Up to Speed: 22-24 October 2021

Friday 22 October 2021

Welcome to the latest edition of Up to Speed. Here is a look at some of the motorsport action across the UK and overseas this weekend.

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Round 10 at Brands Hatch 

The British Touring Car Championship gears up for the final round at Brands Hatch this weekend. Five drivers have the chance to take the 2021 title and walk away with one of the most coveted prizes in British motorsport. 

Briton’s Ash Sutton heads into the race weekend as the current leader in the standings, with Colin Turkington only 32-points behind in second place, closely followed by Tom Ingram (third) and Jake Hill in fourth. In recent rounds, BTC Racing driver Josh Cook has worked his way up the standings to sit within the top five and can enhance his championship position at Brands Hatch.

Watch the Sunday race on ITV4 from 10:45 am or get all the latest updates here.

F4 British Championship certified by FIA – Rounds 28, 29 & 30 at Brands Hatch 

Alongside the BTCC, the F4 British Championship heads into its final championship weekend of the 2021 season. Four drivers have their sights set on bringing the championship trophy home, with three races to try to secure maximum points. Young Briton Matthew Rees, who secured the championship lead in the previous round at Donington Park, looks to seal the Rookie Cup honours. 

Find the latest news on the F4 British Championship website.

Drift Pro Championship – Round 3 at Snetterton 

The Drift Pro Championship holds its final round at Snetterton on Sunday (24 October), promising a full day of tyre smoke and exceptional on-track manoeuvres. It’s all down to the judges deciding who showed the most control and style out on track and selecting the winner.

Get all the updates from Snetterton or on the Drift Pro Championship website.

British Historic Rally Championship – Carlisle Stages Rally 

The 2021 Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally champion will be crowned at the Carlisle Stages Rally this weekend. Nick Elliott and co-driver Dave Price missed out on the championship win at the last round after an engine issue on their Fiat 131. As a result, there is now a three-way battle for the 2021 championship between Ben Friend and co-driver Cliff Simmons and Baz Wheeler and John Pickavance. 

Who will stand at the top of the podium? Keep up with the latest news here. 

Asphalt Rally Championship – Ford Parts Cheviot Stages

The Ford Parts Cheviot Stages marks the penultimate round of the 2021 Asphalt Rally Championship, with British driver Jason Pritchard looking to secure his third Asphalt title. The dominating duo of Pritchard and Phil Clarke, along with their close competitors on the grid, will face the challenging course to secure those crucial points ahead of the final stage in November. 

Receive the latest updates on the Asphalt Rally Championship here. 

British Sprint Championship – Round 10 at Castle Combe 

Although Steve Miles has already secured the 2021 British Sprint Championship, the drivers head into the next round at Castle Combe, organised by Bristol Motor Club, to decide the remaining championship positions. Catch all the action on the live Facebook stream

Scottish Rally Championship – Carlisle Stages Rally 

As the final round of the Scottish Rally Championship approaches, it’s crunch time for the two crews in the running for the Overall Drivers and Co-drivers titles. Jock Armstrong and co-driver Cammy Fair will go head-to-head with Garry Pearson and Niall Burns at the Carlisle Stages Rally. And the competition is just as close in the Bob Shepherd Junior battle, with only one point between championship contenders Johnnie Mackay and Jordan Anderson. 

Keep up with all the rally action and find out who will grab one of the six awards here. 

British Sporting Car Trials Championship – The Stone Trough

Organised by the Northern Phoenix Trials Car Club (NPTCC), The Stone Trough event occurs on Saturday. Follow the British Sporting Car Trials Championship on Facebook to find out more.

Overseas…

Formula 1 – Aramco United States Grand Prix 2021 

Formula 1 heads into its eighteenth race, which takes the teams and drivers to the Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix. It is the first time since 2019 that the championship heads to COTA. British driver and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is currently second in the standings, with only six points sitting between him the championship lead. Fellow Briton and Motorsport UK Academy alumnus Lando Norris continues to push to finish the season in the top three. 

Watch all the racing action on Channel 4, Sky Sports F1 and the F1 app, or get all the updates on the F1 website here. 

W Series – Round 7 & 8 at Circuit of the Americas

W Series’ second season will end with two races on the same weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. The series’ seventh and eighth rounds of the season – and first on-track races to be staged outside of Europe – will take place on Saturday and Sunday in support of F1’s United States Grand Prix.

After six rounds this season, Alice Powell (Racing X, GBR) and defending champion Jamie Chadwick (Veloce Racing, GBR) are tied at the top of the W Series championship standings on 109 points. Emma Kimiläinen (Ecurie W, FIN) is third in the table, 34 points behind Alice and Jamie, with a maximum of 50 points available from the two races at COTA.

You can watch Practice the W Series’ YouTube channel, with Qualifying live on Channel 4’s YouTube channel and the Race live on Channel 4.

[Images courtesy of Jordan Butters]