The British Automobile Racing Club faced contrasting weather conditions at Croft Circuit this past weekend (May 2-3) as the likes of the TCR UK Championship and a trio of Caterham Motorsport categories headlined its Speedfest North meeting.
Marking the first visit the Club has made to its North Yorkshire venue this year, a hearty crowd flocked through the gates to witness an action-packed 17 race programme – with many of them braving the wind and rain on Sunday following a dry Saturday.
After kicking off their 2026 campaign at Brands Hatch last month, all eyes were on the TCR UK Championship to see what would come next – and what was next were two frenetic encounters in somewhat challenging weather conditions.
Callum Newsham proved to be the cream of the crop when it came to qualifying on Saturday afternoon as he paced the opposition by more than half a second to snare pole position; and he carried that front-running form into race one the following day.
Despite not making the best of starts in the wet conditions, the Scotsman quickly regained the lead in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR and once out front he was able to control the pace all the way to the chequered flag to win ahead of Lewis Kent and Max Hart.
Race two – which was also held in heavy rain – then saw talented teenager Max Hall write his name into the series’ history books as he produced a wheel-perfect drive to claim a maiden TCR UK victory for himself and his team, Halls Racing.
There was no shortage of edge-of-the=seat entertainment when it came to Caterham Motorsport as the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship, FanDrive Caterham Seven 270R Championship and Motul Caterham Seven UK Championship all starred.
Richard Davies maintained his flawless start to the new Roadsport Championship as he made it four wins from four races; although he faced stiff opposition as he won race one by sixth tenths of a second and then race two by a mere two tenths.
Over in the FanDrive Caterham Seven 270R Championship, Brian Thornton and Paul Oggelsby picked up where they left off at Cadwell Park as they once again proved to be the benchmark at the front of the field.
Thornton struck first out of the two of them as he held off Oliver White to win a pulsating opener before Oggelsby then came to the fore in races two and three, winning both contests in hard-fought fashion.
Finally, the Motul Caterham Seven Championship UK kicked off its 2026 season in spectacular season with a three action-packed races and the renewal of a rivalry that is guaranteed to once again captivate the masses.
Defending champion Matthew Armstrong and runner-up Harry Senior were the standout performers in the series last year and they picked up where they left off at Croft, although it looks as though multiple Caterham champion Taylor O’Flanagan will also be in the mix.
The trio were the stars of the show across the weekend with Senior making the perfect start to the campaign by scoring back-to-back wins, the second of which was by a remarkable margin of 17 seconds.
On his debut in the manufacturer’s premier class, O’Flanagan also underlined his credentials as he charged to glory in race three, while Armstrong’s title defence began with a number of standout podium drives.
Elsewhere, the Junior Saloon Car Championship continued to gather momentum with three more races playing out for aspiring racers aged 14 to 17.
Max Scharfeggar claimed a long overdue maiden win at Cadwell Park and that triumph proved to be the kicker that he needed as he came flying out the blocks to claim pole position in qualifying and then back-to-back victories.
Scharfeggar’s hopes of a sublime hat-trick were sadly dashed in race three however as championship leader Ollie Smith returned to the top step of the podium, which in-turn allowed him to strengthen his stranglehold in the standings.
As they did at Cadwell Park last month, Lee Bull and Marshall Groves proved to be the leading lights when it came to the Track Action Racing Club, with the pair claiming a deserving win apiece.
Bull was the first to strike as he produced a flawless drive in his Renault Clio to reign supreme in race one, beating fellow Clio competitor Robert Buckland by more than six seconds while Adam Croft completed the podium in third.
Having suffered an unfortunate non-finish in the weekend’s earlier contest, Groves bounced back in style as he swept his way to victory in race two. The Vauxhall Vectra Challenge driver was pushed by Bull all the way, but remained resolute out front to ultimately triumph.
Also adding to the weekend spectacle was a guest appearance from the Scottish MINI Cooper Cup. Boasting a compact yet competitive grid, the one-make series wowed the crowds with two races that were won by Jack Irvine and James Hitchen.
To view the full classification of results from Croft’s Speedfest North meeting, CLICK HERE.
