Mikey Doble heads to Brands Hatch (10/11 October) as the driver to catch in the Independent Drivers’ Championship, carrying a 25-point advantage into the final weekend of the season.

The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver leads the standings on 373 points, ahead of Gordon Shedden on 348 and Charles Rainford on 345. Six Independent victories and a further seven top-three finishes have underpinned Doble’s challenge across the opening nine events.

His campaign could hardly have started better. Doble gave the new Audi A3 Saloon a victory on its BTCC debut in the opening race at Donington Park, climbing through the order to take his second career win and briefly lead the overall Drivers’ Championship for the first time. A podium at Brands Hatch followed as the #88 quickly established itself among the regular front-runners.

That early form also translated into a championship lead. By the summer break, Doble sat five points clear at the top of the Independent standings, with consistency keeping him ahead as the battle developed around him. A more difficult Donington Park GP weekend followed after an electrical issue hampered his Saturday, but he remained firmly in contention heading into the closing stages.

Croft then provided one of the biggest moments of his season. After another mechanical issue in the Race to Pole, Doble worked his way into position for the reverse-grid finale before converting pole into a lights-to-flag victory, his second outright success of 2026 and third BTCC win overall. The result left him 33 points clear in the Independent Drivers’ Championship with two events remaining.

Doble carried that momentum into Silverstone, where he claimed pole position and his maiden Race to Pole victory before adding an outright podium on Sunday. The points ensured he would arrive at Brands Hatch still holding a sizeable advantage at the top of the table.

Now, after leading the championship through much of the campaign, Doble has one final weekend to turn that position into a first Independent Drivers’ title.

With 25 points in hand over Shedden, the championship is Doble’s to defend at Brands Hatch.

Stats

Independent Drivers’ Championship: 1st – 373 points
Independent Wins: 6
Independent Top-Three Finishes: 13
Overall Drivers’ Championship: 9th – 240 points
Overall Wins: 2
Overall Podiums: 4

Donington Park Race 1 - Round 1:

Croft Race 3 - Round 24: