BARC championships gearing up for action-packed Anglesey weekend

The British Automobile Racing Club makes the long journey to North Wales this weekend (September 1/2) as Anglesey gets ready to play host to a handful of championships, all of which are heading towards enthralling title climaxes.

Organised and run by the Club’s North Western Centre, the weekend’s action will mark 20 years of the BARC running race meetings at the challenging picturesque venue.

Topping the billing will be the North Western Centre’s very own CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, which will compete on the International layout. Home to all manner of cars, the multi-class series has enjoyed another stellar season in 2018 with sizeable grids at every stop on the calendar thus far.

Paul Rose will arrive at Anglesey sitting at the summit of the standings, holding a slender eight—point lead over Oliver Thomas. At the wheel of his Sakar, former champion Rose has been the epitome of consistency, constantly running towards the sharp end of the grid.

Thomas however has equally been one to watch from behind the wheel of his Subaru Impreza and will be keen to close the gap to his title rival. Other drivers to look out for in the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship include Clive Dix, James Cryer and Dave Harvey – to name but a few.

Ben Palmer will look continue his unstoppable march towards back-to-back Michelin Clio Cup Series titles at Anglesey, with three races set to be run. Off the back of being crowned champion last year Palmer has been in a league of his own this year, taking ten wins from ten races.

With a 50-point advantage over nearest challenger Ronan Pearson, Palmer will be hard to bet against adding another trio of victories to his impressive tally. In the Road Class, Nic Harrison will also be looking to continue his unbeaten run by adding t his silverware collection.

Like the Michelin Clio Cup Series, the Junior Saloon Car Championship has a habit of serving up door-to-door thrills and the latest crop of 14 to 17-year-old’s have delivered that in spades.

Entering the weekend, Lewis Saunders holds the lead in the points however the chasing pack of Joel Wren, Scott McIntyre, Steven Chandler and Jemma Moore are all set to ensure the teenager doesn’t have things his own way. Two races at the Welsh track will likely shake up the championship order even further.

The BARC Clubmans Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns returns to the track with leading contenders Clive Wood, Michelle Hayward and Pippa Tanner-Wood leading the long list of drivers that could potentially emerge victorious from the weekend’s three encounters.

Capping off the BARC action will be a raft of races from the APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship. Split into different classes based on engine capacity, the one-make series has enjoyed a blockbuster 2018 with grids continuing to grow and grow as each event passes.

Robin Webb, Robert Winrow, Declan Dolan, Mark Johnson and Jonathan Curry currently lead the way in their respective classes and should be at the forefront of the action.

Also adding the on-track entertainment over the course of the weekend will be the British Superkarts Championship.

BARC races into the sunset at Rockingham

The British Automobile Racing Club served up an exciting day of racing at Rockingham this past Saturday (August 4) with three championships racing into the sunset.

Marking the latest visit to the Corby circuit for the BARC, those in attendance ensured they got their monies worth as the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Hyundai Coupe Cup and BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in assoc. with King Henry’s Taverns hit the track.

Topping the bill was the Pickup Truck Racing Championship and they wrote the latest chapter in their 2018 campaign with a pair of 30-lap encounters on the infamous oval circuit.

Paul Tompkins emerged as the winner from race one, narrowly pipping Paul Turiccki and David Weaver to the chequered flag. David O’Regan, Mark Willis and Dale Gent all had their own individual spells of leading at some stage but Tompkins hit the front on the penultimate lap was ultimately never headed.

Reigning champion Scott Bourne underlined his title credentials in the second race of the day which took place as the sun set in the evening. Sitting in fifth place on the opening tour, Bourne enjoyed a steady climb through the field over the course of the race, biding his time in terms of when to strike and make a move.

At the front Turiccki was the man to beat as he led nearly every lap, with Tompkins overhauling him on one lap before being pushed back down the order. As the field entered the final lap it looked as if Turiccki was going to score victory but Bourne was to have none of it, making his move to go on to record his latest triumph in the series. Tompkins and O’Regan rounded off the rostrum.

Clive Wood was perfection personified in the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in assoc. with King Henry’s Taverns as he notched a pair of overall victories.

Peter Richings led the way in the early stages of race one but the Mallock MK23 2000 of Wood soon muscled his way to the front on lap five and was then never headed, powering his way to the chequered flag by more than 11 seconds.

Race two was a more dominant affair for Wood as he clinched an impressive lights-to-flag victory ahead of Steven Dickens, who was third in race one, and Peter Richings.

Steve Kite was at his brilliant best in the two Hyundai Coupe Cup races at Rockingham, adding another two race wins to his already impressive 2018 resume. Topping the timesheets in both practice and qualifying, Kite was unstoppable in the day’s pair of nine-lap races.

Scorching his way to lights-to-flag wins in both, the #72 machine headed Wayne Rockett and Alex Cursely in both, with the pair taking a second and third place finish apiece.

For the full classification of results from all championships that competed at Rockingham, click here.

Three BARC championships ready to race into the evening at Rockingham

The British Automobile Racing Club is set to race into the night at Rockingham this Saturday (August 4) with the Pickup Truck Racing Championship set to take on a starring role.

Making its latest trip to the Corby venue, the BARC will see three championships take to the track and tackle a somewhat revised format, with action not starting until midday.

Topping the bill will be the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, which takes to the oval layout of Rockingham for two adrenaline-fuelled 30-minute encounters.

Coming off the back of pulsating weekend at Donington Park last time out, the title battle in the series is set to further intensify as Lea Wood and reigning champion Scott Bourne renew their fight for the prestigious crown.

A mere 23 points separate the pair at the summit of the standings and both will be looking to gain the upper hand around the fast banking’s this weekend. Also in the mix and not to be discounted is David O’Reagen, Michael Smith and Paul Tompkins – all of whom have been running towards the sharp end of the field this year.

The Hyundai Coupe Cup brings its annual mid-season break to an end too with a bumper entry list set to serve up a feast of entertainment.

Renowned for putting the fun into racing, the Coupe Cup has gone from strength-to-strength this year with entries continuing to grow. As it stands, all eyes are set to be focused on the Steve Kite, Alex Cursley and Wayne Rockett – all of whom have been at the sharp end of the grid at almost every turn.

While those three will be ones to watch, the likes of Dan Fletcher, Kevin Smiles, Simon Miles, Darren Holmes and many more will also be keen to thrust themselves into the podium conversation.

Rounding off the day’s racing will be action from the BARC Clubmans Sport Prototype Championship in assoc. with King Henry’s Taverns.

Split into a variety of classes depending on the specification of cars, Clubmans have been wowing crowds since 1965 and that is set to continue at the Corby venue on Saturday.

Events at Brands Hatch and Donington Park produced mesmerising racing earlier in the season, setting the scene for what should be a tense duo of 20-minute bouts.

Clive Wood has been the man to beat in class CSP1 so far this season but series veteran Peter Richings is hot on his heels and will be looking to close the gap at Rockingham. Yet to win so far, Richings will be highly motivated to overhaul

Elsewhere in CSP2, Michelle Hayward has been perfection personified so far with eight wins from nine races. Morris Hart is the one to have prevented Hayward from taking a clean sweep thus far and Hart will need to be on top form once again to prevent the #87 from extending her points lead.

Pippa Tanner-Wood is the pace-setter in CSP3 with John Lambert bidding to close the gap too.

BARC championships dazzle at Donington Park

The British Automobile Racing Club produced two days of memorising racing this past weekend (June 2/3) at Donington Park, with six championships in action.

On what was a scorching event both on and off the track, the Leicestershire-based venue proved to be a fitting backdrop for the latest chapter of championship action across all categories.

In the BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns, three high-octane encounters served up a feast of thrills ’n’ spills. At the wheel of his Mallock MK23, Clive Wood proved to be the driver to beat as he charged to a trio of victories – all by more than ten seconds.

As Wood emerged as the yardstick for those behind to beat, a host of contenders all picked up rostrum finishes. Ian Crombie, Monika Arvidsson, Peter Richings and Michael Mallock all secured silverware over the course of the weekend too.

Boasting an entry list of more than 20 iconic German machines, the Kumho BMW Championship delivered two action-packed races. In the opening encounter, James Card piloted his BMW M3 E46 to victory, a mere two seconds ahead of Piers Reid.

Missing out on top spot in race one, Reid made no mistake in the second bout of the weekend as he too drove his M3 to win, narrowly pipping Garrie Whittaker.

Dave Rees was perfection personified in the Mighty Minis Championship, bagging a brace of victories whilst Paul Roddison did the same in the Max5 Racing Championship. Roddison’s double further underlined his dominance in the one-make Mazda series as he extended his win tally to seven victories from eight races.

Fans of single seater racing were treated over the course of the weekend too virtue of the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship.

Winding the clock back to a bygone era of open-wheeled racing, both races delivered exhilarating entertainment and ultimately saw Benn Tilley steer his Merlyn Mk20 to victory in both races. Ben Tinkler and Nigel Lingwood could only watch on and occupy the remaining podium positions as Tilley added to his impressive record in 2018.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship rounded off the action from the Club, bringing together some of the most iconic models from the much-loved marques.

Spoils were to be shared come the end of the weekend with Martin Willis in his MG F and Steve Darbey in his MG ZR taking a win apiece.

In addition to the BARC championship action, MSA British Superkarts also duked it out around the sweeping curves under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Ten championships head to Brands Hatch for BARC bonanza

The British Automobile Racing Club is set for a blockbuster weekend (May 12/13) of racing at Brands Hatch as a total of ten different championships write the latest chapter in their 2018 campaigns.

The Michelin Clio Cup Series hits the track for the third time this season with reigning champion Ben Palmer firmly in control of the standings. Perfection personified so far, Palmer has won all four races and has shown no signs of letting up in the Race class. Simon Freeman and Ben Colburn are the champion’s nearest challengers and both will be looking to bring his winning run to an end.

In the Road category, Nic Harrison has enjoyed a similar level of dominance and he is also bidding to retain the title he won last year. Four wins from four races leaves James Joannou and Darren Geeraerts needing to fightback in Kent.

Providing a cost effective first step on the motorsport level for drivers aged between 14 to 17-years-old, the Junior Saloon Car Championship is set to dazzle those in attendance over the weekend. Already visiting Silverstone and Rockingham, the one-make tin top category sees Joel Wren leading the way after scoring a dominant double last time out, however Ben Kasperczak, who also netted a pair of wins at the curtain-raiser, is hot on his heels.

Peter Sparrows will look to extend his slender lead in the 2CV Parts.com Championship as the much-loved category heads to Brands Hatch. Emerging as the man to beat at Cadwell Park, Sparrows will look to further cement his status as the early pace setter, with reigning champion Lien Davies and Tom Perry in close proximity.

The BARC Clubmans Sport Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns will kick off a five-event season this weekend, with a healthy grid of cars. Front-engined sports racing cars that originated in Britain in 1965, the championship has become a stable of the BARC and this year’s crop of racers are set to put on a memorable show. Notable names to keep an eye on include Barry Webb, Peter Richings and Ben Mallock.

All three of the BARC South Eastern Centre championships will be in action over both days too, with it all to play for after their Easter season-opener. The BARC Modified Saloon Car Championship sees Adrian Bradley and Steve Rothery tied on points at the top of the standings whilst Rikki Taylor holds a slender advantage over Daniel Fisher in the BARC South East Tin Tops Championship. Expect fireworks from both categories as some of the most much-loved saloon cars do battle.

Elsewhere, Malcolm Blackman will be looking to continue his strong start to the year in the Scrapco Metal/Avon Tyres Intermarque Championship. Blackman swept his way to a pair of wins at Brands Hatch last month and is shaping up to be a formidable force at this early stage in the year.

Rounding off the bumper programme of racing around the Indy layout will be the BARC Saloon Series, Honda VTEC Challenge and Classic VW Cup. Amalgamating grids between themselves, this trio of categories have enjoyed a strong start to the 2018 campaign with bumper grids and a diverse range of cars competing.; all of which is set to continue here.

BARC championships set to dazzle at Donington Park

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Donington Park this weekend (June 2/3) with six championships set to produce plenty of wheel-to-wheel thrills as they continue their 2018 campaigns.

With summer approaching and events coming thick and fast, this visit to the Leicestershire-based venue for some will mark the second half of the season – igniting title battles even further.

Having been in action just last weekend, the Max5 Racing Championship descends on Donington Park for another two races this weekend with it all to play for. Marking the fourth stop on the calendar, the multi-class category has served up plenty of entertainment thus far.

Paul Roddison enters the event as the man to beat having won five of the six races already. Winning five in-a-row, the series veteran saw his winning streak come to an end at Anglesey last time out as Jeremy Shipley took the chequered flag. Keen to strike back with further triumphs, Roddison will be one to watch however Shipley, Matthew Tidmarsh, Richard Smith and Josh Malin are set to all be in the mix.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns will be in action for the second time this season over the course of the weekend too. Kicking off their campaign at Brands Hatch, the popular prototype series is never short of producing close racing.

Mark Charteris, Steve Dickens and Michelle Hayward all took class victories around the Indy layout last month and the trio will be looking to add to their ever-growing silverware collections under the flightpath of East Midlands airport this weekend.

Small in size but packing a real punch on-track, the Mighty Minis Championship will undoubtedly be deliver a host of edge-of-the-seat moments. Boasting a bumper grid made up of the iconic car, Donington Park marks the halfway point in the season and it is all to play for.

In the more powerful Super Mighty Mini class wins have gone the way of Stuart Combes, Lee Polman, Greg Jenkins, Damien Harrington and Alex Comis – making picking a winner for outright glory at this event almost impossible to choose from.

Elsewhere in the Mighty Mini class, the likes of Seven Kirkpatrick, Scott Kendall and Jo Polley have all been the leading lights and each will be looking to add to their impressive 2018 resumes.

There will be a diverse range of machinery in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship as it too reaches the halfway stage of the season. Events at Oulton Park, Rockingham and Snetterton have set the tone already, with the likes of Jim Baynam, Stuart Plotnek and David Mellor as the perennial contenders to look out for.

Fans of single seater racing will be well catered for over the course of the weekend too via the Luna Logistics Classic Formula Ford 1600 Championship. Taking a trip down memory lane of the once popular category, the jaw-dropping machines of yesteryear continue to spark great racing.

Mike Gardner, Mark Armstrong, Benn Tilley, Adriano Mederios and more have all tasted success this year and will be looking to do so once again.

Capping off the BARC competition will be a pair of races from the Kumho BMW Championship. Bringing the best models from the German manufacturer together onto one grid, the series has continued to keep going from strength-to-strength with Colin Wells, Ian Crisp and Russell Dack are three of just many drivers that have made their mark this year.

In addition to the feast of BARC action, the British Superkarts will also be in action around the sweeping curves of Donington Park.