Snetterton delivers title drama as Hart and O’Neill-Going share victories

TCR UK Touring Car Championship – Rounds 6 & 7
Snetterton – 11th & 12th July 2026

Max Hart ignited his TCR UK championship challenge with a commanding victory at Snetterton last weekend (11-12 July) before points leader Jenson O’Neill-Going responded with a reversed-grid triumph.

Two races on the Norfolk circuit’s three-mile layout produced the close-quarters action for which TCR UK touring cars are renowned, and left the title fight finely poised. Just 15 points separate the top three drivers as the season approaches its mid-point.

Qualifying

Callum Newsham continued his unbeaten record in qualifying by topping the timesheets for the third consecutive time this season. The JH Racing driver put his Hyundai Elantra N on pole position by just 0.06 seconds, ahead of Max Hart’s ALM Motorsport-run Honda Civic Type R FL5.

Newsham, carrying 30kg of compensation weight after his strong showing at Croft, admitted his surprise at setting the pace at a circuit he felt didn’t suit the car. Also carrying 30kg, Hart reckoned he would have been on pole but for a couple of mistakes as he suffered with oversteer.

Harry Bloor (DT Racing Developments Honda) was delighted to achieve his best-ever qualifying position in third, half a second down on the ultimate pace. The young gun would start alongside fellow teenager Jenson O’Neill-Going (Power Maxed Racing Honda), who was satisfied to make row two on a circuit that isn’t among his favourites.

Two-time champion Carl Boardley (CBM with SVG Motorsport Honda) could only manage fifth fastest, 1.2s off Newsham’s benchmark, after choosing not to pit for fresh rubber mid-session and having a couple of times disallowed for track-limits infringements.

On such a long circuit, pit visits have a significant impact on the number of flying laps available to a driver. Brad Hutchison (Capture Motorsport with MPH Racing CUPRA Leon VZ) was another whose quick laps were set on the same set of tyres. He wound up sixth fastest overall, only 0.04s slower than Boardley, despite managing a balance issue and having a lap that would have put him fourth struck off.

Rod McGovern (Power Maxed Racing CUPRA) was seventh fastest and best of those registered for the Goodyear Diamond Award – for drivers aged 40 and over.

The fifth Honda in the field, driven by Hall’s Racing driver Max Hall, was down in eighth after a difficult session. Multiple track-limits infringements meant that Hall had yet to record a time before pitting for fresh rubber, compounded by a wiring loom failure. While his best disallowed time would have put him fifth on the grid, Hall would have to make do with a place on row four.

GDA runners Ricky Kerry (EDF Motorsport Hyundai i30 N) and Mark Smith (Capture Motorsport CUPRA) would line up on row five, ahead of Barry-John McHenry (Vannin Motorsport Audi RS3) and local man Luke Allen’s Gen 1 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

SNETTERTON QUALIFYING RESULT

Round 6 – Race Report

Hart immediately surged into the lead of Sunday morning’s race, leaving Newsham to slot into his wake.

Behind the lead pair, it was a very busy run to the first corner at Riches. Bloor’s Civic moved before the lights went out, then hesitated, which led to Boardley clipping O’Neill-Going’s car as he darted around the stuttering machine. Hutchison also took to the grass in avoidance.

Boardley and Bloor came off worst, dropping down the order. The veteran lost further ground as he ran wide at the second corner, the Wilson hairpin.

O’Neill-Going emerged in third ahead of Hutchison, with Hall the big beneficiary as he took fifth from McGovern at the Agostini hairpin after running side by side with the Irishman through the left-hander at Palmer.

Out front, Hart was still suffering from oversteer aboard his Honda, which allowed Newsham to stay on his tail – albeit unable to mount a genuine lead challenge – for the opening few laps.

Hutchison set the fastest lap of the race as he closed up to O’Neill-Going before relieving him of third position with a fine move around the outside of Nelson – the second part of the Esses.

Hutchison’s next target was Newsham, who was forced to focus more on his mirrors, which allowed Hart some breathing space.

The Irish star took full advantage as he tamed his slightly wild steed over the second half of the race and pulled clear to the tune of 3.7s for an overdue first win of the season. It was also his first for four years, having returned to the championship alongside his TCR Europe campaign this year.

With Newsham struggling for traction onto Snetterton’s long straights, Hutchison breached his defences with three laps remaining. It was the Yorkshireman’s second podium of the season and came despite feeling he was carrying a slight balance issue.

Newsham had to settle for third, albeit well clear of the chasing pack. That was headed in the closing stages by Bloor and Boardley after strong recovery drives.

Bloor picked off McGovern at the Esses, then passed Hall at Wilson in the second half of the race, with Boardley further demoting the Hall’s Racing car a couple of corners later. As O’Neill-Going struggled for pace in the closing laps, both Bloor and Boardley dived past in one move at Agostini, and Hall further demoted the points leader later in the lap.

But Bloor and Boardley were to be denied by penalties. Bloor was hit with a 10s sanction for his jumped start and picked up 15s worth of track-limits censures which dropped him back to eighth in the final classification. Boardley earned a 5s track-limits penalty which dropped him to fifth.

So Hall was classified fourth, despite an alternator issue, and O’Neill-Going was promoted back into the top six. Jenson also took Tom Walker Trophy honours, for rookies and drivers without a podium prior to 2026.

Goodyear Diamond Award winner McGovern was seventh. Behind Bloor, the top 10 was completed by Kerry – who had suffered clutch failure – and Smith.

SNETTERTON ROUND SIX RESULT

Round 7 – Race Report

The top 10 from the opening race are reversed to form the grid for each weekend’s second contest and so it was Smith and Kerry who formed the front row for Sunday afternoon’s sequel.

Sadly Kerry would be unable to take the start. Having borrowed a clutch from JH Racing, the Suffolk driver suffered further transmission woe on the green flag lap, with a driveshaft or differential the suspected culprit. Kerry did well to get his Hyundai to safety and allow the race to proceed without delay.

As the race got underway, Smith was immediately rounded by row two starters McGovern and O’Neill-Going at the first corner. Hall and Boardley further demoted the Capture CUPRA ahead of the Wilson hairpin.

O’Neill-Going elbowed his way past McGovern to take the lead at Hamilton and sought to quickly open a margin, but Hall was also through into second before the end of the lap. Boardley and Hart made it a Honda Civic top four with moves on McGovern through the infield section on the next tour.

Hall set the fastest lap as he closed up to O’Neill-Going and began to exert pressure on his fellow teenager. Having got a run through Palmer on lap five of 11, the Gloucestershire racer tried to make his move into Agostini but ran wide under braking.

The mistake let O’Neill-Going off the leash and allowed Boardley into second. Hall lost another position to stablemate Hart at the start of the next lap as he attempted to challenge Boardley, but quickly bounced back by seizing on a mistake from Hart to retake third at Williams.

But it was now Boardley who was the biggest threat to O’Neill-Going securing a second win of the season. After a number of clashes, there is no love lost between the two, and Boardley quickly closed down the 2s gap.

The Suffolk star attempted to prise an opening, and his best chance came on the final lap when O’Neill-Going ran slightly wide at Agostini. Boardley tried to squeeze through on the inside but O’Neill-Going shut the door and held on to win by less than half a second. In the process, he reclaimed the points lead that he had briefly lost that morning.

Second position was still Boardley’s best result since returning to TCR UK at the start of the season. Hall and Hart followed them home, each frustrated that their mistakes had cost them better results but reasonably satisfied with decent points hauls.

Hart was, in fact, the weekend’s top scorer, which took him to second in the championship standings, 12 shy of O’Neill-Going. Newsham is a further three adrift after a difficult run to seventh in the second race; his Elantra suffered with its weight, particularly in the heat. Next time out at Donington Park, which is expected to better suit the Hyundai, could be a different story. And with 40 points for a win, and the championship less than halfway through, there is still a long way to go.

Hart was shadowed home by Hutchison, while Bloor came through for sixth. The latter had been forced to start from the back of the grid after being unable to provide camera footage to assist the clerk of the course with judicial proceedings after the first race.

Behind Newsham, McGovern took the Goodyear Diamond Award laurels in eighth overall. McHenry and Smith completed the top 10, the latter penalised for an out-of-position start.

SNETTERTON ROUND SEVEN RESULT

TCR UK next moves on to Donington Park on 8/9 August, where it will be in action in front of a big crowd alongside the British Truck Racing Championship. Popular sister series, the Civic Cup and Audi Cup, will also be racing on what promises to be a weekend full of action.

Driver quotes

Round 6 winner, Max Hart

“We had a plan and it was to get in front from the first lap, and then it was trying to mind the tyres. The set-up was possibly a little bit off, maybe a bit too much oversteer. But by the end of the race the car was really good.

“Callum [Newsham] put me under serious pressure at the start so fair dos to him, we know he’s going to be quick at the start of the race.

“It means the world to me. I work so hard to get on the grid and every trophy you get to bring home is a trophy not just for me but for my team of sponsors and the actual team of ALM and JAS Motorsport.”

Round 7 winner, Jenson O’Neill-Going

“That was a brilliant race. It was really hard to hold off Carl [Boardley].

“A massive thank you to my brother because at the start of the weekend we were massively struggling with understeer, and now we’ve managed to win again.

“It’s a phenomenal car now. We have been trying to dial it in for months, and you could see I was comfortable. I love a loose car – it was perfect.”

Championship positions after Snetterton

Next time – Donington Park National

The 2026 TCR UK Touring Car Championship moves into the second half of the 2026 season with the first of two visits to Donington Park, starting with the National circuit on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August.

The Leicestershire venue plays host to the next triple header event of the season, where rounds 8, 9 and 10 will take place in front of a huge packed crowd during the weekend as the championship makes its first visit to “Convoy in the Park”, one of the year’s largest British Truck Racing Championship events.

With 15 points separating the top three drivers in the championship and having five different winners from the first seven rounds, the second half of the year is sure to hit fever pitch as the fight for the 2026 drivers’ title continues.

You can purchase tickets for the next event of the 2026 season at Donington Park from their website:

https://www.donington-park.co.uk/2026/august/convoy-in-the-park

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 2026 TCR UK Touring Car Championship Calendar events, visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/2026-calendar/ for more information.