West Sussex college racing team makes history with double championship victory at Silverstone

Motorsport students from Northbrook College in West Sussex are celebrating a historic double victory after securing two major racing championship titles at Silverstone.

Team Northbrook Racing (TNR) has become the first student team ever to win the BRSCC Nankang City Car Cup, while also claiming the Student Motorsport Competition title for the fourth time in five years.

The impressive achievement came during the final race weekend of the 2026 season at Silverstone International Circuit, where driver Richard Jepp secured both championships for the college.

The success didn't stop there, with Northbrook students also winning the BRSCC Nankang City Car Cup Student Motorsport Pit Stop Challenge, demonstrating their technical skills in a simulated racing pit stop competition.

The victories mark another successful year for the team, which was established in 2022 and has since become a regular championship contender.

Team Northbrook Racing competes with two cars across an 18-round racing season, driven by experienced racers Richard Jepp and Jack Wheeler.

Students studying degree-level motorsport courses at Northbrook College travel with the team to race weekends across the country, gaining valuable hands-on experience in preparing, servicing, maintaining and repairing the racing cars.

The programme gives students the opportunity to experience the pressures and challenges of competitive motorsport while developing skills they can take into future careers in the industry.

Dr Emma Norton, Team Northbrook Racing's Team Principal and Motorsport Course Leader, said:

“I am just so proud of both drivers and every single student. To be the first student team to win the City Car Cup and win the Student Motorsport Competition is a real achievement, and a testament to the hard work of everyone across the entire year.

“We are all really looking forward to seeing where next year takes us, as we are determined as a team to keep up this momentum and continue to go from strength to strength!”

She also praised the team's drivers, who will return for another season.

“We also are delighted to have secured the services of our two drivers again, our Champion Richard Jepp and our very talented TNR2 driver Jack Wheeler, who gained two third-place trophies himself at the weekend!”

The Nankang City Car Cup is a grassroots touring car racing championship, with races held at seven circuits across the UK, including Anglesey, Croft, Cadwell Park and Snetterton.

The Student Motorsport Competition, launched in 2022, has grown from fewer than ten college and university entries into an increasingly popular championship, giving motorsport students the opportunity to develop practical skills in a competitive racing environment.

For Richard Jepp, the double championship victory was a particularly special moment as he celebrated his fifth season racing with Team Northbrook.

He said: “What an incredible season it’s been! We’ve certainly faced our fair share of challenges along the way, but the commitment and determination shown by the entire team have been outstanding.

“For me, what makes this success even more special is the dedication of the students. The amount of their own time they willingly give up to be part of the programme, constantly learning, developing and pushing the team forward, is genuinely inspiring.

“Something else that really stands out is seeing former students, who have now graduated, continuing to return to race weekends simply to support the team. That speaks volumes about the environment and team spirit we’ve built at Northbrook.

“For now, we’ll enjoy celebrating what we’ve achieved together, but knowing this team, it won’t be long before our attention turns to making next season even better!”

The latest success adds to Northbrook College's growing motorsport achievements, following three consecutive Student Motorsport Competition championship victories in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The team has also enjoyed several previous successes in the Student Motorsport Pit Stop Competition.

With both drivers returning and another championship season ahead, the college is now hoping to build on its record-breaking success while continuing to provide students with real-world experience in motorsport engineering.

More information about motorsport and motor vehicle courses at Northbrook College, along with upcoming open days and its Motorsport Engineering Degree Experience Day, can be found at www.northbrook.ac.uk.

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