TCR UK Touring Car Championship – Rounds 1, 2 & 3
Donington Park National – 22nd & 23rd March 2025
The TCR UK Touring Car Championship kicked off its 2025 season with three dramatic races at Donington Park last weekend (22-23 March).
Adam Shepherd took an early lead in the standings as he bounced back from a frustrating second half of 2024 to take two wins. Callum Newsham also scored a victory, while there were impressive showings from the latest batch of newcomers to the series, led by teenage sensation Finn Leslie.
Qualifying
It was the CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR of new Capture Motorsport signing Adam Shepherd that set the pace in Saturday morning’s qualifying session.
On the championship’s first visit to the East Midlands venue for 18 months, Shepherd managed a 103mph lap of the 1.96-mile National circuit, 0.166 seconds faster than Callum Newsham’s JH Racing-run Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Embarking on his first full season in the category, Alistair Camp was third fastest in another Hyundai, ahead of Area Motorsport team-mate Sam Laidlaw (CUPRA Leon VZ TCR). Consistent pace from Laidlaw pushed him up to second quickest of the drivers’ second-best times which would set the grid for the third race of the weekend.
His father Steve was sixth fastest overall in a similar Leon VZ TCR after having three laps disallowed for breaching track limits. The pair sandwiched last year’s championship runner-up Brad Hutchison (Bond It with MPH Racing CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR).
With only one day of testing to his name, Fiesta Junior Championship graduate Finn Leslie netted seventh best time, just over a second off the pace. His Power Maxed Racing-run Hyundai i30 N TCR even pushed Hutchison out of the top six on second-best times.
Behind Capture Motorsport’s Will Beech (CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR), two more debutants completed the top 10. Leslie’s fellow young gun and PMR team-mate Harry Bloor was ninth, just ahead of experienced Irish racer Rod McGovern.
Fastest among the older machinery entered in the Gen 1 Cup was series returnee George Jaxon (DW Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR) ahead of Cedric Bloch (Simon Green Motorsport Audi RS3 LMS TCR DSG) and Jeff Alden (PMR Audi Audi RS3 LMS TCR SEQ).
DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL QUALIFYING RESULT
Round One – Race Report
While Shepherd and Newsham successfully converted their front-row starting slots into first and second positions, Camp was slow away and there was drama immediately behind. Contact between Steve Laidlaw and Hutchison pitched the former into the gravel at the first corner, Redgate.
With the CUPRA’s engine not immediately restarting, the safety car was quickly called into action, moments before Laidlaw did manage to get back on the move and extract himself from the gravel. That allowed him to join the crocodile, albeit in plum last.
When racing resumed, Newsham latched onto Shepherd’s tail, but the prospects of a thrilling duel were hit when smoke began pluming from the rear of his i30. What turned out to be a power-steering fluid leak caught fire on the hot exhaust and forced Newsham into retirement.
Hutchison had managed to demote both Sam Laidlaw and Camp before the safety car, and so inherited second. But, with fluid on the circuit, he was driving cautiously and dropping back from the leader as Laidlaw Jr exerted pressure.
Just before half-distance, Laidlaw dived inside at Redgate. As the younger Laidlaw tried to hold the inside line, his CUPRA became unsettled and the pair made contact exiting the corner. Hutchison was sent into a wild trip over the grass around Hollywood and, a lap later, was forced to pull up with his engine overheating.
Camp meanwhile also retired with a fuel system problem, having already struggled with power-steering failure. Their exits promoted Leslie to third but he now had a charging Steve Laidlaw on his tail. The pair traded places in a thrilling battle before Laidlaw eventually made a move stick to secure the position.
Out front, Shepherd was long gone and he cruised to a 6.5s win over the younger Laidlaw, with the latter’s father completing the podium another 14s back after thoroughly enjoying himself with his hard-charging drive.
Leslie was delighted with fourth on debut ahead of the all-action Rod McGovern. Sixth position was a career best finish for Mark Smith in his Ben Sharpe Racing CUPRA Leon, ahead of the Capture Motorsport version of debutant Greg Saunders.
Jeff Alden edged Cedric Bloch for Gen 1 Cup honours in eighth overall, while Will Beech completed the top 10 after slowing on the final lap.
DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND ONE RESULT
Round Two – Race Report
Beech’s 10th place in the opener handed him pole position for Sunday morning’s reversed-grid race. In misty conditions, the track had a damp surface but with a dry line starting to emerge, leading to diverging tyre choices. Area Motorsport split their strategy between the evenly matched Laidlaw pairing, with Steve on wet rubber and therefore able to make hay in the early stages.
When the lights went out, wet-shod Beech surged into an early lead, but Steve Laidlaw shot through into second from eighth on the grid and set about chasing him down. It didn’t take long, and Laidlaw swept ahead through Schwantz Curve on the second tour. Camp was also on wet tyres and charged through from row seven to demote Saunders from third a lap later.
Further back, Shepherd, Newsham and Sam Laidlaw were desperately trying to get heat into their slick tyres as they made slower progress through the order. Newsham made the better of the early running to get ahead of Saturday’s winner.
The crossover in performance between the two strategies came shortly before half-distance. Shepherd closed back up to Newsham as the pair charged forward. As they reeled in Camp, who was dropping back with more fuel-delivery problems, Newsham was momentarily delayed through Coppice and Shepherd pounced to pass both.
It soon became a question of when, rather than if, the duo would pick off those in front. With Newsham in his wake, Shepherd took Saunders for third through the Craner Curves on lap nine of 16. He then passed Beech into the chicane at the end of the lap and now had a 12-second deficit to Steve Laidlaw with seven laps remaining.
Such was Shepherd’s pace advantage that it became a relatively easy task and he charged ahead two laps from the end. Newsham also closed Laidlaw down and snatched second into Redgate on the final tour. So Shepherd scored his second success of the weekend, with Newsham and Laidlaw Sr completing the podium after an entertaining contest.
Also on slicks, Leslie showed great maturity to stay in contention and then make strong late progress to again finish fourth, just ahead of Sam Laidlaw. Saunders and Beech dropped to sixth and seventh as their wet tyres gave up, just ahead of McGovern.
The top 10 was completed by the Lynk & Co of Stewart Lines, which missed Saturday’s race after blowing its engine in qualifying, and Gen 1 Cup winner Jeff Alden, who ran well on wet rubber.
DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND TWO RESULT
Round Three – Race Report
Shepherd was joined by Sam Laidlaw on the front row of the grid for the weekend finale but it was Newsham who made the best start from row two. He immediately slotted into second and then pounced for the lead into the Old Hairpin after Shepherd had a twitch through the Craner Curves on cold rubber.
Shepherd immediately drew back alongside but, offline, his car snapped sideways – possibly on a patch of fluid – and spun into the gravel at McLeans. The first lap drama continued when Sam Laidlaw ran out of grip exiting the chicane at the end of the lap. He almost managed to hold onto the slide but spun to the inside and smote the barriers.
Independently, Steve Laidlaw and Camp each clipped a dislodged tyre barrier at the chicane. Laidlaw picked up damage to his front-right while Camp was fired towards the outer tyre stack which he collected at pace, heavily damaging his Hyundai’s front end. Ironically, his fuel issue had been fixed by fitting a new tank but now his weekend was over with the car stranded on track.
Amid the chaos, a safety car was called and then upgraded to a red flag. Shepherd had extracted himself from the gravel and pitted for checks, along with both Laidlaws. The Area Motorsport crew quickly fixed Laidlaw Sr’s damage, and all three cars were able to start the restarted race from the pitlane.
There was a further delay when Bloch unfortunately spun into the barriers while trying to get some heat into his rubber. When the action did get back underway, it was Newsham who led while Hutchison, who had retired from race two with a broken damper mounting after a kerb strike, passed Leslie for second.
The front three began to spread out as further back, Shepherd and the Laidlaws – Steve ahead of Sam – found themselves mounting another burn from the stern. The task was too big for them to breech the top three, but they each inherited another place when Hutchison slowed and then pitted with a puncture.
Out front, Newsham was unchallenged as he scorched to victory by a handsome 14s margin. Leslie could see Shepherd starting to approach in his mirrors, but comfortably held on to second position, delighted to achieve a podium finish on his debut weekend.
Shepherd successfully limited the damage of his early off by completing the podium. He now holds a healthy 30-point advantage in the standings over Leslie, whose consistent weekend leaves him a point ahead of Steve Laidlaw and three clear of Sam Laidlaw, the pair finishing fourth and fifth in the race.
An entertaining battle between Bloor, McGovern and Smith for sixth position would have gone the way of the Irishman but for a 5s track-limits penalty. So karting graduate Bloor inherited the place, while Smith was demoted to 10th by a 10s jump-start penalty. Saunders topped an intra-team battle with Beech for what became eighth.
Alden edged Jaxon for Gen 1 Cup laurels to complete a weekend hat-trick that gives him a good lead in the early standings.
Steve Laidlaw also swept the board in the Goodyear Diamond Award, for drivers aged 40 and over, and leads the way by 17 points from McGovern.
DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL ROUND THREE RESULT
DRIVER QUOTES
Rounds 1 & 2 winner, Adam Shepherd
“It shows our intent. Last year was a bit bitter for us all. We felt like we were well in control of the championship and then mechanical gremlins killed us. So to turn back up and take a lights-to-flag victory is very good.
“The car was phenomenal. So a huge thanks to all the team and sponsors: 5G Communications, Capture Motorsport, AMR Motorsport, PBS Brakes.”
Round 3 winner, Callum Newsham
“The car was mega. I can’t not be happy with that. The pace has been there but yesterday, that DNF, ruined it a little bit. But I think we’re still in the hunt, which is good.”
Next time – Donington Park – Part II
The 2025 TCR UK Touring Car Championship is back in action in less than 2 weeks, on Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April at Donington Park in Leicestershire.
Using the Grand Prix circuit for the first time since 2022, rounds four and five will play out during the British GT Championship opener that weekend.
You can purchase tickets for the next event of the 2025 season at Donington Park on the Grand Prix circuit from their website:
https://www.donington-park.co.uk/2025/april/british-gt-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 2025 TCR UK Touring Car Championship Calendar events, visit https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/2025-calendar/ for more information.
Website – https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/ ️️️️
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tcrukseries
Twitter – https://twitter.com/TCRUKOfficial
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tcr_uk_series/
Threads – https://www.threads.net/@tcr_uk_series
YouTube – ️️️️https://www.youtube.com/@tcrukseries
TikTok – ️️️️https://www.tiktok.com/@tcrukofficial
