Pickup Truck Racing Championship – Page 8

BARC championships set for Thruxton Summer Truckfest scorcher

The British Automobile Racing Club is gearing up for a scorching weekend (July 7/8) on and off the track at Thruxton as seven championships resume battle in Hampshire.

As the UK revels in World Cup fever and the summer heat, the fastest circuit in the country will play host to a diverse range of categories, all of which are ready to set pulses racing.

Headlining the weekend is the British Truck Racing Association Championship, in association with Truck & Driver. Back on UK soil after starring at the Nurburgring last weekend, the heavyweight series will likely provide unmissable viewing with eight races scheduled to be run.

In Division 1, defending champion Ryan Smith leads the way having won ten races thus far. Firmly focused on lifting the title for a third successive year, Smith will be one to watch, as will the chasing pack that will be keen to reel him in. David Jenkins, Stuart Oliver and Jamie Anderson are all firmly in the hunt and will be ones to watch.

Luke Garrett has established himself as the man to beat in Division 2 and he will also be looking to extend his championship lead at Thruxton. Four wins at Nurburgring underlined his credentials however John Powell, Steve Powell, Simon Cole, Brad Smith and many more can’t be discounted from closing the gap to Garrett.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship makes its annual visit to Thruxton with the title battle delicately poised. Lea Wood bagged the lions share of success early on in the season but a resurgent run of results from reigning champion Scott Bourne sees the pair enter the weekend split by a handful of points, with David O’Reagan and Michael Smith also on the fringe of entering the fray.

Two races from the Michelin Clio Cup Series will give tin top fans plenty to smile about, with one-make series undoubtedly set to dazzle. Home to the third generation Clio Cup car, the series has seen unrivalled dominance from defending champion Ben Palmer, winning every race staged thus far. With a long list of contenders all nipping at his heels, Palmer could either further extend his run or see it come to an end in Hampshire. Nic Harrison meanwhile will be looking to get back to winning ways in the road class.

Small in stature but packing plenty of power under the bonnet, the Mighty Minis Championship is never short of entertainment and that theme will likely continue at Thruxton. Sometimes at least four abreast on track, the Minis will be on top form, as will the leading contenders. Stuart Coombes and Lee Polman find themselves in a straight forward battle for the Mighty Mini class while Jo Polley currently leads the way in the Super Mighty Mini class.

The APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship has served up plenty of memorable moments so far and this weekend should be no different. Split into five different classes depending on model, the series has continued to thrive this year, boasting bumper grids throughout. Graeme Smith, Robert Winrow, Jonathan Curry, Declan Dolan and Mark Johnson lead their respective classes into the weekend.

Elsewhere, the Kumho BMW Championship will showcase the very best of the German manufacturer with a great mix of models from down the years. The action has been fast and furious up to now and the flat-out thrills ’n’ spills show no signs of letting up as the series descend on Andover.

Rounding off the action will be the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, which brings the best models of iconic brand onto the sam tarmac to go wheel-to-wheel. Notable names to keep a watchful eye over include Jim Baynam, Martin Willis and Stephen McDermid.

500 not out for Pickup Truck Racing Championship

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship reached a significant milestone at Snetterton this past weekend (September 8/9) as it staged its 500th race.

Launched in 1997, the series has become a popular fixture in the UK’s national motorsport landscape and a permanent fixture within the British Automobile Racing Club banner of championships.

Going from strength-to-strength each year, the Pickup Truck Racing Championship has won the hearts of racers and fans alike. Travelling the length and breadth of the country and even Europe, the series has made a name for itself on both traditional tracks and ovals.

With the championship currently enjoying a period of rude health, this past weekend’s milestone race only further underlined the popularity of the series as reigning champion Scott Bourne charged to victory.

Commenting on the milestone, Championship Co-ordinator Sonny Howard said: “The second race at Snetterton last weekend marked a milestone in Pickup Truck Racing history as the Championship achieving its 500th race.

“Over this period the Pickups have raced at every circuit in the UK and as importantly a large number in Europe as well. The Championship over the years has had the support of drivers from a cross section of motorsport disciplines but also the Pickup Trucks have a core of drivers who have supported the Championship for many years.

“In addition, the entertainment value it offers and the venues it visits as Pickup Truck Racing is very gladiatorial and the drivers are real characters. Add to this billboard element that the vehicles offer in graphic design, it comes across as brash and flash but why not!

“Most importantly, this is not just about the drivers nor has it ever been. Pickup Truck Racing is about the teams and it is a team sport something the management encourage and embrace at all levels within the Championship.

“As we pass this milestone we now have our sights set on new highs, more goals and more boxes to tick. Nothing will ever hold back the Pickup Trucks. They will never rest on their laurels either because they have a vision, a plan for the future.”

Three BARC championships ready to race into the evening at Rockingham

The British Automobile Racing Club is set to race into the night at Rockingham this Saturday (August 4) with the Pickup Truck Racing Championship set to take on a starring role.

Making its latest trip to the Corby venue, the BARC will see three championships take to the track and tackle a somewhat revised format, with action not starting until midday.

Topping the bill will be the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, which takes to the oval layout of Rockingham for two adrenaline-fuelled 30-minute encounters.

Coming off the back of pulsating weekend at Donington Park last time out, the title battle in the series is set to further intensify as Lea Wood and reigning champion Scott Bourne renew their fight for the prestigious crown.

A mere 23 points separate the pair at the summit of the standings and both will be looking to gain the upper hand around the fast banking’s this weekend. Also in the mix and not to be discounted is David O’Reagen, Michael Smith and Paul Tompkins – all of whom have been running towards the sharp end of the field this year.

The Hyundai Coupe Cup brings its annual mid-season break to an end too with a bumper entry list set to serve up a feast of entertainment.

Renowned for putting the fun into racing, the Coupe Cup has gone from strength-to-strength this year with entries continuing to grow. As it stands, all eyes are set to be focused on the Steve Kite, Alex Cursley and Wayne Rockett – all of whom have been at the sharp end of the grid at almost every turn.

While those three will be ones to watch, the likes of Dan Fletcher, Kevin Smiles, Simon Miles, Darren Holmes and many more will also be keen to thrust themselves into the podium conversation.

Rounding off the day’s racing will be action from the BARC Clubmans Sport Prototype Championship in assoc. with King Henry’s Taverns.

Split into a variety of classes depending on the specification of cars, Clubmans have been wowing crowds since 1965 and that is set to continue at the Corby venue on Saturday.

Events at Brands Hatch and Donington Park produced mesmerising racing earlier in the season, setting the scene for what should be a tense duo of 20-minute bouts.

Clive Wood has been the man to beat in class CSP1 so far this season but series veteran Peter Richings is hot on his heels and will be looking to close the gap at Rockingham. Yet to win so far, Richings will be highly motivated to overhaul

Elsewhere in CSP2, Michelle Hayward has been perfection personified so far with eight wins from nine races. Morris Hart is the one to have prevented Hayward from taking a clean sweep thus far and Hart will need to be on top form once again to prevent the #87 from extending her points lead.

Pippa Tanner-Wood is the pace-setter in CSP3 with John Lambert bidding to close the gap too.

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.

C1 Challenge set to make history at Rockingham with blockbuster 24hr race

The British Automobile Racing Club is set to play its part in a small piece of history at Rockingham this weekend (May 11/12/13) as the Corby circuit gets set to stage its first-ever 24hr race.

Having hosted a wide variety of events since opening in 2001, Rockingham will welcome the Trade Team C1 Challenge for three days of unmissable, wheel-to-wheel action.

Launching in 2017 with just a handful of cars, the C1 Challenge has become a phenomenon in UK motorsport, with grids having grown at a rapid rate. Giving drivers the opportunity to go endurance racing at a low-cost, the series is set for its biggest weekend to date at Rockingham.

A capacity 53-car entry list has been confirmed by organisers with a diverse range of drivers filling the seats across each team. Whilst some o

Notable names taking to the track include FIA World Endurance Championship racer Andy Priaulx, who will share a car with his son Sebastian, Richard Solomans and Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Series Director Alan Gow.

Recent BTCC race winner Josh Cook, former BTCC stars Anthony Reid and Lea Wood and Jade Edwards are just a handful of the other notable names that are competing. In total, 203 drivers will take to the track over the course of what is set to be a memorable 24hrs of competition.

Given the high demand to race in the 24hr race, an additional three-hour encounter is now also set to run on Saturday, with a capacity 35-car entry list confirmed for that as well.

Aside from the C1 Challenge, the Pickup Truck Racing Championship makes its first of four visits to Rockingham. Having raced around the venue for the past 15 years, this weekend will see the championship descend on the same circuit that the BTCC uses instead of the oval.

Boasting a 23-car entry for Saturday’s two races, all eyes will be on Lea Wood and whether he can extend his points lead at the summit of the standings. Winning both races at Brands Hatch and notching another victory at Croft, Wood holds a commanding lead in the standings and will be keen to add to his silverware collection this weekend.

Hot on his heels however will be defending champion Scott Bourne and David O’Reagan, both of whom also triumphed at Croft last time. Throw into the mix the likes of Mark Willis, Dale Gent and Paul Tompkins, to name a few, and it is set to be an intriguing two races around the ISSC configuration.

BTRA headlines blockbuster Brands Hatch bank holiday weekend meeting

The BTRA Truck Racing Championship headlined what proved to be a bumper bank holiday weekend at Brands Hatch (April 1/2) for the British Automobile Racing Club, with a total of seven championships in action.

Tackling the infamous Indy layout of the Kent venue in mixed conditions across both days, a bumper crowd was treated to a feast of wheel-to-wheel battles.

In the heavyweight Truck encounters, Division 1 served up a host of storming races with Stuart Oliver kicking off proceedings with victory in race one, narrowly pipping David Jenkins. Roles were reversed in race two however as Jenkins got the better of Oliver to clinch his maiden win of the season.

Despite joining Mat Summerfield as a late entry reigning champion Ryan Smith showed his class on day two as he romped to a host of victories.

In Division 2, Luke Garrett was in similar form as he set his stall out as an early title contender, triumphing on three occasions. John and Steve Powell were the other victors in the more production-based category.

The Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres was back in action too for their second event of the year and six races being run. Day one saw Miles Rudman notch his first win of the season before 2017 runner-up Ben Power scored wins in race two and the grand final.

Defending champion John Mickel hit the front on day two with a win in race one before Rudman once again underlined his speed with a second triumph of the weekend. Following a high speed crash earlier in the day on the pit straight, Will Gibson bounced back to finish the day on the top step of the podium.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship saw Lea Wood exert his dominance with a near perfect weekend as he romped to a brace of wins. The former BTCC racer scythed his way through the field in the opener before stamping his authority as a serial title contender in race two with an equally impressive performance.

Dominance was the norm in the Kumho BMW Championship and Scrapco/Avon Tyres Intermarque Championship too as Colin Wells and Malcolm Blackman clinched double wins respectively.

Rounding the list of race winners was Rod Birley, who was back on track in his rebuilt Ford Escort RS, and Adrian Bradley – both of whom took to the top step of the podium in the amalgamated BARC Modified Saloon Car Championship and BARC South East Tin Tops Championship races.

For the full classification of results, click here.

Brands Hatch set for BARC Easter extravaganza

Brands Hatch is primed for a bank holiday weekend of blockbuster proportions on Sunday and Monday as the British Truck Racing Association Championship roars into life for another season.

Headlining what is a bumper programme of track action around the Indy layout, a mammoth crowd is set to descend on the Kent venue for an Easter extravaganza of thrills ’n’ spills.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing more than 1000bhp each, nothing quite compares to British Truck Racing. This weekend’s opening event will see a total of seven races run across both Divisions, however the landscape of both has changed.

In the top tier, double and reigning champion Ryan Smith has elected not to return, meaning his title is very much up for grabs. Leading the list of contenders that fans will be looking out for is multiple champion Stuart Oliver, prolific front runner Dave Jenkins and Luke Taylor, amongst others.

Division 2 champion Mika Makinen will also missing from the grid this year, opening the floodgates in the more production-based category. Former title holder Adam Bint will be keen to get back to winning ways whilst the likes of Simon Cole, John Powell and Luke Garrett lead the long list of fellow contenders.

Elsewhere, one man that will be defending his title this year starting at Brands Hatch is Scott Bourne. Climbing to the top of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship mountain in 2017, Bourne is back with a new livery and the coveted number one adorning his truck.

In what has been a strong off-season for the championship as a whole, with an influx of entries being submitted, the popular category is set for another memorable year. Usual protagonists Lea Wood, David O’Reagan, Michael Smith and Mark Willis are all joined by a host of familiar and new faces – making the opening two races impossible to call.

Following on from a memorable opening weekend in mid-March at Oulton Park, the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres are back in action. Making the first of three visits to Brands Hatch this year, a bumper grid of the 5/8 scale machines are set to put on a show across the six races that are set to be run.

Jack Parker’s opening round consistency has placed him at the top of the standings however he has a host of race winners nipping at his heels. Will Gibson and Steve Whitelegg both took wins at Oulton Park and sit second and third in the points, with reigning champion John Mickel not far behind either.

Fans of all things BMW will be drawn to the Kumho BMW Championship, which gets underway this weekend too. Open to all models of the German manufacturer, the championship will once again run a multi-class system depending on specification.

Notable names to look out for during the season-opener include Russell Dack, Giuseppe Callari, James Card and Gareth Montgomery.

Rounding out the weekend’s jam-packed race programme will be the three categories from the BARC’s South East Centre; the BARC Modified Saloon Car Championship, BARC South East Tin Top Championship and Scrapco Metal/Avon Tyres Intermarque Championship.

All bringing together a diverse range of machines to their individual grids, a wealth of local talent is set to shine through over the course of the two days.

One of the big stories will lie in the Modified Saloon Car races as Rod barley bids to get back on track following his high speed crash at the same venue last November, injuring him and causing substantial damage to his Ford Escort RS.