Tag: Classic Touring Car Championship

Snetterton scorcher expected to come from BARC categories

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Snetterton this weekend (August 4/5) with five championships ready to set pulses racing over two action-packed days.

With its blend of tight corners and flowing straights, the Norfolk circuit is the perfect backdrop for what is set to be a scorching weekend both on and off the track.

Topping the bill will be the Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge, which will stage two endurance encounters. Making waves this year already with its inaugural 24-hour race in the UK and big grids at all events, the series has become one the leading lights within the BARC’s long list of categories.

Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the one-make series is set for another memorable weekend with a four-hour and one hour race.

Boasting an entry list of more than 40 machines and north of 100 drivers, Snetterton is set to catch C1 fever as the series writes another milestone in its short history.

If Saturday belongs to the C1 Challenge taking centre stage then Sunday is all about the Classic Touring Car Championship. With its diverse mix of iconic tin top machines and multiple classes, classics will be the norm on day two with a total of eight races being run.

Those in attendance will see the Paul Inch – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, CTCRC Group 1 Touring Car Championship, Envirotec Hygiene Services Pre-93 Touring Cars, YourITman Pre-2003 Touring Cars, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series and the MRF Motorsport Tyres Classic & Historic Thunder Saloon Championship all in action – and delivering edge-of-the-seat thrills.

Ben Palmer will look to continue his march towards a second successive Michelin Clio Cup Series title as he bids for wins 11 and 12. Palmer has won every single race so far this season and has shown no signs of slowing down either. Tyler Lidsey and Ben Colburn are just some of the contenders all vying to stop the #1 drivers charge.

There will be plenty of racing from the APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship as well. Another category that has flourished with big grids this season, the one-make series is better than ever and with a host of leading contenders coming to the fore.

Across the different classes, keep a close eye on Declan Dolan, Oliver Gibson, Jonathan Curry, Robert Winrow and Peter Tattersall – all of who m lead the way in their respective championships.

Rounding out the weekend’s racing will be action from the Kumho BMW Championship, home to some of the most infamous machines the German manufacturer have put into production.

For more information on this weekend’s event, including timetable and entry lists, click here.

Seven championships kickstart campaigns in Silverstone thriller

Seven championships from the British Automobile Racing Club kicked off their 2018 seasons this past weekend (March 24/25) at Silverstone.

Tackling the National layout of the popular venue, high sped edge-of-the-seat thrills were on order in contrasting conditions of rain and sun.

Battling the wet weather on Saturday, the Hyundai Coupe Cup roared into life with a record 24-car entry list. Now entering what is it’s third full season as a standalone series, the one-make tin top category produced a memorable two encounters around Northamptonshire venue.

Like he did on countless occasions last year, Steve Kite proved to be the man to beat as he stormed to a brace of victories, both by more than three seconds. Kite fended off Alex Cursley and Wayne Rockett in the opener before then leading Rockett and Neil Hurren in race two.

The theme of dominant doubles continued in the Michelin Clio Cup Series as Ben Palmer kickstarted his title defence in fine style. With the number one adorning his car for this year, Palmer underlined why he is the benchmark by romping to victory by more than 19 seconds in race one ahead of Simon Freeman and John Hamilton.

Both Hamilton and Freeman locked out the podium in race two but both could only watch on again as Palmer took the chequered flag, this time by just two seconds. In the Road class, Nic Harrison also enjoyed a strong start to the defence of his crown by picking up a pair of wins.

In the Renault UK Clio Cup Junior Championship, Nick Reeve had a dream debut as he took a clean sweep, claiming a pair of pole positions and then converting them into wins.

A five-car entry produced plenty of thrills ’n’ spills with Gus Burton winning on the road in race one after making a robust move on Reeve on the penultimate lap. Following a review, the positions were swapped by officials, giving Reeve the win.

The Specialized Motorsport driver proved to be in a league of his own in race two as he led Lorcan Hanafin and Burton to vault himself to the top of the championship standings.

Ben Kasperczak was in similar form in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, another one-make series that caters for drivers 14 to 17-years-old. At the wheel of his brightly coloured Citroen Saxo, Kasperczak stormed to a brace of victories to establish himself at the helm of the points.

Jemma Moore, Steven Chandler, Tony Rodriguez and Lewis Saunders all also picked up silverware across the two races too.

In the Mighty Minis Championship, Scott Kendall kicked off the defence of his title in style with an impressive victory in race one, taking the chequered flag ahead of Neven Kirkpatrick by four tenths of a second – a sizeable gap in Mini terms.

Race two proved to be a much tighter affair with a host of cars all dicing for top spot. In the end, Jo Polley made it a debut to remember as she took the win ahead of Greg Jenkins, Kendall and Kirkpatrick – a mere tenth of a second covering the four of them.

A diverse range of tin top thrills were also provided by the Classic Touring Car Racing club, which boasted more than 80 cars competing in a range of classes.

The amalgamated Classic, Historic Thunder Saloons & Blue Oval Saloon Series races brought outright victories the way of Dale Gent and Dave Cockell. The Pre 66 Classic Saloon & Historic Touring Cars saw Jonathan Lewis emerge victorious in both races at the wheel of his Mini Cooper S.

Rounding out the action at Silverstone was two races from the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship. Catering for fans of single seater machines from yesteryear, Mike Gardner and Benn Tilley were the drivers to beat as they shared the spoils, taking a win apiece.

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

Classic Touring Cars and Coupe Cup serve up feast of action at Mallory Park

The British Automobile Racing Club’s bank holiday Monday (May 28) visit to Mallory Park proved to be a memorable one as the Classic Touring Car Championship and Hyundai Coupe Cup produced plenty of wheel-to-wheel thrills.

Basking under the bright sunshine, both categories dually entertained those in attendance as ten action-packed races were run on the day.

A majority of the encounters came from the Classic Touring Car Championship, which boasted bumper and diverse grids – of which some were amalgamated together.

The MRF Classic & Historic Thunder Saloons & Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series saw Dale Gent score a brace of victories at the wheel of his Subaru Impreza, each by more than six seconds to his nearest rival, which was Adrian Hawkins on both occasions.

Ray West notched a double of his own as he piloted his BMW M3 to two wins in the Envirotec Pre 93, YourITMan Pre 03 & Toyo Tires Pre 05 Touring Cars races. Steve Barden and Simon Ward were the nearest challengers to West in the end, each taking a second and third place finish each.

There was a win apiece for Alan Greenhalgh and David Heale in the two Paul Inch Pre 66 Classic Saloon & Historic Touring Cars races whilst Mark Osboure and Stephen Primett banked a victory each in the Pre 83 Group 1 Touring Cars races.

In the Hyundai Coupe Cup, spoils were shared between Steve Kite and Alex Cursley. Entering the weekend as the man to beat, winning a majority of the races from behind the wheel of his Misty Racing machine, Kite further established himself as the dominant force.

Qualifying third behind Cursely and fellow front-runner Wayne Rockett, Kite scythed his way to the front of the field, bringing the aforementioned duo with him. As the top three scrapped to the chequered flag, Kite held on to score another victory whilst Rockett and Cursely followed.

A mere 0.639s separated the trio as they crossed the line, with the next driver on the road trailing them by more than 12 seconds.

Race two saw Cursely finally land his maiden win of the 2018 campaign. Like Kite, Cursely started the race from the second row of the grid but was not to be denied as he stormed to the front of the field, and on to victory, with less than a second covering himself, Kite and Rockett by the end of it all.

For the full classification of results, click here.

The Classic Touring Car Championship is next in action at Rockingham on June 16 whilst the Hyundai Coupe Cup visits the same venue on August 4.
For more information click here