Author: Chris Ashby

BARC takes centre stage at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch played a host to a memorable two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (June 22/23) as the sun shone on the Kent venue and the five categories in action.

Celebrating 30th Anniversary of the production of the Mazda MX-5 and 25 years since the inception of the MX-5 Owners Club, the MAX5 Racing Championship had plenty to celebrate around the Indy circuit over the course of the weekend.

Whilst there was plenty to see away from the track in the paddock, on it there was a familiar feel to things as Paul Roddison continued his dominance. Entering the weekend having won every race to date in 2019, Roddison enjoyed another a perfect performance as he scored another victory double.

Race one proved to be a frenetic affair as Roddison held off a charging Ian Loversidge to win by a mere tenth of a second whilst Andrew Pretorius rounded out the podium in the third. Race two proved to be a carbon copy results as Roddison led the same two drivers to the chequered flag.

The penultimate round of the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship had its own fair share of drama as drivers battled for supremacy. Alec Graham served up a storming drive in race one to record his first win of the season after narrowly edging out former multiple champion Lien Davies.

Keen to bounce back from failing to finish the opener, reigning title holder and points leader Pete Sparrow underlined his credentials as the man to beat as he powered his way to yet another win, little under a second ahead of Graham.

In the Caterham Graduates Championship, some familiar names found themselves at the summit of the leaderboards once again. Firstly, spoils were spilt between Samuel Wilson and Stephen Clark in the Sigmax races whilst the combined 135/150/Mega/Classic encounters saw Barry White dominate.

Capping off the weekend was an abundance of tin top thrills from the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup, TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge and Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series.

The amalgamated VW Cup and VTEC Challenge races saw Ben Rushworth rule the roost as he scored a pair of wins in his Honda Integra whilst Craig Rainer did the same in the BARC Saloon Series, notching a double of his own in his Ford Escort RS2000.

The view the full classification of results from all sessions at Brands Hatch from the weekend, click here.

Julian Godfrey and Derek Tohill share British Rallycross Championship spoils at Pembrey

The Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship delivered a blockbuster two days of action at Pembrey Circuit this past weekend (June 22/23) as Julian Godfrey and Derek Tohill shared the spoils.

Descending on South Wales for the first of two visits to the British Automobile Racing Club-run venue this year, the action-packed series served up plenty of thrills and spills – keeping those in attendance on the edge-of-their-seats.

Bright sunshine greeted championship and an enthusiastic crowd on Saturday, with multiple champion Godfrey wasting no time at all in establishing himself as the man to beat. Powering his way to the fastest times in heats one and two, the Ford Fiesta driver was edged out by Ollie O’Donovan in the final block of heats.

Lining up on the front row of the grid for the final, Godfrey enjoyed a strong start and ultimately went on to record a lights-to-flag victory around the challenging Pembrey layout, moving into the points lead at the same time.

Whilst Godfrey made his escape out front, Lydden Hill winner Tohill and O’Donovan became embroiled in an almighty scrap for second place. Tohill would take the chequered flag in second place however a time penalty for contact with the former championship dropped him to third.

Sunday saw racing run in the reverse direction however that didn’t have any effect on the non-stop entertainment that was being produced.

Dominating the day previously, Godfrey showed all the hallmarks of someone who was on his way to repeat his heroics on day two at the Welsh venue, sweeping his way to lead all three qualifying heats.

However, FIA European Rallycross champion Tohill made it two wins apiece between himself and Godfrey as he scored victory. O’Donovan had finished third on the road but a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits saw him to drop to fourth, with Roger Thomas benefitting.

In the Motorsport UK Supernational Rallycross Championship, Tristan Ovenden continued his rich vein of form with victory on the Saturday before then doubling his tally on Sunday at the wheel of his Renault Clio V6.

Meanwhile, the next generation of rallycross stars took centre stage in the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship with Roberts Vitols claiming overall honours on both days.

Meanwhile David Bell, Max Weatherly, Jon Armstrong and Gary Simpson were victorious in the BMW Mini Rallycross Championship, Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, RX150 Rallycross Championship and Retro Rallycross Championship races respectively.

On day two, the quartet of Drew Bellerby, Will Layton, Chrissy Palmer and Simpson topped the rostrum.

The Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship is next in action at Lydden Hill on August 26.

Jack Young dominates Renault Clio Cup International Open at Paul Ricard

Jack Young served up a dominant performance in France this past weekend (June 22/23) as he proved to be in a league of his own in the Renault Clio Cup International Open, winning both races in emphatic style.

Flying the flag for the Renault UK Clio Cup alongside five other British drivers at Paul Ricard on the support bill of the Formula 1 French Grand Prix, the Northern Irishman underlined his credentials on the global stage in devastating fashion.

Having contested and triumphed in last year’s ‘world final’ around the 3.6-mile circuit, the 17-year-old had been tipped to be in the mix for victory across the weekend amidst the 44-car entry list.

Topping the times in practice, the Eddie Stobart Racing driver carried his front-running momentum into qualifying where he lit up the time-sheets once more as he powered to pole position for both races.

There was plenty for UK fans to celebrate too as Young’s MRM Racing team-mate Brett Lidsey put in a scintillating lap to join him on the front row of the grid for race one.

Dropping the clutch as the lights went out, Young made a perfect start in the searing French heat and was soon putting distance between himself and the chasing pack in the opening encounter. Building a gap as he each lap ticked by, the former UK Clio Cup Junior champion ultimately took the chequered flag to win by a staggering 22 seconds.

Behind, Lidsey found himself in the thick of the action and ultimately had to serve a drive-through penalty for causing a collision, ultimately going on to end up 21st. David Pouget would finish second whilst Westbourne Motorsport’s Ben Colburn ensured the British flag would fly twice on the podium as he finished third.

James Colburn had ran as high as sixth at one stage before being forced to pit for a mechanical issue. Luke Warr meanwhile finished 24th whilst Aaron Thompson was 31st.

Race two mirrored the first race at Le Castellet as Young once again exerted his dominance to show the chasing pack a clean set of heels. Nailing the start from pole position, the teenager got his head down and began to pull away, just like he had done the day before.

Streaking clear of the field, Young crossed the line to secure his third International career win by 21 seconds this time – with Benoit Castagne and Felice Jelmini rounding out the podium.

Ben Colburn and Lidsey capped off the top ten in ninth and tenth whilst Thompson made solid progress to finish 17th. Warr was 31st, with James Colburn unforuntately a retirement after nine laps.

The Renault UK Clio Cup will continue this weekend (June 29/30) with the fourth event of the season taking place at Oulton Park, with Young narrowly leading the way in the championship standings ahead of Max Coates.

Brands Hatch geared to host blockbuster BARC weekend

Brands Hatch will play host to a blockbuster two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this coming weekend (June 22/23) as several categories write the latest chapter of their 2019 campaigns around the Indy circuit.

In what is latest visit to the Kent venue by the Club, the 1.2 mile configuration is set to play host to  a frenetic 12 races.

The Max5 Racing Championship is set for a milestone weekend as a bumper grid will play its part in some special anniversary celebrations. This year marks 30 years of production of the iconic Mazda MX5 whilst it is also 25 years of the MX5 Owners Club, and both will be recognised over the course of the weekend.

On track, Max5 racers from a variety of different championships have been invited to join in on the celebrations, further adding to the exhilarating racing that is usually produced by the championship anyway.

Notable names to look out for during the weekend’s two races include Paul Roddison – who has won every race so far this season – Matthew Tidmarsh, Jeremy Shipley and Ian Loversidge.

The Caterham Graduates Championship will also be in action with its multi-class grid brimming with scintillating talent. Having starred at several events already this year the one-make series is expected to take on a starring role across its four scheduled encounters.

This year has seen Samuel Wilson, Mark Carter, Robin Webb, Kevin Barrett and Luke Balmforth all star so expect the usual protagonists to be in the mix.

Fans of all things saloon car racing will be well catered for too across both days as the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup, TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge and Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series take to the track for a series of races.

Showcasing all manner of tin top machines, all three categories boast a wealth of drivers and different models of car – all of which trade place at nearly every turn.

This weekend will see the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup and TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge amalgamated together whilst the Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series will run on its own.

To find out more information on the event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Oulton Park beckons for trio of BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club returns to Oulton Park this Saturday (June 22) for what should be a pulsating race day of acton, headlined by no less than three championships.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the Cheshire venue is set to play host to the latest chapter of each categories campaigns and the traditional thrills and spills are expected to play out around the challenging 2.39 International layout.

Topping the bill will be the Dunlop Endurance Championship with two one-hour encounters. Showcasing the very best in supercar machinery, a glittering array of drivers will share driving duties as they duke it out for the latest pair of race wins that are up for grabs.

The Ferrari 488 Challenge duo of Paul Bailey and Andy Schultz lead the way as it stand but as Britcar has proved on countless occasions this year already, anything can happen and anyone can emerge victorious.

The CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, the BARC NW Centre’s flagship series, will also be in action as it makes its second visit to Oulton Park this year. Boasting another bumper entry list, a 30-car grid will duke it out for the Dave Simpson Memorial Trophy.

In what will be the halfway mark in the season for the championship, the battle for supremacy is set to be an intriguing one with Jon Woolfitt, Andrew Southcott and Danny Bird, all race winners this year, headlining the entry.

There will be plenty of high-octane entertainment from the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship too as it takes fans on a spirited trip down memory lane as machines from a variety of eras go wheel-to-wheel.

Running under a multi-class format, the single manufacturer championship has wowed crowds at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park so far, with Oulton Park set to be no different.

Two races are sure to set pulses racing with the likes of Jim Baynam, James Pryor, Sarah Sullivan, Stuart Plotnek, Simon Kendrick and Steve Darbey, amongst others, being in contention for outright and individual class honours.

To find out more information on the event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

British Rallycross Championship revved up for Pembrey Circuit double-header

Pembrey Circuit will welcome the Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship to South Wales this weekend (June 22/23) as the series gets ready to continue its 2019 with the annual double-header event.

In what is the first of two visits to the British Automobile Racing Club-run venue this year, the UK’s premier rallycross championship will tackle the challenging Pembrey track in both directions across rounds three and four.

With events at Silverstone and Lydden Hill already in the books, two-time FIA European Rallycross champion Derek Tohill finds himself at the top of the points standings following victory last time out.

At the wheel of his Ford Fiesta, Tohill will be one to watch as he bids to build up an advantage over his nearest challenger, five-time British champion Julian Godfrey.

Having scored victory at the Silverstone season-opener, Godfrey has switched back to his trust Ford Fiesta and remains behind the wheel of it this weekend as he aims to regain control at the standings summit.

Ollie O’Donovan, another former champion, has endured a character-building start to the campaign and will be keen to put the opening two events behind him and bounce back in sensational style.

Mike Manning, Roger Thomas, Steve Hill, Nigel Burke, Andy Grant and Simon Horton are all also set to take to the grid in the Supercar class and any one of them could spring a surprise at the sharp end of the grid too.

It won’t just be the Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship taking centre stage over the course of the weekend however as a bumper supporting cast will equally set pulses racing across Saturday and Sunday as well.

The Motorsport UK Supernational Championship, Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship, Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, Retro Rallycross Championship and RX150 Championship will all be in action too.

Tickets for the event will be available to purchase on the gate on both days, priced at £15.00. To find out more information regarding terms of entry and more, head to https://pembreycircuit.co.uk/racing/british-rallycross-june.

For more information on the event as a whole, click here.

Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton triumph in action-packed BTCC encounters at Croft

Croft Circuit played host to an action-packed Rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this past weekend (June 15/16) as thousands flocked to the North Yorkshire venue to see Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton share the spoils.

Faced with challenging weather conditions on both Saturday and Sunday, Britain’s premier race series served up a feast of entertainment as records tumbled around the newly resurfaced 2.12 mile circuit.

In qualifying, BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan set a new lap record to score his first pole position since 2014, despite plenty of disruption throughout the session. No less than five red flag stoppages, the last of which was caused by Jordan himself, truncated the session.

Launching off the line, the 2013 champion continued his rich vein of form as he took a lights-to-flag victory. Dealing with race-long attention from BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley, as well as a lengthy safety car period, the 30-year-old proved to be in a league of his own as he powered his way to the chequered flag.

The battle for the final spot on the podium fell the way of Tom Chilton after he held off the advances of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant for the entirety of the 18-lap encounter.

Race two proved to be a similar story for Jordan as he converted pole position into his fifth win of the season, replicating his double-winning performance at Croft last time out.

Making a good getaway, Jordan pulled out a comfortable gap in the opening stages as the chasing pack battled with second place Smiley. Turkington finally got the better of his Northern Irish counterpart but by that time the gap to Jordan was too big.

Reeling him in over the course of a handful of laps, the West Surrey Racing duo held station to record their latest 1-2 finish of the season. Yorkshireman Dan Cammish gave locals plenty to cheer about as he continued his recent run of form with a podium on home turf.

BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor carried out the reverse grid draw live on ITV4 and pulled number nine out of the bowl, promoting Chilton onto pole position.

With heavy rain falling before the race the question on everybody’s lips was what tyres to go for – wets or slicks. As the sun broke through the clouds, a majority of the field opted for wet tyres with Tom Ingram, who was starting third, rolling the dice and gambling with slicks.

As the lights went out, Ingram tumbled down the order as those on wets got the best of the conditions. At the front, Chilton held the lead and fended off the advances of Josh Cook whilst Jason Plato joined remained with touching distance of the pair too.

Laps ticked by however Ingram’s progress didn’t come into effect until the final stages of the race, by which time he was too far back to challenge those in the points. Chilton meanwhile held on to record his first win of the season whilst Cook kept his championship challenge going with a second place finish.

Double champion Plato was back on the rostrum after a year-long drought, getting a big cheer as he made it onto the podium. Ashley Sutton and Matt Neal rounded out the top five with Sutton producing a string of mesmerising overtakes heading into the hairpin.

Leaving Croft, Turkington is now the sole leader in the standings – holding an 11-point advantage over Cook whilst Sutton remains a further two points back.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Oulton Park at the end of the month on June 29/30 for Rounds 13, 14 & 15, before then heading into the annual summer break.

TOCA support championships put on a show at Croft

Challenging conditions only added to the edge-of-the-seat entertainment at Croft Circuit this past weekend (June 15/16) as all five TOCA support championships took centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Virtue of the recent resurfacing that has taken place at the North Yorkshire venue, lap times tumbled across each series – making it a record-breaking weekend for the TOCA support package.

Arguably taking centre stage over the course of the weekend was home hero Max Coates who produced a near-perfect performance in the Renault UK Clio Cup. Hailing from nearby Scorton, Coates gave those in attendance plenty to cheer about as he scored two wins in the one-make series.

Coates led from start-to-finish in treacherously wet conditions to win Saturday’s opening race before then coming out on top in an epic showdown with Jack Young on Sunday. Dicing for the lead, Coates would finish second on the road however a time-penalty for on-the-road winner Young promoted the local man to the top of the podium once more.

Whilst Coates revelled in the euphoria of winning on home soil, Brett Lidsey and Jamie Bond also picked up podiums across both races too.

Based in Yorkshire, Croft also proved to be a home event for Ginetta, showcasing action from both the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

Unsafe weather conditions meant that the opening Junior encounter had to be cancelled, however the second race did take place. Coming off the back of a breakthrough win at Thruxton last time out, Will Martin was bag in the winners circle as he produced an assured drive to triumph.

The GT4 Supercup meanwhile saw all three of its races take place, with Harry King further establishing himself as a main threat for the title with two wins. Tom Hibbert, who had been the man to beat in qualifying, opened his winning account for the season too.

History was made in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB too as the first-ever Pro-Am overall victory was taken by Team Parker Racing’s Karl Leonard. Race one of the series saw Daniel Harper continue his rich vein of form as he bagged a win in race one, despite suffering a late spin which almost saw him drop to second place.

Race two however was the history-making encounter as the heavens opened as the field completed their formation lap. All but three cars opted to dart into the pit-lane and bolt on wet tyres, setting up a titanic cat-and-mouse race.

As those on slicks battled the conditions, the wet runners began to claw their way into contention and following a safety car and late inside, Leonard emerged victorious to write his name into Carrera Cup GB folklore.

Heavy rainfall meant that only two F4 British Championship races took place, both of which were won by Carlin’s Zane Maloney.

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

All five championships from the TOCA support package will join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park on June 29/30 for the latest event of the 2019 season.

BTCC reveals fresh look to 2020 calendar

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced its calendar for the 2020 season, boasting a revised order of events with Silverstone taking on a second race meeting in place of Thruxton – which has done so this year.

Confirmed by Series Organisers TOCA, the 2020 campaign will once again comprise of 30 races across ten weekends – three per event of equal distance.

Donington Park will lift the curtain on the new BTCC season in late March before the series then descends on Kent for the second meeting of the year as Brands Hatch plays host to Rounds 4, 5 & 6.

The first of two visits to Silverstone will follow just a couple of weeks later with the National circuit being used before the championship then heads to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton.

Oulton Park will round out the first half of the season in mid-June before the annual summer break comes into effect, with Snetterton remaining as the starting point for the second of the year.

Having traditionally been a fixture during the first of the year in recent times, Croft is set for a BTCC summer spectacular as it hosts the seventh meeting on the calendar – with Knockhill swiftly following a fortnight later.

The penultimate event of the 2020 season will see Silverstone take up its usual spot on the schedule however unlike previous years, the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue will be used.

Brands Hatch will bring the curtain down on the year with three title-deciding races around the iconic Grand Prix circuit in October.

2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – Donington Park – March 28/29

Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – Brands Hatch (Indy) – April 11/12

Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – Silverstone (National) – April 25/26

Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – Thruxton – May 16/17

Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – Oulton Park – June 13/14

Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – Snetterton – July 25/26

Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – Croft – August 15/16

Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – Knockhill – August 29/30

Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – Silverstone (International) – September 26/27

Rounds 28, 29 & 30 – Brands Hatch (Grand Prix) – October 10/11

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s Season Launch is set to be announced at a later date.

To keep up-to-date with all of the latest BTCC information, head to btcc.net.

BTCC battle heads north to tackle recently resurfaced Croft

The battle for supremacy in the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will see the series head to North Yorkshire this weekend (June 15/16) as Croft Circuit plays host to Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – and it is all to play for at the top of the standings.

Coming off the back of a scintillating weekend of racing at Thruxton in mid-May, Britain’s premier race series ventures to the north-east for a pivotal three encounters around the 2.13 mile layout.

One major change to take place at the venue since the BTCC’s last visit in 2018 has been the resurfacing of the entire circuit, meaning the drivers could be facing a different feel on-track altogether.

Historically, Croft has been better suited to rear-wheel-drive machinery down the years – with BMW and Subaru amassing 11 victories from the past 15 races – and many eyes will be fixed on those two outfits to reign supreme once again.

Dubbed the ‘King of Croft’, reigning champion and joint championship leader Colin Turkington will be looking to extend his impressive win tally around the BARC-run venue as he aims to put clear distance between himself and the chasing pack.

Ashley Sutton meanwhile has forged a path as Turkington’s main challenger to the ‘King of Croft’ mantel having enjoyed plenty of success in recent years. At the wheel of his Subaru Levorg, the 2017 champion has emerged as a consistent challenger already this season, notching four podiums so far.

Throw into the mix three-time 2019 winner Andrew Jordan, Tom Oliphant and local man Senna Proctor, and the potential of further rear-wheel-success could well continue.

Rory Butcher finds himself sharing the points lead with Turkington and he could well spring a surprise as he bids to lead the front-wheel-drive challenge. Having notched a breakthrough win at Brands Hatch, the Scotsman has been a tour-de-force in his Honda Civic Type R and could well continue his rich vein of form in the north east.

Two more Yorkshire home heroes pilot Civic Type R’s and both will be keen to make their mark on home soil. Sam Tordoff and Dan Cammish were in the thick of the action at Thruxton last time out and both will be hoping they’ll be in the mix at Croft.

The likes of Josh Cook, Tom Ingram, Matt Neal, Tom Chilton and Jason Plato, amongst many more, are also likely to be in the battle at the sharp end of the grid – making it a weekend that is not to be missed.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

TOCA support championship title fights set to go up another gear at Croft

Croft Circuit won’t just welcome the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend (June 15/16) but also the hugely popular TOCA support package too, with a full complement of six championship all looking to take centre stage.

Following a pulsating third event of the season at Thruxton which saw just a handful of the customary categories compete, this weekend’s visit to North Yorkshire see’s the usual variety back on in action on a recently resurfaced track.

A home race for the manufacturer, Ginetta will be keen to put on a show and in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, a show will undoubtedly be produced. In what has been one of the most competitive starts to a season in recent history, the battle for supremacy is wide open with Reece Somerfield leading the way.

Enjoying his best run of results in the series, five podiums from six races, Somerfield has been a revelation but he will need to fight tooth and nail to remain at the summit. Harry King, Will Burns, Tom Hibbert and Mike Epps are just a few of the drivers with their sights set on the top of the points.

The Ginetta fun won’t stop there however as the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship will also be in action for two thrilling encounters. Showcasing the next generation of UK motorsport talent, the single-make category has had fans on the edge of their seats so far and that theme is likely to continue at Croft.

James Hedley finds himself in the pound seat heading into the weekend with three race wins proving to be the backbone of his championship challenge. The competition is tough however with the likes of Zak O’Sullivan, James Taylor and Douglas Motorsport duo Gus Burton and Lorcan Hanafin all hot on his heels.

Unpredictability is one of the biggest traits when it comes to the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and the flowing curves of Croft are set to ensure that continues no doubt over Saturday and Sunday.

Making their first appearance at Croft since 2016 will be the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. A popular draw wherever they go, the Carrera Cup is one of the fastest one-make championships around and this year’s crop of drivers look set to take the title fight down to the wire.

Second year star Daniel Harper is the early pace-setter after notching two wins however the likes of Lewis Plato, George Gamble and Josh Webster will all be notable names to keep an eye on as they bid to close the gap to the reigning Scholarship winner.

Whilst the Porsche Carrera Cup GB will be returning to Croft, the Renault UK Clio Cup will be paying its final visit to the venue as it continues its final season. Boasting a bigger grid, a majority of the cheers over the course of the weekend are likely to fall the way of local hero Max Coates.

Firmly in the title hunt, Coates will be keen to repeat his victory from last year and topple the two in the standings, Jack Young and Brett Lidsey. Northern Irishman Young was the man to beat last time out at Donington Park and with a partnership with Eddie Stobart recently announced, he will be a hard man to beat with momentum on his side. 

Also not to counted out of contention in the tin top series will be Jade Edwards, Ben Colburn, James Colburn and Aaron Thompson, amongst a handful more.

Capping off the weekend’s support action in the north-east will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – Powered by Ford EcoBoost.

For more information on this weekend’s event, including links to live timing and the timetable, click here.

Six Renault UK Clio Cup drivers to compete on International stage at French Formula 1 Grand Prix

The Renault UK Clio Cup will be represented by six drivers in Renault Sport Racing’s International Clio Cup Open at this month’s French Formula 1 Grand Prix (June21/22/23).

Jack Young, Brett Lidsey, Aaron Thompson, Ben Colburn, James Colburn and Luke Warr will all fly the flag for the one-make series around the demanding Paul Ricard Circuit, going wheel-to-wheel against some of the fastest drivers in championships around the world.

Following this weekend’s latest rounds at Croft Circuit (June 22/23), drivers and their cars will make the trip across the channel.

Currently residing first and second in the standings, Young and Lidsey are no strangers to the International Open having contested the ‘Clio Cup World Final’ in November around the 3.6 mile layout.

Teenage sensation Young famously emerged as the outright winner from the race after beating no less than 90 drivers from six different countries.

Whilst Young and Lidsey have cut their teeth on the international stage, it will be a new experience for the Westbourne Motorsport Colburn brothers, Thompson and Warr.

Qualifying to determine their positions on the capacity 50-car grid will be on Saturday morning, followed by race one which follows later that day – straight after F1’s final third free practice session. Race two will then take place on Sunday morning as part of the warm-up act to the French Formula 1 Grand Prix.

As Renault are a major partner of the French Grand Prix, the event will effectively mark the 40th anniversary of the company’s first race victory in F1 (Dijon, 1 July 1979) when Jean-Pierre Jabouille crossed the line first in the team’s RS10.