Britcar


Britcar is an endurance sports car racing and touring car racing series in the United Kingdom.
It was formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and John Veness formed the organizing European Endurance & Racing Club with a £10 note found on the ground. The foremost aim was the re-introduction of a 24-Hour Race in Britain.
At the end of the 2015 season, James sold the Britcar rights to Hedley Cowell Events Ltd. For the 2016 season, Claire Hedley re-launched Britcar Endurance as the Dunlop Endurance Championship and Dunlop Trophy Championship. 2020 season sees the grids grow to an exceptional capacity and also they have been invited to support the world famous WEC at Spa Francorchamps & Silverstone Grand Prix. The season has seen grids increase and this year mid to late 20’s on both. Races are 2 x 60 mins for Endurance & 2 x 50 Mins for Trophy.

Cars and results

There are two separate championships for different types of car; although some cars can run in both, they may be in different categories.
GT's, which include cars like Ferraris, Porsche Cup, Marcos, Moslers and Ginettas over a long-distance race, normally between 2 and 4 hours in length with a compulsory pit stop. Normally cars will have 2 or 3 drivers, but cars are sometimes driven by one driver, are given a longer time in the pits.
Production, which include cars like Renault Clio Cup, Seat Leon Supercopa, VW Golf, Porsche Boxster, BMW M3s, Lotus Elise and Mini Cooper S. These races are normally 90 minutes long, featuring a mandatory pit stop. There can be up to 2 drivers per car.
Drivers normally bring their own cars to Britcar events, where most cars are accepted if safe to race. Cars are assigned to different classes depending on the car, the car's equipment and other fittings the vehicle has.

Cars & classes

Cars that competed in the Britcar Endurance Championship from 2016 onwards.
ClassMakeModelTypeYears
1 Ferrari488 ChallengeCup2018
1 Ferrari458GTE2017
1 ArrineraHussaryaGT32017
1 Aston MartinV12 VantageGT32017
1 AudiR8 LMS UltraGT32016
1 BMWZ4GT32016, 2019
1 Ferrari458GT32016–2018
1 Ferrari488GT32018
1 LamborghiniGallardoGT32016
1 LamborghiniHuracánGT32016, 2019
1 MacGTaranisGT32016–2020
1 McLarenMP4-12CGT32016
1 McLaren650SGT32019
1 Mercedes-AMGAMGGT32017–2020
1 MoslerMT900GT32016–2018
1 RadicalRXCGT32017, 2020
1 RenaultR.S. 01GT32016
1 BrabhamBT62Hypercar2019–2020
1 SakerRAPX2018–2019
1 PragaR1TSuperlights2019
1 PragaR1SSuperlights2019
1 PragaR1T EvoSuperlights2020
2 Ferrari360 ChallengeCup2017
2 Ferrari458 ChallengeCup2016–2018
2 Ferrari488 ChallengeCup2018–2020
2 GinettaG55 SupercupCup2019
2 Porsche997 GT3Cup2016–2018
2 Porsche991 GT3Cup2017–2018
2 Porsche911 RSRGT22016, 2018
2 McLaren570SGT42019
2 VolvoS60Silhouette2018
2 SakerRAPX2017–2019
2 PragaR1SSupercar2020
2 BMW1M E82Touring2016–2019
3 Ferrari360 ChallengeCup2017
3 GinettaG55 SupercupCup2019
3 Porsche997Cup2019–2020
3 Porsche991 GT3Cup2019–2020
3 Porsche997 GT3Cup2019
3 Aston MartinV8 VantageGT42016–2018
3 BMWM3 E92GT42017
3 BMWM3 GT4GT42018
3 ChevronGR8GT42016
3 GinettaG55GT42016–2018
3 KTMX-BowGT42017–2018
3 LotusEuropa SGT42016
3 McLaren570SGT42018
3 PorscheCayman ClubsportGT42017–2018
3 SakerRAPX2020
4 GinettaG50Cup2016–2019
4 Porsche997Cup2019
4 Porsche997 GT3Cup2020
4 Aston MartinV8 VantageGT42019–2020
4 BMWM3 E92GT42017–2018
4 GinettaG50GT42016–2020
4 JaguarJaguar F-Type SGT42020
4 LigierJS2 RGT42020
4 Mercedes-AMGAMGGT42018–2019
4 Porsche718 Cayman ClubsportGT42019–2020
4 PorscheCayman Clubsport MRGT42020
4 AudiA4NGTC2018
4 ToyotaAvensisNGTC2017–2018
4 Alfa Romeo156 TProduction2019
4 HoldenMonaroProduction2017
4 HondaCivic Type R Production2018
4 AudiRS3 LMSTCR2017–2018
4 CUPRALeónTCR2017–2020
4 VauxhallAstraTCR2018
4 Peugeot308 Racing CupTCR2019
4 SEATLeónTCR2017–2020
4 VolkswagenGolf GTITCR2018–2020
4 BMW1M E82Touring car2019
4 BMWM3 E36Touring car2016–2019
4 BMWM3 E46Touring car2016–2019
4 BMWM3 E46 GTRTouring car2016–2017, 2019–2020
5 MiniJCW Challenge R56Cup2016–2017, 2019
5 GinettaG40Cup2016–2017
5 PorscheBoxsterCup2016
5 VolkswagenGolf Mk5Cup2017–2018
5 VolkswagenSciroccoCup2018
5 VolkswagenCCNGTC2017
5 Alfa Romeo156 TProduction2017, 2019
5 BMWZ4Production2019
5 FordFocusProduction2017–2018
5 HondaCivic Type R Production2016-2017
5 HondaCivic Type R Production2018
5 HondaCivic Type R Production2019
5 HondaCivic Production2019
5 SmartForfourProduction2017–2019

Drivers and teams

Britcar's driver list is long and has seen young drivers such as Moh Ritson to veterans like David Mason. Many well-known faces in other championships have competed in Britcar, such as ex-BTCC driver Mat Jackson; Ginetta G50 & Junior champion Nigel Moore; endurance racer Johnny Mowlem; Clio Cup UK runner-up Max Coates; professional BMW driver Kevin Clarke are only a few. The series has also helped form drivers who debuted in Britcar; Phil Hanson, who won his first full year of motor racing in cars, who would later become an ALMS champion; 2018 Endurance champion and W-Series driver Sarah Moore.
Ex-BTCC drivers Martin Byford and Stewart Lines have both found success in Britcar after their Touring Car ventures. Byford won the Endurance Championship in 2012 in a Lotus Evora, currently driving a CUPRA León TCR, as is Stewart Lines who also runs a CUPRA with his team Maximum Motorsport at selected events alongside running the Touring Car Trophy. Four-time BS/TCC champion Andy Rouse won the 2003 championship with his son Julian in an ex-DTM Mercedes 190.
Ex-Formula One driver Mike Wilds won the 2008 Britcar Production Cup with his son Anthony in a BMW M3.
Team BRIT, a team made almost entirely out of people with disabilities, entered the championship in 2019 with an Aston Martin Vantage. They will contest the Endurance Championship using the same car and the Trophy Championship running three BMW 116s.
Tockwith Motorsports, the 2016 and 2018 Endurance Champions, have participated in the championship since 2016 running mostly Ginetta G50s.
Many father-and-son teams also participate in Britcar actively.

2020 Season

For 2020, Britcar have devised a new series called the Britcar Trophy Category for cars under Class 4 performance; TCR and GT4 cars, for classes 5-7, of which the majority is made up of production cars, a few examples being the Smart Forfour, Mini JCW R56 and the Honda Civic Type R which are common contenders in Class 5. Some Trophy Category events will run alongside Endurance events but will also head their own events too.
Britcar will run as a support event for the 2020 round of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, with two non-championship races consisting of Endurance and Trophy cars, which will also be open to non-Britcar cars fitting class 1-7 specifications. The 2020 championship will also support the opening round of the 2020-21 FIA World Endurance Championship round at Silverstone.
As a series popular for its diversity in teams, cars and drivers that had regained the attention it lost before its reformation, Britcar were invited to support two WEC rounds, at Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone. It will not be Britcar's first visit abroad as it has raced at Spa-Francorchamps multiple times. Britcar stated "we are immensely proud that our endeavours to produce a professionally-run nationally-based Championship have been recognised by organisers of one of the biggest Championships in global motorsport."

Winners

Overall winner in each category, 2002 - 2019.
YearSeriesDriver 1Driver 2Driver 3TeamCar
2002Britcar SeriesPaul BatesJames PalmerBMW M3 E30
2003Britcar SeriesAndy RouseJulian RouseRouseSportMercedes 190 DTM
2004Britcar SeriesJohn HammersleyAndrew DunlopMark HammersleyGTS MotorsportBMW M3
2005Britcar SeriesHarry HandkammerDavid LeslieGTS MotorsportBMW M3
2006Britcar SeriesCalum LockieBo McCormickHargreaves MotorsportFerrari 360
2007Britcar GTSteve BellSimon LeithGeoff Steel RacingBMW M3
2007Production S1Mike GardinerPaul FentonMoore RacingBMW M3
2007BritsportsEdward LovettJ C HarrisLovett SportingNorma M20
2008Britcar GTJan PerssonRod BarrettJay ShepherdNeil Garner RacingPorsche 997
2008Production CupIan LawsonMike WildsAnthony WildsING SportBMW 320i
2009GTWitt GamskiKeith RobinsonMJCFerrari 430
2009ProductionKevin ClarkeWayne GibsonIntersportBMW M3
2010GTWitt GamskiKeith RobinsonMJCFerrari 430
2010ProductionRichard AdamsDavid GreenBullrunSEAT Cupra
2011GTCraig WilkinsAaron ScottGT3 Racing with KJ &TGDodge Viper
2011Production GTNAlex OsbourneJames MayAPO SportSEAT Leon
2012MSA British EnduranceRichard AdamsDavid GreenMartin ByfordBullrunLotus Evora
2012Production CupEdward CockillHarry CockillDaniels MotorsportSEAT Leon
2013MSA British EnduranceIan LoggieChris JonesTeam Parker RacingPorsche 997
2014EnduranceDavid MasonCalum Lockieff CorseFerrari 458
2015EnduranceDavid MasonCalum Lockieff CorseFerrari 458
2016Dunlop EnduranceNigel MoorePhil HansonTockwith MotorsportAudi R8 LMS
2016Dunlop GTChris MurphyJonathan CockerWhitebridge MotorsportAston Martin Vantage GT4
2016Dunlop ProductionMike MossTom HowardKevin ClarkeMoss MotorsportBMW M3 E46
2017Dunlop EnduranceWitt GamskiRoss WylieJoe MacariMJC FurlongerFerrari 458 GTE
2017Dunlop SprintRick NevinsonBrad NevinsonSean CooperTrack FocusedPorsche Cayman Clubsport GT4
2018Dunlop EnduranceSarah MooreMatt GreenwoodTockwith MotorsportGinetta G50 GT4
2018Dunlop SprintJon WattKristian ProsserMoss MotorsportBMW M3 E46
2019Dunlop EndurancePaul BaileyAndy SchulzSB Race EngineeringFerrari 488 Challenge

History

The successful first year of competition was in 2002, and following tremendous growth in 2003, it attracted Sky Sports coverage in their Motor Sports section in 2004.
The first year of the Britcar 24-Hour Race was 2005 which was won by Rollcentre Mosler of Martin Short.
This was followed by packed grids in 2006 season culminating in a capacity field for the 24-Hours.
EERC became a Motor Sports Association approved Championship in 2007 as well being the now essential 24 hours. It played a supporting role to the British round of the A1 Grand Prix.
In 2011 it became known as the MSA British Endurance championship.
Such was its popularity in some seasons that over-subscription meant there are reserves waiting for grid positions.
For the 2017 season, the format was changed. Drivers in all races would now accrue points towards the Dunlop Endurance Championship but drivers could choose to do two 50-minute races under the Sprint category, or one 50-minute and one 2-hour race in the Endurance category. Grids were combined and most events were to take place over a single day to save costs. The night race proved so popular in 2016 that a second night race was introduced, to run at Silverstone earlier in the same month.
For the 2019 season the format was changed again, merging Endurance and Sprint categories into a single grid for two 60-minute races per weekend, finishing the season with a single 60- and a single 120-minute night race at Brands Hatch.

Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour

Britcar traditionally hosted an endurance race on the Silverstone GP circuit.
The presenters of the well-known British car show Top Gear, namely Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - together with 'The Stig' - took part in the 2007 event, in a BMW 330d, coming third of the five diesel cars, and 39th overall, at the end of the 24 Hours.
At the end of the 2015 season, the rights for the Silverstone 24 hour endurance race were sold to Creventic to become the UK edition of their FIA "touring car" Endurance Series - although this round was then dropped in 2019.
For this event's history, see Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour