11 May 2026
The Student Motorsport season is back for 2026-2027, kicking off the race calendar at Brands Hatch racetrack in Kent for the BRSCC Nangkang Tyres City Car Cup.
East Surrey College was represented by two drivers, Luke Bate and Carter Steel, who drove the college’s Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 respectively. While they faced technical difficulties at the beginning of the weekend, determination could not stop them from doing well during qualifying and the races.
The multi-race structure led for an exciting start to the season, with highs and lows for team ESC as they competed against other college teams. Behind the scenes, the students were a driving force of the success – when they weren’t taking part in pitstops, they were analysing the driver data and suggesting new changes to the car.
Outside of the racing itself, these weekends are the perfect chance for learners to speak to others already in the industry. Networking is a crucial step in hopefully securing future job offerings once they have finished college.
For a weekend with a whole new team, brand new drivers and new processes to follow, it was very informative and a great taste for the rest of the season to come.
Laurence Sait, Coordinator for Motorsports at the college, reflected positively on the weekend: “I was really impressed with the resilience and determination shown by our students, who did everything they could to get these cars running.”
He added, “I take my hat off to the team for an incredible weekend, which was backed up with some incredible praise from our drivers and their families.”
Good luck to the team as they take on the rest of the season – next stop is Snetterton circuit in Norfolk!
Find out more about our Motorsport and Motor Vehicle courses here.
Photo credits to Fabien Senaux.
