The combination of heavyweight trucks and high-tech TCR saloons drew a good Easter crowd to Brands Hatch for a 19-race programme and the opening of the 2026 car-racing season in the circuit’s centenary year.
Two 10-time truck champions – Ryan Smith and Stuart Oliver – were there to battle for the honours again, joined by crowd favourite David Jenkins and other regulars. These included Halifax haulier Richard Collett, a contender since 1992, who emerged as a popular winner of the event’s finale.
Before that there were wins for Craig Reid – back after two years on the European campaign trail – Ryan Smith and Stuart Oliver (twice). The final proved a tense affair, poleman Collett bottling up a queue of rivals until John Bowler’s rig erupted in smoke and flames to bring an early finish. Behind the veteran Yorkshireman came Michael Oliver, Reid, Jenkins, Smith and Stuart Oliver.
The meeting also featured round one of TCR UK, which produced three different winners including the youngest so far recorded in the championship. This was 16-year-old Jenson O’Neill-Going, back in action after a mechanically troubled debut at the end of 2025.
The first race was a chaotic affair, halted following a startline shunt. Fastest qualifier and title favourite Callum Newsham missed the restart with a broken clutch on his Hyundai Elantra and, in another confusing getaway Jac Constable – 11th on the original grid – found himself in front in his Audi.
Race two went to O’Neill-Going under intense pressure from fellow Honda Civic pilot Max Hart – the youngster’s driver coach mentor in the past – with Newsham third from the back of the grid. Newsham was first to the chequered flag in race three chased by Brad Hutchison and Carl Boardley, another driver suffering a problematic weekend. O’Neill-Going was bumped out of a podium position in a bruising encounter.
O’Neill-Going had to defend from old driver coach Hart for maiden victory
Photo by: Gary Hawkins
The weekend programme also included trios of races for the Mini Challenge Clubsport, Civic Cup, and Pickup Trucks, the latter now under the Trucksport umbrella, plus two low-key club saloon races.
Oli Willmott was the easy winner of all three Mini bouts while Freddy Hewitt and Andy Langley repeated their second and third places each time out. Class battles enlivened the lower race order.
The Civic Cup attracted more than 30 closely-matched cars. Jake Hewlett was excluded for a technical infringement after winning race one on the road and made little impression from the back of the grid at the second try, as Wilf Butler triumphed. However, Hewlett bounced back to win race three ahead of Dave Marshall and Matt Wilkins. Wesley Swain inherited race-one victory.
Long-time Pickups contender Mark Willis thought he’d won the second race by a coat of paint in a photo finish with Allen Cooper, but a track-limits penalty dropped him to third. Aaron Thompson won the first race ahead of Cooper, and the third was easy for reigning champion Ryan Hadfield with Cooper second again.
Rod Birley’s double triumph in two Classic and Modern Motorsport Club Southern saloon races was no surprise, but was notable for taking the local driver to a remarkable 300th (and 301st) class and overall wins on home ground. This earned Birley a special commemorative trophy from circuit operator MotorSport Vision. The majority of those results have been achieved in Birley’s faithful Ford Escort WRC, which was back in action last weekend.
Brands Hatch veteran Birley celebrated landmark win in milestone year for the circuit
Photo by: Gary Hawkins
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– The Autosport.com Team
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