Convoy in the Park at Donington Park awaits five BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Donington Park this weekend (July 21/22) for one of the biggest events of the summer, Convoy in the Park, with five championships set to hit the track.

In front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd, the on-track action is just a flavour of the two-day event which will also encompass Show Trucks, a funfair, trade village, open-air cinema and much more.

Headlining the action are a colossal ten races from the British Truck Racing Association Championship. Boasting the biggest grids of the season in both Divisions, the heavyweight machines are likely to steal the show as they go wheel-to-wheel, with high drama never far away.

Division 1 currently sees reigning champion Ryan Smith sitting at the summit of the standing after bagging four wins at Thruxton. Currently in irresistible form at the moment, the MAN driver is likely to be the man to beat however there are a host of contenders all in the mix and hot on his heels.

David Jenkins, Jamie Anderson, Simon Reid, Stuart Oliver and the returning Mat Summerfield are all in the hunt for Smith, amongst others, so it will be intriguing to see who emerges victorious over the course of the weekend.

Luke Garrett has emerged as the leading star in Division 2 having scored a total of ten victories thus far and could well add to his tally under the flightpath of East Midlands airport. Garrett will have to be on top form however as he faces off against 15 other competitors – a season best for the category.

Leading the chase will be Brad Smith, Steve and John Powell, John Bowler and many more, all of whom are capable to shaking up the order at the sharp end of the championship standings.

The Dunlop Endurance Championship will take on a starring role on the Saturday of the event with a 50-minute and then two-hour race set to be staged. Bringing together an eclectic mix of jaw-dropping machinery and high-profile drivers, the series is enjoying a period of rude health and that is set to only get better after a recent five-year extension with Dunlop was announced.

Notable entries to look out for include Edward Moore and Marmaduke Hall in the Ginetta G50, David Mason and Ross Wylie in the Ferrari 458 GT3 and Chris Murphy in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, along with a host of others.

It has been a thrilling season in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship and things are set to only intensify as the series rolls into Donington Park. After enjoying a strong start, Lea Wood’s pursuit of a maiden title has come under threat recently with the resurgent defending champion Scott Bourne coming to the fore.

Scoring a double at Thruxton, Bourne has closed the gap to Wood in recent rounds and their duel for the top spot is set to continue, providing an intriguing watch, whilst countless others also try to impose themselves on the sharp end of the field.

Whilst the British Truck Racing Association Championships machines are set to be the biggest at Donington Park, the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres can claim the title of being the smallest.

Never short of providing high-octane thrills, the 5/8 scale machines have dazzled crowds wherever they have visited this year, and it is reigning champion John Mickel who leads the way. Holding a commanding 700 point lead, Mickel will be keen to pick up where he left off before the annual summer break.

Miles Rudman, Steve Whitelegg and Jack Parker are currently Mickel’s closest challengers and the trio will be looking to close the gap to the experienced racer across the weekend’s six races.

Capping off the weekend’s BARC action will be a pair of races from the 2CV parts.com Classic Racing Championship. Running two separate encounters, with drivers sharing cars, this iconic series is set to take spectators down memory lane, with Lien Davies as defending champion.