Tag: Caterham Graduates Championship

BARC kicks off 2025 season in style at Donington Park

The British Automobile Racing Club lifted the curtain on its 2025 season in sensational style this past weekend (March 22-23) as a number of championships battled changeable conditions at Donington Park.

TCR UK Championship

It was the dawn of a new era for TCR UK as the championship competed under the BARC banner for the very first time – and it saw two of its most experienced drivers take centre stage as they laid down their markers as credible title contenders.

Adam Shepherd and Callum Newsham entered the new campaign as ones to watch and they duly lived up to all expectations, with Shepherd striking first as he hustled his Cupra to pole position in qualifying.

Shepherd converted his front-row start into a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the opener. Despite having to deal with early pressure from the chasing pack – which was led by the Laidlaw duo – and a safety car interruption, the Capture Motorsport driver was wheel-perfect on his way to top spot.

Race two would see Shepherd double his tally for the weekend as he came through the field on a drying track to win the reverse grid encounter. On a damp track, the grid was split between wet and dry tyres, providing an intriguing spectacle.

Steve Laidlaw rolled the dice to stay on wets and led much of the race however all eyes were on the slick-shod Shepherd and Newsham as they charged forward. Shepherd would ultimately close down a gap of 12 seconds to snatch the win on the penultimate lap ahead of the aforementioned duo.

Newsham was able to end Shepherd’s run of success with a dominant victory in the final race of the weekend – which took several attempts to run. Making a demon start, the Scotsman was never headed as he beat Finn Leslie and Shepherd to the chequered flag.

Milltek Sport Civic Cup

Alongside TCR UK, the Milltek Sport Civic Cup also made its BARC debut under the flightpath of East Midlands airport with two highly entertaining races setting the stall out for what promises to be a season to remember.

Home to the pocket-rocket Honda Civic, the one-make series is billed as a feeder category for TCR UK and has seen a number of promising drivers rise up the ranks in recent years.

At Donington Park, Alistair Camp and former TCR UK champion Lewis Kent underlined their credentials as the leading lights to look out for as they claimed a win apiece around the 1.979-mile National circuit.

Camp snatched pole position by the slender margin on 0.052s in qualifying and duly converted it into victory in race one, pulling clear of Kent and Liam McGill to open his account for the campaign.

Race two proved to be a much closer affair with just six tenths of a second covering the top-three at the finish. This time it was Kent that came out on top as he edged out Harvey Caton and Camp to triumph.

Classic Touring Car Racing Club

Variety was the spice of life when it came to the Classic Touring Car Racing Club as bumper grids of vintage tin top machines went wheel-to-wheel; putting those in attendance and watching online on the edge of their seats.

The Everard Pre-66 Touring Cars rolled back the years with two enthralling encounters, both of which were won by Michael Cullen. The Ford Lotus Cortina driver comfortably beat Oliver Law in race one but had a tougher time of things in race two as he faced competition from Piers Grange.

Cullen came oh-so close to extending his winning streak to the amalgamated Shell Oils Group 1 Touring Cars, Trackhub.uk Pre-93 Touring Cars, Burty Pre-03 Touring Cars and Super Tourers Series contests.

Swapping his Ford Lotus Cortina for a BMW E30 M3, Cullen finished half a second away from Ian Bower in race one while William Davison completed the podium. Nobody would ultimately come close to Bower in race two as he scarpered out front to win by more than 14 seconds.

Bower was a winner in one of the two PRG Trailers Classic Thunder and Rikki Cann Aston Martin Specialist Historic Thunder Saloons races too, with last year’s inaugural champion Colin Voyce claiming the spoils in race two.

Rounding out the Classic Touring Car Racing Club entertainment were two races from the Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series. A haven for Fast Fords, the weekend arguably belonged to Andy Robinson as he clinched a clean sweep in his Ford Falcon.

Junior Saloon Car Championship

The Junior Saloon Car Championship lifted the curtain on a brand-new season with three breathtaking contests delivering three different race winners.

Home to the next generation of racing talent, the budget-conscious series has been a staple of the junior racing pyramid for more than a decade and this year’s edition looks to be as competitive as ever.

With a grid made up of second and third-year racers, as well as promising rookies, the single-make category had everyone enthralled and it was Josh Selvadorai that struck first as he bagged pole position in qualifying.

His moment in victory lane would have to wait though as Wilf Butler scored bragging rights in the opening contest as he triumphed ahead of fellow returnees Luca Masarati and Lewis Stannard.

Selvadorai was imperious in race two though as he pulled out a gap of more than seven seconds to beat Butler, with Masarati a few seconds further adrift in third place.

The weekend’s third and final bout went the way of Stannard as he pulled off a sublime number of overtakes to go from fifth to first. Following him to the chequered flag was Masarati and Oliver Kerr.

P4 Emergency Lighting Caterham Graduates Championship

Some of the biggest and smallest winning margins of the weekend came in the ultra-competitive P4 Emergency Lighting Caterham Graduates Championship – which staged two races for its Sigma 135 Class and two for its Sigma 150 Class.

In the Sigma 135s, nobody was stopping Adam Kene as he stamped his authority on the early championship battle with two exemplary performances.

His first victory saw him triumph by almost 16 seconds ahead of Tom McEwing and Stephen Merritt while win number two saw the same three drivers finish on the podium, although this time the gap was capped at six seconds.

Over in the Sigma 150s, Will Stilwell trounced the opposition to win by more than ten seconds in race one. Things however were much closer when it came to race two.

Paul Goldstein – a double Caterham champion last year – emerged victorious from a captivating contest that saw him eventual beat Max Haynes to the chequered flag by just 0.006s. Stephen Clark was a further four tenths back in third.

Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship

The McDermid family had plenty to celebrate on Sunday night as they reigned supreme in the opening rounds of the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship.

Entering the year as the defending champion, Steve McDermid was wheel-perfect in his MG ZR – which had the number one adorning his window – as he claimed a brace of race wins ahead of his son, Jake McDermid.

There was very little to separate the McDermid duo however behind, Lee Sullivan could only manage to be the best of the rest as he netted a brace of third-place finishes.

To view the full results from all sessions at Donington Park, CLICK HERE.

You can also re-watch all the action via the British Automobile Racing Club YouTube channel, HERE.

Event Information: BARC Season-Opener at Donington Park

Spring is almost upon us, heralding the start of a new motorsport season. Excitement and anticipation fills the air with a packed 2025 British Automobile Racing Club calendar of events getting underway this weekend (22/23 March) with six different championships kicking-off the season.

Donington Park hosts the inaugural timetable, with the two–mile National layout in use for the action this weekend. With so much going on this season – we thought it would be useful to bring together all the important information, so you know what is happening on the BARC calendar this weekend.

When is the next race meeting?
The next event will be held on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd March

Where is it being held?
Donington Park – National Circuit
Address: Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2BN

What is racing this weekend?
TCR UK, Milltek Civic Cup, Adrian Flux MG Owners Club Championship, Classic Touring Car Racing Club classes, Junior Saloon Car Championship and P4 Emergency Lighting Caterham Graduates Championship.

How can I watch?
All of the BARC race weekends will be broadcast live and for free on our YouTube Channel [Link YouTube channel text]. The uninterrupted coverage will feature all the on track drama with commentary, analysis and features throughout the day with over 10 hours across the day with coverage starting just ahead of the first race on Saturday.

For those who want to soak up the on-track action in person – tickets are available on the day from ÂŁ22 or from the Donington Park website from ÂŁ19 with gates opening at 07:30 each day.

What time are things happening on track?

Track action begins just after 09:00 on both days. On Saturday qualifying heads the order in the morning and just after 13:00, we go green with the first race – the opening round of the TCR UK championship with an afternoon of track action to follow. A packed, full day of racing is billed for Sunday with short, sharp races until early evening.

Do you have any more information?

We have a few other handy links that might be useful to help you enjoy your weekend.
Live Timing and Commentary: https://bit.ly/3XMYRzv
Timetable*: https://bit.ly/41YzMUF
Event Information: https://bit.ly/4iKMPP8

* Subject to adjustments prior and during the race meeting

Enjoy the racing. It’s good to be back!

Caterham contingent sign off 2024 season in style at Donington Park

Donington Park provided the backdrop to a thrilling penultimate event of the season for the British Automobile Racing Club this past weekend (October 19/20) as both Caterham Motorsport and the Caterham Graduates Racing Club closed out their 2024 campaigns in thrilling fashion.

More than 50 drivers bid farewell to their novice stickers as the final round of the Caterham Academy Championship provided plenty of entertainment. In the Green Group, Brian Thornton reigned supreme while White Group champion Paul Ogglesby signed off with yet another win.

Not content with staging one race each, both groups amalgamated together for the Autumn Trophy race later on Sunday however nobody could stop Ogglesby from triumphing as he beat Dean Burden and Alex Coombes to the chequered flag by more than six seconds. 

Earlier in the year Bruno van Dyke had been one to watch in the Academy although for the season finale he was invited to step up into the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship – which is the next step up from the Academy on the Caterham Motorsport ladder. 

Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, van Dyke was in a league of his own as he romped to an impressive brace of wins. Two top-four finishes for Paul Goldstein proved enough for him to be crowned champion.

With Ben Timmons having secured an unassailable lead in the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship prior to the finale, the bragging rights of race wins were on the line under the flightpath of East Midlands airport – and the 32-car field didn’t disappoint. 

Charlie Lower was perfection personified across races one and two as he cruised to victory however his chances of completing his hat-trick ended on lap four of the finale when he was forced to retire; which opened the door for Ben Wheatley to triumph. 

The destiny of the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship went down to the wire with Harry Cook capturing the coveted crown ahead of Taylor O’Flanagan after the pair went head-to-head across three captivating contests.

 

O’Flanagan entered the weekend leading the standings after dropped scores were applied however he could only watch on as Cook charged to all three wins and in-doing so, turned the tables to walk away as the new champion.

Over in the Vertex Caterham Seven UK Championship, less than half a second covered the top two in each of the final three races of the season. William Smith was the first to stand on the top step of the podium before Harry Senior came to the fore in race two.

After missing out in each of the previous two bouts, Samuel Smith finally had his moment out front as he closed proceedings with a hard-fought victory in race three ahead of Matthew Armstrong and Paul Donkin. 

Also in attendance at the Leicestershire venue was the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship, with its two classes – the Sigma 135s and Sigma 150s – serving up plenty of edge-of-the-seat moments. 

Jamie Ellwood capped off a memorable year in which he was crowned Sigma 150 champion by winning the opening encounter of the Sigma 135 Class before Giles Derry pipped Megan Bruce to top spot in a thrilling finale. 

Paul Goldstein was crowned champion after a superb charge from the back of the grid in the finale. The title marked the second coveted prize he won over the course of the weekend, having earlier bagged Roadsport honours. 

In the Sigma 150 category, Jack Barlow was wheel-perfect as he clinched a dominant double over Will Stillwell. 

To view the full classification of results from Donington Park, CLICK HERE. 

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – October 19/20

Donington Park will welcome the British Automobile Racing Club this weekend (October 19/20) for an action-packed two days of track action that will be headlined by Caterham Motorsport.

Bringing the curtain down on their 2024 campaign, the Caterham contingent will be out in full forces with races from its Academy, 270R Seven, 310R Seven, Roadsport and Seven UK Championship’s.

In addition, the Caterham Graduates Racing Club will also be in attendance to add further spice to the entertainment.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 19th October | 14:05 | WATCH HERE
Sunday 20th October | 09:15 | WATCH HERE

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meeting at Donington Park, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

All-out action at Anglesey as BARC delights fans in North Wales

The British Automobile Racing Club made its one and only trip of the year to North Wales this past weekend (September 7/8) as a number of championships took centre stage at Anglesey Circuit.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the two-day meeting produced an unmissable spectacle of blockbuster wheel-to-wheel action – with a number of drivers ramping up their pursuits of being crowned champion in their respective categories.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Harry Smith strengthened his title charge with a virtuoso performance as he reigned supreme in style. Pacing the opposition to claim pole position in qualifying, Smith was perfection personified across the opening two races.

Despite coming under pressure at times, the second-year racer didn’t put a wheel wrong and cruised to a pair of lights-to-flag wins whilst his championship rivals filled the remaining spots on the podium.

Smith was also in the fight for overall honours in the weekend’s final contest however the trio of Josh Selvadorai, James Sherrington and Jonathan Moore proved difficult to beat – with Selvadorai ultimately coming out on top.

The North West Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship wrote the latest chapter of its 2024 story with a trio of races to entertain those that were in attendance.

Showcasing a variety of different cars across multiple classes, Jim Hutchinson proved to be the toast of the field as he dominated the meeting in his Ford Escort RSR, scoring a hat-trick of race wins.

No less than seven races were staged by the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship over the course of the weekend, four of which were for the Sigma 135s while the remaining three were for the Sigma 150s.

Variety proved to be the spice of life when it came to the Sigma 135 class as three different drivers stood on the top step of the podium. Paul Goldstein kicked off proceedings with a hard-fought victory in race one before Theo Theato and Adam Kene came to the fore, the latter winning twice.

Things were somewhat more dominant when it came to the Sigma 150 class as Jamie Ellwood served up a clinical display to win all three races. Will Stillwell, Max Haynes and Matthew Willoughby were his closest challengers as they featured on the remaining podium spots.

The Track Action Racing Club concluded the weekend’s entertainment around the picturesque with Paul Roddison – a previous winner of the coveted BARC President’s Cup – triumphing twice in his Volkswagen Scirocco.

Roddison was the benchmark from the get-go however he did have to withstand pressure from the hard-charging Tim Evans in his Audi TT at times.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Anglesey, CLICK HERE.

Caterham contingent battle it out around Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park provided the setting for an action-packed two days of British Automobile Racing Club entertainment this past weekend (July 13/14) as Caterham Motorsport and the Caterham Graduates Racing Club took centre stage to deliver all-out entertainment. 

First-time racers continued their motor racing journeys in the latest round of the Caterham Academy Championship, with one race being staged for the White Group and another for the Green Group.

In the White Group, David Hall fended off the advances of Scott Helme to prevail by more than three seconds while James Hall was unstoppable in the Green Group as he halted Bruno van Dyke’s winning streak to take the chequered flag by more than ten seconds. 

Ben Timmons was perfection personified in the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship as he strengthened his title challenge by clinching a sensational hat-trick of race wins. 

Timmons entered the weekend as the driver to beat and he duly lived up to all expectations as he bounced back from narrowly missing out on pole position to take a victory clean sweep. Ben Wheatley, Lyonel Tollemache, James Emson and Stephen Merritt all tallied podiums behind him.  

Spoils were shared in the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship as Harry Cook and Tom Wyllys both stood on the top step of the podium, Cook doing so twice as he came oh-so close to winning all three races like Timmons.

Cook beat Taylor O’Flanagan to the chequered flag in a pulsating opener before Wyllys then gave it everything he had to try and overhaul the race one winner in the second bout. While he was unable to do so on that occasion, he did finally triumph in the weekend’s finale. 

Over in the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship, only two of the three scheduled races were run, with the spoils of battle going the way of Adam Kene and Paul Goldstein. 

The Sim Motorsport Caterham Graduates Racing Club was also in attendance over the course of the weekend at Cadwell Park and they too didn’t disappoint when it came to delivering wheel-to-wheel thrills.

In the Sigma 135 Class, Jamie Winrow was in a league of his own in races one and two as he led home Goldstein however the tables would turn in race three as the latter would take victory ahead of Tom McEwing and Alaric Barney.

Meanwhile, the Sigma 150 Class saw three different drivers stand on the top step of the podium; underlining just how competitive the one-make series has been since the opening round of the campaign. 

Jamie Ellwood kicked off proceedings by claiming a narrow victory ahead of reigning champion Harry Senior in a tense first race before the current title holder then had his moment in the sun as he edged out Henry Heaton in race two; Heaton would be then be the star of race three.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Cadwell Park, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – July 13/14

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for Cadwell Park this weekend for what promises to be a blockbuster two days of Caterham track action.

Caterham Motorsport will headline proceedings at the Lincolnshire venue with races from their Academy, Roadsport, 270R and 310R Championship’s, while there will also be high-octane thrills from the Caterham Graduates Racing Club.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 13th July | 13:55 | WATCH LIVE
Sunday 14th July | 09:15 | WATCH LIVE

Also taking place from Thursday 10th July through to Sunday 13th July is the 2024 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. Four days of full-throttle action from the famous West Sussex venue will be available to watch on the official Goodwood YouTube channel.

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meetings at Cadwell Park and Goodwood, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

BARC and Caterham serves up memorable outing at Zandvoort

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed an event to remember in mainland Europe this past weekend (May 4/5) as Caterham Motorsport and the Caterham Graduates Racing Club served up a feast of entertainment at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

Taking centre stage at the home of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing – which culminated in the lead drivers being separated by virtually nothing at the line – proved to be the theme of the two-day event.

Aaron Head proved to be an unstoppable force in the Vertex Caterham Seven UK Championship as he blasted his way to a sensational hat-trick of race wins.

Having narrowly missed out on the coveted title to Lewis Thompson last year, Head laid down his marker for the 2024 campaign with a superlative overseas display that saw him not put a wheel wrong. Head triumphed in all three races and was shadowed by Paul Donkin, who clinched a hat-trick of second place finishes himself.

Completing the podium in race one was reigning champion Thompson before William Smith and Sam Smith tallied a third place finish apiece in the remaining two contests.

The Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship – which lays out the next step on the Caterham ladder for those graduating from the Academy – provided similar levels of dominance to that of the Seven UK Championship as its two races saw the same top three stand on the podium.

Paul Goldstein delivered a brace of flawless performances to hold off the charging Jonathan Emery in both bouts whilst Adam Kene filled their mirrors to finish third on both occasions.

Over in the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship, spoils were shared between three drivers – maintaining the status quo from its season-opener at Snetterton last month where no one driver ran away with proceedings.

Lars Hoffman got the better of Taylor O’Flanagan and Hugo Bush to triumph in the opening encounter before Bush charged to victory in race two ahead of Harry Cook and Hoffman. Cook then came to the fore in race three as he edged out O’Flanagan and Bush to tally a memorable win.

The Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship also saw some variety at the sharp end of the field. Ben Timmons continued his fine start to the season with a double win while Toby Ballard also snared a victory, preventing Timmons from clinching a clean sweep.

Ballard and Timmons would finish on the podium in their remaining bouts too along with David Rooke, Nick Bryant and Rrutuj Patki – who also scooped some silverware to bring home with them.

Completing the weekend’s track action at Zandvoort were two races from the always entertaining SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship.

Boasting a bumper entry list, former champion Jamie Ellwood underlined his credentials behind the wheel with a commanding victory in race one as he led home Thomas Horton and Bren Maude.

Not content with claiming runners-up laurels in race one, Horton would strike back in race two to reign supreme as he clinched the chequered flag ahead of James McCall and Harry Cramer.

To view the full results from all sessions at Zandvoort, CLICK HERE.

All of the action is also available to watch on the BARC YouTube channel HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend // May 4-5

The British Automobile Racing Club returns LIVE to YouTube this weekend with two days of wheel-to-wheel action being broadcast from Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

On what promises to be a thrilling visit to the home of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, Caterham Motorsport will take centre stage with their 270R, 310R, Roadsport and Seven UK Championship’s writing the latest chapter in their 2024 campaigns.

Joining them on this unmissable away day will be two races from the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship as well.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 4th May – Zandvoort – 12:00 (UK Time) – WATCH HERE

Sunday 5th May – Zandvoort – 07:45 (UK Time) – WATCH HERE

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meetings at Zandvoort, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

BARC delivers Brands Hatch blockbuster on Easter Sunday and Monday

The British Automobile Racing Club concluded its blockbuster Easter bank holiday weekend at Brands Hatch on Sunday and Monday (March 31/April 1) with seven more championships bursting into life to kick-start their 2024 campaigns in action-packed style.

Taking centre stage in front of a bumper crowd at the Kent venue, no less than 21 races played out around the challenging 1.2-mile Indy circuit – each of which were packed with the traditional thrills (and occasional spills) that fans have become accustomed to. 

Headlining the action were five heavyweight contests from the British Truck Racing Championship, which this year again boasted another ultra-competitive grid across both of its classes. 

In Division 1, reigning eight-time champion and title favourite Ryan Smith dominated proceedings on the first day of running as he powered his Daimler Freightliner to pole position and back-to-back race wins in commanding fashion. 

Unfortunately Smith was unable to repeat the feat on Easter Monday as windscreen issues plagued him in a handful of races. Instead, local driver Steven Powell would score a brace of his own whilst David Jenkins also opened his account for the year with a win in the finale.

Division 2 was ultimately all about one driver; defending champion Paul Rivett. Returning with NAPA Racing UK for a second successive season, Rivett enjoyed a dream weekend as he scooped all five Division 2 wins and even scored the overall victory in race four. 

The Junior Saloon Car Championship launched its 10th Anniversary season in superlative style with second-year racer Harry Smith showing his class by taking a clean sweep of pole positions and race wins.

Continuing to serve as a launchpad for drivers aged 14 to 17, the one-make series demonstrated why it remains on the UK’s premier junior championships with two entertaining bouts. 

Smith, who was one of the leading lights last year, underlined his credentials as being a star for the future as he charged to victory ahead of Jonathan Moore and James Sherrington, who each claimed a brace of podiums. 

Matt Simpson began his pursuit of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship on the right foot as he claimed two of the three race wins that were up for grabs, while Allen Cooper scored the remaining victory. 

Following the news that two-time champion Reece Jones will not be competing this year, the battle for supremacy in the series is set to be wide open, and Simpson wasted no time in establishing himself as the lead contender to possibly capture the crown.

Near capacity grids and close-quarter racing was the story of the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship, which served up no less than four races during the weekend – each of which proved to be as captivating as the previous one.

Tom McEwing and Paul Goldstein claimed a win apiece in the two Sigma 135 races whilst Jamie Ellwood and reigning double champion Harry Senior emerged victorious from the remaining two thrilling Sigma 150 contests. 

Andy Preece made a flying start to life in the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship – which was boasting one of its most competitive entries in recent years – as he opened his 2024 account with two narrow victories. 

At the wheel of his MG ZR, Preece fended off Mark Baker and Martin Willis in a pulsating opening encounter before then repeating the feat in race two, this time with Steve McDermid and Ryley Price as his main protagonists. 

Elsewhere, Ross Alexander was wheel-perfect in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport as he claimed a clean sweep of race wins.

Looking to build on an encouraging 2023 campaign, the MINI Cooper S driver had the measure of last year’s overall victor Stephen Berry and the rest of the field to comfortably romp to a hat-trick of victories, laying his marker down as the one to beat in the process. 

Rounding out the bank holiday action at Brands Hatch were two races from Track Action, which is previously went by the name of the Track Attack Race Club. Gareth Porter and Paul Roddison proved to be the cream of the crop from the budget-conscious category as they each snared a win apiece.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Brands Hatch, click here. 

SIM Motorsport announced as new title sponsors of Caterham Graduates

SIM Motorsport has announced an exciting new partnership with the Caterham Graduates Racing Club, which will see them named as title sponsors for the 2024 season. 

As operators of the UK’s ultimate race car simulator experience centres, this collaboration further solidifies SIM Motorsport’s commitment to making motorsport available and accessible to everyone.

“We are elated to take the helm as the title sponsor for CGRC, a fantastic organisation that shares our passion for the thrill of motorsport,” said Rob Oldland, Commercial Director of SIM Motorsport.

“This collaboration represents a perfect fusion of virtual and real-world racing, and we look forward to exploring the exciting opportunities it affords.”

Matthew Willoughby, CGRC Club Chairman, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome SIM Motorsport as our title sponsor. Their approach to motorsport and their wide range of offerings – providing fun, inclusive, competitive and cost effective racing for everyone, novice or otherwise – absolutely aligns with the values and spirit of the club.”

The 2024 SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship commences at Brands Hatch over the Easter bank holiday weekend, 31 March – 1 April.

BARC North West Centre delivers action-packed Oulton Park finale

The British Automobile Racing Club’s North West Centre brought the curtain down on its 2023 season this past Saturday (October 14) with an action-packed race day around Oulton Park’s challenging International layout. 

Battling heavy showers and sunny intervals at the picturesque Cheshire venue, a total of four championships took centre stage on the 2.692-mile circuit to serve up a fitting finale which included an abundance of high-octane thrills and captivating moments.

There was plenty to celebrate when it came to the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship – the North West Centre’s flagship category – as the multi-class series marked its 40th Anniversary in style with two pulsating contests.

Having become an integral part of the UK national motorsport scene over the course of the past four decades, the championship closed out another memorable campaign with a bumper grid, which exceeded 30 cars, all vying for glory.

Entering the weekend as one the favourites to triumph, Roddie Patterson enjoyed a superlative day as he stormed to a brace of race wins behind the wheel of his Caterham C400. 

Despite missing out on pole position to Andrew Southcott in his MG Midget Lenham, Paterson capitalised on Southcott’s early retirement to take a commanding victory in race one as he triumphed by more than six seconds ahead of outgoing champion Jon Woolfitt and Garry Wardle.

Race two proved to be a much closer affair as Paterson doubled his tally for the day with a superlative victory by a little over half a second, despite having to contend with a brief safety car period at mid-distance.

Hounding him all the way to the chequered flag was the Subaru Impreza of Oliver Thomas whilst Thom Evans completed the rostrum by crossing the line in third in his Caterham Duratec.

The Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship delivered its fair share of edge-of-the-seat entertainment too, especially as there proved to be little to separate those that were battling for overall victory. 

In the opening bout for the Sigma 135 category, Rrutuj Patki blasted his way to the top step of the podium by the narrowest of margins – 0.022 seconds to be exact – as he edged out Ben Winrow whilst Tom Power was a distant third.

Ben Wheatley was then perfection personified in the day’s second race as he clinched a commanding lights-to-flag victory ahead of Alex Vincent and Steven Lancaster.

Small margins continued to be a theme of the Caterham Graduates contingent when it came to the combined Sigma 150 and Sigmax races, as a further two different drivers charged to glory. 

Less than a second split Philip Bianchi and newly crowned double champion Harry Senior in a pulsating opener, with the aforementioned Bianchi coming out on top before Will Stilwell then got the better of Thomas Horton by tenth of a second in race two. 

Over in the Kumho BMW Championship, which is home to all models of the iconic Bavarian brand, spoils were shared between Jason West and Bryan Bransom as they each chalked up a victory apiece.

James Card and Kevin Clarke each added to their silverware collections too as they also featured on the podium.

Closing out the day’s track action at Oulton Park were a trio of races from The Super Series by the British Superkart Racing Club and as has been the case on a number of occasions this year, nobody could stop from Liam Morley from claiming a clean sweep of race wins.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Oulton Park, CLICK HERE.