MET Motorsport, the student race team of the Chichester College group and named Northbrook College, took the inaugural Student Motorsport Challenge title, the inter-series within the 2022 BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, in dramatic fashion at the season finale on the Silverstone International Circuit.

Finishing in second place in the standings, after heading the table for most of the preceding 15 rounds, was the #57 East Surrey College Peugeot in which Aston Martin Product Specialist Andy Burgess had taken eight class victories and a further four podium places leading up to the season finale.

Completing the top three in the standings in the seven-car Student Motorsport Challenge field was the #38 OBU Student Challenge (Oxford Brookes) Citroen C1 piloted by ex-Euro NASCAR driver Ben Creanor. Despite a late entry into the SMo Challenge, the OBU crew had gone on to make history by taking the first overall CityCar Cup Championship win by an SMo Challenge in Race Three at Croft.

The weekend at the home of British motorsport began in cold and damp conditions where four of the teams, including MET Motorsport, had tested at the iconic 1.85-mile Northamptonshire circuit on the Friday. Ahead of the race weekend, Andy Burgess and the East Surrey College squad held a 15-point advantage in the Challenge standings and needed a win and a fourth place to secure the class title.

Qualifying for the expanded 40-car grid saw Richard Jepp reaping the benefit of the Friday testing by putting the #65 Peugeot on the class pole position with Ben Creanor one place and less than a second behind the Portsmouth-based driver. Standings leader Andy Burgess qualified third in class. George Jones in the #9 Coleg Gwent (Newport) Citroen, Leon Wilde in the #26 West Suffolk College Toyota Aygo, Joe Miller in the #25 SHU Karting Citroen and Mark Pope, deputising for Dan Lockett, in the #23 Coleg Gwent (Blaenau) Peugeot completed the class grid positions.

Richard Jepp started from the class pole and an overall sixth place on the grid for Race One and converted that into an overall second place finish and the class victory with Ben Creanor coming in second in class and sixth overall. Andy Burgess finished third in the SMo Challenge class and 12^th overall, the #57 East Surrey car a little off the pace in comparison to previous outings.

Joe Miller failed to finish the 20-minute race after an off-track excursion saw the SHU Karting driver stranded in the gravel, bringing out the safety car to allow for safe retrieval.

Richard Jepp’s win closed the gap to ten points to Andy Burgess at the top of the standings and Race Two closed it even further after the top three finished in the same positions. The #65 MET Motorsport Peugeot also got the fastest lap in class after putting in a 1:30.925 on the 12^th lap.

Going into the final race of the season, OBU Student Challenge was secure in third place in the standings and unable to challenge for second place while only five points separated the #57 East Surrey entry at the top of the table and the #65 MET Motorsport Peugeot.

The grid for the Race Three was slightly shaken up for the front runners with Richard Jepp starting from fourth overall and Andy Burgess 11^th. Jepp got away to a great start and was running in second place overall with Andy Burgess third in class, sufficient to tie the SMo Challenge standings on points and win the title courtesy of a greater number of class wins.

However disaster was to strike the #57 Peugeot at the end of their eighth lap when two cars made contact at the final turn, pushing the #66 Toyota into the East Surrey car, resulting in contact with the pit wall. The safety car was brought out and Richard Jepp cruised home for his third class victory of the day, securing the title by a provisional ten points. Ben Creanor was second and Leon Wilde, at the wheel of the #26 West Suffolk College Toyota, drove to his first class podium finish of the season, a well-deserved result for the team that was the first to commit to the season.

Richard Jepp was delighted to have taken the title but was quick to pay tribute to East Surrey College.

“What a journey it’s been to get here! Thanks to all the team that have put their hard work in all season and thank you to the sponsors that have made it all achievable as well – Harwin and Amigo Customs. Yeah, it’s crazy. It was all down to the last race after all season. Many commiserations to East Surrey for the way it turned out as well. It’s not the best way to end a Championship but they still got P2.

“We’re really happy!”

Richard Jepp was pleased with the pace that MET Motorsport had unlocked in the car.

“Yeah, the pace was really good. I think another lap and I could have won. Elliot Lettis got away at the front and split the tow and I was struggling to get on the back of him. I think he made a couple of mistakes and I got behind him. I was into the tow and I was right on him again by the time the Safety Car came out so I think, given another lap, I was going to start putting moves on him. It’s a shame but I’ll take it!”

For Andy Burgess, it was a deeply unsatisfying end to season in which he had dominated the class in many races.

“I was just trying to keep out of trouble because all I needed to do was to finish which I thought I was doing and then I got hit two or three times by the #66 car,” said Andy Burgess. “It was a bit unnecessary and then I got a real good clout which pushed me slightly wide and then I’m coming onto the start – finish straight and then the #99 has come round and tagged the back of the #66 car and then he’s tagged the back of me. I didn’t hit anybody – they hit me so it’s just annoying.

“The team have been brilliant but I just feel sorry for them really because it would have been a nice win this weekend.”

MET Motorsport Team Principal Emma Norton was delighted for her team.

“It is absolutely awesome to win the title but we’re feeling a bit sorry for East Surrey. They had it in their grasp and unfortunately racing happens like that, doesn’t it? They fell at the last hurdle, as it were, because the Championship was going to be theirs. I’m delighted for our team. I’m delighted for Richard Jepp who has been the most incredible driver for us this year and this is a wonderful payback for all the effort and attention the students have put in all year long and the staff who have travelled around the countryside and done lots of work in the backroom as well.

“I think we learned the trick which was to actually have experience at the tracks beforehand so we started to doing test days so we had lots of familiarity with the track. At the first few races we came along just for the racing so actually being there the day before allowed Richard to get on the pace a lot quicker this weekend.

“We’re absolutely over the moon with the result! It’s fantastic for our team. It’s fantastic for all the teams and for JP (series organiser) and all the efforts that he’s put into this all year long. The Student Motorsport programme is fantastic and I’m delighted for all of our team and the others because it’s a great reward.”

For Ben Creanor and the OBU Student Challenge team, the 2022 season had produced some incredible performances and a trio of second place finishes at Silverstone cemented their third place in the SMo Challenge.

“For the team, it’s a massive achievement,” said Creanor. “They came in at the last minute with no backing from the university that they represent and they are the third-placed team so they have a lot to be proud of.

“I’m quite pleased with the results this weekend. The car’s not really been quite there but the results have been consistent – a sixth and two sevenths overall. It’s not been an amazing weekend but we got good results and the end result in the championship for the team is brilliant because they deserve it more than anyone else.”

For Student Motorsport founder and series organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham, the weekend concluded an amazing season for the inaugural Student Motorsport Challenge.

“Firstly, congratulations to MET Motorsport and Richard Jepp but I was very sorry at how East Surrey College’s season finished. George Keith, his team and their driver Andy Burgess have worked so hard this year and to see the final race finish for them as it did was heart breaking.

“To our partners, supporters, all the teams, their team managers, drivers and colleges, I must say a huge thank you for their support. The Student Motorsport Challenge has surpassed all my expectations for its first season and I know that all the team members have gained a huge amount of experience which will be invaluable as they progress their careers.

“Richard Jepp’s driving was impeccable this weekend and he and the team are worthy champions. It was also great to see Leon Wilde take his first Challenge podium of the season – a fitting reward for how hard he and the team have worked.

“There is much news and highlights to come featuring the heart of what the Challenge provides for our students and teams. We are currently planning the 2023 season and I hope we can welcome all our current teams, and new additions to the grid, for the opening round next year.”

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Second in class was the #38 OBU Student Challenge Citroen with Ben Creanor behind the wheel. The young Dunfermline driver finished in sixth overall, making up six places on his overall starting grid position. The leader in the Student Motorsport Challenge standings, Andy Burgess in the #57 East Surrey College Citroen finished third in class and 12^th overall.

Jepp’s victory means that the gap has closed at the top of the provisional standings to ten points with East Surrey College on 172 points and MET Motorsport on 162 points. Creanor’s second place finish in class means that the OBU Student Challenge crew remain in third in the provisional standings on 144 points.

Richard Jepp started the 20-minute contest from the class pole and sixth on the overall grid but almost immediately made up places on the overall field and was running in second when the race was neutralised to retrieve the stricken #21 Citroen driven by Christopher Mackenzie.

When racing resumed with ten minutes remaining, Jepp came under pressure and dropped down the overall field before issues between the leaders allowed the #65 car to climb back up to second overall.

Richard Jepp was delighted with his first victory in the Student Motorsport Challenge.

“I had a really good start,” said Jepp. “The lights went out after two seconds and I think that caught some people out. I’d made two places up before the first corner and I was in a good position on the inside to make up another couple of places while the leaders were battling. On the Hanger Straight I was in a good bit of tow so it all worked out for me -It was really good!

“It was my win in the Student Motorsport Challenge and it’s been a long time coming. We’ve had the pace; I just don’t think we’ve had the luck. What a weekend for it to come – on the last weekend of the season! I’m really pleased for the team. They work really hard all the time and it’s good to give them the win.”

For Andy Burgess, it was a frustrating race but he retains a ten-point lead in the standings with two races remaining.

“I got caught up in the middle of the pack. We were going four-abreast into The Link. I got pushed and hit quite hard actually. I got pushed onto the grass.

“Hopefully we’ll have more luck in the next race but Richard Jepp will have the advantage on the grid.”

Race Two gets underway at 4.50pm on Saturday October the 15th

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The Portsmouth-based driver was the only SMo Challenge entrant to lap under 1:32 with a 1:31.829 followed by Ben Creanor in the #38 OBU Student Challenge (Oxford Brookes) Citroen who put in a 1:32.230.

Third quickest was the current SMo Challenge leader, Andy Burgess in the #57 East Surrey College Peugeot 107 who lapped the 1.85-mile international circuit in 1:32.764.

Richard Jepp, who has tested at the circuit the day before, was pleased with the time but felt there was still more in the car.

“We didn’t change anything on the set-up from yesterday and the track conditions were pretty much the same as well so I was fairly confident straight out of the block. The only downside was I didn’t get any tow down the back straight as the wind’s fairly strong so I was losing nearly half a second alone down the straight compared to yesterday.

“I know the pace is there and I’m looking forward to Race One as we’ve definitely got the speed to win the class.”

With an overall grid of 40 cars for the final weekend, was traffic a concern for the MET Motorsport pilot?

“Towards the end of the session the traffic did make it hectic,” said Jepp. “It should be OK in the race though as there was some confusion at the start of qualifying.”

Three 20-minute contests comprise the final race weekend for the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship which incorporates the Student Motorsport Challenge with two races on Saturday and one on Sunday. The lights go out for Race One at 3.00pm on Saturday October the 15^th with Race Two getting underway at 5.20pm.

East Surrey College and Andy Burgess currently lead the standings on 162 points followed by the MET Motorsport Peugeot driven by Richard Jepp who are currently 15 points behind. OBU Student Challenge are third in the standings on 132 points.

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The Redhill-based squad needs a win and a sixth to be crowned champions at the home of British motorsport.

The Student Motorsport Challenge, the inter-series for college and university teams within the 2022 BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, heads for Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, for its season finale on October 15^th– 16^th.

Seven SMO Challenge entries will be on the grid for the rounds 16, 17 and 18 which will comprise three 20-minutes contests around the 1.85 miles of the International circuit.

There is only one change to the entries that competed at Croft in the previous rounds. Mark Pope replaces Dan Lockett behind the wheel of the #23 Coleg Gwent (Blaenau) Peugeot 107. The #23 entry currently lies fourth in the standings on 114 points (adjusted for dropped scores).

Heading into the final weekend of the season, East Surrey College, with its #57 Peugeot 107 driven by Andy Burgess, leads the standings on 162 points, 15 ahead of the #65 MET Motorsport (Greater Brighton Metropolitan College) Peugeot piloted by Richard Jepp.

Andy Burgess had dominated the series and taken the class victory in every race the team entered up to the point that Ben Creanor took over the driving duties in the #77 OBU Student Challenge entry. Burgess, an Aston Martin Product Specialist, may have been frustrated at the previous rounds at Croft after a string of seven victories and a second place became a trio of third place finishes.

Burgess, however, only needs a win and a sixth-place finish to secure the inaugural Student Motorsport Challenge title and so must be the favourite as the series moves to Northamptonshire.

“I’m looking forward very much to hopefully clinching the Student Motorsport Challenge title for East Surrey College this weekend,” he said.

“I will be giving it my all at Silverstone on a track I’m certainly more familiar with than Croft! I will be focused on three wins to seal it!”

Richard Jepp, behind the wheel of the #65 MET Motorsport Peugeot, has enjoyed a solid season in the SMo Challenge, despite enduring some challenges along the way. Damage at the end of the opening race at Oulton Park meant the team had to secure a second chassis and prepare it rapidly in order to get the Portsmouth-base driver out on track for the second weekend at Snetterton.

The team then had the frustration of a scrutineering issue at Snetterton in July, resulting in the car missing the opening race. Despite that, Jepp has brought the yellow Harwin and Amigo Wraps-sponsored car home for six second-place finishes and three further podiums. Combined with the three class victories for the team in the hands of Andrew Jones, Emma Norton’s Sussex-based squad now sit second in the standings with a good chance of taking the title at Silverstone.

Richard Jepp is very much looking forward to the three races in Northamptonshire.

“I can’t believe we are stepping into the final race weekend of the season already.” said Richard Jepp. “There have been many highs for us at MET Motorsport and also some lows but we have learnt so much and used every situation in a positive way. To be in contention for the Student Motorsport Challenge title is an amazing achievement in itself and shows just how well the team have worked together throughout the year.

“I will be doing everything I can to bring home that title, for the team and the college but also for our sponsors Harwin and Amigo Customs who have supported us throughout the season.”

Currently third in the standings, the #77 OBU Student Challenge (Oxford Brookes) crew with Ben Creanor behind the wheel of its red Citroen sponsored by Creanor Fleet Transport and MHR Teamwear needs to take all three class victories in order to be in with a realistic chance of securing the title. Although it sounds like a tall order, the young Dunfermline driver surprised the whole grid with his three class wins and outright podiums, including an overall victory, last time out at Croft. We should expect nothing less than ‘maximum attack’ from Oxford Brookes when the cars hit the track for qualifying on Saturday.

“I’ve really enjoyed my first season with Student Motorsport and the guys at OBU,” said Ben Creanor. “We’ve had a lot of fun and the guys have come on leaps and bounds. To have a 60-point deficit and fight back to being an outside shot at the title is a massive achievement in itself, never mind any of our other achievements this year.

“Regardless of the outcome they can be proud of what they’ve done this year and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us.”

Coleg Gwent (Blaenau) currently sit fourth in the standings with Leon Wilde’s West Suffolk College crew just 11 points further back. Wilde’s race craft and experience have increased massively over the course of the season and the crew of the #26 car will have their sights set on a fourth-place finish in the series.

Joe Miller returns for SHU Karting and will be looking to build on his results at Croft where he produced a trio of seventh-place finishes. Only 24 points behind fifth-placed West Suffolk College, the Sheffield Hallam crew will be looking to move up the standings table as the season draws to a close.

Student Motorsport Founder and SMo Challenge organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham is excited both about the race for the title at Silverstone as well as the opportunities the weekend will offer teams and potential new entrants.

“I’m really looking forward to the Student Motorsport Challenge season finale at Silverstone this weekend,” said JP Latham. “The emotion that we’re taking from Croft into the remaining three races is going to increase exponentially. Although East Surrey College must be the title favourite, there are still two more teams – MET Motorsport and OBU Student Challenge – who can potentially lift the overall title trophy so all the track activity will be highly focused and competitive.

“I’m excited for all the teams and students who will be out in full force this weekend. It is hugely gratifying to see evidence of the validation of what the Challenge has brought to education in motorsport. What better place to illustrate this than at the home of UK motorsport and the British Grand Prix?

“The opportunity to meet potential new teams in the garage and demonstrate first-hand how the Challenge operates will, we hope, help cement the growth of the series and catapult us into what will be a really exciting 2023 season.”

Track action for rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the 2022 BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, incorporating the Student Motorsport Challenge, gets underway on the Silverstone International Circuit with a 15-minute qualifying session at 10:45 on Saturday October 15^th. Two 20-minute races follow on the Saturday; one at 15:05 and again at 17:25.

The lights go out for the final race of the season at 12:05 on Sunday October 16^th.

Live timing with circuit commentary can be found at www.tsl-timing.com.

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