Images by: Andy Lloyd / James Roberts Photography / Ffion Noot-Williams / Aimeè-Grace Stevens (Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group) / Isabel Clark / Alex Jackson-Beale (Heriot-Watt)

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Championship, got underway on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit with a record 19 cars, five new teams and 12 drivers making their debut in the world’s leading motorsport competition, providing real-world trackside experience to the next generation of industry professionals.

After a weekend which saw the Competition compete in a format first tested at Silverstone in 2025 – the CityCar Cup grid split into three groups with each group racing twice over the course of three contests – Team Northbrook Racing and driver Richard Jepp left Kent with two overall and class wins under their belt and a three-point lead in the title standings. Second in class after the opening weekend was the #15 Boston College Racing 1 Toyota Aygo driven by Andrew Dyer followed by Jepp’s TNR teammate Jack Wheeler on 32 points.

Qualifying: Wheeler Claims Pole on TNR Debut

The weekend got underway with qualifying and it was Jack Wheeler, making his debut for Emma Norton’s Shoreham-based Team Northbrook Racing squad, who took class pole position and second overall with a 1:03.169 on his sixth lap of 14 whilst BCR1’s Andrew Dyer went second quickest in class with a 1:03.195. Triple SMo title holder Richard Jepp was third quickest, less than a quarter of a second behind Dyer.

Qualifying fourth and fifth in class were Competition debutants George Antoniou, driving for Brooklands Technical College Racing, and JAS/HW Motorsport’s Jenson Jackson. East Surrey College Racing (ESC) saw Carter Steel, who had moved to the team for the 2026 season, qualify sixth in class with Pitlane Development’s Reuben Lowe seventh quickest.

The top ten qualifiers in the Competition class were completed by Waltham Forest College (WFC) Racing’s Harry Sutton, making his car racing debut at Brands Hatch, newcomers Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group’s (NSCG Racing) Luke Sawyer and ESCR1’s Luke Bate.

Alex Foden, driver of the #41 Boston College Racing 1 Citroen C1, incurred a penalty during qualifying which meant that he started from the rear of the grid for his two races.

When the groups were announced for the first race of the weekend, 14 Competition cars were on the grid out of the 19 entered in total. TNR’s Jack Wheeler was second on the overall grid, lining up alongside Alistair May, with teammate Richard Jepp starting from the second row. BTCR’s George Antoniou started fifth overall and third in class with JAS/HW’s Jenson Jackson on the third row.

Pitlane Development’s Reuben Lowe was on the sixth row, one row ahead of WFC Racing’s Harry Sutton. The Competition grid was further complemented by NSCG Racing’s Luke Sawyer, QE Motorsport’s Emilia Vincent, NESCOT’s Elliot Lettis, BTCR’s Luke Power and NSCG Racing’s Jake Gittus. Competition debutants Alex Turner, at the wheel of the #88 QE Motorsports’ Gen II Peugeot 108, and Aby-Jayde Bennett, driving the #8 Paddock Speedshop Citroen C1, completed the 14 SMo starters.

Race One: Jepp’s “Rocket Start” Secures the Win

TNR’s Jepp had a plan going into the start and had quickly passed teammate Jack Wheeler. The South-Coast driver then passed Alistair May for the lead which he then held to the chequered flag. BCR2’s Alex Foden had a spectacular start to his Competition career, making up 20 places and setting the fastest overall lap with 1:02.879.

Richard Jepp was delighted to open his 2026 account with an overall win.

“I already had a game plan from before we started,” he said. “I know Alistair May runs quite loose on the rear end for the first few laps so I knew I had to get the job done early,” he said. “I had a rocket start and managed to get up the inside of Jack and I was already pressing on May. So I got the job done early like I planned, and then it was just defending with everything I had.”

Race Two: Dominance Continues for Team Northbrook

Race Two on Sunday for groups B and C saw three of the most experienced CityCar drivers starting at the front of the 26-car grid with TNR2’s Jack Wheeler on overall pole and BCR1’s Andrew Dyer and Race One winner Richard Jepp on the second row.

This time Jepp knew exactly what he had to do and, taking advantage of some wheelspin from his competitors, got to the front after which he had to fight off a hard-charging Andrew Dyer in the #15 Toyota Aygo. Further down the field, there was disappointment for Pitlane Development’s Reuben Lowe who suffered a mechanical failure on the warm-up lap and suffered a DNF as a result.

Jepp took the chequered flag just under four seconds ahead of BCR’s Andrew Dyer with teammate Jack Wheeler completing the Competition podium positions, finishing fifth overall. Dyer’s teammate Alex Foden drove another solid race and moved from the back of the grid to finish ninth overall and fourth in class.

WFC Racing’s Harry Sutton showed his promise as a podium contender with a fifth-in-class finish and tenth overall, setting the fastest lap for the Competition rookies with a 1:03.435.

Race Three: Dyer Delivers for BCR as New Faces Find the Podium

The final Competition race took place under bright sunshine and some of the stiffest breezes of the weekend. Andrew Dyer was the class pole-sitter and with Jepp, Wheeler and Foden having driven their two races, the door was open for new faces to enjoy podium success. Dyer’s experience showed through as the Pontcynon-based pilot battled with Alistair May for the overall race win and clinched the Competition victory. However, it was all smiles on the faces of Brooklands Technical College Racing’s George Antoniou and JAS/HW’s Jenson Jackson and their respective teams as they clinched their first podiums on their debuts in the SMo Competition.

Team-by-team Breakdown: Breakthroughs and Resilience

After a highly successful first weekend’s racing in the Student Motorsport, Team Northbrook Racing left the iconic Kent circuit with a narrow lead in the standings. The #65 TNR1 Gen II Peugeot 108 driven by Richard Jepp leads on 40 points while the sister #57 Peugeot 107 piloted by Jack Wheeler lies third on 32 points.

For Richard Jepp, it was the advancement of the skills and experience of the team, led by Emma Norton, that stood out.

“They’re learning more and more, not just about what to do on the car but how to perform checks and adjustments,” he said. “We found some things that were wrong on Sunday morning as we were doing ride height checks just before the race. We actually made two adjustments because we failed our own ride height checks so there was a little bit of panic but that’s the pressured environment of motorsport. This, in turn, gets the learners used to that environment and that’s going to get them through.”

Team Principal Emma Norton was delighted with the team.

“This weekend has been absolutely incredible!” she said. “I am really proud of both drivers and the team has been fantastic. We couldn’t want for more.

“We’ve been busy all year and we didn’t really slow down after the end of last season so there hasn’t been much of an off-season. This weekend has been incredible for the beginning of the season and I hope it stays that way!”

Boston College Racing picked up where they left off in 2025 with a class win and two further podium finishes with their evolved driver lineup. The #15 BCR1 Toyota Aygo driven by Andrew Dyer is currently second in the standings on 37 points while the #41 BCR2 Citroen lies ninth on 19 points, penalty points for Alex Foden’s qualifying infraction pushing the car down the standings. However, nothing can detract from Foden’s pace and it looks highly likely that the #41 car will be challenging for class and overall honours as the season progresses.

“It was a disappointing start for Alex, having to start from the back for both races, but to come through the field like he did and the car to come of it unscathed, he’s done extremely well,” said Team Principal Lee Crisp. “The potential is definitely there going forward. We saw his potential last year and I think he’s a great signing for us. Alex has set his mark and people can see that today.

“We’re very happy with Andrew. His car is good and very well prepared and we hope he will bring us a lot of silverware this season.”

Brooklands Technical College Racing could be safely titled the ‘breakthrough’ team of the weekend. Having joined the Competition at the Oulton Park round and having spent last season learning how to develop a race team, Marios Katzis’ squad arrived at Brands Hatch determined to make their mark.

Brooklands alumnus George Antoniou set to work to repay the college’s faith in him and rewarded BTC Racing with a top five finish in class in Race One and a podium in Race Two, leaving the #14 BTCR1 Peugeot fourth in the title standings. Luck, however, was not on the side of teammate Luke Power in the sister #22 entry, recording a DNF in both contests. Power showed evidence, though, of the promise he brings to the team, qualifying 13^th in class with a 1:05.444 and improving his best lap time by over .3 of a second in his second race.

For a team with its hub less than two miles from the site of the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, the weekend’s results proved moving for Team Principal Marios Katzis.

“This is the first of many,” he said. “This weekend has been really emotional and is the start of history in the making. We’re bringing Brooklands back to motorsport!”

The season could not have started any better for JAS/HW Motorsports, the team formed from the partnership between Jenson Jackson and Harry Smith’s JAS Autosport and the Heriot-Watt University Motorsport Society. Driver Jenson Jackson had previous experience in the CityCar Cup and used that to qualify the team’s #5 Peugeot 107 fifth in class and 12^th overall. A fourth-place finish in class in Race One was improved on with a podium in Race Three, recording the first silverware for the squad.

Jackson’s results mean that the #5 JAS/HW Motorsports entry now lies fifth in class, tied on points with BTCR’s George Antoniou.

For Heriot-Watt’s Mirren Angus, the result vindicated the huge amount of effort that had gone into pre-season preparation..

“It was an incredible weekend. We’re so, so happy,” said Mirren Angus. “Everyone’s in very high spirits after it.

“We were more than hoping that Jenson had the pace to get on the podium in Race Three, especially after the promise that Race One showed. Traffic was a problem in Race One – if we’d had one more lap, we think we might have placed higher in Race One, too.

“We’ve learned a huge amount this weekend and we’re planning on going on from here, learning absolutely everything and continuing on like this!”

East Surrey College endured a frustrating season in 2025 but the opening weekend of 2026 showed that the team, led by Laurence Sait, has a lot of promise. Luke Bate, driver of the #95 ESCR1 Peugeot drove to eighth and fourth place finishes in class and missed out on a Competition podium in Race Three by less than 5.5 seconds. Teammate Carter Steel drove to a strong sixth in class in his first contest but suffered an unfortunate DNF in Race Three. Steel’s pace, however, was improving throughout the weekend and he was nearly half a second quicker in his first race than he was in qualifying.

With the #95 ESCR1 entry now sixth in the Competition standings, the team showed that resilience and grit always pay off and Bate and Steel will surely be potential podium contenders as the season progresses.

Harry Sutton and Waltham Forest College Racing made their racing debut at Brands Hatch and their smartly-presented #96 Citroen was a testament to the hard work that Theseus Joseph, Shaun Hines and Surya Suresh had put into making sure the team made the grid for 2026.

After a minor off-track excursion during testing, Sutton belied his rookie status to qualify the #96 car eighth in class and went on to record seventh and fifth place class finishes, lapping just a quarter of second slower than race winner Richard Jepp in the first contest on Sunday morning. WFC Racing left Brands Hatch seventh in the Competition standings and full of confidence for Snetterton in May.

“I’m very happy with the team, the car and our driver,” said a beaming Shaun Hines on Sunday afternoon. “We had some great results and I’m very happy.

“We’ve learned a lot over the weekend such as the importance of good preparation, logistics and making sure you have everything in place. The weekend was a good eye-opener and we really appreciated everything.”

QE Motorsport, led by Helen Snuggs and Elizabeth Smith-Dodsworth, displayed two very smartly presented Gen II Peugeot 108s with drivers Emilia Vincent and partner, and rookie driver, Alex Turner ready to contest the 2026 season.

Emilia Vincent qualified the #174 car 12^th in class while Alex Turner, on his first competitive track outing, lapped in 1:08.120, an impressive result with 40 cars out on the 1.21 miles of the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Vincent brought the #174 car Peugeot home ninth in Race One and fifth in the final CityCar Cup race of the weekend, improving her qualifying time by nearly three-quarters of a second in the process.

Alex Turner was lapping 1.4 seconds a lap quicker than he qualified when an unfortunate contact in his final race resulted in a non-finish. QE Motorsport left Brands Hatch with the #174 car eighth in the class standings and the opportunity to continue building confidence and experience when the Competition visits Snetterton.

City College Norwich, led by Leon Wilde, had their work cut out at Brands Hatch with an engine change required over the course of the weekend. Despite the challenges, drivers Ollie Anslow and Sean Feehan finished both their races with top-seven finishes in class in their second outings so must leave Kent full of confidence that the team can compete for class honours in 2026.

Anslow, driving the #444 Citroen, qualified at the rear of grid but went on to finish 11^th in class in his first race with a quickest lap time of 1:05.274 and improved to sixth for his final race, bettering his quickest lap time by nearly three-quarters of a second. The #444 CCN Motorsport 1 entry is currently 10^th in the standings.

Sean Feehan also had a solid weekend. The rookie qualified at the rear of the field but steadily improved his lap times over his two races by over 2.3 seconds. More experience will see this young pilot moving up the field as the season progresses.

Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG Racing) were a further team making their Student Motorsport Competition debut at Brands Hatch. The squad, led by Andy Stevens and supported by Media Manager Aimeè-Grace Stevens, was represented by drivers Luke Sawyer and Jake Gittus, both also making their Competition debuts in 2026.

Both drivers recorded top eleven finishes in class across both their races with Sawyer finishing 10^th and seventh in the #34 Toyota Aygo and Gittus recording 11^th and 10^th place finishes. The team moves on to Snetterton currently 11^th and 14^th in the Competition standings.

For Aimeè-Grace Stevens, the story of the weekend for NSCG Racing was one of determination and teamwork.

“The teamwork at Brands Hatch this past weekend was on another level,” she said. “From the moment we arrived, the team faced serious challenges with the #12 car of Jake Gittus showing up without gears or brakes. But through pure determination and serious teamwork, the issues were tackled head-on. Every single student represented NSCG Racing with maturity, enthusiasm and professionalism.

“The drivers took to the track, stayed focused on maintaining their positions rather than solely gaining and communicated amazingly to the team what they needed changing to help them do so. We have changes for the cars lined up and can’t wait to take to Snetterton next month!”

For Pitlane Development, it was a weekend of two halves with driver Reuben Lowe, at the start of his racing career, finishing sixth in class in his first contest but suffering an unfortunate mechanical failure at the start of his second race, resulting in a DNF.

The team, led by Pitlane Development founder and ex-F1 and GT mechanic Ollie Walsh, was staffed by work experience candidates and the very smartly presented #25 Peugeot 107 was a credit to the work that both team and driver had put into preparing for the 2026 season.

Reuben Lowe, supported by P1 Productions, lapped in 1:04.080 to qualify seventh in class and in the top half of the 40-car grid. Race One saw Lowe putting in a 1:03.663 on his eighth lap to finish 14^th overall and sixth in class on his Competition debut.

Team Principal Ollie Walsh was delighted with the team’s first outing in the SMo Competition.

“Overall it was a fantastic start to the season,” he said. “With a brand new team, new driver and new Competition for us, I think we showed the paddock how we intend to operate going forward. Although Sunday was disappointing, there were so many positives to take away from the weekend.”

NESCOT College Racing opened their 2026 account with two top-nine finishes. Elliot Lettis, who joined the team last season, lapped the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in 1:05.195 to qualify 11th in class and 29th overall before finishing eighth in class in his first race and ninth in Race Two. The team will travel to Snetterton, currently 12^th in class.

Team Principal George Keith knows how to compete for wins in the Student Motorsport Competition, having narrowly missed out on the title in its opening season in 2022. As a result, expect to see the distinctive #3 Citroen C1 moving up the Competition grid as the season progresses.

Paddock Speedshop, also making their Competition debut at Brands Hatch, enjoyed a solid weekend in Kent with ex-Autograss racer Aby-Jayde Bennett gaining in confidence with every lap. Bennett put in a 1:08.445 to qualify 16^th in class and improved her best lap time by over a second to record 13^th and 12^th place finishes in class.

Paddock Speedshop owner and Team Principal Craig Blake-Jones was delighted at how both team and driver had performed for their first weekend in the Competition.

“We had a great weekend,” he said. “For Aby it was the first time circuit racing and the first time on tarmac, so there was a lot of getting used to the car which I thought she did great. The car’s gone back on the trailer exactly the same as it came out which always makes me happy!

“Brands Hatch isn’t the easiest track for novices but I thought everyone raced brilliantly. It was good fun, we’ve had a good weekend and Aby’s done very well so onwards and upwards!”

For Student Motorsport founder and Competition organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham, the weekend was a great success.

“It was fantastic to see the Student Motorsport Competition paddock re-assembled after the long winter break and to welcome so many new teams and drivers, “ he said. “As ever, the weekend offered up its usual challenges for many teams and that is what makes the Competition so relevant – it allows learners to experience what the real-world motorsport industry is all about and adds immense value to their CVs.

“Congratulations to Team Northbrook Racing and Boston College Racing, our winners this weekend. I am sure, with the talent, determination and hard work within our paddock, we shall see many teams competing for wins in 2026, so I am looking forward to another exciting and highly competitive season.

“Huge thanks go out to our supporters and commercial partners who make these weekends, and this Competition, possible, including the BRSCC, Motorsport UK, Nankang Tyres, Acorn Printing Services (MHR Teamwear), Raceparts and Racecar Engineering.

“ We can’t wait to go racing again at Snetterton in May and enjoy more exciting on-track action in Norfolk!”

The Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Competition, races next at Snetterton on May 9^th and 10^th. All Student Motorsport Competition standings are provisional until confirmed by the BRSCC.

The post TNR / Jepp and BCR / Dyer Win As record SMo Competition Grid kicks off 2026 at Brands Hatch appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Images by: Isabel Clark, Andy Lloyd

Richard Jepp, at the wheel of the #65 Team Northbrook Racing Gen II Peugeot 108, took the overall win, and the Student Motorsport Competition victory, in Round 1 of the 2026 BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, taking the chequered flag just under a third of a second ahead of the #392 Citroen C1 piloted by Alistair May. Jepp’s teammate for 2026, Jack Wheeler, driving the #57 TNR Peugeot 107 completed the overall podium and took second in class.

Boston College Racing finished third of the Competition entries with debutant Alex Foden driving the #41 BCR Citroen to 7^th overall.

With a total CityCar Cup entry of 41 cars and 19 cars entered into the SMo Competition, series organisers the BRSCC used a weekend format first tested at Silverstone in 2025 where the grid was divided into three groups after qualifying and each group competing twice over three contests.

Wheeler took class pole with a 1:03.169 followed by BCR’s Andrew Dyer and TNR’s Richard Jepp. Brooklands Technical College Racing’s George Antoniou was 4^th quickest followed by JAS/HW Motorsports Jenson Jackson.

When the groups were announced for the first race of the weekend, 14 Competition cars were on the grid out of a total of 19 entered for the weekend. Wheeler was second on the overall grid, lining up alongside Alistair May with Jepp starting from the second row. BTCR’s George Antoniou started 5^th overall and 3^rd in class with JAS/HW’s Jenson Jackson on the 3^rd row. Pitlane Development’s Reuben Lowe, making his Competition debut was on the 6^th row, one row ahead of Waltham Forest College Racing’s Harry Sutton.

NSCG Racing’s Luke Sawyer was lined up on ninth row, followed by QE Motorsport’s Emilia Vincent. NESCOT’s Elliot Lettis started from the tenth row, followed by BTCR’s Luke Power, NSCG Racing’s Jake Gittus, QEM’s Alex Turner and Paddock Speedshop’s Aby-Jayde Bennett. BCR’s Alex Foden completed the Competition starters.

Richard Jepp had a plan going into the start and had quickly passed teammate Jack Wheeler. He then passed May for the lead in the #392 Citroen which he then held to the chequered flag. Boston College Racing’s Alex Foden had a spectacular start to his Competition career, making up 20 places and setting the overall fastest lap with a 1:02.879 on his eleventh tour.

Richard Jepp was delighted to open his 2026 account with an overall win.

“I already had a game plan from before we started. I know Alistair May runs quite loose on the rear end for the first few laps so I knew I had to get the job done early” he said. “I had a rocket start and managed to get up the inside of Jack and I was already pressing on to May. So I got the job done early like I planned and then it was just defending with everything I had.

“I still had a few problems with mid-corner turn-in which we’re going to be looking at but I can’t be unhappy. The team has worked as hard as ever and it’s a great result in the Student Motorsport Competition for both of us.”

Two drivers on the overall podium felt good after a demanding pre-season for Team Northbrook Racing’s Emma Norton.

“It was absolutely incredible,” said Emma Norton. “I was really proud of both of them. They were amazing drives. The team has been fantastic today and we couldn’t want for more.

“We’ve been busy all year and we didn’t really slow down after the end of last season so there hasn’t been much of an off-season really! We’re really proud of Jack and of Richard. It was an incredible race for the beginning of the season and we hope it stays that way.”

Jenson Jackson, George Antoniou, Reuben Lowe and Harry Sutton finished 4^th to 7^th followed by Elliot Lettis, Emilia Vincent, Luke Sawyer and Jake Gittus. Alex Turner and Aby-Jayde Bennett completed the Competition finishers. After contact followed by an electrical problem, Luke Sawyer completed only seven laps.

Race Two, for groups B and C, sees TNR’s Jack Wheeler on overall pole with Boston College Racing’s Andrew Dyer and Race 1 winner Richard Jepp on the second row. East Surrey College’s Carter Steel and Pitlane Development’s Reuben Lowe start from the sixth row followed by Harry Sutton, Luke Sawyer, Luke Bate, Elliot Lettis and Jake Gittus. Aby Bennet, Sean Feehan, Ollie Anslow and Alex Foden complete the Competition grid.

The flag drops for Race Two at 11.20am on Sunday April the 12^th.

The post TNR takes Double Podium as Jepp Wins Round 1 appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Images by: Bernice Bradley / James Roberts Photography / Katie Wells / Waltham Forest College / Marios Katzis – Brooklands Technical College / JAS/HW Motorsports / P1 Productions / Aimeè-Grace Stevens

The Student Motorsport (SMo) Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, kicks off the 2026 season, its fifth since its inception in 2022, with a record opening round grid of 19 cars, representing 12 teams. For the new season, the SMo Competition welcomes five new teams to its expanding grid as more schools, colleges, universities and student-led teams discover the benefits of providing the next generation of motorsport professionals with real-world trackside industry experience that proves invaluable as they prepare for their future careers.

A Landmark Fifth Season: Growth and Evolution

For Student Motorsport founder and series organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham, the growth that the Competition is experiencing is testament to the huge amount of work that the organisers, teams, drivers and students have put into creating a unique racing experience for students and learners.

“Looking back at the success of our first four seasons, the growth of this project has been nothing short of remarkable, “ he said. “What began as a mission to integrate formal education with the high-pressure environment of competitive racing has flourished into a diverse ecosystem. Today, we are a bridge connecting colleges, sponsors and students, supporting a vast array of industries that keep the motorsport world turning.

“As we launch this landmark fifth season with our largest grid to date – 12 teams and 19 race cars, the sense of momentum is palpable. This year we’ve placed a significant focus on expanding our support for accommodating relevant training organisations. Ensuring we are actively cultivating the next level of motorsport professionals. It’s incredibly rewarding to see more educational bodies than ever before engaging ever more students with the project, alongside the introduction of six complete novice drivers who are beginning their journey with us.”

The Grid Split: A New Format for a Record Entry

The 2026 SMo Competition will be contested over seven events and 17 rounds. Due to the increasing popularity of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, the double-header rounds will see the grid split into three groups with each group competing twice over the course of three races. First tested at Silverstone in August 2025, the format allows for bigger overall grids and the opportunity for a range of teams to taste podium success.

12 SMo Competition teams will be on the grid at Brands Hatch over the weekend of April 11^th-12^th.

The Title Defenders: Boston College Racing (BCR)

Reigning Competition title holders Boston College Racing (BCR) have announced that Alex Foden will join Andrew Dyer in a two-car assault on the 2026 crown. With Stuart Bliss, who secured the title for BCR at Silverstone in October, taking a year out of motorsport, an opportunity to drive alongside Andrew Dyer meant that an established relationship with Alex Foden could evolve into an invitation to drive for the Lincolnshire-based squad.

Foden has competed in CityCar Cup racing since 2023, completed his first full season in 2024, and went on to finish on the overall podium on three occasions last year, culminating in a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Championship standings.

Team Principal Lee Crisp and his staff and students have prepared a new Gen I Toyota Aygo for Andrew Dyer and have rebuilt Alex Foden’s Citroën C1 in readiness for the new season.

“When we first started in Student Motorsport in 2023, we established a good relationship with Alex,” explained Lee Crisp. “Because of his closeness with the team and being a driving partner of Andrew Dyer (Foden and Dyer competed together in selected rounds of the Fun Cup Endurance Championship in 2025), there were always conversations that if there was an opportunity with the team, he’d like to be considered.”

“When Stuart decided to take a year off, I contacted Alex, had a chat and he took the opportunity there and then. I think we’ve got a great driver who can produce some good results. He could have won at least one race at Croft last year. He was extremely quick there!”

Surrey’s Sophomore Surge: BRooklands Technical College Racing (BTCR)

Brooklands Technical College Racing (BTCR) is entering its sophomore season in the Student Motorsport (SMo) Competition with a singular focus: the podium. After a debut year defined by a steep learning curve and a strong 5^th-place finish in class at the Silverstone finale, the Surrey-based squad is transforming its operations for Competition success in 2026.

The team, led by Marios Katzis, made its debut at Oulton Park last season and, after a DNF in its first ever race, went on to finish every round for the rest of the season. Driver Junior Gravina-Read drove the team’s #2 Citroën C1 to its best finish in class at Silverstone in October and finished the year 9^th in the SMo Competition class and 4^th in the CityCar Cup novice standings.

The team expanded to two cars when Carter Steel joined the squad for the Silverstone rounds in August and drove the sister #210 Citroen to best-in-class finish of 5^th in only his second race for the team.

For 2026, BTCR has refreshed its driver line-up and welcomes Luke Power and George Antoniou to the squad. Team Principal Marios Katzis spoke to a number of drivers about the available seats, some of whom had immediate race-winning potential but he left the choice for one of the seats to the students.

“There were some seasoned professionals amongst the drivers that would have guaranteed us a podium but I put it to the team and explained that, within the options we had, Luke, who had only started last year, wanted to learn and develop himself as well as help develop the team,” explained Marios. “I asked the students to discuss it, have a vote and come back to me when they had decided. All of them said they wanted Luke because they want to learn and develop with a like-minded driver.”

Teammate George Antoniou is returning to the college at which he studied at over 20 years ago, to start his racing career. A mechanical engineer who specialises in transmission and driveline systems, George spent eight years working at multiple WRC champions M-Sport Ltd where he became Head of Transmission Engineering before moving to McLaren Automotive Ltd at which he is currently Transmission and Driveline Manager.

Experience Meets Academia: JAS/HW Motorsports

JAS Autosport, the team led by Harry Smith and driver Jenson Jackson, has partnered with the Heriot-Watt University Motorsports Society in a joint entry for the 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, under the team name of JAS/HW Motorsports.

JAS Autosport first entered the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship in 2025 when Jenson Jackson drove the team’s #5 Peugeot 107 to 30^th overall and 7^th in the Rookie standings. Over the course of the season, Jackson recorded a best overall finish of 15^th in Race 1 at Silverstone in August.

Heriot-Watt University Motorsports Society, led by Mirren Angus, had been considering an entry into the Student Motorsport Competition but wanted to gain experience with an existing CityCar Cup entry before building and competing with their own car.

“I discovered the Student Motorsport Competition and thought that it would be a great idea for us to enter but we quickly realised that building our own car was not going to be feasible for us for the 2026 season,” said Mirren Angus. “We connected with Jenson via social media and the relationship has developed really well. We carried out a shakedown at Snetterton in early March and it was incredible to get to see the car on track. It just seems like the perfect pairing!”

The Triple Champions Return: Team Northbrook Racing (TNR)

Shoreham Airport-based Team Northbrook Racing (TNR) and triple-title winner Richard Jepp will be returning for their fifth season in the Student Motorsport Competition and will be joined for 2026 by Jack Wheeler who moves from East Surrey College.

Richard Jepp is the Student Motorsport Competition’s most successful driver, having been one of the original pilots on the grid when the Competition made its debut at Oulton Park in 2022. Jepp, an Advanced Engineering Manager at Portsmouth-based Harwin plc, has stood on the class podium 56 times in a Competition career which has included 24 class wins in addition to two overall BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship wins and the team’s three Competition titles.

Jack Wheeler has competed in the Student Motorsport Competition since 2023 and finished as runner-up in the title standings in his first season. Since entering the Competition, Jack has driven for East Surrey College (ESC), firstly under the leadership of George Keith and latterly with Laurence Sait. Over the course of three seasons, Wheeler has stood on the class podium on 22 occasions, including seven Competition class wins and one overall win.

“We’re very excited for this season,” said Team Principal Emma Norton. “Last year we had the excitement of the new 108. It was a development year from the car’s point of view but it went remarkably well considering that.”

“This year we’re going to consolidate on the 108 and we’re also going to have the excitement of a brand-new driver. I think Jack Wheeler is an excellent match for our team and his calm, steady and communicative approach will work well with our students.”

Elite Engineering Debut: Pitlane Development (PLD)

Reuben Lowe is joining the Student Motorsport Competition grid for 2026 with Pitlane Development (PLD), a new team founded by ex-F1 and GT mechanic and engineer Ollie Walsh. Dedicated to launching careers in motorsport, the PLD CityCar Cup team is staffed with aspiring young industry professionals, creating a high-performance environment, guided by experience and built on excellence.

With a long-term vision to become a works driver for Mercedes or Porsche, Reuben’s forthcoming season is a vital first step on the motorsport ladder. Combining a relentless work ethic with a focused approach to commercial partnerships – guided by P1 Productions – Reuben’s motorsport journey is driven by determination, resilience and ambition at the highest level.

Innovation and Inclusion: NSCG Racing (Stafford College)

Stafford College, part of the Newcastle Stafford College Group (NSCG), is launching its two-car assault on the 2026 SMo Competition when the season gets underway at Brands Hatch.

The team, led by Motorsport Engineering Lecturer Andy Stevens and supported by Media Producer Aimeè-Grace Stevens, spent the 2025 season closely observing the SMo Competition paddock to glean as much information as possible before setting about building their team.

Driving for the team, named NSCG Racing, will be Luke Sawyer and Jake Gittus. Luke is in his second year studying Motorsport Engineering at NSCG. 2026 will be Luke’s first season in the SMo Competition but he has been the record holder for Fast Lane Karting in Stoke and regularly takes part in professional sim racing championships.

Jake Gittus is a previous student of NSCG Motorsport Engineering and finished his course in 2025. Like his teammate Luke Sawyer, Jake is a keen sim racer and regularly competes in karting.

“Our objective, for our first year in the Student Motorsport Competition, is just to do the best we possibly can,” said Aimeè-Grace. “Our drivers Jake and Luke have got their own personal aims of where they want to be over the course of the season and our objective is to support them in their aims. We want to build our squad and become more of a family than just a race team.”

A New Era for East Surrey College (ESC)

East Surrey College (ESC), led by Laurence Sait, returns to the Competition for 2026 with a new driver line-up. With Jack Wheeler moving to TNR, ESC will be fielding Carter Steel, who previously competed for Brooklands Technical College Racing, and Luke Bait. Luke has karting experience and was looking for a Competition drive in 2026. The introduction to ESC was made by SMo Competition series organiser JP Latham.

“I’d been aware of Luke from karting,” explained Laurence Sait. “The connection was made and we reached out to him, had a test and pushed things forward from there. We already have a good working relationship.”

The squad has worked hard, as have all the grid, over the winter to prepare their two cars and have evolved their team structure to devolve some authority and decision-making down to the team members.

“ It’s gone well,” explained Laurence. “We executed it at our pre-season test at Brands Hatch which was the first test of the concept with our new cohort. They’ve grabbed it by the horns and they’re pushing it forward. We’ve got a good team going into Brands Hatch who all know exactly what they’re going to be doing and it is operating like clockwork. Everything I wanted to try last year is now in place.”

Restoration and Racing: Paddock Speedshop

Paddock Speedshop, supported by Nankang Tyres, is making its debut in the Student Motorsport Competition in 2026 and will be fielding Aby-Jayde Bennett to drive its Gen 1 Citroën C1. Paddock Speedshop was set up by Craig Blake- Jones, supported by Lucy Busby and Craig’s son Ethan, with the objective of promoting the classic automotive industry to the next generation of mechanics and restoration specialists. Since its inception, Paddock Speedshop has been working on a documentary on life in the classic automotive industry and the team has also competed in classic events.

The aim of the Paddock Speedshop programme is to provide an increasing amount and diversity of students from Birmingham and the surrounding areas with an opportunity for trackside experience. For the first event, however, the team will be joined by students from a wider catchment.

Driver Aby-Jayde Bennett began her motorsport career in Autograss and worked with Guy Martin when he was filming a show about the sport. Aby-Jayde is making her circuit racing debut in 2026 with Paddock Speedshop.

The Return of the Champion: NESCOT and Elliot Lettis

North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT), the Ewell-based team led by George Keith, have retained Elliot Lettis for 2026. 2023 CityCar Cup Champion Lettis joined NESCOT part way through the 2025 season and went on to drive the #333 NESCOT Peugeot 107 to a best finish in class of 5tht at Croft. NESCOT closed out the 2025 season 8^th in the Competition standings.

Norfolk’s Driver Newcomers: City College Norwich

Two new drivers to the Competition will be on the 2026 grid with City College Norwich. Oliver Anslow and Sean Feehan have signed with Leon Wilde’s Norfolk-based squad and will open their season at Brands Hatch. Ollie Anslow began his racing career in 2023 when he acquired his racing licence and went on to compete in the Silverlake C1 Endurance Series in 2024 and 2025. Anslow, alongside teammate Richard Alexander, had their 2025 season-best finish at Snetterton when they brought the #396 SCR entry home in 12^th.

Sean Feehan is making his car racing debut with City College Norwich, having competed in karts previously.

Family and Extra-Curricular Excellence: QE Motorsport

QE Motorsport, the team that races as an extra-curricular activity of Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, will enter its fourth season in the Competition with a two-car entry.

Emilia Vincent returns for her second season with the North Yorkshire-based squad and will be joined by her partner Alex Turner in the team’s second entry.

QE Motorsport, led by Team Principal Helen Snuggs and Deputy Team Principal Elizabeth Smith-Dodsworth, first entered the Student Motorsport Competition in 2023 with a single entry, piloted by Arthur Simondet. After a season which saw the team take two podium finishes on their way to a 4^th-place in the Competition standings, QE Motorsport expanded to two cars for 2024 with young drivers Joshua Jackson and Haydn Payne.

Emilia Vincent joined the team for the 2025 season, making her return to the Student Motorsport Competition class after debuting in 2023. A season’s best result of 6^th in class at Silverstone saw the driver of the team’s #174 Gen II Peugeot 108 go on to finish 10th in the SMo Competition class. But for an overheating issue at Silverstone in August, Emilia would have scored her second Competition podium finish of her career after finishing third at Brands Hatch in 2023.

Overcoming Adversity: Waltham Forest College (WFC Racing)

After a two-year journey defined by perseverance and technical preparation, Waltham Forest College has officially arrived on the motorsport stage. Making their highly anticipated debut in the Competition, the team – branded as WFC Racing – successfully completed a flawless shakedown of their newly-built Citroën C1 at Brands Hatch in mid-March.

The team, led by Theseus Joseph, Shawn Hines and Surya Suresh, rolled out their entry to almost perfect conditions on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit where driver Harry Sutton was waiting to put it through its paces for the first time.

Waltham Forest College first indicated their interest in entering the Competition over two years ago. Operational challenges have meant that the timeline to prepare a car was extended but, in 2026, the team is now ready to compete.

“It’s been a learning curve for us and we’re enjoying it to the fullest because, although we tried to get the car up and running before, to have it happening right now is a dream come true; for the College and for the students because it’s just something out of this world,” said Senior Lecturer Shawn Hines. “Every department in the College wants to be involved in the racing programme and it’s just an exciting experience.”

A Vision for Diversity: JP Latham on the 2026 Season

SMo Competition organiser JP Latham reflected on the huge grid with five new teams and six new drivers.

“”Entering our fifth season with a record 12 teams and 19 cars is a monumental milestone,” said JP Latham. “Student Motorsport has become a vital hub, bridging the gap between education and industry by bringing together colleges, students and partners. I am thrilled to welcome five new teams and six novice drivers to our paddock and wish them the best of luck for a successful season.

“We are also delighted to welcome Motorsport UK’s Race for Diversity programme, which will visit us at Brands Hatch as we develop the next generation of professionals.

“I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the many organisations who have supported us on this journey. In particular I would like to thank the BRSCC for their unwavering support, Motorsport UK for their vital guidance and all the officials and volunteers at the circuits we will be visiting.

“Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to all the teams and drivers who will be part of our paddock in 2026. The work required to get a team to the grid is huge and we are delighted you are all part of the Student Motorsport Competition family this season!”

Track action for the opening weekend gets underway with qualifying on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit at 10:15am on Saturday April 11^th. The lights go out for Race One at 1:55pm on Saturday with two further races (each team competes in two out of the three contests) on Sunday April 12^th.

The post Student Motorsport Competition Launches 2026 Season with Record Brands Hatch Grid appeared first on Student Motorsport.

The team, led by Marios Katzis, made its debut at Oulton Park last season and, after a DNF in its first ever race, went on to finish every round for the rest of the season. Driver Junior Gravina-Read drove the team’s #2 Citroen C1 to its best finish in class at Silverstone in October and finished the year 9^th in the SMo Competition class and 4^th in the CityCar Cup novice standings.

The team expanded to two cars when Carter Steel joined the squad for the Silverstone rounds in August and drove the sister #210 Citroen to best-in-class finish of 5^th in only his second race for the team.

For 2026, BTCR has refreshed its driver line-up and welcomes Luke Power and George Antoniou to the sqaud. Team Principal Marios Katzis spoke to a number of drivers about the available seats, some of whom had immediate race-winning potential but he left the choice for one of the seats to the students.

The Power of Choice: Students Vote for their Driver

“There were some seasoned professionals amongst the drivers that would have guaranteed us a podium but I put it to the team and explained that, within the options we had, Luke, who had only started last year, wanted to learn and develop himself as well as help develop the team,” explained Marios. “I asked the students to discuss it, have a vote and come back to me when they had decided. All of them said they wanted Luke because they want to learn and develop with a like-minded driver.”

A Full-Circle Return: McLaren Manager Joins the Grid

Teammate George Antoniou is returning to the college at which he studied at over 20 years ago, to start his racing career. A mechanical engineer who specialises in transmission and driveline systems, George spent eight years working at multiple WRC champions M-Sport Ltd where he became Head of Transmission Engineering before moving to McLaren Automotive Ltd at which he is currently Transmission and Driveline Manager.

Marios Katzis explained why George has chosen Brooklands Technical College and the Student Motorsport Challenge.

“George has always been a motorsport enthusiast but he’s never really had the chance to race,” said Marios. “He’s fully committed to the team and has been training extensively for the past four months. He’s taking the season very seriously.”

Going Pro: Upgraded Facilities and Merchandise

In addition to refreshing its driver line-up, BTCR has also used its 2025 experience to develop the team in other ways.

“We have our new awnings now so each car will have its own garage,” said Marios. “We’ve also got the use of our college van which we’re going to now use for motorsport and that will be our workshop where we’ll store all our tools, toolboxes and spares. We have also launched a range of merchandise that our fans can purchase, which includes t-shirts and gilets, all in our official racing colours.

“Last year was a huge learning curve for us but this year we’re going pro!”

With the Competition’s primary aim being to provide the next generation of motorsport professionals with real-world trackside industry experience, Marios and Brooklands Technical College have worked hard to ensure that opportunities for the students are maximised.

The Workforce: 120 Students Powering the Podium Push

“We’ll be bringing 18 students to each race weekend as well as up to five staff to support them” explained Marios. “I can hand-on-heart say that at least 120 students have been directly involved in preparing the race cars and the support vehicle.

“If we don’t get on the podium this year, I think it will be a real shame for the students and all their hard work. They’ve been coming in at weekends and working on the cars, along with myself, staff and driver George Antoniou. It’s now down to the drivers to do their bit and repay the students because they have worked non-stop.”

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11^th-12^th.

The post “This Year, We’re Going Pro!” – Brooklands Technical College Racing Sets Sights on 2026 Silverware appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Images by: P1 Productions / Student Motorsport / Bernice Bradley

Reuben Lowe, who makes his debut in the Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, at Brands Hatch in April, has completed a pre-season test programme that saw the 22-year-old driver put in laps around both the iconic Kent circuit and the Bedford Autodrome.

Lowe will be driving with Pitlane Development (PLD), who are also entering the SMo Competition for the first time. The team is led by Ollie Walsh and is crewed by both students looking to gain a foothold into the world of motorsport as well as seasoned professionals.

East Sussex-based Reuben Lowe has already gained extensive on-track experience, having competed in karts since the age of 11.  After his car racing potential was recognised by professional drivers at Donington, Lowe secured his National A Race Licence last year in readiness for his first full competitive season in 2026. To help prepare for his CityCar debut, Reuben has been sharpening his racing skills on the simulator under the watchful eye of British Touring Car ace, Charles Rainford.

Preparation: Mastering the Indy Circuit and Bedford

“We’ve had some really solid test days and the car felt great!” said Reuben. “Lap times in the car, both at the Bedford Autodrome and Brands Hatch, were consistent and it was good to test at two different tracks. Rain at Brands meant that I have now had the opportunity to drive in both wet and dry conditions so I’m ready for whatever the weather throws at us on the opening weekend.

“I’m extremely grateful to Ollie Walsh and all the crew at Pitlane Development for preparing such a fantastic car. After what seems like a long pre-season build-up, I can’t wait to go racing and hopefully deliver some solid results for my sponsors and the team.”

The Team: Elite Engineering Meets Aspiring Talent

Pitlane Development, founded by ex-GT and Formula 1 mechanic Ollie Walsh, is designed to give young drivers and engineers genuine hands-on experience in a real race environment, blending experienced professionals with aspiring male and female student engineers. Team Principal Ollie Walsh has been delighted at the progress both team and driver have made over the course of the test programme.

Technical Success: Reliability and Race Pace Confirmed

“For us, giving Reuben as much seat time as possible before the start of the season has been a huge success, both in terms of ensuring reliability and performance and also helping him get familiar with the team and the car,” he said. “Coming away from the Brands Hatch test, we feel like we have good race pace going into the first race weekend of the season.”

The Student Motorsport Competition gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11^th – 12^th. In a novel format that was first tested at Silverstone in 2025, each driver will compete in two out of three rounds, ensuring close, competitive racing around the 1.2-mile Indy Circuit.

The post “Testing Has Been a Huge Success!” – Reuben Lowe and Pitlane Development Complete Pre-Season Programme Ahead of CityCar Cup Debut in April appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Images by: Aimeè-Grace Stevens – NSCG Racing Media Producer

Student Motorsport Social Media: Isabel Clark

Stafford College, part of the Newcastle Stafford College Group (NSCG), will be launching its two-car assault on the 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Champonship, when the season gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11th-12th.

The team, led by Motorsport Engineering Lecturer Andy Stevens and supported by Media Producer Aimeè-Grace Stevens, spent the 2025 season closely observing the SMo Competition paddock in order to glean as much information as possible before setting about building their team.

The Lineup: Karting Records and Sim-Racing Pedigree

Driving for the team, named NSCG Racing, will be Luke Sawyer and Jake Gittus. Luke is in his second year of studying Motorsport Engineering at NSCG and 2026 will be his first season in the SMo Competition. As a keen karter, Luke is an all-time record holder at Fast Lane Karting in Stoke and regularly takes part in professional sim racing championships.

Jake Gittus is a previous student of NSCG Motorsport Engineering and finished his course in 2025. Like his teammate Luke Sawyer, Jake is a keen sim racer and regularly competes in karting.

NSCG Media Producer Aimeè-Grace Stevens explained that the college’s path to the 2026 season has not necessarily always been smooth but the research that she and Andy Stevens carried out in 2025 provided a solid base on which the team could build.

“Everybody in Stafford College is new to the Student Motorsport Competition and there have been the expected challenges in preparing the team to go racing in 2026,” explained Aimeè-Grace.

“Attending races last year, getting to speak to the different teams and understanding the routes they have taken has all definitely helped. The relationship we have with JP (John Paul ‘JP’ Latham – series organiser) and the whole Student Motorsport team has been great but, like any new team, we have hit a few ‘speed bumps’ along the way!”

NSCG Racing used a unique recruitment approach for their drivers, with simulator time providing part of the input that led to the appointments of Luke Sawyer and Jake Gittus.

“Jake has been around the build as much as he can,” explained Aimeè-Grace. “As he works full-time, he helps out when his time permits and he has worked hard to build a good relationship with the team members. Luke, because he is studying at the college, is always keen to get ‘hands-on’ and be involved as much as he can.”

2026 Objectives: From Race Team to Family

Stafford College has set realistic expectations for their debut season.

“Our objective, for our first year in the Student Motorsport Competition, is just to do the best we possibly can,” said Aimeè-Grace. “Our drivers Jake and Luke have got their own personal aims of where they want to be over the course of the season and our objective is to support them in their aims. We want to build our squad and become more of a family than just a race team.”

Student Motorsport founder and Competition Organiser JP Latham is delighted to see Stafford College join the grid for the 2026 season.

“It’s been a huge privilege to work so closely with, and support, another new team like NSCG,” said JP Latham. “Their unique approach, particularly with the integration of esports and fashion, is incredibly innovative and shows the kind of forward-thinking that is driving the growth of our competition.

“I’m immensely proud to see a team with such a clear vision join us as we embark on our fifth season.”

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11^th-12^th.

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Images by: Jessica Seewoolall – Waltham Forest College

After a two-year journey defined by perseverance and technical preparation, Waltham Forst College has officially arrived on the motorsport stage. Making their highly anticipated debut in the Student Motorsport (SMo) Competition, the team – branded as WFC Racing – successfully completed a flawless shakedown of their newly-built Citroën C1 at Brands Hatch on March 16^th.

The team, led by Theseus Joseph, Shawn Hines and Surya Suresh, supported by College Graphic Designer Jessica Seewoolall, rolled out their entry, currently awaiting its wrap and final livery, to almost perfect conditions on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit where driver Harry Sutton was waiting to put it through its paces for the first time.

A Dream Two Years in the Making

Waltham Forest College first indicated their interest in entering the Student Motorsport Competition, the world’s leading motorsport contest designed to provide real-world trackside industry experience to the next generation of industry professionals, over two years ago. Operational challenges have meant that the timeline to prepare a car was extended but, in 2026, the team is now ready to compete.

The smartly prepared WFC Racing Citroën C1 was tended to by Waltham Forest College students and staff throughout the day and ran flawlessly, with driver Harry Sutton gaining in confidence over every lap.

For Shawn Hines, Senior Lecturer in the Automotive Department, the day was a culmination of a huge effort by college staff and students to go racing in 2026.

“I am extremely proud to be here today,” said Shawn Hines. “It’s been a learning curve for us and we’re enjoying it to the fullest because, although we tried to get the car up and running before, to have it happening right now is a dream come true; for the College and for the students because it’s just something out of this world. Every department in the College wants to be involved in the racing programme and it’s just an exciting experience.”

Inclusion at the Core: The WFC Racing Philosphy

For Shawn, the test day at Brands Hatch was about more than just working through a shakedown.

“We’re going through the steps of making sure that everybody in the team knows their duties and what they’re supposed to be doing. We are very inclusive and ‘Inclusion’ is part of our College motto. We’re not leaving anybody out and everybody plays a part. It’s a wonderful experience and we’re over the moon with it.”

The team at Brands Hatch was supported by Jessica Seewoolall, graphic designer and member of the College Marketing. Jessica will be overseeing the team’s media activities throughout the season.

“Being involved in the Student Motorsport Competition is a unique opportunity for Waltham Forest College and our students,” said Jessica. “I don’t think any of our students thought that this sort of opportunity would arise and they are very excited and happy to be here.”

Capturing the Journey: Media and Marketing Integration

Waltham Forest College will be looking to take advantage of all the media and marketing opportunities that their involvement in the Student Motorsport Competition will offer.

“We want to capture everything, including all the behind-the scenes car preparation and testing,” said Jessica. “We’re especially interested in capturing our students getting practical experience. We really hope that they will take the most out of this experience and use in the future for their careers.”

For Harry Sutton, making his racing debut in 2026, the Test Day was solid step forward in preparation for the opening weekend in April.

“The students and staff have done an amazing job in preparing the car and I feel very confident out on track,” said Harry. “I can’t wait for our first races and repaying all their hard work with good results.”

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11^th–12^th.

The post Dream Into Reality: Waltham Forest College Ignites 2026 Student Motorsport Campaign at Brands Hatch appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Images: JAS HW Motorsports

JAS Autosport, the team led by Jenson Jackson and Harry Smith, has partnered with the Heriot-Watt University Motorsports Society in a joint entry for the 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, under the team name of JAS HW Motorsports.

JAS Autosport first entered the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship in 2025 when Jenson Jackson drove the team’s #5 Peugeot 107 to 30^th overall and 7^th in the Rookie standings. Over the course of the season, Jackson recorded a best overall finish of 15^th in Race 1 at Silverstone in August.

A Strategic Alliance: Experience Meets Academia

Heriot-Watt University Motorsports Society, led by Mirren Angus, had been considering an entry into the Student Motorsport Competition but wanted to gain experience with an existing CityCar Cup entry before building and competing with their own car.

“I discovered the Student Motorsport Competition and thought that it would be a great idea for us to enter but we quickly realised that building our own car was not going to be feasible for us for the 2026 season,” said Mirren Angus. “We connected with Jenson via social media and the relationship has developed really well. We carried out a shakedown at Snetterton in early March and it was absolutely incredible to get to see the car on track. It just seems like the perfect pairing!”

The Heriot-Watt students are studying a mix of subjects including engineering and aerospace and electrical engineering, which will mean that JAS HW Motorsports will have a mix of both practical racing experience and academic engineering skills supporting the car for their 2026 campaign.

“For us, much of our experience will be learning – which we’re more than happy to do – in areas like how JAS Autosport run their car,” said Mirren. “For next year, if we end up developing our own team, we then have that knowledge. In a sense, we are helping JAS Autosport as much as they are helping us to gain valuable experience.”

Progression into Student Motorsport Competition

For Jenson Jackson, who began his motorsport journey as a team member of Alan Barrett’s West Suffolk College ME squad, the relationship with Heriot-Watt Motorsports Society meant that a Student Motorsport Competition was a logical progression for 2026.

“Last season was definitely an eye-opening experience,” he said. “There were lots of learning curves, we had lots of good moments and overall, we had a fantastic time. I’m confident that we’ve taken everything we’ve learned from last year and I think we’ve got a brilliant team and a real chance for success this year.”

“I’ve always wanted our team to be part of the Student Motorsport Competition and Heriot-Watt were looking for a team that they could join,” explained Jenson. “We made contact in 2025 and developed a relationship which grew into what we have entering this season.

“Harry Smith and I have over 15 years’ experience in motorsport and Heriot-Watt want to learn how to run their own race team. Harry will be Chief Mechanic and he’ll work alongside me and we’ll all work together to teach Heriot-Watt as much as we can to help them on their journey in motorsport. In return, they will be learning with us and gaining experience so we’ll work together as a team and hopefully, we’ll have some good moments as a team this season.”

From Rookie to Contender: Jenson Jackson’s 2026 Vision

The experience gained in 2025 has proved invaluable to JAS Autosport as they prepare their entry for the new season.

“We built a new car for this year and used everything we learned from last year to the point that our car is exponentially better in every single way,” Jenson explained. “As a team we are dedicated and we want to start getting on the podium and winning races, whether that is in the Student Motorsport Competition or in the overall BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship.

“We’ve got the experience, the knowledge and the team backing us so I think we’ve got a very good chance of finishing inside the top ten and getting on the podium.”

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April the 11^th – 12^th.

The post JAS Autosport and Heriot-Watt University Motorsports Society Unite for 2026 SMo Title Tilt appeared first on Student Motorsport.

Reigning Student Motorsport Competition title holders Boston College Racing (BCR) have announced that Alex Foden will join Andrew Dyer in a two-car assault on the 2026 crown. With Stuart Bliss, who secured the title for BCR at Silverstone in October, taking a year out of motorsport, an opportunity to drive alongside Andrew Dyer meant that an established relationship with Alex Foden could evolve into an invitation to drive for the Lincolnshire-based squad.

Foden has competed in CityCar Cup racing since 2023, completed his first full season in 2024 and went on to finish on the overall podium on three occasions last year, culminating in a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Championship standings.

Team Principal Lee Crisp and his staff and students are now working on preparing a new Gen I Toyota Aygo for Andrew Dyer and have rebuilt Alex Foden’s Citroën C1 in readiness for the new season, which kicks off at Brands Hatch in April.

A Proven Partnership: Foden and Dyer Reunited

“When we first started in Student Motorsport in 2023, we established a good relationship with Alex,” explained Lee Crisp. “Because of his closeness with the team and being a driving partner of Andrew Dyer (Foden and Dyer competed together in selected rounds of the Fun Cup Endurance Championship in 2025), there were always conversations that if there was an opportunity with the team, he’d like to be considered.”

“When Stuart decided to take a year off, I contacted Alex, had a chat, and he took the opportunity there and then. I think we’ve got a great driver who can produce some good results. He could have won at least one race at Croft last year. He was extremely quick there!”

Defending the Crown: BCR’s Winning Formula

Boston College Racing, who are entering their third full season of the Student Motorsport Competition after a partial season in 2023, led to full-season commitments for the past two years, dominated the world’s premier series, providing real-world trackside industry experience for the next generation of motorsport professionals. Between them over the course of the 2025 season, Stuart Bliss and Andrew Dyer stood on the SMo podium on 26 occasions, including 14 class wins and 5 overall BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship victories.

“To succeed and win the title after a very short period of time, considering that Boston College had not competed in any form of motorsport before, went down extremely well with the staff and students,” reflected Lee Crisp.

“Our recently appointed principal Lynette Leith is all for motorsport, and she is delighted at where we currently stand as reigning title holders going into this season. She is fully supporting and backing us with the BCR programme so it fits really nicely for us.”

Building the Future: Racing in the Curriculum

Boston College has been carefully planning how to integrate students into their racing programme, an initiative that is paying off as the new season approaches.

“We brought some of our then-Level 1s to Silverstone for the final round last year,” explained Lee. “They have now moved up to Level 2 and have seen how the BCR side comes together at a real race event. We’re now involving Level 2s within the initial builds and our Level 3s are actually building the cars.

“We’ve got a really good structure in how we’ve built racing into the curriculum and we think that secures our drive towards more success in 2026.”

Strategy for 2026: Reliability and Precision

Despite consistent on-track success in 2025, Lee is taking nothing for granted as he prepares the team for the new season.

“From what I’ve read and been told, it’s going to be another competitive season and probably one of the most competitive seasons we’ve seen in the Student Motorsport Competition,” he said. “Our main focuses have got to be reliability, competitiveness and making sure we’re fully prepared for each race weekend.

“Testing is going to be critical as it always is and, for us, the key is getting the setup right. That was proven in 2025 and went a long way in supporting our overall Competition win. We’ve got a good structure within the team and we hope we can turn that into some positive results and hopefully retain what we’ve already achieved.”

The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11^th–12^th.

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