Author: Chris Ashby

BTCC to bolster sustainability awareness at Silverstone

The British Touring Car Championship will be further raising sustainability awareness at its penultimate event of the season at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, this weekend.

Earlier this year the UK’s premier motorsport championship released its ‘Sustainability Strategy’, which outlined its ongoing ambition for the BTCC to become a global leader in sustainable improvements and carbon neutrality for national level motor racing.

This coming weekend will see the series highlight some of its ambition with a number of ITV features, social media campaigns, written articles and audio interviews being published.

Some of the aspects to receive focus at Silverstone will be the testing of 100% sustainable fuel (see story in coming days), recycling of major components, preparation of a travel planning and mileage log, the launch of a BTCC sustainability award and many more.

The BTCC aims to achieve its sustainability ambitions by developing and executing the policies and practices outlined in its strategy, striving for carbon neutrality even where reductions in emissions are minimal due to the nature of our sport.

Implementation of the strategy, through measured and achievable actions with realistic time frames, will be continually assessed with success criteria and key performance indicators to improve environmental impacts across 6 central pillars: Cars, Circuits, Suppliers and Partners, Teams, Central Functions and Fans.

“Whilst the BTCC’s ‘Sustainability Strategy’ is ongoing and is something that we work on every single day, we believe that raising awareness of these ambitions during a race weekend is a great way to further inform and support our incredible fanbase,” said BTCC Chief Executive, Alan Gow.

“There are many ways in which we can all improve and get involved, looking at our own individual and collective approach to making the world a more sustainable environment.”

Snetterton serves up BARC spectacular as title fights ramp up

Champions were crowned and title battles intensified at Snetterton this past weekend (September 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage in Norfolk for what proved to be a dramatic two days of track action.

Recent campaigns have seen the annual late-summer visit to the 2.99-mile circuit dish up its fair share of thrills and spills, and this year proved to be no different as no less than six BARC categories wowed the crowds.

The British Endurance Championship in association with Motorsport UK closed out its season with a two-hour race that was comfortably won by the PB Racing with JMH duo of Peter Erceg and Marcus Clutton.

Having been the benchmark team from the get-go in the long distance series, the Audi GT3 pairing capped off a remarkable season by clinching pole position, race victory and the fastest lap around the challenging course.

The cherry on top for Erceg and Clutton was that their victory at the finale was enough for them to secure the overall title for the first time, having gone close to capturing the coveted crown last year.

While there was one clear overall winner in the British Endurance Championship, the Britcar Trophy Championship crowned joint title winners following what was a thrilling crescendo on Sunday afternoon.

Two all-action 50 minute races saw Bryan Bransom and Maurizio Sciglio enjoy a share of the spoils however all eyes were on the teams of Rob Ellick and Mark Jones and also Maurice Henry and Hadley Simpson.

With each pairing tallying a podium in their respective classes, the numbers were crunched post-race and it was declared a tie, making them both 2024 Britcar Trophy champions.

Over in the British Truck Racing Championship there was both agony and ecstasy for a number of title contenders as the battle for supremacy reached fever pitch across Division 1 and Division 2.

Team Oliver Racing enjoyed arguably their best outing of the season to-date as both Michael Oliver and ten-time title winner Stuart Oliver stood on the top step of the podium; Michael – the younger of the two – doing so on two occasions.

In Division 2, defending champion Paul Rivett also suffered mechanical woes as his engine expired in the closing stages of race one which forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the race meeting.

Rivett’s absence opened the door for John Powell and Simon Cole to extend their advantage over the NAPA Racing UK driver, with Powell claiming a clean sweep of race wins while Cole shadowed him home by securing runners-up laurels in all five contests.

Matt Simpson and Dale Gent renewed their fight for outright honours in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship; with the pair leaving Norfolk with a share of the spoils after some hard-fought battles.

Former British Touring Car Championship race winner Simpson made a long-overdue return to the top step of the podium in the opening encounter and had looked to repeat the feat in race two before being hit by a track limits penalty, dropping him to second behind Gent.

With the scores at one apiece heading into the final race of the weekend, Simpson and Gent streaked clear of the chasing pack and served up a captivating wheel-to-wheel fight for those in attendance. In the end, Simpson would prevail by a little over one second.

Daniel Munro continued his rich vein of form in the OT Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires as he powered his way to a dominant double. Ahead of the series’ finale at Castle Combe next month, Munro stamped his authority on the rest of the field with a superlative display.

Mark Ridout pipped Munro to pole position in qualifying by three tenths of a second however it wasn’t long before the tables turned, with Munro blasting into the lead and then onto victory in a breathless opening contest.

Starting in top spot for race two, Munro then fended off the race-long advances of Ridout from lights-to-flag, while last year’s overall winner Luca Staccini Anzanello kept a watching brief back in third.

Closing out the weekend’s track action were three races from the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, one of which was being re-run from Cadwell Park earlier in the season.

Multiple champion Steve McDermid was unsurprisingly the driver to beat as he claimed a clean sweep of wins, with races one and two seeing his son Jake McDermid join him on the podium to make it a historic father-son top two.

The Cadwell Park re-run meanwhile saw Andy Preece emerge as McDermid’s nearest challenger in second while Josh Addison completed the podium.

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

Return to Barbados features on 2025 schedule for Caterham Motorsport

Caterham Motorsport has revealed its championship calendars for 2025, with the headline events including a two-hour non-championship race at Snetterton and a return to Barbados.

Next year will once again see the British manufacturer visit some of the UK’s top circuits with its Academy Championship, Roadsport Championship, 270R Championship 310R Championship and its premier class, the Seven UK Championship.

For the Academy, Roadsport, 270R and 310R categories, a visit to Snetterton in August will see the debut of the Caterham Grand Prix, a one-off long distance race that will be seperate from the main championship.

Then at the end of year, all five championships will make a triumphant return to the sandy shores of Bushy Park Barbados to compete at the Caribbean Cup.

Caterham Academy – 2025 Calendar
April 5 – Curborough Sprint
April 19 – Brands Hatch Indy
May 3 – Thruxton
May 31 – Anglesey
June 28 – Croft
August 23 – Snetterton
October 4/5 – Silverstone International
December 6/7 – Bushy Park Barbados

Caterham 270R / Caterham 310R / Caterham Roadsport – 2025 Calendar
April 12/13 – Snetterton 300
May 3/4 – Thruxton
May 31/June 1 – Anglesey
June 28/29 – Croft
July 26/27 – Zandvoort
August 23 – Caterham Grand Prix at Snetterton
September 6 – Oulton Park
October 4/5 – Silverstone International
December 6/7 – Bushy Park Barbados

Caterham Seven UK – 2025 Calendar
April 12/13 – Snetterton 300
May 10/11 – Brands Hatch Indy
May 31/June 1 – Anglesey
June 28/29 – Croft
July 26/27 – Zandvoort
October 4/5 – Silverstone International
December 6/7 – Bushy Park Barbados

Classic Touring Car Racing Club adds all-comers race to Thruxton meeting

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club has added another layer to its 50th Anniversary celebrations at Thruxton this coming weekend (September 21/22) in the shape of an all-comers race.

Marking its Golden Anniversary at the home of the British Automobile Racing Club, the CTCRC is poised to showcase legendary tin top machines around the fastest circuit in the country.

Alongside individual races for the likes of the Pre-66, Pre-83, Pre-83, Classic Thunder and more, two further 15-minute races have been added to the schedule for anyone wanting to enter.

A single 15-minute qualifying session will also be staged to decide the starting grid.

Those wishing to enter the all-comers race can do so via the BARC Competitor Entry System HERE.

TOCA Junior Championship announces calendar for 2025 season

The Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship has today (September 11) announced the full calendar for its inaugural season in 2025.

Following ratification from series organisers TOCA, the new one-make series takes its spot on the support bill of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at all ten race meetings next year, with each meeting comprising of a single qualifying session and three races.

Donington Park’s National circuit will provide the setting for what will be a historic first-ever event in late April before the series then moves on to compete at Brands Hatch Indy and Snetterton during the month of May.

Visits to Thruxton, which is the fastest circuit in the country, and Oulton Park are next in the order during June, prior to a summer break which will see the championship press pause for five weeks.

Racing will re-commence at the end of July with Croft kick-starting the second half of the campaign before the series heads north of the border to Knockhill and back to Donington Park – this time on the Grand Prix circuit – in August.

The Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, stages the penultimate event of the season in September before champions are crowned at the all-important finale, which will play out around the famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in early October.

Dave Beecroft, TOCA Junior Championship Manager: “It’s great to finally formally announce our calendar for next season; there is no bigger stage in UK motorsport than the British Touring Car Championship and we’re hugely excited to be racing alongside it at all ten events next year.

“Following the same weekend format and competing at all of the same circuits as the BTCC is something we were keen to establish as it further enforces that TOCA Juniors is shaping up to be the perfect launchpad into professional motorsport.”

2025 TOCA Junior Championship
Rounds 1/2/3 – Donington Park (National) – 26-27 April
Rounds 4/5/6 – Brands Hatch (Indy) – 10-11 May
Rounds 7/8/9 – Snetterton (300) – 24-25 May
Rounds 10/11/12 – Thruxton – 7-8 June
Rounds 13/14/15 – Oulton Park (Island) – 21-22 June
Rounds 16/17/18 – Croft – 2-3 August
Rounds 19/20/21 – Knockhill – 16-17 August
Rounds 22/23/24 – Donington Park (Grand Prix) – 30-31 August
Rounds 25/26/27 – Silverstone (National) – 20-21 September
Rounds 28/29/30 – Brands Hatch (Grand Prix) – 4-5 October

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 14/15

Snetterton is poised to host the ‘Best of British’ this weekend (September 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club speeds into Norfolk with both the British Truck Racing Championship and British Endurance Championship topping the bill.

On what promises to be a thrilling two days of wheel-to-wheel entertainment around the 2.99-mile circuit, every point will be crucial in the battle among the titans of truck racing while both the British Endurance Championship and Britcar Trophy are set to close out their respective campaigns.

Also in action over the course of the weekend will be the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Adrian Flux MG Owners Club Championship and OT Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 14th September | 11:20 | WATCH HERE
Sunday 15th September | 09:40 | WATCH HERE

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meeting at Snetterton, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

MINI magic gets served up at inaugural Croft Festival

The British Automobile Racing Club made a splash in North Yorkshire this past weekend (September 7/8) as Croft Circuit played host to the first-ever MINI Festival in challenging weather conditions.

In what was a celebration for one of the most iconic cars in the world, the two-day event saw a bumper crowd flock through the gates to witness a 14-race programme, paddock displays, track parades and live entertainment.

Headlining the action around the 2.12-mile course were the latest three races from the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy; which is building towards a thrilling crescendo when it comes to the fight for the overall title.

Race one – which was the only relatively dry contest of Saturday and Sunday – saw Chandler Motorsport’s Rhys Hurd take advantage of Harry Hickton being wiped out of the lead to claim his latest win of the season.

The remainder of the weekend arguably belonged to EXCELR8 Motorsport’s Gabe Fairbrother as he scored a maiden victory in the one-make series in race two and then quickly doubled his tally by repeating the feat in a rain-soaked finale.

As they have done throughout the entirety of the 2024 season, Stephen Berry and Ross Alexander proved to be the cream of the crop when it came to the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport.

The pair, who had shared every win on offer heading into Croft, continued to rule the roost with last year’s overall winner Berry adding two more wins to his tally. Alexander didn’t let Berry have things his own way though and he was able to score a win of his own too.

While Berry was unable to clinch a hat-trick of wins in the Clubsport category, a third victory of the weekend was achieved when he came out on top of the 40-minute MINI Enduo contest ahead of Jamie Ringer and Charlie Newton-Darby.

Elsewhere, Neven Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick proved to be too much for the opposition in the Mighty Minis Championship as they claimed a brace of one-two finishes whilst Jamie Blake and Chad Little shared the spoils in the Scottish Mini Cooper Cup.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action were the final two races of the season for the Heroes of FF1600 Sprint Cup, which has been a popular addition to the BARC roster since debuting earlier this year.

Showcasing an iconic blend of single-seater machines from yesteryear, the fledgling series closed out its campaign with Lucas Romanek powering his Van Diemen RF88 to a brace of commanding race wins.

To view the full classification of results from the Croft MINI Festival, CLICK HERE.

All-out action at Anglesey as BARC delights fans in North Wales

The British Automobile Racing Club made its one and only trip of the year to North Wales this past weekend (September 7/8) as a number of championships took centre stage at Anglesey Circuit.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the two-day meeting produced an unmissable spectacle of blockbuster wheel-to-wheel action – with a number of drivers ramping up their pursuits of being crowned champion in their respective categories.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Harry Smith strengthened his title charge with a virtuoso performance as he reigned supreme in style. Pacing the opposition to claim pole position in qualifying, Smith was perfection personified across the opening two races.

Despite coming under pressure at times, the second-year racer didn’t put a wheel wrong and cruised to a pair of lights-to-flag wins whilst his championship rivals filled the remaining spots on the podium.

Smith was also in the fight for overall honours in the weekend’s final contest however the trio of Josh Selvadorai, James Sherrington and Jonathan Moore proved difficult to beat – with Selvadorai ultimately coming out on top.

The North West Centre’s flagship category, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship wrote the latest chapter of its 2024 story with a trio of races to entertain those that were in attendance.

Showcasing a variety of different cars across multiple classes, Jim Hutchinson proved to be the toast of the field as he dominated the meeting in his Ford Escort RSR, scoring a hat-trick of race wins.

No less than seven races were staged by the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship over the course of the weekend, four of which were for the Sigma 135s while the remaining three were for the Sigma 150s.

Variety proved to be the spice of life when it came to the Sigma 135 class as three different drivers stood on the top step of the podium. Paul Goldstein kicked off proceedings with a hard-fought victory in race one before Theo Theato and Adam Kene came to the fore, the latter winning twice.

Things were somewhat more dominant when it came to the Sigma 150 class as Jamie Ellwood served up a clinical display to win all three races. Will Stillwell, Max Haynes and Matthew Willoughby were his closest challengers as they featured on the remaining podium spots.

The Track Action Racing Club concluded the weekend’s entertainment around the picturesque with Paul Roddison – a previous winner of the coveted BARC President’s Cup – triumphing twice in his Volkswagen Scirocco.

Roddison was the benchmark from the get-go however he did have to withstand pressure from the hard-charging Tim Evans in his Audi TT at times.

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

Retro racers make a splash at the Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Revival battled the elements this past weekend (September 6/7/8) to serve up a retro-themed extravaganza of close-quarter racing for the tens of thousands of spectators that had flocked trackside.

Bringing together iconic competitors and glorious machines, the Revival – which is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the historic racing calendar – closed out another entertaining year of motoring thrills at the West Sussex venue in style.

Like it does for both the Members’ Meeting and the Festival of Speed, the British Automobile Racing Club played its part in the three-day spectacle with many of its hugely admired officials and volunteers attending the event to fulfil a number of operational and marshalling roles.

With famous faces and spectacular vehicles in attendance, it will come as no surprise that the action on-track had everyone perched firmly on the edge of their seats, especially in the St. Mary’s Trophy presented by Motul for 1960s saloons.

Entertainment was served up across two races and for the second year in succession Romain Dumas was a winner as he this time teamed up with Bill Shephard to dominate proceedings in the monstrous Ford Galaxie 500.

Elsewhere the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy Celebration, which centres around closed-cockpit GT and Prototypes between 1960-1964, saw the current top two in the British Touring Car Championship enjoy a ding-dong battle for overall honours.

Former champion Tom Ingram and Mike Whitaker guided their TVR Griffith 400 to the chequered flag first, beating the team of Jake Hill and Oliver Bryant in their AC Cobra by a little under half a second.

While Hill missed out on the spoils of the RAC TT, he did reign supreme in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy whilst Ian Baxter was victorious in the Goodwood Trophy for Grand Prix and Voiturette cars from the 30s, 40s and 50s.

The Glover Trophy, which is for 1.5-litre Grand Prix cars between 1961 and 1965, provided plenty of thrills as Andy Middlehurst and Joe Colasacco went head-to-head – with Middlehurst winning by just 0.038s in his Lotus-Climax.

World Championship Sportscars from between 1955 to 1960 made up the Sussex Trophy and it was the team of Andrew Smith and Oliver Bryant that dominated proceedings; winning by almost a full minute.

Other race winners included Marc Gordon triumphing in the Fordwater Trophy, Miles Griffiths in the Madgwick Cup and the already aforementioned Bryant, who scooped the spoils in the Whitsun Trophy for sports-racing prototypes from the 1960s.

The legendary pairing of Jimmie Johnson and Dario Franchitti proved to be the perfect combination when it came to the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy as they guided their glorious Aston Martin DB4GT to the winners circle.

That was something that both Tom Waterfield and William Nuthall did in the Earl of March Trophy and Richmond & Gordon Trophies respectively too.

As always, it wasn’t just four-wheel machines that had those in attendance captivated as the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy showcased some jaw-dropping 1950s motorcycles. Michael Russell and Michael Rutter were the toast of the field, winning twice on their Norton Velocette MSS.

Concluding what was a momentous weekend was the Settringham Cup, which saw a total of 68 youngsters line up in Austin J40s for two feel-good dashes to the flag. On combined results, Josh Johnson pipped last year’s winner Luca Franchitti to claim outright honours.

To view the full classification of results from this year’s Goodwood Revival, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 7/8

It’s poised to be a busy few days of top-draw motorsport for the British Automobile Racing Club this weekend as events play out at both Croft and Goodwood.

At Croft in North Yorkshire, the first-ever Mini Festival will take place with the likes of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport and Mighty Minis all in action.

Down at Goodwood, the world-famous Revival meeting will close out the 2024 season at the West Sussex venue with legendary drivers going wheel-to-wheel in iconic cars from yesteryear.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Croft
Saturday 7th September | 12:25 | WATCH HERE
Sunday 8th September | 11:45 | WATCH HERE

Goodwood
Friday 6th September – Sunday 8th September | 06:45 | WATCH HERE

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meetings at Croft and Goodwood, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

BARC delivers Brands Hatch blockbuster on Indy layout

The British Automobile Racing Club served up a late summer spectacular at Brands Hatch this past weekend (August 31/September 1) with Caterham Motorsport grabbing a majority of the headlines around the short Indy layout.

As the 2024 season begins to edge towards what is shaping up to be a thrilling conclusion, the Kent circuit provided a fitting backdrop for some captivating entertainment – which included many breathtaking moments along the way.

The Caterham Academy Championship, which is for drivers that are embarking on their first year in national motorsport, was at the forefront of the action as its Green and White groups served up a blockbuster contest apiece.

In the Green category, Harrison Cavers notched his first win of the season after pipping Bruno van Dyke to the chequered flag by less than a second while Paul Oggelsby got the better of William Harris to triumph in the White group.

Spoils were shared in the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship as Paul Goldstein and Jonathan Emery scored a win apiece. Such was their dominance over the rest of the field, the pair also tailed a second place finish as well.

The Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship produced a trio of memorable races and up until the finale it had looked as though the weekend belonged to the impressive Charlie Lower.

Winning races one and two in commanding fashion, Lower looked on course to record a sensational hat-trick of victories before he was hit with a time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage. That dropped him back to third and handed Harry George the win.

While Lower failed to secure all three wins in his class, Taylor O’Flanagan did manage to achieve the feat in the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship. Despite missing out on pole position, O’Flanagan managed to pace the opposition to strengthen his title charge with a maximum score.

Reigning Vertex Caterham Seven UK Championship title holder Lewis Thompson remains firmly in with a shot of retaining his title this season after delivering another impressive display in Caterham’s premier series.

Two wins from three races proved to be the highlight for the accomplished racer with Harry Senior – who has made a name for himself in the Caterham Graduates Championship in recent years – also making it onto the top step of the podium.

Over in the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires, Daniel Munro was the toast of the field as he charged to an impressive brace of race wins in the popular one-make tin top category.

Munro wasted no time in establishing himself as the driver to beat as he romped to pole position in qualifying before then converting it into consecutive lights-to-flag victories. Mark Ridout and Neale Hurren were the best of the rest in both races to complete the top three.

Also on the billing over the course of the weekend was the Classic Racing Car Club Classic Formula Libres, CMMC Hoosier Tire Intermarque Silhouette Series and CMMCS Ashstone MEP Super Saloon Car Series / Tin Top Series.

To view the full classification of results from Brands Hatch, CLICK HERE.

BARC Awards Evening heads back to Old Thorns Hotel for 2025

The British Automobile Racing Club is delighted to announce that its annual Championship Awards Evening will take place on Saturday 1st February 2025 at the Old Thorns Hotel in Liphook, Hampshire.

On what is always one of the biggest prize-giving nights of the year, race suits and overalls will be swapped for black ties and ball gowns as the great and good of UK motorsport come together for what should be an unforgettable evening, held at a venue that has staged the event in years gone by.

Celebrating a momentous 2024 season, the star-studded evening will include a three-course dinner alongside the customary trophy presentations and live entertainment.

Tickets for the Club’s ‘Big Night Out’ will be on sale shortly, with more information set to follow in due course.