2020 Season Review: Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series

The Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series produced another breathtaking year of tin top entertainment in 2020 as it showcased some of the very best saloon car machinery.

Open to any saloon that complies with the Motorsport UK Blue Book, the multi-class series maintained its ethos of being all about having fun behind the wheel rather than attaining championship points and silverware.

Sharing grids with the likes of the BARC Red Open Sports/Saloons, Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup and Kumho BMW Championship, the category had spectators on the edge of their seats from start-to-finish.

Taking centre stage at Snetterton, Mallory Park and Thruxton, despite there not being any trophies, points or titles on the line, race wins were still closely fought over from the outset.

With a variety of machinery going wheel-to-wheel across all three events, Chris Hitchen emerged as the driver to beat once again as he reigned supreme towards the sharp end of the field.

Piloting his trusty Renault Clio for the second successive season, Hitchin chalked up four wins to retain his status as the benchmark driver in the series, having previously done so in 2019.

Other notable names to feature towards the sharp end of the grid included Paul Nevill and Mark De Ath.

BARC serves up sensational Sunday of racing at Mallory Park

Mallory Park played host to a memorable day of British Automobile Racing Club track action this past Sunday (October 11) as four championships served up a feast of entertainment.

Visiting the Leicestershire venue for the final time this season, the Club crowned a champion in one category and saw the battle for supremacy intensify across a host of others.

The 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship brought the curtain down on its short three-round campaign in style, serving up two pulsating races around the challenging 1.35-mile circuit.

Alec Graham pieced together a consistent race day to wrap up the 2020 crown whilst outgoing champion Pete Sparrow underlined his credentials as one of the great racers to compete in the series as he topped the rostrum in each contest.

In the Kumho BMW Championship, James Card claimed a commanding double win to further strengthen his title challenge. Piloting his trusty E46 M3, Card showcased sensational pace to get the better of Jason West in both bouts.

Sharing the grid with the Kumho BMW Championship over the course of the day was the Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloons Series. At the wheel of his monstrous Ford Escort RS2000, Paul Nevill emerged as the driver to beat in the category to triumph in his class twice.

Alex Cursley proved too much for the opposition in the Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup as he powered his way to an impressive brace of victories. Cursely narrowly edged out Kevin Smiles in the opening encounter before repeating the feat in race two, this time ahead of Mark Dickens.

Capping off the day’s action at Mallory Park were two races from the Historic F3 Championship, both of which were won by Ian Bankhurst.

To view the full classification of results from Sunday’s race day, click here.

Snetterton primed for 2CV Racing 24-hour spectacle

The 2CV Parts.com Classic Racing Championship will headline the British Automobile Racing Club’s late summer visit to Snetterton this coming weekend (August 28/29/30) for its yearly 24-hour race.

In what is one of the standout events on the Club motorsport calendar, the Norfolk venue will play host to a blockbuster three days of track action with several other categories all in action too.

Traditionally run as the series finale for the much-loved single-make championship, revisions to the 2020 calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic has meant that the annual 24-hour encounter will serve as the second event of a condensed schedule.

Roaring into life at Cadwell Park at the start of July, Alec Graham and Luca Proietti shared the spoils across two frenetic encounters but that was only half the story of what proved to be an enthralling spectacle.

Boasting a bumper entry list of not only competitors in the UK series but also in mainland Europe, this weekend’s 24-hour race is set to have pulses racing from start to finish and its anybody’s to win.

Prior to the 2CV Racing Championship taking centre stage at Snetterton, several other BARC categories will continue their campaigns including the Caterham Graduates Championship.

Serving up plenty of entertainment already this year, the one-make series is bigger and better than ever this year and is renowned for producing exhilarating wheel-to-wheel action. Notable names to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend include Andrew Whitton, Kevin Barrett and Barry White – amongst a host of others.

The Kumho BMW Championship will be back in action as well, with two races scheduled to take place. Home to all manner of models that have been produced by the Bavarian manufacturer, rear-wheel-drive rules the roost and is a sight to behold across all classes.

James Card emerged as the man to beat at the Brands Hatch curtain-raiser and the E36 M3 driver will be hard to beat once again, however a host of contenders will undoubtedly not make it easy for Card to remain unbeaten.

Further tin top thrills and spills will be provided by the Hyundai Coupe Cup and BARC Saloon Series – both of which will amalgamate together to form one grid. Providing a low-cost means of going racing, each series has enjoyed great success in recent years and that trend will surely continue into this weekend.

Rounding out the action around the 200 layout of Snetterton will be a handful of races from the British Superkarts Championship.

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

Champions crowned at Oulton Park as the curtain falls on further BARC categories

The British Automobile Racing Club crowned more champions this past Saturday (October 20) as Oulton Park played host to a pulsating final day of the 2018 season for six championships.

As the sun shone over the Cheshire venue, those in attendance were treated to a feast of edge-of-the-seat thrills.

Lewis Saunders held his nerve in the Junior Saloon Car Championship to convert his points lead into title glory, narrowly pipping Joel Wren and Steven Chandler. Entering the event with an 11-point advantage, Saunders scored a fourth and a third place finish respectively to lift the coveted crown.

The 14 to 17-year-old series welcomed a new winner too as Scholarship winner Scott McIntyre capped off his maiden season with a pole position and first race win.

Ben Kasperczak then rounded out the year as the final victor of 2018 in the JSCC ranks, however it came following a red flag where a mere two laps were completed.

In the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, Paul Rose was at his brilliant best to wrap up the title at the wheel of his Saker. Having been a tour-de-force throughout the year, Rose arrived at Oulton Park with a slender lead in the multi-class series over Jamie Cryer.

Notching two lights-to-flag wins, Rose put himself out of touch to be crowned champion once again.

There were celebrations in the Mighty Minis Championship too as a pair of champions were decided in both the Mighty Mini and Super Mighty Mini classes. Whilst former BTCC driver Jeff Smith stormed to overall victory in both races, all eyes were on the main title protagonists.

Despite Lee Poolman’s best efforts as he scored two wins in the Mighty Mini class, Stuart Coombs emerged as champion of the category – albeit by a single point. Elsewhere in the Super Mighty Mini category, Connor O’Brien produced a measured drive to be crowned champion.

The Classic VW Cup also brought the curtain down on their season with Ken Lark once again underlining his credentials as the man to beat by sealing two wins in his Volkswagen Corrado.

Rounding out the action at Oulton Park were a pair of races from the BARC Saloon Series and Dream Automotive Honda VTEC Challenge. Alexander Owen and Ben Rushworth were ultimately too much for the competition in their Honda Civic Type R and Honda Integra machines, taking two wins apiece.

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

Oulton Park to stage fitting finale for handful of BARC championships

Oulton Park will play host to the British Automobile Racing Club for the final time this season on Saturday (October 20) with six championships bringing the curtain down on their 2018 campaigns.

As the motorsport season reaches the business end of the year, the picturesque Cheshire venue will provide a fitting backdrop for champions to be crowned.

Topping the bill is what will likely be an enthralling three-way title showdown in the Junior Saloon Car Championship. In what has been another memorable year for the 14 to 17-year-old category, the JSCC crown will be settled over two pulsating 20-minute encounters.

Lewis Saunders, Joel Wren and Steven Chandler enter the series finale in mathematical contention for the title however it is likely set to be Saunders and Wren that will battle it out, as they have done for a majority of the season – the pair currently separated by a mere 11 points.

Things are similarly close in the Mighty Minis Championship, especially in the Mighty Mini class. Just five points is the difference between Stuart Combes and Lee Poolman and with two races to be run, edge-of-the-seat thrills are to be expected from the much-loved series as the top two duke it out for supremacy.

Elsewhere in the Super Mighty category, Connor O’Brien finds himself on the cusp of title glory although Jo Polley may yet still have something to say about that on-track. Nevan Kirkpatrick and Alex Comes also remain in contention however both will need to be in superlative form to halt O’Brien’s quest for glory.

Paul Rose is another driver that sits within touching distance of a title having enjoyed a stellar year in the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship. At the wheel of his Sakar, Rose has been one of the stand out drivers in the multi-class championship however he will still need to be at the top of his game to lift the coveted title.

James Cryer trails Rose by a mere four points and could yet overhaul the series leader to walk away as champion.

The Classic VW Cup will also brings its season to a close with after flourishing on its own. Having broken off to run by itself in 2018, all manner of models of the German marque have competed this season and delivered breathtaking action along the way.

Rounding off the day’s BARC action will be a pair of races from the BARC Saloon Series and Dream Automotive Honda VTEC Challenge, both of whom share grids.

Showcasing some of the best saloon cars from a variety of manufacturers, both series have produced plenty of scintillating racing during the course of the year and that is only set to continue at Oulton Park.

For all of the important event information for Saturday’s Oulton Park meeting, click here.