Charles Rainford

Horsham’s Charles Rainford may be unique among British Touring Car Championship racers in 2026 in that his race debut came not in a Ginetta Junior, or even a go-kart, but in a 1960s Lenham sportscar!

That was a precursor to a successful early career in historic racing in both Lenham and Marcos machinery before he stepped up to contemporary motorsport in late 2021 in the Carrera Cup GB and superbly won the Pro-Am category on his debut.

Championship success followed the following season, which led to his graduation to the full Pro category and, in 2024, the overall runner-up spot in the series.

For 2025 Charles made his BTCC debut with WSR and magnificently won at Brands Hatch on only his second weekend in the series – the first driver to achieve their first victory so quickly for 21 years!

He used this as a building block for the rest of the season, taking his first pole position at Knockhill, three podium finishes and three fastest laps as he finished eighth in the standings.

He added the runner-up spot in the Jack Sears Trophy and returns for 2026 aiming to fight for the overall crown.