TCR UK’s best season ever kicks off at Oulton Park

A field of 26 drivers for the season opener at Oulton Park, seven brands of car manufacturers represented, with nine different models. Figures speak for themselves and say that 2022 is the best season for TCR UK since its inception.

In his attempt to clinch a third consecutive title, Essex & Kent Motorsport’s Lewis Kent remained faithful to Hyundai, but elected to swap his i30 N for a Veloster N. His brother Bradley keeps on at the wheel of a i30 N, just like the team’s third man Scott Sumpton. The same model has been chosen by the JamSport Racing trio of Adam Shepherd, Andrew Wilmot and Max Hart, who was fourth in the 2022 championship, and by Power Maxed Racing’s Chris Wallis.

New to the series is the participation of a CUPRA Leon Competición, run by JWB Motorsport for Matthew Wilson, while eight units of the Spanish brand’s previous model form the largest contingent. Amongst their drivers are Jessica Hawkins the only lady on the grid, last year’s vice champion Bruce Winfield – they both race for Area Motorsport – and race winner Jac Constable of Power Maxed Racing.

The latest addition to the entry list was former BTCC race winner Chris Smiley in a Honda Civic Type R run by the new team Restart Racing that brings back the Japanese brand to the championship since 2019.

There are four Volkswagen Golf GTI cars and three Audi RS 3 LMS cars, while the field is completed by Darelle Wilson’s DW Racing Vauxhall Astra and the JamSport Racing Subaru WRX STI driven by Anthony Whorton-Eales.

Competitors will hit the track on Saturday for a 30-minute Qualifying, while the two races will take place on Easter Monday, with the grid of Race 2 based on Race 1 results with the top-ten reversed.

TCR UK – Entry list
1 Lewis Kent (Essex & Kent Motorsport, Hyundai Veloster N)
5 Bradley Kent (Essex & Kent Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N)
11 Anthony Whorton-Eales (JamSport Racing, Subaru WRX STI)
16 Callum Newsham (Power Maxed Racing, CUPRA TCR)
17 Bradley Hutchison (MPH Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS)
21 Jessica Hawkins (Area Motorsport with FASTR, CUPRA TCR)
22 Chris Smiley (Restart Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7)
27 Scott Sumpton (Essex & Kent Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N)
29 Hugo Cook (Simpson Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS)
31 Matthew Wilson (JWB Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Compéticion)
33 Jack Depper (Capture Motorsport, Volkswagen Golf GTI)
35 Steve Gales (Playerlands, Audi RS 3 LMS)
37 Bruce Winfield (Area Motorsport, CUPRA TCR)
40 Simon Tomlinson (JamSport Racing, CUPRA TCR)
47 Kieran Griffin (JWB Motorsport, Volkswagen Golf GTI)
50 Darelle Wilson (DW Racing, Vauxhall Astra)
52 Chris Wallis (Power Maxed Racing, Hyundai i30 N)
63 Mark Havers (T4 Motorsport, CUPRA TCR)
72 Russell Joyce (Power Maxed Racing, CUPRA TCR)
74 Jamie Tonks (Area Motorsport with FASTR, CUPRA TCR DSG)
94 Rob Butler (JWB Motorsport, Volkswagen Golf GTI)
101 Max Hart (JamSport Racing, Hyundai i30 N)
117 Adam Shepherd (JamSport Racing, Hyundai i30 N)
123 Isaac Smith (Race Car Consultants, Volkswagen Golf GTI)
210 Andrew Wilmot (JamSport Racing, Hyundai i30 N)
257 Jac Constable (Power Maxed Racing, CUPRA TCR)

Picture: TCR UK/Jakob Ebrey