The British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch this weekend will feature a tense battle for the Jack Sears Trophy title between WSR BMW drivers Daryl DeLeon and Charles Rainford.
And with the team’s reigning champion Jake Hill taking part in his final BTCC event – for now – at his local track, the 2.6-mile ‘Grand Prix’ circuit looks set to be the scene of even more action than usual.
The fight for Jack Sears Trophy honours has raged between WSR driver Daryl and LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR racer Charles ever since both claimed their maiden BTCC race wins on the shorter Brands Hatch Indy layout in May.
Anglo-Filipino racer Daryl is eight points ahead of Sussex driver Charles in the standings thanks to two top scores in the prize, which is contested by rookie drivers and those without at least two career podium finishes at the start of a season.
Due to both drivers having achieved multiple podiums this year, neither will be eligible for the prize in 2026, making this weekend an ‘all or nothing’ one for each.
While Daryl has won more individual races in the category (nine to Charles’ four), it is Charles who has taken more ‘event wins’ – four of the nine weekends contested so far – leading to such a closely-fought contest.
Daryl and Charles are two of the three contenders left in the fight with the latter aware that wins in each of the three races will enable him to overhaul his fellow BMW driver.
Charles’ LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR team-mate Aiden Moffat enjoyed his best points haul of 2025 last time out at Silverstone with a pair of top-six finishes and a season’s-best qualifying result to climb into the championship top 10.
The Scottish racer was a winner on the GP circuit in 2017 and has an additional podium finish to his name on the circuit too. He will look to use this to inspire him to cement his position in ninth spot in the standings.
Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver Jake Hill, Brands Hatch will mark his final BTCC appearance – for now – as he bows out of the series to take on new challenges in international motorsport in 2026 and beyond.
The Grand Prix circuit was the scene of his greatest triumph to date as he clinched the 2024 BTCC Drivers’ Championship at the season climax and also helped BMW secure a record-breaking 10th Manufacturers’ crown.
The 23-time race winner, (20 coming with WSR) who lives locally, claimed the title with a huge 56-point haul and was also victorious in the 2023 season finale and at this year’s May event on the shorter ‘Indy’ layout.
How to watch
While all races will be broadcast in HD on ITV4 from 1030 on Sunday, a major new agreement means that fans outside the UK and North America will be able to watch every BTCC race live on the BTCC YouTube channel. Qualifying will be broadcast on the ITV Sport YouTube channel without geographic restrictions.
Need to know
In 2025, entrants in the BTCC use a 100 per cent sustainable fuel for the first time. This replaces the hybrid power unit that was used from 2022-24; the removal of which means that all cars are 55kg lighter than last year.
To aid overtaking, drivers can access the series’ TOCA Turbo Boost (TTB) during qualifying and racing, meaning up to a 60bhp increase against cars not using boost.
Because of his championship position, Jake will be allowed to use hybrid boost for seven seconds on each lap of qualifying and for four laps of Race One. Boost will be available to Jake once he is doing 130kph.
Aiden, Charles and Daryl can access their boost from 115kph, will be able to use it for 15s per lap in qualifying and for eight laps in Race One. Boost allocations will be re-set based on the Race One finishing order.
At Brands Hatch the medium-compound Goodyear will be the standard tyre while the soft must also be used during one of Sunday’s three races.
What they said…
Daryl DeLeon: “This weekend is going to be really interesting as Charles and I go head-to-head for the Jack Sears Trophy. We’re very close in the points and that’s to be expected as we’ve been pretty similar in terms of our overall results all season. Brands Hatch will always be special as it’s where I scored my first BTCC win earlier this year and hopefully this weekend will create another incredible memory.”
Charles Rainford, LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR: “Three races to go and it feels nice that we’re ending things at Brands Hatch – where I got my first BTCC win in May. It’s all come down to quite a finely-poised situation for the Jack Sears Trophy, which was one of my two key targets for the year. I’m eight points behind Daryl, which means it’s in my hands. If I get the class win in all three races, I’ll win it, so that will be the aim for the weekend.”
Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR: “It’s been a better season than results would indicate, and even in spite of that, I’m still in the top 10 in the points, which is something I’d have been quite satisfied with if you’d told me that would be the outcome. I’m determined to end the season on the podium. I’d have had one at Croft if I hadn’t been fired off and we had the pace at Silverstone too, so I know it’s within our grasp.”
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport: “This weekend will definitely be an emotional one as I make my final appearance with Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and WSR in the BTCC, and doing so at my home track feels like the perfect farewell. We head into the round in good form as we’ve closed the gap to third place in the championship. And the goal for this weekend is to secure that third place! I’ve proudly called the BTCC home for almost a decade, and I can’t wait to get out there, give it everything I’ve got, and close out a brilliant chapter for both myself and the team.”
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal: “It’s going to be a very different final event for a number of reasons. For the first time we have two drivers going for the Jack Sears Trophy in Daryl and Charles. They’re both fast and determined, but sensible and I’m expecting them to race right up to the chequered flag of Race Three. Aiden too, has a point to prove as he’s eager to get the podium finish his performances have deserved. It’s also the final weekend with WSR for Jake and for a couple of our team members, who are moving on to international racing next year. While naturally it’s sad to see them go, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved together and hope to end things on the top step of the podium.”
