Up to Speed: 25 – 26 June 2022
The summer months mark the halfway stage for a number of British Championships this weekend, including the BTCC, British GT and all three major single seater categories in the UK.
That, plus a bumper weekend of rallying in Scotland and over 95 club-organised events make up this edition of ‘Up to Speed.
Around the Clubs
There are 95 motorsport events across the UK this weekend, and what better way to spend a sunny day than competing or spectating? There is bound to be something for everyone!
The Vintage Sports Car Club is heading to Dumfries for a Scottish Tour; if you are looking for more speed, the Liverpool Motor Club is holding the Aintree Summer Sprint at Aintree. Making the most of the summer months, the North Devon Motor Club has organised a Summer Autocross in Sugworthy, and the Buchan Off Road Drivers Club a Summer Solstice CCVT Trial. If you would rather some open-wheel race action, the Daniel Ricciardo Series is competing at Glan-y-Gors Kart Circuit in Snowdonia.
Be sure to check out some club events happening near you here.
British Touring Car Championship – Croft
BTC Racing’s Josh Cook still holds the upper hand in the British Touring Car Championship standings but will face stern competition from a whole host of drivers looking to head into the summer break on a high at Croft.
Cook (Honda Civic Type R) leads nearest rival Tom Ingram by 15 points, but the latter makes the journey to Yorkshire with the momentum, having seized pole position and two wins from three in his Hyundai i30 on the championship’s recent visit to Oulton Park.
Reigning champion Ash Sutton’s consistency keeps him third, but the NAPA Racing driver is yet to win in 2022 and would dearly love to put that statistic to bed this weekend. Team BMW’s Colin Turkington has a serial race-winning record at this weekend’s venue, earning him the moniker ‘the King of Croft’, and a repeat could be enough to propel him forward from fourth in the standings.
Live coverage will be available on Sunday on ITV4 and the ITV Hub.
ROKiT F4 British Championship – Croft
Hitech GP’s Alex Dunne has a commanding 68-point lead in the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA but, with almost half the grid having now won a race, the strength in depth of the competition is sure to produce fireworks at Croft this weekend.
Qualifying has been the key to the Irishman’s success to-date, with six wins, five of which were lights-to-flag from pole. In race trim, Dunne has proved fallible by the chasing pack, chief among them Williams junior Ollie Gray.
Gray is still looking for a first victory of the 2022 season but has been an ever-present on the podium thus far. His Carlin team-mate and McLaren protégé Ugo Ugochukwu sits third, the American no doubt keen to bounce back from a bruising trip to Oulton Park.
Elsewhere, keep a weather eye out for two first-time winners last time out, Louis Sharp and Daniel Guinchard. An established pattern in Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series is the emergence of title contenders as the season wears on, and experience builds. Both look like possible contenders come the season’s end.
Race 3 is live on ITV4 and the ITV Hub at 13:50 on Sunday.
Scottish and Asphalt Rally Championships – Argyll Rally, Dunoon
Dunoon will be welcoming over 140 rally cars and crews to the Cowal Peninsula this weekend as the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally hosts one of the biggest motorsport events in Western Scotland.
Taking place on the closed-public roads surrounding the coastal town of Dunoon for a second year in a row, a bumper list of entries will tackle two days of fast-paced rallying with some of the best sealed-surface rally drivers in the country taking part in the unique motorsport weekend.
Contenders in the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship make a welcome return to the event and will be joined for the first time by the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. The SD34 MSG Stage Rally Championship, AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship and the HRCR Mini Sport Cup, also make up a large quantity of the impressive entry list.
Thanks to the backing from Dunoon Presents and local businesses, local and regional Councils, Police forces and authorities, the rally will offer 62 miles of closed-road action throughout the weekend. From its now traditional base at Dunoon Stadium, the event will kick off with a double-header run of the Dunoon Town stage on Friday night before two more stages take place under the cover of darkness in the surrounding countryside.
Eight more stages follow on Saturday, before returning to Dunoon Stadium at around 16:40 for the finish celebrations and champagne spray.
Follow the latest from the event on the official website.
British GT Championship – Snetterton
A double header of 60-minute races will provide plenty of opportunity for teams in the British GT Championship to score big points around Snetterton’s 300 layout this weekend.
A bumper 30-car grid of GT3 and GT4 machinery will descend on the Norfolk venue, with Enduro Motorsport’s Morgan Tillbrook and Marcus Clutton arriving on a high in the former after a dominant display last time out at Donington Park.
Having scored victory by a record-breaking 59.9-second margin, the McLaren 720S crew arrive sixth in the points, currently headed by Ian Loggie’s RAM Racing Mercedes-AMG. In GT4, Stellar Motorsport’s Audi piloted by Richard Williams and Sennan Fielding remains the ‘one to beat’ and will be looking to bounce back from a bruising trip to Donington.
Live coverage across the weekend will be available on SRO’s GTWorld YouTube channel.
GB3/GB4 Championships – Snetterton
Snetterton marks the halfway stage in the 2022 GB3 Championship, with a packed 22-car grid set to tackle the 300 circuit this weekend.
Fortec Motorsport’s Joel Granfors leads Hitech GP racer Luke Browning by a single point at the championship summit, although both only took a solitary podium from Donington Park last month. A first podium, then victory for Max Esterton, therefore, moved him into contention in third, with Carlin’s Roberto Faria fourth.
In GB4, Nikolas Taylor’s recent momentum has earned the Fortec ace a 12-point lead over Max Marzorati at the championship summit. Alex Walker was the in-form driver early on, taking three wins from the opening five rounds, and could yet haul himself back into the frame with a strong outing at Snetterton.
Action from both championships will be live on the MSV TV YouTube channel.