Category: Barc

Caterham contingent sign off 2024 season in style at Donington Park

Donington Park provided the backdrop to a thrilling penultimate event of the season for the British Automobile Racing Club this past weekend (October 19/20) as both Caterham Motorsport and the Caterham Graduates Racing Club closed out their 2024 campaigns in thrilling fashion.

More than 50 drivers bid farewell to their novice stickers as the final round of the Caterham Academy Championship provided plenty of entertainment. In the Green Group, Brian Thornton reigned supreme while White Group champion Paul Ogglesby signed off with yet another win.

Not content with staging one race each, both groups amalgamated together for the Autumn Trophy race later on Sunday however nobody could stop Ogglesby from triumphing as he beat Dean Burden and Alex Coombes to the chequered flag by more than six seconds. 

Earlier in the year Bruno van Dyke had been one to watch in the Academy although for the season finale he was invited to step up into the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship – which is the next step up from the Academy on the Caterham Motorsport ladder. 

Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, van Dyke was in a league of his own as he romped to an impressive brace of wins. Two top-four finishes for Paul Goldstein proved enough for him to be crowned champion.

With Ben Timmons having secured an unassailable lead in the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship prior to the finale, the bragging rights of race wins were on the line under the flightpath of East Midlands airport – and the 32-car field didn’t disappoint. 

Charlie Lower was perfection personified across races one and two as he cruised to victory however his chances of completing his hat-trick ended on lap four of the finale when he was forced to retire; which opened the door for Ben Wheatley to triumph. 

The destiny of the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship went down to the wire with Harry Cook capturing the coveted crown ahead of Taylor O’Flanagan after the pair went head-to-head across three captivating contests.

 

O’Flanagan entered the weekend leading the standings after dropped scores were applied however he could only watch on as Cook charged to all three wins and in-doing so, turned the tables to walk away as the new champion.

Over in the Vertex Caterham Seven UK Championship, less than half a second covered the top two in each of the final three races of the season. William Smith was the first to stand on the top step of the podium before Harry Senior came to the fore in race two.

After missing out in each of the previous two bouts, Samuel Smith finally had his moment out front as he closed proceedings with a hard-fought victory in race three ahead of Matthew Armstrong and Paul Donkin. 

Also in attendance at the Leicestershire venue was the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship, with its two classes – the Sigma 135s and Sigma 150s – serving up plenty of edge-of-the-seat moments. 

Jamie Ellwood capped off a memorable year in which he was crowned Sigma 150 champion by winning the opening encounter of the Sigma 135 Class before Giles Derry pipped Megan Bruce to top spot in a thrilling finale. 

Paul Goldstein was crowned champion after a superb charge from the back of the grid in the finale. The title marked the second coveted prize he won over the course of the weekend, having earlier bagged Roadsport honours. 

In the Sigma 150 category, Jack Barlow was wheel-perfect as he clinched a dominant double over Will Stillwell. 

To view the full classification of results from Donington Park, CLICK HERE. 

New leadership team in place for MINI CHALLENGE as 2025 entries open

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE will mark the start of a new chapter next season after announcing a new leadership team comprising of Rhea Beauchamp, Luke Caudle and a third figure still to be confirmed.

Long time Championship Co-ordinator Beauchamp will take on the role of Championship Director with Caudle – a former MINI CHALLENGE title winner as Sporting Director. A new Technical Director is poised to be named in due course.

The news follows confirmation that entires have officially opened for the 2025 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season, with drivers and teams able to now sign up and secure their place on the grid for each of the three classes.

Entry fees for the JCW, JCW Sport and Cooper classes are being held at 2024 levels whilst early bird discounts have also been put in place that will make the MINI CHALLENGE even more affordable.

Anyone registering for either the JCW or JCW Sport class by 29 November and paying their full entry by 1 February 2025 will benefit from a £2,000 discount on entry, with Cooper drivers following the same payment schedule receiving a discount of £1,000.

“We are delighted to officially open entries for the 2025 season and what promises to be another exciting year for the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE,” Beauchamp said.

“We are already seeing high levels of interest from teams and drivers who are interesting in competing with us next year, which is a nice position to be in at this stage considering that the Cooper class still has one round left to run.

“Holding entry fees at the same level as 2024 means that the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE continues to be one of the most cost-effective ways to go racing at a high level in UK motorsport, particularly when you consider the high profile that comes from being of the BTCC package.

“We have a number of things in the pipeline that we will announce in the coming months, and we look forward to welcoming drivers old and new into the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE for 2025.”

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, added: “The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE continues to be an important, entertaining and exciting part of our support package for 2025 and beyond. 

“So it’s great to see the Championship energetically working with its teams and drivers in order to continue to grow the championship – not just for next year, but for years to come“.

TOCA Junior Championship commits to using sustainable fuel

The Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship has announced its commitment to using sustainable fuel, appointing Haltermann Carless as its official fuel supplier from the 2025 season onwards.

Following an extensive research process for the supply of a sustainable fuel to the series over a three-year period, organisers have selected a fuel that is substantially more sustainable than that which is being sold to petrol station forecourts throughout the United Kingdom currently.

The fuel – which is also used in the British Touring Car Championship – contains 20% renewable components; comprising 15% second generation ethanol content and 5% of advanced sustainable hydrocarbons.

It is calculated by the manufacturer, Haltermann Carless, to give an 18% reduction in greenhouse gasses when compared to current pump fuel, which is significantly lowering the fuel’s impact on the environment.

A small batch of the fuel has been tested on the Chevron B1417 already, with excellent results being reported and no adverse effects to either engine performance or the fuel system.

Fuel will be manufactured for the TOCA Junior Championship by Haltermann Carless at its refinery in Harwich, Essex, UK and then distributed direct to the teams at each event by Vital Equipment Ltd.

Boasting decades of experience. Haltermann Carless is a pioneer and leading international supplier of high-value hydrocarbon solutions in Mobility, Life Science, Industrial and Energy, with access to renewable resources from strategic partners.

Dave Beecroft, TOCA Junior Championship Director, said: “Since launching the championship back in August we have been pushing the slogan ‘Fuelling The Future’ and this partnership with Haltermann Carless epitomises just that.

“We value the importance of sustainability and the introduction of a clean fuel is the first step in us maximising our impact on the world. We’re looking forward to working with Haltermann Carless over the next few years.”

Adrian Stuart, Head of Performance Fuels Sales UK at Haltermann Carless, added: “We’re excited to support the new TOCA Junior Championship with our Hiperflo® R20 fuel, which contains 20% renewable components.

“It achieves an 18% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, well-to-wheel (WtW), compared to standard pump fuel. We look forward to the next three years of working closely with TOCA Juniors, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable fuel innovation and powering the next generation of talent.”

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – October 19/20

Donington Park will welcome the British Automobile Racing Club this weekend (October 19/20) for an action-packed two days of track action that will be headlined by Caterham Motorsport.

Bringing the curtain down on their 2024 campaign, the Caterham contingent will be out in full forces with races from its Academy, 270R Seven, 310R Seven, Roadsport and Seven UK Championship’s.

In addition, the Caterham Graduates Racing Club will also be in attendance to add further spice to the entertainment.

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

Saturday 19th October | 14:05 | WATCH HERE
Sunday 20th October | 09:15 | WATCH HERE

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

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

ROKiT British F4 Championship reveals exciting 2025 calendar

The ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA has announced its calendar for the 2025 season, with two current Formula 1 Grand Prix circuits once again featuring on the schedule.

Eight rounds of the single-seater series will feature alongside the British Touring Car Championship next year however trips to Brands Hatch Indy and Croft have been replaced with two special outings.

For the third year in succession, the next generation of rising stars will experience the legendary Silverstone Grand Prix circuit as the take on the Home of British Motor Racing on the 2/3 May.

In addition, the series will also head overseas again to race around Zandvoort, which is the stage for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

The weekend format will remain consistent with previous seasons, with each meeting featuring two practice sessions, qualifying, and three races

With 30 races across 10 weekends making up the series, the championship is poised to maintain its status as one of the most difficult open-wheel titles to win.

2025 ROKiT British F4 Championship Calendar
26/27 April – Donington Park National
2/3 May – Silverstone GP
24/25 May – Snetterton
7/8 June – Thruxton
21/22 June – Oulton Park
26/27 July – Zandvoort
16/17 August – Knockhill
30/31 August – Donington Park GP
20/21 September – Silverstone National
4/5 October – Brands Hatch GP

Jake Hill: “It’s just a massive, overwhelming feeling of emotions”

Jake Hill has shared his delight after he was crowned British Touring Car Champion for the first time in his career at Brands Hatch last weekend (October 5/6).

On what proved to be a dramatic final day of the season on the Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue, the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver produced a champions drive in the finale to edge out Tom Ingram and lift the coveted prize.

Entering the weekend tied on points with Ingram in the standings, the BMW 330e M Sport racer charged to a hard-fought victory in race one before then shadowing Ingram in second place in the penultimate contest.

Those results set up a tantalising title showdown which saw Hill leading by a solitary point. In what was simply a winner-takes-all situation, Hill held his nerve in wet conditions to power past Ingram in the early stages and from there he didn’t look back as he cruised to the crown.

“It’s just a massive, overwhelming feeling of emotions,” said Hill. “This is the first championship I have ever won and we’ve gone and made sure it is the British Touring Car Championship – I can’t quite comprehend it all at the moment.

“That last race was all about just staying calm because Tom was initially very strong and had the initiative. After a few laps though I could see he didn’t have the pace and then it was about pick my moment. It swung massively in my favour suddenly and thankfully it went our way.

“This means so much though as I thought my career was done in 2018, when I pulled out halfway through, and then Shaun Hollamby saved the day. A mixture of Shaun and me being team-mates with Mark Blundell started this journey again.

“I owe the latter part of my career to Shaun for taking a risk on me and giving me a cheap enough drive that we could somehow get the money together to do it, which we did. My Dad also just never, ever gave up and now we’re BTCC champions!”

Titles decided across action-packed TOCA support bill at Brands Hatch

Champions weren’t just crowned in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 5/6), as two more titles were also decided in the championships that make up the TOCA support bill.

On what turned out to be an action-packed finale around the famous Grand Prix circuit, the bumper crowd in attendance were treated to a feast of wheel-to-wheel thrills as the battle for supremacy across each of the one-make categories reached an exciting crescendo.

George Gamble came out on top of a thrilling Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain finale to be crowned champion after the Rosland Gold By Century Motorsport driver went into the final race as one of three drivers that could triumph.

Eden Race Drive ace Harry Foster reigned supreme in the weekend’s opening encounter however all eyes were on race two as Gamble, Charles Rainford and Hugo Ellis battled each other, and the elements, in a bid for title glory.

With the pendulum swinging back and forth as the laps ticked by, Gamble took the fight by the scruff of the neck and began carving his way to the front of the field, ultimately dominating proceedings to clinch the Drivers’ Championship.

Things were just as tense in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain where three drivers were also battling tooth-and-nail for the right to call themselves 2024 champion.

Team Parker Racing’s Will Jenkins arrived as the outside bet for the crown and he did everything that he could to overturn the deficit to the top two by winning all three races in commanding fashion.

While Jenkins threw everything he had at it, Sebastian Hopkins kept a cool head to ensure that he was scoring what was required and he ultimately pippex Max Coates to the crown by one point, with Jenkins a further eight in arrears.

In the ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA, the pressure was very much off Deagen Fairclough after he secured an unassailable lead in the single-seater series last time out at Silverstone.

Becoming the tenth different driver to lift the coveted crown, the Hitech Pulse-Eight drivers record-breaking campaign saw a fitting final chapter written as he powered his way to two more race wins – taking his final season tally to 14.

JHR Developments’ Leo Robinson claimed the spoils in the re-run reverse grid contest that was cancelled at Silverstone while series runner-up Alex Ninovic capped off a fine season with his fifth win of the season in the other bout.

Like British F4, the destiny of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE JCW crown was already decided with Dan Zelos having claimed a historic third title when the tin top category was last in action back in August at Knockhill.

Rookie Cup champion Max Hall charged to victory in the weekend’s opening bout before Nathan Edwards underlined his talents with a superlative performance that included a brace of race wins.

To view the full classification of results from all TOCA support championships, as well as the final standings for each, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and TOCA support package will return in 2025, with the new season scheduled to get underway at Donington Park on April 26/27.

Jake Hill crowned BTCC champion at unmissable Brands Hatch finale

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship brought the curtain down on its 2024 season in action-packed style at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 5/6) as Jake Hill was crowned champion for the first time.

On what was one of the most dramatic final days of the season in recent memory, the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver held his nerve in front of a capacity crowd on the world-famous Grand Prix circuit to cement his status as a tin top great.

Arriving at the Kent venue tied on points with Tom Ingram at the top of the standings, Hill charged to an impressive eighth win of the season in race one before adding a brace of podium finishes – the latter of which was enough to seal the coveted title.

Hill’s journey to clinching the biggest prize in UK motorsport has been nothing short of sensational this year with one pole position, eight wins and a further eight podium finishes being tallied over the course of the ten-event campaign.

Whilst unable to overhaul Hill from clinching the coveted crown, Ingram settled for runners-up laurels whilst outgoing Ash Sutton, Colin Turkington and Dan Cammish completed the top five in the standings.

Elsewhere, NAPA Racing UK claimed the Teams’ Championship for a third straight season but they were unable to stop BMW from sealing a record-breaking tenth Manufacturers-Constructors Championship.

Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing were the dominant force on their way to a maiden Independent Teams’ Championship while drivers Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble clinched the Independent Drivers’ and Jack Sears Trophy titles respectively.

Qualifying on Saturday afternoon set the scene for an action-packed Final’s Day as Turkington secured the Goodyear Wingfoot Award – which is awarded to the top qualifier – by snaring his fourth pole position of the campaign.

Race one would see drama ensue from the get-go as Ingram found himself caught up in an incident that ended the races of Sutton and Josh Cook within a couple of corners. Hill would escape unscathed from the incident and ultimately powered his way to a crucial win.

The tables would turn in race two as Ingram produced a stellar opening few laps to dispatch both Hill and Turkington before he cruised to victory. That result meant that just one point – in Hill’s favour – separated the pair heading into the final race of the year.

In what was an epic showdown, Sutton produced a clinical display in the wet conditions to sign off his tenure as champion with a victory however it was behind him where everyone’s attention was fixed.

Ingram initially got the better of Hill in the opening exchanges although it didn’t take long for the tide to turn and soon it was the BMW driver on the front foot. At mid-distance he found a way past Ingram and from there he didn’t look back as he went on to finish in second place.

With Ingram unable to strike back, Hill held his nerve and swept his way to an emotional first BTCC title.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Brands Hatch, as well as the final championship standings, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return in 2025, with a brand-new season poised to start at Donington Park on April 26/27.

Goodyear named exclusive tyre supplier for TOCA Junior Championship

The Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship has announced that Goodyear has been named as its exclusive tyre supplier for the 2025 season and beyond.

Ahead of the series’ eagerly anticipated debut next year, the global tyre manufacturer has collaborated with the championship to supply tyres to all entrants, as well as provide their on-site expertise at every event.

Goodyear will provide teams and drivers with the latest Direzza Race tyres, with restrictions being placed on the number of tyres that are allocated at each event to ensure parity and to also contain costs. 

The TOCA Junior Championship is the latest high-profile category to align itself with Goodyear, with the British Touring Car Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship both working closely with them on and off the track in recent years.

Vickie MacClinton, TOCA Junior Championship Operations Director, said: “Goodyear is a world leader in racing and has a proud and proven history in the sport which spans multiple decades and championships.

“The unrivalled knowledge and experience they have amassed, as well as the working relationship we have have built with the brand on other projects, made it a logical and simple decision to ensure that all cars will run on Goodyear rubber from next year.

“From a brand awareness perspective, it’s great to be able to showcase the iconic Goodyear name, just like the British Touring Car Championship has been doing so for the last few years.”

Mickey Butler, Goodyear UK Racing Manager, added: “As the Goodyear family enters its 22nd consecutive year as the partner to the BTCC, we are proud to extend our support to the championships that form important and credible rungs on the junior racing ladder.

“Goodyear has a long history of supporting junior motorsport and to be an official partner of the Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship is a natural step.”

The 2025 Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship will feature on the support bill at all ten British Touring Car Championship race meetings next year, with the season-opener taking place at Donington Park on the 26-27 April.

British Truck Racing Championship lights up Le Mans

The 2024 British Truck Racing Championship is set for an unmissable title showdown after a action-packed penultimate event of the season at Le Mans this past weekend (September 28/29) ensured that the battle for supremacy in Division 1 and Division 2 will go down to the wire.

Marking the series’ first trip to mainland Europe in more than five years, the outing in France proved to be memorable as the heavyweight behemoths shared the bill with the FIA European Truck Racing Championship – producing four blockbusters contests in the process.

Ryan Smith ensured he now has at least one hand on the coveted Division 1 title after delivering a wheel-perfect performance during the series’ maiden visit to France and the world-famous Le Mans circuit.

Arriving at the Bugatti course with a commanding advantage at the top of the standings, Smith wasted no time in laying laid down a marker to the rest of the field as he blasted his way to pole position during Saturday’s qualifying session.

With a front-row start guaranteed for race one, the Daimler Freightliner driver quickly pulled clear of the chasing pack and went on to claim a comfortable lights-to-flag victory ahead of David Jenkins and Stuart Oliver.

Starting from the rear of the grid for race two, the Mansfield racer utilised every possible overtaking opportunity to charge up the order before wrestling the lead, and ultimately the race win, away from Michael Oliver in the closing stages while John Bowler finished third.

Dominating Sunday’s qualifying session as the sun rose over the iconic venue, Smith was unrelenting out front in race three as he dominated proceedings to win by almost 20 seconds ahead of the Team Oliver Racing duo of Stuart and Michael.

He then arguably left his best performance until the very end as he carved his way from the rear of the field before going head-to-head with Steven Powell. The latter delivered a mesmerising defensive drive for a number of laps before Smith finally found a way past with a few tours to go.

That victory, his fourth in as many races in northern France, ensured that he now heads to Brands Hatch within striking distance of the crown while the likes of Powell and Jenkins will need to dig deep if they’re to overhaul the current eight-time championship holder.

Arriving at Le Mans, just one point separated John Powell and Simon Cole at the head of the Division 2 standings however that gap has now widened after Powell romped to a hat-trick of race wins over the weekend.

With NAPA Racing UK’s Paul Rivett unable to compete, the battle for this year’s title is poised to boil down to between Powell and Cole – and every point therefore is crucial from now until the final chequered flag falling at Brands Hatch.

Like the aforementioned Smith, Powell enjoyed an unbeaten Saturday in his DAF as he claimed pole position around the 2.600-mile layout and then followed it up with an impressive brace of race wins.

Behind him, former champion Adam Bint and main protagonist Cole completed the podium in race one before Cole and Willem Breedijk – who made a welcome return to the series in his Volvo – claimed second and third in race two.

Bint would be the driver to break Powell’s winning streak on Sunday as he triumphed in race three ahead of Powell however crucially Breedijk occupied the final spot on the rostrum, costing fourth placed Cole a handful of points.

Powell returned to winning ways in the final contest albeit it was the most difficult of the lot as he withstood race-long pressure from Bint to triumph by a little under one second. As he had done earlier in the day, Breedijk got the better of Cole to snatch third while Archie Handy was fifth.

To view the full classification of results from all British Truck Racing Championship sessions at Le Mans, CLICK HERE.


All four races from the penultimate event of the season are available to view on the British Truck Racing Championship YouTube channel HERE.


The British Truck Racing Championship will bring the curtain down on its 2024 season at Brands Hatch on November 2/3.

BTCC edges closer to 100% sustainable fuel following Silverstone success

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has moved ever-closer to a sustainable fuel future after running an extensive trial in a fully competitive environment at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, last weekend (September 21/22).

Working closely with long-term partners Haltermann Carless on this ground-braking project, the UK’s premier motorsport series is aiming for all cars entered into the championship to run 100% sustainable fuel.

Silverstone marked the latest milestone in the development process as the Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport car of Daryl DeLeon ran the latest 100% sustainable fuel for the full duration of the race weekend with support from Haltermann Carless, M-Sport and Aero Tec Laboratories Ltd (ATL).

DeLeon contested every session with absolutely no fuel issues reported, and critically the pace and performance results were recorded to be equal of those cars running the regular controlled championship fuel.

The Hiperflo ECO102 R100 is a fully sustainable fuel, which meets FIA criteria as an advanced sustainable fuel. The fuel is a pure drop-in solution, it requires no hardware modifications to existing engines and crucially delivers no loss in performance compared to the current control fuel used in the championship. 

The fuel itself achieves a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of approximately 55% on a well-to-wheel (WtW) basis compared to the fossil fuel baseline. If the full BTCC grid adopted this fully sustainable fuel for the entire season, it would result in a CO2 reduction of approximately 50,000 kg, equivalent to the combined weight of around 37 BTCC cars.

Series Organiser – TOCA – will continue to work closely alongside Haltermann Carless over the coming weeks and months with the plan to move fully to a 100% sustainable fuel as the championship’s chosen controlled fuel. The DeLeon car is expected to continue running the fuel at the Brands Hatch season finale next weekend (5/6 October).

“We are delighted with the significant progress we have made with regard to 100% sustainable fuel – working closely alongside Haltermann Carless and our teams – with last weekend’s results representing a significant milestone in the project,” said BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow.

“The development work doesn’t stop here, however, as we actively strive to even further improve the efficiency and performance of the sustainable fuel going forward.

“This is an important and essential step for the BTCC as we continue to look to maintain the competitiveness and excitement synonymous with our championship, but in a more sustainable way.”

Adrian Stuart, Haltermann Carless Head of Performance Fuels Sales UK, added: “In recent years, the focus in motorsport has shifted toward sustainable fuels, a challenge we have embraced with the same dedication that has fuelled our success with the BTCC over the past 30 years.

“At Silverstone we were able to showcase a fully sustainable fuel during a championship weekend and we would like to thank to Daryl DeLeon and Duckhams Racing for supporting this trial. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the BTCC and engine partners to bring even more sustainable, high-performance fuels to the racetrack in the future.

“This is a significant development and enforces our commitment to driving low-carbon solutions through our motorsport brands, Carless Racing Fuels and ETS Racing Fuels. More breakthroughs are on the horizon as we continue to innovate and refine our fuel formulations.”

Chevron B1417 completes successful maiden test day at Anglesey

Preparations for the 2025 Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship took another step forward earlier this week (26 September) as the Chevron B1417 car completed a successful first day of testing at Anglesey Circuit.

Commencing what is poised to be an extensive test programme for the new machine over the coming months, the car enjoyed a trouble-free shakedown at the Welsh venue with Championship Director Dave Beecroft completing more than 300 laps. 

Little over a month on since the bespoke rear-wheel-drive car was launched to the world and with the UK’s governing body, Motorsport UK, having given its seal of approval of the car recently, the maiden track test marked a historic moment for the new series.

Running through planned preparation and installation checks to begin with, the car soon emerged from the pit lane in the morning and went on to complete its maiden laps around the 2.100-mile circuit in overcast conditions.

Recording solid mileage as the day wore on, the car – which boasts a number of industry leading safety features — ran faultlessly straight out of the box. Meeting all of the targets and goals that were set out beforehand by Beecroft, and the team responsible for building the car, further testing for the Chevron B1417 is now expected to continue in the coming weeks.

“It’s an extremely proud moment for everyone involved in the TOCA Junior Championship,” said Beecroft. “This project has been two years in the making and to have now completed our very first track test with the car is both special and historic. 

“To be the one to driving it out of the pit lane for the first time was outstanding; I’d had this idea of the car in my head for a number of years so to actually get behind the wheel of it was the culmination of a lot of hard work and long nights. 

“Since we launched the car we’ve been meticulously planning what the aims and objectives of our first test would be. With it being a new car there are the inevitable teething issues but thankfully the car ran faultlessly all day, which is a testament to everyone’s hard work behind the scenes.

“Our plan was to carry out a full systems check and then complete a number of short runs, all with the aim of finding out what does and doesn’t work. It’s been so far so good and we’ve gathered plenty of data that provides us with a solid baseline to move forward from.

“It won’t be too long until we start putting other drivers in the hot seat and allow them to turn the wick and push the car to its limits. Having as much feedback as possible is important to ensure we provide the best product to our customer teams and drivers.”

Further updates on the Chevron B1417 test programme will be provided in due course as the countdown continues to the opening round of the 2025 Mairon Freight UK TOCA Junior Championship, which is scheduled to begin at Donington Park on the 26-27 April.