Tag: OT Publishing Coupe Cup

Coupe Cup ends 2023 campaign on a high at Castle Combe

There was a definite buzz around the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires paddock at Castle Combe this past weekend (7th October). 

As has become the norm over the years, the honour of being named “driver of the year” was going down to the wire. This year it was between Wayne Rockett and Luca Staccini Anzanello. Going into the final two races both drivers had the same results. However, with a couple more podium places to his name, it was Staccini who held the advantage.

Jumping into a new car at a new track, Rockett gave it everything to out-qualify his opponent but it was Staccini that took pole position by just two tenths from fellow Cursley Motorsport driver, Mark Ridout. Rockett senior and junior (Jonny) locked out the second row so it was all set for a race to the first corner.

Unusually Staccini made an excellent start when the lights went out and he started to pull out a healthy lead. Despite a brief safety car period which saw the pack bunch up, Staccini held on to record his fifth win of the year just one tenth ahead of teammate Mark Ridout.

An emotional Staccini leapt out of his car and into the arms of team boss Alex Cursley and then onto a victory lap around the fabulous Castle Combe circuit. But the day wasn’t done and he had a few hours to enjoy himself and calm down.

Race two started as the sun went down and Staccini made a more customary start which dropped him down to fifth place whilst Neale Hurren, Mark Ridout and the two Rocketts hurtled around at close quarters. When the race settled down it was Ridout who took the lead which he never relinquished. Jonny Rockett came home second with Staccini making up for lost time in third place. Hurren fell back into the clutches of Michael Evans but just held on to fifth place.

As ever, in 2023 the series has been exciting with battles throughout the field giving all the drivers a chance to experience up close and personal racing without breaking the bank. New drivers, old drivers, and even “retired” drivers came out to race with plenty more already committed to the 2024 series.

Words – Matthew Plumb / Images – Marc Lawrence and Graham Gillings

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. 

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 North West meeting delivers all-out Anglesey action

Anglesey Circuit provided the backdrop to the British Automobile Racing Club’s annual visit to North Wales last weekend (June 3/4) as a number of championships continued their 2023 campaigns in action-packed style. 

Organised and run by the Club’s North West Centre, the two-day meeting – which took place under bright sunshine along the coast of the Irish Sea – served up a feast of wheel-to-wheel entertainment around the challenging 1.55-mile layout. 

In the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Daire Flock strengthened his stranglehold at the summit of the standings as he charged to an emphatic hat-trick of race wins around the picturesque Welsh venue.

Arriving at Anglesey off the back of a double win at Pembrey, the second-year racer had to settle for fourth place in qualifying however no-one was to deny him when it came to the weekend’s trio of contests as he reigned supreme.

Edging out Jack James in a frenetic opener, Flock then led home Jonathan Moore in race two before he concluded what proved to be a memorable weekend with a narrow victory over Cameron Pratt-Thompson in the finale.

Elsewhere, the Track Attack Race Club – which is run by the same organisers of the JSCC – saw a healthy grid of tin tops take centre stage, with Tim Evans and Nick Tasker sharing the spoils. 

Hot on the heels of claiming a maiden win at Snetterton, Luca Staccini Anzanello was back on the top step of the podium as he triumphed in the latest rounds of the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires. 

The popular one-make series may have seen lower numbers than usual but that didn’t detract from the frenetic door-to-door action that was produced, with Staccini Anzanello emerging as one of the standout performers.

Guiding his Hyundai Coupe to pole position in qualifying, the flamboyant driver headed Mark Ridout and Paul Smith in the opening contest before then leading Daren Ford and Miguel Contreras in race two.

Variety was the spice of life when it came to the North West Centre’s flagship series, the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship, as they hit the track for a trio of races.

Showcasing a variety of different cars across multiple classes, former champion Paul Rose proved to be the benchmark in races one and two as he piloted his Sakar S1-500 to victory before then being cruelly denied from completing his hat-trick.

Rose led 16 of the 17 laps in the finale before he was forced to retire, which then allowed Arron Armiger to inherit victory in his Vauxhall Tigra.

Concluding the weekend’s track action were a number of races from the British Superkart Racing Club. In the combined F250 Mono/F125 contests Paul Platt, Lee Plain and Kirk Cattermole scored a win apiece whilst Liam Morley took a clean sweep in the Division 1/F450 category.

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

BARC championships put on entertaining show at Snetterton

The British Automobile Racing Club put on a show around Snetterton’s 300 circuit this past weekend (May 13/14) as a number of championships continued their 2023 campaigns with two days of exceptional action-packed racing.

In what marked the first of several visits to the Norfolk venue for the Club over the course of this season, five categories took centre stage to write the latest chapter of their stories – and they didn’t disappoint those that were watching in attendance and at home via live stream.

One of the leading lights to emerge from the weekend was last year’s Junior Saloon Car champion and winner of the prestigious Peter Collins Trophy at the BARC Championship Awards Evening in February, Maximus Hall.

Hot on the heels of an impressive debut outing in the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy last month, Hall didn’t put a wheel wrong at Snetterton to ignite his championship charge with two overall victories and a second place finish.

Three frenetic contests – the first of which was won by Nicky Taylor, who had only landed in the country after holidaying in Florida on Saturday morning – around the 2.97-mile layout produced an abundance of overtaking and it was Hall that starred as one of the big movers across both days.

The battle for supremacy across the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship ramped up over the course of Saturday and Sunday as the popular single-manufacturer series delivered an impressive six bouts.

In the combined Sigma 150 and Sigmax races, James Wingfield opened his account for the season with a narrow – just 0.048 of a second in fact – win over defending champion Harry Senior. Race two saw Senior strike back with a win of his own but he could do nothing to stop Wingfield from doubling his tally later on in a frenetic finale.

Over in the Sigma 135 category, a bumper 31-car grid had everyone on the edge of their seats as Theo Theato, Ben Wheatley and Richard Groom each claimed a hard-fought win apiece.

Jason West and James Card proved to be the standout performers in the Kumho BMW Championship, with West coming out on top of two captivating encounters with a pair of impressive victories.

Barely anything could split the top two throughout the weekend however it was West that proved too have just enough in hand to stay ahead of multiple title winner and Brands Hatch victor Card.

Over in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, spoils were shared as reigning champion Steve McDermid ramped up his title defence with an impressive first victory of the year. Scott Bugner – who was twice a winner at last month’s curtain-raiser – also chalked up yet another win in Sunday’s second bout.

Elsewhere, Luca Staccini Anzanello became the latest race winner in the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tyres. The Italian was perfection personified as he topped qualifying and then triumphed in both races of the much-loved tin top series.

Fans were treated to further slip-streaming Mini action as the Dunlop National Mini Challenge supported by Mini Spares made a guest appearance on the billing. Mike Jordan charged to an impressive double win in the Se7en class whilst Jeff Smith and Kane Astin both triumphed in the Miglia races.

Concluding the weekend’s action was a 45-minute contest from the Uncle Luke’s Snetterton Saloons. After powering his BMW E46 M3 to a commanding pole position in qualifying, Bryan Bransom withstood the challenge of Kevin Clarke and Jasper Sapra to clinch victory.

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

Watch all races that were streamed live across both days on the BARC’s official YouTube channel HERE.

How To Watch BARC LIVE: Snetterton 300 – May 13/14

The British Automobile Racing Club is back on the big screen this weekend (May 13/14) as a number of championships continue their 2023 campaigns at the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk.

In what is the first of several visits to the challenging 2.99-mile track over the course of this year, the Club’s TV cameras will be on-site across Saturday and Sunday to deliver edge-of-the-seat moment on Facebook and YouTube.

Headlining the action will be races from the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, MORPHMY Caterham Graduates Championship, Kumho BMW Championship, Lancaster Insurance MGOC Championship and OT Publishing Coupe Cup.

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

Saturday Race Show – Starting from 13:00 – Facebook | YouTube

Sunday Race Show – Starting from 09:30 – Facebook | YouTube

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

Don’t miss any future BARC LIVE events either by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.

Sun shines on Brands Hatch as BARC serves up Easter extravaganza

The British Automobile Racing Club served up an Easter extravaganza at Brands Hatch this past weekend (April 8/9) as seven more championships lifted the curtain on their 2023 seasons in spectacular fashion.

Basking in the warm Spring sunshine at the famous Kent venue, a bumper crowd were treated to 21 blockbuster races across Saturday and Sunday – each of which were packed with their own thrills and spills. 

Headlining the weekend’s action around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit were five contests from the British Truck Racing Championship and they certainly didn’t disappoint; with a near capacity grid of heavyweight behemoths delivering an unmissable show.

In Division 1, two of the series’ most successful drivers staked an early claim to the title by sharing the spoils. Reigning seven time-champion Ryan Smith – who was armed with a brand-new Daimler Freightliner – bagged a hat-trick of wins whilst ten-time champion Stuart Oliver scored a brace of his own.

There was a similar theme in Division 2 as two drivers split the wins; Adam Bint and John Powell. Former champion Bint made one of his best starts to a season in recent years with three emphatic victories whilst championship stalwart Powell reigned supreme in the remaining two bouts.

Three different drivers stood on the top step of the podium in what was an action-packed start to the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy. Widely regarded as one of the most competitive one-make categories in the UK, no quarter was given throughout the 30-car grid.

Second-year driver Tom Ovenden kicked off proceedings with an impressive victory before Jack Byrne scampered into the distance to win race two, all while an almighty scrap for second place played out behind him. Alex Solley then rounded out proceedings by clinching his maiden win in a shortened third race.

The Pickup Truck Racing Championship also saw three different drivers claim victory. Renowned for producing high-octane wheel-to-wheel moments, the category had everyone on the edge of their seats as they debuted their new two heats and a grand final format.

Pre-season title favourites Matt Simpson, Dale Gent and reigning champion Reece Jones proved to be the class of the field as they led the way out front – taking a win apiece to set up what promises to be an exciting remainder of the season.

Elsewhere, the Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship served up no less than four races during the weekend, each of them proving to be as captivating as the one that went before it. 

Harry Senior and Harry Cramer shared the victories on offer in the amalgamated Sigma 150 and Sigmax races whilst Richard Groom and Ben Wheatley emerged victorious from the two thrilling Sigma 135 bouts that were on offer.

Scott Bugner made a flying start to life in the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship as he opened his 2023 account with two wins. 

At the wheel of his MG ZR, Bugner edged out Jack Chapman and multiple champion Steve McDermid in a close opening race before then doubling up for the day with a more comfortable victory ahead of McDermid and Andy Heitman in race two.

Wayne Rockett showcased why he has established himself as one of the most successful drivers to ever compete in the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires by taking a clean sweep of race victories.

Hot on the heels of finishing the 2022 campaign with the most race wins, Rockett picked up where he left off as he produced a pair of measured drives to lead home Luca Staccini Anzanello and Mark Ridout in both encounters.

Rounding out the weekend’s action was two races from the Kumho BMW Championship, the single-manufacturer series which boasts more than three decades of history and is home to some of the most iconic models that run the badge of the Bavarian brand.

Donning the mantel of defending champion after a sensational 2022 campaign, James Card picked up from where he left off last year with an assured performance in the weekend’s opening contest as he guided his E46 M3 to victory ahead of Jason West.

Roles were reversed in race two however as West staked his claim as one to watch over the course of the year with a somewhat dominant win; leading home Card and Paul Wood to the chequered flag by more than ten seconds.

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

Watch all of the action that was streamed live across both days on the BARC’s official YouTube channel HERE.

How To Watch BARC LIVE: Brands Hatch – April 8/9

The British Automobile Racing Club makes its first visit of the 2023 season to Brands Hatch this weekend (April 8/9) with a blockbuster two days of on-track entertainment comprising of a staggering 21 races.

Five races that are guaranteed to have fans on the edge-of-their-seats – both trackside and watching online – will come from the British Truck Racing Championship as they blast into life for a brand new season.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, there is nothing quite like seeing the heavyweight behemoths of Divison 1 and Division 2 go wheel-to-wheel, and BARC LIVE is poised to bring every lap live across Facebook and YouTube.

Elsewhere, the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Kumho BMW Championship, Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires and Caterham Graduates Racing Club will all kick-start their campaigns.

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

Saturday Race Show – Starting from 11:50 – Facebook | YouTube 

Sunday Race Show – Starting from 10:10 – Facebook | YouTube

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 future BARC LIVE events either by subscribing to our YouTube channel HERE.