Tag: Dunlop Endurance Championship

Rockingham serves up BARC weekend to remember

It was all-out action at Rockingham this past weekend (April 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club produced a blockbuster two days of racing, with a host of championships coming to the fore.

On what was the first of what are set to be many visits that the Club will make to the Corby circuit over the course of the 2018 campaign, wheel-to-wheel edge-of-the-seat thrills were on order from the get-go.

The Dunlop Endurance Championship roared into life for a new season with another jaw-dropping array of cars and drivers making up the entry list. In the shorter 50-minute sprint race, Richard Neary powered his Mercedes AMG GT GT3 to victory ahead of the Ferrari 458 GT3 pairing of David Mason and Ross Wylie.

Neary notched a second sprint race win later in the day as the longer two-hour endurance race began to unfold. Following a total of 79 laps being completed, Andreas Demetriou and Luke Williams of Black Mamba Racing stormed to take the chequered flag, a mere three seconds ahead of the KTM X-Bow duo of Mike McCollum and Sean Cooper.

Ben Palmer continued his dominance of the Michelin Clio Cup Series, making it four wins from four races with another double at Rockingham. Living up the mantel of defending champion, Palmer once again swept his way to the top step of the podium in both races, further strengthening his position at the top of the points. The road class saw Nic Harrison win twice too.

The Renault UK Clio Cup Junior Championship saw similar levels of dominance with Gus Burton propelling himself to the top of the point’s standings after notching two wins.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Joel Wren staked his claim as a credible title contender with a double of his own. In what turned out to be another frenetic weekend for the Citroen Saxo category, Wren made a lightening start in race one to take a commanding lights-to-flag victory.

Despite finishing second on the road in race two, Wren was declared the winner following a post-race exclusion for Ben Kasperczak, making it a dream weekend for him. Kasperczak picked up a rostrum finisher in the opener with Steven Chandler. Frankie Taylor and Charlotte Birch meanwhile scored silverware in race two.

Scott Kendall and Nevan Kirkpatrick shared the spoils in the Mighty Minis Championship whilst the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw two wins go the way of Lee Sullivan in his MG ZR.

The curtain lifted on a new season for the Classic VW Cup with a variety of different models from the German brand doing battle. In what proved to be two thrilling encounters, Daniel Rose and Ken Lark proved to be in a league of their own, with Rose narrowly getting the better of Lark in his Golf to take both wins.

Rounding out the action at Rockingham was the new-for-2018 BARC Saloon Series, which also encompassed the Dream Automotive Honda VTEC Challenge. Open to all manner of saloon cars, the latest series to align itself with the Club enjoyed a strong first showing.

Robert Burkinshaw claimed race honours both in the overall and the VTEC Challenge classifications whilst Alistair Lindsey and Jacob Carter took a win apiece in the BARC Saloons classification.

For the full race results from every championship, click here.

Four championships gearing up for Oulton Park race day

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Oulton Park this Saturday (June 23) for what is set to be a full-throttle day of track action around the picturesque International layout.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, four championships will do battle to write the latest chapter in their 2018 memoirs.

Topping the bill will be the hugely popular Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship. Continuing to go from strength-to-strength under the stewardship of Claire Hedley, a 50-minute sprint race and two-hour encounter will take place in the afternoon.

Boasting a bumper entry list of jaw-dropping machinery and top names, both the Sprint and Endurance categories are beginning to heat up. Maximum Motorsport’s Stewart Lines and Adam Morgan currently lead the way in the Endurance series, however with Morgan on BTCC duties this weekend Lines has had to draft in a new team-mate. Step forward former BTCC racer Mat Jackson.

Piloting the teams SEAT Cupra, Jackson will get back behind the wheel and will be keen to taste champagne as he targets victory. The pair will have to keep on their toes though as the pairing of Matt Greenwood and Sarah Moore lead the chasing pack, which is quickly followed up by Andreas Demetriou and Luke Williams.

Elsewhere in the Sprint standings, Tim Docker is the benchmark driver at the moment at the wheel of his VW Scirocco. Richard Neary and the duo of Alex Day and Robert Day are in hot pursuit of Docker arriving at Oulton Park.

As the flagship category for the BARC North West Centre, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship will undoubtedly deliver a banquet of thrills ’n’ spills. Staging just a single 20-minute plus one lap race, expect there to be plenty of action.

Running under a multi-class system, all manner of cars compete in the series, and with the engine sizes being so vast, there literally is action right throughout the field. Paul Rose and Jamie Cryer took an outright win apiece at Cadwell Park last time out and with Paul Dobson, David Harvey, Oliver Thomas and Tony Ellis, amongst others, joining those two in contention, it is anybody’s race to take this weekend.

The Classic 2CV parts.com Championship will roll back the years with two 20-minute encounters poised to keep fans on the edge of their seats. One of the most low cost categories to compete within in the UK, the 2CV series continues to garner interest and big grids, thus adding up to exciting races.

Whilst the speeds aren’t the highest, overtaking is high on the agenda and there will likely be plenty of it at Oulton Park. Peter Sparrow, reigning champion Lien Davis, Tom Perry, Sandro Proietti and Luca Proietti are just a handful of names to keep a watchful eye on during the day – all of them having known what it takes to succeed.

Rounding off the action at the Cheshire venue will be two races from the Kumho BMW Championship. Bringing together some of the most iconic models from the German manufacturer onto the same piece of tarmac, the championship has a long and rich history.

Marking the half-way point in the season, the sweeping curves of Oulton Park are set to add another twist in the tail. The multi-class format of the championships means that there are battles running throughout the field, not just at the sharp end, lending itself to dramatic wheel-to-wheel duels.

Notable names to look out for over the course of the day include Colin Wells, Ian Crisp, Russell Dack, Kevin Denwood, Giuseppe Callari and Darren Morgan-Owen.

Britcar headlines BARC weekend at Silverstone

A handful of British Automobile Racing Club championships are set to make their mark this weekend (May 12/13) as they head to Silverstone.

Taking to the iconic Grand Prix circuit, four BARC categories will duke it out for supremacy with Britcar Endurance headlining with its vast array of machinery.

More than 35 cars are expected to contest the second event of the season, a 50-minute sprint race which is then later followed by the customary two-hour endurance encounter.

Blending the likes of Ferrari 458 GT3’s and Ginetta G50’s, amongst a host of other jaw-dropping cars, the championship has continued its meteoric rise over the past couple of years, with 2018 no different.

Arriving at the Northamptonshire-based venue, the Sprint category sees a host of drivers in early contention for outright honours. The Mercedes of Richard Neary scored two wins at Rockingham and will likely be a threat again whilst Ferrari duo David Mason and Ross Wylie will be keen to add to their silverware collections. Add into the mix the BMW of Mike Moss and Tom Howard and you begin to build a picture of how competitive this year’s crop of drivers is.

Elsewhere in the Endurance standings, Black Mamba Racing duo Andy Demetriou and Luke Williams will have their sights set on building on what was a dream opening weekend at the wheel of their Ginetta G55.

The APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship resumes during the weekend too after last racing in mid-March at Oulton Park. Another to boast a significant entry list, two 20-minute encounters, with all classes being amalgamated, will be run around Silverstone.

Notable names to look out for include Oliver Gibson, Lee Collins, Declan Dolan and Graeme Smith who lead the Sigmax, Sigma, Mega and Classic classes respectively.

Single seater action comes in the form of the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship, who are making their second visit to Silverstone this year. Bringing together some of the most desirable open-wheeled machines from yesteryear, the championship continues to produce edge-of-the-seat thrills.

Benn Tilley and Mike Gardner shared the spoils the last time the series hit the track and both will be keen to top the podium once again.

The Kumho BMW Championship is also set for action this weekend in what will also be their second event of the season. Roaring into life at Brands Hatch over the on Easter Sunday, the championship has once again attracted a big grid with drivers competing in all manner of models from the popular German manufacturer.

Colin Wells, Ian Crisp, Gareth Montgomery, Kevin Denwood and Russell Dack leading the long list of potential front runners to keep a watchful eye on.

Capping off the racing around the home of British motorsport will be the MSA British Superkarts Championship and Speed Group OSS Championship.

British Truck Racing Association Championship stars on memorable BARC weekend at Snetterton

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed a memorable final visit to Snetterton for the 2018 season this past weekend (September 8/9) as five championships continued their campaigns.

Headlining the action were seven races from the British Truck Racing Association Championship. Having been out of action since late July, the heavyweight behemoths of the BTRA returned with title battles further intensifying.

Division 1 had looked like it would take on a familiar feel as reigning champion Ryan Smith set his stall out as the man to beat in qualifying, storming to pole position. Converting his front row start into a superlative victory in race one however that was to be his only triumph as others came to the fore.

Simon Reid, Terry Gibbon and David Jenkins, who triumphed when both Division 1 and Division 2 were combined, shared the spoils to round off the seventh event of the season.

Luke Garrett took another step closer to Division 2 glory as he bagged a brace of wins whilst Steve Powell and Brad Smith also picked up a victory apiece as well.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship enjoyed a milestone moment at the Norfolk venue too as it staged its 500th race in the second encounter of the weekend. David O’Regan emerged victorious from race one, heading Dale Gent and Reece Jones.

Reigning champion Scott Bourne wrote his name into the history books later in the day as he triumphed in the series’ marque race. In a league of his own, Bourne headed O’Regan and Gent to keep his title aspirations firmly alive.

Connor O’Brien was perfection personified in the pair of Mighty Minis Championship races as he surged to a pair of victories. A dominant drive in race one saw O’Brien take the chequered flag by more than 17 seconds ahead of David Kirpatrick and Alex Comis.

The Super Mighty Minis hotshot then headed Nevan Kirkpatrick and championship protagonist Jo Polley to make it a weekend to remember.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres saw two contrasting days at Snetterton as the title battle took another pivotal swing. On Saturday, Stephen Whitelegg affirmed his status as one to watch as he produced a scintillating hat-trick of wins.

Day two during the weekend saw Miles Rudman, Marcus Pett and Matthew Pape each take a win

Rounding off the weekend were a brace of races from the Dunlop Endurance Championship. Laurent de Meeus and Jamie Stanley dominated in the Sprint category as they piloted their FF Corse Ferrair 488 Challenge machine to victory in the shorter 50-minute duels.

The longer two-hour race was won by the KTM X-Bow pairing of Mike McCollum and Sean Cooper in their Track Focused – Oakfields Advisors Ltd-backed car.

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

British Truck Racing Association Championship headlines bumper BARC event at Snetterton

The British Truck Racing Association Championship returns to action this weekend (September 8/9), headlining what is set to be a bumper two days of track action around the long straights and demanding curves of Snetterton.

As the 2018 campaign moves towards the business end of the season, title battles are set to further intensify around the Norfolk circuit with five categories primed and ready to duke it out.

Having not competed since late July at Donington Park, the British Truck Racing Association Championship will pick up where it left off with a scheduled eight races set to be run and a 23-driver entry list confirmed.

In Division 1, reigning champion Ryan Smith has been a one-man juggernaut at times and has built up a sizeable advantage at the summit of the standings. On course to retain his crown, Smith could well put himself in an even stronger position this weekend if he adds to his impressive win tally.

Smith’s nearest challengers as it stands is former champion David Jenkins and multiple race winner Jamie Anderson, both of whom are not to be discounted. Other drivers to keep an eye on include ten-time champion Stuart Oliver, Luke Taylor and Richard Collett.

Luke Garrett finds himself in a similarly comfortable position at the top of Division 2 and the MAN driver will be keen to replicate the clean sweep he recorded at Donington Park. With 15 victories to his name thus far, Garrett will have his sights set on the top step of the podium.

Bidding to reel Garrett back in is Brad Smith, Steve Powell, John Powell, John Bowler and Simon Cole, amongst others.

The Dunlop Endurance Championship will bring a jaw-dropping array of GT machinery to Snetterton for a 50-minute sprint race and a longer two-hour encounter as well.

Matt Greenwood and Sarah Moore currently hold top spot in the Endurance rankings whilst Michael Igoe and Adam Wilcox lead the way in the Sprint category. With another bumper entry list confirmed, which includes Renault UK Clio Cup series leader Max Coates, this weekend is set to be an enthralling one for Britcar.

Lea Wood and Scott Bourne will resume their battle in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship with a pair of races set to write the latest chapter in what has been a memorable season. As it stands, there is nothing to separate the pair at the top of the points.

Whilst Wood is gunning for his maiden championship in the popular series, Bourne is bidding to make it back-to-back triumphs and a slip up for either of them could prove costly in the remainder of the season.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres campaign will resume at Snetterton too with John Mickel aiming to retain his title. In what has been a frenetic season for the Legends contingent, wheel-to-wheel thrills and spills are all but guaranteed at Snetterton as 25 cars get ready to battle it out across six races.

Behind Mickel; Steve Whitelegg, Miles Rudman, Jack Parker, Sean Smith and Paul Simmons are all firmly in title contention and could make their own impact.

Rounding off the action at Snetterton will be a set of races from the Mighty Minis Championship. Despite being small in size, Mighty Minis pack a big punch and fans can expect to witness cars four abreast on countless occasions. Jo Polley has been a revelation of sorts this year and enters the weekend as the form driver.

Bumper two days of action lie ahead at Rockingham

Rockingham is set for a blockbuster weekend (April 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club as a host of championships descend on the Corby venue for two days of flat-out action.

Marking the first of several visits the Club will make to the circuit during the course of the 2018 season, fans are set to be treated to a diverse range of pulsating races over the course of the event.

Boasting a variety of jaw-dropping machinery, Britcar’s Dunlop Endurance Championship is back for another season and the curtain will raise on the 2018 campaign at Rockingham.

With marques such as Ginetta, Ferrari, Porsche, Radical and BMW, to name a few, being represented on the grid, there is something for everyone as the championship roars into life with a 50-minute sprint race and two hour endurance encounter.

The Renault UK Clio Cup Junior Championship continues at Rockingham with rounds three and four taking place. A four-car grid will duke it out this weekend with Nicholas Reeve the man everyone is chasing after enjoying a dream debut at the season-opener.

Bagging both victories, Reeve and the Specialized Motorsport squad enter the event as the ones to beat however Lorcan Hanafin, Louis Doyle and Gus Burton will all be hoping to topple the youngster.

There will be tin top action for drivers aged 14 to 17 in the Junior Saloon Car Championship this weekend too. Renowned for how cost effective it is and giving drivers the perfect stepping stone from karting, the JSCC has long been a proving ground for racers to go on to big and better things.

With some familiar names and returning faces making up the class of 2018 this year, it is all to play for however the early title contender is Ben Kasperczak, who bagged a pair of wins at Silverstone in late March. Whilst the likes of Jemma Moore, Tony Rodriguez and others will be aiming to beat the rapid youngster, Kasperczak sits in the box seat as it stands.

Reigning Michelin Clio Cup Series champion Ben Palmer finds himself in a similar position too after coming off the back of two wins at Silverstone. Securing a late deal to be on the grid, Palmer asserted his dominance early on and will be a favourite for sure at Rockingham.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owner’s Club Championship is another series that is hitting the track for a second time this season at the weekend. Bringing together some of the most iconic cars that the illustrious brand has produced over countless decades, there is something for everyone during

Iconic is one word to describe the Mini brand and in the Mighty Mini Championship, the popular car is celebrated with edge-of-the-seat thrills ’n’ spills. Pitting the Mighty and Super Mighty classes together on the same grid, wheel-to-wheel battles are the norm with notable names such as Scott Kendall and Jo Polley being drivers to look out for.

Capping off what is set to be a frenetic two days of racing this weekend is the BARC Saloon Series, Honda VTEC Challenge and Classic VW Cup. Sharing grids throughout Sunday, these trio of categories are set to provide some of the best saloon races around, with a diverse range of cars and models going head-to-head with each other.