Oli Schlup (Cuckfield) produced his most successful event of the 2026 Legends Cars Championship and Elite Cup season at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, 2nd/3rd May, with three superb race victories very much boosting his ambitions to challenge for the coveted titles.

On yet another fabulous weekend for the Legends Cars, the category running as support for the British round of the GT World Challenge Europe, Schlup took his long-awaited first victory of the year in the Saturday Final before adding two more wins in Heats One and Two on Sunday.

Chris Needham (Altrincham), another of the consistent championship front-runners, added two more victories to his season tally with success in the opening race of round five on day one and also in the round six Final on Sunday. Aaron Cooke (Croxley Green), erstwhile leader of the Legends Cars Championship, was the event’s other winner in Heat Two of round five.

While not claiming a race win this weekend, reigning Legends Cars Champion and Elite Cup Champion Tyler Read (Daventry) chalked up some serious points – including four podiums – to retain his lead in the Elite battle and to also leapfrog Cooke at the top of the Championship standings.

Andy Bird (Calne) claimed four wins in the Masters Cup class, Peter Barrable (Dublin) took the other two, and Rookie class driver Nathan Williams (Higher Bebington) continued his marked improvement with a tremendous top four overall result in the second of Sunday’s contests.

First win of 2026 for Schlup, Needham and Cooke also victorious
Championship returnee Nick Bridgeman (Baldock) drew pole in the No.5 Team Car for Heat One on Saturday, but Read – from fourth on the grid – wasted little time in surging through to the lead while Needham charged from eighth to second before the end of the first lap. Although taking turns at the front, those two opened a good advantage over the rest which stood at two seconds into lap six.

Schlup though, who started 16th, worked hard to rise to third and he began to close on the leaders while taking Cooke with him. Into the ninth and final lap there was nothing to split the top four and a rousing conclusion delivered Needham’s fourth victory of the campaign by a couple of tenths from Read, with Schlup third and top Masters class finisher Bird fourth, ahead of Cooke and Luke Simmons (Lingfield).

Rookie class racer Williams started on Heat Two pole, but the series’ established front-runners quickly moved into contention. Schlup led into lap two from Simmons, Matt Knight (Bramber), Cooke and Marcus Pett (Boston). In similar style to how race one played out, this time Schlup and Simmons worked together to build a healthy lead but the Safety Car was needed on lap five.

Eradicating their hard-earned cushion, racing resumed for one final lap with Schlup and Simmons having to fend off Cooke, Needham, Pett, Barrable and the rest. Racing fiercely, the finish could not have been closer with Cooke winning by a mere 0.022s from Schlup with Simmons 0.048s further shy. Needham was fourth from Pett and Ross Marshall (Stirling), Bird won the Masters in seventh.

More of the same was expected for the day one Final, with the added spice of a slippery track due to rain. Barrable swiftly made his way to the front from fifth and remained in the lead until lap four when impressive debutant Aidan Hills (Lancing) moved by. As the series front-runners progressed through the order Hills stayed ahead, but on the sixth tour Schlup had arrived and took the lead.

Having worked his way from 16th on the grid, Schlup’s first victory of 2026 was there for the taking and he managed to hold off allcomers at the dead-heat finish on lap nine – taking the flag only 0.035s clear of highest placed Masters runner Barrable in second. Hills claimed a fabulous third place from Cooke, who had major brake dramas, Needham – who started 17th – and Read.

Two more wins for Schlup on Sunday, Needham back on top in finale
Just like buses, Schlup’s second victory swiftly followed in Sunday’s opening contest after another well judged finish. Read and Cooke lined-up on the front row and looked to be favourites for success, but Bird made his presence felt early on and took the lead on lap two. On lap four Read went to the high line for Paddock and swooped into first with Schlup, up from 15th on the grid, taking second.

Schlup wrestled away the lead later in the lap and it very quickly became a six car battle for the win, with Read and Bird once again taking turns at the front. On the eighth and final tour Schlup led the train into Clearways for the final time and his exit was perfect, managing to hold on by 0.061s at the flag from Read, Cooke, Masters class victor Bird, Needham and Simmons.

Sunday’s second race began with a bang for Bridgeman, Simmons and Barrable with all three spinning into the Paddock Hill Bend gravel after contact. John Mickel (Copthorne) held the early lead from Needham and Schlup, who had been delayed after being edged onto the grass at Paddock.

Needham soon moved past Mickel and Schlup went with him, the latter then taking the lead on lap three. Read had worked his way into the podium places by lap four while Needham’s challenge was impacted by serious brake problems. It became a straight fight between Schlup and Read, and it was the former who won again while Needham was happy with third ahead of the impressive Williams.

Needham’s team had overcome his brake issues for the Final and he started as he meant to go on, scything through from 15th on the grid into the top five in less than a lap. At the front, Simmons led Cooke, Barrable and Marshall early doors but Needham charged and grabbed the lead on lap three.

Schlup was also making stellar progress, from 17th at the start he was into the podium battle less than halfway through the encounter. Cooke moved to the lead on lap five, Schlup then took first the next time around but Needham wouldn’t be denied and he led into the penultimate tour.

Ultimately winning by 0.6s, a last lap shake-up brought Read second – from P16 on the grid – and Hills a magnificent podium in third from the back, just ahead of Cooke. Schlup lost out on a busy final tour, dropping to 10th after a moment, but fifth for Barrable meant he won the Masters class.

Oli Schlup – Rd5 Final, Rd6 Heat One and Rd6 Heat Two Winner:
“I know being out front usually isn’t the right place to be [Rd6 Heat Two, final lap], but I got a really good exit out of the last bend and managed to hold him [Read] off. That was a really good race, we were clear from the rest of the pack, great pace – all the ‘Daves’ back at the Mickel Motorsport factory have done an amazing job. I’m really happy to have three wins from the weekend.”

Chris Needham – Rd5 Heat One and R6 Final Winner:
“It felt like I’ve had good pace all weekend, it’s good to get a couple more wins and more points. In the Final I was where I wanted to be, just waiting for my moment, and it worked out. Getting through the problems we’ve had with the car is the biggest gain we’ve had this weekend, we’ve had issues since Silverstone so we worked through them and in the Final the car was where I wanted it.”

Aaron Cooke – Rd5 Heat Two Winner:
“Everything went to plan with the win, we got the draft across the line which I was really happy about. It’s been a pretty good weekend, a decent points haul – even though we had no brakes in the [day one] Final. It’s nip and tuck in the Championship and the Elite Cup, so we need to keep this going and make the most of the support we have and deliver for our sponsors.”

Legends Cars will be back at Brands Hatch, on the shorter 1.2-mile Indy Circuit, five weeks from now on 6th/7th June for rounds seven and eight of the season – forming part of the ever-popular annual American Speedfest.

Provisional 2026 Legends Cars Championship Points (after Rd6)
1st Tyler Read, 2955pts; 2nd Aaron Cooke, 2905pts; 3rd Chris Needham, 2835pts; 4th Oli Schlup, 2660pts; 5th Luke Simmons, 2440pts; 6th Peter Barrable (M), 2290pts

Provisional 2026 Legends Cars Championship Masters Cup Points (after Rd6)
1st Peter Barrable, 2290pts; 2nd Andy Bird, 2110pts; 3rd Nick Price, 1580pts

Provisional 2026 Legends Cars Elite Cup Points (after Rd4)
1st Tyler Read, 2025pts; 2nd Aaron Cooke, 1865pts; 3rd Oli Schlup, 1840pts; 4th Chris Needham, 1730pts; 5th Luke Simmons, 1610pts; 6th Marcus Pett, 1520pts

Provisional 2026 Legends Cars Elite Cup Masters Cup Points (after Rd4)
1st Peter Barrable, 1440pts; 2nd Andy Bird, 1380pts; 3rd Nick Price, 1040pts