Tag: MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport

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

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for Norfolk this weekend (August 19/20) for the first of two race meetings at Snetterton this month.

Taking centre stage around the 300 layout across Saturday and Sunday, Caterham Motorsport will headline proceedings with all five of their championships continuing their respective 2023 campaigns.

Joining them will be the runners and riders from the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport, Snetterton Saloons and the British Superkarts Racing Club.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with all the action that is being broadcast live:

SNETTERTON

Saturday 19th August // 12:45 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 20th August // 08:45 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meeting, CLICK HERE.

Bumper crowd savours blockbuster Convoy on the Plain at Thruxton

Thruxton Circuit provided the setting for an unmissable two days of on and off-track entertainment this past weekend (July 8/9) as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage on home turf for Convoy on the Plain. 

Living up to its promise of being a festival for all things trucking, a bumper crowd flocked through the gates of the Hampshire venue to soak up everything from wheel-to-wheel racing and dazzling show trucks to real life transformers and live music – plus much more. 

Whilst there was plenty to see and do off-track, edge-of-the-seat thrills were in full force on it as no less than seven championships tackled the fastest circuit in the UK; with the British Truck Racing Championship topping the bill.

Returning to action after a near two-month hiatus, the heavyweight behemoths left a lasting impression as they produced four blockbuster contests around the 2.356-mile layout.

Division 1 spoils were split between Ryan Smith, Stuart Oliver and John Bowler while Paul Rivett and John Powell claimed a pair of wins apiece in Division 2. Those triumphs however were somewhat overshadowed by a scary incident that took place in the weekend’s fourth race on Sunday afternoon.

Approaching mid-distance in the contest, series newcomer Neil Yates suffered a throttle pedal jam upon entry into Allard which resulted in his DAF hitting the armco barrier and rolling over the catch fence. 

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the incident however the lengthy clean up operation resulted in the BTRC’s final bout – as well as the Pickup Truck Racing Championship’s third race – being cancelled.

Prior to the Pickup Truck Racing Championship’s finale being canned, the series had enjoyed a memorable outing with defending champion Reece Jones bolstering his title charge with a near wheel-perfect double-winning performance.

In the Kumho BMW Championship, Jason West and Michael Vitulli chalked up a win each whilst Ross Alexander and Freddie Hewitt did the same in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport. 

Elsewhere, Scott Bugner and Steve McDermid’s captivating back-and-forth battle for supremacy in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship further intensified as the pair enjoyed a share of the spoils on Sunday. 

Fine margins proved to be the difference when it came down to the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship. Richard Groom and Ben Wheatley scored a victory each in the two Sigma 135 bouts whilst Amanda Anderson and Harry Senior topped the rostrum in the amalgamated Sigma 150/Sigmax races.

The weekend also saw a triumphant return for OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires stalwart Wayne Rockett. Having previously announced he was stepping back from the popular single-make series, a resurgent Rockett reigned supreme around his home track to win twice.

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

All of the weekend’s action from Thruxton is also available to watch on the BARC’s official YouTube channel HERE.

BARC delivers Cadwell Park cracker of a weekend

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed a bumper two days of wheel-to-wheel entertainment at Cadwell Park this past weekend (April 15/16) as a further seven championships lifted the curtain on their 2023 campaigns. 

On what was the first of two visits to the popular Lincolnshire venue this year – the second coming in late July – the Club staged no less than 23 races across Saturday and Sunday, with each of them putting fans on the edge of their seats.

Renowned for producing its fair share of full-throttle thrills, one of the weekend’s headline acts came in the shape of the 5/8 scale pocket rockets that make up the Legends Cars Championship with MRF Tyres.

Serving up six breathtaking races, last year’s series runner-up Will Gibson kicked off proceedings with victory in the opener before Andy Bird and Marcus Pett chalked up two wins apiece. Matthew Isherwood then concluded the action with a win in the finale.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship blasted into life for another season with a 26-car grid of 14 to 17-year-old racers all eager to kick-start their burgeoning motorsport careers.

Boasting an entry list of both second-year drivers and rookies, the one-make category delivered a pair of blockbuster encounters, with the spoils being shared between Oskar Dix and Daire Flock.

In the North West Centre’s CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, Andrew Southcott enjoyed a winning start to the new season by comfortabley romping to a brace of victories.

At the wheel of his MG Midget Lenham, Southcott topped the times in qualifying and then didn’t look back when the lights went out; leading home the duo of Roddie Paterson and reigning champion Jamie Cryer by sizeable margins in both races.

Kris Tovey made a flying start to the 2CVParts.com Championship as he opened his account for the year with two superlative wins. Despite missing out on pole position in qualifying, Tovey made no mistake in the races as he powered clear of the opposition.

Behind him, defending champion David O’Keeffe, Nick Crispin and Lucas Proietti all scored podiums – setting up an exciting remainder of the season.

Novice racers beginning their journey’s in the sport put on a show across two Adrian Flux Insurance Caterham Academy races. Adam Kene narrowly pipped Matt Kirland in the White race before Callum McIntyre triumphed in the Green bout.

Cadwell Park also marked the dawn of a new era for the Track Attack Race Club as they ran under the BARC banner for the first time in its illustrious history. Encompassing all saloons, coupes and sports cars, the budget-conscious category kicked off the year with Andrew Neal guiding his Peugeot 106 to back-to-back race wins.

Another new championship to debut over the course of the weekend was the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport; a one-make series designed to provide a first step on the racing ladder for entry level club racers.

Stephen Berry, Zac Blackwell and Freddy Hewitt proved to be the cream of the crop across the weekend’s three contests however despite their best efforts, Blackwell and Hewitt couldn’t stop Berry from taking a clean sweep of victories. 

miniRounding out the weekend’s bumper programme were four frenetic contests from the British Superkart Racing Club, all of which were won by the dominant Matt Robinson.

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

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport Championship set for 2023 launch

A club-level series for MINI racers is poised to hit the track for the first time in 2023 via the launch of new Clubsport classes within the hugely-successful MINI CHALLENGE.

The brainchild of MINI CHALLENGE racers Tom Halliwell and Robin Austin, along with the backing of Quaife MINI CHALLENGE promoter Antony Williams, the Clubsport classes operate as an affiliate to the hugely successful JCW and Cooper categories and will provide drivers with the opportunity to take their first steps onto the MINI CHALLENGE ladder.

The three classes within MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport will be Cooper S, Open and Cooper Am, with cars running together on track to create one bumper field.

A calendar featuring 15 races spread across six meetings has been put in place for the inaugural season, with visits to the likes of Cadwell Park, Thruxton, Mallory Park and Brands Hatch, amongst others.

Robin Austin, MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport joint championship co-ordinator, said: “Both Tom and myself were aware that there were a number of drivers out there who either own MINIs that aren’t eligible for the main MINI CHALLENGE, or who don’t have the budget required to compete in the Cooper or JCW classes.

“Rather than those people competing in a range of different multi-marque championships, we decided to investigate the possibility of creating a new championship where they could all race together.

“Having spoken to Antony for advice and guidance, we’re delighted to be in a position where we can now go public with our plans, and announce the launch of the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport classes as an affiliate to the existing JCW and Cooper championships.

“We’ve been able to put together a calendar that provides the chance to compete at a number of high-profile events, and have put regulations in place that we know will provide exciting and competitive racing at an affordable level for drivers.”

Antony Williams, MINI CHALLENGE Promoter, added: “We are keen to support any MINI racers out there who want to compete on track, and there is clearly demand for the re-introduction of the Cooper S, Cooper Open and Cooper Am classes that were part of the MINI CHALLENGE prior to the pandemic.

“We’re delighted to now be working with Tom and Robin to enable them to run the three classes as a club-level option through the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport classes, and look forward to seeing how it develops during the year ahead.”

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport 2023 Calendar:

15/16 April – Cadwell Park – 3 x 12min
20/21 May – Mallory Park – 2 x 15min
8/9 July – Thruxton – 2 x 15min
5/6 August – Brands Hatch – 3 x 15min
16/17 September – Silverstone National – 3 x 12min
14/15 October – Donington Park GP – 2 x 15min