Tag: Renault UK Clio Cup

Renault UK Clio Cup to end after 2019 season

Renault UK has confirmed that the 2019 season will be the last for the Clio Cup, with the season finale at Brands Hatch in October being the one-make categories last.

In what is a decision that has not been taken lightly, the timing of the announcement by Renault UK coincides with the end of the current three-year TOCA contract and the last year of the fourth generation Clio.

Since its launch in 1991 the championship has achieved great success and its roots can be traced back to the mid-1970s when Renault first brought its single-model saloon car racing to the UK with the R5.

Appearing alongside the British Touring Car Championship for the past 19 years, the forthcoming season will mark two decades of the two competing on the much-loved popular package.

Down the years the Renault UK Clio Cup has proven to be the ideal proving ground and stepping stone for drivers to jump into the BTCC, with countless names stepping up. Of those, 14 have gone on to win races whilst three have become BTCC champions.

All other Clio Cup championships across the globe are unaffected by this decision.

The 2019 and final Renault UK Clio Cup season will launch at Silverstone on March 22 for its customary Media Day before the first of 18 pulsating races begin around the Brands Hatch Indy layout in early April.

Paul Rivett crowned Renault UK Clio Cup champion following successful MSA appeal

Paul Rivett is now a four-time Renault UK Clio Cup champion after winning an appeal to over-turn a stewards’ decision to disqualify him from round 16 of the season at Silverstone in September.

More than a month on from Westbourne Motorsport’s James Dorlin provisionally winning the championship at Brands Hatch, the Motor Sport Association’s (MSA) National Court took place on November 6 where the matter was decided.

Having been originally disqualified from the final result of round 16 by the Clio Cup Clerk of the Course following an on-track incident with title rival Max Coates, Rivett appealed the disqualification at the circuit however the decision was upheld by the stewards.

Rivett and WDE Motorsport then chose to lodge a further appeal at the MSA’s National Court and after further evidence was heard, the Court ruled in Rivett’s favour.

Reinstated into third position in that Silverstone race, Rivett was handed back 20 championship points which was enough to take him to the top of the standings ahead of Dorlin and allow him to add to his 2002, 2004 & 2011 crowns.

“A fourth title is very special but I’d also say extra special because this is the one I’ve had to work the hardest for,” Rivett said. “This title shows just how much the WDE team has grown and improved since I first joined them in 2014.

“Looking back I’d say the pivotal moment in the season was Donington Park in April – we suffered a very heavy crash in race one and the crew only had three hours to get my car repaired for race two.

“The fact they managed it and it was still good enough to take fourth place was massive for us – it earned us 18 points without which we would not have won this title.

“To everyone in this team – the mechanics, technicians, team boss Wayne Eason, all my sponsors and my family – I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’.”

Click here for the amended and final Renault UK Clio Cup championship standings.

Brits take centre stage as Jack Young triumphs in Clio Cup International Final

Renault UK Clio Cup drivers underlined their class at Paul Ricard this past weekend (November 3/4) as Jack Young led a British 1-2 in the Clio Cup International Final to win a brand new Renault Megane R.S.

Bringing together the top Clio Cup competitors from around the world, the coveted race saw drivers from Central European, Chinese, Spanish, French, British and Italian Clio Cups battle it out to bring the curtain down on a successful 2018 campaign in France.

Having showcased their supremacy in the Central European block of races, with Max Coates triumphing in race one before Young scored a win of his own in the second encounter, the British duo turned the wick on their competition in qualifying for the grand final.

Fighting for track position against 37 other Clio Cup cars in the 30-minute session, Young and Coates hit the top of the timesheets midway through qualifying and were then never bettered, with Young edging UK championship runner-up Coates by a mere 0.210.

Brett Lidsey, the third UK Clio Cup competitor competing at the event, hustled his MRM Racing machine to fifth place – further underlining the superiority of the British contingent.

Getting a clean start as the lights went out, Young converted his pole position into a lead that he would ultimately never lose, producing a superlative lights-to-flag performance.

With Coates and Benoßt Castagné hot on the heels of the 17-year-old Northern Irishman, the top three soon broke away from the chasing pack, as battles took place throughout the bumper field.

Lidsey would run as high as fourth at one stage but would soon tumble down the order before being involved in an incident with David Pouget, which put the Frenchman on his roof and ended Lidsey’s race on the spot.

Back at the front, last year’s Clio Cup Junior champion held his nerve to take the chequered flag and land the biggest prize of his relatively short career so far. Coates finished second whilst CastagnĂ© rounded out the rostrum in third place.

Commenting on his victory, Young said: “This is amazing! Honestly, I still don’t quite believe it looking at how strong the field was. Max pushed me all race long, like he did earlier in the weekend.

“Little by little, he closed the gap, but I managed to pull away after the safety car. From there, I just had to control until the chequered flag.

“This is great and unreal, but I hope I’ll be able to defend this title next year!”

TOCA support championships head north of the border to Knockhill

Four support championships on the TOCA package will make the annual pilgrimage to Scotland this weekend (August 25/26) with title battles set to further intensify as the 2018 season moves toward an exciting climax.

In what is one of the highlights of the year, the journey north of the border to the picturesque Fife circuit has been an entertaining one down the years – and that is set to be no different this weekend.

The Ginetta Junior Championship arrives at Knockhill with Adam Smalley still leading the points having extended his lead to 45 markers at Rockingham. Underlining his title credentials with an impressive run of results, the former Scholarship winner has been the driver to beat for much of the season and will look to bridge that gap between himself and his rivals even further on Scottish soil.

Behind Smalley are a host of challengers, with Louis Foster and Luke Browning leading the way. The pair emerged as the winners from Rockingham earlier in the month and will be hard to bet against being the leading protagonists this time round too.

James Hedley, Fin Green and Patrick Kibble will also be drivers to look out for as the battle for supremacy hots up.

Last competing on the TOCA support package at Thruxton in May, the Protyre Motorsport GT5 Challenge rejoins the fray for a pair of races that will likely keep fans on the edge of their seats.

James Kellett currently sits atop of the championship standings, holding a 39-point advantage over Shane Stoney. Kellett and Stoney look to be the drivers to put money on triumphing around the 1.2 mile circuit however the likes of Geri Nicosia, Max Bird and Alex Toth-Jones can’t be counted out either.

Missing the most recent event at Rockingham, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB is also back in action this weekend with the championship battle delicately poised.

As it stands, four drivers realistically look set to do battle for the coveted title with Dino Zamparelli leading the way, The Redline Racing driver was hotly tipped as one to watch at the start of the year and has reinstated that fact with three wins, propelling him to the standings summit.

Tio Ellinas, Tom Wrigley and Lewis Plato are all in the mix once dropped scores have been applied and will be eager to close the gap to Zamparelli further too.

Capping off the weekend’s action at Knockhill will be a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. In what has been another stellar campaign for the single seater category, this weekend’s triple-header could play a pivotal role in the outcome of the title.

Kiern Jewiss makes the long trip north with the chasing pack all trying to catch up him. Ayrton Simmons, Dennis Hauger, Jack Doohan and Sebastian Prialulx, amongst others, meanwhile have all shown what they are capable during the year and will be looking to take the fight to Jewiss.

Snetterton serves up blockbuster weekend of TOCA support championship action

All five TOCA support package championships returned to action at Snetterton this past weekend (July 28/29) and there were edge-of-the-seat thrills all the way.

Resuming battle following the annual mid-season break, the Norfolk venue provided a fitting backdrop to two full-throttle days of high-octane entertainment.

The Ginetta Junior Championship produced a host of thrills and spills, with Luke Browning and Adam Smalley sharing the spoils. Races one and two belonged to Richardson Racing’s Browning as he took back-to-back victories, both on Saturday as the Norfolk venue basked in the sunshine.

Championship leader Smalley, who had to look on as Browning cleaned up, ensured he claimed the final bragging rights of the event with a win of his own in race three. The Elite Motorsport driver was made to work for his sixth victory of the season though as he was hounded to the chequered flag by Browning, the pair seemingly in a league of their own.

Harry King and Charlie Ladell emerged as the stars of the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup with King bagging a pair of race wins too. The Elite Motorsport hotshot proved to be the man to beat early on in the weekend and he solidified that fact with two perfect drives in races one and two.

Ladell meanwhile added yet another victory to his 2018 record as he maintained his lead in the championship heading into the business end of the season.

There was an emotional first win in the Renault UK Clio Cup for Daniel Rowbottom during the weekend too. In treacherous conditions, Rowbottom scythed his way from ninth into second on the opening tour, and then was involved in an almighty scrap for the lead with James Dorlin. After several laps of going back and forth, Dorlin out-braked himself at Wilson, giving the Cattaclean driver a lead he ultimately never went on to lose.

Race two from the Clio Cup saw championship leader Max Coates bounce back from his race one woes to notch another win. Losing the lead at the start, the Team Pyro driver battled back to pass Dorlin and then pull away from his rivals, taking victory ahead of the aforementioned Dorlin and Lee Pattison.

Spoils were shared in the two Porsche Carrera Cup GB races with Dino Zamparelli and Tom Wrigley each toping the podium. In wet conditions, Zamparelli controlled proceedings in race one as he grabbed an early lead and was ultimately never headed.

The second race of the day saw the circuit substantially drier, giving Wrigley the opportunity to showcase his talents and stake his claim to the title with a measured performance, taking the chequered flag by a mere eight tenths of a second ahead of Lewis Plato.

Finally, the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost produced three exhilarating races to kickstart the second half of their season. With another bumper grid of single seater machines primed for battle, Snetterton provided the perfect backdrop for rounds 16, 17 & 18.

Dennis Hauger came out on top in a dramatic opening encounter, leading home an Arden 1-2 with Sebastian Priaulx hot on his heels. Race two saw a new driver come to the fore as Paavo Tonteri scored his maiden F4 victory, taking the lead at the start and then never being challenged from there.

The final race of the weekend from the F4 contingent saw Jack Doohan make it three different winners from three races, pipping fellow race winners Hauger and Tonteri.

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

The action continues for the TOCA support package on August 11/12 as the Renault UK Clio Cup, Ginetta Junior Championship, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost head to Rockingham.

TOCA support championships produce all-out action at Rockingham

There was action all the way on the TOCA support package this past weekend (August 11/12) as four championships continued their campaigns at Rockingham.

The Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup delivered three different winners as the title battle took another twist around the partial oval circuit. Tom Roche was the man to beat in race one as he converted pole position into a flawless win.

Championship leader Charlie Ladell won on the road in race two but he wouldn’t step on the top step of the podium, that would fall to Carl Boardley. Ladell was hit with a ten-second time penalty after being adjudged to have started out of position, dropping him to fourth overall.

Harry King signed off the weekend for the Supercup paddock by sweeping to a comfortable victory in race three ahead of Ladell and Angus Fender.

There were plenty of twists and turns in the Ginetta Junior Championship at Rockingham as it too staged a trio of races over the course of the weekend. Saturday belonged to rookie Louis Foster, who vaulted himself firmly into title contention with a brace of wins.

Foster’s first win came after a breathtaking move down the inside of Patrick Kibble at the Tarzan hairpin on lap six. From there, the pair diced all the way to the chequered flag with Foster pipping Kibble whilst Adam Smalley finished third. Foster’s second win of the weekend came after he emerged from a titanic tussle in the lead to win, Luke Browning and James Taylor rounding out the rostrum.

Treacherous conditions greeted the Junior contingent for their final race of the weekend and Foster almost made it a hat-trick of wins. Running Browning close throughout the ten-lap encounter, he could do nothing to stop the Richardson Racing driver scoring his latest win, whilst Smalley scored another podium in third.

In the Renault UK Clio Cup, spoils were shared between Daniel Rowbottom and Jack McCarthy. Off the back of his maiden victory in the series at Snetterton, Rowbottom was at it again as he stormed to a commanding win in race one. Taking the lead on lap three, the Cataclean-backed racer was unstoppable as he headed Paul Rivett and McCarthy. Elsewhere points leader Max Coates found himself out of luck and out of the race, forced into retirement following contact.

McCarthy became the latest winner in the series in a wet race two as he controlled proceeding’s to take a memorable first triumph. Getting the better of Bradley Burns early on, the Pyro Motorsport driver edged out the chasing duo of Mike Epps and Coates, both of whom capped off the podium.

The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost served up plenty of entertainment across its three races, with a host of drivers coming to the fore. In a lively opening encounter, Patrik Pasma delivered a scintillating performance to score his maiden victory in the single seater series, leading an Arden Motorsport 1-2-3 ahead of Red Bull Junior duo Jack Doohan and Dennis Hauger.

Johnathan Hoggard was back in the winners circle for race two as he narrowly pipped Kiern Jewiss in a thrilling 14-lap race, with Doohan third. Pasma added a second victory to his CV in the final race of the weekend, producing another superlative drive to top the podium.

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

Next stop for the TOCA support package will be north of the border at Knockhill, where the Ginetta Junior Championship, Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup and the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost will all do battle on August 25/26.

James Dorlin overhauls points deficit to provisionally seal Renault UK Clio Cup title

The Renault UK Clio Cup title fight went down to the final lap of the season at Brands Hatch this past weekend (September 29/30) with James Dorlin eventually overhauling his rivals to provisionally be crowned champion in his second season in the series.

In what had been a pulsating season-long battle, four drivers descended on the Kent circuit in mathematical contention for the coveted title but when the dust settled on the weekend’s two races, the Westbourne Motorsport driver celebrated championship glory.

Having entered the weekend sitting third in the standings, the BRDC Superstar picked up silverware in race one before setting his sights on taking control of the championship battle in the final race of the year.

Launching from the outside of the front row, Dorlin overhauled Bradley Burns for the lead on the opening lap heading into Graham Hill Bend and soon made his escape. Behind, series leader Max Coates found himself in the thick of the action but could not make headway.

Despite having to deal with two safety car periods, the former Junior Saloon Car and Michelin Clio Cup Series champion held his nerve to take his sixth victory of the season and with it, the 2018 Renault UK Clio Cup title.

Dorlin’s title, though, is provisional, pending an appeal to the MSA National Court by Paul Rivett and his WDE Motorsport team.

Commenting on his title win, Dorlin said: “This is the biggest achievement of my career so far, without a doubt.

“To win at this level in front of the British Touring Car teams, crowds and ITV cameras and because of the very high level of competition that the Clio Cup attracts means it carries massive credibility.

“I had all sorts thrown at me during the race but I knew so long as I kept the lead and it wasn’t Max in second then it was coming my way. Any pressure actually helped me stay focused and winning was the only thing on my mind.

“It’s great to get it the title with a sixth win and I have to say a massive ‘thank you’ to my team Westbourne Motorsport who I’ve come through the system with and sponsors Vantage Motor Group and GardX. And of course my family who’ve been with me all the way since I first started racing.”

Daniel Rowbottom, who had been in contention at the start of the weekend, produced a superlative performance in the opening encounter to storm to his third victory of the year. Converting pole position into the race lead, Rowbottom served up a mesmerising performance as he fended off the charging duo of Burns and Jack Young.

Further down the order the trio of Dorlin, Rivett and Coates diced but it was to be the Westbourne Motorsport driver that held the advantage. As the laps ticked by Young soon found himself in trouble as he was hit with a ten-second penalty for a false start – promoting the title trio.

The race however would not reach its conclusion following a heavy crash for Nicholas Reeve and Brett Lidsey at Dingle Dell. Reeve came off worse as his machine hit the tyre wall hard and subsequently rolled, causing substantial damage to his Specialized Motorsport machine.

Due to severe damage to the barrier, the race was red-flagged with Rowbottom declared the winner with Burns and Dorlin rounding off the podium.

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

Three drivers set to represent UK Clio Cup in International Final

Max Coates, Jack Young and Brett Lidsey are set to represent the Renault UK Clio Cup at Paul Ricard on November 3/4 as they take part in the International Renault Clio Cup Final.

Bringing together the leader competitors from all Clio Cup categories, the battle to be crowned the best driver in the series will take place around the circuits full-length Grand Prix layout in a 25-minute plus one lap race.

In addition to the UK Clio Cup, other championships being represented include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, ‘Central Europe’ and China – all of whom are putting some of their fastest drivers forward to duke it out for a brand new 280hp MĂ©gane Renault Sport.

Winning four races on his way to narrowly missing out on the 2018 UK Clio Cup title, Pyro Motorsport’s Coates is raring to take on the competition and sign off his year in style with yet more silverware.

In an interview with the Arabic news outlet 7alal he said: “I’m just very excited to be going to Paul Ricard – what an awesome event! This will be my second race overseas in 2018 which started in a Clio Cup car in the 24 Hours of Dubai endurance event.

“It’s going to be a challenge against other drivers from mainland Europe who will already know the circuit, but I’m going to give it my best shot and hopefully I can come away with a shiny new MĂ©gane R.S!”

MRM Racing duo Lidsey and Young both enjoyed strong campaigns over the past year, each scoring a best result of fifth place.

“It’ll be nice to race on the continent again after getting some strong results in the Benelux and Central Europe Clio Cup championships in the last few years,” Lidsey said.

“There are going to be a lot of good drivers going to Paul Ricard but I want to use the event to show what we are capable of – we were strong in the UK this year but results didn’t always go our way. This is a chance to end 2018 on a high before we look to 2019.”

Young added: “It’s going to be a very hard event to win – we don’t know the track whereas the Italian, Spanish and French drivers certainly do!

“However the UK championship I believe is the hardest of all the Clio Cups out there so, after being on the pace in the four events I did do, I’d like to think that we have the pace to be right at the sharp end at Paul Ricard.”

Clio Cup International Final spaces up for grabs at Brands Hatch

The Renault UK Clio Cup title won’t be the only prize up for grabs at this weekend’s (September 29/30) Brands Hatch season finale, with the top six drivers in the championship standings and the Graduates Cup champion set to secure entry to the prestigious International Renault Clio Cup Final event at Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

Taking place on November 3/4, the event will bring together the best drivers from Clio Cup championships France, Italy, Spain, Central Europe, the UK and China for a thrilling end of season winner-takes-all race run over 25 minutes plus one lap. The winner of the race will receive a brand new 280hp MĂ©gane Renault Sport.

As it stands, the trio of Max Coates, Paul Rivett and James Dorlin have all secured their spots virtue of sitting inside the top three whilst Bradley Burns has also done the same after clinching the Graduates Cup at Silverstone.

Daniel Rowbottom, Michael Epps, Jack McCarthy, Lee Pattison, James Colburn and Dan Zelos could all still have their say on booking their spots too.

Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager, Will Fewkes, commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity for up to seven of our drivers to take on the best of the best in Clio Cup competition from across the world. Given the UK Clio Cup’s track record for producing the very best touring car stars of the future, we are confident we will be very well represented.

“This event rekindles the spirit of the famous Renault Finals of old and we very much look forward to discovering at Brands Hatch who will be going to Paul Ricard. We also have at our discretion the option to send an additional driver to represent the UK Clio Cup.”

Tarik Ait Said, Sporting Manager, Renault Sport Racing said: “Gathering all the Clio Cup championships that Renault holds worldwide, the Clio Cup International Final will not only be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the enduring success of Clio but also a stage where the cream of the crop of each national Cup will be pitched against each other to crown the best among the best.

“Given the level of competitiveness that the UK Clio Cup has shown over the years, we expect the British contingent to be on the pace straight away. And don’t forget, a brand new MĂ©gane R.S. awaits the winner at the end of the weekend for the taking!”

Qualifying for the Renault UK Clio Cup weekend of the season is scheduled to take place at 10:55 on Saturday before race one beginning at 16:00 later that day. The final round of the season will be screened live on ITV4 on Sunday, with lights out set for 13:30.

Knockhill returns to Renault UK Clio Cup calendar for 2019

The Renault UK Clio Cup has confirmed that it will make a welcome return to Knockhill next year after unveiling its 2019 calendar.

Having not staged an event at the picturesque Scottish venue since 2015, the popular TOCA support series will descend on battle it out around the undulating Fife circuit on September 14/15.

In addition to the return of Knockhill, the Clio Cup will instead compete at just one of the two Thruxton events that are pencilled in as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s schedule.

The championship will instead descend on the fastest circuit in the UK on August 17/18 whilst there will also be trips to Brands Hatch top and tailing the calendar and visit Donington Park, Croft, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Silverstone.

Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager, Will Fewkes, said: “We are very pleased that Knockhill is back on our calendar for 2019 following a four-year absence.

“Knockhill has produced some of the Clio Cup’s most exciting moments throughout the years – its circuit lay-out is like no other and the welcome the championship has always received there means it is also much liked by our teams and drivers.

“Furthermore, Scotland has historically been an important marker for Renault and also boasts an enthusiastic community of Renault Sport owners. We look forward to seeing many of them at Knockhill next year.

“Another reason for moving away from a spring date at Thruxton creates an ‘early breather’ in the calendar for teams and drivers – importantly this gives them an opportunity to spread their costs further across the season.”

2019 Renault UK Clio Cup Calendar

Rounds 1 & 2 – Brands Hatch Indy – April 6/7

Rounds 3 & 4 – Donington Park – April 27/28

Rounds 5 & 6 – Croft – June 15/16

Rounds 7 & 8 – Oulton Park – June 29/30

Rounds 9 & 10 – Snetterton – August 3/4

Rounds 11 & 12 – Thruxton – August 17/18

Rounds 13 & 14 – Knockhill – September 14/15

Rounds 15 & 16 – Silverstone – September 28/29

Rounds 17 & 18 – Brands Hatch GP – October 12/13

All for to play for in TOCA support championships at Rockingham

The battle for supremacy across the TOCA support championships will continues this weekend (August 11/12) with Rockingham playing host to the latest stop on the 2018 calendar.

In what has been another memorable season across the board thus far, four categories will continue their campaigns on the popular partial-oval circuit based in Northamptonshire.

Arriving at every weekend bar one as the points leader, Adam Smalley remains firmly in control of the Ginetta Junior Championship and is still the teenager to beat currently. Further success at Snetterton last time out maintained his healthy advantage at the summit of the standings however a host of contenders are all still within touching distance.

Virtue of his two wins at Snetterton, Luke Browning has moved up into second place in the standings, and along with leading rookie Louis Foster, could still wrestle the lead from former Scholarship winner Smalley. Tipped as the drivers to beat, those drivers could steal the show although there are plenty more youngsters all keen to make their mark too.

Whatever the outcome, three high-octane races from the Junior category is certain to get fans on the edge-of-their-seats and will also likely play a pivotal role in deciding the destiny of this years title.

In the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Charlie Ladell and Carl Boardley look set to renew their rivalry as they battle for championship glory. At one stage the pair were split by just a single point at Snetterton, that changed however when Ladell notched his latest victory in race three at the Norfolk venue.

Now separated by 20 points, all eyes will be on Boardley to see if he can close the deficit to Ladell over the weekend’s three encounters. Tom Roche, Harry King and Jac Constable will also be one’s to watch as they bid to catch the top two as well.

Six races remain in the Renault UK Clio Cup, including the two here at Rockingham, and there are still no less than 11 drivers in contention of lifting the coveted title. It is likely that that number will come down this weekend although the question by how many and who is yet to be answered.

Max Coates, Paul Rivett and James Dorlin have proved to be the leading protagonists this season and the top three have pulled away from the chasing pack; all should be battling it out towards the front once again as they bid to better each other.

Off the back of scoring his maiden victory, Daniel Rowbottom will look to continue his pursuit of the top three with more success whilst the likes of Mike Epps, Lee Pattison and Jack McCarthy can’t be counted out either.

Capping off the weekend’s racing around Rockingham will be three races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. The single seater category has had many gripped this year with a raft of drivers all s taking their claim to being the one to lift the iconic title at the end of the year.

Leading the way as it stands is Kiern Jewiss, who will be hoping for better fortunes after a gruelling Snetterton event which yielded just 12 points. Ayrton Simmons remains Jewiss’ nearest challenger but the likes of Dennis Hauger, Sebastian Priaulx, Patrik Pasma and Jack Doohan are all also zeroing in too.

TOCA support package ready to return for Snetterton spectacular

It is not just the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship that returns this weekend at Snetterton (July 28/29), with all five TOCA support categories also resuming battle following the customary mid-season break.

In what has already been an action-packed campaign for the variety of one-make championships, the annual trip to Norfolk will spark the second half of the season for all five – and the intensity is set to increase.

Grabbing a lot of the headlines so far this season has been the Renault UK Clio Cup, and that theme could continue across the weekend’s two races. Max Coates arrives at Snetterton as the series leader but the Team Pyro driver has stiff competition hot on his heels.

Multiple champion Paul Rivett has proved to be a continuous threat so far whilst James Dorlin will be keen to get back in the mix after a tough Croft. The Westbourne Motorsport driver won five races in-a-row earlier in the year but came unstuck at his home event.

The likes of Daniel Rowbottom, Dan Zelos, Jade Edwards, Ben Colburn, Mike Epps and last year’s Renault UK Clio Cup Junior champion Jack Young, who makes his debut this weekend, will also be ones to look out for.

There is always an abundance of entertainment in the Ginetta Junior Championship and this year’s crop of 14 to 17-year-olds have showcased that once again. Former scholarship winner Adam Smalley currently leads the way after a strong Croft event and he will be keen to extend his advantage in the weekend’s two nine-lap encounters.

On his tail however are a host of youngsters that have been in the mix from the get-go. Louis Foster, Luke Browning, Fin Green, Ruben Del Sarte, and Gus Burton are just five drivers from a stacked entry list that can stop Smalley from further strengthening his position at the top of the points.

Further Ginetta action will be on display at Snetterton in the shape of the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup. A trio of races are set to be run around the challenging 300 circuit and the title race is set to hot up as Charlie Ladell looks to continue his run of being on the podium in every race so far.

Carl Boardley scored a hat-trick of wins at Croft last time out and closing the gap to series leader will be his main goal whilst Harry King, Tom Roche and Carl Shield will all also be eyeing that top step of the rostrum.

Racing for the first time since Oulton Park, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB will get back on track with two races during the weekend. In what has already been a tense battle at the top of the points, Tio Ellinas currently leads the way but Dino Zamparelli, Tom Wrigley, Lewis Plato, George Gamble and Dan Harper are all in the championship conversation.

Capping off the weekend’s blockbuster action is a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Kiern Jewiss is currently the drive to beat in the single seaters series but the likes of Ayrton Simmons, Dennis Hauger, Sebastian Priaulx and Jack Doohan lead the fight into Snetterton.