“What a SENSATIONAL Race, TCR is Back in Style” | Race Of The Week

This week’s Race Of The Week is the Round 1 of the TCR UK Touring car championship from a beautiful spring Brands Hatch. This race so a great fight between the top 5 drivers for the majority of the race, with contact, overtakes, trips through the gravel, and more.

Race Of The Week is our weekly series showcasing the best race from the previous weekend’s racing, every Wednesday 3pm. A great race, guaranteed. #Racing #RaceOfTheWeek #carracing

this week’s race of the week comes from
the TCR UK touring card Championship
round one at br’s hatch a beautiful
spring day here in the UK and an
excellent race between the top six
drivers sets up the championship
beautifully for the rest of the season
yeah almost hard to find out then Jeff
Holden’s in position at the back of the
grid it is time for another season of
racing in TCR UK then who is going to
come out on top in season seven the red
lights are on when they go out we’re
away in racing here at BR hatch can
Callum n get off the line well it looks
as though he will but look at Cary comes
steaming up the middle of both of them
as a hip check immediately but Anderson
will get the lead the lincol co leads
into Pak Hill Ben for the first time
whilst car Bley tries to sail around the
outside of calaman which I think he will
do look at Luke Sergeant further back
banging doors with Will Powell Anders
leads the way n coming back at Bley and
steams back through into second position
but he was right to be nervous about the
start out wide now goes Luke Sergeant
that’s Joe Marshall in fourth Adam
Shepard in fifth position a very feisty
open few quarters Jack yeah it’s B to J
isn’t it all of a sudden they’re back
when we’ve been waiting for it but
Victor Anderson going to probably
complete the first lap in the lead of
this race with Joe Marshall just holding
off Adam Shephard there Calum managed to
just shake off car B for the time being
trying to get that nice cut back on the
Victor Anderson our new race leader is
going to lead the way over the line
there is the the swed who’s come across
just for oneof racing is showing the TCR
UK how it’s done well can he lead from
the front though this is going to be
interesting Gan will be determined to
try and get back pass him oh no that’s
Luke Sergeant around contact I think
with Brad hes and Sergeant’s brand new
gooper gets dumped into the gravel trap
he will do well to dig his way out of
there but I think he’s managed to so
Luke Sergeant continues but that’s a
real shame because he’ had a really
really promising start for the race but
he and Brad Hutcherson tangling at pad
Hill Ben we see that time and time again
don’t we you can see it coming from
Amala way to be honest even as I ca pan
you can sort of see in the background a
blue car just looking at the inside of
pill you need to be all the way up the
inside to try and make that move stick
and clearly it didn’t work don’t know
whether they maybe there was a turning
across a closing of the door but either
way it it resulted in Sergeant obviously
going off the road and I’m sure there
will be conversations about that far too
complicated for us to understand that
they to get involved in but uh that is
for the judicial afterwards I imagine
the top three pulling away quite nicely
as Marshall tries to hold off uh sorry
that’s not Marshall is it it’s uh yes it
is yes it is Marshall sorry yeah
Marshall holds off Adam shepher yes he
does they go to will Beach through
looking back for Luke Sergeant there is
Luke sergeant in behind Rick kry so he
dropped down to 10th position from six
which was by far the best we’ve ever
seen really from Luke Sergeant uh but
unfortunately uh his race has been
derailed but he’s not over completely
here he is look up the inside of Rick
carry to gra Hill Bend Rick leaves the
door open sensibly because I don’t think
there are many things that would keep
Luke Sergeant behind right now he is a
fired up Luke Sergeant he knows he’s got
the pace but now has it all to do again
yeah the red Miss can be a great thing
it could be the worst thing can’t it as
well like when you’re making decisive
Asser Maneuvers unlike that oh Sergeant
got up again Sant got wi as we
distracted on the inside by the AI again
still hit checking was at the Cooper I
can’t actually see who that was Victor
Anderson gets the fastest lap of the
race as there’s still people body parts
flapping people go side by side across
the line this is uh well the TC’s back
in it what was that you were saying
about cars looking Immaculate that
didn’t take long did it that I think is
Brad thst’s car with bits of body work
hanging off it he’s got Darren Lewis and
Rick kry still trying to battle away
with him this is a nice
gaggle of cars heading through Druids
they’ve got Jeff alen not far behind in
the Vox all as well but it is the Audi
of Brad thirst that muscled his way
through there that is Adam Shepard
meanwhile at the inside of Joe Marshall
So Adam Shepard’s car touchwood still
going and he about to go into fourth
place is it he’s got the overlap he’s
got the inside line for the timing line
and that will become the inside line for
padak kill then but Joe Marshall is
going to stand his ground if he can is
he brave enough to go around the outside
or does he Instead try and get the
switch back it looks like he goes for
the latter of those options but it’s not
going to be successful shepher slips
through into the top four yeah I think
Marshall did the best he could there in
just trying to hold on to the back of
Shephard he knew that the move was just
going to hold him up and really you got
to Look Backwards as well you got to
think about whe what Brad hon is
thinking about doing just behind he’s
obviously trying to Capt up he’s trying
to make moves a bit of Dey on the on the
track there but the front three sort of
pulled away and then the battle for for
Place almost looks just as uh as heated
doesn’t it it’ll be interesting now to
see one if Adam Shephard’s car continues
to work and two how quick he is now he’s
in that 38 because the fastest lap of
the race currently is held by Cuma at
48.5 s that was the previous lap they’re
just about to cross the line now it
doesn’t look like anybody’s going to
beat at this time round what can Adam
Shepard do now he’s got that free space
you hops over the curve through padak
kill Ben well on that previous lap
shepher did a 487 that was only a 10th
half ATT 10 baby slower than the race
needed but of course there was an
overtake involved there so this next lap
is going to be really interesting I
would say to the eye is already starting
to bridge what was a 1.6 second gap
between himself and the reigning champ
Carl Bley along the Cooper straight we
go already a quarter of the way through
this opening round of the championship
and what must be going through Callum
Mam’s mind now he did everything right
in qualifying he managed to pip the pole
position but just could not beat the
Lincoln C driver into padak Hill Bender
now overtaking around here jack is not
going to be the work of the moment no he
never driven R up until this weekend so
every lap he does you could only assume
he’s learning an a little bit he’s
learning a little bit harder there we go
what did we say Adam shepher fastest lap
of the race of 48.5 a 10th quicker than
uh oh no not quite a 10 half a 10th
quicker than Callum n as he looks all
the way around the outside of Victor
Anderson he’s making him defend isn’t he
oh Anderson suddenly seems to be off the
pace he’s really slowed down the hill
into graah Hill Bend and Cal looks to
try and get the better run out of the
left-hander but can’t quite get the
overlap now this is playing beautifully
into the hands of Adam Shepard you can
see him in the background if the race
leader starts to defend then that gap
between the top three and the rest is
going to vanish in a heartbeat new tries
to look up the inside at clearways but
it looks to me all of a sudden Jack as
though that Lincoln Co is starting to
develop a little bit of under steer and
we are only a quarter of the way of the
race this is concerning for the race
leader w a bit to aderson he maybe
learning the track he might know how to
do it quick as you like in a qualifying
lap as Kum looks up the inside it’s a p
Hill bent light the back end the Victor
Anderson’s car new hops over the curb he
couldn’t quite get all the way up at pad
Hill but as he Dives towards Druid it
looks like he’s have the position Carl B
is there to pop up any scraps but Andy I
don’t think he’s going to make it no
he’s not because the next corner is a
left-hander that favors Vic Granderson
what does Bley do he’s going to try and
slot in as well Nim goes for the switch
back but doesn’t have the traction off
Graham Hill then this is a sensational
opening race of the championship and
it’s about to get more exciting because
they really are holding each other up
now and Adam Shepard is almost there
with them into clearways Corner they go
this the eighth time of asking Anderson
again not making friends with the Apex
Nim over the curb on the inside but he
just cannot find a gap Jack no he can’t
as I was about to say there one thing
hot lapping R there another thing racing
around it and knowing where to defend
has a headache ble trying to go out the
outside of pan Bend it’s a completely
different idea to what n had trying to
get that cut back experience from Bley
here going into Druid Victor Anderson
might get away here is Bly at the inside
drew his and then Adam Shephard just
behind as well Joe Marshall probably
looking at this and thanking the lord
cuz he has an opportunity to jump on a
Podium here Shepherd’s right with them
all those years of tin top and short
overl experience got Carl Bley that
second place because did you see what he
did on the exit of Druids he lent on Nan
forced him wide and didn’t allow Callum
the inside line into Graham Hill Ben
that’s probably what Callum should have
done to Victor Anderson al la ago so the
reigning Champion is into second
position now what can he do about the
race leader out of clearways we come
then we have 12 and A2 minutes still to
go and it’s a four-way fight at the
front Victor Anderson somehow still
leads the way car Bley in second place
is only half a second back and then this
is the battle for third the charging
Adam Shepherd at his local track
genuinely seeing half a chance of
winning this race he’s on the tail of
the leading three but Callum n is going
to be getting more and more frustrated
with each lap that goes by yeah this is
stunning isn’t it it’s exactly what we
wanted with 12 minutes to go this sort
of setup Victor adderson in on the mix
having to learn how to defend and how to
attack where the overtaking
opportunities are on the Fly against
very experienced drivers who driven
brand hat gindy a thousand times as we
see a big puff of dirt coming out of
Clark corner but I can’t quite see who
it was I think it was Jeff alen given
the fact a very dirty Astra has just
gone past our commentary position but
that’s good news it means he’s not stuck
in the gravel trap and no need therefore
for a race Interruption out of the final
Corner we go and is it me or is that
lead Gap starting to grow now well no
it’s pretty static actually came down in
fact by about half a tenth so never mind
uh through Paddock they go 1 2 3 four
almost five of them with Joe Marshall
just struggling to bridge that Gap and
Brad Hutcherson still sat in sixth
position but they’ve all concertina
together at Druid it does look to me
Jack as though Victor is struggling with
under steer the front of the car just
not really hooking up with the Apex and
Carl Bley will be seeing that he’ll be
sensing an opportunity and he’ll be
almost sizing him up won’t he just
waiting now trying to figure out where
his opportunity will come it’s very
difficult to break into Clark C has to
be said I’ve never done it in a
front-wheel drive obviously but from a
rear wheel drive perspective I know it’s
very difficult and maybe that’s why
Victor Anderson is struggling to get
that tighter line into the Apex I mean
he is still making Apex just a later one
he’s he’s straight lining the exit a
little bit more which is why he’s
gaining that Gap from what we could see
but then he it sort of loses it as he
goes into padic Hill cuz he’s not quite
as hot on the braks Callum the only
driver who loves to jump up on that
curve isn’t he really it’s a bit of a
different line and I’m not entirely sure
if it’s working as well for him to be
Hest cuz I imagine he’s sort of
unsettling the car a little bit and he’s
s of struggled to keep it back but he
knows a lot more than me he got pole
here didn’t he so let’s face it but
nobody else seems to be doing it I
wonder if that’s anything to do with why
car Bley was able to make the move and
why calan wasn’t a whether just reading
too much into it well that’s sort of our
job I suppose but that Hyundai does look
a little bit softer than some of the
cars around it as if it’s set up
specifically to do that and uh you know
that could well affect the way the car’s
going to handle in the second half of
the race because we are only now
approaching half Race distance it’s hard
to imag really we had a whole race worth
action and still 10 minutes to go having
said that Anderson’s struggling with
understeer he gets off clearways and
Clark her really well doesn’t he he was
telling me earlier on uh today that the
Lincoln CO’s big Advantage is really on
quter Entry Brave leaking into the
corners but it seems to have decent
traction off the turns it’s just the mid
Corner space where he’s LA Speed where
he’s lacking but as long as he Parks the
car on the Apex and doesn’t let it drift
out too wide Carl Bley with his
championship hat on very much will not
necessarily want to take a big risk no
it’s all about knowing your car isn’t it
really I mean I know we were talking
about the balance of performance earlier
on but that doesn’t mean that each car
doesn’t have its own individual
characteristics some people some drivers
might say that say let’s say the hindai
is soft so lik to ride the Curve AI
might have a Top Line uh top end that’s
a little bit stronger to go into the
corners um each car will have that
individual sort of uh makeer but it’s
about knowing those cars and that’s what
we were saying in qualifying about um
the drivers having to learn the cars
that they’ve had to jump into Adam
Shepard being one of them Callum newams
obviously with in that car last year so
was Carl Bley so it’s no real surprise
to see that they started just as strong
as they finished now they’ve got traffic
on the horizon this is Jeff alen’s Astro
where does he go pulls out of the way
nice driving Jeff to allow the leading
group through car Bley really closes up
through Paddock Hill Bend and Druids but
then the second half of the lap just
seems to drop away slightly back into
the clutches of Callum Nim who hasn’t
given up on his hopes of winning this
race either and grabbing a first career
victory in TCR UK he’s very very close
uh to the back of KL Balley’s car tries
to take the wide line into clearways to
cut back to the inside at Clark curve
but Carl Bley seiz off that particular
challenge it does have a bit of a
pressure cooker feeling to this to me
though ja because Victor Anderson cannot
get away that is fairly obvious car ble
he can’t really settle for second
because he’s under so much pressure from
n snap for n really he’s got Adam
Shephard right behind him at some point
you feel something has to give well
Shephard and N are not sitting there out
of choice they are flashing the lights
they are giving everything to try and
get past not anybody’s going to take any
notice of flashing lights but they’re
then try and put them off they probably
can’t even see them with the sun shining
but uh you it’s not like they’re trying
to say okay I’ll just Happ sit here into
the last 5 minutes no n wants to be
the driver to go and take the fight to
Anderson he he saw one opportunity he
didn’t take it he failed at that that
lost him the position in second place
and he’s lost the responsibility to Face
Forward K Bley I don’t think really has
the overall pace for what we’ve seen
this weekend to challenge Anderson for
the race win whereas we know n does the
problem is Nan doesn’t have the track so
the track space so it’s it’s a bit of a
cat mouth situation now and I think
Victor Anders will probably be quite
happy to see more the of as compared to
new just a thing uh yes I suspect you
may well be right Calum Nim’s race then
not quite going to plan uh for the time
being unfortunately he’s also lost the
lap record in this race he set that here
at the back end of last season but Adam
Shepard has managed to Beat It by about
half a tenth so that fastest lap of the
race for Adam Shepard is a new lap
record around the BR hatch Indie circuit
so really just sort of illustrates that
point doesn’t it that the level of
competition on this grid has def
defitely taken a step forward drivers
have found an extra bit of performance
be that in themselves or a new car and
Adam Shepard now looks to try and use
that to break into the podium places we
are uh 16 laps in already to this
opening round of the TCR UK Championship
Victor Anderson continues to lead and I
think technically has led the entirety
of the race he’s LED at the line at the
end of every lap but never Jack by more
than a caror to no I don’t think it’s as
easy as he was probably hoping was he um
this TCR UK Malak and uh I think
everybody else that might be said in the
S preview it might just hook the bar a
little bit to make everybody else sort
push that little bit harder as couple of
other drivers jump out the way with blue
flags and stuff like that well done to
them um oh couple of more actually and
Carl Bley I don’t know whether Victor
Anderson got a little bit caught up
there with uh was that the 28 of th the
RS3 yeah so the Gen one RS3 um that’s
all of a sudden allowed Bley to have a
little bit of a think about it and give
Anderson something to think about it
going defensive into P kill Bend yes and
we know that car has been prone to a bit
of UND steer does that mean he washes
wide on the exit no it’s Bley who goes
wide and Kum mum sees an opportunity
goes to the inside line for second place
but Bley sends it round the outside
instead almost challenges for the race
lead out of Druids they go it is somehow
still the linkoln co that leads but Carl
Bley has now got Callum Nim all over him
down through graville then perfect
switch back from Nim 10 out of 10 he’s
up the inside line and surely through
the left hander at 30 Jack second place
will be his deserves a round of applause
it doesn’t deserves second place car
Bley keeps hold of it Adam Shepard’s on
the inside going into Clark curve Adam
Shepard May well take third place calan
goes from hero to zero and is all the
way back down into fourth position for
him it’s not going his way at all oh
poor old calaman really hasn’t done
anything wrong in this race every time
he tries to go forwards it doesn’t work
and he ends up losing a place Adam
Shepard then is on the podium with 5
minutes left to try and do something
about the two in front but that was all
caused by Vic derson getting a slow run
off the final Corner slower than normal
he defended a paddock and it bottled the
whole group together that’s stunning
isn’t it really and there goes C again
trying to just nibble little crowbar a
little Gap open from Adam Shephard but
he wasn’t having any of it slammed it
right sh this is my position I will go
for it if you want to get forward you’ll
have to follow me son and well C Bley
again looking at his rearview Mir have a
little bit of a gap four and a half
minutes is a long time to hold on to a
position TC UK I’m learning that quite
quickly you probably know that already
um but just a finder for Adam Shepard
fans out there he started at eight after
a penalty and his car breaking down
twice in qualifying so he’s not out of
the woods just yet but it’s it’s an
impressive performance so far started
eight after only one test session
yesterday half a qualifying session this
morning with a car that kept breaking
down and that he genuinely about half an
hour before the race told me he didn’t
think he’d be out on track and here he
is in third position he’s done this
before here at br’s hatch though the
first year he came uh to br’s hatch
there was a race I think it was Race 3
of the weekend uh where again half an
hour before the race started he told me
no I’m going home I’ve sent all of my
guests home because I’m not going to get
out for the last race they fixed the car
they got him on track and guess where he
finished on the podium that was his
first ever podium in TCR UK he might be
about to add another to that tally all
the way to the way is it sometimes it’s
just the pressure being lifted that can
help that sometimes isn’t it and uh you
never know when you look you when your
good look is actually going to strike
and if you Callum new you probably think
it’s never going to strike um to be fair
if you Adam shepher you probably think
it was never going to strike either but
uh car ble holding on to that second
position uh very well he’ll be he’ll be
satisfied in the knowledge that if he
comes second place behind Victor
Anderson not the end of the world
because he fully well knows that Victor
is probably not going to be here for the
rest of the season that means that it’s
as good point scoring as anybody you can
ask for really for car Bley there is a
long way to go though uh for the time
being so I can tell you what I’m jealous
of I’m jealous of you and Paul getting
to cover this tomorrow in the commentary
box I’ll be watching for the sideline
trust me but uh it’s going to be
Sensational stuff tomorrow with the top
10 reverse grid as well oh my days
exactly we haven’t even got to the
reverse grid race yeah that’s normally
the best race of the weekend but it will
take quite some doing uh to Top This one
Brad hon by the way has just been in and
out of the pit Lane I’m not sure whether
that was to serve a drive-through
penalty we did hear that his collision
with Luke Sergeant was under
investigation but haven’t actually heard
any official word as to a penalty so
maybe it was damage maybe it was an
issue interestingly he’s rejoined the
circuit and guess who the car behind him
is Luke Sergeant so the two who Tangled
the pill Bend earlier on have found each
other once more but that is not where
the attention needs to be directed we
have 2 minutes and 20 seconds to go and
Carl Bley has not given up on a race win
it seems to me Jack that ever since Adam
Shepard broke through into third
position he might have the new lap
record but he doesn’t seem to have the
pace to go after the leading too that’s
actually ironically relieved a bit of
the pressure uh from Carl Bley will that
be what he needs to go and unlock the
door for the race lead I think the first
two corners B is very strong on the
brakes isn’t he but it does seem the
Victor this has the flow on the back
half of the circuit quite nicely which
is helping him just to not have to worry
too much about behind obviously Druid we
know is such a powerful overtaking
maneuver but really ble needs to be
right on the back bumper of Anderson’s
car now to then force him into a
different line going in but you’ll
probably see going into druid’s look and
how much they close in that cop is
really strong I mean he out BR up there
but he’s really strong in the braks even
if he doesn’t out break himself but as
soon as they go towards Cs and can’t
curve it just seems that Anderson has
has a flow through CS that is sort of
meaning he’s just got something he’s got
an extra tenth or so in that in this
sector of the track that the others
don’t which means he’s just sort of
invulnerable to a move potentially yeah
which is interesting because this is the
part of the circuit I identifi that it
seem to be struggling at but it goes to
show what I know because actually he’s
getting off this corner better than
anyone and that means that he’s free
from Attack into really the best
overtaking opportunity on the circuit up
at pill Ben that is where they head now
with time for two more laps so this is
the penultimate lap of what has been a
very very entertaining opening round of
the championship Carl Bley heading
through the part of the circuit at which
he seems to Excel and there is more
traffic up the road I think that might
be Mark Smith’s COA and just ahead of it
will be his golf so Anderson not out of
the woods one little mistake here and
Bley is B within striking range on the
last lap it was 2/10 of a second to the
advantage of Carl Bley so there is still
Pace in him Victor Anderson is not
impervious to losing this one but as you
said he is in the driving seat he could
end up if he just gets past this traffic
on the straight how how well behaved is
the traffic going to be it’s I see a 22
of carry in the CER TCR not as well
behaved as Victor Anderson would like
having to make him lunge up the inside
going into padic kill that’s going to
put him right off line carry needs to
move out the way and here comes Carl
Bley he’ll see that opportunity and will
so will shepher into drw there’s lockups
there’s contact shepher again on the
inside of Carl Bley and I think he might
manage it oh here we go through Druid
for the final time there was definitely
contact from shepher to Bley they’re all
still there they’re all still in the
same position but there is damage to the
back of boley’s car to the front of
Shephard’s car and that might have just
let Victor Anderson off the hook towards
C Deo for the final time this is one of
those races that you wish hadn’t been
shortened by 5 minutes but this is the
final lap of the race into clear ways
they go Victor Anderson I think is going
to do it he didn’t quite get pole
position but it is going to be a victory
on Debo for both Victor and for the
Lincoln Co what a sensational Drive
Victor Anderson wins round number one of
TCR UK here at BR hatch with Carl Bley
second and Adam Shepard on the podium in
third and Callum Nim in fourth what a
race that was Jack TCR UK is back in
style