Championship victories, race wins and podium finishes highlight another exciting month of European motorsport.
As the 2026 motorsport season approached its final stages, September delivered plenty of memorable moments for Millers Oils-supported drivers and teams across Europe.
From Alfie Garford securing the MINI CHALLENGE JCW Sport championship to Richard Jepp celebrating his first MINI CHALLENGE Trophy double victory, the month featured impressive performances across a variety of racing series. Team VERTU, Sime Racing and Derek Tohill also enjoyed strong results as championship battles intensified.
At Performance Racing Oils, we’re proud to bring Millers Oils’ race-proven lubricants to competitors and enthusiasts across the United States. As the official US distributor, we’re pleased to share the latest highlights from the European motorsport teams and drivers supported by Millers Oils.
Here’s a look back at the action from September.
Team VERTU – British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)
Team VERTU secured three podium finishes during a challenging weekend at Croft, despite several frustrating setbacks. Tom Ingram finished third in Race 1 after leading during the race, while Ricky Collard added another podium in Race 2 and recorded the fastest lap. Tom Chilton then delivered a strong second-place finish in the final race, his best result of the weekend. Nicolas Hamilton also showed encouraging pace in Race 3, narrowly missing out on points following a track limits penalty.
At Silverstone, the penultimate round of the BTCC season, Ingram returned to the top step of the podium with victory in a dramatic rain-soaked finale. Chilton secured another podium with third place in the opening race, while Hamilton delivered a strong performance to score championship points in Race 2. The weekend also marked the BTCC debut of Osamu Kawashima, who gained valuable experience competing alongside the Team VERTU lineup.
MINI CHALLENGE Trophy – Double Victory for Richard Jepp
Richard Jepp celebrated a memorable weekend at Croft, securing his first two victories in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy. After claiming pole position in qualifying, Jepp battled through a closely contested opening race to take his first series victory. He followed that performance with a commanding lights-to-flag win in Race 2, completing an impressive double despite safety car interruptions in both races. Alex Keens also enjoyed a successful weekend, securing two podium finishes to strengthen his championship lead heading into the final rounds.
MINI CHALLENGE JCW – Championship Battles Intensify
Silverstone hosted three action-packed MINI CHALLENGE JCW races, producing three different winners over the weekend. Olivier Algieri claimed his first JCW victory in Race 1, followed by Nathan Edwards, who secured his first win of the 2026 season in Race 2. The final race saw Sam Gornall battle through a competitive field and changing weather conditions to take victory. Max Edmundson also enjoyed a strong weekend, claiming two podium finishes and reducing the gap in the championship standings.
One of the biggest stories of the weekend came from Alfie Garford, who secured the JCW Sport championship title with his 15th class victory of the season. Garford’s dominant campaign saw him win all but one race before clinching the championship with four races still remaining.
Harry Hickton – MINI CHALLENGE JCW
Harry Hickton demonstrated impressive speed throughout the MINI CHALLENGE JCW weekend at Silverstone, topping Friday practice and securing pole position for Races 1 and 3. However, a qualifying exclusion for failing to wear the required fireproof socks meant he had to start the opening race near the back of the field. Hickton responded with an outstanding recovery drive, climbing from 17th to fifth at the finish. Further setbacks in the remaining races prevented him from challenging for a podium, but his pace demonstrated his potential heading into the season finale at Brands Hatch.
Dan Zelos – Porsche Sprint Challenge
Dan Zelos achieved an important milestone at Croft, securing his first podium finish in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB. Although the podium came following a post-race penalty for another competitor, it was a well-deserved reward after a season of strong performances and challenging circumstances.
The weekend also brought progress in car setup, helping Zelos unlock additional pace and record the second-fastest lap in Race 3. At Silverstone, Dan delivered another competitive performance despite battling illness throughout the weekend. After qualifying fifth, he finished fourth and fifth in the opening two races. Unfortunately, an unexpected mechanical issue in Race 3 dropped him to eighth, ending an otherwise promising weekend on a frustrating note.
With a top-three championship finish now out of reach, the focus shifted to ending the season strongly and building on the progress made.
Sime Racing – Pre-66 Touring Car Championship
Barry Sime and Sime Racing enjoyed an outstanding weekend at Snetterton, delivering impressive results in the Pre-66 Touring Car Championship.
After qualifying fourth overall, Sime finished Race 1 in fourth position, claiming the class victory and setting the fastest lap. Starting fourth again for Race 2, the team faced wet conditions that played to the strengths of their classic Mini. Sime Racing took full advantage, delivering a superb overall race victory to complete a highly successful weekend.
Derek Tohill – French Rallycross Championship
Derek Tohill delivered another strong performance at Rallycross Mayenne, the penultimate round of the French Rallycross Championship.
After an early mechanical issue in practice, Tohill recovered to set a competitive time in the second session before qualifying sixth in the timed qualifying session. He went on to win his qualifying race, finish fifth overall in that stage of the event, and secure third in Q3 before finishing fourth in the final. The result was particularly impressive given that it was his first visit to the circuit, competing against a strong 15-driver Supercar field.
The weekend also coincided with another major career milestone, as Tohill celebrated his tenth Irish Rallycross Championship title.
Team Strasse – Porsche Club Championship
Team Strasse enjoyed a competitive penultimate round of the 2026 Porsche Club Championship at Donington Park.
Starting from the third row of the grid, Pete Morris and Chris Dyer delivered consistent performances across both races. In Race 1, Morris secured third place while Dyer finished fourth. The second race saw Dyer take another fourth-place finish, with Morris close behind in fifth. Both Porsche race cars proudly carried Millers Oils branding throughout the weekend.
Heading into the championship finale, Chris Dyer, driving the Millers Oils Dragon Soop Porsche, held third place in the standings, with teammate Pete Morris close behind in fourth.
Adam Marshall – SW Motorsports Clubsport Trophy
Adam Marshall faced a challenging race weekend in the SW Motorsports Clubsport Trophy.
Qualifying was disrupted by an issue with the car’s roof vent, limiting Marshall to just nine laps. Despite the setback, he secured seventh place on the starting grid. A strong opening stint saw him climb to fourth, but an engine misfire affected the car’s performance and dropped him back through the field. A well-executed pit stop helped Marshall return to the battle, although he ultimately finished seventh after a demanding race.
Looking Ahead to the Season Finales
September delivered another exciting month of racing, with championship titles secured, race victories celebrated and several close battles still to be decided. From the intense competition of the British Touring Car Championship to the technical challenges of Porsche racing and rallycross, Millers Oils-supported teams and drivers continued to demonstrate their commitment to performance.
At Performance Racing Oils, we’re proud to make Millers Oils’ advanced racing lubricants available to drivers, racing teams and enthusiasts throughout the United States.
With the final rounds of the 2026 season approaching, we look forward to following the remaining championship battles and sharing more motorsport news from Millers Oils.