his career – adding to his ledger as one of the best Legends drivers in the world.

Whilst the championship battle between Mickel and Steve Whitelegg became the main focus for many, a hat-trick of wins fell the way of Miles Rudman. Marcus Pett scored his own brace of victories too with Martin Gibson rounding out the season on the top step of the podium as well.

In the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Scott Bourne made it back-to-back titles as he successfully retained his crown, narrowly edging out season-long rival Lea Wood.

Entering the final event of the season with a slender points lead, a fifth, third and race win was more than enough to ensure Bourne lived up to the mantel of champion to defend his title. In the remaining two races

Lewis Saunders capped off his first season of racing in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in fine style as he clinched the inaugural Winter Cup title. Just a few weeks on from being crowned 2018 champion, the teenage sensation underlined his credentials as one to watch for the future around the Indy circuit.

Steven Chandler edged out Saunders and Ben Kasperczak in the opening encounter before the latter two produced a performance that will live long in the memory in race two. Going wheel-to-wheel race-long, Saunders grabbed victory at the final corner on the last lap to sign off a dream maiden year in the JSCC.

If you missed any of the action from day two of the BARC’s Truck Racing finale weekend, head to the BARC TV live stream and watch it back. Click here to view.

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

Eight round 2019 British Rallycross Championship schedule unveiled

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship will be contested across eight events over seven weekends in 2019 after series organisers unveiled the calendar for next year.

Coming off the back of a hugely successful 2018 campaign which saw Albatec Racing’s Mark Higgins crowned champion at the first attempt, the adrenaline-fuelled series is already looking ahead to another year of flat-out competition.

Silverstone will once again play host to the opening round of the season in late March before the championship heads to the spiritual home of rallycross, Lydden Hill, for its traditional Bank Holiday Monday meeting.

Pembrey will stage the only double-header of the year in June with rounds three and four taking place at the much-loved South Wales venue.

A second visit in August to Lydden Hill is then shortly followed up by the first of two trips to Croft. With the championship battle set to reach fever pitch, Pembrey will stage the penultimate round of the year before the curtain falls on the 2019 season at Croft.

Championship Manager, Tim Whittington, said: “I’m pleased to be able present a calendar that offers a full season of competition and makes use of the circuits available to us.

“Toyo Tires remains the title sponsor for the third year and the championship will continue to be covered by a mix of social media coverage and TV broadcasts.”

2019 Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship

Round 1 – Silverstone – March 24

Round 2 – Lydden Hill – April 22

Round 3 – Pembrey – June 22

Round 4 – Pembrey – June 23

Round 5 – Lydden Hill – August 26

Round 6 – Croft – September 8

Round 7 – Pembrey – September 22

Round 8 – Croft – October 27

BARC stars at inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed a productive two days at Silverstone this past weekend (November 2/3) after attending the inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event.

Aimed at giving enthusiasts, amateurs and professional drivers the opportunity to get on track, as well as providing ample opportunity to begin preparation for 2019, the two-day spectacle proved to be an overwhelming success.

Situated in the exhibition hall, the BARC presented a striking stand and welcomed a raft of fans, drivers, teams, championship organisers and marshals across both days.

Downstairs in the pit garages and on-track around the International layout of the Northamptonshire-based venue were a host of BARC categories, all of whom were a popular draw for those in attendance.

Headlining the BARC contingent was the all new BARC UK Sports Prototype Cup which unveiled the jaw-dropping Revolution race car. Bringing LMP technology and safety to the masses for an affordable price, the lightweight sportscar garnered plenty of attention ahead of its 2019 debut.

Elsewhere the brand new Series Elite Jaguar XE SV Project 8 car also broke cover with two machines taking to the track. Set to launch next year, the unique over 50 championship has proven to be a popular concept and that was further cemented as it attracted plenty of eyes over both days.

The APL Caterham Graduates Championship, Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge, Dunlop Endurance Championship and the Hyundai Coupe Cup were all also present at Silverstone, all of them enjoying a positive presence with several drivers keen to race with them next year.

MotorsportDays.LIVE is set to return to Silverstone in 2019 with an official date set to be announced in due course.

Three-way British Rallycross Championship title fight to be decided at Silverstone

The destiny of the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship will be decided at Silverstone this Sunday (November 4) with three drivers all in contention to lift the coveted crown.

Mark Higgins, Julian Godfrey and Ollie O’Donovan enter the final round of the season with a mathematical shot of being crowned champion, and the home of British motorsport is set to provide a fitting backdrop for the impending battle.

Making history by staging the inaugural rallycross at Silverstone on a sub-zero day in March, the championship has since travelled the length and breadth of the country, with twists and turns taking place along the way.

O’Donovan heads to the home of British motorsport in the pound seat, sitting atop the drivers standings. At the wheel of his striking Ford Focus and at times Ford Fiesta, the Irishman has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the year, scoring three wins during the mid-point of the campaign.

Whilst O’Donovan finds himself as the leader of the pack, his advantage is a slim one with five-time champion Godfrey just five points back. Having switched to the Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage for the season, the renowned racer has endured his own fair share of bad luck on his way to also notching a trio of triumphs.

Albatec Racing’s Higgins is the final contender in with a shout of lifting the title at Silverstone, and if he were to do so it would cap off a brilliant maiden season for him. Jumping across to the world of rallycross, Higgins has been a regular fixture towards the front of the field and sits just six points behind O’Donovan having scored two wins.

With a titanic three-way fight for supremacy brewing in the Supercar category, all eyes are set to be on O’Donovan, Godfrey and Higgins to see who walks away as 2018 champion come Sunday night.

Beyond the top three are a host of drivers that can all leave their mark on the title battle too. Dan Rooke, champion of 2016, makes a triumphant return to the series in the RX Racing Ford Fiesta – his first appearance since winning the title at Croft two years ago.

Series stalwarts Pat Doran, Mad Mark, Kevin Proctor, Steve Hill, Steve Mundy and a handful more will also be in action over the course of the day; all keen to sign off their season’s in style.

In addition to the Supercar category, spectators will also witness edge-of-the-seat thrills from the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship, MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship, Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, Retro Rallycross and RX150 – all adding up to make it a day to remember.

Fireworks set to fly at Brands Hatch spectacular

Fireworks are set to fly both on and off the track at Brands Hatch this weekend (November 3/4) as the British Automobile Racing Club descends on the Indy circuit for a blockbuster season finale for four categories.

Billed as one of the standout events on the 2018 calendar, the Kent venue will played host to a titanic two days of track action before lighting up the sky for fans with a spectacular firework display like no other.

Headlining the weekend’s action are eight races from the British Truck Racing Association Championship which has an entry list of 30+ machines. Returning to the scene of where their year began, the heavyweight behemoths have been in mesmerising form throughout the season, with titles in both Division 1 and Division 2 still to be decided.

Sitting on the cusp of a third consecutive crown in the top tier, Ryan Smith has at times been in a league of his own in Division 1 and could well be crowned champion in race one of the weekend. With David Jenkins being the only man to stop Smith, all eyes will be on the top two to see if Smith can write his name into the history books or whether Jenkins can produce a comeback for the ages.

Division 2 will also see a two-horse race for the title unfold with Luke Garrett and Brad Smith set to go head-to-head. Garrett has been the leading figure to emerge from the more production-based class this year with countless victories placing him at the summit of points.

Smith meanwhile has been somewhat under the radar, keeping his head down to tally the points week-by-week. With the pair set to be joined by a host of race-winning contenders, this weekend’s battle for the Division 2 is not to be missed at all.

The theme of two drivers battling it out for title supremacy continues in the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres, with John Mickel and Steve Whitelegg bidding to walk away as the victor.

Aiming to clinch his fourth successive Legends title, Mickel has been in superlative form – notching 13 wins along the way. Sitting in the box seat, Mickel heads into the finale as the favourite although with 1200 points on offer and Whitelegg a man on a mission, anything could happen.

In addition to the title battle, Legends will write a notable piece in their own history at Brands Hatch with the opening heat on Sunday being the championship’s 250th in its near 25-year lineage.

Scott Bourne and Lea Wood will bring the curtain down on their season-long battle by fighting it out for the Pickup Truck Racing Championship. Bidding to defend the title he won last year, Bourne has been at his brilliant best throughout the season but has come under constant threat from Wood.

With the two having sharing top spot as each round has passed, the culmination of a years racing will come down to the boil across three high-octane races around the 1.2 mile Indy layout.

Capping off the weekend will be a pair of races from the Junior Saloon Car Championship as it stages its inaugural Winter Cup. Just a few weeks ago the curtain fell on the 2018 season for the 14 to 17-year-old category with Lewis Saunders being crowned champion, and he makes up the 15-car entry list.

Running as a standalone one-off event, the highest points scorer over the two races will be declared the maiden victor in the JSCC Winter Cup.

CTCRC & Max’s shine at Brands Hatch

There were further title celebrations for a host of drivers at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 27/28) as the British Automobile Racing Club brought the curtain down on more championships.

As the 2018 motorsport season continues to draw to a close, the first of several visits to the Kent circuit by the BARC served up a feast of entertainment, with the Classic Touring Car Championship and Max5 Racing Championship taking centre stage.

The combined Class & Historic Thunder and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series races showcased what the CTCRC is all about as Dave Cockell reigned supreme, taking a pair of wins in his striking Ford Escort Cosworth.

Spoils were shared between Mini drivers Barry Sime and Paul Inch in the Pre 66 Classic Saloon and Historic Touring Cars encounters whilst David Howard and Stephen Primett did the same in the Pre 83 Touring Cars category.

Fans of more modern machinery would have been glued to the amalgamated Pre 93 Touring Cars, Pre 2003 Touring Cars and Pre 05 Production Saloon Cars, both of which delivered unrelenting thrills and spills throughout. Come the end of the weekend, Ray West and Alexander Own took a win apiece.

With Brands Hatch proving to be the footnote of the Classic Touring Car Championship season, it also meant that champions would be crowned; Stephen Primett, Steve Barden and Anna Barden just some of them.

In the Max5 Racing Championship, two wins for Paul Roddison meant that he asserted himself as the man to beat in the series whilst also wrapping up the title in Class C. Roddison was at his brilliant best around the Indy circuit and couldn’t be matched, despite the best efforts of Ian Loversidge.

Variety was the spice of life in the BARC South East Tin Tops Championship where Rod Birley and Bradley Lane scored one win each. Birley was in superlative form across the weekend as he also scored victory in the BARC South East Modified Saloon Car Championship too, with Andy Thompson also triumphing.

Lewis Smith meanwhile wrapped up the weekend’s BARC action in the Scrapco Avon Intermarque Championship as he romped to a pair of race wins.

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

MotorsportDays.LIVE awaits the BARC in early November

The British Automobile Racing Club will have a presence at the inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event which takes place at Silverstone Circuit on November 2/3.

Offering a fresh opportunity for genuine track day enthusiasts, amateur and professional race drivers, championship co-ordinators, engineers, industry progressional, motorsport investors and more, MSD Live is set to be a smash-hit.

Based at Stand H2-108, the BARC will be on hand to discuss everything from championships to compete in, 2019 race meetings, membership, marshalling and much more.

In addition, a handful of cars from BARC categories – situated in the garages underneath the trade area – will be on-site for prospective drivers to sample around the ‘International layout’ as they evaluate their options for next season.

Having gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, the Hyundai Coupe Cup will be present with four cars whilst two machines from the ever-growing Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge will also be in attendance.

Set to launch in 2019, Series Elite will be on hand to discuss what they are bringing to the UK motorsport scene with a pair of eye-catching Jaguar’s ready to turn a wheel.

The APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship are also confirmed to take to the track in their high-octane machines too.

With the overall objective of making ‘getting on track’ easier, MSD Live will also provide a panelled conference, giving attendees the opportunity to gain expert advice and interact with some of motorsport’s established names. Areas of the sport such as technical set-ups, attracting sponsorship, marketing, media engagement and legal guidance are just some subjects up for discussion.

For more information on MotorsportDays.LIVE and how to purchase tickets, visit www.motorsportdays.live