Up To Speed: 14 – 15 May
There’s a great weekend of motorsport coming up, including the next chapters in the BTCC, ROKiT British F4 and British Endurance Championship title fights, as well as no fewer than 124 grassroots motorsport events across the UK.
Here is everything you need to get up to speed with this weekend:
British Touring Car Championship – Brands Hatch
Championship leader Tom Ingram will be aiming to widen his points lead at the next three rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, which take place at Brands Hatch this weekend. The EXCELER8 Motorsport driver is currently clear at the top by just seven points, after a flying start to the season at Donington Park, in which Ingram took victory in the first race of the new hybrid era driving his Hyundai i30.
Reigning champion and NAPA Racing UK driver Ash Sutton is only nine points behind Ingram, with Gordon Shedden splitting the two drivers, currently sat in second. Factor in the rest of the ‘usual suspects’ – the likes of Josh Cook, Colin Turkington, Adam Morgan and Jason Plato – and fans are set for a bumper weekend of tin-top action around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit.
Qualifying will commence at 15:50 on Saturday and is broadcast live on itv.com/btcc, with the first race scheduled to start at 11:30 on Sunday.
Follow the action on the ITV website or tune into ITV4 from 11:00 on Sunday.
F4 British Championship – Brands Hatch
Alex Dunne has put down a marker as an early contender for the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA title, after a stellar performance in the first three rounds of the season at Donington Park.
Despite only being signed by Hitech GP days before the start of the season, the 16-year-old claimed a hat-trick of podiums, including two wins, on the season-opening trip to the East Midlands. Now with a 37-point lead, he looks towards making further gains at Brands Hatch.
His closest challengers, Oliver Gray and Aiden Neate, will be looking to strike back after silverware-laden starts to their respective campaigns, and McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu will undoubtedly be after a repeat of his Omologato Pole Position, claimed last time out on the day of his 15th birthday.
As part of a 16-car field, this weekend will also mark Carlin’s Louis Sharp’s debut, as he is now old enough to compete in the championship.
Two practice sessions kick off the weekend’s action on Friday, followed by that all-important qualifying session at 09:00 on Saturday morning. Racing then commences, with two races in the afternoon – held at 13:25 and 17:10; the second race will feature a partially reversed grid. Sunday’s live, ITV-televised finale rounds out the action, scheduled to get underway at 14:50.
British Endurance Championship – Snetterton
The British Endurance Championship returns this weekend as it heads to Snetterton for the third round of the 2022 season.
Team BRIT drivers Andy Tucker and Luke Pound are currently sitting the top of the table with only one point separating the pair from second place pairing of Chris Goddard and Charlie Hollings. With there being just seven points between the top nine teams, the competitive spirit of the series, formerly known as Britcar, is truly alive and kicking.
Renowned for its tight, technical nature with long straights, the 2.99-mile 300 circuit at Snetterton will prove a stern test for a field featuring the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Ginetta and plenty more besides!
Follow the action on the British Endurance Championship website.
British Rallycross Championship – Pembrey
This weekend marks the third instalment of the British Rallycross Championship, and the halfway point of the championship as a whole as the series heads for Wales, and Pembrey Circuit.
After a successful run at Lydden Hill, top contender Oliver Bennett will be aiming to maintain his lead in the championship. With only a seven-point lead and fellow title challenger Derek Tothill consistently racking up points, this championship is still all to play for.
There is another close battle developing in the Junior Rallycross Championship, with Owen Robbins only six points clear in the lead ahead of both Max Langmaid and Max Watt.
Follow all the action this weekend on the British Rallycross Championship Facebook page or website.
British Sprint Championship – Blyton Park
The last of the Longton & District Motor Club organised sprint events until October takes place this weekend as the British Sprint Championship heads to Blyton Park for rounds three and four.
Steve Broughton has a tight fight on his hands this weekend to maintain the championship lead as he is only four points clear of challenger Peter Goulding. Broughton, who is battling it out in his 2.0 Dallara F399, made gains during the last round of the championship as he claimed first place, with Peter Goulding narrowly missing out in second.
With Goulding also running well at the first event in Anglesey, the championship is still all to play for with seven rounds to go.
Follow the action on the British Sprint Championship website or on their Facebook page.
Around the clubs
This weekend will showcase a wide range of disciplines that you can do in your standard road car or a car with minimal modifications. Among the highlights are Enniskillen Motor Club, who will be hosting the Keith Boyd Autotest for production cars. This can be done for less than £100, as all you will need is a free RS Clubman licence, motor club membership, entry to the event and your standard road car. There are a plethora of hill climbs happening this weekend with Newry & District Motor Club hosting the Drumhorc Hillclimb, and Hagley & District Light Car Club hosting the Interclub Hillclimb at Loton Park.
To find out about events local to you, be sure to visit our website and use our ‘find events’ tool: https://www.motorsportuk.org/events/find-events/
On the international stage
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – Berlin
There’s yet another electrifying weekend ahead for fans of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as the series heads to Berlin for rounds seven and eight.
All eyes will be set on championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne as he aims to extend his advantage at the summit, a ‘home’ victory for the Belgian driver and Monte-Carlo resident having elevated he and Mercedes-AMG to the top of the standings last time out.
With only six points between Vandoorne and title challenger Jean-Eric Vergne, this weekend’s racing is set to add another ‘spark’ to the championship battle.
Mitch Evans will also be one to watch this weekend after a double-victory in Rome moved him into title contention, and third overall. Robin Frijns is a further point back, and a whole host of British talents, including Sam Bird, Jake Dennis, Alexander Sims and Oliver Rowland, will be looking to make up ground after a rocky start to the campaign.
Follow all of this weekend’s Formula E action on Channel 4, with the race commencing at 13:30 BST on Saturday.