Bloor takes first ever TCR UK wins as Hart takes Championship lead at Dramatic Donington

TCR UK Touring Car Championship – Rounds 8, 9 & 10
Donington Park National – 8th & 9th August 2026

In an action-packed trio of races at Donington Park last weekend (8-9 August), it was Max Hart’s consistently strong performances that took him to the TCR UK summit.

Reigning champion Adam Shepherd made a winning return to the category before rising star Harry Bloor claimed a breakthrough victory – and then promptly followed it with another. But two podium finishes and fifth in the finale lifted Max Hart ahead of Callum Newsham to the top of the TCR UK points.

Qualifying

Callum Newsham’s 100% record in qualifying this year finally came to an end – by just 0.007 seconds. On his return to the category, reigning TCR UK champion Adam Shepherd set the pace aboard Vannin Motorsport’s Audi RS3 LMS.

Shepherd looked to have a healthy margin for much of the session. But JH Racing driver Newsham kept chipping away in his Hyundai Elantra N and came within the blink of an eye of pipping Shepherd in the dying moments.

Third fastest, matching his career best from the previous meeting at Snetterton, was DT Racing Developments’ Harry Bloor aboard his Honda Civic Type R FL5, 0.2s off the ultimate pace. Bloor was also quickest of those eligible for the Tom Walker Trophy – for rookies and other drivers without a TCR UK podium finish in previous years.

Bloor would be joined on row two of the grid for the opening race by Snetterton winner Max Hart (ALM with Hall’s Racing Honda). The Irishman managed a lap just 0.3s down on the pole time despite carrying at least 30kg more compensation weight than each of the cars in front.

The well-laden Honda Civics of Carl Boardley (CBM with SVG Motorsport) and Max Hall (Hall’s Racing) came next, ahead of Brad Hutchison (Capture Motorsport with MPHR CUPRA Leon VZ). Both Hall and Hutchison found themselves hampered by a lack of running after hitting problems in testing.

Gearbox problems for pre-weekend points leader (before allowing for dropped scores) Jenson O’Neill-Going (Power Maxed Racing Honda) meant he could only manage eighth on the grid.

The leading Goodyear Diamond Award contenders, for drivers aged 40 and over, came next. Rod McGovern (Power Maxed Racing CUPA) was ninth overall, and Rick Kerry (EDF Motorsport Hyundai i30 N) 10th.

On a triple-header weekend, drivers’ second-best times in qualifying determine the grid for the third race of the weekend. The order was little changed from the overall pace, with a swap between Hall and Hutchison representing the only difference in the top 10.

DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL QUALIFYING RESULT

 

Round 8 – Race Report

Shepherd converted pole position into the lead of Sunday morning’s first race, while a terrific start from the outside of row two allowed Hart to challenge Newsham for second into Redgate.

Newsham managed to hold onto the position as, behind them, Boardley slotted into fourth and Hutchison dived past Hall into the Old Hairpin for fifth. A difficult getaway for Bloor dropped him from third to eighth.

Before his tyres came up to temperature, Shepherd was finding his car looser than even he likes, and that gave Newsham the chance to go on the attack. The Hyundai closed up in the fast corners in the middle section of the circuit and nosed inside through the double-apex right-hander at Coppice. The pair banged doors down the straight before Newsham completed his move for the lead into the chicane.

Almost immediately, Shepherd found his tyres hitting their sweet spot, letting the Audi get back on the offensive. Shepherd got a run through the Old Hairpin and Schwantz Curve, retaking the lead into McLeans.

Hart had a perfect view of the lead battle and almost got in on the act himself, getting a run out of Coppice. But the Irishman’s extra 30kg on board played its part in helping Newsham hold him off.

Meantime, there was plenty of action in the midfield. Bloor’s fightback took him past O’Neill-Going and Hall into Redgate at the start of the second lap, but both his fellow Honda drivers were in trouble. O’Neill-Going’s gearbox gremlins returned and he toured into retire, while Hall was forced to pit with a puncture.

Released into clean air, Bloor punched in two fastest laps, breaking the lap record in the process, as he closed up to Boardley and Hutchison. As the teen star arrived on the scene, Hutchison made his move on Boardley at McLeans but was rebuffed by the two-time champion. That allowed Bloor to get a run, and he passed Hutchison to snatch fifth into the chicane.

The DT Racing Developments driver’s next target was Boardley and, running 30kg lighter than the similar car, he dived past at the Old Hairpin mid-race. Bloor continued his charge forward, catching and passing both Hart and Newsham in the closing laps, although neither made his life particularly difficult as both were aware of an impending track limits penalty for the young gun.

Out front, Shepherd had checked out. He secured a record 15th TCR UK triumph and only a fourth win for an Audi in TCR UK history. The Essex racer was classified 2.4s ahead of Newsham, with Hart a further 1.4s back in third after finding his tyres dropped off faster than expected.

Tom Walker Trophy winner Bloor’s penalty dropped him to fourth, with Boardley unable to benefit after picking up a similar censure himself.

Contact from his challenge on Boardley damaged a splitter mount on Hutchison’s car. He pitted for makeshift repairs which left him three laps down in 12th.

So Goodyear Diamond Award winner McGovern came through to sixth ahead of Kerry, Mark Smith (Capture Motorsport CUPRA), Russell Joyce (JH Racing Audi) and Barry-John McHenry (Vannin Motorsport Audi).

 

DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND EIGHT RESULT

 

Round 9 – Race Report

The second race of the weekend featured – as always – a grid based on reversing the top 10 from the opener.

That put McHenry and Joyce on the front row while the likes of Bloor and podium finishers Hart, Newsham and Shepherd had to fight their way forward from rows four and five.

While Joyce was understandably circumspect, McHenry held on to his advantage until he skated across the gravel at the Old Hairpin and let McGovern take up the running from fifth on the grid. He was followed through by Bloor, who had overcome his Achilles Heel of getting the Civic off the line.

As Kerry went wide through Schwantz Curve, his Hyundai got sideways and the Suffolk racer was unable to prevent it hitting Joyce’s Audi, sending both into the gravel at McLeans, further shuffling the order. Newsham’s hopes had already been severely dented by contact in the opening exchanges that pushed bodywork onto a tyre and forced him into a slow lap to the pits.

Through it all emerged Hart and Shepherd in third and fourth, with O’Neill-Going on their tails and Hutchison sixth. O’Neill-Going was on a charge and managed to shoulder past Shepherd through Redgate at the start of the third lap. However, the contact would cost him a licence endorsement and docked championship points.

Moments later, Bloor passed McGovern for the lead into the Old Hairpin, with Hart following through. McGovern was also passed by team-mate O’Neill-Going, Shepherd and Hutchison over the next lap, then a mistake at the chicane allowed Boardley and Hall by too.

Ballast-free, Bloor got his head down and posted a series of quick laps to open a margin to his pursuers. In a consummate display, he never really looked like being caught. The young charger crossed the line more than 5s clear to secure not only his own first win but also the first for DTR Developments, prompting emotional scenes on the pitwall.

Shepherd managed to work an opening past O’Neill-Going at Coppice mid-race, completing the move into the chicane. Now in clean air, he set the fastest lap as he closed in on Hart who was having to manage his tyres while carrying the maximum 40kg of lead. Shepherd dived past at Coppice on lap 13 of 18 but knew he had no realistic chance of catching Bloor’s Honda and settled for second.

Hart repeated his earlier result with another third position. It lifted him almost level on points with Newsham who had to pit a second time after suffering a puncture. High attrition meant Newsham’s Elantra was still classified eighth, despite being two laps down.

Further mechanical woe for O’Neill-Going forced him to slow having been under pressure from Hall for fourth. The PMR Honda dropped down the order and the young gun was denied a finish altogether when his fuel pump packed up.

Hall had already benefited from the retirements of Boardley and Hutchison. Contact when Boardley tried to pass Hutchison at McLeans left the CUPRA in the gravel and Boardley’s Honda limping back to the pits.

So it was Hall who took fourth, his pace improving as he honed the Honda’s set-up after the earlier lost track time. Goodyear Diamond Award winner McGovern was fifth, ahead of McHenry and Smith.

 

DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND NINE RESULT

 

Round 10 – Race Report

Shepherd was back on pole position for the weekend finale, and he made an almost perfect start while fellow front-row man Newsham had to fend off Bloor and Hart.

Bloor defied scares over a possible engine problem, which led to some frantic pre-race activity from his crew to make another decent getaway from third. Hart’s was even better, and the ALM-run Honda ran side by side with its DTR counterpart before slotting in behind.

There would be no repeat of his earlier serene drive to victory for Shepherd in this contest, however. The champion quickly detected a misfire aboard his Audi. He stood firm from a Newsham attack at McLeans on second tour and that actually gave him a lap’s breathing space as it meant Bloor got a run on Newsham. The DTR Honda drew alongside Newsham’s JH Racing Hyundai down the long back straight and completed his move for second on the outside line into the chicane.

Bloor closed up to the race leader and was there to pounce when Shepherd was distracted by his issue. The Audi ran wide at McLeans as its driver searched the dash for what the problem might be, allowing Bloor to grab the lead at the next corner.

So it would be Bloor who went on to record his second victory of the day in impressive style. He was never troubled thereafter en route to a victory that lifts him to third in the points standings. It also completed a hat-trick of Tom Walker Trophy successes which have fired him to the top of that sub-category.

Behind Bloor, the battles continued to rage. Hart completed a pass on Newsham for third after the pair ran side by side through the fearsome Craner Curves. But the Irishman’s work was immediately undone when he locked up at McLeans, allowing both Newsham and O’Neill-Going to charge past through Coppice. O’Neill-Going then dived past Newsham at the chicane to grab third.

Finally able to extract the full potential of his Honda, Hall was also on a charge. He picked off Hart – who was carrying a turbo problem – Newsham and O’Neill-Going on consecutive laps, then set the fastest lap as hunted down Shepherd. Hall completed a fine drive from seventh to second when he dived past Shepherd at the chicane in the final quarter of the race.

Despite his problem, Shepherd managed to bring the car home safely in third, completing the full set of podium finishes on a weekend where the champion showed he’d lost none of his touch.

O’Neill-Going looked set for fourth until his gremlins returned. Forced to limp around, his car eventually expired on the final lap but he was classified 11th.

Boardley recovered from an early mistake at Coppice to pass Hart for sixth as his fellow Honda driver lost ground. He then took Newsham for fifth into the chicane and that became fourth with O’Neill-Going’s demise. Boardley had a scare in the closing stages when he ran over some debris which damaged a wheel arch and led to him trailing clouds of tyre smoke. But he was able to drag the car home in fourth, just ahead of Hart.

Newsham should have benefited from O’Neill-Going’s and Boardley’s issues, but his own wretched luck returned when he picked up another puncture. After a slow lap and pitstop he was classified 12th, two laps down.

Hutchison finished sixth. The Capture Motorsport with MPHR driver climbed through the field from a pitlane start necessitated by an expiring clutch.

McGovern again took GDA honours in seventh overall, ahead of Joyce, Smith and McHenry.

After a drama-filled weekend, Hart’s consistent scoring has lifted him into the championship lead, 10 points clear of the unfortunate Newsham. Bloor’s breakout performance has catapulted him into third overall. While the youngster is still 39 points adrift of Hart, he must now be considered a genuine title contender.

Hall is fourth, a further five points back, while O’Neill-Going’s troubled weekend has dropped him to fifth in the standings.

 

DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND TEN RESULT

 

Driver quotes

Round 8 winner, Adam Shepherd

“We didn’t know whether to make the car fast at the beginning, in the middle or at the end. I struggled at the start with it being too loose and Callum [Newsham] got me. And then, like a switch, it came back and that was it. I pulled a gap and then managed it home, really.

“I’d like to say a huge thanks to Vannin Motorsport for having us – the car’s been great.”

 

Rounds 9 & 10 winner, Harry Bloor

“I think I liked it earlier today when I won, so I thought I’d do it twice!

“When I got my first win in the morning, I thought: ‘We’ve done it, I’ve proved myself, now let’s be more calm this time and do it again.’

“Thanks to my driver coach, Ronan Pearson, and my sponsors, Mackenzie Miller Homes and CHAS Insurance.”

 

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL RESULTS

 

Next time – Donington Park GP

The 2026 TCR UK Touring Car Championship returns for its second visit to Donington Park, this time racing on the full Grand Prix layout as part of the British GT Championship weekend on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September.

The Leicestershire venue plays host to the next two rounds of the season, as the challenge of the longer circuit awaits. It is an always popular addition to the British GT Championship support package, offering the drivers and teams a second stab at going for glory in front of a huge, packed crowd during the early September weekend.

With 47 points separating the top five drivers in the championship, there is still everything to play for with six rounds of the season left to go and plenty more twists and turns to be played out.

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/september/british-gt-&-gb3-championships

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.