Shepherd and Hall Star in TCR UK Donington Park GP Showstopper

TCR UK Touring Car Championship – Rounds 11 & 12
Donington Park Grand Prix – 5th & 6th September 2026

TCR UK touring cars stole the show with two races of almost non-stop action as they joined the British GT bill at Donington Park last weekend (5-6 September).

Race wins went to reigning champion Adam Shepherd and rising star Max Hall as Max Hart’s consistency continued to pay dividends in the championship hunt. But that barely scratches the surface of a weekend that climaxed with one of the best races in TCR UK history.

Qualifying

An exciting qualifying session ended with Callum Newsham securing pole position for the fourth time in five events this year. His JH Racing-run Hyundai Elantra N edged the heavily-ballasted Honda Civic Type R FL5 of Max Hart (ALM with Hall’s Racing) by just 0.077 seconds.

With Newsham among several drivers falling foul of a strict enforcement of track limits on multiple occasions, he needed to post a couple of quick times in the second half of the session to get the job done. Hart, leading the championship heading into the weekend, similarly had a number of quick times scratched, including one that would have put on him pole, but his best legitimate time was still good enough for the front row.

Jenson O’Neill-Going (Power Maxed Racing) had his ballast-free Honda on provisional pole at the session midpoint, but was unable to improve on his second stint and had to settle for third fastest, 0.289s down on Newsham.

Almost half a second further back, Max Hall was fourth in his Hall’s Racing Honda, just ahead of Adam Shepherd (Vannin Motorsport Audi RS3 LMS). After such a strong showing on his return to TCR UK last time out, reigning champion Shepherd would have expected to be closer to the pace, even with maximum ballast. A cracked damper pick-up point turned out to be costing time, potentially exacerbated by a set-up change.

Shepherd’s late improvement jumped him ahead of last month’s Donington double winner Harry Bloor (DTR Honda) by just 0.015s.

On his return to the championship, Luke Sargent (Vannin Audi) was seventh fastest, ahead of leading Goodyear Diamond Award – for drivers aged 40 and over – entrant Rod McGovern (Power Maxed Racing CUPRA Leon VZ).

Brad Hutchison was another to have a number of quick laps deleted for track limits offences. His CUPRA, run by Capture Motorsport with MPHR, had to rely on an early banker lap and ended up ninth overall. Tenth was Barry-John McHenry (Vannin Audi).

DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING RESULT

Round 11 – Race Report

A good start from Newsham converted pole position into a comfortable race lead as there was plenty of drama in his wake.

From the outside of the front row, Hart moved across to cover O’Neill-Going’s challenge, leaving the 17-year-old to briefly bump over the grass on the approach to Redgate. Hall got a run on them both and went side by side with Hart through the Craner Curves, grabbing second as Hart’s car twitched on its cold tyres and spat him across the grass.

But Hall himself was even more hampered by cold tyres. His Honda’s air jacks had failed on the dummy grid, preventing the team from performing the customary switch of wheels and therefore leaving him with particularly cold rear rubber.

O’Neill-Going took advantage to snatch second through Schwantz Curve, with Hart next to eye a challenge on the sister car. As Hall struggled to get the Honda turned through Fogarty’s Esses, he slightly baulked Hart and allowed Shepherd to get a run on both. Shepherd dived to the inside at the Melbourne hairpin, passing both cars in one manoeuvre to grab third, while Hart also got ahead of Hall.

Hall lost further positions to McGovern and Hutchison over the next couple of laps before finally being able to pick up his pace once his tyres reached their operating window.

Out front, Newsham was well clear and seemingly untouchable. Having quickly built a lead of more than 3s, he reeled off the remaining laps to take the chequered flag for what looked set to be his third win of the season. However, there would be bad news to come for the JH Racing driver.

Behind Newsham, O’Neill-Going also had a healthy advantage of more than a second over Shepherd. But the gap began to shrink over the closing laps as the youngster suffered with glazing brakes. Shepherd latched onto his prey with a few laps remaining, only to drop back with an intermittent power issue. But that cleared itself and Shepherd was back on the Honda’s tail as they began the final lap.

When O’Neill-Going ran wide at McLeans, it was all the invitation Shepherd needed to grab the position at the following Coppice. O’Neill-Going cut back and got alongside down the long Exhibition Straight where the pair banged doors before Shepherd made the move stick. Scooping the honours in the Tom Walker Trophy, for rookies and less experienced drivers, would be some consolation for O’Neill-Going.

As it turned out, the manoeuvre clinched Shepherd victory as Newsham’s car hit a scrutineering issue. The Hyundai’s left-front wheel was protruding illegaly from its wheel arch, something the team could only put down to a bodywork repair, but Newsham paid a heavy price with disqualification.

A strong comeback drive from Hall after his troubles in the opening stages was rewarded with third position. He passed Hutchison for fifth when the CUPRA driver locked up at Old Hairpin mid-race, then dived past Hart into Redgate as they started lap 11 of 13. As O’Neill-Going and Shepherd battled in front, Hall closed onto their tails and could have been in contention for what became victory if the race had run a lap or two longer.

Hart was having to manage rising temperatures after his early excursion. The Irishman had also gone the wrong way with a set-up change after qualifying and picked up a 5s track-limits penalty that dropped him behind Hutchison to be classified fifth.

After his double win last time out, Bloor endured a difficult race. His Achilles heel of race starts struck again, dropping him to the rear of the field. The young gun then picked his way forward to run just behind Hutchison. But the extra 40kg on board took its toll on his tyres and led to a few moments which resulted in 15s of track-limits penalties. That dropped Bloor to seventh overall, behind Sargeant, who drove an assured race to sixth on his return to the series.

McHenry also picked up track-limits penalties on his way to eighth overall, which secured him the Goodyear Diamond Award laurels. McGovern dropped to ninth, a lap down, having pitted for a new tyre after a slow puncture caused a few wayward moments.

DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX ROUND ELEVEN RESULT

Round 12 – Race Report

The grid reversal for Sunday’s second race put Irish duo McGovern and McHenry on the front row, ahead of Bloor and Sargeant.

McGovern converted pole position into the race lead as McHenry was swamped by the pack and a fine start from Sargeant jumped him to second. But McGovern ran wide at the Old Hairpin and, on the outside line, Sargeant found himself with no option but to take a trip through the gravel.

Bloor took advantage to grab the lead from Hutchison and Hart, up to third from eighth on the grid. Towards the end of the lap, Hart’s unsuccessful challenge for second allowed Hall to get a run exiting the Melbourne Hairpin and snatch third at Goddards.

Hart then had to turn his attentions to defending from Shepherd who himself had O’Neill-Going looming large in his mirrors. The pink-flashed PMR Honda attempted a lunge into the Melbourne Hairpin at the end of the second lap but contact damaged its steering. As the teenager wrestled with his wayward machine, the pair clouted each other twice more up the hill towards Goddards before O’Neill-Going managed to drag the car into the pits and retirement.

That gave Hart a little breathing space and helped him get on terms with the front three who were enjoying a ding-dong battle for the lead. Hutchinson lunged past Bloor at Melbourne on lap three of 13, but ran too deep which let the Honda cut back into the lead. But Hutchison was immediately back on the attack and the pair ran side by side through Redgate – which let Hall get a run and briefly snatch second from Hutchison into the Old Hairpin.

The action continued as Hall ran wide onto the kerb. He banged wheels with Hutchison who retook second, with Hart seizing the opportunity to get in on the act and grab third from stablemate Hall.

Hart had reverted to something closer to his qualifying set-up but that meant his tyres’ longevity was likely to suffer. Sure enough, once Hall had cut inside to retake third at the start of lap five, Hart began to drop away from the lead trio and then lost out to Shepherd at the end of the lap.

Hall set the fastest lap as he latched back onto the pair in front, with leader Bloor’s tyres beginning to wilt under the extra strain from the ballast he was carrying. Bloor ran wide at Goddards at the end of lap seven, which let Hutchison prise an opening at the following Redgate. But Bloor still wasn’t done; they traded the lead twice more, at Old Hairpin and McLeans, where Hutchison finally sealed the deal with Hall following him through.

And then there were two. As Bloor had to focus more on keeping fourth-placed Shepherd at bay, the battle for victory became a duel between Hutchison and Hall. No quarter was asked and none was given as the pair engaged in a thrilling scrap over the remaining laps.

On the final tour, a slight mistake by Hutchison into Old Hairpin gave Hall a sniff. He dived inside and the pair then ran side by side through the following sequence of corners before Hall completed the move at Coppice. The Hall’s Racing Honda ran slightly wide at the final corner of Goddards, but Hall just held on to take his second victory of the season by 0.22s.

The pair had put on a fantastic display of racing, rewarding the crowd who had stayed on to the very end of a long day.

As they battled, it helped Bloor, Shepherd and Hart remain in touch. But Bloor would lose out again as his tyre trouble contributed to picking up another 15s of track-limits penalties which dropped him from third to seventh. Having seen the notification, Shepherd knew he didn’t need to make any rash moves to secure the podium and continue his run – it now stands at five top-threes from five starts since his return to the category.

Hart was satisfied with pocketing another decent haul of points as Bloor’s penalties promoted him to fourth, while Newsham climbed from the back of the grid to be classified fifth. Sargeant recovered from his first lap drama to repeat his earlier sixth place.

Tom Walker trophy honours were some consolation for Bloor, while McGovern beat McHenry to the Goodyear Diamond Award laurels.

DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX ROUND TWELVE RESULT

It all means that Hart now holds a 17-point championship lead over Hall, the weekend’s top-scorer, who has climbed to second at Newsham’s expense. But with the top five covered by only 60 points, and 217 still on the table, the title race looks set to go all the way down to the wire at Brands Hatch in November.

Driver quotes

Round 11 winner, Adam Shepherd

“Qualifying was a bit horrible – we were a lot slower than we hoped to be. But we found some issues with the car and changed some set-up for the race so it was a lot better.

“Obviously we never expect to be the fastest when other people are not carrying ballast, so to go and have another win was good.”

Rounds 12 winner, Max Hall

“That was such a good race. Brad [Hutchison] put up a really good fight but he made one mistake and that’s when we got him.

“I was thinking for the whole race, ‘I’m a little bit quicker than him into Old Hairpin,’ and that one lap he braked a little bit too late and went a little bit past the apex. But, honestly, up until then, he was driving the perfect defensive race.”

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX RESULTS

Next time – Oulton Park

The 2026 TCR UK Touring Car Championship enters the home stretch with just two more events left to decide who will be the 2026 Champion. Next time, we’re out at Oulton Park, racing on the Island circuit, on Saturday 3rd of October for “TCR Autumn at Oulton”

The Cheshire venue will play a major part in the 2026 season, as the two races held there will be the last two races that count towards the standings, meaning every point scored across the two races on Saturday will be so important to each driver’s charge towards the title. 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.

With 60 points separating the top five drivers in the championship, there is still everything to play for with five rounds of the season left to go and plenty more twists and turns to be played out.

All the track action will take place on Saturday only, when we’ll be joined by the Civic Cup, back from their summer break, and the brand-new Audi Cup, which will bring its first-ever season to a close. The CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship will be on track for its last two races of the year, and we’ll see the debut of the brand-new TCR Endurance event with its first 1-hour race.

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

https://www.oultonpark.co.uk/2026/october/tcr-uk-touring-car-championship

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.