The TCR UK Touring Car Championship makes a swift return to Donington Park this weekend (5-6 September) in another crucial step in the title chase.
The tin-top stars will again compete in front of a busy crowd as TCR UK joins the British GT bill for a pair of races on the 2.5-mile Grand Prix circuit. It was only last month that the crews contested a triple-header on the shorter National layout of the famous East Midlands venue, where returning champion Adam Shepherd and rising star Harry Bloor (twice) took the honours.
After his successful return last time out, Shepherd couldn’t keep away. The Essex driver is back for more as he leads Vannin Motorsport’s trio of Audi RS3 LMS TCRs into action. Goodyear Diamond Award (for drivers aged 40 and over) contender Barry-John McHenry and Luke Sargeant, making his first TCR UK appearance of the season, complete the team’s line-up.
Shepherd will have to overcome the challenge of carrying additional compensation weight this weekend, particularly on the slower corners that the extended Melbourne loop brings into play. But don’t expect it to slow him too much – Shepherd is sure to remain a spoiler among this year’s title protagonists.
After 18 months of displaying strong pace without the results to show for it, it all came good for DTR’s Harry Bloor and his Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR last time out. The Anglo-Spaniard took his maiden win, then immediately backed it up with another, jointly top-scoring with Shepherd over the weekend. The results lifted him firmly into title contention with momentum in his favour. Bloor now lies third in the standings, 39 points off the summit, with over 300 still up for grabs.
Leading the way in the title chase is international star Max Hart. The ALM with Hall’s Racing driver has finished in the top five at every race this year, barring the first when his Civic retired from the lead with mechanical failure. That consistency could pay dividends, particularly if he can add to his win tally of one. He was also a double winner on his last outing on the Donington GP layout, back in 2022, which could bode well this weekend.
Callum Newsham (JH Racing Hyundai Elantra N TCR) currently holds second in the standings, 10 down on Hart. Newsham’s 100% record in qualifying was finally ended by Shepherd last time out, although the Hampshire-based Scot was still best of the rest. But after finishing second in the opening race, his weekend went rapidly downhill, leaving Newsham looking to bounce back as the championship makes a quick return to the same venue.
In addition to Bloor and Hart, three more Honda drivers likely to feature at the sharp end are Max Hall (Hall’s Racing), Jenson O’Neill-Going (Power Maxed Racing) and two-time champion Carl Boardley (CBM with SVG). All have experienced more than their fair share of misfortune and scrapes – including with each other – this year, leaving them fourth, fifth and sixth in the championship.
Erstwhile points leader O’Neill-Going in particular endured a nightmare weekend last time out. He could do with a strong showing to reignite his championship challenge. O’Neill-Going remains very much in contention for the Paul Walker Trophy, for rookies and less experienced drivers, where he is just nine points behind leader Bloor.
The CUPRA challenge is led by Rod McGovern (Power Maxed Racing) and Brad Hutchison (MPHR with Capture Motorsport), each driving the Leon VZ TCR model. Hutchison, eighth in the points, is another whose season has been blighted by misfortune. But memories of his victory on Donington’s GP circuit last year will provide a welcome boost going into this weekend’s event.
McGovern, seventh in the overall standings, holds a commanding lead in the Goodyear Diamond Award. The Irishman is also eligible for the PWT, where is sandwiched between young guns Bloor and O’Neill-Going in the standings.
In addition to McHenry, McGovern’s GDA competition this weekend comes from 2024 Gen 1 Cup champion Rick Kerry (EDF Motorsport Hyundai i30 N) and Mark Smith (Capture Motorsport CUPRA Leon VZ TCR).
This weekend’s competitive action gets under way on Saturday afternoon (5 September), with Qualifying scheduled for 1650hrs. Sunday (6 September) is all about racing. Round 11 of the championship is slated to kick off at 1200hrs. Round 12, the all-action reversed-grid race, then completes the day’s action with lights-out timetabled to be at 1810hrs.
Nothing beats watching the action from trackside, but TCR UK’s live streaming service comes close to matching it. Freely available on TCR UK’s YouTube channel, all the action is streamed live around the world, with expert commentary, interviews and analysis.
To learn more about the TCR UK Touring Car Championship, visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/ for more information and how to get involved.
For more information about the 2026 TCR UK Touring Car Championship, visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/2026-calendar/
Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the 2026 season finale via our website and social media channels:
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Useful information
DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX ENTRY LIST
DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX TIMETABLE
DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX RACE ONE LIVESTREAM
DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX RACE TWO LIVESTREAM
