MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport – Welcome to the BARC

BARC delivers Brands Hatch blockbuster on Easter Sunday and Monday

The British Automobile Racing Club concluded its blockbuster Easter bank holiday weekend at Brands Hatch on Sunday and Monday (March 31/April 1) with seven more championships bursting into life to kick-start their 2024 campaigns in action-packed style.

Taking centre stage in front of a bumper crowd at the Kent venue, no less than 21 races played out around the challenging 1.2-mile Indy circuit – each of which were packed with the traditional thrills (and occasional spills) that fans have become accustomed to.

Headlining the action were five heavyweight contests from the British Truck Racing Championship, which this year again boasted another ultra-competitive grid across both of its classes.

In Division 1, reigning eight-time champion and title favourite Ryan Smith dominated proceedings on the first day of running as he powered his Daimler Freightliner to pole position and back-to-back race wins in commanding fashion.

Unfortunately Smith was unable to repeat the feat on Easter Monday as windscreen issues plagued him in a handful of races. Instead, local driver Steven Powell would score a brace of his own whilst David Jenkins also opened his account for the year with a win in the finale.

Division 2 was ultimately all about one driver; defending champion Paul Rivett. Returning with NAPA Racing UK for a second successive season, Rivett enjoyed a dream weekend as he scooped all five Division 2 wins and even scored the overall victory in race four.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship launched its 10th Anniversary season in superlative style with second-year racer Harry Smith showing his class by taking a clean sweep of pole positions and race wins.

Continuing to serve as a launchpad for drivers aged 14 to 17, the one-make series demonstrated why it remains on the UK’s premier junior championships with two entertaining bouts.

Smith, who was one of the leading lights last year, underlined his credentials as being a star for the future as he charged to victory ahead of Jonathan Moore and James Sherrington, who each claimed a brace of podiums.

Matt Simpson began his pursuit of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship on the right foot as he claimed two of the three race wins that were up for grabs, while Allen Cooper scored the remaining victory.

Following the news that two-time champion Reece Jones will not be competing this year, the battle for supremacy in the series is set to be wide open, and Simpson wasted no time in establishing himself as the lead contender to possibly capture the crown.

Near capacity grids and close-quarter racing was the story of the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship, which served up no less than four races during the weekend – each of which proved to be as captivating as the previous one.

Tom McEwing and Paul Goldstein claimed a win apiece in the two Sigma 135 races whilst Jamie Ellwood and reigning double champion Harry Senior emerged victorious from the remaining two thrilling Sigma 150 contests.

Andy Preece made a flying start to life in the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship – which was boasting one of its most competitive entries in recent years – as he opened his 2024 account with two narrow victories.

At the wheel of his MG ZR, Preece fended off Mark Baker and Martin Willis in a pulsating opening encounter before then repeating the feat in race two, this time with Steve McDermid and Ryley Price as his main protagonists.

Elsewhere, Ross Alexander was wheel-perfect in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport as he claimed a clean sweep of race wins.

Looking to build on an encouraging 2023 campaign, the MINI Cooper S driver had the measure of last year’s overall victor Stephen Berry and the rest of the field to comfortably romp to a hat-trick of victories, laying his marker down as the one to beat in the process.

Rounding out the bank holiday action at Brands Hatch were two races from Track Action, which is previously went by the name of the Track Attack Race Club. Gareth Porter and Paul Roddison proved to be the cream of the crop from the budget-conscious category as they each snared a win apiece.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Brands Hatch, click here.

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 championships entertain the masses at Silverstone

The British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, this past weekend (September 16/17) for a full-throttle two days of track action that had everyone perched on the edge of their seats.

Entering the business end of the 2023 season, every position and point proved to be crucial as eight championships wrote the latest chapter in their campaigns around the flowing 1.64-mile National layout.

Topping the bill were three pulsating contests from the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy; which has set up a tantalising title showdown with Tom Ovenden and Alex Solley now separated by just 30 points at the top of the standings.

Neither Ovenden or Solley would claim outright wins over the course of the weekend; instead that honour fell the way of Nathan Edwards and Rhys Hurd. Hot on the heels of his maiden victory, Edwards produced a pair of superlative defence drive in races one and two to triumph.

Hurd then became the latest driver to add his name to the ever-growing MINI CHALLENGE Trophy winners list this year as he charged to glory in a frenetic finale ahead of Gabe Fairbrother and the ever-impressive Edwards.

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Daire Flock and Cameron Pratt-Thompson continued their battle for the title by once again being the drivers to beat. Westbourne Motorsport’s Flock struck first with a charging drive from fifth to win race one before his title protagonist then took on a starring role.

Pratt-Thompson – who is in his Rookie season in the popular one-make series for teenage drivers – went on to hold off Flock in races two and three by the narrowest of margins to make significant in-roads towards the standings summit.

Elsewhere, Stephen Berry and Charlie Newton-Darbey enjoyed a share of the spoils in what were three blockbuster MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport bouts. The Track Attack Race Club meanwhile concluded its campaign with a trio of races that were won by Charlotte Birch and Paul Roddison.

Bryan Bransom and James Card scored a victory apiece in the Kumho BMW Championship whilst Jonny Rockett reigned supreme in a highly-entertaining OT Publishing Coupe Cup 40-minute endurance race.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw its fair share of drama too as reigning champion Steve McDermid saw his chances of retaining the crown dealt a blow as he was disqualified from race one.

McDermid did bounce back in race two however he could do nothing to stop Scott Bugner and Maninder Golhar from claiming victory.

Rounding out the weekend’s action were a trio of captivating contests from the British Superkart Racing Club and its bumper 46-kart entry list – with Jack Tritton, Liam Morley and Brian Jones coming out on top.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Silverstone, 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.

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport poised for inaugural ‘enduro race’ at Donington Park

The MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport is set to bring the curtain down on its maiden season with the British Automobile Racing Club in superlative style with an endurance race at Donington Park in October.

Signing off its inaugural season at the East Midlands venue on October 14/15, the single-manufacturer series will introduce a two-driver long-distance race to conclude what has been a hugely successful inaugural year.

Rob Austin, MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport Coordinator, said: “As you are aware we have been gaining momentum since we started the series this season, with grids in excess of 20 cars for each race. We have 24 confirmed for Silverstone and 25 for Donington Park.

“In addition, we are going to run our first-ever MINI enduro race on the Sunday after our last round at Donington, dubbed ‘MINI LE DONS’. We have 30 entries for what will be a two-driver event.

“Looking ahead to 2024, we have had huge interest as with continue to the championship with a draft calendar in place which may also include an end of season ‘enduro weekend’ series.

“Airtec, Garmin, Absolute Alignment and Norfolk Mini look set to continue as championship partners and with our close relationship with MINI CHALLENGE continuing to blossom, things couldn’t be any brighter.”

Caterham Motorsport headlines action-packed weekend at Snetterton

Caterham Motorsport headlined an entertaining two days of track action as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at Snetterton this past weekend (August 19/20).

Basked in bright sunshine, the Norfolk venue – which is set to host more BARC wheel-to-wheel thrills in just a few days time – provided the backdrop to no less than 22 races in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Having produced edge-of-the-seat entertainment wherever they have been so far this season, it came as no surprise that Caterham’s quintet of championships topped the billing in spectacular style on the near three-mile 300 layout.

Ahead of their appearance on the British Touring Car Championship support package next month, the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven UK Championship served up a trio of pulsating contests that were won by Stephen Lyall, Aaron Head and Lewis Thompson.

The Adrian Flux Insurance Caterham Academy produced four equally frenetic encounters with Jonathan Emery and Nick Highton scoring a win apiece in the Green Group whilst Istvan Demes and Matthew Kirtland did the same in the White Group.

Ben Timmons was perfection personified in the Vertex Caterham Roadsport Championship as he claimed a brace of narrow victories, the first of which was clinched by the slender margin of just 0.158 seconds over Toby Ballard.

In the Mission Motorsport Caterham Seven 270R Championship, Charlie Lower maintained his title charge with an impressive double win however he was denied a hat-trick by the ever-impressive Duncan Mallard.

Rounding out the flurry of Caterham thrills were three races from the Motul Caterham Seven 310R Championship, all of which won by the superlative Jack Sales.

The MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport also featured over the course of the weekend and it provided arguably one of the standout performances as Charlie Newton-Darby romped to a hat-trick of race wins in commanding fashion.

Elsewhere, Tommy Grout triumphed in the Uncle Luke’s Snetterton Saloons whilst Lee Harpham and Tom Rushforth shared the spoils in The Super Series by British Superkart Racing Club’s three contests.

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

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – August 19/20

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for Norfolk this weekend (August 19/20) for the first of two race meetings at Snetterton this month.

Taking centre stage around the 300 layout across Saturday and Sunday, Caterham Motorsport will headline proceedings with all five of their championships continuing their respective 2023 campaigns.

Joining them will be the runners and riders from the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport, Snetterton Saloons and the British Superkarts Racing Club.

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

SNETTERTON

Saturday 19th August // 12:45 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 20th August // 08:45 – WATCH HERE

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

Bumper crowd savours blockbuster Convoy on the Plain at Thruxton

Thruxton Circuit provided the setting for an unmissable two days of on and off-track entertainment this past weekend (July 8/9) as the British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage on home turf for Convoy on the Plain.

Living up to its promise of being a festival for all things trucking, a bumper crowd flocked through the gates of the Hampshire venue to soak up everything from wheel-to-wheel racing and dazzling show trucks to real life transformers and live music – plus much more.

Whilst there was plenty to see and do off-track, edge-of-the-seat thrills were in full force on it as no less than seven championships tackled the fastest circuit in the UK; with the British Truck Racing Championship topping the bill.

Returning to action after a near two-month hiatus, the heavyweight behemoths left a lasting impression as they produced four blockbuster contests around the 2.356-mile layout.

Division 1 spoils were split between Ryan Smith, Stuart Oliver and John Bowler while Paul Rivett and John Powell claimed a pair of wins apiece in Division 2. Those triumphs however were somewhat overshadowed by a scary incident that took place in the weekend’s fourth race on Sunday afternoon.

Approaching mid-distance in the contest, series newcomer Neil Yates suffered a throttle pedal jam upon entry into Allard which resulted in his DAF hitting the armco barrier and rolling over the catch fence.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the incident however the lengthy clean up operation resulted in the BTRC’s final bout – as well as the Pickup Truck Racing Championship’s third race – being cancelled.

Prior to the Pickup Truck Racing Championship’s finale being canned, the series had enjoyed a memorable outing with defending champion Reece Jones bolstering his title charge with a near wheel-perfect double-winning performance.

In the Kumho BMW Championship, Jason West and Michael Vitulli chalked up a win each whilst Ross Alexander and Freddie Hewitt did the same in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport.

Elsewhere, Scott Bugner and Steve McDermid’s captivating back-and-forth battle for supremacy in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship further intensified as the pair enjoyed a share of the spoils on Sunday.

Fine margins proved to be the difference when it came down to the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship. Richard Groom and Ben Wheatley scored a victory each in the two Sigma 135 bouts whilst Amanda Anderson and Harry Senior topped the rostrum in the amalgamated Sigma 150/Sigmax races.

The weekend also saw a triumphant return for OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires stalwart Wayne Rockett. Having previously announced he was stepping back from the popular single-make series, a resurgent Rockett reigned supreme around his home track to win twice.

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

All of the weekend’s action from Thruxton is also available to watch on the BARC’s official YouTube channel HERE.

BARC delivers Cadwell Park cracker of a weekend

The British Automobile Racing Club enjoyed a bumper two days of wheel-to-wheel entertainment at Cadwell Park this past weekend (April 15/16) as a further seven championships lifted the curtain on their 2023 campaigns.

On what was the first of two visits to the popular Lincolnshire venue this year – the second coming in late July – the Club staged no less than 23 races across Saturday and Sunday, with each of them putting fans on the edge of their seats.

Renowned for producing its fair share of full-throttle thrills, one of the weekend’s headline acts came in the shape of the 5/8 scale pocket rockets that make up the Legends Cars Championship with MRF Tyres.

Serving up six breathtaking races, last year’s series runner-up Will Gibson kicked off proceedings with victory in the opener before Andy Bird and Marcus Pett chalked up two wins apiece. Matthew Isherwood then concluded the action with a win in the finale.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship blasted into life for another season with a 26-car grid of 14 to 17-year-old racers all eager to kick-start their burgeoning motorsport careers.

Boasting an entry list of both second-year drivers and rookies, the one-make category delivered a pair of blockbuster encounters, with the spoils being shared between Oskar Dix and Daire Flock.

In the North West Centre’s CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, Andrew Southcott enjoyed a winning start to the new season by comfortabley romping to a brace of victories.

At the wheel of his MG Midget Lenham, Southcott topped the times in qualifying and then didn’t look back when the lights went out; leading home the duo of Roddie Paterson and reigning champion Jamie Cryer by sizeable margins in both races.

Kris Tovey made a flying start to the 2CVParts.com Championship as he opened his account for the year with two superlative wins. Despite missing out on pole position in qualifying, Tovey made no mistake in the races as he powered clear of the opposition.

Behind him, defending champion David O’Keeffe, Nick Crispin and Lucas Proietti all scored podiums – setting up an exciting remainder of the season.

Novice racers beginning their journey’s in the sport put on a show across two Adrian Flux Insurance Caterham Academy races. Adam Kene narrowly pipped Matt Kirland in the White race before Callum McIntyre triumphed in the Green bout.

Cadwell Park also marked the dawn of a new era for the Track Attack Race Club as they ran under the BARC banner for the first time in its illustrious history. Encompassing all saloons, coupes and sports cars, the budget-conscious category kicked off the year with Andrew Neal guiding his Peugeot 106 to back-to-back race wins.

Another new championship to debut over the course of the weekend was the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport; a one-make series designed to provide a first step on the racing ladder for entry level club racers.

Stephen Berry, Zac Blackwell and Freddy Hewitt proved to be the cream of the crop across the weekend’s three contests however despite their best efforts, Blackwell and Hewitt couldn’t stop Berry from taking a clean sweep of victories.

miniRounding out the weekend’s bumper programme were four frenetic contests from the British Superkart Racing Club, all of which were won by the dominant Matt Robinson.

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

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport Championship set for 2023 launch

A club-level series for MINI racers is poised to hit the track for the first time in 2023 via the launch of new Clubsport classes within the hugely-successful MINI CHALLENGE.

The brainchild of MINI CHALLENGE racers Tom Halliwell and Robin Austin, along with the backing of Quaife MINI CHALLENGE promoter Antony Williams, the Clubsport classes operate as an affiliate to the hugely successful JCW and Cooper categories and will provide drivers with the opportunity to take their first steps onto the MINI CHALLENGE ladder.

The three classes within MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport will be Cooper S, Open and Cooper Am, with cars running together on track to create one bumper field.

A calendar featuring 15 races spread across six meetings has been put in place for the inaugural season, with visits to the likes of Cadwell Park, Thruxton, Mallory Park and Brands Hatch, amongst others.

Robin Austin, MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport joint championship co-ordinator, said: “Both Tom and myself were aware that there were a number of drivers out there who either own MINIs that aren’t eligible for the main MINI CHALLENGE, or who don’t have the budget required to compete in the Cooper or JCW classes.

“Rather than those people competing in a range of different multi-marque championships, we decided to investigate the possibility of creating a new championship where they could all race together.

“Having spoken to Antony for advice and guidance, we’re delighted to be in a position where we can now go public with our plans, and announce the launch of the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport classes as an affiliate to the existing JCW and Cooper championships.

“We’ve been able to put together a calendar that provides the chance to compete at a number of high-profile events, and have put regulations in place that we know will provide exciting and competitive racing at an affordable level for drivers.”

Antony Williams, MINI CHALLENGE Promoter, added: “We are keen to support any MINI racers out there who want to compete on track, and there is clearly demand for the re-introduction of the Cooper S, Cooper Open and Cooper Am classes that were part of the MINI CHALLENGE prior to the pandemic.

“We’re delighted to now be working with Tom and Robin to enable them to run the three classes as a club-level option through the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport classes, and look forward to seeing how it develops during the year ahead.”

MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport 2023 Calendar:

15/16 April – Cadwell Park – 3 x 12min
20/21 May – Mallory Park – 2 x 15min
8/9 July – Thruxton – 2 x 15min
5/6 August – Brands Hatch – 3 x 15min
16/17 September – Silverstone National – 3 x 12min
14/15 October – Donington Park GP – 2 x 15min