MINI CHALLENGE Trophy – Welcome to the BARC

Tom Ingram, Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom share Thruxton BTCC spoils

Tom Ingram, Ash Sutton and Dan Rowbottom emerged as the big winners on a weekend to remember at Thruxton Circuit as a bumper crowd flocked through the gates for the annual visit of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

In what is one of the standout events of the year at the high-speed Hampshire venue, the UK’s premier motorsport series delivered three blockbuster contests that were ultimately won by the top three in the overall standings.

Despite the contrasting weather conditions – which saw heavy rain on Saturday make way for bright sunshine on Sunday – those in attendance had the opportunity to experience the brand-new Woodham Hill spectator banking, which provided stunning new views of the action.

In addition to the wheel-to-wheel racing that was served up, fans also had an abundance of off-track activities such as live music, a dedicated kids’ zone, an array of food stalls, a supercar display, the Crazy Cart Championship and camping facilities to enjoy.

Four-time champion Sutton was the driver to beat in qualifying as he mastered the soaking wet conditions in his NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus to clinch pole position ahead of title rivals Tom Ingram and Dan Cammish.

Race one on Sunday would then see Team VERTU’s Ingram make it nine different winners from ten races of the season as he found a way past pole sitter Sutton and before streaking clear to triumph ahead of Cammish and One Motorsport’s Josh Cook.

For Cook, his charge from 14th to third was all the more remarkable after his car had to be rebuilt overnight following a sizeable crash in qualifying – one which resulted in the circuit’s most successful BTCC driver needing to go to hospital for precautionary checks.

After missing out on victory in race one, Sutton produced one of the finest opening laps in recent memory in race two to charge to a third victory of the season, with Ingram and Rowbottom trailing behind in second and third.

Rowbottom then capped off another strong weekend in his own Ford Focus ST by getting the better of reigning champion Jake Hill to secure his second win of the season in the reverse grid finale.

Contact with Sutton at the high-speed Noble Corner brought Hill’s charge to a premature end and in-turn allowed Ingram and Cammish to fight their way onto the remaining two steps of the rostrum.

Of course it wasn’t just the BTCC that had fans on the edge of their seats though as an action-packed support bill saw three other categories tackle the fastest circuit in the country.

The Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA showcased potential single-seater stars of the future and it was the trio of Martin Molnar, Leo Robinson and impressive debutant Salim Hanna that claimed a win apiece.

Will Martin and Sid Smith proved to be the cream of the crop when it came to the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain as they starred in the monstrous 911 category, snaring one win each to bolster their own championship challenges.

Closing out the action were three unmissable races from the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy. EXCELR8 Motorsport’s Gabe Fairbrother prevailed in a wet opening bout before rookie Jenson Mason delivered a defensive masterclass to triumph in race two.

Westbourne Motorsport’s Olivier Algieri then got the better of team-mate Rhys Hurd to win an instant classic in the finale.

Thruxton’s next race event takes place in less than a fortnights’ time as the Thruxton Retro takes centre stage. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/thruxton-retro.

BARC welcomes the BTCC and TOCA package to Thruxton

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, organised by the British Automobile Racing Club is about to kick it up a gear this weekend as Britain’s premier racing series heads to Thruxton – the fastest race circuit in the UK.

Fans will be treated to spectacular action from breathtaking views – including the new Woodham Hill spectator area – giving race goers a new angle to see the wheel-to-wheel racing from.

Ash Sutton leads the way in the title race from a chasing Tom Ingram and Jake Hill and Thruxton could well shape the championship fight. Thruxton can be classed as the home circuit for the likes of Josh Cook, Sam Hall, Nick Halstead and recent race winner Mikey Doble – who will all be looking for some strong results in front of a home crowd this weekend.

Supporting the BTCC will be packed grids on a busy timetable across Saturday and Sunday. The Wera Tools F4 British Championship, Vertu MINI Challenge Trophy and Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain join the roster and prepare to do battle under the spotlight of crowd and the ITV cameras this weekend.

Elsewhere on the BARC schedule is the fifth event of the British Hillclimb Championship Presented by Nova Motorsport. The championship heads to the iconic Shelsely Walsh in Worcestershire. The flat out blast is one of the quickest and most difficult to master and provides a real test and thrill for the drivers. Defending Champion Matt Ryder leads the way in the points, but has a hard charging Wallace Menzies and Will Hall are hot on his heels.

Finally, it’s also the BARC Wales Summer Sprint Weekend at Pembrey. Lots of motorsport to enjoy as we kick off June.

When is the next BARC weekend?
The next events will be this weekend – 7th/8th June

Where are the events being held?

Thruxton Circuit
Address: Thruxton Circuit, Andover SP11 8PN

Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb
Address: Shelsley Walsh, Worcester WR6 6RP

Pembrey Circuit
Address: Pembrey, Llanelli SA16 0HZ

What is racing this weekend?

Thruxton – Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Wera Tools F4 British Championship, Vertu MINI Challenge Trophy, and Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Shelsley Walsh – British Hillclimb Championship

Pembrey – BARC Wales Summer Sprint

How can I watch?

At the Track

Wanting to soak up the on-track action in person at Thruxton? As well as the racing there is lots to do for the whole family. Tickets are available on the day or on the Thruxton website from £22 for a Saturday ticket or £38 for a Sunday ticket – with weekend options available from £55. Children under 13 go free with discounts or teens.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://thruxtonracing.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/btcc

Hillclimb fans can head to Shelsley Walsh with tickets from £13 for Saturday and £18 for Sunday online now – or you can pay on the gate from £15 for Saturday or £20 for Sunday.

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

Qualifying will be available to all on ITVX on Saturday while race day will move to ITV4 in the UK, with International audiences able to watch the action on YouTube with races live on the RACER network in the US and Canada.

The uninterrupted coverage will feature all the on track drama with commentary, analysis and features throughout Sunday with coverage starting just ahead of the first BTCC race at 11:00

The British Hillclimb Championship action from the home of hillclimbing in the UK will be streamed on the Hillclimb.tv YouTube Channel on Sunday. It’s well worth a watch!

What time are things happening on track?

Track action at Thruxton begins at 09:00 on Saturday and 10:50 on Sunday, with BTCC races at 11:45, 14:35 and 17:05 on Sunday. Over at Shelsley Walsh, the course opens for practice early morning until early evening on Saturday with official timed runs to be held on the Sunday.

Do you have any more information?

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

Thruxton
Tickets: https://thruxtonracing.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/btcc
Live Timing and Commentary: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/252303
Timetable*: https://www.barc.net/event/toca-race-meeting-thruxton-june-7-8/

Shelsley Walsh
Watch Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/xmy7mI6vYic?si=w5l7y4TRuxh3Ezta
Event Information and Tickets: https://www.shelsleywalsh.com/
Championship Information: https://www.britishhillclimb.co.uk/

* Subject to adjustments prior and during the race meeting

Such amazing variety on display this weekend! Enjoy!

Need For Speed: BTCC sets course for Thruxton

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is poised to speed into Hampshire this weekend (June 7-8) as Thruxton Circuit prepares to host Rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the 2025 season.

Renowned for producing edge-of-the-seat entertainment around the the fastest circuit in the country, the UK’s premier motorsport series will headline what promises to be a weekend to remember at the home of the British Automobile Racing Club with three colossal tin top contests.

Despite there having only been three events, this season is already shaping up to be an instant class with the opening nine races producing eight different race winners – three of which were first-time winners.

NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton has been at his brilliant best so far and he arrives sitting atop the Drivers’ Championship – although circling behind him are a number of heavy hitters that are all ready to pounce if given the chance.

Seven podium finishes have provided the backbone to Tom Ingram’s charge so far however it is the top step that the 2022 title winner would love to scale this weekend – especially given Team VERTU have never won around Thruxton.

Reigning champion Jake Hill has endured a rollercoaster campaign to-date but the BMW driver can never be counted out and after all, he was twice a winner at this event last year.

Elsewhere, Dan Rowbottom and Dan Cammish both triumphed last time out at Snetterton while the Hyundai pairing of Adam Morgan and Tom Chilton have shown relentless speed and consistency.

Other names to look out for include the newest additions to the BTCC winners’ club – Mikey Doble, Daryl Deleon and Charles Rainford – as well as three-time champion Gordon Shedden, who is back in the series with Speedworks Motorsport.

Of course, one driver that can never be discounted from being in the mix towards the sharp end of the grid is the undisputed ‘King of Thruxton’ Josh Cook. The One Motorsport driver has a record 10 wins around his home circuit and he’ll be hungry for more in his Honda Civic Type R.

As always, it won’t just be the BTCC that takes centre stage though this weekend as a bumper supporting cast of categories is also revved up to put on a show for the expected bumper trackside crowd.

Expect full-throttle thrills from the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy – all of whom make up the support bill.

Away from the on-track entertainment there will be plenty to see and do around the venue with a bustling trade village, supercar display, food stalls, mini karts, bouncy castle, bungee trampolining and face painting.

There will also be live entertainment on Friday 6th June and Saturday 7th June in the paddock, while the Crazy Cart Championship, which features a mix of drivers and special guests, is always a must-watch attraction.

The Thruxton Centre will be open all weekend to visitors, with food and drink being served across both days. Programmes will also be available to purchase from locations around the venue from £7.00.

Tickets for the weekend can be purchased via https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc.

WSR enjoys record-breaking BTCC day at Brands Hatch

WSR and BMW enjoyed a record-breaking weekend in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch as they scored a trio of wins to become the most successful team in BTCC history.

After enduring a lack lustre curtain raiser at Donington Park last month, the Surrey-based squad bounced back in style at its home track as reigning champion Jake Hill triumphed in race one before Daryl Deleon and Charles Rainford both claimed a maiden victory apiece.

Milestones began to tumble on Saturday as Hill obliterated the qualifying lap record by more than a second to clinch pole position and set up what would ultimately be a race day to remember in front of a bumper crowd.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver converted pole position into a relatively straight-forward victory in the opening encounter as he led every lap, while his rookie stablemate Rainford kept him honest behind.

That victory would be the 133rd in the BTCC for WSR and ensured that they were now clear at the top of the all-time leaderboard. Behind Hill and Rainford, 2022 champion Tom Ingram continued his fine start to the season with a third place finish.

Race two delivered more captivating action as Deleon scored his first-ever win. Hill fended off a number of challengers early doors but following two safety car periods, there was no stopping the teenager as he utilised the faster soft tyre to hit the front and streak clear of the opposition.

Hill’s resilient defence allowed Deleon to build up a substantial advantage over the rest of the field and by the time Adam Morgan and Ash Sutton moved into second and third respectively, they could do nothing to catch the BMW ace.

Not to be outdone, Rainford then completed a historic day for WSR as he claimed a commanding victory in just his sixth BTCC race. Charging past Hill and pole sitter Dan Rowbottom in the early exchanges, Rainford was wheel-perfect until the end to claim a sensational win.

Many fans were perched on the edge of their seats as Hill and Ingram – who had surged from 11th on the grid – became embroiled in a fascinating back-and-forth battle for second place. Hill in the held firm in the end to clinch the position.

Leaving Brands Hatch, Sutton remains in the lead of the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Ingram and Hill whilst EXCLER8 Motorsport/Hyundai remain in control of the Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

Team VERTU lead the Teams’ Championship while Chris Smiley and Restart Racing head the early going in the Independents’ category. In the Jack Sears Trophy, Deleon has hit the front virtue of his near flawless weekend.

Of course, it wasn’t just the BTCC that starred at Brands Hatch as a number of championships that make up the TOCA support bill also made their mark around the 1.208-mile Indy circuit.

Toby Trice continued his fine start to the season in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain as he guided his Clean Racing machine to a brace of race wins.

Trice had to play second fiddle to Tom Bradshaw in the weekend’s opening contest but come Sunday he was unstoppable as he charged to a pair of lights-to-flag victories, strengthening his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ Championship in the process.

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy made its first appearance of the season on the BTCC support programme and as expected it didn’t disappoint with a trio of hard-fought races leaving fans wanting more.

Title contender Joshua Wilby narrowly beat Ronnie Smith and Gabe Fairbrother to top spot in race one before Alex Keens was declared the victor of race two after on-the-road winner Rhys Hurd was handed a post-race ten second time penalty.

Hurd’s Westbourne Motorsport wasted no time in putting that disappointment behind them though as Olivier Algieri claimed his first win of the season in style, beating Fairbrother and Wilby to the chequered flag in a frenetic finale.

Rounding out the weekend’s action was a one-off guest appearance from the Dutch Barn Caterham Seven Championship UK and as predicted – the racing couldn’t have been any closer around the short, sharp layout.

Matthew Armstrong kicked off proceedings with a measured drive to win race one however he could do nothing to stop Harry Senior from reigning supreme in the weekend’s remaining two bouts as he triumphed twice.

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

Snetterton stages weekend to remember for BARC championships

The British Automobile Racing Club soaked up the Snetterton sunshine this past weekend (April 12/13) as Caterham Motorsport and the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy delivered a spectacular two days of racing in Norfolk.

Becoming the latest catalogue of championships to kick-start their 2025 campaigns, a total of 16 races played out around the near three-mile circuit – serving up spades of entertainment to both those in attendance and watching online.

If you were wanting to succeed in the Bilstein Caterham Roadsport Championship then having the surname Harris was the way to go as both Charles Harris and William Harris proved to be the class of the field, claiming a win apiece.

Neither driver was able to top the times in qualifying however their race craft shone through in the opening encounter as they carved their way to the head of the field, with Charles pipping William to the chequered flag by the slender margin of 0.031s.

Locking out the front row of the grid for race two, the duelling brothers renewed their battle at the head of the pack although this time it was William that reigned supreme, taking the spoils by six tenths of a second.

Ben Wheatley – who in the past has cut his teeth in Caterham Graduates – was perfection personified in the EDGE Caterham Seven 270R Championship as he scored three wins from three races.

Setting the pace from the get-go by claiming pole position in qualifying, Wheatley was flawless from start-to-finish as he clinched a clean sweep of triumphs. Adam Kene and Lyonel Tollemache would prove to be his nearest competitors.

Over in the Vertex Caterham Seven 310R Championship, pre-season favourites Taylor O’Flanagan and Lars Alexander Hoffman lived up to all expectations as they enjoyed a share of the spoils that were on offer.

Just a few tenths of a second separated the race winner from the chasing pack on each occasion and in the opening encounter, O’Flanagan narrowly got the better of Alexander Hoffman in race one . That however would be the only time the latter would be beaten as he won the remaining two contests.

Rounding out the Caterham Motorsport thrills were a trio of races from the manufacturer’s premier category, the Dutch Barn Vodka Caterham Seven UK Championship, where three different drivers stole a majority of the headlines – Matthew Armstrong, Paul Donkin and Harry Senior.

Kicking off what promises to be another vintage year for the series, Armstrong got the better of Senior to win race one by just 0.045s before Donkin did the same in race two.

After two near misses, Senior would finally get his moment on the top step of the podium at the end of the weekend however as triumphed by yet another small margin to beat Armstrong and with it, grab the early advantage in the championship standings.

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy is renowned for close-quarter racing year-on-year and that proved to be the case over the weekend as a bumper grid of tin top titans went wheel-to-wheel for the first time this year.

Joshua Wilby gave Team Avago their maiden victory in a frenetic opening bout before Leo Purches beat last year’s Junior Saloon Car Championship title winner Harry Smith to the chequered flag in a dramatic end to race two.

Reigning Teams’ champions Westbourne Motorsport – who up until race three had enjoyed their fair share of bad luck – finally came good as former Rookie Cup champion Rhys Hurd hit the front and never looked back to win ahead of Gabe Fairbrother and Olivier Algieri.

Completing the weekend’s action at Snetterton were two races from the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, which had lifted the curtain on its 2025 season at Donington Park last month.

Like its season-opener, race day on Sunday for the single-marque series belonged to the father-son duo of Steve McDermid and Jake McDermid. Multiple champion Steve struck first with his third win of the season in race one before Jake claimed a popular maiden win in the finale.

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

If you missed any of the action from the latest BARC weekend, head over to our YouTube channel and watch it all back HERE.

Regulations changes locked in for 2025 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE has confirmed a number of regulation changes ahead of the opening rounds of the 2025 season, which take place this month.

Snetterton provides the setting for the Cooper class curtain-raiser this weekend, with the JCW and JCW Sport classes getting underway at Donington Park on April 26-27.

Ahead of the lights going out, amendments to the regulations across all three classes have been ratified and communicated to all competing teams and drivers.

Race distances for the ten meetings that are held alongside the British Touring Car Championship – covering the full JCW/JCW Sport season and three events for the Cooper class – will see drivers offered additional track time.

For JCW and JCW Sport entrants, the final race of the weekend will run a duration of 25 minutes at Donington Park, Oulton Park, Croft and Knockhill.

Over in the Cooper class, the four non-TOCA race meetings will comprise of three 15-minute races. The meetings on the TOCA bill (Thruxton and Donington Park GP) will offer more track time for the final contest.

For all classes, race one on the Saturdays on the TOCA programme will run to a duration of 20 minutes with an opportunity of five minutes contingency added in the event of a safety car, as with BTCC races. Race two will continue to run to a fixed duration of 20 minutes.

The points-scoring system remains unchanged however an additional six points will be given to the fastest time in qualifying in each class. Furthermore, the fastest race lap in each class will now be worth three points instead of six.

Dropped scores have been revised too, with every race now being counted in both the JCW and JCW Sport categories, In the Cooper class, drivers will now drop their worst score from the season rather than their two worst scores.

Entries have also been looked out with teams now limited to running maximum of four cars in any individual class. Should a team wish to run more than four cars, it will need to submit a request in writing to the Championship Organisers.

Finally, the rules around the reverse grid have been tweaked for the JCW and JCW Sport classes, bringing them inline with the Cooper class.

As a result, on those weekends where there are three races, the grid for race two will be decided by a random draw that will see anywhere from the top six to top ten overall from the previous race reversed.

MINI CHALLENGE to stage Media Day at Snetterton

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE has confirmed that it will host a Media Day test at Snetterton on April 2.

Cars from all three classes – JCW, JCW Sport and Trophy – will be in attendance at the Norfolk venue; allowed competitors the opportunity to showcase their 2025 liveries and gain some valuable mileage ahead of the new season.

Track action will commence from 09:00 – 12:00 in the morning, while the afternoon session will run from 14:00 – 17:00.

To find out more information on the forthcoming 2025 MINI CHALLENGE campaign, head to https://www.minichallenge.co.uk/.

BARC closes out 2024 season with blockbuster Brands Hatch title-decider

The British Automobile Racing Club brought the curtain down on its 2024 season in spectacular style at Brands Hatch this past weekend (November 2/3) as the final batch of champions were crowned in front of a sell-out crowd.

Concluding what has been a year to remember for the Club’s championships, series, centres and venues; two days of blockbuster racing provided the backdrop to a fitting finale around the Indy layout.

Headlining the action was the British Truck Racing Championship, where Ryan Smith continues to re-write the history books in his Daimler Freightliner as he claimed a remarkable ninth consecutive Division 1 title.

Arriving at the Kent venue with one hand on the coveted crown, Smith was wheel-perfect as he blitzed the opposition to claim pole position in qualifying and then swept his way to all five race wins that were up for grabs.

Behind him, former title winner David Jenkins edged out Steven Powell to clinch second overall whilst Michael Oliver and Stuart Oliver also stood on the podium over the course of what was a frenetic weekend.

In Division 2, John Powell made his dreams a reality as he finally savoured championship glory after edging out Simon Cole to top spot. The pair were virtually inseparable throughout the meeting however a non-finish for Cole in the finale allowed Powell to reign supreme.

At the front of Division 2, the spoils of victory went to former champions Adam Bint and Paul Rivett – with the latter closing out his reign as defending champion with four superlative victories in his NAPA Racing UK MAN.

The battle for supremacy in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy went down to the wire with Westbourne Motorsport’s Harry Hickton ultimately doing enough to beat his team-mate Sam Gornall to the title by just two points.

Hickton went into the final meeting of the season sitting second in standings, 31 points adrift of the top of the table. Bagging pole position in qualifying, Hickton then outscored Gornall to close the gap in race one while James Black triumphed up ahead.

The Hampshire racer then claimed a critical fifth win of the season in race two to take the lead in the points before shadowing Gornall all the way to the chequered flag in the finale, which in-turn ensured he clinched the Drivers’ Championship.

Remarkably, the difference between the top two in the Junior Saloon Car Championship was even closer than in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, with the bonus point for setting the fastest lap in the final race being the deciding factor.

Concluding its 10th Anniversary season with six drivers in contention, it boiled down to a straight shootout between Harry Smith and Jonathan Moore – and as always the one-make series had everyone on the edge of their seats as the pair scrapped for the right to call themselves champion.

James Sherrington scored victory in race one but with Moore finishing ahead of Smith it set up a tantalising title showdown. In a final contest that was truncated with red flags, Moore finished first on the road however confirmation of a champion remains to be decided virtue of how many laps were completed.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship was another category that crowned a new champion as Dale Gent finally climbed to the top of the mountain after just coming up short during the past few years.

Going into the weekend at the top of the standings, Gent held his nerve to score the points that he required while Ryan Hadfield and Matt Simpson enjoyed a share of the spoils at the front of the field.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action was the Mini 7 Racing Club’s O-Plate Winter Shootout. Aaron Smith and Rupert Deeth were undoubtedly the cream of the crop as they dominated all three races, with Smith narrowly beating Deeth on each occasion.

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

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – November 2/3

The British Automobile Racing Club brings the curtain down on its 2024 season at Brands Hatch with a title decider that is guaranteed to provide fireworks – both on and off the track.

Headlining the action will be five colossal contests from the British Truck Racing Championship as the destiny of the Division 1 and Division 2 crowns are settled in what promises to be a heavyweight showdown.

They aren’t the only titles to be decided either as champions will be crowned in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy and Mini 7 Racing Club Winter O-Plate Shootout.

Make sure you don’t miss any of the on-track entertainment by using the key timings and links below:

Saturday 2nd November | 12:05 | WATCH HERE
Sunday 3rd November | 09:45 | WATCH HERE

To find out more information on this weekend’s race meeting at Brands Hatch, including the official entry lists and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Don’t miss any of the action from a BARC LIVE event by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

New leadership team in place for MINI CHALLENGE as 2025 entries open

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE will mark the start of a new chapter next season after announcing a new leadership team comprising of Rhea Beauchamp, Luke Caudle and a third figure still to be confirmed.

Long time Championship Co-ordinator Beauchamp will take on the role of Championship Director with Caudle – a former MINI CHALLENGE title winner as Sporting Director. A new Technical Director is poised to be named in due course.

The news follows confirmation that entires have officially opened for the 2025 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season, with drivers and teams able to now sign up and secure their place on the grid for each of the three classes.

Entry fees for the JCW, JCW Sport and Cooper classes are being held at 2024 levels whilst early bird discounts have also been put in place that will make the MINI CHALLENGE even more affordable.

Anyone registering for either the JCW or JCW Sport class by 29 November and paying their full entry by 1 February 2025 will benefit from a £2,000 discount on entry, with Cooper drivers following the same payment schedule receiving a discount of £1,000.

“We are delighted to officially open entries for the 2025 season and what promises to be another exciting year for the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE,” Beauchamp said.

“We are already seeing high levels of interest from teams and drivers who are interesting in competing with us next year, which is a nice position to be in at this stage considering that the Cooper class still has one round left to run.

“Holding entry fees at the same level as 2024 means that the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE continues to be one of the most cost-effective ways to go racing at a high level in UK motorsport, particularly when you consider the high profile that comes from being of the BTCC package.

“We have a number of things in the pipeline that we will announce in the coming months, and we look forward to welcoming drivers old and new into the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE for 2025.”

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, added: “The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE continues to be an important, entertaining and exciting part of our support package for 2025 and beyond.

“So it’s great to see the Championship energetically working with its teams and drivers in order to continue to grow the championship – not just for next year, but for years to come“.

History-making weekend for TOCA support bill at Silverstone

The fight for front-running supremacy on the support bill of the British Touring Car Championship intensified at Silverstone this past weekend (September 21/22) to set up what promises to be a grandstand finish at Brands Hatch in less than two weeks’ time.

Taking centre stage on the National layout of the Home of British Motor Racing, thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing played out across four categories with one title – the ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA – being wrapped up with a round to spare.

Having been the driver to beat for much of the season, Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Deagen Fairclough converted his commanding advantage at the top of the standings into an unassailable lead after producing another superlative performance in the single-seater series.

Fairclough became the latest leading light to claim the coveted trophy in emphatic fashion as he blasted his way to pole position in qualifying before then claiming two commanding lights-to-flag race wins.

In addition to becoming the tenth champion of the series, Fairclough also set a brand-new record for the championship as he eclipsed Alex Dunne’s record for the most race wins in a single season, raising the benchmark to 12.

Only two of the weekend’s three races took place at the Northamptonshire venue however as two red flags in race two led to the contest being postponed. It would later be cancelled altogether due to heavy rainfall.

History was made in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain as Team Parker Racing’s Abbie Eaton took centre stage to become the first-ever female driver to win an outright race in the ultra-competitive series.

Showing plenty of pace around the 1.64-mile circuit during practice, Pro-Am entrant Eaton clinched a sensational pole position in qualifying and then shadowed Charles Rainford in race one after making a small mistake while in the lead.

Race two was where Eaton made history though as the right tyre call saw the accomplished racer blast into the lead at the start and from there she never looked back, leading all 29 laps to triumph ahead of George Gamble and Daniel Lloyd.

Max Coates continues to lead the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain standings, despite the fact he didn’t stand on the top step of the podium across any of the series’ three races during the weekend.

Coates’ nearest challenge Sebastian Hopkins claimed victory in race one before Thomas Bradshaw and Will Jenkins then went on to claim a win apiece. With three races remaining, Coates holds a ten-point lead going into Brands Hatch.

The Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy made its last appearance of the season on the TOCA support bill and it too didn’t disappoint with three action-packed races that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Chandler Motorsport’s Rhys Hurd continued his recent streak of winning the opening race of the weekend before there was a maiden victory in the tin top category for Graves Motorsport’s James Black in race two.

Sam Gornall concluded the action as he led home a Westbourne Motorsport 1-2-3-4 and with it, opened up a commanding lead at the head of the standings with just one race meeting now remaining.

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

MINI magic gets served up at inaugural Croft Festival

The British Automobile Racing Club made a splash in North Yorkshire this past weekend (September 7/8) as Croft Circuit played host to the first-ever MINI Festival in challenging weather conditions.

In what was a celebration for one of the most iconic cars in the world, the two-day event saw a bumper crowd flock through the gates to witness a 14-race programme, paddock displays, track parades and live entertainment.

Headlining the action around the 2.12-mile course were the latest three races from the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy; which is building towards a thrilling crescendo when it comes to the fight for the overall title.

Race one – which was the only relatively dry contest of Saturday and Sunday – saw Chandler Motorsport’s Rhys Hurd take advantage of Harry Hickton being wiped out of the lead to claim his latest win of the season.

The remainder of the weekend arguably belonged to EXCELR8 Motorsport’s Gabe Fairbrother as he scored a maiden victory in the one-make series in race two and then quickly doubled his tally by repeating the feat in a rain-soaked finale.

As they have done throughout the entirety of the 2024 season, Stephen Berry and Ross Alexander proved to be the cream of the crop when it came to the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport.

The pair, who had shared every win on offer heading into Croft, continued to rule the roost with last year’s overall winner Berry adding two more wins to his tally. Alexander didn’t let Berry have things his own way though and he was able to score a win of his own too.

While Berry was unable to clinch a hat-trick of wins in the Clubsport category, a third victory of the weekend was achieved when he came out on top of the 40-minute MINI Enduo contest ahead of Jamie Ringer and Charlie Newton-Darby.

Elsewhere, Neven Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick proved to be too much for the opposition in the Mighty Minis Championship as they claimed a brace of one-two finishes whilst Jamie Blake and Chad Little shared the spoils in the Scottish Mini Cooper Cup.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action were the final two races of the season for the Heroes of FF1600 Sprint Cup, which has been a popular addition to the BARC roster since debuting earlier this year.

Showcasing an iconic blend of single-seater machines from yesteryear, the fledgling series closed out its campaign with Lucas Romanek powering his Van Diemen RF88 to a brace of commanding race wins.

To view the full classification of results from the Croft MINI Festival, CLICK HERE.