Tag: BARC

BARC descends on Pembrey for Autumn Truckfest

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Pembrey Circuit this weekend (October 13/14) primed for two days of blockbuster track action, headlined by the British Truck Racing Association Championship.

In what is being billed as the ‘Autumn Truckfest’, a bumper crowd is expected to flock trackside to witness all manner of edge-of-the-seat thrills from a variety of categories.

Making their second visit of the year to South Wales, the British Truck Racing Association Championship will look to steal the show as they get set to stage eight races over the course of the weekend.

Sitting at the summit of Division 1 and on course to secure his third title in succession, Ryan Smith will likely be the man to beat at the wheel of his MAN. Having enjoyed plenty of success throughout the year, the reigning champion could well wrap up the title if things fall his way at the sharp end of the grid.

David Jenkins and Jamie Anderson will stand the best chance of haulting Smith’s charge albeit the likes of Stuart Oliver, Richard Collett and Simon Reid will also be in the mix no doubt too.

It is a similar story in Division 2 as well as Luke Garrett bids to put himself out of touch of his rivals at the summit of the standings. Having built up a comfortable lead with a string of victories, the MAN driver will need to replicate his pulsating form to remain control of the championship battle.

Leading the chase for Garrett are a host of experienced racers including Brad Smith, John Powell, Steve Powell and John Bowler, all of whom have showcased their credentials at some stage during the year.

The action is set to be similarly exciting in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, with the battle for supremacy at the top of the standings firmly on. Reigning champion Scott Bourne finds himself leading the way after a resurgent run of form but he isn’t likely to have things his own way.

Season-long rivals David O’Regan and Lea Wood are hot on the heels of Bourne and the weekend’s three races will be pivotal in deciding the outcome of who walks away as champion.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres will make its first visit to Pembrey since 2016 with a bumper grid and six sensational races lined up.

As it stands, John Mickel and Steve Whitelegg look destined to take the battler the title all the way to the wire and neither of them can afford a slip up around the challenging curves of Pembrey.

Eyes must also be focused on Jack Parker, Miles Rudman, Sean Smith and Paul Simmons, all race winners that on their day can take the fight to the top two.

In addition to the BARC action, Pembrey will also play host to the MSA British Superkarts and Welsh Racing Drivers Association throughout the weekend too.

Michelin Clio Cup Series to hold Donington Park taster day

The Michelin Clio Cup Series is to hold a taster day at Donington Park on Sunday November 4th as it begins to shift its attention towards the 2019 season.

Coming off the back of another pulsating year which saw Ben Palmer and Nic Harrison successfully defend their Race and Road class titles respectively, the one-make series is looking to build on its recent success by moving forwards once more.

Aimed at prospective new entries and interested parties, prospective Race entrants will need to hold a valid MSA Race Licence and will be accompanied on the day by Westbourne Motorsport’s experienced team of instructors.

For those looking to try their hand in the Road series machine, previous track day experience will be suitable enough.

Whilst teams and drivers will have the opportunity to sample cars and take to the track, the day will also provide people with the chance to hear from current and past entries on their time in the series.

James Dorlin, champion in 2016, one of many drivers that has used the Clio Cup Series as a perfect springboard having gone on to reign supreme in the Renault UK Clio Cup, winning the overall title this past season.

In addition, the championships promotional strategy for the future will be a topic of discussion for all attendees as well.

For those interested in booking a slot or attending the day, contact Michelin Clio Cup Series Championship Administrator Pauline Hillon via pauline.hillon@gmail.com or call 01332 391081.

Champions crowned in contrasting conditions at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club brought the curtain down on a host of championships at Silverstone this past weekend (October 6/7) with titles being decided in contrasting conditions.

Tackling the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue, heavy rain battered the circuit on Saturday before dry conditions greeted teams and drivers on Sunday.

In the midst of the treacherous conditions was the Dunlop Endurance Championship which staged a pair of 50-minute races, the second being shortened down from two hours.

Race one saw the pairing of John Seale and Jamie Stanley pilot their JMH Automotive Ferrari 488 to victory before David Mason and Ross Wylie underlined their title credentials with an impressive performance in race two to triumph.

The latest exciting chapter in the Junior Saloon Car Championship was written at Silverstone as the one-make series continues its charge towards the title crescendo. With qualifying based on championship order, the weekend’s two encounters proved to be pulsating from start-to-finish.

Lewis Saunders narrowly pipped Joel Wren and Steven Chandler in race one before Ben Kasperczak made a welcome return to the top step of the podium to score victory in the second race of the day, his third of the season.

Titles had already been decided in the Michelin Clio Cup Series prior to the weekend but that didn’t stop Ben Palmer from putting the exclamation point on an otherwise year of dominance. The double champion continued his unbeaten run with victory in race one but was unable to make it a clean sweep with a non-finish in the final round of the year.

Ben Colburn ultimately picked up the honours as he scored his first win of the season on his way to securing second in the championship. In the Road class, Nic Harrison added a further two race wins to his tally to cap off a memorable season as champion.

Clive Wood and Steve Dickens were the standout performers in the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototypes Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns; Wood bagging himself a double whilst Dickens kicked off the weekend topping the rostrum.

Wood would have more to celebrate as he wrapped up the title in the CSP1 class whilst Michelle Hayward and Pippa Tanner-Wood did the same in the CSP2 and CSP3 classes respectively.

The Kumho BMW Championship finished with a flourish as Garrie Whittaker showcased his superiority with a pair of overall race wins at the wheel of his BMW E36 M3.

Elsewhere in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, spoils were shared between Martin Willis and Stuart Plotnek as they took a win apiece in two hotly-contested races.

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

BARC championships set for final flourish at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Silverstone this weekend (October 6/7) for what is being billed as a season finale for a majority of championships, with title battles set to go down to the wire.

In what is a traditional fixture on the BARC calendar, the annual trip to the Northamptonshire marks the end of another frenetic motorsport, with one final chapter of edge-of-the-seat thrills set to be written.

Whilst there will be title battles taking place in other categories, the Michelin Clio Cup Series will sign off the year having already decided its champions. Ben Palmer and Nic Harrison both obtained unassailable leads at Anglesey in their respective classes last time out but that won’t deter the action.

Both drivers have won every single race they have competed in this season and the pair will be out to extend their unbeaten runs with a further two victories this weekend.

Silverstone marks the penultimate event for the Junior Saloon Car Championship, which is back on track after only competing last weekend. At the top of the standings, Lewis Saunders and Joel Wren find themselves in a two-horse race for the coveted crown, the pair having shared the spoils in the last eight races.

With two races and a host of other drivers all eager to impress, the 14 to 17-year-old category could well steal the show over the two days.

The Dunlop Endurance Championship has grown in stature once again in 2018 and the series’ blend of iconic cars and professional drivers descend on Silverstone for a pivotal round of the season. A 50-minute sprint race will be followed up by a longer two-hour encounter with the pairings of Matt Greenwood & Sarah Moore and Jon Watt & Kristian Prosser out to maintain their leads.

In the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototypes Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns, the trio of Clive Wood, Michelle Hayward and Pippa Tanner-Wood will all look to sign off their campaigns on the top step of the podium, having already enjoyed title success.

There is still plenty to play for in the Kumho BMW Championship and Lancaster Insurance MG Owner’s Club Championship too. With multiple classes and some of the most illustrious models from each manufacturer taking to the track to do battle.

Notable names to look out for in the BMW category include Colin Wells, Giuseppe Callari and Russell Dack whilst Jim Baynam, Martin Willis and Chris Millard will likely be at the forefront of the fight in MG’s.

On top of the BARC action there will also be a pair of races from the much-loved Mini Se7en Championship.

Digitex TV announces Amazon Prime Video tie-up

Certain championships running under the British Automobile Racing Club umbrella will feature on Amazon Prime Video following the recent announcement that Digitex TV has launched a tie-up which will see content broadcasted on the platform.

Following the end of broadcasting with its previous broadcaster on September 30, Digitex TV moves to Amazon Prime Video to become one of the first motorsports series’ to grace the platform, sharing potential viewers with the likes of ‘The Grand Tour’.

The first programmes to feature on the platform include multiple episodes of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship and Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres. The British Truck Racing Association Championship will follow in the short future.

Barry Welch, Digitex TV owner, said: “These are exciting times for the industry and we have always been keen to embrace change in a positive way for our clients.

“The way we all watch visual content has changed greatly over the last few years. We recognised this a while back with the introduction of our free-to-view on-demand web based channel.

“It’s an exciting step therefore to extend this with Prime Video which enables easy access on a premium platform at any time via Smart TV.

“Prime Video have set extremely high standards for production and compliance which makes the move a prestigious one for us and our partners. It also offers a truly global window to our customers, their branding partners and of course our audience.”

Amazon Prime Video is currently estimated to reach over 100 million members worldwide and is available on a variety of platforms including Smart TV, Blu-Ray, DVD, Games consoles, Fire tablet, Fire TV, Fire stick, Android phone or tablet and a variety of streaming media players.

BARC retains Achievement of Excellence from FIA Sustainability Programme

The British Automobile Racing Club has been reaccredited with the Achievement of Excellence rating in the FIA Institute’s Sustainability Programme.

The BARC became the first British motorsport venue operator to achieve the top rank of accreditation in 2016, making a significant statement as to the status that environmental awareness now holds in UK motorsport.

Continuing to ensure that a lesser impact on the environment was made in motorsport by implementing a variety of strategies, the Club has consistently strived to ensure all championships do the same.

Ian Watson, BARC General Manager, said: “To be recognised by the FIA is a great achievement and we are one of only a very few that have been selected from the United Kingdom.

“Following an audit in October 2017 we are pleased to have had our Achievement of Excellence rating extended by a further two years;

“Whilst this is fantastic for the Club we are still focused on ensuring that we continue to uphold and better the high standards we have set regarding motorsport and the environment.”

BARC & Cre8media launch new audio platform

The British Automobile Racing Club is to further cement its multimedia projects in 2018 with the introduction of a revised audio platform, in conjunction with Cre8media Limited.

Taking into consideration the feedback that has been provided as well as the need to continue pushing forward; barcaudio.net has been launched to cater for both Android and Apple users.

With more than 60 race meetings and 30 championships being overseen by the Club this coming season, 2018 is set to be another memorable year of racing – with a wealth of stories to be told too.

Continuing its long-standing partnership with Cre8media, barcaudio.net will house all the latest previews, interviews, reactions and announcements over the course of the season – all at the click of a button.

In addition to the new platform being unveiled, the existing iTunes podcast page will also still be updated on a regular basis, giving listeners an option depending on their device.

BARC Chief Operating Officer, Drew Furlong, said: “We as a club are constantly seeking to make improvements and the introduction of a revised audio platform does just that.

“We have taken on-board the feedback provided by some of our podcast listeners and the introduction of a new website, which houses all of our content, that is compatible on all electronic devices was the logical step forward – especially alongside our team at Cre8media.

“Our new audio service also allows us more scope what content we can produce moving forward too.”

“I’m delighted that Cre8media will, again, be supporting the BARC in moving forward by supplying and maintaining the new audio platform alongside the existing official iTunes podcast channel,” added Cre8media’s Matt Jones.

”The BARC’s online presence with social media, audio and video has increased dramatically over the past two years and having been working on this platform for some time, it is great to finally launch it.

“The audio website will be updated throughout the season with race, test and media day interviews covering more than 30 BARC’s championships that include driver, team and BARC representatives – all documenting what is set to be another memorable year of racing.”

To listen to the latest audio, head to barcaudio.net

Tio Ellinas snatches Porsche Carrera Cup GB title

Two podium finishes for Tio Ellinas was enough for him to snatch the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title at Brands Hatch this past weekend (September 29/30), overhauling season-long rival Dino Zamparelli in the process.

Entering the final event of the season sitting second in the standings, the Slidesports Engineering driver had a deficit of eight points to make up on championship leader Zamparelli around the Kent circuit.

The opening encounter of the weekend proved to be a milestone 300th for the championship since its inception in 2003, and it didn’t disappoint. Starting on the outside of the front row, Zamparelli jumped pole sitter Daniel Harper and began to make his escape from the chasing pack.

Firmly in control of proceedings, the Redline Racing driver soon found himself in strife as he spun on coolant dropped by another car, pitching him into the gravel and tumbling down the order. Managing to get going again, ZamaprellI’s hopes of the title were soon on a knife-edge.

Back at the front, Harper’s hopes of victory dropped away and Lewis Plato came to the fore, taking the lead and ultimately going on to score his second win of the season. Behind the JTR driver was Ellinas who bagged second place and with it, closed the gap to Zamparelli to zero – meaning the pair would go into the final race of the season tied on points.

With it coming down to who finished in front of the other, all eyes were on Ellinas and Zamparelli as they prepared for the final chapter of the 2018 season. As the lights went out, series returnee Michael Caine found himself in strife at Paddock Hill Bend the field streamed round the opening sequence of corners.

As Tom Wrigley vaulted into the lead, Ellinas slotted into second place – a championship-winning position at the time. Further back Zamparelli’s progress had been strong to begin with but as the race wore on, the runner-up the previous two seasons was unable to find a way past Harper.

Second place for Ellinas meanwhile proved to be enough to give him his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup GB title by just two points.

Seb Perez emerged as the victor in the Pro-Am category and Peter Manigon wrapped up the Am class.

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