TOCA support championships revved up to take centre stage at Croft

It’s not just the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship that is reaching the business end of the 2020 season at Croft this weekend (October 10/11) as championships on the TOCA support package also reach a pivotal point in the year.

Bailey Voisin is back to being the driver to beat in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship after scoring a brace of wins at Silverstone last time out. On a weekend which saw his rivals endure their own misfortunes, the R Racing driver is now in the box seat heading to Croft.

However, as has been demonstrated on countless occasions this season, the title picture can change in a flash in Ginetta Juniors and you can bet that the likes of Josh Rattican, Tom Lebbon and Georgi Dimitrov, amongst others, will be keen to turn the tables across the weekend’s two races.

Throw into the mix front-runners such as Zak Taylor, Tom Edgar and Aston Miller, you begin to see how competitive the series for drivers aged between 14 to 17 really is this year.

The Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup returns to the track with an equally intriguing battle for supremacy brewing as well. Seven points currently separate the top three in the standings and Croft’s challenging layout could write another enthralling chapter in what has been a storybook campaign so far.

Over the course of the season so far, the championship lead has been shared between Tom Hibbert, Will Burns and Gus Burton, with Hibbert currently the man to beat after recording a third win of the season last time out at Thruxton.

Hibbert will be aiming to increase his points advantage at a circuit he won at last season, however it won’t be easy. Burton has been a revelation in his maiden campaign, while Burns is a consistent podium finisher with a wealth of experience in the series.

After starring at Thruxton, the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy makes its final appearance on the TOCA package and if previous outings are anything to go by, fireworks are set to fly on-track.

Notable names to look out for across the weekend’s two encounters include Ben Kasperczak, Archie O’Brien, Lydia Walmsley and Dominic Wheatley.

Making its debut at Croft on the TOCA support bill will be the Cayman Islands Porsche Sprint Challenge GB. New-for-2020, the Cayman GT4 series has been a smash-hit since launching and has boasted a bumper Pro/Am entry list at each round.

Tom Jackson enters the weekend at the summit of the standings however former Renault UK Clio Cup race winner James Dorlin is hot on his heels and fully focused on closing the five-point deficit that currently sits between them.

Rounding out what is set to be a blockbuster weekend of racing at Croft will be two contests from the all-action F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

As has been the case at all BTCC race meetings this season, Croft will not be permitting any spectators to the event and it will be run behind closed doors. Live coverage of Sunday’s races will be broadcast on ITV4, starting from 11:30.

To view more information on this weekend’s event, including links to the live timing and the BTCC Online Programme, click here.

BARC publishes COVID-19 guidelines for Competitors and Officials

With the restart to racing in the UK now well underway the British Automobile Racing Club has updated its guidelines on how events will be run for both Competitors and Officials.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to adjust some of our practices and procedures in order to satisfy the requirements laid down by the government and most importantly to provide the safest environment possible for everyone involved.

In line with the guidance provided by Motorsport UK, the BARC will operate their race meetings as follows:-

BARC Competitors Guidance (v3 21 July) – CLICK HERE

BARC Officials Guidance (v2 22 July) – CLICK HERE

These guidelines have been put in place with the well-being of staff, competitors, officials and all potential visitors to our venues and events remaining at the forefront of our considerations at all times.

As it stands, all race meetings and events remain provisional and subject to change in accordance with the latest directives from the UK government.

To view the remaining post-lockdown 2021 events schedule, head to https://www.barc.net/events/.

BARC announces revised provisional 2020 calendar for remainder of the year

The British Automobile Racing Club can today (June 22) reveal its revised provisional calendar for the remainder 2020; kicking off on July 4/5 and running right the way through until November 22.

Following on from the suspension of UK motorsport in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club has worked tirelessly to put together a calendar with the dates available that will suit each individual championship.

Unfortunately, both the British Hillclimb Championship and BARC Connaught Speed Championship have elected to cancel their 2020 campaigns, with the focus now on 2021.

To view the full revised list of 2020 British Automobile Racing Club race meetings, CLICK HERE.

All dates remain provisional and subject to change in line with the current and ever-evolving government guidelines. Spectators are currently not permitted to attend events at this moment in time.

Those wishing to enter a race meeting can do so via the BARC Competitor Entry System.

For those that do not have a Username to access the BARC Competitor Entry System or if you have a general enquiry, please contact BARC Competitors secretary David Wheadon via 01264 882209 or dwheadon@barc.net.

Guidelines for Competitors and Officials have also been published in relation to how BARC race meetings will operate moving forward. They can be viewed by heading to https://www.barc.net/barc-publishes-covid-19-guidelines-for-competitors-and-officials/Â