Tag: BTCC

After a short summer break, the circuit racing calendar for the British Automobile Racing Club is alive and kicking. Last week we were in Zandvoort for our annual away day – now we restart the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with our very own jewel of the north – Croft – hosting Britain’s premier racing series.

There is a titanic clash between Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram brewing at the top of the table, but Croft is always one to help shake-up the race to the title. Can the chasing pack of Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom, Jake Hill and Adam Morgan slingshot their way up the order after the three rounds in Yorkshire?

Joining us in the trip up north will be fellow BARC championships – Vertu MINI Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and a guest series in the shape of the rapid Legends. Plenty for all tastes and interests!

When is the next BARC weekend?
This weekend – 2-3 August

Where are the events being held?

Croft Circuit
Address: West Ln, Dalton-on-Tees, Darlington DL2 2PL

What is racing this weekend?

Out on track this weekend: Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Vertu MINI Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and guest series – Legends Cars Elite Cup.

How can I watch?

Wanting to soak up the on-track action in person at Croft? As well as the racing there is lots to do for the whole family. Tickets are available on the day or on the Croft website from £21 for a Saturday ticket or £38 for a Sunday ticket – with weekend options available from £57. Children under 12 go free with discounts or teens.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc

If I can’t get to Croft or I am outside of the UK?

The TOCA Croft race weekend package will be broadcast live and for free on ITV4 and ITVX on Saturday and Sunday in the UK.

Qualifying will be available to all on ITVX on Saturday while race day will move to ITV4 in the UK. The uninterrupted coverage will feature all the on track drama with commentary, analysis and features throughout Sunday with coverage starting just ahead of the first BTCC race at 11:30. This will be the first race in recent memory without Steve Rider anchoring the coverage.

International audiences will be able to watch the action on YouTube with races live on the RACER network in the US and Canada.

What time are things happening on track?

Free Practice and Qualifying head the order on Saturday with on track action from 09:30 with the first race at 11:30. On Sunday we begin with the pit lane walkabout, with the first race beginning at 12:10.

Do you have any more information?

We have a few other handy links that might be useful to help you enjoy your weekend. Wherever you are!

Live Timing and Commentary: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/253103
Timetable*: https://www.barc.net/event/toca-race-meeting-croft-august-2-3/
Live Coverage: https://www.itv.com/btcc

* Subject to adjustments prior and during the race meeting

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to action after the summer break – with drivers ready to ignite the title tilting battle. Will it be Ash Sutton for a record-breaking fifth, or is Tom Ingram hoping to double-up his own crown count.

With plenty of points on offer, expect a whole host of drivers to claw their way into the fight and be in with a shout at the finale too. Croft always helps to shape BTCC the season. But why is it a special place? Let’s take a look back.

Croft is nestled in North Yorkshire – just a stone’s throw from Darlington. The former airfield is relatively flat – but does provide close, hard-fought racing on the technical circuit. The 2.127 mile venue first hosted the British Saloon Car Championship back in 1968 with the likes of Gordon Spice, John Fitzpatrick, Roy Pierpoint and eventual champion Frank Gardner doing battle.

That initial stint lasted until 1971, with a major Croft regeneration for competitors and spectators following in the seventies and eighties. To bring it in line with other venues, the circuit went through extensive work including investment in the pits paddock and circuit itself. With a deprived north of England tin-top following chomping for saloon car action – the return of the BTCC in 1997 was a hugely popular move.

Welcome Back

In the height of the Super Touring era – with eight manufacturers locking horns with each other, the championship made its way to Croft. Current ITV4 pundit Tim Harvey, who was driving for Peugeot in the 1997 season remembers the first meeting back fondly, talking to BARC a few years ago.

“It was certainly an interesting one. The one thing no venue can control is the weather, and Croft didn’t drain well back in those days – it’s much, much better now – but it’s testament to the circuit’s strength-of-character that the race meeting went ahead and went well, and Croft has remained a favourite on the BTCC calendar ever since.”

But why is it so popular with the drivers and spectators? “Croft always generates great action, with plenty of opportunities for overtaking and, dare I say it, incidents! It’s a difficult circuit to master; the first half of the lap is a high-speed challenge, before you get to the Complex, where you need to slow it all down. There’s a bit of everything, which is what the drivers really appreciate.”

That first meeting for the BTCC in 1997 saw a dominant display from Alain Menu – driving for the Williams Renault team. The Swiss ace put it on pole twice and won both races, oh… and captured the fastest lap in the second race. It was some performance from the Laguna driver, with only Gabriele Tarquini able to stop the clean sweep as the Italian punched in the fastest lap in race one for Honda.

Jordan joins the winners circle

Fast forward now to 2010. Manufacturers were still present in the BTCC with Chevrolet, Honda dominating the order, but a thorn in their side was a young Andrew Jordan who was constantly hounding the top spots in his Triple Eight run Vauxhall Vectra. The 2013 BTCC Champion took his first ever championship win in 2010 and backed that up with another win in 2014.

Subaru drivers simmer

In 2016, who can forget the clash between the two Subarus of Jason Plato and Colin Turkington. More on Colin shortly.The two character extremes came to blows after a coming together on track. A late lunge from Plato into Tower on Turkington held them both up, allowing the BMW of Rob Collard to nip up the inside and benefit from two position gains. It took a while for things to melt after that icy encounter between the Levorg drivers!
Sutton takes to the top step

Also in 2016 a star was born. In the MG6, a young Ash Sutton in his debut season got his elbows out in a rain soaked final race of the day to seal his first win in the demanding touring car championship. He has since gone on to win a further six races at the northern England circuit with further wins coming in the Subaru Levorg and more recently the NAPA Ford Focus.

‘King of Croft’ – Colin Turkington

Colin Turkington the undisputed King of Croft. The Northern Irishman has an incredible 15 wins with the first coming at the wheel of a front-wheel-drive Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch in 2005. Infact his first ever BTCC podium was at Croft in 2002 in the Atomic Kitten-backed MG. The Yorkshire circuit really does hold a special place for Colin, with the remainder of those victories coming in rear-wheel-drive machines – a drivetrain suited to the start-stop nature of the more technical sections.

A further 14 wins in Subarus and BMWs propelled him to the top of the all time winners list at the Yorkshire venue. His most recent coming only last year. Will Turkington return in 2026 or is that marker ready to be reeled in by Ash Sutton? If Sutton was to win all three races in a weekend it would take him another two and a bit seasons to pass another four-time champion! We will wait and see!

Who will be the King of Croft this weekend? Tickets are available on the gate or online at https://croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc – you don’t want to miss out!

The British Touring Car Championship has announced its technical regulations for the next five-year cycle, with this latest evolution set to commence at the start of the 2027 campaign.

This season marks the 15th year since the NGTC regulations were first introduced, with the aim of them being to reduce costs and promote greater parity among competitors. 

Despite there being one remaining year of the existing specifications, series organisers TOCA has put together an evolution of these successful regulations for a further five years – running up until at least the end of 2031.

The goal of the new regulation cycle was to protect the assets of teams by maintaining eligibility for existing machinery, whilst introducing additional car and engine options, thereby expanding opportunities.

From 2027, providing that the vehicle brand is sold within the UK, then any model from that brand can be entered – as long as the car is originally equipped with an internal combustion engine as its primary means of motive power and, of course, conforms to the size and body regulations as per currently.
 
This change will allow a wider variety of cars to enter the BTCC, thus providing teams with greater flexibility and availability in choosing models that fit their goals, as well as giving spectators the experience of seeing cars compete that they may not have seen before.

In addition to that, TOCA has unlinked the engine requirements to each respective car, meaning that any BTCC-homologated engine can be used – not necessarily that from the original manufacturer of that specific car. 

Registered BTCC engine builders will also be bound to supply its engine to any interested team(s) if requested, although no engine supplier can provide more than 50% of the entered cars – with the exception of the TOCA engine, which is always made available to all teams.

Opening up engine availability and supply will enable teams and engine builders to more easily select their optimum base engine and share development costs.

A number of other technical regulations have received modest amendments with the full document due to be released over the coming weeks.

“We’re pleased to announce the BTCC’s technical regulations for the next five-year cycle, to commence in 2027, and I thank all our teams for their invaluable input over the last two years to bring them to fruition,” said Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive.

“Every team wanted the BTCC to continue with the evolution of our great technical regulations… that was unquestioned. Therefore, our current stakeholders now have the assurance that their major components and capital investment will remain valid through 2031. 
 
“This evolution of the regulations also provides teams with more options, through opening the door to a host of new models and engines that can now be eligible for the BTCC.
 
“We value these successful regulations, which will have largely been in place for almost 20 years at the conclusion of this next cycle. The BTCC technical regulations, like the BTCC itself, is a true British success story.”

Motorsport UK and BARC (TOCA) Limited have today (10 July) announced the extension of its current agreement, with TOCA now contracted to operate and promote the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) through to the end of 2031.

The most recent and ongoing reappointment by Motorsport UK – the governing body of UK motorsport – will see TOCA continue to organise and promote the championship beyond the conclusion of the current contract, which ends in 2026. This new term ensures the continuation of that agreement for another five years, through to the end of 2031.

Running since 1958, the BTCC is the third oldest motorsport championship in the world, with only Formula 1 and NASCAR boasting longer histories in the sport. In the modern era, the BTCC welcomes up to 40,000 spectators each weekend, enjoys live free to air UK television coverage on the ITV network and is streamed live across the globe.

Now, thanks to this latest announcement, TOCA – one of the longest standing and renowned motorsport operators and promotors in the world – can continue to plan and invest in the long-term strategy for the UK’s most popular and competitive motorsport championship.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “This agreement is important for the sustained growth of the championship. The BTCC has been in safe hands for many years and this continuity of the commitment between TOCA and Motorsport UK ensures enduring stability for all our teams and stakeholders.

“As well, it enables us to commit to our updated technical regulations for 2027 and beyond, which will be released later this month, as well as all the other important elements in order to ensure the continued success and vibrancy of the BTCC.”

David Richards CBE, Chair of Motorsport UK, commented: “The British Touring Car Championship is one of the oldest, most popular and competitive motorsport championships in the world.

“TOCA have been wonderful custodians of the BTCC, utilising their expertise and know-how to operate and promote the championship with the highest of standard.

“Motorsport UK is delighted to confirm TOCA’s operation of the BTCC through to 2031 and we look forward to continuing and growing our partnership.”

Thruxton Circuit – the most southerly stop on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and TOCA package calendar. Since it first hosted the BTCC or its precursor the British Saloon Car Championship in 1968 – Thruxton has been the scene for many iconic moments in British tin-top racing. We take a look back down memory lane at just some of those important milestones.

It all began in Hampshire in 1968. The quiet and quaint former RAF aerodrome had gone through a significant upgrade, and the fastest circuit was ready to host its first saloon car meeting. A new venue – brought great excitement as crowds watched Brian Muir guide his Ford Falcon Sprint to the overall win with Chris Craft, Graham Janzen and Frank Gardner taking the class wins.

The halcyon days of the eighties brought plenty of variety and the star names. Gordon Spice opened the decade with two wins from two meetings in his legendary Ford Capri while the likes of fan favourites Andy Rouse and Steve Soper roared to victories in cars such as the Rover Vitesse and Ford Sierra Cosworth.

The Super Touring era is one that conjures up much excitement. Thruxton was the scene for the season opener in 1994 – with the entry of Alfa Romeo raising the stakes in competition and raising the eyebrows, with its high profile ‘bolt on’ rear wing. As others reached for the rulebook – the scarlet red machines reached the top of the timesheets with pole, fastest lap and a race win for Gabriele Tarquini. Another manufacturer to make their bow at Thruxton in ‘94 was Volvo with the infamous 850 estate car – a wonderful eclectic addition to the grid – making its competitive debut at Thruxton.

2005 marks twenty – yes twenty years since TOCA’s answer to ‘mission impossible’ was completed at Thruxton. Team Dynamics and Halfords had switched to the Honda Integra Type R with Matt Neal and Dan Eaves leading the line. Eaves used the car’s slippery shape to good effect to win not one, not two but all three races – becoming the first driver to win all three rounds in a weekend! Elsewhere, who can not forget that magnificent save from Yvan Muller in the Vauxhall Astra as well after a brief love tap from Jason Plato coming into the final chicane!

Eaves’ trio of wins helped to pave the way for the Japanese marque in the BTCC. With the UK spiritual home for Honda just 30 odd miles north in Swindon – Thruxton has been a happy hunting ground – with the Civic and Integra helping Honda racking up more wins than any other manufacturer in the modern era.

Current BTCC star Josh Cook who hails from Somerset – classes the Andover-based venue as his ‘home’ circuit and that can be clearly seen in his win tally – with half of his touring car race wins coming here. The King of Thruxton has 10 wins around the Hampshire Speedbowl, with all but one of them aboard a Honda Civic – albeit in slightly different models and evolutions. His first win came in 2018 with the last in 2022 – the last time Thruxton played host to the BTCC in one calendar year. Cook sealed three out of the six races that season and with a return to a Honda in 2025 – the home crowd will be hoping for another win or two to add to his already impressive collection.

And finally – who can forget an exciting contest last year! Three different race winners in three different cars, with Jake Hill winning in a BMW in race one, Tom Ingram in a Hyundai in race two and Ash Sutton in a Ford in race three. Ironically – they also finished in this order in the final championship standings at the end of the year.

2025 – what can we hope for. Well… plenty of close, exciting racing, history being made and maybe a new race winner? Is that asking for too much? Or is it? Only time will tell!

Tickets can be purchased from: https://thruxtonracing.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/btcc with children 13 and under going free! Every person who purchases a ticket will be entered into a competition draw, with the winner having the honour of waving the chequered flag at the end of the first touring car race.