A 16-car field for TCR UK early start at Donington Park

TCR UK gets underway this weekend with 16 cars contesting early Spring conditions around Donington Park’s National circuit, with last year’s title contenders Adam Shepherd, Bradley Hutchison, and Callum Newsham likely to be the ones to watch.

Newsham narrowly missed out on the 2024 title after hitting trouble in the final two events, but there’s no change in his programme, as the Scotsman stays in JH Racing's Hyundai i30 N.

Hutchison, a front runner in the last two seasons is racing with his family-run team Bond It with MPH Racing and in the CUPRA Leon Competición he drove last year.

Shepherd, who has been a title contender ever since he joined in 2022, but had a nightmarish last half of 2024 plagued by technical maladies, has moved from Area Motorsport to Capture Motorsport, where he’ll be hoping for better luck, continuing in a CUPRA Leon Competición.

Area Motorsport have a three-car programme, with father and son pairing Steve and Sam Laidlaw driving CUPRA Leon VZ cars which they debuted at the 2024 season finale. They are joined by Alistair Camp, who despite having only contested three race weekends is already a race winner in TCR UK, and will be driving a Hyundai i30 N.

Alongside Shepherd, Capture Motorsport’s three-car line-up is completed by team owner Will Beech and newcomer Gregory Saunders, both also driving CUPRA Leon Competición cars.

At JH Racing, Newsham will be joined by new teammate Rod McGovern, while Simon Green Motorsport will again field a specially adapted Audi RS 3 LMS DSG for Cedric Bloch. Jeff Alden will pilot the only other Audi on the grid, a sequential Gen 1 car now run by Power Maxed Racing, with the team expanding to three cars, also fielding a pair of Hyundai i30 N cars for Harry Bloor and Finn Leslie. After missing the 2024 season, George Jaxon will join the grid in a Volkswagen Golf GTI, run by Darelle Wilson’s team DW Racing. Completing the field is Ben Sharpe Racing with Mark Smith switching from a CUPRA TCR to a newer Leon Competición, while the serie’s longest serving driver and promoter Stewart Lines will drive a Lynk & Co 03 for the same team.

Entry list

8 - Rod McGovern (JH Racing, Hyundai i30 N)

11 - Harry Bloor (Power Maxed Racing, Hyundai i30 N)

12 - Cedric Bloch (Simon Green Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS DSG)

16 - Callum Newsham (JH Racing, Hyundai i30 N)

17 - Bradley Hutchison (Bond It With MPH Racing, CUPRA Leon Competición)

19 - Jeff Alden (Power Maxed Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS SEQ)

26 - Finn Leslie (Power Maxed Racing, Hyundai i30 N)

27 - Will Beech (Capture Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición)

28 - George Jaxon (DW Racing, Volkswagen Golf GTI)

34 - Gregory Saunders (Capture Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición)

45 - Alistair Camp (Area Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N)

77 - Mark Smith (Ben Sharpe Racing, CUPRA Leon Competición)

81 - Stewart Lines (Ben Sharpe Racing, Lynk & Co 03)

100 - Steve Laidlaw (Area Motorsport, CUPRA Leon VZ)

101 - Sam Laidlaw (Area Motorsport, CUPRA Leon VZ)

117 - Adam Shepherd (Capture Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición)

Schedule (Live streaming)

Saturday - Qualifying, 10:00 (11:00 CET)

Saturday - Race 1, 14:15 (15:15 CET)

Sunday - Race 2, 10:35 (11:35 CET)

Sunday - Race 3, 14:45 (15:45 CET)

Picture: TCR UK/Jakob Ebrey