TCR UK bursts back into life at Silverstone this weekend (17-18 May) as a closely matched grid of multi-marque two-litre touring cars graces the home of British motorsport. In a bumper weekend of action, Rounds 6, 7 and 8 of the championship will take place on the quickfire 1.64-mile circuit famed for producing thrilling racing.
Heading into the weekend, Adam Shepherd sits atop the standings after a dream start to the season. The Capture Motorsport driver took his CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR to two wins across the opening weekend at Donington Park and has finished on the podium in every race so far. He is also closing in on the all-time record for wins in TCR UK, currently just behind previous champions Carl Boardley and Lewis Kent.
Looking to make inroads into Shepherd’s points lead this weekend are Area Motorsport duo Sam Laidlaw and his father Steve. Laidlaw Jr is riding high having scored a maiden victory in his CUPRA Leon VZ TCR at Donington last month. The elder Laidlaw is among the most consistent finishers so far this year, with three podiums to his name despite having to fight back from misfortune on more than one occasion. He also holds a healthy advantage at the top of the Goodyear Diamond Award standings, for drivers aged 40 and over.
Joining Shepherd and Sam Laidlaw on the 2025 winners list are two drivers whose campaigns so far this year have been full of highs and lows. Last year’s runner-up Brad Hutchison (Bond It with MPH Racing) bounced back from a wretched opening weekend to be a pacesetter last time out, securing his first win of the season. In his familiar CUPRA Leon Competiticion TCR, the Yorkshireman was a winner at Silverstone last year and will hope that is a good omen for this weekend.
Callum Newsham’s start to 2025 has been similarly up and down. The JH Racing driver took his Hyundai i30 N TCR to victory on the opening weekend and looked set to regularly take the challenge to Shepherd. But he’ll need to avoid the drama that hurt his scoring last time out if he is to remain in the title hunt.
Also piloting the venerable Hyundai are TCR UK’s two youngest drivers, Power Maxed Racing duo Finn Leslie and Harry Bloor. Leslie has impressed with maturity beyond his years, a podium on his debut weekend the highlight of a string of consistently strong performances. Without grabbing as much attention, fellow teenager Bloor is rapidly finding his feet in his first season racing cars.
Joining them in the PMR camp this weekend is Irish multi-champion Rod McGovern who switches to the ex-Carl Boardley title-winning CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR for his second outing of the season, having skipped last month’s Donington event.
Another driver making his second appearance of 2025 – in his case, having missed the season-opener – is Motion Motorsport’s Ryan Bensley. Piloting the fancied Lynk & Co 03 TCR, Bensley scored two top-five finishes at Donington so will be on the hunt for a maiden podium this weekend.
Adding further variety to the grid are a pair of Gen 2 Audi RS 3 LMS TCRs run by Vannin Motorsport. Sophomore driver Luke Sargeant scored two top-six finishes on his return to the fray last time out, while George Jaxon focused on getting to grips with the more potent machinery after switching from a Gen 1 Cup car.
The ex-Jaxon Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, run by DW Racing, has now found its way into the hands of Alex Jones. Jones makes his TCR UK debut this weekend, and will look to take the challenge to Gen 1 Cup points leader Jeff Alden (PMR Audi RS 3 LMS SEQ TCR).
Alden, like Bensley and McGovern, is also a contender in the Goodyear Diamond Award. They face further competition from Mark Smith (BSR with Richmond Fire) and Will Beech (Capture Motorsport) who both drive CUPRA Leon Competicion TCRs. The TCR UK field is completed by Beech’s team-mate Greg Saunders who was a top-six finisher on his debut weekend.
Action gets under way with Qualifying on Saturday morning at 1040hrs. The first race of the weekend, Round 6 of the championship, then takes place that afternoon with a scheduled start time of 1430hrs.
Sunday features two races, beginning with Round 7 – the weekend’s reversed-grid race – at 1100hrs. Round 8, the weekend finale, is timetabled for 1410hrs – straight after the public are invited to an open pitlane walkabout during the preceding lunch break at 1340hrs.
For those unable to attend the racing in person, all the action will be streamed live – with expert commentary and analysis – on TCR UK’s YouTube channel.
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 2025 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
SILVERSTONE NATIONAL TIMETABLE
SILVERSTONE NATIONAL ENTRY LIST
SILVERSTONE NATIONAL SATURDAY LIVESTREAM
SILVERSTONE NATIONAL SUNDAY LIVESTREAM
