Tag: Classic Touring Car Championship

Donington Park plays host to thrilling BARC 2024 season-opener

The British Automobile Racing Club kicked off its 2024 season in action-packed style at Donington Park this past bank holiday weekend (March 29/30) with no less than 12 different championships taking centre stage on the world-famous Grand Prix circuit.

Following months of excitement, anticipation and preparation, a bumper crowd flocked to the Leicestershire venue to witness an Easter extravaganza of wheel-to-wheel entertainment and high drama. 

Headlining the two-day meeting was the coveted British Endurance Championship in association with Motorsport UK, which lifted the curtain on its brand-new campaign with a spectacular two-hour contest. 

Boasting a monstrous grid of GT3 and GT4 machines, battles took place up and down the field however there was no denying PB Racing with JMH at the front of it – as Peter Erceg and Hugo Cook teamed up to claim a commanding victory in their Audi R8 GT3.

After coming close to the coveted crown last year, Erceg entered the campaign as one of the title favourites and he duly lived up to the hype as he punched in a superlative lap in qualifying to net pole position. He did so on his own too due to Cook travelling down from Oulton Park at the time of the session. 

Sharing the front row of the grid with the Lamborghini GT3 of John Seale and Jamie Stanley, Erceg wasted no time in making his escape from the chasing pack as the lights went out, carving out a substantial advantage during his stint before handing the reigns over to Cook.

When Cook took over at the wheel, the Audi outfit were relatively untroubled for the remainder of the contest with Seale and Stanley trailing by a lap at the finish. Completing the overall podium was the impressive Xentek Motorsport entry of Josh Steed and Ban Sidhu in their Porsche GT4. 

Further endurance thrills and spills were also provided over the course of the weekend by the Britcar Trophy Championship, which staged two frenetic 50-minute races under the flightpath of East Midlands airport. 

Race one proved to be an all Ginetta affair at the front as Seb Dubois survived a chaotic opening few laps to eventually take a comfortable victory over Datum Motorsport. Avoiding a number of clashing cars on the opening tour, Dubois showcased his talents as he carved his way to the front and ultimately triumph by more than 11 seconds in his G56 GTA. 

Behind, Maurizio Sciglio and Marco Anstasi – two of last year’s benchmark drivers in the series – enjoyed a superlative scrap to round out the remaining positions on the podium.

Britcar Trophy’s second bout proved to be just action-packed as the Sim Dynamics with Jabbasport SEAT Cupra Gen 1 of Chris Bialan and Simon Mason edged out Axel van Nederveen to claim a famous victory. 

Bialan and Mason battled their way to the front of the field from the second row of the grid and looked an irresistible force however all eyes would be focused on van Nederveen as he carved his way from dead-last to finish a couple of seconds away from the top step of the rostrum. 

Action aplenty best characterised the Classic Touring Car Racing Club – which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in association with the BARC this year – across the weekend.

Joe Ferguson made a wheel-perfect start to the new season in the Everard Garage Equipment Pre-66 Touring Cars as he claimed victory by more than eight seconds in race one. Things were a lot closer in race two however as Peter Mutlow Smith triumphed following a time-penalty for Tom Bell. 

Stuart Waite was perfection personified as he claimed overall honours in both amalgamated Pre-83, Pre-93 and Super Tourer races. Back behind the wheel of his BMW M3, last year’s Pre-93 champion reigned supreme in style whilst the Super Tourers in particular faced mechanical heartache.

The Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder showcased another flame-spitting grid once again and two familiar names, Bryan Bransom and Kevin Clarke – tallied a win apiece. Capping off the CTCRC action were a pair of races from the Pre-03 Touring Cars and Blue Oval Saloon Series, both of which were won by Piers Grange.

Concluding the weekend’s action at Donington Park were also races from the Mini 7 Racing Club and British Superkart Racing Championship. 

Former British Touring Car Championship title winner Andrew Jordan was unstoppable in the Dunlop Mini Se7en Championship race to take two wins whilst Jeff Smith and Endaf Owens shared the spoils in the Dunlop Mini Miglia Championship.

In the Super Series by the British Superkart Racing Club, Liam Morley visited the top step of the rostrum twice whilst Tom Rushforth claimed the remaining victory that was up for grabs.

To view the full classification of sessions results from Donington Park, click here.

Dan Zelos, Louis Sharp & Steve Bemrose top list of special accolade winners at BARC Awards

The British Automobile Racing Club’s annual Awards Evening didn’t just see the championship winners of 2023 celebrated on Saturday (February 3) as a number of other special accolades were bestowed upon hugely deserving winners too.

Leading the list of prestigious recipients was newly-crowned double MINI CHALLENGE JCW champion Dan Zelos who claimed The President’s Cup; which is awarded to the most successful BARC member competing under international level.

Becoming the first driver in the modern era of the ultra-competitive tin top series to clinch the coveted crown for a second time, Zelos chalked up an impressive ten victories and a further two podiums on his way to championship superstardom.

Zelos lauded: “It was totally unexpected and a complete honour to pick it up. We had an amazing year in 2023 and sometimes when your in the middle of getting deals together in the off season you forgot how much you may have achieved – so to be rewarded with a trophy like this has left me lost for words.

“Me, my Dad and the rest of the family have and continue to work incredibly hard to go racing and this is a fantastic accolade to receive. I think I’ve been part of the BARC for more than a decade now too.”

One of the biggest raptures of applause deservedly went the way of this year’s BARC Marshal of the Year, Steve Bemrose. In memory of Dennis Harris and designed to recognise the dedication and special efforts of the Club’s marshals, Bemrose was worthy winner after being selected by the Marshals Core Group.

Attending a multitude of race meetings over the course of last year, his actions in particular at the BTCC season-opener at Donington Park played their part in saving the life of a driver following a high-speed accident.

“It is a complete shock I must admit,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan of motorsport and I remember reading a review about being a marshal, what it entails and I never really comprehended how close you could get to the action, etc. 

“After I had done my taster day my love for it grew and I’ve never looked back. The marshal community is incredibly tight-knit and if there is anyone out thinking about getting involved then do it, because it is just fantastic.”

Elsewhere, Junior Saloon Car Championship and Track Action Coordinator Dave Beecroft saw his diverse and distinguished motorsport career be celebrated as he scooped The Gerry Marshall Trophy, having epitomised the philosophy for motorsport that Gerry once had.

He said: “This award really means a lot to me because Gerry Marshall was a childhood hero of mine; I remember watching him at Oulton Park and was fortunate enough to meet him several times – so it was touching to be this year’s recipient.

“I love everything about this industry and its nice to be kicking off the year like this; especially because we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, which is an incredible achievement.”

For the second year in succession, The Densley Trophy – which is bestowed upon the female in the Club that has been deemed to have a successful year – was handed out, with the Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Sonia Gibbons claiming the prize. 

“I never ever expected to be given this award,” she admitted. “I didn’t even think I would be up for it so I am extremely proud to have won. At the Classic Touring Car Racing Club we are all volunteers but it is a real family. It’s a wonderful Club and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

Louis Sharp’s charge to the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA title didn’t go unnoticed as he was honoured with The Peter Collins Trophy, which is awarded to the most promising junior drive competing in a BARC championship.

After enjoying a hugely encouraging debut campaign in 2022, the New Zealander lived up to the mantel of being a title favourite by edging out Will Macintyre to the single-seater crown in the final race of the season.

“It came as a complete surprise to me and it’s a massive privilege to receive it so thank you to the BARC for recognising me – it was a nice end to a really special night,” he said. “This award is a fantastic reward for everyone that has supported me. 

“My ambition is to one day get to Formula 1 and while it has been a good start to that journey I’m well aware that there is a long way to go and that it will continue to get more competitive. I’m loving the challenge though and can’t wait to see what is next!”

Rounding out the list of special award winners was Adam Weeden, who completed the most volunteering days to lift The Sir Clive Bossom Trophy, and Zena Wooller who was named BARC Trainee Marshal of the Year.

“I’m delighted,” said Weeden. “This award goes to show how much marshals are appreciated because we give our time, which is very precious to us, to show support to the drivers and the championship.”

Pre-66 Touring Cars secures spot on Croft BTCC support bill

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Pre-66 Touring Car Championship will make a guest appearance on the support bill of the British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit next year.

As part of the CTCRC’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2024, the Pre-66 contingent – which is open for competitors participating in four-seater saloon cars marketed before 1st January 1966 – will stage a number of races at the North Yorkshire venue on July 27/28.

“We’re absolutely delighted that our Pre-’66 championship has been invited to race alongside the British Touring Car Championship at Croft,” said Classic Touring Car Racing Club Chairman Stuart Caie.

“It’s a fitting way for the club to celebrate its 50th anniversary by showcasing the kind of cars that raced in the early years of the BTCC alongside their modern counterparts. It’s fantastic recognition for our club, the drivers and all our volunteers who work hard to provide a home for touring cars of all ages to race.

“It’s also appropriate that it’s at Croft, a BARC circuit, given our long association with the club. The Pre-’66 cars always produce great racing, and we feel sure that the BTCC crowd will love the little-and-large battles of Minis versus big American V8s and everything in between. It should be a wonderful weekend.”

The BTCC’s full support programme for 2024 is due to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Titles decided on spectacular BARC weekend at Donington Park

More titles were decided this past weekend (October 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at Donington Park, with both the British Endurance Championship and Classic Touring Car Racing Club delivering full-throttle entertainment right to the very end.

On what proved to be a thrilling showdown on the world-famous Grand Prix layout of the Leicestershire venue, champions were crowned across a variety of categories as the curtain fell on the 2023 season for the majority that were in attendance.

The British Endurance Championship’s sophomore season culminated with the Team HARD. pairing of Brad Thurston and Daryl Deleon holding their nerve to seal title glory in their Porsche 991 Cup.

Heading into the season finale as one of five teams that could clinch the coveted crown, Thurston and Deleon – who has this year also cut his teeth in the British Touring Car Championship – charged to victory in Class C, which was in-turn enough for them to prevail in the overall battle. 

Boasting a bumper grid of monstrous machines for its two-hour finale, qualifying saw two new faces blast their way to pole position as the Team BRIT Invitational entry of Paul Fullick and James Whitley reigned supreme. 

Unfortunately, the McLaren 570S GT4 outfit couldn’t capitalise on their front row start as a safety car period would interfere with their planned strategy. Taking the bull by the horns – as they have done on many occasions this year – instead was the PB Racing team of Peter Erceg and Marcus Clutton.

At the wheel of their Audi GT3, Erceg and Clutton produced a superlative performance however they were kept honest all the way to the chequered flag as the Breakell Racing entry of Ameerh Naran and outgoing champion Tom Jackson claimed second in their McLaren GT3.

The Track Focused KTM GT4 of Mike McCollum and Sean Cooper completed the podium in third, with Team BRIT fourth and the Venture Innovations team of Chris Jones and Matt George completing the top five. Jones and George also secured overall runners-up laurels. 

Blockbuster tin top wheel-to-wheel moments were in full force when it came to the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, which served up no less than ten races over the course of the weekend.

The Poultec Pre-66 Touring Cars, which is home to some of the most iconic saloons, saw James Everard and Barry Sime walk away with a share of the spoils whilst Howard Spooner and Stephen Primett scored a win apiece in the Orange Aero Pre-83 Touring Cars. 

More than 30 cars lined up for the amalgamated Laser Tools Pre-93 Touring Cars, Burty Haulage Pre-03 Touring Cars and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series contests; and they proved to be a sight to behold as Piers Grange romped to a brace of wins. 

Flame-spitting Holden’s rightfully grabbed the headlines in the Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder as Andy Wilson and Abbie Eaton put on a show for the appreciative crowd. The pair slugged it out for both race wins, with Wilson just edging the former W Series racer on both occasions.

Rounding out the CTCRC entertainment were two races from the Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge, both of which were won by Guy Connew in his Jaguar XJS.

The ROWE Britcar Trophy Championship crowned new champions in the shape of Rhys Lloyd and Jack Meakin, who delivered an exemplary performance in their Dragon Sport Renault Clio.

Setting the pace in the Clio Class for much of the campaign, Lloyd and Meakin produced a faultless performance as they charged to a pay of category wins to clinch the overall title.

Whilst they reigned supreme in the championship fight, Datum Motorsport’s Marco Anastasi claimed overall victory in race one before the Intersport duo of Bryan Bransom and Jas Sapra triumphed in race two in their BMW M3 E46.

The destiny of the Junior Saloon Car Championship is poised to go down to the wire at Brands Hatch next month after the ultra-competitive series dished up two frenetic races under the flightpath of East Midlands airport.

Daire Flock and Cameron Pratt-Thompson will duke it out for the prestigious crown however neither of them could do anything to stop Oskar Dix who took a clean sweep of results; pole position and two race wins. 

Pacing the opposition in qualifying, the Westbourne Motorsport driver pipped Flock to victory in race one by just 0.030 seconds before then leading home Jonathan Moore by a little over six tenths in race two.

Concluding the weekend’s track action, and their first year with the BARC, were a trio of races from the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport. 

Staging two sprint races and a 45-minute endurance encounter, the single-manufacturer series culminated with a scintillating showing from Stephen Berry, who charged to a hat-trick of race wins. 

To view the full classification of results from Donington Park, CLICK HERE. 

You can also watch all the best bits from Saturday and Sunday at Donington Park via BARC TV on YouTube HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – October 14/15

More titles will be decided this weekend (October 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club takes centre stage at Donington Park.

On what promises to be a momentous two days of track action around the famous Grand Prix layout, championship battles are poised to conclude and it’s not to be missed.

The destiny of this year’s British Endurance Championship crown looks set to go down to the wire whilst a number of titles in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club are still up for grabs as well.

Also on the bill and closing out its season is the ROWE Britcar Trophy whilst the Junior Saloon Car Championship and MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport will also feature on the bill.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with every lap that is being broadcast:

Saturday 14th October // 12:20 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 15th October // 09:30 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meetings, CLICK HERE.

Classic Touring Car Racing Club reveals 2024 calendar

The Classic Touring Car Racing Club has today (September 19th) announced its calendar for the 2024 season, which will mark 50 years of being in association with the British Automobile Racing Club.

The popular tin top club, which caters for all eras of iconic saloon cars, will kick off the new campaign in late March with a trip to Donington Park’s GP layout before heading onto Cadwell Park and Mallory Park. 

One of the undoubted highlights of the year will come at Brands Hatch on June 29/30 as the CTCRC takes centre stage in Kent for Super Touring Power 2; which is once again poised to celebrate one of the most revered periods of the British Touring Car Championship.

Saturday will see competitors tackle the world-famous Grand Prix circuit before switching to the Indy layout for Sunday’s track action.

Following Brands Hatch, the CTCRC will make its annual visit to Snetterton in August ahead of bringing the curtain down on the season in September around the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton. 

Stuart Caie, CTCRC Chairman, said: “The Classic Touring Car Racing Club are proud to announce our 2024 calendar. Next year marks 50 years of racing as a BARC club and we look forward to yet another successful season with their support and guidance.”

“The BARC is delighted to extend the historic 49-year relationship with the Classic Touring Car Racing Club into its 50th year with the club in 2024,” added Mark Turner, BARC Sporting Manager.

“We have worked closely with the CTCRC Chairman, Stuart Caie, to pull together an exciting calendar with a variety of circuits, including the much-loved Super Tourer event on the Brands Hatch GP circuit.”

Before preparations can ramp up for the 2024 season, the Classic Touring Car Racing Club is poised to bring the curtain down on its 2023 campaign at Donington Park on October 14/15.

2024 Classic Touring Car Racing Club Calendar 

March 29/30 – Donington Park (GP)

April 27/28 – Cadwell Park 

May 18/19 – Mallory Park 

June 29/30 – Brands Hatch (GP/Indy)

August 17/18 – Snetterton (300)

September 21/22 – Thruxton

BTRC, CTCRC and Britcar delivers Snetterton spectacular

Snetterton played host to a blockbuster two days of wheel-to-wheel entertainment this past weekend (September 16/17) as the British Automobile Racing Club and four of its biggest categories took centre stage in Norfolk. 

On what proved to be a captivating outing around the challenging 300 layout, a bumper crowd flocked trackside to witness action from the British Endurance Championship, British Truck Racing Championship, Classic Touring Car Racing Club,  and the Britcar Trophy.

The performance of Peter Erceg and Marcus Clutton in the PB Racing Audi R8 GT3 was a sight to behold as they chalked up yet another victory in the Motorsport UK British Endurance Championship.

Having been the team to beat when it comes to outright victories this year prior to the penultimate meeting of the campaign, Erceg and Clutton were arguably in a league of their own as they romped to a comfortable lights-to-flag victory.

Blasting their way to pole position in qualifying, the duo converted their front row start into a commanding lead over the course of the opening stint of the two-hour bout, and from there they continued to build an advantage over the chasing pack.

As the race wore on, Erceg and Clutton extended their lead further and ultimately went on to lap the entire field at least once on their way to claiming the chequered flag.

Behind, Track Focused’s Mike McCollum and Sean Cooper produced a superlative drive at the wheel of a KTM GT4 to clinch second overall whilst the Venture Innovations Mercedes AMG GT4 of Chris Jones and Matt George completed the podium in third.

That result for Jones and George ensured they remain firmly in contention for the overall title as the series heads to Donington Park in October, with main protagonists Team HARD’s Brad Thurston and Daryl Deleon having banked solid points.

Also taking centre stage around the 300 layout were two enthralling 50-minute contests from the ROWE Britcar Trophy Championship. Like the British Endurance Championship, Snetterton marked the penultimate stop on the calendar for the multi-class series and the battle for supremacy proved to be just as intense.

Race one saw a captivating duel for top spot play out, with Simon Clark fending off the race-long advances Axel Van Nederveen in his Porsche 997 Carrera S to clinch victory by a little over a second.

Assetto Motorsport’s Julian Wantling and Jim Edwards completed the podium in their Ginetta G56 GTA in third. That wasn’t to be the only piece of silverware the duo claimed on the day either as they went on to repeat the feat in race two.

Geoff Steel Racing’s Lee Goldsmith – who was running out of the Invitation Class in a BMW M3 E90 – claimed victory in Britcar’s second bout however he was certainly made to work for it as Datum Motorsport’s Marco Anastasi closed to within half a second in the latter stages.

Five colossal contests from the British Truck Racing Championship took place, and with the series entering the home stretch of its 2023 campaign, every point was crucial in deciding the battle for title supremacy. 

In Division 1, reigning seven-time champion Ryan Smith took another step closer to retaining his crown for an eighth successive year as he maintained his unbeaten pole position streak in qualifying and then followed it up by a hat-trick of race wins. 

The Daimler Freightliner driver could well have left Snetterton with four wins however officials deemed he had gained an unfair advantage on his way to the chequered flag and was hit with a five-second time penalty. 

David Jenkins – who prior to Snetterton hadn’t stood on the top step of the podium this year – inherited victory in race four, adding that success to the maiden one that he had claimed just a few hours earlier in the weekend’s third bout.

Over in Division 2, NAPA Racing UK’s Paul Rivett bolstered his own championship challenge with another near-perfect performance – all of which has seen him further close the gap to Adam Bint at the top of the standings. 

Like he did at Donington Park in August, the MAN TGX driver charged to pole position and four commanding race wins. John Powell emerged as the only driver that could stop Rivett, with the DAF driver triumphing in race four.

Variety was the spice of life when it came to the Classic Touring Car Racing Club as some of the most iconic and nostalgic tin tops from down the years provided an abundance of edge-of-the-seat thrills across six unmissable races.

Jonathan Corker was in imperious form at the wheel of his Datsun 510 as he claimed a brace of wins in the amalgamated Poultec Pre ’66 Touring Cars and Orange Aero Pre ’83 Touring Cars races; which boasted a bumper grid in excess of 30 cars.

Elsewhere, Nick Vaughan and his Audi A3 proved too much for the opposition in the combined Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder and Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge as he tallied a pair of narrow victories.

The CTCRC clean sweeps continued in the Laser Tools Pre ’93 Touring Cars, Burty Haulage Pre ’03, Touring Cars and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series as Martin Reynolds guided his stunning Ford Escort Mk2 to victory twice. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Snetterton, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 16/17

The British Automobile Racing Club is entering the home stretch of its 2023 season and this weekend sees two unmissable race meetings take place.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with all the action that is being broadcast over the course of this weekend: 

SNETTERTON

Snetterton will play host to an action-packed two days of epic proportions as the British Truck Racing Championship writes the latest chapter of what is proving to be another captivating campaign.

Tin top thrills and spills will be served up in the shape of the Classic Touring Car Racing Club whilst the British Endurance Championship and ROWE Britcar Trophy Championship will also star.

Saturday 16th September – 12:30 // WATCH HERE

Sunday 17th September – 10:30 // WATCH HERE

SILVERSTONE 

At the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, a number of championships are poised to take centre stage on the National circuit.

Featuring on the billing around the 1.64-mile layout includes the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Junior Saloon Car Championship, Track Attack Race Club, Kumho BMW Championship, OT Publishing Coupe Cup and Lancaster Insurance MGOC Championship.

Saturday 16th September – 14:00 // WATCH HERE

Sunday 17th September – 09:40 // WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meeting, CLICK HERE.

Classic Touring Cars headline tin top festival at Croft

The British Automobile Racing Club packed in an abundance of wheel-to-wheel entertainment across two days at Croft this past weekend (August 12/13) as the Classic Touring Car Racing Club took centre stage in North Yorkshire. 

Two weeks on from the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to the 2.10-mile circuit, tin tops from a variety of eras had those in attendance on the edge of their seats as they wrote the latest chapter of what has already been an action-packed season.

Headlining proceedings were two races from the amalgamated Laser Tools Super Tourers, Burty Haulage Pre ’03 Touring Cars and Laser Tools Pre ’93 Touring Cars; which showcased machines that are often revered fondly amongst BTCC folklore.

Stewart Whyte piloted his ex-Tom Kristensen 2000 Honda Accord to victory ahead of Jason Hughes in the weekend’s opening contest and the experienced racer then doubled his account on Sunday, heading Ian Bower in race two.

The Poultec Pre ’66 Touring Cars and Orange Aero Pre ’83 Touring Cars saw William Davison take a clean sweep of wins whilst Bower and Nick Vaughan triumphed in the Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series bouts.

Concluding the Classic Touring Car Racing Club action were two races from the Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge, which were won by Colin Philpott.

Elsewhere, the Junior Saloon Car Championship maintained the theme of high-speed thrills and spills with two blockbuster races that will undoubtedly play a critical role in deciding who is crowned champion come the end of the season. 

Arriving at Croft in the pound seat at the top of the standings, Daire Flock was wheel-perfect in race one as he converted pole position into a comfortable lights-to-flag victory ahead of Jack James and Jonathan Moore.

Race two for the 14 to 17-year-old one-make series saw a carbon copy result as Flock once again resisted the race-long advances of James to claim victory and crucially, take a massive step towards being crowned champion.

Concluding the weekend’s on-track entertainment were no less than six pulsating races from the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship. 

Ben Wheatley and Richard Groom enjoyed a share of the spoils in the trio of Sigma 135 contests whilst Will Stilwell blasted his way to an impressive hat-trick of race wins in the combined Sigma 150 and Sigmax bouts.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Croft, CLICK HERE.

Croft set to step back in time for Classic Touring Car Festival

Croft Circuit will welcome some iconic racing cars from the past when it takes a step back in time to host the Classic Touring Car Festival featuring Super Tourers next weekend (12/13 August).

The North Yorkshire track will celebrate one of the most fondly remembered eras of saloon car racing when the two-day British Automobile Racing Club meeting arrives as the Super Touring Cars of the 1990s will roar into action with two races.

Spectators will be able to enjoy a blast from the past when cars including Honda Accords, Vauxhall Cavaliers and Renault Lagunas amongst other classic machines take to the tarmac at Croft. They will be joined on the starting grid by other pre-2003 models and will have their qualifying session on Saturday morning before racing at 4.30pm and again on Sunday at 3.45pm.

There is a full programme of Classic Touring Car Championships competing over the weekend with pre-66, pre-83, pre-93 classes also set to go head-to-head. The pre-66 category includes the likes of Austin Mini Coopers and Hillman Imps whilst the pre-83 class features Ford Escort Mk1s and MG Metros.

The pre-93 championship is open to four-seater saloon cars produced before 1st January 1993 such as the BMW E36 M3 and Vauxhall Astras and line-up on the grid alongside competitors from the Blue Oval Saloon Series exclusively for Fords on sale before 1st January 2013 including the Fiesta, Escort and Anglia.

The Caterham Graduates will also be in action as will the Junior Saloon Car Championship, featuring up and coming drivers aged between 14 and 17 behind the wheels of Citroen Saxos.

The Classic Thunder series will be battling for the honours which sees competitors participating in saloon, coupe, hatchback, and estate cars as well as the pre-83 Historic Thunder Saloon Cars, Notable machines will include the Ford Falcon, Mazda RX8, BMW E46 M3, Toyota Starlet and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Jaguar fans will be able to get their fix with the Jaguar Challenge going wheel to wheel in two races.Saloon and GT cars from the 1960s, such as the XK engine, to Millennium models such as the S Type and XK8 feature in the series across five classes.

There will also be touring car displays throughout the weekend, whilst on Saturday racing starts at 9.30am with qualifying followed by eight races starting at 13.50. Sunday’s action gets underway at 12.00 noon with a further ten races during the afternoon.

Adult admission prices are ÂŁ16 for both Saturday and Sunday. All accompanied children aged 15 and under are admitted free and parking and paddock access is free also. For further details and tickets, please visit www.croftcircuit.co.uk or call 01325 721815.

Super Touring Power 2 confirmed at Brands Hatch for 2024

Brands Hatch and the Classic Touring Car Racing Club have confirmed that Super Touring Power, which debuted at the Kent circuit in early July this year, will return for a second edition in 2024 on June 29/30.

The new event, which transported fans back to a golden era of the British Touring Car Championship, looks set to build on this year’s success with another bumper programme of racing set to be complemented by a selection of special displays, demonstrations and guest appearances.

Competitive action will again be primarily curated by the Classic Touring Car Racing Club and the British Automobile Racing Club – which played a pivotal role behind the scenes of the 2023 edition – and will take place across both the longer Grand Prix and more compact Indy circuit layouts.

Whilst Super Touring machinery will form a focal point of the two-day meeting, Super Touring Power 2 is set to see a much broader celebration of touring car history with a new highlight for next summer being a planned Group A race for the likes of Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500s and BMW M3 E30s.

“The response from the CTCRC drivers has been phenomenal,” said Stuart Caie, Classic Touring Car Racing Club Chairman. “None of us could ever have expected how well the event would be received by the fans.

“I am sure a lot of you have seen on social media people asking for it to happen again and of course once Autosport published the ‘super idea too good not to be repeated’ article, so how could we not?

“In 2024 we will add a Group A race as we feel the crowd would like nothing more than to see the fire breathing RS500s and BMWs fighting it out on the GP circuit as they did in period!”

Further details of Super Touring Power on 29/20 June 2024, including special content, the complete race line-up and other details will be revealed over the course of the coming months.

Super Touring Power serves up weekend to remember at Brands Hatch

Fans of the British Touring Car Championship were taken on a trip down memory lane this past weekend (July 1/2) as Brands Hatch blasted back to the 90s to celebrate one of the series’ most fondly remembered eras at Super Touring Power.

The two-day event, which was running for the first-ever time, transported those in attendance at the Kent venue to a much-loved period of national saloon car competition, with races, demonstrations and displays.

One of the many highlights across the weekend were the blockbuster races from the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, in particular the quartet from the Laser Tools Super Tourers which featured a strong field of 20 cars.

Included on the entry list were legendary Super Touring stars such as Paul Radisich (Ford Mondeo), Anthony Reid (Nissan Primera), Greg Murphy (Nissan Primera) and Steven Richards (Volvo S40) however, none of them could stop current BTCC star Jake Hill who claimed a clean sweep of victories at the wheel of an ex-Laurent Aiello Nissan Primera. 

Hill was wheel-perfect as he led home the ex-Tom Kristensen Honda Accord of Stewart Whyte in the first three races before then reigning supreme ahead of former BTCC driver Jason Hughes and his Vauxhall Vectra in the finale. 

In addition to the nostalgic racing, the weekend also saw demonstration runs which included the iconic 1997 Williams Renault Laguna of Alain Menu, who was in attendance as a guest, Steve Soper in a Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 and Ash Sutton in his 2023 Ford Focus ST – to name but a few.

Around the venue, cars such as Rickard Rydell’s 1998 title-winning Volvo S40 and Joachim Winkelhock’s BMW, amongst many others, were on display for all to see with stars such as Menu, Radisich, Andy Rouse, Tim Harvey and Patrick Watts also featuring on the Autosport Interview Stage. 

Elsewhere, bumper grids featured throughout the remaining Classic Touring Car Racing Club categories shared the spotlight in front of the huge crowds that had flocked trackside to soak up the vintage tin top action, starting on the Grand Prix layout on Saturday.

Charles Rainford – who can usually be found competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB – swapped his 911 for a Ford Capri and didn’t put a wheel wrong as he won two highly entertaining Poutltec Pre-66 Touring Cars and Orange Aero Pre-83 Touring Cars races.

More than 40 cars went bumper-to-bumper in a pair of entertaining amalgamated Laser Tools Pre-93 Touring Cars, Burty Haulage Pre-03 Touring Cars and Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series races, with Paul Mensley and Martin Reynolds claiming a win apiece.

Samuel Wilson and Alex Sidwell rounded out the list of winners on the legendary 2.433-mile circuit as they each made it onto the top step of the podium in the Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder and Berkshire Jag Components Jaguar Challenge races.

Switching to the more compact Indy circuit on Sunday, Grant Williams narrowly held off Ian Curley to claim a brace of Pre-66 race wins whilst Stuart Waite emerged as the driver to beat in the merged Pre-83 and Pre-93 contests.

Mensley and Reynolds continued to be the cream of the crop in the combined Pre-03 and Blue Oval Saloon Series bouts, with Mensley charging to a double triumph whilst Wilson and Nick Vaughan shared the spoils in the Classic Thunder and Jaguar Challenge races.

To view the full classification of results from Super Touring Power at Brands Hatch, CLICK HERE.

Those wanting to watch back the action from Sunday can do so by visiting the Classic Touring Car Racing Club YouTube channel HERE.