Introduction
The British Championship was first contested in 1956 at West Ham, won by Wilf Davies (25). The British has been staged at a range of different tracks over the years and has been contested every year except for 1971 and 1977.
Currently the British is termed as a “shared” event whereby all BriSCA Promoters and the BSCDA are responsible for staging the event with driver numbers expected to be over fifty.
The British is run as a single meeting whereby the Heats are used to determine the qualification for the main race, along with grid position. Wildly regarded as second in stature only to the World Championship, and is sometimes referred to as the British Drivers Championship.
Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) is the most successful driver in the British Championship’s history with nine wins to his name, taking his first British title in 1992 and his lastest in 2017. Frankie had a fairytale day at Skegness in 2017 when he managed to win the title the same day as daughter Phoebe took the British title in the BriSCA V8 HotStox.
The last two British Championships have come down to huge last bend attacks, denying the leader on both occasions with many more across the years producing some excellent close racing.
How it Works
Qualification
All drivers are welcome to attend the British Championship and will be split into a number of qualification Heats. The exact number of Heats are determined by the car numbers, but each driver will get a number of attempts to score points. There are normally between four to eight Heats that determine qualification.
The Race
The race is contested over twenty laps with a closed grid with the top points scorer in pole position. The number of cars per race varies between tracks but usually ranges between thirty to thirty-six cars.
Defending Champion – Finn Sargent (526)
Title and Roof Colour
| Title | British Champion / British Drivers Champion |
| Roof Colour | Black and White |
Most Wins By A Driver
| Number | Driver | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 515/1 | Frankie Wainman Jnr | 9 |
| 53 | John Lund | 6 |
| 391/1 | Andy Smith | 4 |
| 2 | Paul Harrison | 4 |
| 391/1 | Stuart Smith | 3 |
| 2 | Willie Harrison | 2 |
| 396 | Doug Cronshaw | 2 |
| 190 | Len Wolfenden | 2 |
| 217 | Lee Fairhurst | 2 |
| 390 | Stuart Smith Jnr | 2 |
| 197 | Ryan Harrison | 2 |
Most Podiums By A Driver
| Rank | Driver | Podiums |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515/1) | 18 |
| 2 | John Lund (53) | 12 |
| 3 | Bert Finnikin (55) | 9 |
| = | Stuart Smith (391/1) | 9 |
| 5 | Paul Harrison (2/22) | 8 |
| 6 | Willie Harrison (2) | 7 |
| = | Andy Smith (391/1) | 7 |
| 8 | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | 5 |
| = | Mat Newson (16) | 5 |
| 9 | Dan Johnson (4) | 4 |
| = | Mark Gilbank (21) | 4 |
| = | Ted Pankhurst (104) | 4 |
| = | Frankie Wainman (212) | 4 |
| = | Nigel Whorton (422) | 4 |
| 15 | Murray Harrison (97) | 3 |
| = | Lee Robinson (107) | 3 |
| = | Len Wolfenden (190) | 3 |
| = | Mike Close (199) | 3 |
| = | Alan Wardropper (245) | 3 |
| = | Peter Falding (33/1) | 3 |
| 21 | Ellis Ford (3) | 2 |
| = | Doug Wardropper (5) | 2 |
| = | Trevor Frost (68) | 2 |
| = | Tom Harris (84) | 2 |
| = | Ray Tyldesley (85) | 2 |
| = | Johnny Brise (103) | 2 |
| = | Ron Rogers (152) | 2 |
| = | Andy Stott (160) | 2 |
| = | Lee Fairhurst (217) | 2 |
| = | Jim Esau (244) | 2 |
| = | Dave Berresford (260) | 2 |
| = | Rob Speak (318) | 2 |
| = | Doug Cronshaw (396) | 2 |
| = | Danny Wainman (212) | 2 |
| = | Ryan Harrison (197) | 2 |
Full List Of Winners
| Year | Track | Champion | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | West Ham | Wilf Davis (25) | Alan Briggs (22) | Jumbo Allen (11) |
| 1957 | West Ham | Harry Foot (14) | Gerry Wier (13) | Ted Pankhurst (104) |
| 1958 | West Ham | Johnny Brise (103) | Trevor Frost (68) | Ted Pankhurst (104) |
| 1959 | West Ham | Doug Wardropper (5) | Trevor Frost (68) | George Fougler (29) |
| 1960 | West Ham | Doug Harvey (149) | Johnny Brise (103) | Aubery Leighton (42) |
| 1961 | Coventry | Don Evans (37) | Chick Woodroffe (409) | Terry Coell (133) |
| 1962 | West Ham | Alan Wardropper (245) | Fred Mitchell (38) | Vic Ferriday (73) |
| 1963 | Belle Vue | Fred Ball (285) | Doug Wardropper (5) | Ron Rogers (152) |
| 1964 | Harringay | Ted Pankhurst (104) | Alan Wardropper (245) | Ellis Ford (3) |
| 1965 | Coventry | Ellis Ford (3) | Alan Wardropper (245) | Eddie Asling (253) |
| 1966 | Harringay | Ray Pearce (234) | Jock Lloyd (131) | Ted Pankhurst (104) |
| 1967 | Belle Vue | Willie Harrison (2) | Peter Farrington (77) | Ron Rogers (152) |
| 1968 | Harringay | Jim Esau (244) | Denis Driscoll (274) | Johnny Piper (10) |
| 1969 | Coventry | Stuart Smith (391) | Howard Davies (327) | Willie Harrison (2) |
| 1970 | Belle Vue | Doug Cronshaw (396) | Willie Harrison (2) | Stuart Smith (391) |
| 1971 | Event Not Held | - | - | - |
| 1972 | Long Eaton | Gerald Taylor (250) | Willie Harrison (2) | Jim Esau (244) |
| 1973 | Nelson | Mike Close (199) | Gordon Smith (293) | Stuart Smith (391) |
| 1974 | Northampton | Pat Driscoll (81) | Tony Leicester (34) | Rodger Hollinshead (305) |
| 1975 | Long Eaton | Willie Harrison (2) | Frankie Wainman (212) | Brian Powles (154) |
| 1976 | Belle Vue | Doug Cronshaw (396) | Bert Finnikin (55) | Stuart Smith (391) |
| 1977 | Event Not Held | - | - | - |
| 1978 | Bradford | Dave Mellor (304) | Dave Hodgson (272) | Stuart Smith (391) |
| 1979 | Belle Vue | Mike Close (199) | Bert Finnikin (55) | Andy Stott (160) |
| 1980 | Hartlepool | Glyn Pursey (175) | Len Wolfenden (190) | Willie Harrison (2) |
| 1981 | Long Eaton | Stuart Smith (1) | John Lund (53) | Nigel Whorton (422) |
| 1982 | Hartlepool | Len Wolfenden (190) | Bert Finnikin (55) | Andy Stott (160) |
| 1983 | Rochdale | Len Wolfenden (190) | Stuart Smith (1) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1984 | Belle Vue | Stuart Smith (1) | Mike Close (199) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1985 | Northampton | Bert Finnikin (55) | Stuart Smith (1) | Mike Close (199) |
| 1986 | Long Eaton | Nigel Whorton (422) | John Lund (53) | Frankie Wainman (212) |
| 1987 | Skegness | John Lund (53) | Nigel Whorton (422) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1988 | Bradford | Dave Berresford (260) | Willie Harrison (2) | Frankie Wainman (212) |
| 1989 | Scunthorpe | John Lund (53) | Peter Falding (33) | Ray Tyldesley (85) |
| 1990 | Hednesford | John Lund (53) | Paul Harrison (22) | Frankie Wainman (212) |
| 1991 | Buxton | Paul Harrison (2) | Ray Tyldesley (85) | Nigel Whorton (422) |
| 1992 | Coventry | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Andy Hodgson (272) | Bert Finnikin (55) |
| 1993 | Long Eaton | Paul Harrison (2) | Bert Finnikin (55) | Ian Platts (77) |
| 1994 | Skegness | Phil Smith (109) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Peter Falding (1) |
| 1995 | Coventry | John Lund (53) | Dave Berresford (260) | Andy Smith (391) |
| 1996 | Coventry | Peter Falding (33) | Paul Harrison (2) | Mark Gilbank (21) |
| 1997 | Buxton | John Lund (53) | Gaz Bott (41) | Ray Witts (180) |
| 1998 | Coventry | John Lund (53) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Murray Harrison (97) |
| 1999 | Coventry | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Andy Smith (391) | Murray Harrison (97) |
| 2000 | King's Lynn | Andy Smith (391) | Paul Harrison (2) | John Lund (53) |
| 2001 | Coventry | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Murray Harrison (97) | Mark Webster (226) |
| 2002 | Coventry | Andy Smith (391) | Rob Speak (318) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2003 | Belle Vue | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | John Lund (53) | Mal Brown (34) |
| 2004 | Sheffield | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Mark Gilbank (21) | Mick Harris (8) |
| 2005 | Sheffield | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Mark Gilbank (21) | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) |
| 2006 | Ipswich | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Paul Harrison (2) |
| 2007 | Skegness | Andy Smith (391) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Dan Johnson (4) |
| 2008 | Coventry | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | John Lund (53) |
| 2009 | Belle Vue | Andy Smith (1) | Lee Robinson (107) | John Lund (53) |
| 2010 | Skegness | Paul Hines (259) | Andy Smith (1) | Lee Robinson (107) |
| 2011 | King's Lynn | Paul Harrison (2) | Dan Johnson (4) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2012 | Coventry | Craig Finnikin (55) | Mick Sworder (150) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2013 | Buxton | Lee Fairhurst (217) | Rob Speak (318) | Lee Robinson (107) |
| 2014 | Birmingham | Paul Harrison (2) | Mat Newson (16) | Paul Ford (388) |
| 2015 | Northampton | Lee Fairhurst (217) | Tom Harris (84) | Dan Johnson (4) |
| 2016 | Skegness | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Danny Wainman (212) | Mat Newson (16) |
| 2017 | Sheffield | Frankie Wainman Jnr (1) | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Mat Newson (16) |
| 2018 | Belle Vue | Stuart Smith Jnr (390) | Mark Gilbank (21) | Dan Johnson (4) |
| 2019 | Hednesford | Tom Harris (84) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) | Mat Newson (16) |
| 2020 | Event not held | - | - | - |
| 2021 | Skegness | Ryan Harrison (197) | Luke Davidson (464) | Danny Wainman (212) |
| 2022 | Bradford | Ryan Harrison (197) | Mat Newson (16) | Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) |
| 2023 | Hednesford | Finn Sargent (526) | Michael Scriven (12) | Joe Nickolls (242) |
For more indepth historical information in relation to the BriSCA F1 British Championship please follow the link below:
https://www.briscaf1stox.uk/website/champs_choices.php?champ=2