Boston College Racing tightened their grip on the Student Motorsport Competition standings with Stuart Bliss powering the #18 BCR 1 Autobliss Toyota Aygo to victory in Round 4 at Oulton Park. The win – Bliss’s second overall in the 2025 BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, cemented BCR’s lead in emphatic style at the Cheshire circuit.
Finishing second in class, and third overall, was the #63 Team Northbrook Racing 1 Gen II Peugeot 107 driven by Richard Jepp, followed by the re-shelled #12 West Suffolk College ME Toyota of Brady Pollock. The weekend trophies were presented by Millie Johnson, one of the Student Motorsport work experience journalism candidates.
Race Two, and the final contest of the day, was cancelled after two separate incidents resulted in red flags. With the circuit curfew looming, Race Control took the decision to cancel the race, resulting in a disappointing end to what had been a very positive day for the world’s premier motorsport competition providing real-world trackside industry experience for the next generation of motorsport professionals.
Remembering Those Lost
The meeting had started in sombre mood after the tragic events of the previous weekend when Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson lost their lives in a multi-bike incient while competing in the British Supersport Championship at the Cheshire circuit. The race meeting stood silent for one minute in recognition of the two racers and also Lauren O’Brien who lost her life competing in an Autograss event in Castletown-Kinneigh in West Cork on May the 4th.
Weekend Support
Acorn Printing Services Ltd, owned by SMo driver Duncan Horlor, supported the Student Motorsport paddock for the weekend by kindly providing teamwear for the expanded Media Team, now offering work experience across photography, social media and video presenting. The smart black polo shirts emblazoned with the Student Motorsport logo in pale blue and white made a striking addition to the bustling paddock.
Testing
Many of the Student Motorsport Competition teams had chosen to test at Oulton Park ahead of Saturday’s event. Amongst the teams out on circuit on the Friday was Brooklands Technical College who made their SMo Competition debut this past weekend. The team’s all-red #2 Citroen C1 was driven by Motor Vehicle Lecturer Junior Gravina-Read who was also making his first appearance as a race driver.
QE Motorsport rejoined the SMo Competition at Oulton Park and for 2025 Emilia Vincent, who had previously raced in the then-named Student Motorsport Challenge in 2023, is behind the wheel of the #174 Gen II Peugeot 108.
Qualifying
Race day saw a cloudless sky with temperatures forecast to soar to the high 20ºs as the 14 cars competing in the Student Motorsport Competition took the 2.69 miles of the Oulton Park circuit for the 15-minute CityCar Cup qualifying session.
TNR’s Richard Jepp looked to have sealed the class pole position with a 2:15.356 on his final lap before three-time class winner Brady Pollock, driving the #12 WSC ME Toyota Aygo, went just over a tenth of a second quicker to secure the Student Motorsport pole and start from 3rd on the overall CityCar Cup grid.
BCR’s Stuart Bliss was 3rd quickest in class followed by teammate Andrew Dyer in the sister #15 car. Pollock’s teammate Haydn Payne qualified 4th quickest in class with a 2:16.122 as Sussex Motorsports secured 6th and 7th on the class grid, Alex Jackson lapping in 2:16.523 ahead of Toby Owen in the team’s #42 Citroen.
East Surrey College’s Jack Wheeler, City College Norwich’s Elliot Lettis and TNR2’s Ari Barker qualified from 8th to 10th respectively while QE Motorsport’s Emilia Vincent was 11th quickest with a 2:19.864.
WSC BEE’s Ben Bee, NESCOT’s Paul Mellor and Brookland Technical College’s Junior Gravina-Reed completed the Student Motorsport qualifiers.
Some featured images from qualifying brought to you by our newly introduced work experience photography, Tasha Williams.
Race 1
Race One, and, as it transpired, the only CityCar Cup race of the day, saw Brady Pollock lead the Student Motorsport grid away from the line and the young WSC ME driver briefly led the overall field before BCR’s Stuart Bliss moved into the overall lead followed by TNR1’s Richard Jepp, Pollock dropping back to 3rd in class.
Brookland’s #2 Citroen with Junior Gravina-Read at the wheel pulled into the pitlane at the end of the first lap with an engine problem and did not rejoin. Meanwhile, with eight minutes remaining, Stuart Bliss continued to hold the overall lead followed by Richard Jepp as Pollock dropped out of the overall podium finishes. CityCar competitor Ben Spencer in the #113 Toyota was moving through the front of the field and put Richard Jepp under pressure for 2nd overall as BCR2’s Dyer pulled off the circuit and out of the race.
Spencer passed Jepp for 2nd overall after five laps and at the chequered flag it was BCR1’s Stuart Bliss who took the overall CityCar Cup victory and Student Motorsport win, less than a second ahead of Ben Spencer and 1.5 seconds ahead of Richard Jepp. WSC ME’s Brady Pollock finished 3rd in class with SMS’s Alex Jackson 4th in class ahead of WSC ME2’s Haydn Payne.
SMS’s Toby Owen, ESC’s Jack Wheeler, CCN’s Elliot Lettis and TNR2’s Ari Barker finished from 7th to 10th with QEM’s Emilia Vincent, WSC BEE’s Ben Bee and NESCOT’s Paul Mellor completing the Student Motorsport finishers.
Paddock Time
There was a gap of over five hours between the end of Race One and the start of Race Two, during which the Brooklands Technical College team, led by Marios Katzis and Darren Bainbridge, worked on their stricken car. Eventually the team chose to withdraw from the remainder of the meeting and not return for Race Two. After a thoroughly enjoyable debut weekend, the team will return to their Surrey base to prepare the car for the next rounds at Anglesey in June.
Work Experience – Insights
While the racing action at Oulton Park on May 10th may have been curtailed, the Student Motorsport Media Team was operating at full throttle, providing unparalleled real-world experience for the next generation of motorsport and media professionals. Student Motorsport is not just about exhilarating on-track action; it’s deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of motorsport and media professionals through hands-on opportunities that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom. This initiative provides a thrilling platform for students to step out of academia and directly apply their learning within the dynamic, high-stakes environment of a live race weekend. The team’s collective efforts truly capture the true essence of what Student Motorsport is all about, showcasing the invaluable real-to-life motorsport experience our students gain.
From the crack of dawn at the 8am team meeting, led by the astute Andy Lloyd (Head of Media), our dedicated work experience candidates were fully immersed in the fast-paced world of professional motorsport. This second event of the 2025 season saw an impressive seven students involved, showcasing the growing breadth of our programme and offering even more invaluable opportunities for those eager to forge a career in this exciting industry. With invaluable mentorship from Andy Lloyd for presenting, JP Latham for social media, and Bernice Bradley (Head of Photography, Creative Arts in Photography with the University of Derby at Boston College) for photography, the students gained practical, on-the-ground experience that will serve as a crucial springboard for their careers.
The Oulton Park weekend saw an expanded and dynamic media contingent. Our three-strong Photography and Videography team, comprised of the talented Katie Wells (Graduate, Boston College), Tasha Williams (Media, Coleg Cambria), and Aimee-Grace Shaw (Photography, NSCG), were expertly capturing every thrilling moment on track and behind the scenes. From intense pitlane activity to the jubilant podium celebrations, their lenses were constantly at work, building invaluable portfolios of professional-grade motorsport imagery and footage, and mastering the art of visual storytelling in a live environment.
Meanwhile, our Social Media and Content specialists, Isabel Clark (Broadcast Journalism, Nottingham Trent University) and Aarya Shenoy (Media, Communications and History, Newcastle University), were the digital heartbeat of the event. They were actively engaging with fans, crafting compelling real-time updates, curating vibrant behind-the-scenes content, and managing dynamic social media channels that brought the excitement of Oulton Park directly to our online community. Their rapid response, creative flair, and strategic thinking ensured that the Student Motorsport narrative was shared far and wide, building essential skills in digital communication and audience engagement.
Adding another layer of professionalism and excitement, our Presenting duo, Millie Johnston (Sports Journalism, University of Lincoln) and Max Lovejoy (Sports Journalism, University of Derby), were a commanding presence both in front of and behind the camera. They were conducting insightful interviews with drivers and team personnel, delivering engaging commentary, and bringing the human element of motorsport to life for our audience through live reports and compelling packages. Their ability to connect with subjects and articulate the passion of the paddock was truly impressive, honing their on-camera confidence and journalistic prowess.
Each student seamlessly integrated into the team, benefiting from direct guidance and immediate feedback, allowing them to put their theoretical knowledge into practice and build tangible skills. They enjoyed another superb weekend with the Student Motorsport Media team, demonstrating exceptional engagement and enthusiasm throughout. The atmosphere was one of collaboration and shared excitement, making for a truly memorable and impactful weekend for our burgeoning media talents, who are now eagerly looking forward to a full season of media and motorsport!
JP Latham, Managing Director of Student Motorsport, commented: “Expanding our offering beyond the incredible efforts of our participating racing teams to encompass meaningful work experience opportunities has always been ingrained in the very fabric of Student Motorsport. We are immensely proud to provide this crucial stepping stone for those eager to forge a career in this exciting industry. Witnessing the enthusiasm and talent of our growing cohort of students at Oulton Park was truly inspiring. My sincere thanks go to Andy Lloyd and Bernice Bradley for their unwavering dedication in supporting the development of this vital Work Experience programme and expertly preparing our candidates for a fantastic 2025 season.”
This groundbreaking initiative underscores Student Motorsport’s profound commitment to fostering talent and providing clear pathways into the industry, ensuring that the passion for motorsport extends far beyond the driving seat.
Race 2
38 cars lined up for Race Two but an incident on the opening lap resulted in the contest being red flagged. Thankfully, no drivers were injured and the grid reformed in an attempt to run the shortened 13-minute race before the circuit curfew prevented further running. An unfortunate incident shortly after the start again brought out the red flag and the decision was taken not to re-start.
2025 Standings – Post Oulton Park
After Round Four of the 2025 Student Motorsport Competition, Boston College Racing 1 now leads the SMo Competition standings on 78 points, ahead of Team Northbrook Racing 1 on 66 points. Sussex Motorsports 1 is 3rd with 49 points followed by Team Northbrook Racing 2, Black Sheep Racing / Sussex Motorsports 2 and West Suffolk College ME (HP). Jack Wheeler and East Surrey College are 7th in the standings on 42 points with BCR 2 / RTW Vans and Conversions two points behind. NESCOT Racing is 9th followed by West Suffolk College ME (BP) and West Suffolk College ME (BEE), City College Norwich, QE Motorsport and Brooklands Technical College. (Results are always provisional until officially released by the BRSCC)
BCR Team Principal Lee Crisp was delighted with the weekend’s results.
“The team has worked extremely well,” he said. “We got the cars prepared well in advance for this event. We made some changes to Andrew’s car before we came here but we knew for a fact there was going to be a grid penalty, no matter what he did qualifying-wise. It was just unfortunate for Race One for the #15 car that we had an issue with the fuel pump. We sorted that and we were all looking forward to Race Two.
“We knew we were starting from the back but in that first lap Andrew had gained six or seven places and we were really looking forward to seeing how far he could move up the field. But as for Stuart, again, great driving in Race One. There are some competitive cars this year in this championship but to be there in the top ten and fighting for those top spots, it was great and for the team, it’s something we were really looking forward to this year but it’s motor racing. Thankfully the people involved in the accident in Race Two, they’re all good and their cars will live to race another day. Now we move on to Anglesey and see what that brings!”
For the Student Motorsport Competition organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham, the weekend was full of positives, despite the cancellation of Race Two.
“It was especially nice to see Brooklands Technical College make it to the circuit and to see City College Norwich and QE Motorsport making it to the second weekend of the year,” he said.
“It has also been wonderful to see the Student Motorsport Media Team growing and achieving some wonderful things in front of the camera, on social media, journalism and photography. I’m immensely proud of the whole team who were all wearing their Media Team polo shirts kindly generously supplied by Acorn Printing Services Ltd
“The general camaraderie across the paddock with teams gelling and helping each other was fantastic to see and as a bonus for me, I was able to spend some time supporting some teams with technical assistance. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see that translate on the circuit but I am immensely proud of what we are achieving here!”
The Student Motorsport Competition now moves to Trac Môn Anglesey on June 7th and 8th of June as part of the BRSCC 2025 Anglesey Summer Race Weekend for Rounds 6, 7 and 8.