All roads lead to Silverstone this weekend (12-13 October) as the home of British motorsport hosts the TCR UK Touring Car Championship decider.
We are all set for a three-way title showdown, while new cars plus new and returning faces make for plenty more intrigue.
Reigning champion Carl Boardley leads the way heading into the championship finale on the 1.85-mile International Circuit, which uses Silverstone’s famous Wing Pits complex. The CBM with Hart GT driver holds a healthy 46-point advantage in the title race as he seeks to become only the second two-time champion in TCR UK’s history.
Boardley’s five race wins so far in 2024 aboard his CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR are more than anyone else has achieved. But with 129 points on offer at Silverstone’s triple-header round, and the jeopardy of no dropped scores to fall back on, he knows that one wrong move will open the door to his pursuers.
They are headed by Bond It with MPH Racing’s Brad Hutchison. Another driver using CUPRA power, Hutchison has been among the championship’s most consistent drivers. His wins at Snetterton and the Silverstone National circuit have been supplemented by nine other podium finishes to keep himself in the title hunt.
The third title contender is Callum Newsham of JH Racing, who is currently 65 points shy of Boardley. Newsham has arguably been this year’s quickest driver, putting his Hyundai i30 N TCR on pole position at half of the events to date. He also has four wins to his name, including in the opening race last time out at Thruxton.
But Newsham’s title chances were dealt a massive blow when he crashed out of Thruxton’s second race and was unable to start the third.
It is only thanks to superhuman efforts from the JHR crew and a massive sponsorship push from the Hampshire-based driver that Newsham will be on the grid this weekend. While Boardley and Hutchison each carry 30kg compensation weight at Silverstone, Newsham is boosted by being ballast-free. You can be sure he will be giving his all to pay everyone back for their hard work and support.
Four-time race winner Adam Shepherd is no longer in contention for the title after a string of mechanical dramas in recent events. But Shepherd will be out to remind the contenders what could have been in his Shepherd Motors with Area Motorsport-run CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR.
Area Motorsport expands to a three-car line-up this weekend, with the exciting addition of two brand-new cars that have never raced before in the UK. The third-generation CUPRA Leon VZ TCR will make its UK debut, with two examples in the hands of father-and-son pairing Steve and Sam Laidlaw.
Laidlaw Sr became the championship’s newest winner last time out and has shown his commitment to TCR UK by upgrading his equipment for the second time this season. Son Sam makes the switch from his previous Capture Motorsport-run Hyundai and will aim to get to grips with his new mount ahead of a full campaign in 2025.
Two drivers are making their TCR UK debuts too. Former Milltek Sport Civic Cup star Ryan Bensley makes his long-awaited graduation to the championship with his ex-Cyan Racing world-conquering Lynk & Co 03 TCR. It will be fascinating to see how the experienced tin-top pedaller adapts to the Motion Motorsport-run car, a sister example to the one in which Viktor Andersson – who drove it in TCR Europe last year – won the season opener.
Stepping up to TCR UK from the Audi TT Cup support series is Andrew Dyer. A regular TT frontrunner, Dyer remains with ARK Motorsports as he climbs aboard a Hyundai i30 N TCR to make his touring car debut.
Luke Sargeant (RS Vehicle Sales Audi RS3 LMS TCR) and Stewart Lines (Maximum Motorsport Hyundai i30 N TCR) continue in their Thruxton mounts, while this weekend’s grid is further boosted by returns for Matthew Wilson (CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR) and Alistair Camp (Hyundai i30 N TCR).
JW Bird Motorsport driver Wilson makes his second appearance of 2024 after breaking into the top four on the Silverstone National circuit in the summer. One-time Civic Cup champion Camp returns to TCR UK for the first time since he won on only his second outing in the category at Donington Park last year.
Camp joins up with JH Racing to form a three-car squad alongside Newsham and Darron Lewis. The latter is a shoo-in for this year’s Goodyear Diamond Award, for drivers aged 40 and over.
The Gen 1 Cup, for older-generation cars, will also be decided this weekend. Rick Kerry (EDF Motorsport CUPRA TCR) leads the points standings against season-long challenger Will Beech. Class competition comes from Cedric Bloch (SGM with Sport77 Audi RS3 LMS TCR DSG), who is back on the grid after missing Thruxton, and Mark Smith (Richmond Fire Motorsport CUPRA TCR).
On-track action begins with qualifying at 1105hrs on Saturday morning, ahead of Round 18 of the championship at 1730hrs. Two further races take place on Sunday. Following the always-popular popular public gridwalk, Round 19 – the reversed-grid race – will get under way at 1335hrs. The season finale, Round 20 of the championship is due to get under way at 1735hrs on Sunday.
For those unable to make it to Silverstone, all the action will be streamed live on TCR UK’s YouTube channel, with expert commentary and analysis.
You can purchase tickets for the final event of the 2024 season, at Silverstone on the International circuit, from their website: https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/tcr-uk-touring-car-championship-season-finale
To find out more about the TCR UK Touring Car Championship visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/ for more information and how to get involved.
To learn more about the 2025 TCR UK Touring Car Championship Calendar events, visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/2025-calendar/ for more information.
Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the 2024 season via our website and social media channels:
Website – https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/ ️️️️
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Twitter – https://twitter.com/TCRUKOfficial
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Threads – https://www.threads.net/@tcr_uk_series
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Useful information and livestream links:
SILVERSTONE FINALE SATURDAY LIVESTREAM
SILVERSTONE FINALE SUNDAY LIVESTREAM
