Tag: BTRA

Spectacular Snetterton weekend in-store for BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club travels to Snetterton this weekend (September 19/20) for a blockbuster event that will see no less than six championships take centre stage around the challenging 300 layout.

In what is one of the standout race meetings on the national motorsport calendar each year, the Norfolk venue is renowned for throwing up thrills and spills – and that theme looks set to continue on what is a pivotal event for many.

Headlining the action will be five titanic encounters from the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship. Lifting the curtain on its campaign at Donington Park last month, the heavyweight behemoths rumble into Snetterton with fireworks set to fly in both classes.

Division 1 currently sees an enthralling battle brewing with Ryan Smith, John Newell, David Jenkins, Stuart Oliver and Martin Gibson all split by just a handful of points. With the battle for supremacy set to intensify, any driver could establish them as the man to beat if they can piece together a strong weekend.

Elsewhere, Division 2 kicked into life with Steven Powell clinching a hat-trick at Donington Park whilst defending champion Luke Garrett also triumphed. Having gone wheel-to-wheel throughout last year, both Powell and Garrett look set to continue their duel for the crown.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres has proven to be as competitive as ever this year and six more races are expected to centre stage. As it stands, there is nothing to separate John Mickel and Daniel Clark at the top of the points.

Both have been at their brilliant best, and they will need to be to remain at the top, as the likes of Miles Rudman, Will Gibson, Connor Mills and Jack Parker will all be keen to make their mark.

Variety is the spice of life when it comes to the Classic Touring Car Racing Club and those in attendance will be able to see saloon cars from decades gone by going wheel-to-wheel across six amalgamated races.

Action from the Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, Shell Oil Pre 83′ Touring Car Championship, Laser Tools Pre-93 Touring Cars Championship, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars Championship, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Products Blue Oval Saloon Series and the Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship will undoubtedly set pulses racing.

Nostalgic tin top thrills will also come in the shape of the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship over the course of the weekend as well, with two breathtaking encounters scheduled to take place.

The Sports Prototype Cup’s sophomore season has been nothing short of sensational thus far and the good times are set to keeping come as the prototype category continues. Alongside the usual runners and riders, one notable addition to the entry list is former Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy – who will be making his debut.

Rounding out the action at Snetterton will be high-octane races from the Mini 7 Racing Club. Last month, the Se7en and Miglia categories took on a starring role alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including where to follow live timing and view the latest entry list, click here.

BARC publishes COVID-19 guidelines for Competitors and Officials

With the restart to racing in the UK now well underway the British Automobile Racing Club has updated its guidelines on how events will be run for both Competitors and Officials.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to adjust some of our practices and procedures in order to satisfy the requirements laid down by the government and most importantly to provide the safest environment possible for everyone involved.

In line with the guidance provided by Motorsport UK, the BARC will operate their race meetings as follows:-

BARC Competitors Guidance (v3 21 July) – CLICK HERE

BARC Officials Guidance (v2 22 July) – CLICK HERE

These guidelines have been put in place with the well-being of staff, competitors, officials and all potential visitors to our venues and events remaining at the forefront of our considerations at all times.

As it stands, all race meetings and events remain provisional and subject to change in accordance with the latest directives from the UK government.

To view the remaining post-lockdown 2021 events schedule, head to https://www.barc.net/events/.

BARC serves up titanic two days of track action at Donington Park

Donington Park played host to a memorable two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (August 22/23) which saw mixed conditions only add to the edge-of-the-seat drama and entertainment.

Descending on the Leicestershire venue for what would turn out to be a weekend to remember, a total of seven championships hit the track and turned on the style for the enthusiastic crowd that was in attendance.

One of the headline acts was the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship and the 1000bhp heavyweight behemoths didn’t disappoint as they served up a feast of thrills and spills across five bruising encounters.

Division 1 saw four-time defending champion Ryan Smith begin his quest for a fifth crown in emphatic fashion on the right foot as he powered his way to a brace of rain wins. Martin Gibson, David Jenkins and John Newell also triumphed, underlining that the class is set to be as wide open as ever in 2020.

Steven Powell enjoyed a solid start in Division 2 as he kicked off his quest for the title in emphatic fashion, winning four out of the five races. The MAN TGX driver was in a league of his own at times and would have completed a clean sweep had it not been for Luke Garrett scoring a win of his own.

Another category to lift the curtain on its condensed 2020 season was the Distrigo C1 Challenge, taking centre stage on Saturday for a three-hour spectacle which ended with the top two being separated by little over half a second.

The Progressive Motorsport Ltd duo of Howard Hayens and Dave Ward narrowly edged out Team Davies after a sensational 91 laps around the 1.98-mile track.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres saw three drivers take home a share of the silverware following six breathless races. Saturday’s triple-header saw Daniel Clark, Will Gibson and Connor Mills take a win each before Gibson and Mill triumphed again on Sunday, the latter a brace.

There was action aplenty in the Max5 Racing Championship over the course of the weekend too as the one-make series starred. Andrew Pretorius reigned supreme in the opening encounter before Paul Roddison scooped the spoils in race two.

The BARC North West Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, made its second appearance of the year with Richard Wood and Luke Armiger taking a win apiece under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action at Donington Park were races from both the BRSCC Mazda MX5 Championship and BRSCC Mazda MX5 Supercup.

To view the full classification of results from all championships and sessions, click here.

BARC revved up for blockbuster weekend at Donington Park

The British Automobile Racing Club is preparing for a blockbuster two days of track action at Donington Park this weekend (August 22/23) with six championships, including the BTRA Truck Racing Championship, set to take centre stage.

In what is always a well-attended event on the national motorsport calendar, the Leicestershire venue will welcome a limited number of spectators to watch a feast of entertainment around the challenging 1.95-mile circuit.

Headlining the weekend’s action will be the five-tonne heavyweight behemoths of the BTRA. Kick-starting their 2020 campaign under the flightpath of East Midlands airport, a bumper grid of trucks will take centre stage with five races scheduled to play out.

Headlining Division 1 is four-time reigning champion Ryan Smith who is chasing a fifth consecutive title. Having been the man to beat in recent years, Smith enters the weekend as the favourite but with the likes of David Jenkins, Stuart Oliver and Simon Reid, amongst others, nothing is guaranteed.

In Division 2, Luke Garrett begins the pursuit of a third successive title and the MAN driver, like Smith, enters the weekend with a target on his back and with Steven Powell, Brad Smith and Simon Cole on the hunt, Garrett will need to be at his brilliant best.

Just over a month since their reschedule season got underway, the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres resumes with its usual blend of wheel-to-wheel, bumper-to-bumper entertainment putting fans on the edge of their seats.

Jack Parker, Miles Rudman, Sy Harraway, John Mickel and Daniel Clark were the early pace-setters at Croft and they will all be worth keeping an eye on, as well as a host of others, across the weekend’s six races.

The Max5 Racing Championship was another category to blast into life at Croft and with grid numbers continuing to rise, the single-make series is building toward a memorable 2020 season.

Jon Halliwell made a triumphant return to the championship last time out and marked it with a double win. Paul Roddison, Sam Hicks, Ian Loversidge, Jeremy Shipley and Andrew Pretorius are just a few of the drivers that will be keen to make their mark during the weekends two encounters.

The Club’s North West Centre will be present over the course of the weekend in the shape of the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship. Running under a multi-class format, the much-loved category began its year at Cadwell Park with Paul Rose and Paul Dobson claiming a win apiece.

Expect those two to be at the sharp end of a grid which has all the hallmarks of encompassing the quote ‘variety is the spice of life’.

Another category that will be making their first appearance of this condensed 2020 season is the C1 Challenge. Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the series has emerged as one of the fastest growing categories in the country since launching midway through 2017.

Armed with a capacity entry list and a three-hour race scheduled to take place on the Saturday, the action is set to be unmissable.

Bringing the curtain down on the track action at Donington Park will be action from the BRSCC Mazda Mx5 Supercup.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing, timetables and entry lists, click here.

Convoy Truck Events to not form part of BTRA race meetings in 2020

The BTRA British Truck Racing Championship will blast back into life at Donington Park later this month however it has been confirmed that the event will not encompass the Convoy in the Park spectacle.

Organised by DVV and Trucksport UK as the ultimate festival of all things trucking, the two-day event celebrates the world’s largest vehicles both on and off the track, along with plenty of fun for all of the family.

Having taken centre stage at Donington Park in recent years, the Convoy Truck Event was set to break new ground in 2020 and stage additional events at Thruxton and Pembrey, as well as the Leicestershire venue.

A statement on the Convoy Truck Events website said: “We are just as disappointed as we know you will be. Things had been looking positive for a couple of weeks, but with the recent rise in Covid-19 cases, local lockdowns and restrictions, we just can’t promise to deliver the kind of show you guys deserve. And we don’t want to deliver anything less.

“The British Truck Racing Championship racing is set to continue at Donington Park on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd August, and under current guidelines spectators will be welcome. So if you were going along to watch the racing, please continue on that basis and visit www.msv.com for tickets.

“But if you were bringing your show truck, or visiting to see the trucks and enjoy the entertainment then we’re afraid for this year it’s the end of the road. To make things as easy as possible, we will be issuing full refunds to everyone who had booked in trucks within the next 14 days. 

“All visitor ticketholders – so those with day tickets, weekend or camping tickets – will be contacted directly by MSV for next steps.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is we are already planning a bigger and better truck bonanza for all three of our Convoys in 2021 – Convoy On The Plain, Convoy In The Park and Convoy Cymru, so please do continue to watch this space.”

Provisional BTRA British Truck Racing Championship 2020 Calendar

August 22/23 – Donington Park

September 19/20 – Snetterton

October 3/4 – Pembrey

November 7/8 – Brands Hatch

BARC announces revised provisional 2020 calendar for remainder of the year

The British Automobile Racing Club can today (June 22) reveal its revised provisional calendar for the remainder 2020; kicking off on July 4/5 and running right the way through until November 22.

Following on from the suspension of UK motorsport in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club has worked tirelessly to put together a calendar with the dates available that will suit each individual championship.

Unfortunately, both the British Hillclimb Championship and BARC Connaught Speed Championship have elected to cancel their 2020 campaigns, with the focus now on 2021.

To view the full revised list of 2020 British Automobile Racing Club race meetings, CLICK HERE.

All dates remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

Those wishing to enter a race meeting can do so via the BARC Competitor Entry System.

For those that do not have a Username to access the BARC Competitor Entry System or if you have a general enquiry, please contact BARC Competitors secretary David Wheadon via 01264 882209 or dwheadon@barc.net.

Guidelines for Competitors and Officials have also been published in relation to how BARC race meetings will operate moving forward. They can be viewed by heading to https://www.barc.net/barc-publishes-covid-19-guidelines-for-competitors-and-officials/ 

BARC & BTRA reaches commercial agreement with Truck Sport UK

The British Automobile Racing Club and British Truck Racing Association are delighted to announce that it has secured an agreement with Truck Sport UK for the promotion and marketing of the 2020 BTRA British Truck Racing Championship.

Maintaining its role as the official organiser of the championship, the BARC will work with Truck Sport UK and Road Transport Media to develop the commercial side of the series; including sponsorship, PR, media relations and promotion.

The new arrangement between all parties has been negotiated with the support of the British Truck Racing Association.

Commenting on the new agreement, BARC Group Chief Executive Ben Taylor said: “There has been a lot of uncertainty around the BTRA Championship in recent months, but I am delighted that we have been able to secure this agreement which is great news for British Truck Racing.

“We believe that Truck Sport are ideally placed to help the BARC and the BTRA take this championship forward and we look forward to getting started immediately.”

The seven-round 2020 season will kick off at Brands Hatch in April before going on to visit Pembrey (twice), Thruxton, Donington Park and Snetterton, before concluding back at Brands Hatch in November for the annual fireworks finale.

As part of Truck Sport UK’s aim to assist with the growth and recognition of the series, the successful ‘Convoy in the Park’ event will return to Donington Park in August, with two additional meetings also planned. ‘Convoy on the Plain’ will be held at Thruxton in late June whilst ‘Convoy Cymru’ will take centre stage at Pembrey in October.