With only two weeks to go until the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship descends on Croft Circuit over the weekend of June 15/16th, already the air of excitement is building for the region’s largest motorsport event.
30 drivers in an array of familiar cars will do battle around the North Yorkshire track near Darlington with a crowd of 25,000 expected to see the likes of ex-F1 racer Mark Blundell, Nic Hamilton, brother of five-times F1 World Champion Lewis, and BTCC legends Jason Plato, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal all fighting for supremacy.
However, this year’s annual BTCC extravaganza has a local charity feel about it with a number of celebrities signing up to compete in the Simplyhealth Great North Run which takes place on Sunday 8th September 2019 to raise funds for The Sporting Memories Foundation, which is the first in the World to tackle dementia, depression and loneliness through the power of sports reminiscence.
Well-known sports presenter Steve Rider, who fronts ITV’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship coverage, has signed up alongside fellow presenter and ex-BTCC driver Paul O’Neill who is a Patron of the charity, whereby the pair will be joined by around 13 other runners who will be pounding the roads of Tyneside including leading BTCC competitor Adam Morgan, Louise Turkington who is the wife of reigning BTCC champion Colin, and two young local motorsport stars in the shape of Max Coates from Scorton and Northallerton’s Ethan Hammerton.
Both Max and Ethan are racing in the Renault UK Clio Cup Championship for Team HARD this season and after the opening two rounds are well placed in the series arriving at their local track. Max occupies third place in the main standings following a couple of victories at Brands Hatch whilst Ethan holds second place in the Graduate Cup after a solid performance at Donington Park in the previous round.
Co-ordinating the mammoth task is Tony Jameson-Allen from Topcliffe, the co-founder of The Sporting Memories Foundation, who himself is a former motorsport competitor. Tony’s duties have precluded him from entering but he has delegated his wife Amanda, a specialist nurse working with older people in North Yorkshire, into doing her first ever half marathon.
Max Coates: “The Sporting Memories Foundation charity is one that really hits home for me, both my Grandparents experienced dementia in their final years so the opportunity to do something for the charity and in their memory is something that makes me proud. Naturally I’m a competitive guy, I’m looking forward to running with my motorsport companions and have a 1hr 34m target that my dad set way back when, so the training has started!”
Ethan Hammerton: “I’m really looking forward to the Great North Run in aid of The Sporting Memories Foundation. I am so pleased to be taking part in the run with some other great people from the BTCC paddock. I’m up for the challenge and can hopefully raise a good amount of money for this worthwhile charity.”
Tony Jameson-Allen: “The support we have received from the world of motorsport, especially from people involved in the BTCC has been truly humbling. Paul is a wonderful Patron and has been very persuasive in coaxing his colleagues, including Steve, into taking on this challenge. I really hope the public will get behind the team and help them to raise some much needed funds so we can continue to support older people across the UK attending our groups free of charge.”
Others raising funds by running the Simplyhealth Great North Run include:
Jack Benyon (International Editor of Autosport and Sporting Memories volunteer)
James Kerr (Hillclimb and Sprint driver)
Andy Couzens (former Leeds United FC footballer)
Gary Jones (former Bradford City FC Captain)
Sam Boatwright (extreme athlete)
James Mason (Trustee of Sporting Memories Foundation, also CEO of Five Nine agency)
Kelly Hart (Sporting Memories Funding Manager)
Steve Sharp (has run past three GNRs for Sporting Memories)
There are Sporting Memories clubs in North Yorkshire and 116 in total across the UK. The club at Northallerton Library meets every Thursday and is run by a dedicated team of volunteers. For further information, please visit: www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com.
To make a donation please visit: https://www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/appeal/great-north-run
Pictures attached: Local racing drivers Max Coates and Ethan Hammerton will be doing battle both on and off the track this season (picture credit Tony Todd)
Note to Editors (not for publication): Both Max Coates and Ethan Hammerton are available for interview by request and can, if required, visit Croft Circuit along with their cars, for promotional purposes, please contact Larry Carter on 07831 890486 if of interest.
ENDS