TCR UK Touring Car Championship

Last updated
TCR UK Touring Car Championship
Touring Car Trophy Logo.jpg
Category Touring cars
Country United Kingdom
Inaugural season2018
Drivers34 (2022)
Teams21 (2022)
Constructors Audi, Cupra, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, Vauxhall, VW
Tyre suppliers Goodyear
Drivers' champion Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Smiley
Official website https://www.tcr-uk.co.uk/
Motorsport current event.svg Current season

The TCR UK Touring Car Championship, known as the Touring Car Trophy from 2019 to 2021, is a touring car racing series based in the United Kingdom. It features production-based touring cars built to TCR specifications, and formerly also NGTC and Super 2000 specifications from 2019 to 2021. The championship is aimed as a feeder category to the BTCC and operated by Stewart Lines' Maximum Group.

Contents

History

The TCR UK Touring Car Championship was first established in 2018 and was organised by the BRSCC. [1] TCR UK was introduced as a feeder series for the more popular and expensive British Touring Car Championship although there was no direct link between the two series'. Interest in the new championship initially appeared high, with organisers discussing the possibility of qualifying races in order to accommodate the projected large grids. [2] [3] However, in reality grid numbers were low throughout the year with only 5 drivers competing at every event and the grid peaking at 13 cars in the season opener at Silverstone. [4] Dan Lloyd took the inaugural championship in dominant fashion, winning 7 of the first 8 races and taking 4 pole positions.

The championship continued to struggle in 2019 and a few weeks before the first scheduled round at Snetterton, and with only 3 entries announced, the decision was made to combine the championship with Stewart Lines Touring Car Trophy. Lines would also takeover the running and organisation of the championship. The Touring Car Trophy was established in 2019 for older Super 2000 and NGTC machinery which was no longer eligible for the British Touring Car Championship. TCR UK would now be a class within the Touring Car Trophy with drivers in TCR cars able to fight for two championships. [5] Henry Neal, son of 3 time BTCC champion Matt Neal, won the inaugural Touring Car Trophy driving a NGTC specification Honda Civic Type R while James Turkington, younger brother of another BTCC champion, Colin Turkington, fought off Lewis Kent to win the TCR UK class. [6]

For 2020 the Volkswagen Racing Cup also joined the grid. Henry Neal and Lewis Kent dominated the season with Neal defending his title and Kent clinching his first TCR UK class title. [7]

In 2021 the championship began to recover with entries reaching double figures for the first time since 2018. By seasons end the grid was entirely made up of TCR cars with Lewis Kent taking his second title ahead of 2020 Civic Cup champion Bruce Winfield. [8]

The Touring Car Trophy was dissolved for 2022 with TCR UK once again becoming a standalone championship. [9] The series experienced its biggest season yet with 20 cars appearing at every round and the grid peaking at 25 cars for 3 events. The championship was won by Chris Smiley ahead of Isaac Smith. [10]

Champions

TCR UK Touring Car Championship
YearChampion (Car)Team Champions (Car)
2018 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Daniel Lloyd Volkswagen logo 2019.svg Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Flag of Sweden.svg WestCoast Racing Volkswagen logo 2019.svg Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
Touring Car Trophy
YearChampion (Car)Team Champions (Car)TCR UK (Car)
2019 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Henry Neal Honda.svg Honda Civic Type R Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ciceley Motorsport Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Turkington Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR
2020 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Henry Neal Honda.svg Honda Civic Type R Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Maximum Motorsport Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Kent Hyundai logo.svg Hyundai i30 N TCR
2021 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Kent Hyundai logo.svg Hyundai i30 N TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Essex & Kent Motorsport Hyundai logo.svg Hyundai i30 N TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Kent Hyundai logo.svg Hyundai i30 N TCR
TCR UK Touring Car Championship
YearChampion (Car)Tom Walker Memorial Trophy (Car)Goodyear Diamond Trophy (Car)
2022 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Smiley Honda.svg Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Smiley Honda.svg Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Andy Wilmot Hyundai logo.svg Hyundai i30 N TCR
2023 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Carl Boardley Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Carl Boardley Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Carl Boardley Cupra.svg CUPRA León TCR

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References

  1. ↑ "TCR UK given the go-ahead by the MSA for 2018 launch". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "TCR UK Series surprised by level of interest after 2018 launch announcement". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "TCR UK planning on no grid limit, and to run alone in 2018". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "LUCKY 13 FOR TCR UK SEASON OPENER". BRSCC. BRSCC. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "TCR UK championship combines with Touring Car Trophy". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "TURKINGTON CROWNED PROVISIONAL 2019 CHAMPION, AS NEAL WINS". tcr-uk.co.uk. TCR UK. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "MAX HART SECURES MAIDEN WIN AS HENRY NEAL CROWNED TCT CHAMPION". tcr-uk.co.uk. TCR UK. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "LEWIS KENT TAKES GOODYEAR TOURING CAR TROPHY TITLE IN DONINGTON FINALE THRILLER". tcr-uk.co.uk. TCR UK. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "TCR UK granted championship status as WSC licence extended". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Chris Smiley lands 2022 TCR UK title as Lewis Kent wins final race". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
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