Anglesey to play host to pivotal weekend of racing for BARC categories

The picturesque delights of Anglesey Circuit is the destination for six British Automobile Racing Club categories this weekend (September 21/22). with the fight for championship glory set to continue.

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, this latest visit to North Wales will undoubtedly serve up two days of full-throttle entertainment, with it still all to play for across the board.

Bringing the curtain down on their 2019 campaign, the Max5 Racing Championship will sign off its year with a trio of 20-minute encounters and all three class titles being decided. In what has been another vintage season for the one-make series, more twists and turns are predicted.

Paul Roddison, Matthew Tidmarsh and Steve Kite find themselves in the pound seats at the summit of each class as it stands but with 150-points up for grabs, it could all change within a blink of an eye around the International layout.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Scott McIntyre will look to take a crucial step closer to being crowned champion. With one round to go following this weekend, the tin top series for drivers aged between 14 to 17 is heading towards a nail-biting finale and it is McIntyre who holds the advantage.

Being the form driver for a majority of the season, the former Scholarship winner is on the cusp of glory but the likes of reigning champion Lewis Saunders and Alex Jay will undoubtedly have something to say before the final chequered flag flies.

Anglesey will also provide the backdrop for the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship’s penultimate event of the season. As the North West Centre’s flagship series, the multi-class championship is open to all manner of machinery and has become staple of the UK motorsport landscape.

Notable names to look out for include Danny Winstanley, Luke Armiger, Rob Burkinshaw, Paul Dobson and Dave Harvey; all of whom have been in the thick of the action towards the sharp end of the grid.

Small in stature but packing a real punch on-track, the British Superkart Championship will also be in action with several encounters its variety of classes, all of which are based on engine capacity.

Rounding out the weekend’s running on track will be amalgamated races from the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup, Uncle Luke’s BARC Saloon Series and the TDi North Honda VTEC Challenge.

Showcasing some of the best saloon car machines, from Volkswagen and Honda in particular, all three categories are set to take centre stage as they battle for overall honours.

For the KW Automotive Classic VW Cup in particular, this weekend will be pivotal in deciding the outcome of crowning a first-ever champion after championship status was granted at the start of the year.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event at Anglesey, including entry lists and the race timetable, click here.

Double-winning performances headline Mallory Park race day

Mallory Park played host to a blockbuster British Automobile Racing Club race day this past Bank Holiday Monday (August 26) as four championships continued their 2019 campaigns at the picturesque Leicestershire venue in scorching temperatures.

George Turiccki staked his claim in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship as he powered his way to a dominant double around the challenging oval layout. Entering the event as one of several title protagonists, Turiccki enjoyed a near-perfect

Running as low as fourth in the opening encounter, Turiccki was soon on the move as the 25-lap race progressed and took the lead on the fifth tour, never looking back from there onwards to triumph.

Race two was almost a carbon-copy of the previous duel as Turiccki once again bided his times inside the top five before striking early and controlling proceedings right the way up to the chequered flag.

The BARC Super Silhouette Championship had a familiar feel to it once again as Malcolm Blackman continued his rich vein of form with another double-winning performance.

Having entered the event as the driver to beat, winning all but one of the races run, Blackman topped the times in qualifying before then producing a scintillating performance to top the podium in both races.

Alex Jay continued the theme of drivers scoring two wins at Mallory Park in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, as the teenage sensation enjoyed a breakthrough meeting. Having shown plenty of speed throughout the year, Jay came to the fore firstly by storming to the front row of the grid in qualifying.

From there, the #77 was peerless as he powered his way to a maiden victory in the opener before doubling his tally later in the day.

Rounding out the day’s action was a pair of races from the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, where the spoils were shared between William Sharpe and Steve McDermid – both of whom took a step closer to title glory in their respective classes.

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

BARC bank holiday blockbuster expected to take centre stage at Mallory Park

The British Automobile Racing Club is gearing up for a spectacular Bank Holiday Monday (August 26) next week as Mallory Park plays host to what is set to be an action-packed race day which will be made up of four championships.

Having taken centre stage at the Leicestershire venue in treacherous conditions in late July, the Club will descend on the challenging circuit for what is set to be a pivotal stop on the 2019 calendar for all involved.

Featuring at that July event was the Pickup Truck Racing Championship; and they are back for more this time around with two races scheduled to be run on the infamous oval layout.

Michael Smith currently tops the standings and the championship leader will be one to watch having triumphed here earlier in the year. Chasing his first title since 2014, Smith will have to starve off the challenge of the chasing pack, where there are plenty of contenders.

Leading the fight is the ultra-consistent George Turiccki whilst Dale Gent, another to triumph at Mallory Park, is hot on his heels in third place. Reece Jones, Mark Willis, Paul Tompkins, Dean Tompkins and Daniel Petters are all also expected to be in the mix too.

The BARC Super Silhouette Championship was another category to feature at Mallory Park last month and the spaceframe coupe and saloon cars series returns for a second bite of the cherry.

This year has largely belonged to Malcolm Blackman who has proven to be a dominant force and two more wins to add to his already impressive 2019 tally could put him within touching distance of lifting the coveted crown.

Chris Brockenhurst has been the only driver to stand on the top step of the podium other than Blackman and along with the likes of title rivals Keith White and Steve Burrows, he’ll be aiming to repeat the feat.

Wheel-to-wheel action is all-but expected in the Junior Saloon Car Championship as the latest crop of teenage racers bid to make a name for themselves. Approaching the business end of the 2019 campaign,

Scott McIntyre and reigning champion Lewis Saunders have proven to be the cream of the crop so far with the two locked in a back-and-forth battle for overall honours. Jemma Moore and Alex Jay also remain on the fringe of the front-running fight too and shouldn’t be discounted.

Rounding off the day’s racing will be action from the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship; which has been rolling back the years to showcase some of the most jaw-dropping machines from the world-renowned manufacturer.

With multiple classes and all manner of different models sharing the same piece of tarmac, the on-track entertainment has been fast and frenetic so far.

Notable names to look out for include David Amphlett, Jim Baynam, Sarah Sullivan, Stuart Plotnek and Stephen McDermid – to name but a few.

To find out more information on this coming Monday’s event at Mallory Park, including links to live timing and timetables, click here.

BARC championships serve up scintillating Silverstone showing

Five championships from the British Automobile Racing Club tackled the iconic sweeping curves of Silverstone this past weekend (June 1/2) as each campaign continued on their 2019 journeys.

Topping the bill were no less than eight races from the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, which showcased that variety really is the spice of life from a wide range of eras.

Alan Greenhalgh was perfection personified in the Pre 66’ Touring Cars races as he scored a brace of wins in his Ford Falcon. Elsewhere, Stephen Primett and Mike Luck shared the spoils in the Pre 83’ Group 1 Touring Cars.

In the amalgamated Pre 93’, Pre 03’ and Pre 05’ races, David Griffin and AJ Owen scored victories whilst Andrew Wilson and Lucky Khera did the same in the combined Thunder Saloons & Blue Oval Saloons races.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship saw reigning champion Lewis Saunders get himself back into the win bracket as he made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium. Saunders however could do nothing about his main title protagonist and series leader Scott McIntyre from firing back in race two as he picked up the win.

Garrie Whittaker continued his superlative start to the Kumho BMW Championship by enjoying yet more success, scoring a pair of wins. Having won every race heading into the weekend, the E36 M3 driver extended his winning streak in sensational style.

Whittaker beat Darren Fielding and Jasver Sapra in the opener before then getting the better of Khera and Fielding in race two. 

Fans enjoyed a slipstreaming extravaganza over the course of the weekend thanks to the Mighty Minis Championship. Marking the second event on the calendar for the iconic machines, Silverstone’s National layout proved to be the perfect backdrop for two frenetic races.

Alex Comis was the man to beat in the opening encounter as he led narrowly edged out Greg Jenkins and Neven Kirkpatrick. Jenkins would bounce back in race two as he edged out Kirkpatrick and Comis, the trio covered by less than half a second at the chequered flag.

Rounding out the weekend’s action at the Northamptonshire venue were the first-ever races from the SmarTrack Series Elite. Vic Lee wrote his name into the history books as the inaugural race winner before then doubling up his win tally later in the day.

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

Silverstone revved up for BARC spectacular around National layout

The British Automobile Racing Club heads to Silverstone this weekend (June 1/2) for what should be a memorable two days of track action as several championship continue their 2019 campaigns.

In what is the latest visit to the Northamptonshire venue by the Club, the National layout will play host to a selection of categories – all of which are keen on taking centre stage as the battle for supremacy rages on.

Variety has always been the spice of life in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club and an eclectic mix of saloon cars from all eras will roll back the years across eight blockbuster encounters.

Racing will come from the Paul Inch – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, CTCRC Group 1 Touring Car Championship, Envirotec Hygiene Services Pre-93 Touring Cars, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship.

Small in stature but packing a real punch under the bonnet, those in attendance are set to witness a slipstreaming battle like no other as the Mighty Minis Championship hit the track for the second time this year.

Mini racing is renowned for putting spectators on the edge of their seats and competitors from both the Mighty Mini and Super Mighty Mini classes will likely live up to that mantel in the weekend’s two races.

The next generation of racers will be in action too as the Junior Saloon Car Championship returns from an in-season break to pick up where they left off last. Scott McIntyre and Lewis Saunders have proven to be the benchmark

Garrie Whittaker will look to extend his winning streak in the Kumho BMW Championship as he bids to carry out a perfect season. Having won six outright races on the bounce, Whittaker has been the man to beat in the lone manufacturer series.

Showcasing some of the most iconic models produced by BMW from down the years, the championship has hit new heights this year with grid sizes continuing to swell.

Rounding off the weekend’s action from the BARC will be a pair of races from the SmarTrack Series Elite. Breaking cover at Brands Hatch earlier this month, the single-make Jaguar category will look to rev up the crowd as it stages its inaugural two races of the season.

Despite a relatively small grid being confirmed for the curtain-raiser, expect plenty of wheel-to-wheel action from the thunderous 600bhp machinery around the iconic curves of Silverstone.

Action from the Historic 750 Motor Club and CALM 4-Pot Porsche Trophy will be races to watch too.

To find out more information on this weekend’s event, click here.

BARC championships serve up Snetterton spectacular

Snetterton played host to a memorable two days of British Automobile Racing Club action this past weekend (May 5/6) as five championships continued their 2019 campaigns around the Norfolk venue.

In what proved to be a bank holiday to remember, edge of the seat entertainment was served up from start-to-finish as a variety of categories tackled the challenging 2.99 circuit layout.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship saw spoils shared as Thomas Ward and Scott McIntyre took a win apiece. Having entered the weekend sitting atop of the standings, McIntyre was keen to extend his advantage at the summit and set about doing so by storming to pole position in qualifying.

McIntyre was unable to convert it into victory however as Ward stormed into the lead and ultimately powered his way to a first win of the season as he led McIntyre and reigning champion Lewis Saunders across the line.

Race two would see McIntyre and Saunders in a league of their own as they pulled away from the chasing gap to lead by more than ten seconds. With little separating the pair as the laps ticked by, former Scholarship winner McIntyre managed to pull away to win once again, with Saunders and Jemma Moore rounding out the rostrum.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns was back in action for its second event of the year, and it didn’t disappoint.

Three races yielded a dominant day in each class as three drivers produced stunning hat-trick performances, although they didn’t always have things their own way. On a bank holiday weekend which saw fierce competition, Clive Wood led the way with a scintillating display in class CSP1, winning all three races.

Elsewhere, CSP2 honours went the way of Mike Evans whilst Brian Hunter completed the trio of hat-tricks by triumphing in the CSP3 category.

A jaw-dropping 40-car grid in the Caterham Graduates Championship was a sight to behold and the on-track action ensured those in attendance were gripped. Samuel Wilson continued his strong start to the year with victory in race one, heading the duelling duo of Jamie Winrow and Jamie Ellwood by more than eight seconds.

Wilson’s winning streak came to an end in race two however as an ultra-close battle between Winrow, Ellwood and Stephen Clark covered by just three tenths of a second as the chequered flag flew – with Winrow coming out on top.

The Classic Touring Car Championship was back in action for the third time this year and its block of races didn’t disappoint. James Burrows and Martin Reynolds were the victors in the Pre ’66 Touring Car Championship encounters whilst Mark Osborne was at the double in the Pre ’83 Touring Car Championship.

Stephen Pearson meanwhile swept his to victory in the amalgamated Pre ’93 / Pre ’03 / Pre ’05 Touring Car Championships. Capping off the CTCRC winners was James Janicki and Andrew Wilson, each of whom triumphed in the combined Classic Thunder Touring Car Championship & Blue Oval Touring Car Championship.

Rounding out the weekend’s action were a handful of races from the British Superkart Championship, with Liam Morley, Sam Moss, Andy Bird and Jason Dredge all standing on the top step of the podium at one stage.

For the full results from all of the weekend’s sessions across each championship, click here.

BARC bank holiday bonanza ready to be played out at Snetterton

The British Automobile Racing Club is gearing up for another bank holiday bonanza of on-track action this coming weekend (May 5/6) as five championships travel Norfolk to take on the challenges of Snetterton.

With the 2019 season now in full swing, events are coming thick and fast for the Club with this weekend’s meeting set to be an enthralling affair.

The battle for supremacy will rumble on in the Junior Saloon Car Championship this weekend, with Snetterton providing the stage for the third event of what has already been an enthralling season.

Offering aspiring racers aged between the ages of 14 to 17 to make the transition from karts to cars, the JSCC has become the perfect platform for teenagers to forge a career in motorsport at an affordable price, and this year has already seen events at Oulton Park and Croft.

Scott McIntyre finds himself in the lead of the championship standings virtue of three consecutive wins however his advantage is a slender one over reigning champion Lewis Saunders.

Beyond the top two, Thomas Ward has enjoyed a strong start to the year to sit third whilst the likes of Jemma Moore, Owen Hizzey, Alex Jay, Leo Panayiotu and TJ Rodriguez, among many more, will all be keen to close the gap to the leaders.

The BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns is back in action with another trio of races after roaring into life at Brands Hatch a few weeks ago.

The multi-class category has become a cornerstone of British motorsport down the years and the 2019 edition has already served up plenty of talking points.

Clive Wood and Peter Richings shared the outright spoils last time out and the pair will be keen to carry their momentum forward. The likes of Morris Hart, Barry Webb, Mike Evans, Pippa Tanner-Wood and Brian Hunter however will all be looking to enjoy success too.

Snetterton will mark the third weekend of the year for the Caterham Graduates Championship, with another sizeable entry list revved up for a high-octane two days of racing. With varying classes ensuring parity remains throughout, the championship has been a stable for thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing down the years.

Samuel Wilson has emerged as the head figure in the series and has been perfection personified thus far, leading the way in the SigMax category. Throughout the grid, drivers to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend as well as Wilson include Jamie Ellwood, Robin Webb, Paul Hawker and many more.

The very best saloon cars from down the years will be in action in the Classic Touring Car Championship, which will continue its 2019 campaign at Snetterton after an impressive opening two events at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch.

As always, the Paul Inch – Classic Race Engines Pre ’66 Touring Cars, CTCRC Group 1 Touring Car Championship, Envirotec Hygiene Services Pre-93 Touring Cars, Simply Serviced Pre-2003 Touring Cars, Toyo Tyres Pre-2005 Production Touring Car Championship, Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Series and Edmundson Electrical Classic Thunder Saloons Championship will respectively amalgamate.

Drivers to keep a close eye on include AJ Owen, Stephen Primett, Don Hughes, Richard Wood, Mike Luck, Johnathan Lewis and many more.

Rounding out the action will be a handful of races from the jaw-dropping British Superkart Championship, which resumes after an eventful season-opener at Cadwell Park last month.

For more information on this weekend’s event at Snetterton, including links to timetables and live timing, click here.

BARC produces spellbinding weekend in Spring sunshine at Croft

The British Automobile Racing Club produced a spellbinding two days of track action at Croft Circuit this past weekend (April 13/14), with a trio of championships continuing to gather momentum.

On what was the first event on the newly laid surface at Croft, the sun shone on a busy trackside crowd – all of whom soaked up a feast of thrills and spills across both days.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Scott McIntyre proved to be in irresistible form as he produced a flawless weekend performance, scoring a pair of pole positions and a pair of race wins.

Having come into the weekend trailing defending champion Lewis Saunders in the standings, the former Scholarship winner underlined his credentials as a threat for the title in North Yorkshire in fine style.

Separated by little over three tenths of a second at the chequered flag, McIntyre narrowly edged out Jemma Moore in race one whilst Saunders followed the duelling duo to round off the podium. 

Race two later in the weekend would see the roles reversed with Saunders being the closest challenger to McIntyre, albeit he wasn’t able to topple the impressive teenage as he chalked up his third consecutive victory of the year, with Moore capping off a stellar weekend with another podium finish.

Records were broken in the Caterham Graduates Championship as the popular one-make category boasted a bumper 33-car entry for its second event of the season. Coming off the back of a pulsating 2019 curtain-raiser at Silverstone, Samuel Wilson showcased his talents behind the wheel with a mesmerising performance.

Bagging pole position and a new lap record around the iconic 2.1 mile circuit, Wilson emerged to be in a league of his own as he broke away from the chasing pack in race one to cross the line by more than eight seconds ahead of Jamie Ellwood and Stephen Clark

Wilson was then in even more dominant form in race two as he again converted pole position into a commanding lead. Piloting his SigMax machine, Wilson scampered into the distance to clinch the chequered flag ten seconds ahead of Ellwood and Clark once again – capping off a stellar two days of track action.

Paul Roddison picked up where he left off last year in the Max5 Racing Championship as the series roared into life for the first time in 2019. Having been the man to beat in 2018, the Roddison  juggernaut continued as he bagged victory in all three encounters.

Taking pole position ahead of Ian Loversidge in qualifying, Roddison showed his challengers a clean set of heels as he romped away to notch a perfect hat-trick amongst the Spring sunshine.

Loversidge, Matthew Tidmarsh, Jeremy Shipley and Andrew Pretorius all netted podiums behind the dominant Roddison.

Competing alongside the BARC categories was the Mini 7 Racing Club and the North Sports Saloon Car Championship where Lee Deegan, Aaron Smith, Joe Thompson, Dom Burger and Park Brydon ran out the victors in their respective championships.

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

BARC championship trio gearing up for Croft corker

The British Automobile Racing Club travels to North Yorkshire this weekend (April 13/14) for a pulsating two days of action at Croft, with three of the Club’s championships set to go all-out to steal the show.

In recent weeks Croft has seen hive of activity with a brand new track surface being laid around the entire 2.1 mile circuit, and this weekend marks the first event since the extensive work has been completed.

An entertaining pair races at Oulton Park kicked off the Junior Saloon Car Championship last month and the one-make series will continue to gather momentum at Croft. Showcasing the very best UK talent aged between 14 and 17, the Citroen Saxo category has forged a path for itself in recent years as the place to be for those wanting to take their first steps onto the motorsport ladder.

Reigning champion Lewis Saunders currently resides as the driver to beat at the summit of the points after a win and second place last time out, however a raft of drivers will be keen to topple him across the weekend’s two races.

Fellow Oulton Park race-winner Scott McIntyre, Thomas Ward, Owen Hizzey, Alex Jay and Kyle Nisbet all find themselves within striking distance of the current title holder and will be ones to watch.

The Caterham Graduates Championship has also enjoyed another stellar start to the season with an edge-of-the-seat curtain-raiser at Silverstone providing the building blocks for what is shaping up to be another vintage year.

Split into multiple classes depending on engine capacity, the popular single-marque series has become a stable for close-quarter action down the years and that is set to be no different as they face the challenges Croft presents.

Samuel Wilson, Jamie Ellwood, Jon Curry, Kevin Barrett and Luke Balmforth are just a handful of drivers to keep a keen eye on as the weekend progresses.

Whilst both the JSCC and the Caterham Graduates have already competed this year, the Max5 Racing Championship will kick its 2019 campaign this weekend. Run on the principle of providing exciting racing at an affordable price, the championship is set to scale new heights once more this year.

Classes A, B & C are well populated with a raft of familiar names including reigning champion Paul Roddison, Jeremy Shipley, Ian Loversidge and Andrew Pretorius – all of them whom are set to be firmly in the mix across both races.

Joining the BARC categories over the course of the weekend will be the Mini Miglia Championship, Mini Se7en Championship, and the North Saloons and Sports Car Championship.

The final race of the weekend will also see the NSSCC welcome ‘Allcomers’ for a 15-minute encounter that is likely set to end the event on a high note.

For more information on this weekend’s race meeting including links to timetables and live timing, click here. Ticket information can be found by visiting the Croft website here.

Blockbuster BARC race day served up at Oulton Park

The British Automobile Racing Club delivered a scintillating race day at Oulton Park this past Saturday (March 23) as four championships kick-started their 2019 campaigns in blockbuster style.

Following a busy off-season which has seen meticulous car preparation from teams and drivers, the picturesque Cheshire venue provided the perfect backdrop to lift the curtain on the new season.

 Home to the next generation of motorsport talent, the Junior Saloon Car Championship provided two pulsating races with a bumper grid of 14 to 17-year-old racers, with the spoils shared between reigning champion Lewis Saunders and 2018 Scholarship winner Scott McIntyre.

Bidding to become the first back-to-back JSCC champion, Saunders ignited his title defence in emphatic fashion as he scored a lights-to-flag victory in the opening round after leapfrogging pole sitter McIntyre. Thomas Ward would also get the better of McIntyre over the course of the race and it would be that order that the top three finished in.

Roles were reversed in race two as McIntyre got the better of Saunders and raced on to take the chequered by little under a second. Ward once again underlined his credentials and consistency by notching another podium finish, albeit this time third place.

The Club’s North West Centre’s flagship series, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, raced just once during the day but it proved to be an eventful six-lap encounter which culminated in Jon Woolfitt piloting his MK Indy to the chequered flag.

David Harvey and Danny Bird proved to be the closest challengers to Woolfitt in the end however the pair had to settle for second and third respectively.

Garrie Whittaker proved to be in irresistible force in the Kumho BMW Championship too as he romped his way to a brace of victories. Once again behind the wheel of his BMW E36 M3, Whittaker made an emphatic statement in race one, beating Lucky Khera by more than 45 seconds.

Whittaker followed up his first victory with a second one shortly after, this time heading Jason West by a somewhat smaller margin – 26 seconds this time.

Capping off the day’s action at Oulton Park were a raft of races from the Classic Touring Car Championship, each of them mixing classes together.

AJ Owen emerged as the benchmark in the amalgamated Pre 93, Pre 03 and Pre 05 encounters as he scored a pair of wins at the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R. Leading Ross Craig and Graham Myers in race one, Owen made a further statement as one to watch by heading Ian Bower and Craig in the second race.

Mark Osborne and his Triumph Dolomite Sprint were in fine form in the combined Pre 66 and Pre 83 eight-lap races, claiming outright honours in both.

Elsewhere Andrew Wilson and Richard Wood ensured that they left Oulton Park with a win apiece after each triumphing in the day’s two Blue Oval Saloon and Thunder Saloon races.

For the full classification of results from Saturday, click here.

Ciceley Motorsport adds reigning JSCC champion to driver development scheme

Race-winning British Touring Car Championship outfit Ciceley Motorsport have set about finding the next generation of motorsport talent by launching a driver development scheme, with reigning Junior Saloon Car Champion Lewis Saunders its first signing.

Becoming a force to be reckoned with in the BTCC with Adam Morgan in recent years, the Lancashire-based squad will help Saunders in all aspects of racing during the forthcoming campaign.

Stepping into the JSCC last year, Saunders was a tour-de-force as he swept the competition away, clinching five victories and a total of 14 podiums – leading him to becoming the youngest ever JSCC champion.

In addition Saunders was also awarded The Peter Collins Trophy, bestowed upon the most successful newcomer, by the British Automobile Racing Club for his performances during 2018.

Commenting on the addition of Saunders, Morgan said: “I am really looking forward to working with Lewis, he is clearly already very talented and an accomplished race car driver, he will be joining me at as many British Touring Car Rounds as he is able to attend and I will begin teaching him how to interpret data, watching how I work with my engineer Marco Calovolo which will be invaluable to Lewis later in his career.

“Lewis smoked them all last year and he drives with a maturity well beyond his years, he starts this year’s campaign as red hot favourite, his car, like ours, has been immaculately prepared by his dad and that’s the same way I started out, they absolutely love their racing.”

Norman Burgess, Ciceley Commercial Director, continued: “Lewis is exactly what we have been looking for rapid, driven, committed, focused and passionate. Adam will help take care of any help he might need on track and my job will be to raise his profile and help to secure sponsorship and further opportunities, it’s been a pleasure to get to know both Lewis and his dad Ralph and he fits into our team dynamic perfectly.

“We at Ciceley Motorsport are on the rev limiter this season with our BTCC, TCR and GT commitments but when the chance of signing Lewis came up, it was too good an opportunity for us to miss, we are as excited about our association with him as we are any of our other projects.”

“I am incredibly grateful to Adam, Norman, Russell and the team at Ciceley Motorsport, for the opportunity they are giving me,” added Saunders. “I will work hard to repay their faith in me.”

Saunders begins the defence of his Junior Saloon Car Championship title at Oulton Park this Saturday (March 23).

Oulton Park primed to welcome four BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club will head to Cheshire this Saturday (March 23) with four championships kick-starting their 2019 campaigns around the infamous Oulton Park International layout.

Serving as the traditional starting point for the Club’s North West Centre, who organise and run the race meeting, Oulton Park has become renowned down the years for producing exhilarating action whenever the BARC is in town.

That theme looks likely to continue as months of preparation and anticipation comes to fruition for the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Classic Touring Car Championship, CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship and Kumho BMW Championship.

Providing a clear path into motorsport for drivers aged 14 to 17, the Junior Saloon Car Championship has become a force to be reckoned with in recent years, with 2019 set to arguably be one of the strongest yet for the single-make series.

Reigning champion Lewis Saunders enters the year as the teenager to beat as he bids to become the first JSCC racer to score back-to-back titles. The challenges however will come from all angles with Ben Kasperczak and Scott McIntyre leading the list of returning drivers.

The day’s two races will also feature a host of new faces, all of whom will be making their first foray into car racing. Of those on the entry list, recent Scholarship winner Harry Rice will one many will be keeping a keen eye on.

Fans of saloon cars from yesteryear will be well catered for as the Classic Touring Car Championship also kicks off their campaign with a raft of races. Once again providing a variety of different classes, all of which span different decades, the series will hit the track for six races over the course of the day, with edge-of-the-seat thrills predicted in each.

Notable names to keep an eye include the long list of 2018 champions such as Stephen Primett, Steve Barden and Piers Grange, all of whom were in fine form when the championship last took to the track.

The BARC North West Centre’s flagship series, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship will also hit the track over the course of the day as they lift the curtain on their 2019 campaign. A popular fixture on the calendar for the championship, this weekend marks the first of three visits to Oulton Park

Open to a whole host of cars, variety really is the spice of life when it comes to the CNC Heads and it is a championship that was dominated by Paul Rose last year. With Rose having moved onto pastures new for this season, the door is open for a new driver to step under the spotlight, with James Cryer and Richard Wood just two season veterans to look out for.

Capping off the action will be a pair of races from the Kumho BMW Championship. Showcasing the very best machines built by the German manufacturer, the series will add another chapter with its illustrious history this year as it continues to go from strength to strength.

With a blend of returning and new faces set to line up on the grid, picking not only an outright race winner but also class winners has never been more difficult.

For more information on this Saturday’s Oulton Park event, head to the official race meeting page here.