Hot Hatch will be championship in ’17

The 750 Motor Club’s relaunched Hot Hatch series has been granted championship status for 2017.

The category made a return this year, running alongside the Stock Hatch Championship, after it was originally cancelled in 2009.

“The feedback on Hot Hatch has been good and the drivers have enjoyed it,” said the club’s competition secretary Giles Groombridge. “There’s so much strictly controlled one-make stuff out there so it’s refreshing for them not to race against cars that have the same characteristics. We have some very different cars in Hot Hatch with front-wheel drive and rear-wheel-drive cars.”

The series caters for a variety of modified hatchbacks such as BMW Compacts, Ford Fiesta STS and Renault Clios.

It is likely that the Stock Hatch cars will run as a class within Hot Hatch next year as their numbers have decreased. “What we’re looking to do is amalgamate the two into one strong grid,” added Groombridge. “Stock Hatch cars will probably run in Class C of Hot Hatch – their numbers have dwindled in recent years. Hopefully, this will give them a boost.”