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British Universities Karting Championship

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United Kingdom British Universities Karting Championship
BUKC logo since 2011
CategoryKart racing
CountryUnited Kingdom
Inaugural season2001; 23 years ago (2001)
Classes3
(Premier, Clubman, Intermediate)
Teams126
ManufacturersClub100
Chassis suppliersBirel ART
Engine suppliersRotax
Tyre suppliersDunlop
Teams' championUniversity of Reading heraldic shield Reading
(Premier)
University of Warwick heraldic shield Warwick
(Clubman)
Oxford Brookes
(Intermediate)
Official websiteOfficial website

The British Universities Karting Championship, commonly abbreviated as the BUKC, is a university-based kart racing series in the United Kingdom.

The championship is operated by Club100 and licensed by Motorsport UK. Competed by 126 teams from a pool of 115 universities, the BUKC is one of the largest karting competitions in the world.

Loughborough University and Oxford Brookes University hold the record for most national championships, each having won the BUKC on six occasions. The reigning champions are the University of Reading, who beat the University of Bath by two points in the 2024 season.

Current and former BUKC entrants have included a Formula One driver and two FIA World Endurance Vice-Champions, as well as several national karting champions, Formula Two, Formula Three, British Touring Car, GT3 and GT4 drivers. BUKC alumni have won numerous high-profile motorsport titles, including the: 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, British GT Championship, European Le Mans Series, Nürburgring 24 Hours, American Le Mans Series, Italian Superturismo Championship, 24 Hours of Spa, Britcar Endurance Championship and Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli.

History

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Establishment

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The BUKC, originally called the Inter University Karting Championship (IUKC), was founded in 2001 by students Will Tew and Tom Batho of Imperial College London.[1] The inaugural IUKC season was organised by students from Cardiff University and the University of Nottingham, operated using four-stroke variety karts.

Association with Club100 (2002–present)

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TKM era (2002–2018)

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In 2002, the IUKC began an association with Club100, who supplied a fleet of two-stroke Formula TKM karts, becoming the first university karting championship to be run with two-stroke engines. The season was contested by 32 teams over four rounds, and won by Loughborough University.

In 2003, the format was altered, with a fifth round added; the championship renamed to the British Universities Karting Championship. In order to keep the organisation consistent and the relationship with Club100 strong, Batho and Tew founded 3T Racing Ltd in 2003 as an independent governing body for the championship.[2]

Between 2004 and 2006, Oxford Brookes University won three consecutive titles led by James Gornall, remaining the only university to complete a three-peat in the BUKC as of 2024.

Emanuele Pirro entered the first round of the 2015 season at Rye House as an independent entrant, becoming the first Formula One driver to compete in the BUKC.[3]

In 2018, the final season of the TKM era, Oxford Brookes became the first—and to this date, only—team to have achieved a 1–2 finish in the Premier class championship standings. Across nine rounds, Oxford Brookes A and B won six rounds with 12 podiums, achieving a 1–2 finish in qualifiers and round one. Oxford Brookes C also managed to finish the championship in ninth.

The final BUKC event raced with TKM engines was the 2019 season qualifiers at Whilton Mill in November 2018, won by Brunel University London and the University of Birmingham on the Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Rotax era (2019–present)

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For 2019, Club100 replaced their fleet of Formula TKM karts with Rotax karts, utilising their Evo technology,[4] ending a 17-year tenure of the BUKC using TKM karts.

To mark the new era, the championship was re-divided into three classes: Premier, Clubman and Intermediate (previously Premier, Intermediate and Rookie). The Premier and Clubman class championships are competed in the same races, with Intermediate the day after being targeted at less experienced drivers and teams.

Coventry University are the only team to win multiple championships in the Rotax era, winning back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, Loughborough won their record-breaking sixth Premier class championship, with Oxford Brookes equalling this one year later.

The championship is currently contested by 126 teams over five main rounds, including qualifiers.

Format

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The BUKC uses a unique format that races in teams of four drivers, taking place across a number of rounds throughout the academic year at several world-class kart circuits in the United Kingdom.

Qualifiers

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Qualifiers is a pre-championship round that takes place to determine which teams qualify for each class championship. The results of the round count towards each championship.

The championship qualifiers take place across 14 qualifying sessions, followed by 14 respective sprint races. The event is split over two days in randomly generated groups.

Of the 126 teams that enter qualifiers: 26 qualify for the Premier class championship, 28 for Clubman, and 54 for Intermediate.

Premier/Clubman class championships

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In the Premier/Clubman class championships, commonly known as mains, each round takes place across six back-to-back races with randomly generated grids.

Each mains round is competed in one of two formats: sprint or endurance. In a mains sprint round, the six races alternate between lightweight (75 kg) and heavyweight (82 kg) races.

The sprint format is where each driver in the team gets to race in their own individual 25-minute race with no fuel stops or driver changes. Each team's score for the round is determined by the best three results from the four sprint races entered.

The endurance format splits each team into duos. Each duo competes in a one-hour endurance race. Two fuel stops a minimum of one driver change must be made by each duo. Each team's score for the round is determined by the points from both races entered.[5]

Intermediate class championship

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In the Intermediate class championship, commonly known as inters, each round takes place across six qualifying sessions, followed by six respective sprint races.

In an inters round, each race is run to a 75 kg minimum weight.

Points system

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Points are awarded for each race in increments of one, with the highest-finishing eligible driver receiving 60. Unlike other motorsport series, there are no points awarded for pole position or fastest lap.

In a sprint round, the best three results from each team are counted towards the points tally for the round, whereas both sets of results count in an endurance round.

The same championship points system is awarded for each overall round, with the best seven rounds from each mains team's campaign counting towards their final tally, and the best four from each inters team, both including qualifiers.

In the event of a tie in either a round or the championship standings, a countback system is used.

Karts

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The BUKC are partnered with Club100 to provide karts for the championship, who operate the largest arrive-and-drive kart fleet in Europe.[6] The two-stroke 125cc Rotax engines produce over 20 hp, and are capable of speeds in excess of 70 mph.

The karts use slick Dunlop tyres in all weather conditions, with Club100 citing the logistical challenges faced with changing the tyres on over 50 karts.

Kart specification

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In 2019, the BUKC moved from air-cooled Formula TKM engines to Rotax.[4]

Chassis Birel ART N35X[7]
Engine Rotax Junior MAX Evo 125cc[7]
Carburettor Dell'Orto F34mm fixed-jet[7]
Transmission Clutch, chain drive[7]
Brakes Kelgate K[7]
Tyres Dunlop KE1[7]
Power Free-revving 20 hp two-stroke[7]

Circuits

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Current and former circuits

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Since 2013, the BUKC has raced at 13 different venues. Glan Y Gors and Llandow are the only tracks the BUKC has raced at outside of England, both being situated in Wales. The BUKC is yet to race in either Scotland or Northern Ireland.

British Universities Karting Championship is located in England
PF International
Lincolnshire PF International
Whilton Mill
Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
Warden Law
Tyne and Wear Warden Law
Glan Y Gors
Wales Glan Y Gors
Clay Pigeon
Dorset Clay Pigeon
Shenington
Oxfordshire Shenington
Three Sisters
Greater Manchester Three Sisters
Hooton Park
Cheshire Hooton Park
Bayford Meadows
Kent Bayford Meadows
Teesside Autodrome
North Yorkshire Teesside Autodrome
Location of British Universities Karting Championship venues since 2013.
Current venues in bold. 24 Hour Race venues in italics.

Calendar

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For the 2024 season, five rounds took place at four venues across the United Kingdom: Whilton Mill, PF International, Buckmore Park and Warden Law. The post-season 24 Hour Race took place at Teesside Autodrome.

Round Circuit Date Winning team Runners-up Third place Results
Q Sat Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(National Circuit, Northamptonshire)
18 November 2023 Oxford Brookes A University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield A Results
Sun 19 November 2023 University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton A Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry A Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough B Results
1 R1 Lincolnshire PF International
(International Circuit, Lincolnshire)
7 February 2024 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry A Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough B University of Bath heraldic shield Bath A Results
R2

University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A

University of Liverpool heraldic shield Liverpool A Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry A Results
I1 8 February 2024

University of London heraldic shield UCL A

University of Derby heraldic shield Derby A Oxford Brookes C Results
2 R3 Kent Buckmore Park
(International Circuit, Kent)
14 February 2024 University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton A University of Bath heraldic shield Bath A Cardiff University heraldic shield Cardiff A Results
R4

University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton A

University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham A University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter A Results
I2 15 February 2024

Brighton A

University of Edinburgh heraldic shield Edinburgh B Surrey B Results
3 R5 Tyne and Wear Warden Law
(International Circuit, Tyne and Wear)
6 March 2024 University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton A University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham A Results
R6 University of Bath heraldic shield Bath A

University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A

Cardiff University heraldic shield Cardiff A Results
I3 7 March 2024 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry D

University of London heraldic shield UCL A

University of Bristol heraldic shield Bristol B Results
4 R7 Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(International Circuit, Northamptonshire)
5 April 2024 University of Bath heraldic shield Bath A Cardiff University heraldic shield Cardiff A

University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A

Results
R8 University of Bath heraldic shield Bath A

University of Reading heraldic shield Reading A

Surrey A Results
I4 6 April 2024 Swansea University heraldic shield Swansea C University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham C University of Bristol heraldic shield Bristol B Results
24H North Yorkshire Teesside Autodrome
(International Circuit, North Yorkshire)
15–16 June 2024 University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter A University of Central Lancashire heraldic shield Central Lancashire A Lancaster University heraldic shield Lancaster A Results

Universities

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The championship is open to entries from any institution of higher education in the United Kingdom. Each university may be represented by more than one team of four drivers; Loughborough University fielded three teams in 2008, with many universities following suit. In 2022, Oxford Brookes University became the first university to successfully qualify six teams for the mains championship, with five qualifying for the Premier class.

Loughborough and Oxford Brookes are the joint-most successful teams in BUKC history, each achieving six Premier class championships. The series is most popular among universities in the South of England; however, Wales is also well represented, including Cardiff University, Swansea University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the latter finishing second overall in the 2009 season.[citation needed] Swansea won the 2018 24 Hour Race.

In 2009, the University of Edinburgh became the first Scottish team to enter the championship, with nearby Heriot-Watt University following in 2010. The University of the West of Scotland became the third Scottish team to join in 2015. Edinburgh Napier, St Andrews, Glasgow and Strathclyde have joined the championship since then. A joint entry between Heriot-Watt and UWS won the 2016 24 Hour Race, and Strathclyde won the tertiary championship in 2018 and 2020, becoming the only non-English championship-winning team in BUKC history.

In 2014, the Dublin Institute of Technology, now known as TU Dublin, became the first Irish university to race in the BUKC, taking part in the inaugural post-season 24 Hour Race in June, although they have yet to enter an official round of the championship. TU Dublin have since won the event twice, in 2022 and 2023.

A full list of registered universities can be found on the official BUKC website.

Live coverage

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The championship is currently broadcast live on YouTube by Alpha Live with live footage, commentary and interviews for all Premier and Clubman class races.

The opening race of the 2024 season at PF International had a record viewership of over 11 thousand people with a season average of 10.1 thousand,[8] comparable to viewership of BUCS Super Rugby, whose live coverage averaged 8.73 thousand viewers in the 2023–24 season (including play-offs).[9]

Alpha Timing provide live timing for each BUKC event, including testing and qualifiers, via their website.

Champions

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As of the 2024 season, 10 different universities have won the Premier class championship across 24 seasons: Nottingham, Loughborough, Leeds, Oxford Brookes, Hertfordshire, Bath, Coventry, Huddersfield, Exeter and Reading.[10] All Premier championship-winning teams in the BUKC have been from England.

Loughborough and Oxford Brookes hold the joint-record for most Premier class titles, each with six. Coventry are the only team to win multiple championships in the Rotax era, taking back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. The three teams have dominated the championship since its inception, winning 16 of the 24 championships altogether, including seven consecutively from 2016 to 2022.

As of 2024, Nottingham, Exeter and Reading are the only championship-winning universities who do not offer automotive engineering at an undergraduate level, the former two of which still offer mechanical engineering.

By year

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Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results
2001 University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham Various
2002 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough United Kingdom TKM
2003 University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds United Kingdom TKM
2004 Oxford Brookes United Kingdom TKM
2005 Oxford Brookes United Kingdom TKM
2006 Oxford Brookes United Kingdom TKM
2007 University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire United Kingdom TKM
2008 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough United Kingdom TKM B
2009 Oxford Brookes United Kingdom TKM B
2010 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough United Kingdom TKM B
2011 University of Bath heraldic shield Bath United Kingdom TKM B
2012 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough United Kingdom TKM B
2013 University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire United Kingdom TKM B
2014 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2015 University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield United Kingdom TKM VEGA 2 8 414 98.571 (95.926) Oxford Brookes 3 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry Results[verification needed]
2016 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2017 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough United Kingdom TKM B
2018 Oxford Brookes A United Kingdom TKM B 4 6 413 98.333 (94.444) Oxford Brookes B 5 University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield Results
2019 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry United Kingdom TKM
Austria Rotax
B 2 3 405 96.429 (92.778) Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 1 Oxford Brookes Results
2020 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry Austria Rotax B 4 6 412 98.095 (92.407) Oxford Brookes 1 University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter Results
2021 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough Austria Rotax B 5 6 359 99.722 (97.292) University of Cambridge heraldic shield Cambridge 7 Oxford Brookes Results
2022 Oxford Brookes Austria Rotax B 3 5 408 97.143 (94.815) University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter 2 University of Manchester heraldic shield Manchester Results
2023 University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter Austria Rotax D 4 8 417 99.286 (98.148) Oxford Brookes 16 University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton Results
2024 University of Reading heraldic shield Reading Austria Rotax D 1 6 411 97.857 (96.481) University of Bath heraldic shield Bath 2 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry Results
Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results

By university

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University Titles Year(s)[10]
Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 6 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2021
Oxford Brookes 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2018, 2022
Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry 4 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020
University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire 2 2007, 2013
University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham 1 2001
University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds 2003
University of Bath heraldic shield Bath 2011
University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield 2015
University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter 2023
University of Reading heraldic shield Reading 2024

Other championships

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Clubman class championship (2012–present)

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Since 2019, the Clubman class has been the secondary championship to the Premier class, both taking place in the same races. Prior to 2019, the secondary championship was known as the Intermediate class. This table includes the Intermediate class champions prior to the introduction of the Clubman class.

Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results
2012 United Kingdom TKM B
2013 United Kingdom TKM B
2014 United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2015 Durham University heraldic shield Durham United Kingdom TKM VEGA 0 0 333 79.286 (74.630) University of Southampton heraldic shield Southampton 14 University of Warwick heraldic shield Warwick Results[verification needed]
2016 United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2017 United Kingdom TKM B
2018 University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield United Kingdom TKM B 0 0 312 74.286 (68.333) Newcastle University heraldic shield Newcastle 3 King's College London heraldic shield King's College Results
2019 University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield United Kingdom TKM
Austria Rotax
B 0 0 311 74.048 (67.037) University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds 15 Kingston University heraldic shield Kingston Results
2020 University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham Austria Rotax B 0 1 343 81.667 (77.963) University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds 14 University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield Results
2021 University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds Austria Rotax B 0 0 318 88.333 (84.583) University of East Anglia heraldic shield East Anglia 17 Oxford Brookes Results
2022 Brighton Austria Rotax B 0 0 323 76.905 (72.778) Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 12 University of Cambridge heraldic shield Cambridge Results
2023 Nottingham Trent University heraldic shield Nottingham Trent Austria Rotax D 1 3 363 86.429 (74.630) Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 5 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry Results
2024 University of Warwick heraldic shield Warwick Austria Rotax D 0 0 337 80.238 (73.333) Lancaster University heraldic shield Lancaster 4 Surrey Results
Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results

Intermediate class championship (2012–present)

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Since 2019, the Intermediate class has been the tertiary championship to the Premier and Clubman classes, replacing the Rookie class. This table only includes the Intermediate class champions after the re-branding, as well as the previous Rookie class champions.

Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results
2012 United Kingdom TKM B
2013 United Kingdom TKM B
2014 United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2015 University of Salford heraldic shield Salford United Kingdom TKM VEGA 3 3 234 97.500 University of the West of England heraldic shield West of England 4 University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield Results[verification needed]
2016 United Kingdom TKM VEGA
2017 United Kingdom TKM B
2018 University of Strathclyde heraldic shield Strathclyde United Kingdom TKM B 3 4 239 99.583 Surrey 3 University of Edinburgh heraldic shield Edinburgh Results
2019 University of Bath heraldic shield Bath United Kingdom TKM
Austria Rotax
B 1 4 236 98.333 (97.667) University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham 2 University of the West of England heraldic shield West of England Results
2020 University of Strathclyde heraldic shield Strathclyde Austria Rotax B 3 4 239 99.583 (94.667) University of Leicester heraldic shield Leicester 6 Surrey Results
2021 University of Central Lancashire heraldic shield Central Lancashire Austria Rotax B 2 4 179 99.444 (99.167) Imperial College London heraldic shield Imperial 2 University of Leeds heraldic shield Leeds Results
2022 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry B Austria Rotax B 1 4 237 98.750 (98.000) Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry C 10 Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough Results
2023 Imperial College London heraldic shield Imperial Austria Rotax D 3 4 239 99.583 (97.000) University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield 14 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry Results
2024 Oxford Brookes Austria Rotax D 1 2 232 96.667 (95.333) Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry 1 University of London heraldic shield UCL Results
Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results

Graduate class championship (2017–2019)

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The Graduate class championship, also known as grads, ran from 2017 to 2019, offering a chance for non-recent graduates of each respective university to continue competing in the BUKC.

Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results
2017 University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield United Kingdom TKM B 2 3 178 98.889 (97.083) Brunel University London heraldic shield Brunel 1 Cardiff University heraldic shield Cardiff Results
2018 Cardiff University heraldic shield Cardiff United Kingdom TKM B 2 5 237 98.750 (98.333) Brunel University London heraldic shield Brunel 1 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry
University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham
Results
2019 University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham Austria Rotax B 2 4 179 99.444 (98.750) Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 2 Brunel University London heraldic shield Brunel Results
Year Champions[10] Engine Tyres Wins[10] Podiums[10] Points[10] % Points Runners-up[10] Margin[10] Third place[10] Results

Drivers' Championship

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Since 2013, the BUKC Drivers' Championship has been held after the final race week of the season. It is the only event of the BUKC season not held in university-based teams of four.

The championship is split into three classes: lightweight, heavyweight and graduates. Each class is divided into qualifying heats, being seeded into performance-based finals. The winners of each 'A final' are crowned as their respective class champions, with the top 10 from each progressing to the Super Final, which crowns the Drivers' Champion.[11]

The 2021 championship was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The 2024 championship, due to be held at Whilton Mill, was cancelled due to rising costs and low graduate entries.[12]

Clay Pigeon Raceway in Dorset has hosted the most BUKC Drivers' Championships, with five. In 2023, 163 drivers entered the event.[10]

Matthew Taylor of Oxford Brookes University is the only driver to win multiple Drivers' Championships, winning in 2019 and 2022.

Drivers' Champions

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Year Circuit Drivers' Champion[10] Lightweight Champion[10] Heavyweight Champion[10] Graduate Champion[10] Results
2013 Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(International Circuit, Northamptonshire)
None United Kingdom William Van Es United Kingdom Steve Brown United Kingdom Steve Hicks Results
2014 Dorset Clay Pigeon
(Dorset)
United Kingdom William Van Es United Kingdom Andrew Lawrence United Kingdom Tom Dix Results
2015 Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(International Circuit, Northamptonshire)
United Kingdom Joe Richardson United Kingdom William Van Es United Kingdom Joe Richardson United Kingdom David Pittard Results
2016 Dorset Clay Pigeon
(Dorset)
United Kingdom Sam Moffat United Kingdom Jessica Alexander United Kingdom Sam Moffat United Kingdom Mathew Tordoff Results
2017 Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(International Circuit, Northamptonshire)
United Kingdom Robert Newman United Kingdom Jessica Alexander United Kingdom Jamie Dzyra United Kingdom Steve Hicks Results
2018 Dorset Clay Pigeon
(Dorset)
United Kingdom James Dehavillande United Kingdom Josef Jaques United Kingdom Henry Jackson United Kingdom Peter Cole Results
2019 Northamptonshire Whilton Mill
(International Circuit, Northamptonshire)
United Kingdom Matthew Taylor United Kingdom Jack Ransom United Kingdom Harry Farnhill United Kingdom Ed Barrs Results
2020 Dorset Clay Pigeon
(Dorset)
Belgium Sam Spinnael Belgium Sam Spinnael United Kingdom Sam Pooley United Kingdom James Dehavillande Results
2021 Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Wales Llandow
(Vale of Glamorgan)
United Kingdom Matthew Taylor United Kingdom Jonathan Dalton United Kingdom Matthew Taylor United Kingdom Ed Barrs Results
2023 Dorset Clay Pigeon
(Dorset)
United Kingdom Fraser Brunton United Kingdom Fraser Brunton United Kingdom Axel Slijepcevic United Kingdom Rhianna Purcocks Results
2024 Cancelled

24 Hour Race

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The annual BUKC 24 Hour Race is held post-season at Teesside Autodrome, the largest kart circuit in the world,[13] for up to 90 university teams. Unlike the regular season, non-recent graduates are able to enter their respective university's teams. The 24 Hour Race is the only event on the BUKC calendar that does not utilise Club100 machinery, instead using twin-engine 200cc Prokarts.[14]

The event starts with a two-hour practice session, followed by a one-shot qualifying session, also known as superpole, to set the grid for the race. An endurance race is then run continuously for 24 hours, emulating the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona, which form two out of three legs of the Triple Crown of endurance racing.

Winners of the BUKC 24 Hour Race

[edit]

Unlike the main championship, which has been solely won by universities from England, English teams have only won six of the 10 24 Hour Races, as of 2024. A mixed team of students from Scotland's Heriot-Watt University and the University of the West of Scotland won the event in 2016, followed by Wales' Swansea University in 2018, and Ireland's TU Dublin in 2022 and 2023, the latter becoming the first non-British team to win a BUKC event.

Year Circuit Winners[10] Distance Runners-up[10] Interval[10] Third place[10] Results
Laps mi km
2014 North Yorkshire Teesside Autodrome
(National Circuit, North Yorkshire)
Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 1634 995.014 1601.32 Brunel University London heraldic shield Brunel +3 laps Swansea University heraldic shield Swansea Results
2015 North Yorkshire Teesside Autodrome
(International Circuit, North Yorkshire)
Oxford Brookes 1027 1054.221 1696.604 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry +2 laps Club100 Results
2016 Heriot-Watt University heraldic shield Heriot-Watt
University of the West of Scotland heraldic shield West of Scotland
1048 1075.777 1731.296 Newcastle University heraldic shield Newcastle +19.490 University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham Results
2017 University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham 1048 1075.777 1731.296 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry +1 lap Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough Results
2018 Swansea University heraldic shield Swansea 1056 1083.990 1744.512 University of Warwick heraldic shield Warwick +53.449 University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham Results
2019 University of Huddersfield heraldic shield Huddersfield 1012 1038.823 1671.824 Coventry University heraldic shield Coventry +59.861 Swansea University heraldic shield Swansea Results
2020 Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 North Yorkshire Teesside Autodrome
(International Circuit, North Yorkshire)
University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham 1006 1032.664 1661.912 Swansea University heraldic shield Swansea +0.700 Oxford Brookes Results
2022 Republic of Ireland TU Dublin 1034 1061.406 1708.168 Brighton +5 laps University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire Results
2023 Republic of Ireland TU Dublin 990 1016.240 1635.480 Brighton +7 laps University of Sheffield heraldic shield Sheffield Results
2024 University of Exeter heraldic shield Exeter 908 932.067 1500.016 University of Central Lancashire heraldic shield Central Lancashire +7 laps Lancaster University heraldic shield Lancaster Results
Year Circuit Winners[10] Laps mi km Runners-up[10] Interval[10] Third place[10] Results
Distance

Notable alumni

[edit]

Inclusion criteria: Entered the BUKC and competed in auto racing at an international level.

Driver University Season(s) BUKC Notes
United Kingdom James Gornall Oxford Brookes 2004–2006 2004, 2005 and 2006 Champion 2008 British GT3 Champion
Canada Nelson Mason Oxford Brookes 2006–2008 2006 Champion 2014 GP3 Series driver for Hilmer Motorsport
United Kingdom David Robinson Loughborough University heraldic shield Loughborough 2008–2012 2008, 2010 and 2012 Champion Former Mini Challenge UK and GT4 European Series driver
United Kingdom Alex Brundle University of Nottingham heraldic shield Nottingham 2009–2011 2016 European Le Mans Series LMP3 Champion; 2013 FIA World Endurance LMP2 Vice-Champion
United Kingdom Tom Oliphant University of Warwick heraldic shield Warwick 2009–2014 Former British Touring Car Championship driver
United Kingdom Steve Brown University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire 2011–2013 2013 Champion; 2013 Heavyweight Drivers' Champion Motorsport-based social media influencer, alias "Super GT"; Nürburgring Endurance Series driver for Black Falcon Team Bilstein
Spain Ramón Piñeiro University of Hertfordshire heraldic shield Hertfordshire 2011–2014 2013 Champion Third place in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship
United Kingdom David Pittard Brunel University London heraldic shield Brunel 2012–2014 2015 Graduate Drivers' Champion 2022 FIA World Endurance GTE Am Vice-Champion
Poland Patryk Szczerbiński [pl] University of Salford heraldic shield Salford 2013–2015 2015 Rookie Champion Former Porsche Supercup driver for Verva Racing Team [pl]
United Kingdom Max Coates Leeds Beckett 2014–2016 2019 Renault UK Clio Cup Vice-Champion; former BTCC driver for Pro Motorsport
Italy Emanuele Pirro Independent 2015[a] Former Formula One driver for Benetton and Scuderia Italia; five-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner; two-time American Le Mans Series Champion; two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner
United Kingdom Rhianna Purcocks University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham 2016–2019 2023 Graduate Drivers' Champion 2022 FIA Motorsport Games driver for Great Britain
United Kingdom Angus Fender Oxford Brookes 2020–2022 2022 Champion; 2020 Vice-Champion Former British GT3 driver for Century Motorsport and 2 Seas Motorsport
United Kingdom Riley Phillips Oxford Brookes 2021–2022 2022 Champion Two-time Fun Cup UK Endurance Champion
United Kingdom Marmaduke Hall University of York heraldic shield York 2021–2023 2017 Britcar Class 4 Sprint Champion; 2019 GT4 South European Series GTC Champion; 2021 Iberian Supercars Endurance GT4 Champion
Spain Filip Vava Oxford Brookes
University of Bath heraldic shield Bath
2021–2024[b] 2022 Champion; 2023 and 2024 Vice-Champion Iberian Supercars Endurance Championship driver for NM Racing Team; former GT4 European Series driver
United States Reece Ushijima Oxford Brookes 2022[c] 2022 Champion 2022 FIA Formula 3 driver for Van Amersfoort Racing
United Kingdom Thomas Fleming University of Reading heraldic shield Reading 2022–2024 2024 Champion 2023 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli World Champion; 2024 GT World Challenge Europe driver for AF Corse
United Kingdom Patrick Kibble University of Birmingham heraldic shield Birmingham 2022–2024 Third place in the 2020 British GT4 Championship
United Kingdom Thomas Ikin University of Liverpool heraldic shield Liverpool 2022–2024 2021 British Formula 4 driver for Arden International; 2024 International GT Open driver for Motopark Academy

Notes

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  1. ^ Only competed in round 1 as an independent entrant.
  2. ^ Competed for Oxford Brookes University from 2021 to 2023, and for the University of Bath in 2024.
  3. ^ Only competed in qualifiers.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "History of the BUKC". British Universities Karting Championship. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  2. ^ "3T Racing Ltd". 3T Racing Ltd. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Pirro family at the BUKC". Facebook. BUKC. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Club100 switches to Rotax for 2019". Karting Everything. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  5. ^ "The BUKC Championship format". BUKC Championship. 3T Racing Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  6. ^ Club100.co.uk
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Club100 Two-Stroke Karts". Club100. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  8. ^ "BUKC LIVE, PFi, Rounds 1 and 2, 2024 British Universities Karting Championship". YouTube. Alpha Live. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  9. ^ "BUCS - YouTube". YouTube. British Universities and Colleges Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs "BUKC Race Results". Alpha Timing. Alpha Live. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. ^ "BUKC Drivers' Championship". British Universities Karting Championship. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  12. ^ "BUKC (@thebukc)". Instagram. British Universities Karting Championship. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Teesside Karting". Teesside Karting. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  14. ^ "BUKC 24 Hour Race". British Universities Karting Championship. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
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