The Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, made its second visit of the year to Snetterton in Norfolk for Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2025 season.
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At the second double-header weekend of the year, Boston College Racing 1 / Autobliss consolidated its lead in the title standings after Stuart Bliss brought the #18 Toyota Aygo home for two wins in class while triple-title-winner Team Northbrook Racing, with Richard Jepp at the wheel of its #65 Gen II Peugeot 107, took second- and third-place SMo Competition finishes. Bliss’s pair of victories means that Lee Crisp’s Lincolnshire squad extends its lead in the SMo Competition standings by 10 points after dropped scores over Team Northbrook Racing 1.
Podium Debut
Sussex Motorsports finished on the podium for the first time since the team’s formation in late 2023 after novice driver Alex Jackson took the chequered flag in Race One to finish second in class and less than half a second behind Stuart Bliss.
Brady Pollock completed a respectable weekend for West Suffolk College ME with a third-place finish in the SMo Competition class in Race Two, driving the team’s #12 Toyota Aygo. A fourth place finish in class in Race One meant that Pollock left Snetterton with 95 points after dropped scores, equalling the #15 Boston College Racing 2 entry driven by Andrew Dyer.
The grid comprised 12 entries, down from the originally entered 14, after Boston College Racing 2’s Andrew Dyer and Sussex Motorsports 2’s Toby Owen had to withdraw for personal reasons.
Team Professionalism Focus Ahead of End-of-Year Awards
The focus of the weekend for teams and Student Motorsport founder and series organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham was ‘Team Professionalism’, one of the seven end-of-season awards which are traditionally presented at the annual BRSCC Awards Night.
Throughout the weekend, JP Latham, along with the Student Motorsport Media Team, which is largely comprised of work experience students, were capturing evidence of teams’ presentation, organisation and communication, both internal and external. All the evidence recorded will inform the judging for the awards, which takes place after the final weekend at Silverstone in October (some examples below will contribute to the evidence gathered throughout the season).
Challenging Conditions
After enjoying mainly dry conditions at the previous outing at Anglesey and blistering heat at Oulton Park in May, the 12-car grid was presented with challenging conditions in Norfolk. Although windy, the forecasts showed rain passing over the circuit on the Saturday, followed by an equally challenging day on Sunday.
Qualifying
The weekend got underway with qualifying, during which Stuart Bliss in the #18 BCR1 Toyota took class pole and started from the front row of the overall grid with a 2:29.978 on his final lap. Richard Jepp in the #65 TNR1 Peugeot was second quickest in class with a 2:40.961. The TNR driver was followed by Alex Jackson in the #47 SMS Toyota who was third quickest in class with a 2:41.573, marking the South Coast-based team’s best performance in a qualifying session since its debut at Oulton Park in 2024
Brady Pollock in the #12 WSC ME Toyota was fourth quickest with a 2:41.614 with TNR2’s Ari Barker close behind on a 2:41.633. East Surrey College’s Jack Wheeler qualified 6th in class followed by Elliot Lettis in the #333 NESCOT Racing Peugeot, Emilia Vincent in the #174 QE Motorsport Peugeot. Haydn Payne in the #72 WSCME2 Toyota qualified 9th in class, followed by Ben Bee in the #119 WSC BEE entry, Junior Gravina-Read in the #2 Brooklands Technical College Racing Peugeot and Glenn Bee, at the wheel of the #19 City College Norwich Citroen.
Rain Makes For Challenging Race One as Sussex Motorsports Makes Podium Breakthrough
Race One got underway on a damp track with the promise of more rain on the way. BCR1’s Bliss led the field away from the class pole and drove a steady race while the field battled behind him. There was drama for Emilia Vincent in the #174 QEM Peugeot after contact led to damage to her steering. The resulting spin, and further spins as the laps progressed, meant that QEM’s race finished on the first lap. Ari Barker in the TNR2 Peugeot also had to endure disappointment in the first contest after a fuelling issue put the #87 out of contention on the penultimate lap.
At the chequered flag, it was Bliss in the #18 BCR1 Toyota who took his fourth SMo Competition victory followed by SMS’s Alex Jackson who had held on in tricky conditions to pass TNR’s Jepp to finish .281 seconds behind Stuart Bliss.
WSC ME’s Brady Pollock finished fourth in class followed by ESC’s Jack Wheeler, WSCME2’s Haydn Payne and NESCOT Racing’s Elliot Lettis. WSC BEE’s Ben Bee, Brooklands Technical College’s Junior Gravina-Read and CCN’s Glenn Bee completed the class finishers.
Alex Jackson was delighted with his podium finish in what is his debut season in cars.
“I had a brilliant start and I managed to get to second in class quite early on in the race and then I was just thinking I’ve just got to stay on the track here,” said Jackson. “I had a couple of moments and the people who were behind me who were also Student Motorsport, they were battling so I thought this is my breakthrough; I’ve just got to concentrate and stay on the track.
“A heavy downpour started and lots of corners were wet. We weren’t on the most ideal set up because we bet that it wouldn’t rain. In the end, it was a fantastic finish and I’m so glad for the team because it’s going to boost them that extra bit.”
“To be fair, it’s all thanks to the team,” he said. “We went testing at Oulton Park and we tried everything in the car to make it suit me and to find the sweet spot. Clearly it’s suited because we’ve had consistent top ten finishes in class this year and now finally the breakthrough!”
For Team Principal Shiv Bhagnari, for whom Snetterton would be his final weekend in charge of the team he founded with Nathan Lee in late 2023, the result was especially poignant.
“I’m so happy!” he said. “This is not even the result of hard work from me – this is the result of hard work from everyone. It’s the meetings, it’s the phone calls late at night, it’s the early mornings, it’s the obsession over every minor detail and that was one of the steps to get there. So now we know what to do and we can look forward to moving forward from here.
“Our obsession to go faster and learn from every mistake and every wrong turn we’ve made has only led us to this moment. We did this – we now know what to do so I’m so pleased for the team!”
Damage sustained during Qualifying on the #19 City College Norwich Citroen meant that the team was looking at being unable to compete later on Saturday afternoon. The CCN team got to work immediately to ascertain the level of damage sustained back in the SMo Paddock.
However, with a great deal of support from the paddock, and in particular from Lee Crisp’s Boston College Racing, meant that the car was being worked on until Saturday afternoon. The car was prepared to race just minutes before the paddock was called to the assembly area for Race One.
Team Principal Leon Wilde, wanted to express his gratitude to his students, students and staff from BCR, WJS Motorsport for supplying a rear axle, and all those who supported them to get race ready.
The Spirit of Collaboration: Teams Uniting in the Paddock
Beyond the strong competition on track, one of the most heartwarming and impactful aspects of the Student Motorsport Competition is witnessing teams come together to help a rival facing race car damage. This spirit of camaraderie speaks volumes about the team’s professionalism and maturity developing within our paddock.
It perfectly embodies the true spirit of the Student Motorsport Competition, offering invaluable life lessons to our students about integrity, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. It’s a powerful demonstration that success isn’t just about winning, but about upholding core values – the team lending a hand might even be beaten by the very car they helped repair, but in these moments, that matters not.
This selfless act sends a great message to aspiring students and institutions who may wish to get involved in our future competition, showcasing an environment where collaboration and support are just as vital as outright speed.
JP Latham, Founder & Managing Director at Student Motorsport – “It’s genuinely uplifting to see the spontaneous collaboration amongst our teams in the Student Motorsport paddock. While they’re strong rivals on track, their readiness to jump in and help a competitor with a damaged car speaks volumes about their incredible determination and dedication. These moments not only highlight the immense integrity and sportsmanship within our student body, but they also foster environments where lifelong connections are made and vital information and skills are shared across institutions. This cross-college collaboration is exactly what the education industry needs to see more of, and it’s truly powerful to witness.”
Dry Conditions Possibly For Sunday after Push to Get CCN Back on the Grid
Sunday dawned overcast but dry as the 12-car grid prepared for Race Two. Bliss in the #18 BCR1 car got off to a good start as SMS’s Alex Jackson dropped down the order on the opening lap, allowing TNR’s Jepp and WSC ME’s Pollock into second and third in class respectively. After a DNF in Saturday’s race, QEM’s Emilia Vincent was starting from the back of the grid but was soon using her experience and race craft to move through the 41-car grid and after three laps was up to 9th in class.
Richard Jepp was pushing hard but setup choice meant that the three-time title holder was struggling with mid-corner oversteer and, despite closing to within less than half a second behind Bliss, was unable to find a way past. Brady Pollock, meanwhile, in the #12 WSC ME Toyota, had moved up from 9th on the overall grid to fifth and was running second in class and closing on Jepp.
One more lap and the young Suffolk-based driver may have found a way past but, in the end, had to settle for third.
The race finished with Bliss securing his second SMo Competition victory of the weekend with TNR1’s Richard Jepp and WSC ME’s Brady Pollock joining him on the podium.
Alex Jackson rounded off a successful weekend for Shiv Bhagnari’s SMS squad by finishing 4th in class followed by NESCOT Racing’s Elliot Lettis and WSC ME2’s Haydn Payne. Emilia Vincent finished a creditable 26th overall and 7th in class, having moved up 15 places on the overall grid followed by TNR2’s Ari Barker, Brooklands Technical College’s Junior Gravina-Read, WSC BEE’s Ben Bee and CCN’s Glenn Bee. East Surrey College Team principal Laurence Sait took the decision to withdraw Jack Wheeler’s #97 Citroen after a coolant leak.
Boston College Racing Builds On Standings Lead
After 10 rounds, Boston College Racing continues to lead the Student Motorsport Competition standings, and has extended its advantage by six points over Team Northbrook Racing 1, who are now on 108 points. Although not racing at Snetterton, Boston College Racing 2 maintain their third place in the standings although the WSC ME entry now joins BCR2 on 95 points. Two race wins means that Andrew Dyer holds on to third.
Sussex Motorsports 1 overtakes WSC ME2 in the standings, courtesy of Alex Jackson’s 2nd and 4th-place finishes in class. SMS1 now sits on 82 points after dropped scores, four ahead of WSC ME2. SMS2, TNR2, ESC and NESCOT Racing sit 7th to 10th respectively, with Elliot Lettis moving George Keith’s squad up one place in the standings. QEM, CCN, WSC BEE and Brooklands Technical College complete the standings table.
Although only fielding one car at Snetterton, Boston College Racing Team Principal Lee Crisp was happy with the weekend’s outcome.
“It’s a great way to end the weekend and I didn’t expect it with the changeable weather conditions,” said Lee Crisp. “We looked at the weather before we came to Snetterton and it said it was going to be a dry weekend so that’s what we set up for but you can’t always guarantee that the weather is going to be right.
For challenger Richard Jepp in the #65 Team Northbrook Racing entry, a dry race car setup meant that victory in Race Two was always going to be difficult.
“We had loads of pace at the start of the race, but we went the wrong way on the tyres again,” said Richard Jepp. “My tyres over-heated after the first couple of laps, so I had understeer mid corner, and I was just losing all the way down the straights because I couldn’t get the power on.
“Overall, it’s been a damage limitation weekend again, but I think I got the fastest lap, so I’m happy with that. Onwards to Silverstone!”
Media Team Support Circuit Commentators
Throughout the weekend, the Student Motorsport Competition Media Team were on hand to provide analysis and interviews via regular live streams and social media updates.
Thanks to the BRSCC, members of the team were also invited to join the circuit commentators to provide some expert insight into the Student Motorsport Competition for the hundreds of spectators gathered at Snetterton.
For series organiser JP Latham, the weekend had provided excellent racing, some valuable insights to guide the post-season ‘Team Professionalism’ award judging and priceless work experience opportunities for many students and learners in the Student Motorsport Competition.
“The SMo Competition certainly lived up to its objective of providing real-world trackside motorsport experience this weekend at Snetterton,” said JP Latham. “Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you to everybody who pitched in to support City College Norwich after Qualifying. Without their support, there would have been a question as to whether CCN could have raced last weekend. However, as always, the Competition paddock rallied round to ensure that CCN had the best possible chance to compete.
“It was also fantastic to hear the voices of our Media Team over the PA system at the circuit, supporting the circuit commentators with their coverage of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship races, within which we compete. This demonstrates the confidence that our media work experience candidates have gained since joining us this year and will help them build their CVs for their future careers. Many thanks to the BRSCC for facilitating such a wonderful opportunity for our team.
“With eight rounds remaining, the 2025 Student Motorsport Competition standings are still very close, and we can look forward to more exciting racing when we visit Silverstone next month.
The Student Motorsport Competition grid next assembles at Silverstone on the 16th and 17th of August for the final double-header of the 2025 season. With qualifying and racing confined to one day, series organiser JP Latham will be arranging a packed schedule of activities for all participating teams on Saturday the 17th of August.