Tag: Renault UK Clio Cup

All five TOCA support championships were in action at Donington Park this past weekend (April 28/29) with some new faces topping the podium.

Competing under the flightpath of East Midlands airport alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, the customary edge-of-the-seat thrills were on display for the thousands in attendance.

James Dorlin emerged as the man to beat in the Renault UK Clio Cup as he stormed to a pair of race victories, spring boarding himself up the points table. Clinching pole position on Saturday, the Westbourne Motorsport driver took a commanding victory in race one as he streaked clear of his rivals.

Further back Paul Rivett left WDE Motorsport with a mountain of work after he exited the circuit heading down the Crane Curves, hitting the wall hard – thankfully he walked away unhurt and made it out for race two.

If race one had been memorable, the second encounter for the one-make tin top category was a different spectacle altogether. In what turned out to be a dramatic three-way fight for victory, Dorlin went wheel-to-wheel with Jack McCarthy and Bradley Burns, pipping the pair as he bounced through the gravel to take the chequered flag and make it a dream double.

The Ginetta Junior Championship saw Luke Browning come to the fore as he scored two wins, narrowly missing out on completing a memorable hat-trick. Establishing himself towards the top of the times from the outset, the Richardson Racing driver powered his way to victory in races one and two.

Browning then played his part in a race three that will live long in the memory, as he chased kept himself permanently on the bumper of Louis Foster, who held his nerve to score a maiden victory in the series.

Spoils were shared in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup as Charlie Ladell, Tom Roche and Harry King took a win apiece. Underlining the depth in quality the championship once again boasts this year, Ladell strengthened his position at the helm of the standings.

His third victory of the year came in a fast-paced opener before Roche repeated his heroics from the corresponding event last year in race two. Capping off the action was youngster King, who on just his second outing since graduating from Juniors, took a popular win for Elite Motorsport.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB saw four different winners from four races as both Tio Ellinas and Lewis Plato joined the list of winners. Ellinas was measured in his race three win, holding his nerve off the start to take the chequered flag in a league of his own.

Plato meanwhile faced a stern test in the longer 33-lap encounter at the Leicestershire venue, fending off a trio of cars on the final tour to take his maiden victory.

Rounding off the support race action at Donington Park was the British F4 Championship, which once again took on a starring role. Johnathan Hoggard bagged a pair of wins whilst Kiern Jewiss also found his way to the to the top of the rostrum.

The TOCA support package rolls into Donington Park this weekend (April 28/29) with five championships set to do battle and continue their 2018 campaigns.

In what proved to be a dramatic opening event of the year at Brands Hatch, each category served up plenty of high-octane entertainment alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Plenty of tin top thrills came from the Renault UK Clio Cup as Max Coates and Paul Rivett took a win apiece at the Kent venue. Establishing themselves as early title contenders both will have to be at their best to ensure they remain towards the summit of the standings following rounds three and four.

More than a dozen drivers are hot on the heels of Rivett and Coates with Lee Pattison and Mike Epps leading the charge. Daniel Rowbottom, Jack McCarthy, James Colburn, James Dorlin, Bradley Burns, Zak Fulk are all on the fringe of throwing themselves into contention too – making picking a winner for this weekend as difficult as ever.

The Ginetta Junior Championship will no doubt do its best to steal the show with its latest crop of teenage racers. Former Scholarship winner Adam Smalley heads the field entering the weekend after scoring a win and a second place at the curtain-raiser. No doubt looking to either replicate or better those results from Brands Hatch, the Elite Motorsport driver arrives at the Leicestershire venue as the man to beat.

Both Luke Browning and Ruben Del Sarte scored rostrum finishers last time out and are the closest challengers to Smalley as it stands. Throw into the mix the likes of Fin Green and Louis Foster and you begin to see why the one-make championship is renowned for producing stars of the future.

The Juniors won’t be the only Ginetta championship competing under the flightpath of East Midlands airport this weekend however as the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup continues. Charlie Ladell grabbed two wins at Brands Hatch and he will be looking to continue his fine start to the season with further silverware.

Holding a slender three-point advantage at the summit, Ladell will need to be on top form across all three races, especially with the likes of Carl Boardley, Harry King and Jac Constable all breathing down his neck.

Spoils were shared between Dino Zamparelli and George Gamble in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB last time out and the battle for supremacy is set to further intensify at Donington Park. In what is shaping up to be a wide-open title fight this year, just four points separate the top three heading into the weekend with Zamparelli in control.

After narrowly missing out on the crown last year, the Redline Racing driver is gunning for glory and will be one to watch across both races this weekend, as will Tio Ellinas, Gamble and the ever-improving Lewis Plato.

Rounding out the track action at Donington Park will be three races from the F4 British Championship. Viewed as a crucial step on the motorsport ladder for those aspiring to make it to Formula 1, the single seater category has produced plenty of stars already.

Ayrton Simmons walked away with a brace of wins last time out and the youngster will be looking to go one better this weekend and make it a hat-trick, which in turn will see him scoop a prize of £10,000.

Sebastian Priaulx was the other race winner from the 2018 curtain-raiser and he will be keen to add further trophies to his collection in what is his maiden season in the category. Other drivers to keep a watch out for include the impressive Kiern Jewiss, Dennis Hauger and Jack Doohan.

Oulton Park played a host to a blockbuster two days of TOCA support race action this past weekend (June 9/10) as familiar stars prevailed and a variety of new faces came to the fore.

On what proved to be a scorcher both on and off the track, all five championships were in action around the Cheshire venue to write the latest chapter in their respective 2018 campaigns.

Spoils were shared in the Ginetta Junior Championship around the 2.23 mile circuit as Adam Smalley and Luke Browning took a win apiece. Browning had looked to be an unstoppable force in the series for 14 to 17-year-old’s, winning a fraught race one – however that was only the start of the story.

Due to the differential of his Richardson Racing machine having an insufficient amount of oil, Browning was excluded which therefore gifted Smalley the win ahead of Fin Green and Louis Foster. The team have since appealed the decision meaning the results remains provisional.

Having lost victory on Saturday, Browning and Richardson Racing struck back on Sunday with a flawless performance in race two as he romped into the distance to triumph by more than 11 seconds ahead of Foster and Greg Johnston.

The Renault UK Clio Cup had a familiar feel to it as James Dorlin continued his recent domination. Entering the weekend as the championship leader having won four races in-a-row, the Westbourne Motorsport driver stormed to pair of pole positions and dually backed it up in race one.

Launching off the line, Dorlin propelled himself into a lead that he ultimately never lost as he controlled the pace at the front to comfortably take his fifth victory on the bounce, extending his points advantage at the same time. Paul Rivett and Max Coates filled the remaining podium positions.

Dorlin’s win streak came to an end in the second race of the weekend however as Coates made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium. Getting the jump on Dorlin off the line, the Pyro racer withstood race-long pressure from Rivett, Dorlin and Bradley Burns to seal a second win of the year – closing the gap to Dorlin in the points too.

There was a brand new winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB over the weekend as Tom Wrigley took a breakthrough victory in race one. In a league of his own in qualifying, the JTR driver controlled proceedings to take a lights-to-flag win ahead of Lewis Plato and Tio Ellinas.

Race two of the popular tin top category saw another first-win take place, this time for Daniel Harper. In another frenetic bout, the JTR youngster kept his cool to storm to the chequered flag, with Plato and Ellinas once again occupying the remaining podium spots.

Fans were treated to two races from the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup and neither didn’t disappoint. Charlie Ladell further established himself as the man to beat in the series in the opener as he bagged victory in race. Withstanding early pressure from Harry King, the Rob Boston Racing driver stretched his legs out front and took victory by more than four seconds ahead of Carl Boardley and Adam Shephard.

Ladell further extended his ever-growing championship lead in race two in the GT4 Supercup as he once again put on a dazzling display at the front of the field, beating Boardley and Shepherd to the chequered flag for the second time in succession.

There was the traditional blend of high drama and entertainment in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost over the course of the weekend too, with a trio of races keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

Dennis Hauger became the latest driver to enter the winners circle in race one, clinching his maiden win in the single seater category despite finishing behind Kiern Jewiss on the road. A three-second time penalty demoted Jewiss to second whilst Patrik Pasma rounded off the podium.

Ayrton Simmons underlined his title credentials in the second race of the weekend as he won a tense 20-minute battle ahead of Jack Doohan. Outright honours fell the way of Jewiss in the final race as he led home Pasma and Paavo Tonteri.

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

The Ginetta Junior Championship, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Renault UK Clio Cup and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost heads to Croft on June 23/24 for the latest chapter of the season.

Advance tickets for the fifth meeting of the year are available until June 14, priced at just £11 for Saturday, £24 for Sunday and £33 for the full weekend. Head to the Croft Circuit website for more information.

Silverstone played host to a mesmerising two days of action from all five TOCA support championship’s this past weekend (September 15/16), with title battles further intensifying.

Louis Foster continued his march towards the summit of the Ginetta Junior Championship by adding to his impressive win tally. Having won four of the previous five races, Foster became the first driver this season to score a hat-trick of victories in a single weekend.

Following a red flag stoppage in race one for an accident which involved his title rival Adam Smalley, the Elite Motorsport driver maximised his opportunity to beat James Hedley and Luke Browning. Foster had to work even harder for his second win of the weekend as he withstood the challenge of Patrick Kibble and Browning – half a second covering the trio at the flag.

Foster underlined his recent dominance in the series with another stunning drive to beat Smalley and Kibble; and with it leave Northamptonshire as the new championship leader.

In the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup Charlie Ladell took a big step towards wrapping up the title with a trio of impressive performances. Having been the epitome of consistency throughout the year, the Rob Boston Racing driver made a return to winning ways in race one as he stormed to victory ahead of Harry King and Tom Roche.

Ladell doubled up in race two as he once again led King to the chequered flag whilst Carl Boardley snatched the final spot on the rostrum from Angus Fender on the final lap. Boardley bounced back in race three later in the day as he kept his championship aspirations alive with a controlled victory.

The Renault UK Clio Cup saw another twist in the title battle whilst it also welcomed a new name to the winners circle. As Max Coates spun out of the opening race, Bradley Burns came to the fore to write his name into the history books as the youngest ever race winner in the series – aged at just 17. Delivering a measured driver after muscling his way to the front, Burns kept his cool to take the chequered flag ahead of Paul Rivett and Daniel Rowbottom.

Burns put the exclamation point on his weekend at Silverstone with another storming drive to make it a dominant double. Following an early battle with James Dorlin, Burns hit the front and was subsequently never challenged as Dorlin fended off Rivett.

There were plenty of edge-of-the-seat thrills in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, however nobody could stop Dino Zamparelli in the first 28-lap race. Starting from pole position, the Redline Racing driver left his rivals in his wake as he charged to a fourth victory of the year whilst Tio Ellinas and Tom Wrigley rounded off the podium.

Wrigley would better his race one performance in the second Carrera Cup encounter later in the day as he jumped George Gamble off the line to power away and notch his latest victory. Dan Harper and Lewis Plato bagged silverware whilst Ellinas clawed back some points over Zamparelli in fourth.

Capping off a pulsating weekend of TOCA support championship action at Silverstone was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Johnathan Hoggard continued his impressive run of form in a frenetic opening encounter to notch his six win of the season, fending off the advances of series leader Kiern Jewiss and Jack Doohan along the way.

Doohan stormed to victory in race two ahead of Patrik Pasma and Ayrton Simmons before Hoggard capped off the day by narrowly triumphing in the third and final encounter of the weekend, adding to his already impressive win tally.

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

The TOCA support package will bring the curtain down on the 2018 season with what will likely be a dramatic final event of the season at Brands Hatch on September 29/30 – where titles will across the board will be decided.

The TOCA support package is back to full capacity this weekend (June 9/10) with five championships descending on Oulton Park for the latest event of the 2018 season.

With three categories only making the annual visit to Thruxton last time out, the hugely popular Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship supporting cast are back to full strength and ready to steal the show.

It has been a frenetic three events for the Renault UK Clio Cup and that is only set to continue at the Cheshire venue, with James Dorlin leading the way. The Westbourne Motorsport driver enters the weekend in control of the championship standings and with momentum on his side having won four races in-a-row.

Keen to extend that winning run, Dorlin will be one to watch although a host of front runners are all waiting in the wings, keen to score a win and end Dorlin’s victory streak. Max Coates, Paul Rivett and Daniel Rowbottom have all been firmly in the mix thus far, and along with a host of others, should be not be discounted at all.

The Ginetta Junior Championship is guaranteed to provide edge-of-the-seat entertainment wherever it goes and arriving at Oulton Park, Adam Smalley controls the standings after scoring a win and a second place at Thruxton.

Flying the flag for Elite Motorsport, Smalley has been one of many leading lights so far this season along with Louis Foster and Luke Browning, fellow race winners and the drivers that occupy second and third overall.

Having not raced at Thruxton, the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup returns to action this weekend with Charlie Ladell looking to pick up from where he left things as the dominant force. On the podium in every race thus far, as well as scoring three wins, the Rob Boston Racing driver has established himself as the early pace-setter, but his rein could come under a threat from a host of contenders.

Carl Boardley, Harry King, Tom Roche and Jac Constable are all firmly in the mix towards the front and none of them can be overlooked to take the fight to Ladell this weekend.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB is back on British soil and back on the TOCA package too after racing at Monza shortly after Donington Park. Returning from its traditional trip overseas, the one-make category currently has Dino Zamparelli leading the way after a string of impressive performances.

Spearheading the Redline Racing charge, Zamparelli has lived up to the mantel of title favourite so far but pressure from the likes of Lewis Plato and George Gamble will test him further.

Rounding out the track action from the TOCA support paddock this weekend will be three high-octane single seater encounters from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

With nine races in the books already, Ayrton Simmons remains the man to beat at the top of the standings have notched seven podium finishes already. Consistency has been key for the JHR Developments driver but the pack is chasing him and leading it is multiple race-winner Kiern Jewiss – a youngster who is getting better as each round passes.

Also in the mix for outright honours this weekend will likely be the Red Bull duo of Jack Doohan and Dennis Hauger, as well as Fortec Motorsports’ Johnathan Hoggard.

The TOCA support package returns to full strength at Silverstone this weekend (September 15/16) with five championship gearing up for what will be the penultimate event of the 2018 season.

Taking on a starring role alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship throughout the year, the TOCA package has once again proved entertaining, with twists and turns coming around every corner almost.

Those twists and turns are likely set to continue in the Renault UK Clio Cup, which returns to action after missing the annual trip north of the border to Knockhill. With four races remaining, two of them around the National layout of Silverstone, it is still all to play for in the battle for supremacy.

Max Coates leads the way currently but his advantage is a slender one with just seven points separating himself and former champion Paul Rivett. Westbourne Motorsport’s James Dorlin is also still in contention, albeit 30 points behind, and can’t be discounted from pushing his bid for a maiden Clio Cup crown up a notch.

On top of the main protagonists, the likes of Daniel Rowbottom, Mike Epps, Bradley Burns and Jack McCarthy have all shown that they too can mix it at the front on a consistent basis.

Adam Smalley sits at the summit of the Ginetta Junior Championship with two events to run and the Elite Motorsport drivers looks good value for his lead. Despite having not won a race since Snetterton, the former Scholarship victor has been the epitome of consistency and will be keen to further extend his advantage at Silverstone.

Hot on the heels of Smalley is Louis Foster, the form driver in the series as it stands. Four wins from five races have vaulted him into second in the standings, whilst Luke Browning isn’t too far back either. All three drivers stand a mathematical chance of walking away with the title although the question still remains who it will be.

In the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Charlie Ladell will bid to take a step closer to championship glory with another solid points haul over the course of the weekend. Having led the standings since the opening round, Ladell has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the year.

Ladell’s chief title rival is Carl Boardley and fresh off the back of his foray into the BTCC, the series veteran will be eager to eat into the 20-point deficit that he has to make up on the Rob Boston Racing driver.

Dino Zamparelli meanwhile will be looking to put a bit more daylight between himself and Tio Ellinas in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Just four points separate the top two as it stands and the Redline Racing entrant will be keen to bridge that gap as he bids to clinch the crown he narrowly missed out on in 2017.

The title fight remains wide open in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost with Kiern Jewiss leading the pack. The Double R Racing driver has been top of the tree since Oulton Park but his advantage has slowly been cut, with Ayrton Simmons giving chase.

Dennis Hauger, Jack Doohan and Patrik Pasma are just three more drivers that have made their presence known this year and all three could still stake their claim, starting this weekend in the three scheduled races that are set to be run.

With title aspirations set to further strengthen as well as some diminishing, the battle for supremacy around the home of British motorsport is set to be an enthralling one.

For all of the event information for Silverstone, including an event timetable and links to live timing, click here.