Author: Chris Ashby

McAttack Racing produce incredible comeback to win C1 Racing Series 24-hour race

McAttack Racing produced one of the greatest comebacks in British motorsport at Silverstone this past weekend (April 26/27/28) as they came from the back of the grid to win the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series 24-hour race.

Around the iconic full 3.67 mile Grand Prix layout of the Northamptonshire venue, the British Automobile Racing Club’s hugely popular one-make category wrote its name into the history books by fielding a stunning 99-car grid.

Eclipsing the previous record held by Britcar of 75 cars to make a race start, the C1 Racing Club served up a tantalising event which saw a total of 442 drivers compete over the course of the race.

Qualifying in darkness threw up plenty of entertainment on the Friday evening and it was to the McAttack Racing trio of Declan McDonnell, Joe Wiggin and Simon Walker-Hansell that set the fastest time of 3:02.035 to clinch top spot.

Having been the victors last year when the event was staged at Rockingham, the trio entered the weekend as one of the favourites and their pole position in qualifying had looked to cement their status.

However, post-qualifying checks flagged up that the car was underweight and that the team would have to start from the back of the grid in 99th. Starting 98th due to one team electing to start from the pit lane, the team slowly climbed their way up the ranks as the race progressed, breaking into the top 15 in the ninth hour.

With 17 hours having passed, the trio were soon into the top five and 90 minutes later they elevated themselves up into second place. Hitting the front in hour 14 of the race, Circuit Pro had become the team beat in the race as they established themselves as commanding leaders.

Simon Harrison, Patrick Watts and Timothy Hartland had qualified their machine in 15th during qualifying and looked to be on course to record a memorable victory. With the race entering its final stages, Circuit Pro crossed the line with two seconds to spare, forcing one more lap to be run.

Lapping much faster than the leaders, the McAttack trio managed to catch and pass Circuit Pro on the final lap to record a victory that is set to live long in the memory.

MSAR Old Hat Motorsport rounded out the podium but it wasn’t without encountering their own travails as the race wore on. Having started on the outside of the front row, the team of Callum Hutchings, Tony Hutchings, Daniel Bruce and James Keepin had to battle back from tumbling down the order early on.

C-Tron Racing and Team Merlin International rounded out the top five having both come close to challenging for the podium as well at one stage.

With a total of 99 cars and 24 hours worth of racing, the event wasn’t to be without incident with the safety car making a variety of appearances in the early stages, as well as through the night.

Philip Myatt, Founder of the C1 Racing Club, said: “The 24-hour race has been a great success. It hasn’t been without its accidents, but its hard to expect no contact with 99 cars circulating!

“It has been a great achievement for the club to now hold the record for the biggest grid that the UK has ever seen and my thanks must go to the 150 officials and marshals who have braved the tough weather conditions throughout the night.

“We’ve welcomed 442 drivers over the 24 hours, all with varying levels of racing experience, which will always make for an interesting race!”

For the full classification of results from every hour of the race, click here.

The Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series are next in action on May 25/26 at Anglesey.

Silverstone plays host to memorable BARC race day

It wasn’t just the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series that competed at Silverstone this past weekend (April 27/28) as several other British Automobile Racing Club categories took centre stage to continue their 2019 campaigns.

Setting the scene for the history-making main event later in the day on Saturday, a variety of different championships tackled the infamous Grand Prix circuit to serve up a feast of thrills and spills.

Making their second appearance at the venue already this year, the Dunlop Endurance Championship staged a further two one-hour encounters. Race one proved to be a frenetic affair as the VR Motorsport duo of Tim Gray and Alastair Boulton piloted their Praga R1T to the chequered flag in commanding style, finishing ahead of their nearest challengers by more than 40 seconds.

Any hopes of repeating that success were extinguished in race two later in the day however as the pair were forced to retire after 15 laps. With the race one victors watching on from the sidelines, FF Corse’s Wayne Marrs and Charlie Hollings took full advantage to lead a Ferrari 488 Challenge 1-2-3.

Silverstone provided the starting point for the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup, BARC Saloon Series and TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge too, with the trio amalgamating together for two blockbuster races.

Bringing together a diverse range of saloon cars to go wheel-to-wheel with each other, all three categories were well represented. At the wheel of his Ford Escort RS2000 MkII, Craig Rainer proved to be the driver to beat as he stormed to victory in both races,

Rainer dominated proceedings in the opener but didn’t have things all his own way however as the Ford man was kept honest in the second encounter by the Honda Civic of Chris Sparks.

Rounding out the action around the 3.67 mile circuit was the Sports Prototype Cup, which made its own piece of history by running for the first-ever time.

Aimed at providing a multi-marque racing environment for lightweight sports prototype cars to race in a premium race weekend package, the new series was home to both the Radical SR3 and brand-new Revolution machine.

Despite a small grid competing the action proved to be fast-paced with outright hours shared between Rob Wheldon and Bruce Crawley.

For the full classification of results, click here.

Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram score BTCC victories during action packed Donington Park weekend

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship produced three action packed races at Donington Park this past weekend (April 27/28), with Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram leaving the Leicestershire venue with a share of the spoils.

Following on from a pulsating season-opener at Brands Hatch, the second event of the 2019 campaign saw the top two from last year come to the fore and score their first wins in their respective new machines.

Ever-changing conditions in qualifying on Saturday made for a challenging battle for pole position but once the dust settled it was reigning champion Turkington that topped the times, claiming a maiden pole for the new 330i M Sport and his first since 2016.

Turkington converted his front row start into a commanding race one victory as drama ensued behind. A multi-car accident on the opening lap led to several retirements and heavy damage as Andrew Jordan’s BMW slid sideways after receiving contact exiting the Old Hairpin.

With nowhere to go, the Mercedes A-Class of Adam Morgan made contact with the side of Jordan’s car, whilst Ollie Jackson, Jake Hill and Matt Simpson were all caught up in the incident too.

Jordan was taken to hospital for precautionary checks but the crash caused significant damage to his 330i M Sport – ruling him out for the rest of the day.

Once the race restarted, defending champion Turkington served up a virtuoso performance to claim his first win of the season ahead of Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton and his Team BMW team-mate Tom Oliphant – who scored his first podium in the series.

Turkington produced a carbon copy performance in the second race of the day under the flight path of East Midlands airport, once again dealing with two safety car periods. On both occasions the Northern Irishman made his escape on the restart and was never troubled as further drama took place behind.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal, 20 years on from his first-ever BTCC win at circuit, had kept his head down for most of the weekend until race two. Working his way through the order, the Honda driver dispatched Sutton with just two laps to go to take second place.

Sutton would hang on to third after producing yet another defensive masterclass, this time from Tom Chilton and Rory Butcher.

The all-new Toyota Corolla clinched a breakthrough victory in the reverse grid encounter as Ingram delivered a stellar lights-to-flag drive. In front of more than 4,500 Toyota members and their families, the Speedworks Motorsport ace was not to be denied a first win of the year – and it proved to be an emotional one at that.

Beginning the race on pole position, the 2018 runner-up scampered into the distance and was untroubled despite a brief safety car period. Behind, Rob Collard clinched his and Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing’s first piece of silverware whilst Josh Cook rounded out the podium in his BTC Racing Type R.

Virtue of his two podiums at Donington Park, Sutton has moved to the head of the BTCC Drivers’ Championship however just six points cover the top five.

Honda remain at the summit of the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructor standings whilst Team BMW lead the Teams’ leaderboard. Chilton leads the way in the Independent Drivers’ however it is BTC Racing that continue to have a stranglehold on the Independent Teams’. AMD Tuning’s Butcher extended his advantage in the Jack Sears Trophy.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now heads to Thruxton for the third event of the season on May 18/19.

BTCC races into Donington Park for second event of the season

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will speed into Donington Park this weekend (April 27/28) for the second event of the 2019 season, and the battle for supremacy at the summit is set to only intensify.

An ultra-competitive opening weekend at Brands Hatch showed that the BTCC is set to be as fierce as ever this year with Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan and Rory Butcher scoring a win apiece, with a total of eight drivers scaling the rostrum across the three races.

With the early-season formbook making for intriguing reading, the annual trip to Leicestershire will be a pivotal one as the leading contenders bid to assert themselves towards the standings summit.

BTC Racing’s Cook arrives in Leicestershire leading the way after his Brands Hatch victory and the 1.95 mile track holds happy memories for the Honda driver after clinching a maiden BTCC pole position and victory there last year.

Ladened with maximum ballast, the Civic Type R driver will be in fighting form as he aims to extend his slender points advantage. Tom Chilton and Stephen Jelley each took on starring roles at round one, and the pair will be eyeing more silverware in a big to close the gap to Cook.

Off the back of claiming a maiden BTCC victory for both himself and the team, AMD Tuning’s Butcher is another driver to keep an eye on, with the Honda Civic Type R proving to be a potent weapon down the years under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Adam Morgan and Jake Hill were podium finishers at Brands Hatch and both shouldn’t be discounted from adding to their silverware hauls too. Hot on the heels of them are a trio of former champions in the shape of Ashley Sutton, Andrew Jordan and Matt Neal.

Sutton stormed to pole position at the season-opener whilst local man Jordan delivered a mesmerising drive to give the new BMW 3-Series victory on its competitive debut. Elsewhere, it has been 20 years since three-time champion Neal wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first Independent to win a race, and the Honda man will be keen to roll back the years and top the podium once more during the weekend.

Tom Ingram rounds out the top ten as it stands and the Toyota Corolla driver will be looking to feed off of the local support he’ll as 4,500 supporters, comprised of members and their families from Toyota Manufacturing UK, will attend Donington Park to cheer on the reigning Independents champion.

Beyond the top ten, current title holder Colin Turkington will be looking to bounce back from a challenging opening round, with the Vauxhall duo of Jason Plato and Rob Collard will be looking to do the same.

Aiden Moffat, Chris Smiley and Jack Goff, amongst many more contenders, have enjoyed varied success down the years too and will be worth keeping an eye on as the weekend progresses.

Rounds 4, 5 & 6 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be available to watch on ITV4 this Sunday with build-up beginning at 10:40.

For more information on this weekend’s event such as the official entry list and timetable, click here.

All-out action expected from TOCA support championships at Donington Park

Coming off the back of a pulsating opening event of the season for all five championships, the TOCA support package continues this weekend (April 27/28) under the flightpath of East Midlands airport at Donington Park – and it’s all to play for.

In the Renault UK Clio Cup, Max Coates and Jack Young look set to renew their battle after emerging as the stars of Brands Hatch. Winning both races at the Kent circuit, Coates got the better of his closest challenger and the pair will be expected to be inseparable once more across the weekend’s pair of races.

Beyond the top two however sits some serious opposition with the quartet of Brett Lidsey, Ethan Hammerton, Jade Edwards and Ben Colburn all aiming to take the fight to Coates and Young and halt their momentum.

The Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup produced three different race winners at the Brands Hatch opener and if the racing so far is anything to go by, this weekend’s triple-header is set to produce some captivating action.

Harry King, Reece Somerfield and Will Burns shared the spoils first time out and the trio will be ones to watch as they bid to build on their strong starts. Behind, former BTCC ace Mike Epps enjoyed an encouraging Supercup debut and he will be keen to build on his strong start.

Tom Hibbertt, Fin Green, Carl Shield and Carlito Miracco are all sure to be in the battle at the front of the field as well.

There were two new winners in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship at the start of the month and the depth of this years talent in the series suggests that more could spring up in Leicestershire.

James Taylor and Tom Emson emerged as the victors from a thrilling opening weekend and the pair find themselves as the one’s to beat arriving at Donington Park. Whilst they each have a victory in their pockets already, adding to their tally is set to be a difficult with a raft of teenage sensations all eager to make their mark.

The likes of James Hedley, Ethan Brooks, Zak O’Sullivan, Lorcan Hanafin, Theo Edgerton and Casper Stevenson are just a handful of stars revved up for racing to resume, especially as this weekend will see three races take place.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Daniel Harper will look to extend his advantage at the summit of the championship standings over the weekend’s two races. Making a flying start to the season with a first and third, the Northern Irishman sees him head the way by two points early on.

Lewis Plato leads the chase for the JTR man whilst fellow Brands Hatch race winner George Gamble isn’t far behind either. Two 23-lap duels around the undulating Donington layout will provide further clarity on who will be in the mix for the title this year across all classes.

Capping off the TOCA support action as always will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

To find out more information on this weekend’s second TOCA event of the 2019 season, click here.

C1 Racing Series revved up for history-making Silverstone event

History is set to be made at Silverstone this weekend (April 26/27/28) as the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series headlines the latest British Automobile Racing Club meeting with a 98-car field competing in its first 24-hour race of the year.

Eclipsing the previous record for the biggest grid at a British motorsport event of 75, the one-make series will write its name into the history books on what should be an event to remember around the iconic 3.67 mile Grand Prix circuit.

Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the Distrigo Parts Distribution C1 Racing Series has emerged as one of the fastest growing categories in the country since launching midway through 2017.

Making waves last year with two 24-hour races at Rockingham, the C1 contingent moves to Silverstone with a staggering 434 set the be behind the wheel at some stage over the course of the event.

Kicking things off at 17:30 on Saturday evening, the series will race into the darkness and into the night, with all-out entertainment set to be high on the agenda right the way through until the chequered flag falls the following day.

Prior to the C1 Racing Series roaring into action, the Dunlop Endurance Championship run their second consecutive event of the season at the Northamptonshire venue. Two one-hour encounters with a glittering array of supercars will provide a thrilling spectacle for those in attendance, and the action is likely to be as competitive as ever.

The VR Motorsport Praga R1T of Tim Gray and the JMH Lamborghini Huracan pairing of John Seale and Marcus Clutton ran out winners during the season-opener and both will be ones to watch again. However, with a bumper grid of more than 30 cars set to compete, front-running contenders are set to spring up from all angles.

Fans of all things tin tops will be well-catered for as well as the BARC Saloon Series, TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge and the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup amalgamate together to kick off their campaigns with two 20-minute races taking place.

Bringing together some of the most awe-inspiring saloons from a variety of eras, the action is set to be fast-paced from start to finish with the likes of Ken Lark, Alex Kite and Jeffrey Windsor set to take on starring roles.

Capping off the weekend’s BARC action will be the inaugural two races from the Sports Prototype Cup. Featuring the Radical SR3 Trophy and new Revolution Race Car, the championship is aimed at providing a multi-marque racing environment for lightweight sports prototype cars to race in a premium race weekend package.

Breaking cover for the first time, the season-opener showcases a depth of talent with former Radical Challenge victor Rob Wheldon, James Abbott, Morten Dons and Johan Boris Scheier all set to go wheel-to-wheel in the battle for supremacy.

With history set to be made, the BARC is set for a fever-filled three days of on-track action.

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

SmarTrack Series Elite gearing up for inaugural race meeting

In what has been a frenetic start to the 2019 season for the British Automobile Racing Club, one category is yet to break cover and turn a wheel, however preparations are beginning to ramp up for the SmarTrack Series Elite to do just that next month.

Set to descend on Brands Hatch on May 11/12 for its first-ever race meeting, the one-make series is aiming to break new ground as it roars into life at the Kent venue before then moving on to Silverstone, Donington Park, Snetterton and the Algarve.

Designed to appeal to both amateurs and more experienced racers aged 40 and above, the 200mph all-wheel drive Jaguar XE SV Project 8 has been the machine chosen to take on a starring role in the series.

Receiving rave reviews on Amazon Prime’s hit show The Grand Tour, the monstrous 600bhp machine is set to ensure pulses are racing from the get-go when the category finally launches in a couple of weeks.

Multiple Olympic cycling champion turned racer Sir Chris Hoy is aiming to join the field for the series finale in Portugal and has also been impressed by the Project 8.

Hoy stated: “Having driven the car on track in the wet I was particularly impressed with the traction out of corners. It gets the power down so well and in a very un-intimidating way.

“I’ve not driven a race car with 600bhp that’s been able to do it better – Bravo Jaguar!”

With extensive taster testing and overall refinements taking place in recent months on the production line, the opening rounds of the season will be ‘Exhibition Races’ with four cars set to take to the start.

From there, grids are set to grow as each event passes with six confirmed for Silverstone and eight for its second visit to Brands Hatch. In total. Jaguar Land Rover SVO have produced 20 Project 8 cars for the series to allow numbers to increase over the course of the year.

In addition, cars are available to rent on an arrive-and-drive basis providing the drivers that are interested possess the minimum of a National A Licence.

Practice on the Friday, followed by qualifying and two races across Saturday and Sunday make up the opening meeting for the SmarTrack Series Elite, with VIP hospitality also available as well.

Graeme Glew: “Since approaching the British Automobile Racing Club over two years ago with the concept of Series Elite we have been testing with over 60 drivers, and that is within the last six months.

“It will be marvellous to see the cars raced in anger by like minded gentleman drivers at Brands Hatch next month.”

Any interested drivers wanting to test a Project 8 car can do so at an exclusive track day on Tuesday 30th April at Jaguar’s own test track near Coventry.

For more information on the SmarTrack Series Elite, head to www.serieselite.com or contact Graeme via graeme@f1.co.uk.

Cadwell Park plays host to frenetic BARC race day

The British Automobile Racing Club’s bumper bank holiday schedule included a scintillating Sunday (April 21) at Cadwell Park last weekend, with four championships taking on a starring role.

In what is the first of several trips to the undulating Lincolnshire-based venue over the course of the 2019 campaign for the BARC, the Easter Sunday event set pulses races from the get-go.

Three pulsating races from the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship proved to be one of the highlights of the day as reigning champion Pete Sparrow and Lien Davies shared the spoils.

Boasting a bumper entry list for their second event of the year, the iconic machines went wheel-to-wheel around the challenging twists and turns that Cadwell Park had to offer, producing spectacular racing along the way.

Former title winner Davies was the first to strike as he claimed outright honours in race one, leading Sparrow and Nick Crispin across the line – the trio covered by little over three seconds.

Having dominated the season-opener at Silverstone, Sparrow was soon back to winning ways in race two as he edged out Luca Proietti and Simon Clarke before then adding a second victory later in the day, heading Davies and Proietti in the finale.

The Mighty Minis Championship lifted the curtain on its 2019 campaign with a pair of thrilling races, won Neven Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick. One of the last categories to kick-start their seasons, the Mini contingent wasted no time in serving up a feast of entertainment.

At the wheel of his #11 machine, Neven Kirkpatrick leapt into the lead on lap four and was never challenged after as he led Alex Comis and David Kirkpatrick across the line. Not happy to settle for third place, the latter Kirkpatrick bounced in race two to triumph ahead of Comis and Steven Rideout.

Andrew Southcott was the man to beat in the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship as he piloted his MG Modsport 2300 to a brace of wins. Southcott edged out David Harvey to pole position earlier in the morning and that proved to be the theme for the rest of the day as Harvey ended up as the nearest challenge to Southcott.

Rounding out the podium was Paul Dobson and Paul Woolfitt, the pair picking up a piece of silverware each.

Capping off the day’s action was two races from the British Superkart Championship, both ultimately won by Gareth James.

For the full classification of results at Cadwell Park, click here.

BARC delivers scorching Brands Hatch bank holiday blockbuster

The British Automobile Racing Club put on an Easter extravaganza at Brands Hatch this past weekend (April 20/21/22) as eight championships basked in the bank holiday sun to produce three days of unmissable action.

Topping the bill were eight dramatic race, four for Division 1 and four for Division 2, from the MV Commercial BTRA Championship. Kicking off another season of edge-of-the-seat entertainment, the heavyweight behemoths served up a string of spellbinding performances. 

In Division 1, reigning champion Ryan Smith began the defence of his title in style as he picked up a pair of victories whilst Stuart Oliver and David Jenkins also triumphed.

There was a similar theme in Division 2 as well with reigning champion Luke Garrett making an equally flying start as he too picked up a pair of wins. Eric Forsstrom and Steve Powell left the Kent circuit with a win apiece as well whilst Paul Rivett made his mark by scoring a hat-trick of podium finishes.

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2019, the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres was back and better than ever. Renowned for close-quarter racing, the 5/8 scale championship wowed crowds from start-to-finish with a host of photo finishes.

Connor Mills prevailed as the most successful driver around the 1.2 mile circuit as he bagged three wins whilst the trio of Sy Harraway, Jack Parker and James Hall-Morton, upon which was his maiden victory in the series, shared the remaining spoils.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship is set to be wide open this year with five different drivers filling the podium across the weekend’s two races. With the void of double champion Scott Bourne needing to be filled, Michael Smith came to the fore in the curtain-raiser to beat George Turiccki and David O’Regan.

O’Regan would move up the order in the second race as he produced a scintillating performance to score victory ahead of Dale Gent and Paul Jones.

Malcolm Blackman wrote his name into the history books as the first winner in the BARC Super Silhouette Championship, which is now being run by SHP Promotions. A stalwart of the spaceframe formula, Blackman delivered a stunning lap in qualifying to bag pole position and then backed it up with victory in race one.

The former champion made it two from two later in the day but was made to work for it as he came under extreme pressure from Chris Brockhurst in the closing laps.

Wayne Rockett was at his brilliant best as a new season of the Carbon 8 Hyundai Coupe Cup got underway, notching two commanding race wins as Alex Cursley, Kevin Smiles and Nick Moore all rounded out the rostrum across the two respective races.

Saturday saw a Classic Touring Car Championship takeover with several races from its multiple classes. Mike Luck and Stephen Primett were the victors in the Pre ’83 Touring Car Championship whilst Richard Wood dominated the combined Classic Thunder & Blue Oval encounters.

Jonathan Lewis emerged as the driver to beat in the Pre ’66 Touring Car Championship, winning both races, as the amalgamated Pre ’93, Pre ’03 & Pre ’05 spoils fell the way of Don Hughes and AJ Owen.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns saw Clive Wood kick off his campaign on the right as he stormed to a trio of pole positions, and then backed it up with a pair of race wins.

Dominating proceeding’s in races one and two, Wood had looked to be a sure bet to complete a clean sweep in race three however a mechanical issue when trying to leave the pit lane put an end to that dream before the race had even begun. Taking advantage of a vacant pole position spot, Peter Richings brought the curtain down on the weekend with victory.

Capping off the bank holiday weekend’s racing at the Kent circuit was a pair of races from the BARC Tin Tops Championship. Guest driver Steve Rothery piloted his Peugeot 308 to the top of the time-sheets in qualifying and then onto victory twice later on Saturday afternoon.

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

Derek Tohill claims maiden British Rallycross victory at Lydden Hill

Derek Tohill stormed to the summit of the Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship standings on Easter Monday (April 22) after claiming his first victory in the adrenaline-fuelled series at Lydden Hill.

Descending on the Kent circuit for the traditional bank holiday meeting, the second event of the season threw up yet more entertainment as the Irishman got the better of former champion Ollie O’Donovan in a pulsating final.

O’Donovan had been the man to beat in the first two rounds of heats, setting the fastest time at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta however it would be Tohill that set the pace in the third and final qualifier.

Keen to bounce back from a tough season-opener, O’Donovan began the final on pole position with Tohill second and round one winner Julian Godfrey completing the front row. As the lights went out, Godfrey immediately took his joker lap as the top two scrapped for the lead.

O’Donovan held off Tohill through the first corner, Chesson’s Drift, and powered into a lead he held until the fourth lap when he was passed by Tohill, who had elected to take his joker one lap earlier.

Godfrey threw himself into contention in the closing stages but neither could stop Tohill from taking the chequered flag in his striking Ford Fiesta.

“It’s amazing to win here, it was a great job by everyone in the team all day. We worked hard for this, but it feels like we really earned it,” Tohill said. “It was a hustle out there with Ollie, I got him off the line then he sank himself down the inside into the first corner, which drifted me out wide. Then I had to keep the pressure on and try to pass him, or force him into an early joker. I had one lap to do it after I took the joker and I put in a real good lap so it was just enough. It was a brilliant end to the day to get the win.

Tristen Ovenden extended his lead in the  Motorsport UK Supernational Rallycross Championship as he dominated proceedings at his home track. Emerging as the driver to beat throughout qualifying, the Renault Clio V6 race led Paige Bellerby in the final to score an emphatic victory.

The Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship saw heartbreak for Latvian ace Roberts Vitols as he set the pace in the qualifying before then leading a majority of the final. Bad luck was to strike however as Vitols ran into technical trouble on the fourth lap, subsequently handing the lead and victory to points leader Luke Constantine.

Dominic Flitney was the winner in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship whilst David Bell benefitted from a Drew Bellerby retirement to maintain his strong start in the defence of his BMW Mini Rallycross Championship title.

In the RX150 Championship, Stephen Jones claimed a maiden victory when race leaders Tom Onslow Cole and Jon Armstrong came together on the fifth lap and subsequently retired.

Rounding out the list of winners was FIA World Rallycross Championship star Liam Doran, who led the way in the Retro Rallycross Championship. Driving a Ford RS200, Doran was dominant and claimed victory in Retro RX’s Group B & Four Wheel Drive final from the second row of the grid, ahead of Steve Harris.

For the full classification of results from Lydden Hill, click here.

The Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship heads to Pembrey next on June 22/23.

BARC revved up for Easter extravaganza at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is set to play host to a blockbuster Easter extravaganza this weekend (April 20/21/22) as the British Automobile Racing Club descends on the Kent circuit with eight championships for three days of door-to-door action.

A traditional fixture on the motorsport calendar for both the Club and the circuit, the Easter race weekend has provided plenty of memorable moments down the years and 2019 is likely to be no different.

Headlining the action with eight races will be the MV Commercial BTRA Championship, which roars back into life for another year. Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, the championship is a favourite among many and boasts a bumper entry list in both Division 1 & 2.

Three-time champion Ryan Smith will be the man to beat in Division 1 as he bids to write his name into the history books whilst both former champions David Jenkins and Stuart Oliver will be keen to halt the MAN juggernaut and get the jump on him early in the year.

Division 2 will see Luke Garrett begin the defence of his title however he faces a stern test from a raft of contenders including Brad Smith, Steven Powell, Simon Cole and Paul Rivett, who has made the switch from the Renault UK Clio Cup to Truck Racing full-time.

At the other end of the scale in terms of size competing at Brands Hatch is the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres. Marking the start of a milestone year for the category as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary, the 5/8 scale machines are set to wow crowds with a host of races, and a big grid all aiming to topple reigning champion John Mickel.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship will crown a new champion this year with two-time victor Scott Bourne not returning for 2019, and judging by the entry list it is set to be as wide open as ever. A blend of experienced and fresh-faced racers will line up on the grid for the opening event of the year with it all to play for.

Rebranded and running under the SHP Promotions banner, the BARC Super Silhouette Championship will kick off a new era at Brands Hatch. Formerly known as Intermarques, the space-frame machines are set to ensure pulses are racing as a strong entry list dukes it out for honours in the opening event of the season.

Those wanting to take a trip down touring car memory lane will be well catered for as the Classic Touring Car Championship continues. Kicking off the season at Oulton Park in March, the championship once again has another awe-inspiring line-up of cars and drivers, all of whom will be keen to shine at this second meeting of the year.

Brands Hatch will mark the start of new seasons for the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns and the Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup too. Both delighting fans wherever they went in 2018, the two categories are polar opposites from each other however one theme is set to relate them around the Indy circuit and that is that they will deliver non-stop entertainment.

Capping off the action will be further saloon car thrills from the BARC Tin Tops Championship, which is open to a diverse range of machines.

In total, a scheduled 33 races are set to take place over Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Brands Hatch making it an event that is not to be missed. To find out more information on the event as a whole, click here.

BARC quartet set for race day of twists and turns at Cadwell Park

The British Automobile Racing Club is set to make it an Easter Sunday to remember this weekend (April 21) as four championships get set to take on the technical twists and turns of Cadwell Park.

In what is the first of three visits to the Lincolnshire-based track over the course of 2019 by the BARC, those attending are set to be treated to a feast of on-track entertainment from the opening lap.

Having kicked off their year at Silverstone, the 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship will continue with a trio of 20-minute races scheduled to take place. Reigning champion Pete Sparrow set his stall out as the man to beat last month by storming to a pair of race wins and it would be hard to bet against him adding to his win tally on Sunday.

Leading the chase for Sparrow are several front-running contenders including former champion Lien Davies, Nick Crispin and Nigel Hollis – to name just a few. Boasting another bumper entry list, this iconic car and series has continued to be a smash-hit and that theme should continue at Cadwell Park.

Flying the flag for the Club’s North West Centre, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship will be back action with a wide variety of cars set to battle it out for supremacy.

Coming off the back of a disjointed opening event at Oulton Park where there was a red flag stoppage for a start-line incident followed by the race finishing under a safety car, hopes are high for a smoother race day – with two frenetic encounters taking place.

Notable names to keep an eye on over the course of the day include Oulton Park victor Jon Woolfit in his MK Indy, Paul Dobso, David Harvey and Nigel Mustill, amongst many more.

The Mighty Minis Championship meanwhile will lift the curtain on their 2019 season with two races. Never short of producing door-to-door action, the iconic Mini will once more take fans on a spirited trip down memory lane to showcase why it became one of the most popular cars globally.

Split into two classes, Mighty Mini and Super Mighty Mini, the championship is proving to be as popular as it ever has done with a healthy grid size for this Sunday. Amongst them is a list of possible title contenders that are hungry to make their mark during the opening weekend of the year.

Reigning champion Stuart Coombs, David Kirkpatrick, Alex Comis, Paul Inch and Paul Ogborn are just five drivers to cast a watchful eye over.

Capping off the action at Cadwell Park will be a pair of races from the British Superkart Championship. Small in stature but able to clock eye-watering speeds, the very best karting drivers in the country will be going wheel-to-wheel in a bid to top the podium – and it is not to be missed.

For more information, such as the entry list and timetable for this Sunday’s event, click here.