Track Action – Welcome to the BARC

BARC battles the elements to deliver Thruxton thriller

The British Automobile Racing Club served up two days of blockbuster entertainment on home turf this past weekend (July 6/7) as a number of championships battled the elements around the fastest circuit in the country, Thruxton.

Welcoming a bumper crowd for the 2024 edition of Convoy on the Plain, the high-speed Hampshire venue played host to a feast of exciting wheel-to-wheel battles across two full-throttle days – with the British Truck Racing Championship topping the bill.

Returning to action after an almost two-month hiatus, the titans of truck racing had everyone on the edge of their seats as they produced five blockbuster contests around the flowing 2.356-mile layout.

In Division 1, reigning eight-time champion Ryan Smith was untouchable out front as he bolstered his quest for a ninth consecutive title by delivering a five-star performance in his Daimler Freightliner.

Smith converted pole position in races one and two into comfortable lights-to-flag victories before he then showcased his overtaking prowess in the remaining three reverse grid contests, coming from the back of the grid to complete a clean sweep of race wins.

Division 2 saw John Powell and the returning Paul Rivett renew their rivalry as they enjoyed a share of the spoils that were on offer. Powell struck first with victory across the first three races before Rivett – who was returning from injury – tallied a double of his own.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship made a welcome return to Thruxton and the next generation of UK racers didn’t disappoint either as they delivered a trio of captivating races that were packed with action.

Harry Smith scored his fifth win of the season in the weekend’s opening bout, although this only came after on-the-road winner Jonathan Moore was given a one-place penalty after the chequered flag had fallen.

Neither Smith or Moore would be able to do anything about Josh Selvadorai in the remaining two bouts, with Selvadorai underlining his credentials as one to watch in the title battle by scoring back-to-back wins.

Matt Simpson’s absence from the Pickup Truck Racing Championship opened the door for the chasing pack to close in, and that’s exactly what they did as three different drivers stood on the top step of the podium.

Dale Gent held off a number of drivers to claim a hard-fought victory in race one before the experienced Mark Willis battled his way to the front to clinch a commanding victory in race two. Ryan Hadfield then capped off proceedings with a superlative victory in the weekend’s finale.

Ross Alexander was perfection personified in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport series as he powered his way to a hat-trick of wins – the second time this season he has achieved the feat.

Alexander entered the meeting as one of the favourites to triumph and he duly lived up to all expectations as he got the better of Stephen Berry and Freddy Hewitt in his Mini Cooper S on each occasion.

The Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship saw high-drama as Steve McDermid and Fergus Campbell clashed exiting Noble Corner in race one which resulted in substantial damage that ruled them out of both contests.

With two of the favourites to fight for victory watching on from the sidelines, Jonathan Candler stepped up to triumph in race one before Robb Addison then edged out Maninder Golhar to emerge victorious in race two.

Over in the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires, slip-streaming was at a premium as the tin top category delivered incredible racing which often saw three or more cars going side-by-side on the run up Woodham Hill.

Daniel Munro and Mark Ridout proved to be the stars of the show as they each claimed a win apiece. Munro held off Ridout for his crowning glory in race one before the latter struck back in devastating fashion in race two, winning by more than ten seconds.

Rounding out the weekend were two races from the ever-entertaining Track Action contingent, with victories going the way of Paul Roddison and Charlotte Birch – the pair being the cream of the crop throughout.

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

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – July 6/7

The British Automobile Racing Club takes centre stage with on home turf this weekend (July 6/7) as the British Truck Racing Championship headlines Convoy on the Plain at Thruxton Circuit.

On what promises to be a full-throttle feast of entertainment around the fastest circuit in the country, five colossal contests from the titans of truck racing are guaranteed to have everyone on the edge of their seats.

Making up the all-action support bill is the likes of the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Pickup Truck Racing Championship, MGOC Championship, Hyundai Coupe Cup and Track Action.

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

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

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

Blockbuster BARC action headlines Convoy Cymru at Pembrey

The British Automobile Racing Club took centre stage at Pembrey Circuit this past weekend (May 18/19) for an unforgettable two days of blockbuster track action, all of which acted as the headline acts for Convoy Cymru.

On what proved to be a weekend to remember in South Wales, a bumper crowd flocked to the popular venue for a festival of all things trucking – which included an eye-catching show truck display, live music, monster truck rides, electric motocross and much more.

Whilst there was plenty to see and do off-track, edge-of-the-seat entertainment was the order of business on it as a number of categories continued their 2024 campaigns in superlative style.

Topping the bill were five heavyweight contests from the British Truck Racing Championship, which – just like Brands Hatch for the season-opener – delivered an abundance of drama across both Division’s 1 and 2.

As expected, reigning Division 1 champion Ryan Smith was a force to be reckoned as he romped to a brace of wins however the Daimler Freightliner driver didn’t have things his own way. Fellow former champion David Jenkins would tally a double of his own while Steven Powell also stood on the top step of the podium.

In Division 2, with defending champion Paul Rivett forced to watch on from the sideline due to sustaining a broken ankle, John Powell set about closing the gap to the early points leader by sharing the spoils with Rivett’s NAPA Racing UK replacement, BTCC star Sam Osborne.

Powell laid down his marker with pole position and a lights-to-flag victory in the opening contest however mechanical issues prevented him from starting races two and four, which provided Osborne with the opportunity triumph. Powell would however win the remaining races in his DAF.

Westbourne Motorsport’s Harry Hickton maintained his lead in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy standings following three frenetic races of the popular tin top series in the Welsh countryside.

Hickton tallied a podium and a fourth place finish in races one and two before then coming to the fore in the finale, as he powered his way from third on the grid to claim a hard-fought victory – his third of the season so far.

Prior to Hickton reigning supreme, Jamie Keates splashed his way to the top of the rostrum in a wet’n wild opener before Alex Solley opened his account for the new campaign with a commanding win in race two.

Former BTCC race winner Matt Simpson enjoyed a near-perfect weekend in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship as he strengthened his early stranglehold on proceedings at the summit of the leaderboard.

Simpson was arguably untouchable out front for a majority of the event as he blasted his way to pole position in qualifying before then converting it into a brace of superlative wins in races one and two.

Dale Gent ultimately prevented Simpson from claiming what would have been a memorable hat-trick in the weekend’s finale as he underlined his credentials as a contender for the crown with a masterful defensive drive to hold off his rival and Mark Willis.

Like Simpson, Josh Selvadorai was another driver that narrowly missed out on clinching a clean sweep of wins as he laid down his marker as one to watch in the ever-exciting Junior Saloon Car Championship.

Series leader Harry Smith narrowly pipped Selvadorai to outright honours in a damp race one but from that point on the meeting belonged to the Citroen Saxo of Selvadorai as he piloted his way to a dominant double.

Behind him, Smith continued his fine start to the year by adding two more podium finishes to his tally while there was also silverware for Jonathan Moore and Kieran Roberts.

Paul Roddison was another driver that enjoyed a weekend to remember at Pembrey as he, like many others already mentioned, produced a double-winning performance – this time in the fledgling Track Action.

Roddison – who is a previous winner of the coveted BARC President’s Cup – guided his Volkswagen Scirocco to the chequered flag in races one and two before Dan Earl triumphed in his Vauxhall Astra VXR in the finale.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action were a pair of races from the Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship on Sunday, both of which were won by Deri Davies in his Darrian T90 and Damien Longotano in his Westfield SE.

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

You can also re-watch all of the action from Saturday and Sunday by heading to the British Automobile Racing Club YouTube channel HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend // May 18-19

The British Automobile Racing Club sets course for South Wales this weekend (May 18-19) for what promises to be a blockbuster two days of action-packed entertainment from Pembrey Circuit.

Headlining the on-track thrills at Convoy Cymru will be the titans of the British Truck Racing Championship while the likes of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy, Junior Saloon Car Championship and Pickup Truck Racing Championship are guaranteed to star.

Also joining them on the billing will be Track Action and the Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship.

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

Saturday 18th May – Pembrey – 12:25 – WATCH HERE
Sunday 19th May – Pembrey – 09:15 – WATCH HERE

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

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

BARC delivers Brands Hatch blockbuster on Easter Sunday and Monday

The British Automobile Racing Club concluded its blockbuster Easter bank holiday weekend at Brands Hatch on Sunday and Monday (March 31/April 1) with seven more championships bursting into life to kick-start their 2024 campaigns in action-packed style.

Taking centre stage in front of a bumper crowd at the Kent venue, no less than 21 races played out around the challenging 1.2-mile Indy circuit – each of which were packed with the traditional thrills (and occasional spills) that fans have become accustomed to.

Headlining the action were five heavyweight contests from the British Truck Racing Championship, which this year again boasted another ultra-competitive grid across both of its classes.

In Division 1, reigning eight-time champion and title favourite Ryan Smith dominated proceedings on the first day of running as he powered his Daimler Freightliner to pole position and back-to-back race wins in commanding fashion.

Unfortunately Smith was unable to repeat the feat on Easter Monday as windscreen issues plagued him in a handful of races. Instead, local driver Steven Powell would score a brace of his own whilst David Jenkins also opened his account for the year with a win in the finale.

Division 2 was ultimately all about one driver; defending champion Paul Rivett. Returning with NAPA Racing UK for a second successive season, Rivett enjoyed a dream weekend as he scooped all five Division 2 wins and even scored the overall victory in race four.

The Junior Saloon Car Championship launched its 10th Anniversary season in superlative style with second-year racer Harry Smith showing his class by taking a clean sweep of pole positions and race wins.

Continuing to serve as a launchpad for drivers aged 14 to 17, the one-make series demonstrated why it remains on the UK’s premier junior championships with two entertaining bouts.

Smith, who was one of the leading lights last year, underlined his credentials as being a star for the future as he charged to victory ahead of Jonathan Moore and James Sherrington, who each claimed a brace of podiums.

Matt Simpson began his pursuit of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship on the right foot as he claimed two of the three race wins that were up for grabs, while Allen Cooper scored the remaining victory.

Following the news that two-time champion Reece Jones will not be competing this year, the battle for supremacy in the series is set to be wide open, and Simpson wasted no time in establishing himself as the lead contender to possibly capture the crown.

Near capacity grids and close-quarter racing was the story of the SIM Motorsport Caterham Graduates Championship, which served up no less than four races during the weekend – each of which proved to be as captivating as the previous one.

Tom McEwing and Paul Goldstein claimed a win apiece in the two Sigma 135 races whilst Jamie Ellwood and reigning double champion Harry Senior emerged victorious from the remaining two thrilling Sigma 150 contests.

Andy Preece made a flying start to life in the Adrian Flux Insurance MG Owners Club Championship – which was boasting one of its most competitive entries in recent years – as he opened his 2024 account with two narrow victories.

At the wheel of his MG ZR, Preece fended off Mark Baker and Martin Willis in a pulsating opening encounter before then repeating the feat in race two, this time with Steve McDermid and Ryley Price as his main protagonists.

Elsewhere, Ross Alexander was wheel-perfect in the MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport as he claimed a clean sweep of race wins.

Looking to build on an encouraging 2023 campaign, the MINI Cooper S driver had the measure of last year’s overall victor Stephen Berry and the rest of the field to comfortably romp to a hat-trick of victories, laying his marker down as the one to beat in the process.

Rounding out the bank holiday action at Brands Hatch were two races from Track Action, which is previously went by the name of the Track Attack Race Club. Gareth Porter and Paul Roddison proved to be the cream of the crop from the budget-conscious category as they each snared a win apiece.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Brands Hatch, click here.