After months of anticipation, the talking stops and the action starts as the flag drops on the 2026 Civic Cup season at Brands Hatch this weekend (4-5 April). An enormous field of more than 30 cars is set to do battle in front of a big Easter crowd around the Kent venue’s Indy circuit.
Favourites to lead the way will be a power-packed six-car entry from reigning champions Area Motorsport. De facto team leader for the Midlands outfit is 2021 title winner Alistair Camp who has been in the championship’s top three for six years running. Camp and young gun Wesley Swain – who is targeting his first race win – drive the team’s two FN2 model Civics, which have different strengths to the older (but still more common) EP3.
Experienced one-make racer Charlie Budd joins the team full-time after dipping his toe in the water at last year’s season finale. Teen star Francisco Howitt moves across to Area for his sophomore season, looking to build on the flashes of pace he showed in a promising debut campaign. Completing the squad are karting graduate Tristan Powell and Irishman Sean McGovern, son of TCR UK racer Rod McGovern.
Matching Area numerically, Ben Sharpe Racing have assembled a squad brimming with rising talent. Jake Renshaw and Aidan Mitchell took great strides in their debut campaigns last year and will now aim to convert that potential into podiums and challenging for wins.
Budget constraints limited Spencer Stevenson’s outings in 2025 but a podium finish in the season finale will give him confidence to push on into the winner’s circle. Charlie Constable endured an up-and-down debut season, but the experience of BSR should bring out the best in the former Junior Saloons racer.
Following a similar path, Wilf Butler steps into the senior ranks with BSR after finishing third in last year’s Junior Saloons championship, while karting graduate Freddie Ingram prepares for his debut. Also graduating from JSCC, but in his case running under the family Austin Autosport banner, is Louis Austin.
Another multi-car team that will expect to be challenging at the sharp end is Motion Motorsport, which expands to four cars this year. Matt Wilkins returns after impressing in the first half of last season before his campaign was cut short.
Former single-seater racer Don DeGraaff and experienced campaigner David Walsh have both followed Wilkins across from the Type R Trophy, where they finished second and third in last year’s standings. Completing the squad is one-time MG Trophy champion Joe Dalgarno who will be one to watch as the latest Civic Cup convert.
Dalgarno’s former MG sparring partner, Josh Bromley is back for more after an encouraging debut season in 2025. The Bromley Motorsport man has built a new car for 2026 and is confident of hitting the ground running as he targets a maiden victory.
Privateer Paul Luti is another former MG man joining the series with an impressive pedigree over a lengthy career. Further interest in the privateer ranks comes from Jake Hewlett, five times a podium finisher en route to sixth in the points while running with Area Motorsport last season.
Jack Ruddell is not a privateer but runs with the one-car MJB Motorsport squad of expert engine builder, and former Civic Cup racer, Morgan Bailey. Ruddell took the honours in the Paul Winfield Trophy for less experienced drivers last year and was a winner at Brands Hatch. His next target will be to challenge at the sharp end on a more consistent basis.
FN2 specialists DMR with KA Car Sales will once again field three of the beam-axle cars. Team principal Dave Marshall is a race winner and placed a highly creditable fourth overall in last year’s standings – best of the non-Area cars.
Mark Hughes brought further success to the squad by retaining the Goodyear Diamond Award for drivers aged 40 and over. The Yorkshireman will be aiming for hat-trick in 2026. Young gun Harry England completes the team’s line-up, his car run in conjunction with his own Harry England Racing outfit.
Brothers Daniel and Jamie Petters (Team Petters Racing) were often on the cusp of big results last year but ended with only one podium between them to show for their efforts after plenty of bad luck. Used to close-quarters racing from their short oval backgrounds, the pair are always happy to get stuck in and put on a show with big smiles on their faces. This year, the team bring a third driver into the fold in the form of series stalwart Will Butt, whose car is run in conjunction with Will Buttsy Racing.
Further family connections come from the Civic Cup’s first father-and-son line-up. Joining long-time Civic Cup racer Anthony Gannon under the Detail Car Care Racing banner for the first time is his 18-year-old son Jacob.
Ben Bateman (MWB Motorsport) and Adam Parker (ADS1928 Racing) are back for their second seasons in the Civic Cup after gaining vital experience in the ultra-competitive championship last year.
Completing the massive grid at this weekend’s races will be a pair of former Mini Challenge Clubsport drivers. Callum Eynstone and Adam Kirkland make the switch along with their AT Motorsport team.
This weekend’s meeting is a triple-header for the Civic Cup, with a particularly busy day on Saturday (4 April). There is an early start with Qualifying scheduled for 0925hrs, while Round 1 is also before lunch at 1140hrs. Lights out on Round 2, the reversed-grid race, is scheduled for 1525hrs. A more relaxed Easter Sunday concludes proceedings with Round 3 of the championship at 1410hrs.
It’s worth making the trip to Kent to watch a full programme of races headlined by Civic Cup’s sister series, TCR UK, and the British Truck Racing Championship. But for those who can’t be there in person, all the action will be streamed live on the BARC’s YouTube channel.
To find out more about the Milltek Civic Cup, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/ for more info and how to get involved.
To find out more about the events on the 2026 Milltek Civic Cup Calendar, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/2026-season-calendar/ for more info.
Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the 2026 season via our website and social media channels:
Website – https://civic-cup.co.uk/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/CivicCupOfficial
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/civic_cup_official/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@ms.civic.cup
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