Andy Middlehurst

{{short description|British racing driver (born 1962)}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Andy Middlehurst | image = | image_size = | caption = | nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|7|16|df=y}} | birth_place = St Helens, Lancashire, England | death_date = | death_place = | retired = | relatives = | last_series = British Touring Car Championship | years_active = 1988, 1990–1992, 2000 | teams = Demon Tweeks Graham Goode Racing Nissan Janspeed Racing RJN Motorsport | starts = 29 | wins = 0 | poles = 0 | fastest_laps = 0 | best_finish = 9th | year = 1991 | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = Production Saloon Car Championship National Saloon Car Championship | title_years = 1990 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 | awards = | award_years = }} '''Andrew Michael Middlehurst''' (born 16 July 1962) is a British racing driver. Middlehurst runs a successful Nissan dealership (Middlehurst Nissan) in the North West of England that is famed for its involvement with the Nissan Skyline GT-R, resulting it being officially imported into the country and more recently the Nissan GT-R R35.

After starting his career on motorcycles in Junior Grass track and Speedway, Middlehurst first raced in cars in 1980 in Formula Ford. After becoming Dunlop Star of Tomorrow Champion in 1982 his early racing included Formula Ford 1600, racing against Ayrton Senna in 1981. Middlehurst went on to rallying in national and international rallies, including the 1984 RAC Rally and Ypres 24 Hours Rally in 1986,<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Andy Middlehurst |url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile/38741-andy-middlehurst/ |access-date=12 October 2023 |website=EWRC}}</ref> in which he took class honours at the wheel of Toyota Corolla GT.

Middlehurst took Class C titles in the BARC Production Saloon Car Championship in both 1988 and 1989 driving a Volkswagen Golf GTI.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Production Saloon Car Championship – BARC (1972-1995) |url=http://motorsportwinners.com/defunct/production-saloon-car-championship-barc/ |access-date=12 October 2023 |website=Motorsport Winners}}</ref> Middlehurst claimed the overall title in 1990 at the wheel of a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth<ref name=":0" /> which led to a drive in the British Touring Car Championship. [[File:Lotus 25 at Goodwood FOS 2012 (1).jpg|left|thumb|Middlehurst driving a Lotus 25 at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed.]] Middlehurst's first full BTCC season came in 1991 for Graham Goode Racing in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. An impressive season which included a podium finish in the final round at Silverstone saw Middlehurst end the season ninth overall in the standings. In 1992 he drove for the factory Nissan team alongside Keith O'dor.

In 1993, Middlehurst started competing in the National Saloon Car Championship. He won the championship in 1995 and 1996 at the wheel of a Nissan Skyline GT-R and then again in 1997 and 1998 driving a Nissan Primera.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Production Saloon Car Championship – MCD/BRDC/BRSCC (1972-2003) |url=http://motorsportwinners.com/defunct/production-saloon-car-championship-mcdbrdcbrscc/ |access-date=12 October 2023 |website=Motorsport Winners}}</ref> He returned to the BTCC in 2000 for two rounds at Oulton Park driving a Nissan Primera in the newly introduced Class B.

Middlehurst now participates in the Historic Formula One Championship and has numerous race victories, including events at Oulton Park<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.motorsportvision.co.uk/archive/2010/august/andy-middlehurst-claims-victory-in-historic-grand-prix-cars-association-race-at-oulton-park.aspx|title= ANDY MIDDLEHURST CLAIMS VICTORY IN HISTORIC GRAND PRIX CARS ASSOCIATION RACE AT OULTON PARK|date=2010-08-29|work=Motorsportvision}}</ref> and Monaco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/9751863.Andy_races_to_dream_Monaco_triumph/|title=Andy races to dream Monaco triumph|date=2012-06-09| work=St Helens Star}}</ref> He has won the Glover Trophy at the Goodwood Revival a total of nine times between 2011 and 2024 in Jim Clark's 1963 championship-winning Lotus 25. Middlehurst has won on five occasions at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in races for pre-1966 Grand Prix cars (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024).

==Racing record==

===Complete British Touring Car Championship results=== (key) Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position (1 point awarded - 2000 in class) Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded - 1988 in class)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" ! Year ! Team ! Car ! Class ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! 19 ! 20 ! 21 ! 22 ! 23 ! 24 ! Overall Pos ! Pts ! Class Pos |- |rowspan=1| 1988 !rowspan=1| Demon Tweeks !rowspan=1| Volkswagen Golf GTI !rowspan=1| {{Tooltip|C|Class C}} | SIL | OUL | THR | DON | THR | SIL |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SIL ovr:15 cls:3 | BRH | SNE | BRH | BIR | DON | SIL | | | | | | | | | | | ! 47th ! 3 ! 6th |- |rowspan=1| 1990 !rowspan=1| Listerine Racing Team !rowspan=1| Ford Sierra RS500 !rowspan=1| {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} | OUL | DON | THR | SIL | OUL | SIL | BRH | SNE |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret | BIR | DON | THR | SIL | | | | | | | | | | | ! NC ! 0 ! NC |- |rowspan=1| 1991 !rowspan=1| Graham Goode Racing !rowspan=1| Ford Sierra RS Cosworth !rowspan=1| |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL 4 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SNE Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON 13 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 10{{ref|1|1}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 16 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 1 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 2 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL 8 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH 1 11 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH 2 4 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 8 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR 7 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SIL 3 | | | | | | | | | ! 9th ! 41 | |- |rowspan=1| 1992 !rowspan=1| Nissan Janspeed Racing !rowspan=1| Nissan Primera eGT !rowspan=1| |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 19 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR 10 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| OUL 17 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SNE 8 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON 1 9 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 2 6 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 14 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| KNO 1 9 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| KNO 2 DNS |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| PEM 12 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | DON | SIL | | | | | | | | | ! 15th ! 7 | |- |rowspan=1| 2000 !rowspan=1| RJN Motorsport !rowspan=1| Nissan Primera ! {{Tooltip|B|Class B}} | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | DON 1 | DON 2 | THR 1 | THR 2 | KNO 1 | KNO 2 | OUL 1 | OUL 2 | SIL 1 | SIL 2 | CRO 1 | CRO 2 | SNE 1 | SNE 2 | DON 1 | DON 2 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL 1 ovr:14 cls:5 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| OUL 2 Ret | SIL 1 | SIL 2 ! N/A ! 6 ! 13th |} #{{Note|1}} – Race was stopped due to heavy rain. No points were awarded.

===Complete WRC results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! {{Tooltip|WDC|Championship position}} ! Pts |- | 1984 ! Intercraft Design / System Office Furniture ! Ford Escort RS2000 | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | ITA | CIV | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR Ret ! NC ! 0 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061126010105/http://www.btccpages.com/driv/middlehurstandy.php Profile at BTCC Pages * https://www.middlehurst.co.uk.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Middlehurst, Andy}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:English racing drivers Category:British Touring Car Championship drivers Category:Sportspeople from St Helens, Merseyside Category:20th-century English sportsmen