Tag: BARC

Series Elite garners rave reviews and plenty of interest on public debut

Series Elite and the striking Jaguar XE SV Project 8 made its public debut at Silverstone last week with a host of potential racers left impressed.

As preparations continue for the inaugural season in 2019, a total of 18 different drivers got behind the wheel to test the SVO built car at MotosportDays.LIVE.

With expert coaching and tuition being provided by Ray Grimes and Andy Schulz, those that took to the track got to grips with the monstrous machine around the International layout of the Northamptonshire venue – with the cars running faultlessly across both days.

Series Elite CEO, Graeme Glew, said: “We had a mixture of drivers, some with past race experience, some already racing in other series and quite a few complete novices so a good mix, so far we have nine confirmed orders so we are looking strong for a twenty-car grid in 2019.

“With several options in addition to outright purchase, drivers can get behind the wheel using an attractive finance package and even a rental option. Series Elite is becoming a very viable and exciting route for our potential customers.”

Series Elite’s Ian Fletcher added: “MotorsportDays.LIVE provided us with the perfect platform with which to launch the Series Elite Jaguar Project 8’s to the public for the first time.

“The feedback we received from guests was phenomenal and the car performed faultlessly. We have no doubt Series Elite is going to be a fantastic success.”

Further tests for potential drivers are available at Donington Park on Monday 19th November and at Silverstone on Saturday 1st December.

For more information on Series Elite and the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, head to serieselite.com, or contact Ian Fletcher on 07814 723204 or Graeme Glew on 07894 980911.

Brits take centre stage as Jack Young triumphs in Clio Cup International Final

Renault UK Clio Cup drivers underlined their class at Paul Ricard this past weekend (November 3/4) as Jack Young led a British 1-2 in the Clio Cup International Final to win a brand new Renault Megane R.S.

Bringing together the top Clio Cup competitors from around the world, the coveted race saw drivers from Central European, Chinese, Spanish, French, British and Italian Clio Cups battle it out to bring the curtain down on a successful 2018 campaign in France.

Having showcased their supremacy in the Central European block of races, with Max Coates triumphing in race one before Young scored a win of his own in the second encounter, the British duo turned the wick on their competition in qualifying for the grand final.

Fighting for track position against 37 other Clio Cup cars in the 30-minute session, Young and Coates hit the top of the timesheets midway through qualifying and were then never bettered, with Young edging UK championship runner-up Coates by a mere 0.210.

Brett Lidsey, the third UK Clio Cup competitor competing at the event, hustled his MRM Racing machine to fifth place – further underlining the superiority of the British contingent.

Getting a clean start as the lights went out, Young converted his pole position into a lead that he would ultimately never lose, producing a superlative lights-to-flag performance.

With Coates and Benoßt Castagné hot on the heels of the 17-year-old Northern Irishman, the top three soon broke away from the chasing pack, as battles took place throughout the bumper field.

Lidsey would run as high as fourth at one stage but would soon tumble down the order before being involved in an incident with David Pouget, which put the Frenchman on his roof and ended Lidsey’s race on the spot.

Back at the front, last year’s Clio Cup Junior champion held his nerve to take the chequered flag and land the biggest prize of his relatively short career so far. Coates finished second whilst CastagnĂ© rounded out the rostrum in third place.

Commenting on his victory, Young said: “This is amazing! Honestly, I still don’t quite believe it looking at how strong the field was. Max pushed me all race long, like he did earlier in the weekend.

“Little by little, he closed the gap, but I managed to pull away after the safety car. From there, I just had to control until the chequered flag.

“This is great and unreal, but I hope I’ll be able to defend this title next year!”

Mark Higgins wins British Rallycross Championship title at sensational Silverstone finale

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship went down to the wire at Silverstone on Sunday (November 4) with Mark Higgins emerging victorious from a three-way title tussle to be crowned champion.

Arriving at the Northamptonshire venue sitting third in the drivers standings, all eyes were on Higgins to see if he could overhaul Ollie O’Donovan and Julian Godfrey to lift the coveted title.

With a deficit of six points to make up to series leader O’Donovan, the Albatec Racing driver kicked his pursuit of championship glory off in emphatic style as he charged from sixth on the grid to take victory in the first round of qualifying heats, setting the fastest time along the way too.

Oliver Bennett was the benchmark driver in Q2 and Q3 but he saw his hopes of victory extinguished in the first semi-final when his Ford Fiesta caught fire. Former champion Dan Rooke, on his return to the championship since lifting the crown in 2016, claimed his place in the final by taking the win whilst Higgins led the way in the second semi-final.

Starting from pole position in the final race of the season, Higgins served up a flawless drive to pilot his Peugeot 208 to take a third win of the year and with it, the 2018 title – writing his name into the history books as the 20th British Rallycross champion.

“It’s been a highly emotional year with big highs, and very big lows but that’s motorsport as we know,” Higgins said. “We’ve been a strong team all season, and I’ve had great support from Albatec Racing. To have the support too from Eddie Stobart has been really important.

“Of course, working with the students from the University of Bolton has been a big challenge but they’ve all performed really well. It’s great to come away from a race that was clean and fair and to win that and the title, well, I’m over the moon.”

Elsewhere, Tom Constantine got the better of brother Luke to win the final round of the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship and with it, the title too.

Dave Bellerby proved to be the benchmark driver in the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship as he scored victory in daughter Paige’s Lotus Exige.

Rounding out the list of winners was Tom Llewellin, Martin Hawkes, Chrissy Palmer and Ray Morgan who took the spoils in the Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, RX150 Championship and Retro Rallycross Championship respectively.

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

British Truck Racing headlines Brands Hatch blockbuster

Brands Hatch played host to a spectacular two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (November 3/4) with yet more champions being crowned.

With a sensational firework display lighting up the sky to close out the weekend’s on-track entertainment, a bumper crowd descended on the Kent circuit to witness a feast of entertainment.

Topping the bill was the final round of the British Truck Racing Association Championship, which saw eight races run and two titles being decided.

In Division 1, Ryan Smith clinched his third title in succession as he pipped title rival David Jenkins in a pulsating opening race. Having been the benchmark driver all season, the MAN racer’s 21st victory of the season proved to be enough to see him join an elite list of champions.

Jamie Anderson, Stuart Oliver and John Newell scored a win apiece in the remaining Division 1 races to bring the curtain down on season that will live long in the memory.

Despite enduring his own share of bad luck towards the end of the season, two wins at Brands Hatch for Luke Garrett was enough for him to be crowned champion in Division 2.

Watching on as chief protagonist Brad Smith cantered to victory in the opening race, Garrett held his nerve to achieve a lifelong dream. Eric Forsstrom added his name to the long list of Division 2 winners by also triumphing.

John Mickel wrote his name into the history books of the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres by wrapping up his fourth consecutive title. Solid points across the trio of races on day one was enough for Mickel to be crowned champion for a fifth time in his career – adding to his ledger as one of the best Legends drivers in the world.

Whilst the championship battle between Mickel and Steve Whitelegg became the main focus for many, a hat-trick of wins fell the way of Miles Rudman. Marcus Pett scored his own brace of victories too with Martin Gibson rounding out the season on the top step of the podium as well.

In the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Scott Bourne made it back-to-back titles as he successfully retained his crown, narrowly edging out season-long rival Lea Wood.

Entering the final event of the season with a slender points lead, a fifth, third and race win was more than enough to ensure Bourne lived up to the mantel of champion to defend his title. In the remaining two races

Lewis Saunders capped off his first season of racing in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in fine style as he clinched the inaugural Winter Cup title. Just a few weeks on from being crowned 2018 champion, the teenage sensation underlined his credentials as one to watch for the future around the Indy circuit.

Steven Chandler edged out Saunders and Ben Kasperczak in the opening encounter before the latter two produced a performance that will live long in the memory in race two. Going wheel-to-wheel race-long, Saunders grabbed victory at the final corner on the last lap to sign off a dream maiden year in the JSCC.

If you missed any of the action from day two of the BARC’s Truck Racing finale weekend, head to the BARC TV live stream and watch it back. Click here to view.

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

Eight round 2019 British Rallycross Championship schedule unveiled

The Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship will be contested across eight events over seven weekends in 2019 after series organisers unveiled the calendar for next year.

Coming off the back of a hugely successful 2018 campaign which saw Albatec Racing’s Mark Higgins crowned champion at the first attempt, the adrenaline-fuelled series is already looking ahead to another year of flat-out competition.

Silverstone will once again play host to the opening round of the season in late March before the championship heads to the spiritual home of rallycross, Lydden Hill, for its traditional Bank Holiday Monday meeting.

Pembrey will stage the only double-header of the year in June with rounds three and four taking place at the much-loved South Wales venue.

A second visit in August to Lydden Hill is then shortly followed up by the first of two trips to Croft. With the championship battle set to reach fever pitch, Pembrey will stage the penultimate round of the year before the curtain falls on the 2019 season at Croft.

Championship Manager, Tim Whittington, said: “I’m pleased to be able present a calendar that offers a full season of competition and makes use of the circuits available to us.

“Toyo Tires remains the title sponsor for the third year and the championship will continue to be covered by a mix of social media coverage and TV broadcasts.”

2019 Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship

Round 1 – Silverstone – March 24

Round 2 – Lydden Hill – April 22

Round 3 – Pembrey – June 22

Round 4 – Pembrey – June 23

Round 5 – Lydden Hill – August 26

Round 6 – Croft – September 8

Round 7 – Pembrey – September 22

Round 8 – Croft – October 27

BARC stars at inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed a productive two days at Silverstone this past weekend (November 2/3) after attending the inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event.

Aimed at giving enthusiasts, amateurs and professional drivers the opportunity to get on track, as well as providing ample opportunity to begin preparation for 2019, the two-day spectacle proved to be an overwhelming success.

Situated in the exhibition hall, the BARC presented a striking stand and welcomed a raft of fans, drivers, teams, championship organisers and marshals across both days.

Downstairs in the pit garages and on-track around the International layout of the Northamptonshire-based venue were a host of BARC categories, all of whom were a popular draw for those in attendance.

Headlining the BARC contingent was the all new BARC UK Sports Prototype Cup which unveiled the jaw-dropping Revolution race car. Bringing LMP technology and safety to the masses for an affordable price, the lightweight sportscar garnered plenty of attention ahead of its 2019 debut.

Elsewhere the brand new Series Elite Jaguar XE SV Project 8 car also broke cover with two machines taking to the track. Set to launch next year, the unique over 50 championship has proven to be a popular concept and that was further cemented as it attracted plenty of eyes over both days.

The APL Caterham Graduates Championship, Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge, Dunlop Endurance Championship and the Hyundai Coupe Cup were all also present at Silverstone, all of them enjoying a positive presence with several drivers keen to race with them next year.

MotorsportDays.LIVE is set to return to Silverstone in 2019 with an official date set to be announced in due course.

Three-way British Rallycross Championship title fight to be decided at Silverstone

The destiny of the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship will be decided at Silverstone this Sunday (November 4) with three drivers all in contention to lift the coveted crown.

Mark Higgins, Julian Godfrey and Ollie O’Donovan enter the final round of the season with a mathematical shot of being crowned champion, and the home of British motorsport is set to provide a fitting backdrop for the impending battle.

Making history by staging the inaugural rallycross at Silverstone on a sub-zero day in March, the championship has since travelled the length and breadth of the country, with twists and turns taking place along the way.

O’Donovan heads to the home of British motorsport in the pound seat, sitting atop the drivers standings. At the wheel of his striking Ford Focus and at times Ford Fiesta, the Irishman has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the year, scoring three wins during the mid-point of the campaign.

Whilst O’Donovan finds himself as the leader of the pack, his advantage is a slim one with five-time champion Godfrey just five points back. Having switched to the Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage for the season, the renowned racer has endured his own fair share of bad luck on his way to also notching a trio of triumphs.

Albatec Racing’s Higgins is the final contender in with a shout of lifting the title at Silverstone, and if he were to do so it would cap off a brilliant maiden season for him. Jumping across to the world of rallycross, Higgins has been a regular fixture towards the front of the field and sits just six points behind O’Donovan having scored two wins.

With a titanic three-way fight for supremacy brewing in the Supercar category, all eyes are set to be on O’Donovan, Godfrey and Higgins to see who walks away as 2018 champion come Sunday night.

Beyond the top three are a host of drivers that can all leave their mark on the title battle too. Dan Rooke, champion of 2016, makes a triumphant return to the series in the RX Racing Ford Fiesta – his first appearance since winning the title at Croft two years ago.

Series stalwarts Pat Doran, Mad Mark, Kevin Proctor, Steve Hill, Steve Mundy and a handful more will also be in action over the course of the day; all keen to sign off their season’s in style.

In addition to the Supercar category, spectators will also witness edge-of-the-seat thrills from the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship, MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship, Swift Sport Championship, BMW Mini Championship, Retro Rallycross and RX150 – all adding up to make it a day to remember.

Fireworks set to fly at Brands Hatch spectacular

Fireworks are set to fly both on and off the track at Brands Hatch this weekend (November 3/4) as the British Automobile Racing Club descends on the Indy circuit for a blockbuster season finale for four categories.

Billed as one of the standout events on the 2018 calendar, the Kent venue will played host to a titanic two days of track action before lighting up the sky for fans with a spectacular firework display like no other.

Headlining the weekend’s action are eight races from the British Truck Racing Association Championship which has an entry list of 30+ machines. Returning to the scene of where their year began, the heavyweight behemoths have been in mesmerising form throughout the season, with titles in both Division 1 and Division 2 still to be decided.

Sitting on the cusp of a third consecutive crown in the top tier, Ryan Smith has at times been in a league of his own in Division 1 and could well be crowned champion in race one of the weekend. With David Jenkins being the only man to stop Smith, all eyes will be on the top two to see if Smith can write his name into the history books or whether Jenkins can produce a comeback for the ages.

Division 2 will also see a two-horse race for the title unfold with Luke Garrett and Brad Smith set to go head-to-head. Garrett has been the leading figure to emerge from the more production-based class this year with countless victories placing him at the summit of points.

Smith meanwhile has been somewhat under the radar, keeping his head down to tally the points week-by-week. With the pair set to be joined by a host of race-winning contenders, this weekend’s battle for the Division 2 is not to be missed at all.

The theme of two drivers battling it out for title supremacy continues in the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres, with John Mickel and Steve Whitelegg bidding to walk away as the victor.

Aiming to clinch his fourth successive Legends title, Mickel has been in superlative form – notching 13 wins along the way. Sitting in the box seat, Mickel heads into the finale as the favourite although with 1200 points on offer and Whitelegg a man on a mission, anything could happen.

In addition to the title battle, Legends will write a notable piece in their own history at Brands Hatch with the opening heat on Sunday being the championship’s 250th in its near 25-year lineage.

Scott Bourne and Lea Wood will bring the curtain down on their season-long battle by fighting it out for the Pickup Truck Racing Championship. Bidding to defend the title he won last year, Bourne has been at his brilliant best throughout the season but has come under constant threat from Wood.

With the two having sharing top spot as each round has passed, the culmination of a years racing will come down to the boil across three high-octane races around the 1.2 mile Indy layout.

Capping off the weekend will be a pair of races from the Junior Saloon Car Championship as it stages its inaugural Winter Cup. Just a few weeks ago the curtain fell on the 2018 season for the 14 to 17-year-old category with Lewis Saunders being crowned champion, and he makes up the 15-car entry list.

Running as a standalone one-off event, the highest points scorer over the two races will be declared the maiden victor in the JSCC Winter Cup.

CTCRC & Max’s shine at Brands Hatch

There were further title celebrations for a host of drivers at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 27/28) as the British Automobile Racing Club brought the curtain down on more championships.

As the 2018 motorsport season continues to draw to a close, the first of several visits to the Kent circuit by the BARC served up a feast of entertainment, with the Classic Touring Car Championship and Max5 Racing Championship taking centre stage.

The combined Class & Historic Thunder and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series races showcased what the CTCRC is all about as Dave Cockell reigned supreme, taking a pair of wins in his striking Ford Escort Cosworth.

Spoils were shared between Mini drivers Barry Sime and Paul Inch in the Pre 66 Classic Saloon and Historic Touring Cars encounters whilst David Howard and Stephen Primett did the same in the Pre 83 Touring Cars category.

Fans of more modern machinery would have been glued to the amalgamated Pre 93 Touring Cars, Pre 2003 Touring Cars and Pre 05 Production Saloon Cars, both of which delivered unrelenting thrills and spills throughout. Come the end of the weekend, Ray West and Alexander Own took a win apiece.

With Brands Hatch proving to be the footnote of the Classic Touring Car Championship season, it also meant that champions would be crowned; Stephen Primett, Steve Barden and Anna Barden just some of them.

In the Max5 Racing Championship, two wins for Paul Roddison meant that he asserted himself as the man to beat in the series whilst also wrapping up the title in Class C. Roddison was at his brilliant best around the Indy circuit and couldn’t be matched, despite the best efforts of Ian Loversidge.

Variety was the spice of life in the BARC South East Tin Tops Championship where Rod Birley and Bradley Lane scored one win each. Birley was in superlative form across the weekend as he also scored victory in the BARC South East Modified Saloon Car Championship too, with Andy Thompson also triumphing.

Lewis Smith meanwhile wrapped up the weekend’s BARC action in the Scrapco Avon Intermarque Championship as he romped to a pair of race wins.

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

MotorsportDays.LIVE awaits the BARC in early November

The British Automobile Racing Club will have a presence at the inaugural MotorsportDays.LIVE event which takes place at Silverstone Circuit on November 2/3.

Offering a fresh opportunity for genuine track day enthusiasts, amateur and professional race drivers, championship co-ordinators, engineers, industry progressional, motorsport investors and more, MSD Live is set to be a smash-hit.

Based at Stand H2-108, the BARC will be on hand to discuss everything from championships to compete in, 2019 race meetings, membership, marshalling and much more.

In addition, a handful of cars from BARC categories – situated in the garages underneath the trade area – will be on-site for prospective drivers to sample around the ‘International layout’ as they evaluate their options for next season.

Having gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, the Hyundai Coupe Cup will be present with four cars whilst two machines from the ever-growing Trade Team Citroen C1 Challenge will also be in attendance.

Set to launch in 2019, Series Elite will be on hand to discuss what they are bringing to the UK motorsport scene with a pair of eye-catching Jaguar’s ready to turn a wheel.

The APL Health Caterham Graduates Championship are also confirmed to take to the track in their high-octane machines too.

With the overall objective of making ‘getting on track’ easier, MSD Live will also provide a panelled conference, giving attendees the opportunity to gain expert advice and interact with some of motorsport’s established names. Areas of the sport such as technical set-ups, attracting sponsorship, marketing, media engagement and legal guidance are just some subjects up for discussion.

For more information on MotorsportDays.LIVE and how to purchase tickets, visit www.motorsportdays.live

British Schools Karting Championship victor Ethan Brooks wins Ginetta Junior Scholarship

Ethan Brooks has secured a fully-funded season in the 2019 Ginetta Junior Championship after winning the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship.

Taking place at Ginetta’s own circuit, Blyton Park, the three-day process saw a wealth of young drivers take on a variety of driving, media and fitness tests – with the competition being whittled down along the way.

Impressing the judging panel throughout the process, Brooks was crowned the winner to clinch one of the most coveted prizes in British motorsport.

In addition to earning himself a spot on the grid for next year and the use of a Ginetta G40 race car, Brooks will also receive insurance, consumables, tyres and fuel plus professional car preparation from an experienced team for the duration of the 2019 campaign.

Brooks’ triumph has further reinforced the importance of competing in the British Schools Karting Championship. In the past two years, the teenager racer has won the arrive-and-drive karting title with Brentwood School, using it as a springboard to continue to climb the motorsport ladder.

Brooks is set to follow in the footsteps of former BSKC victor Matt Luff, as well as former Scholarship winners James Taylor and newly crowned champion Adam Smalley by competing in the popular one-make series.

The 2019 Ginetta Junior Championship will once again take place alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, travelling the length and breadth of the UK. Brands Hatch will play host to the opening round of the season on April 6/7.

Adam Smalley prevails as champion from Ginetta Junior Championship finale

The Ginetta Junior Championship crowned Adam Smalley as its champion at Brands Hatch this past weekend (September 29/30) following a dramatic final event of the season around the iconic Grand Prix circuit.

Having served up a year of thrills and spills, the Junior category had one last chapter of 2018 to write and it proved to be entertaining all the way.

After showcasing themselves to being in a league of their own against the rest of the field, Smalley, Louis Foster and Luke Browning all arrived at the Kent venue with a chance of being crowned champion.

All three would shine over the course of the weekend with Richardson Racing’s Browning being the first to do so in race one. With the lead pack bumper-to-bumper throughout, overtaking moves were being made at almost every turn and the decisive one came in the closing minutes as Browning muscled his way past Smalley into the lead.

Going on to score a pivotal victory, Browning kept his title hopes alive whilst Smalley banked solid points in second. Foster meanwhile could only salvage fourth as Patrick Kibble rounded off the podium.

Arguably the most crucial race came in the second Junior duel as Smalley prevailed to extend his points lead. In a race of attrition, the Elite Motorsport withstood a barrage of attacks from the chasing pack before a late safety car neutralised the race, and due to the clock ticking to zero, that is how things would finish.

With all three drivers heading into the final race of the season still in contention, Smalley found himself in the pound seat holding a 26-point advantage over Foster. Starting on pole position, Smalley dropped down the order early on as team-mate Foster stormed to the front of the field.

As the laps ticked by, the battle for supremacy hanged in the balance but as Foster crossed the line to record his latest victory after a back-and-forth battle with Browning, Smalley finished fifth and with it, sealed the championship crown.

“It was pretty horrific!” he said after the race. “I got passed on the first lap, and then beaten up after that. I knew I had to finish around sixth to take the title comfortably. The goal was to go out and win it, but I did what I needed to to.

“I couldn’t control the emotion, it was too overwhelming, I’m over the moon.  We’ve been unfortunate in races, coming out on top is great.”

For the full final championship standings and results from all sessions at Brands Hatch, click here.