BARC Heads to Thruxton This Weekend

The British Automobile Racing Club is gearing up for the first of two blockbuster events at its spiritual home of Thruxton this coming weekend (October 24/25) as a host of championships continue their 2020 campaigns.

Put together post-lockdown to provide an extra date on the calendar for a number of categories, the fastest circuit in the UK is set to undoubtedly get pulses racing as title battles reach fever pitch and drivers duke it out for outright bragging rights.

Taking centre stage at the Hampshire venue for the first-time ever is the C1 Challenge. Providing a low-cost method of going endurance racing, the C1 Challenge has proven to be one of the fastest growing categories in the country since launching midway through 2017.

Often boasting huge grids, this weekend’s three-hour encounter is set to provide an abundance of thrills and spills as teams and drivers bid to write their name into the history books as the first winners in the series at Thruxton.

Unlike the C1 Challenge, the Kumho BMW Championship is no stranger to Thruxton having been a regular fixture at the circuit down the years. Home to all manner of models produced by the Bavarian manufacturer, the multi-class series has become a haven for full-throttle action.

Notable names to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend’s two races include James Card, Sunny Gill, Brad Sheehan and Darren Morgan-Owen, amongst others.

Thruxton will mark the penultimate event of the Mighty Minis Championship season and it is all to play for in the race to be crowned champion. Paul Ogborn holds the advantage in the Mighty Mini class whilst Neven Kirkpatrick finds himself in a similar position in the Super Mighty Mini category.

As is the case when it comes to the Mighty Minis contingent, both Ogborn and Kirkpatrick can’t rest for a second as things can change in an instant and each driver has a host of contenders chasing them down.

Further slipstreaming, wheel-to-wheel Mini madness will come in the shape of the Mini Seven Championship and Mini Miglia Championship. Stealing the show when they appeared on the TOCA support package at Thruxton last year, edge of the seat entertainment is all but guaranteed.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action will be two innovative Open Sports/Saloon car races after debuting at Mallory Park in late August.

Open to competitors who drive open/closed roof Sports & Saloon cars, regardless of what championship or racing club they compete in, providing they meet current Motorsport UK safety regulations, the new initiative is proving to be popular.

The format guarantees that everyone will be racing against those doing similar lap times, irrespective of the car they are driving, leading to much closer competition. Classes will be changed post-qualifying and post-race if competitors run two or more laps faster in a qualifying session or race than their nominated class allowance stipulates.