Tag: BARC

In line with the latest government lockdown restrictions that were introduced on 5 January to combat the spread of COVID-19, the British Automobile Racing Club’s head office at Thruxton Circuit will be closed until mid-February.

The majority of staff are either working from home or furloughed so if you have an enquiry and don’t know who to contact, please email info@barc.net and a member of our team will reply as soon as possible.

The Club’s Competitions Department is continuing its preparations for the start of the new season, which is still scheduled to begin as planned at the end of March.

The Club’s three race circuits – Croft, Pembrey and Thruxton – are also closed in line with government restrictions. Specific updates for each circuit can be found on their individual websites.

We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks alongside the government’s proposed review in mid-February and we look forward to the resumption of activities as soon as possible.

We would like to thank everyone for their understanding at this difficult time and urge them to follow all official guidance to do what they can to keep themselves and others safe and well.

As we close the door on what has been a truly unprecedented year, I would like to thank everyone that has played their part in an extraordinary motorsport season.

A year that started with so much promise and optimism has turned out to be like no other that any of us have experienced before or ever care to again. We send our very best wishes to everyone that has been affected by the virus this year. How little we knew back then; and how little we still know in many respects.

In the face of the pandemic, it is quite extraordinary that we’ve managed to rescue anything from the motorsport season at all. But, undeterred by the changes and the restrictions, the PPE and the face masks, not to mention the absence of spectators, the sport was able to deliver a meaningful half-season between July and November. Achieving this is testament to the sheer bloody-mindedness of the motorsport community!

We have had to change some of our procedures and processes but evolution is never a bad thing. Administration went digital, the marshals had to adapt to provide their essential cover in changing circumstances, and the scrutineers’ role has changed somewhat.

The one thing that has been evident throughout all of this is that everyone has just mucked in. That collective spirit and camaraderie has reinforced the fact that this sport, by and large, is done by people who love what they do and they are not going to let the virus get in the way of their enjoyment.

So whether you are a Club member, competitor, official, marshal, volunteer, spectator, or one of the amazing members of staff, I would like to thank you for the extraordinary efforts you have made to keep the show on the road this year. We couldn’t have done it without you.

The BARC will be back in 2021 with a full calendar of quality race events spread across the whole country and I know that the entire sport is hoping for better times in the near future.

For now, I wish you a safe and socially-distanced Christmas, and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Best wishes

Ben Taylor

BARC Chief Executive

The British Automobile Racing Club headquarters at Thruxton Circuit will be closed during the following dates over the Christmas and New Year periods.

From: Wednesday 23rd December 2020 at 17:00

To: Monday 4th January 2021 at 09:00

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible trackside throughout 2021; be it if you are officiating, marshalling, spectating or competing!

From everyone at the BARC and all of our venues around the country; we wish you a safe, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

The British Automobile Racing Club has announced that Ian Watson will retire from his position of General Manager at the end of this year. After spending the past two decades at the organisation, Ian will step down from his day-to-day post but will continue his association with the BARC as he takes up a consultancy role for 2021.

Joining the Club in 2000 as Business Development Manager, Ian subsequently assumed the post of General Manager and since then has played a pivotal role in the Club’s growth, overseeing the Competitions and Marshals Departments. He has had the key responsibility of organising the Club’s racing calendar and events each year, as well as a host of other important duties.

In addition, Ian has also brought a number of high-profile events to the Club’s expansive portfolio, including the Pure McLaren GT4 Series, FIA World Endurance Championship and FIA World Rallycross Championship. He also played a crucial part in seeing the Club accredited with the Achievement of Excellence rating in the FIA Institute’s Sustainability Programme in 2016.

“I’ve really enjoyed the past 20 years at the British Automobile Racing Club but I feel that it is the right time to take things a little easier and enjoy slowing down a bit,” said Ian on the subject of his impending retirement.

“Over the past two decades I have been privileged to work alongside some great people and they have all made my time at the Club unforgettable. I’ve been involved in motorsport pretty much all my life so to have had the career I’ve subsequently had has been brilliant. I’ll still be involved with the Club in terms of the BTCC and a number of other events so I won’t be disappearing completely.”

Alongside his new consultancy position within the BARC, Ian will remain Senior Clerk of the Course for the British Touring Car Championship and Clerk of the Course for a number of key events into 2021 and beyond.

BARC Club Chairman, Tony Scott-Andrews, said: “There are very few in the UK motorsport community with such a detailed knowledge of the sport and the way it operates as Ian. Not only has he organised the calendar of events over the years but he has run the events themselves as the Clerk of the Course, a Clerk par excellence as evidenced by his continuing involvement with the BTCC and other high profile events.

“He has done so much over the years to make BARC the club that it is today and he will be sorely missed. I thank him for all that he has done for the club and indeed for all that he has contributed to motorsport in general and to ensuring the safety of all those involved.”

BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor added: “I have known Ian since before he was at the BARC, but I had not worked closely with him until I came to the club last year. I know that he has mentored so many people throughout the sport in recent years and his knowledge and experience has been a huge help to me as I settled into my role. I am delighted that Ian will continue to work with us in the future, not least in supporting his replacement in due course.”

The BARC are is now recruiting for Ian’s replacement. Full details can be found HERE.

The British Automobile Racing Club’s annual Championship Awards Evening will have a different feel to it in 2021, both in terms of format and location, as it moves to the multi-million pound Thruxton Centre on Saturday 6^th  February. 

One of the biggest prize-giving nights in UK motorsport, the black tie event celebrates the achievements of drivers, officials and marshals in early February every year.

Due to the uncertainty that still remains surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the BARC has elected to change its traditional evening format and will instead host a lunch event for its award winners and special guests.

Taking place inside the state-of-the-art Thruxton Centre – which opened to the public back in 2018 – the event moves from a Big Night Out at the Chesford Grange Hotel, to a Big Lunch In at the home of the BARC.                                     

Ben Taylor, BARC Group Chief Executive, said: “We have thought long and hard about this and it was a difficult decision to take.

“Ordinarily we would need to start making bookings and commitments about this time of year, but we simply cannot say with any certainty that by February our members will be ready to enjoy a weekend away with hundreds of others in a hotel.

“On the other hand, we’re in the middle of a busy season of motor sport, albeit one that has been slightly curtailed. Come the end of the year there will be worthy champions and award winners who will rightly want to celebrate their successes.

“So we think that a lovely lunch event at Thruxton is the best way to ensure that this year doesn’t get forgotten. We’ll make sure that it is one to remember.”

More information will follow in the coming months. 

The British Automobile Racing Club is preparing to break new ground during this condensed 2020 season with the launch of an innovative set of Open Sports/Saloon Car races, the first of which are scheduled to take place at Mallory Park on August 31.

Races will be open to competitors who drive open/closed roof Sports & Saloon cars, regardless of what championship or racing club they compete in, providing they meet current Motorsport UK safety regulations.

Formatted to feature a 20-minute qualifying session and two 20-minute races over the course of a weekend, entries will be accepted with a pre declared lap time for the specific circuit upon which competitors have entered into.

A total of nine classes have been structured, with dedicated lap times already set for Mallory Park and the subsequent two other race meetings at Pembrey (October 3/4) and Thruxton (October 24/25), which have been added to the schedule due to high levels of interest already.

This format guarantees that everyone will be racing against those doing similar lap times, irrespective of the car they are driving, leading to much closer competition. Classes will be changed post-qualifying and post-race if competitors run two or more laps faster in a qualifying session or race than their nominated class allowance stipulates.

The origins of this format were first mooted to current BARC Group Chief Executive Ben Taylor by former Haymarket Director Derek Redfern a number of years ago. Now, with the demand to go racing greater than ever, the idea is set to be a reality with four races currently confirmed for the remainder of the year.

Commenting on the innovative format, Taylor said: “We are really excited to launch this brand new format of class racing, under a set of regulations we are calling ‘BARC Red’.

“We believe that it has the potential to deliver really exciting racing for the club competitor and allow pretty much any car to compete in our races, irrespective of engine size, power to weight ratio, experience of driver or their budget.

“It should bring more for variety to the grids as well, which have become a little bit one dimensional in recent years with the growth of the single marque series and events. There are loads of cars out there not currently competing, but the joy of this series is that there is no need for eligibility scrutineering – if your car is in line with the Blue Book, it is welcome to race.

“The word ‘Red’ is a nod to Derek, whose idea this was originally. He mentioned it to me at a meeting of the Motor Sports Council while I was working at the MSA and I thought it sounded interesting, but at the time it wasn’t something that was relevant to my role.

“Now I’m at the BARC, it seems to offer a great solution for the current climate and the challenging times we face – we are inevitably going to see the customer demanding more enjoyment for their money, so having fun, exciting racing will be essential.

“The clubs are also going to need to find ways to have full grids to keep costs down for drivers, so this is a way of making sure that all cars and all drivers are able to compete equally on a level playing field.”

For further information or an entry form for these races, please contact David Wheadon via dwheadon@barc.net

New and existing members of the British Automobile Racing Club can now benefit from a discounted rate on a subscription to Autosport.

Autosport, which has been covering motorsport from Formula 1 to grassroots competition for nearly 70 years, is expanding its UK club racing coverage and has put together an exclusive subscription rate with the BARC that’s only available to Club members.

Members can have Autosport Magazine delivered straight to their door, access the digital magazine archive and have unlimited access to all Autosport Plus premium content on an ad-free version of Autosport.com for as little as £8.99 a month – an additional 25% off the current pricing.

For more information or take advantage of this special offer, visit: www.autosportmedia.com/offer/barc

To become a member of the BARC, simply head to www.barc.net/membership.

The British Automobile Racing Club’s return to the track in recent weeks has been widely welcomed by competitors, marshals, officials and organisers who have completed a post-event survey.

With major sports having been suspended during recent months due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the appetite for national motorsport to resume has been great and bumper grids took centre stage at Cadwell Park (July 4/5) and Croft (July 11/12) for the BARC.

In line with Motorsport UK’s guidance for racing to return, changes to the Club’s protocols as well as guidelines to combat the spread of coronavirus were issued to ensure the safety and well-being of those in attendance at both meetings.

The research data, from more than 150 participants, confirms that this was well received and informative and that overwhelmingly people felt safe in the racing environment.

When asked to rate the information that was communicated to them prior to the event from 1-10, the club scored more than 9.2, with almost 60% scoring a perfect 10.

Similarly, the new method of handling paperwork electronically scored an impressive nine out of ten, whilst more than 94% felt that the BARC’s COVID Guidance covered all of the relevant information they needed.

Other encouraging results from the Club’s survey included 96.8% of people saying they felt safe whilst attending the meeting and only 1.4% of respondents suggested that they were less likely to attend another event after their experiences.

Concerns were registered about adherence to social distancing guidelines and the use of face masks, but more than 90% of people felt that the BARC’s guidance and procedures were generally adhered to during the weekends.

Whilst a high proportion of the results were positive, areas of development are always sought after and the BARC has taken all comments on-board to ensure improvements can be made for the remaining events taking place in 2020 and beyond.

Ben Taylor, BARC Group Chief Executive, said: “There has been a huge amount of work put into getting the sport up and running again, and it’s great to see that these efforts have been well received by the people on the ground.

“We have learned a lot from these first two events and of course we can make further improvements, but it is encouraging that of all our respondents, there was only one person who didn’t have an enjoyable event.

“If we can achieve that level of satisfaction while trying hard to ensure people’s safety and well-being, then that is what it’s all about. We would ask, however, that everyone keeps up their efforts to adhere to the guidelines so that we can enjoy the rest of the season with confidence.”

The Club’s next event will take place at Brands Hatch, with six championships set to compete around the Indy layout on August 1/2. That same weekend will see the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and support categories in action at Donington Park.

In the latest British Automobile Racing Club’s audio interview, we catch up with General Manager Ian Watson.

Speaking to the Club’s official audio partners Cre8Media, Ian talks about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on motorsport, the steps put in place to ensure a safe return, working alongside the BARC’s championships and much more.

Listen to the full interview below:

As the British Automobile Racing Club continues to bounce back, both on and off the track, following the UK lockdown caused by COVID-19, we caught up with Group Chief Executive Ben Taylor.

Speaking to the Club’s official audio partners Cre8Media, Ben discusses the impact the pandemic has had on the BARC and its venues, the processes and procedures that have been put in place, what the future of the Club looks like and much more.

Listen to the full interview below:

Face masks, social distancing and revised protocols; they were just some of the new measures put in place at Cadwell Park this past weekend (July 4/5) as the British Automobile Racing Club made a triumphant return to the track. 

More than 100 days since motorsport in the UK was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, four of the Club’s championships visited the picturesque Lincolnshire venue to mark the start of what is now a condensed 2020 season.

Whilst spectators were not permitted to attend; competitors, teams and officials all got to grips with what is being dubbed as the ‘new normal’ for the foreseeable future – and it proved to be a successful first outing for all involved.

Prior to the event, the Club issued its own guidelines for Competitors and Officials which outlined the adjustments that had been made to the practice and procedures in order to continue providing the safest possible environment.

With driver and marshal sign-on completed online, Personal Protective Equipment such as face masks were a mandatory requirement once at the venue to whilst social distancing was implemented wherever possible in the paddock and pit-lane.

In the absence of paperwork being distributed over the course of the weekend, a ‘Virtual Noticeboard’ was also created on the Club’s website to ensure that competitors and officials were being kept abreast with the latest updates.

Commenting on the success of the weekend as a whole, David Wheadon, BARC Competitions Secretary, said: “I just want to thank all the competitors for an outstanding meeting at Cadwell this weekend just gone.

“Apart from all the brilliant racing we experienced at the meeting, I was equally impressed with our competitors, their guests and all of our Marshals & Officials attitudes towards the new COVID safety regulations with regards to social distancing, PPE and personal hygiene.

“Motorsport UK had sent representatives to the event on the Saturday and they were equally impressed with their observations of everything as a whole.

As one of the first Motorsport UK permitted events happening in the post lockdown era, BARC understood that how our event performed would have a knock on effect on future events held throughout the remainder of the 2020 season.

“The phrase “start as you mean to go on” has never been more appropriate! Well done to all involved.”

The British Automobile Racing Club now heads to Croft this weekend (July 11/12), with several more championships set to kick off their own condensed 2020 campaigns.

Pembrey Circuit is set to play host to a blockbuster season of top-draw racing for the remainder of 2020 after unveiling a revised provisional schedule made up of eight events.

Having had to press pause on celebrating its 30th Anniversary in association with the British Automobile Racing Club due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the home of Welsh motorsport is primed to finally stage race meetings after already opening its doors for professional teams to test.

The Welsh lockdown has provided the venue with the opportunity to complete the build of its brand new garage complex, with further improvements having also been carried out in recent months too.

Working closely with the Welsh Government and Carmarthenshire County Council, the South Wales circuit will now aim to move from exclusive testing to playing host to race meetings.

All dates and events remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

Phil Davies, Pembrey Circuit Manager, said: “These have been trying months for everyone but I am proud that we have been able to persevere through this pandemic and come out the other side in a strong position.

“In recent weeks we have welcomed a host of professional teams for private testing and these have proven to be very successful with our own guidelines in place. Now we are looking forward to playing host to events.

“This hasn’t been the way we had planned to celebrate our 30th Anniversary but with our new garage complex finally built we are certain to make the best of it.”

Pembrey Circuit – Revised Provisional 2020 Calendar

August 8/9 – Toyo Tires BTRDA Rallycross Championship

August 29/30 – British Supermoto Championship

September 12/13 – British Automobile Racing Club

September 26/27 – Classic Motorcycle Racing Club

October 3/4 – BTRC British Truck Racing Championship

October 9/10/11 – NGRR Motorcycle Championships

October 17/18 – Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy

December 28 – Christmas Stages Rally