The TCR UK Touring Car Championship heads to Norfolk this weekend as Snetterton plays host to the a triple-header of races for the multi-marque tin-top series on 18-19 May.
The former airfield venue has only twice played host to TCR UK previously, and only once on the 2.97-mile 300 circuit. None of the 2024 championship contenders are former winners on the circuit, which only adds to the wide-open nature of the weekend.
Leading the way after the opening rounds at Brands Hatch last month is rising star Callum Newsham. The JH Racing driver put his Hyundai i30 N TCR on pole position at the Kent venue and then secured his maiden victory in the weekend finale. That stunning form means that Newsham will have to carry the maximum 40kg compensation weight this weekend.
Team-mate Darron Lewis also enjoyed a fruitful weekend at Brands, relishing his switch to the Hyundai for 2024. He currently lies joint sixth in the points standings, and is the early leader of the Goodyear Diamond Award, for drivers aged 40 and over. He will be keen to be in an around the top six on track once more.
TCR UK stalwart Adam Shepherd lies second in the points, just eight down on Newsham, heading into the weekend. He bounced back from a difficult start at Brands when mechanical gremlins struck his newly-acquired CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR, eventually recording a win and two further podiums.
With a weekend under his belt in the Area Motorsport with Shepherd Motors-run car, expect Adam to be right at the sharp end once more, despite lugging around 30kg compensation weight.
In his Area Motorsport with RS Vehicle Sales run car, sophomore driver Luke Sargeant will be racing at Snetterton in TCR UK for the first time – he was still earning the requisite licence signatures at the time of last year’s event.
Sargeant’s race pace at Brands was hampered by running out of grip but that will still have proved useful experience in the bank, having switched from Hyundai to CUPRA machinery this year.
Currently third in the standings is reigning champion Carl Boardley. The CBM with Hart GT driver managed two second-place finishes at Brands, despite going in the wrong direction with set-up. The experienced racer endured a difficult series debut at Snetterton last year too, but don’t expect lightning to strike twice.
Like Shepherd, Boardley carries 30kg extra weight this weekend, but the East Anglian will enjoy home support and look to convert that into on-track success.
Fourth in the points, Rob Boston Racing driver Joe Marshall’s pace at Brands was strong enough to secure a new lap record in the second race as he added a podium finish to two fifth places.
Aboard what is currently the only Gen 2 Audi RS3 LMS TCR in the field, Marshall carries 20kg compensation weight at Snetterton but will once again be a strong contender for podiums and keen to secure his maiden win in the championship.
Swedish racer Viktor Andersson is lying fifth in the championship standings after taking a sensational win on the UK debut of the Lynk & Co 03 TCR at Brands Hatch. But the international hotshoe will be absent this weekend as he is committed to TCR Europe action. Team-mate Ryan Bensley also looks set to miss out while his sister car is readied for racing.
Turning to those who didn’t enjoy the best of fortunes at Brands Hatch, MPH Racing man Brad Hutchison was immediately on the back foot after contact in the opening race, which also earned him championship penalty points.
The Yorksireman will be aiming to return to the kind of form he showed in his only other previous weekend aboard a CUPRA Leon Competicion TCR, when he won at Donington Park last year.
Go-Fix Honda by Sport77 team principal Will Powell will miss the Snetterton event due to a medical procedure taking place. However he will be back for Oulton Park, where Brad Thurston will join him in a second Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR.
Sadly, Cedric Bloch’s Simon Green Motorsport with Sport77 Audi RS3 LMS TCR DSG is still not quite ready to make its debut after delays with its hand controls. The London-based Frenchman, a former Caterham and motorcycle racer who uses a wheelchair after a British Supersport accident, will be keen to join the fray at Oulton Park in three weeks’ time.
A driver who is making his debut this weekend is Steve Laidlaw, who will pilot a Hyundai i30 N TCR run by Capture Motorsport. Laidlaw steps up from the Audi TT Cup Racing support series, having also competed in Clio Cup Middle East in the winter.
Capture therefore expands to a two-car squad as team principal and Gen 1 Cup leader Will Beech will again be at the wheel of his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, as he seeks to continue his unbeaten start to the season in the class.
Beech’s Gen 1 competition includes CUPRA TCR duo Mark Smith (Richmond Fire Motorsport), Rick Kerry (EDF Motorsport) who will be boosted by racing on his home track andJeff Alden (Matrix Motorsport with DW Racing) who is also back in his Opel Astra TCR.
A busy weekend of action begins with Qualifying at 1020hrs on Saturday morning before Round 4 of the championship takes place at 1435hrs that afternoon.
The second race of the weekend – Round 5 of the championship – features a top-10 reversal of the opening race results to form the grid, and is preceded by the ever-popular public grid walk at 1305hrs.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to mingle with the stars and soak up the pre-race atmosphere ahead of lights out at 1415hrs on Sunday. The weekend finale is then scheduled for 1740hrs.
Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the 2024 season via our website and socials media channels:
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Useful information and livestream links:
SNETTERTON 300 QUALIFYING LIVESTREAM
SNETTERTON 300 SATURDAY LIVESTREAM
SNETTERTON 300 SUNDAY LIVESTREAM
