Date: 2025-09-21

Dolby Dominates with Masterclass Performance in MX-5

Michael Dolby delivered a commanding performance to claim overall victory at this weekend’s Autosolo event, finishing with a combined time of 742.1 seconds in his Mazda MX-5.

Dolby established his dominance early, leading after the first test with a time of 409.0 seconds, nearly 14 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Tom Bishop in a Nissan Micra. The gap only widened during the second test, with Dolby eventually finishing 35 seconds clear of Bishop, who secured second place overall with a time of 777.1 seconds.

The battle for the remaining podium position proved considerably tighter, with Sam Harbour’s Mazda MX5 claiming third place in 778.5 seconds, just 1.4 seconds ahead of Steve Dolby, who had to settle for fourth despite being marginally quicker in the first test.

“The car felt brilliant today,” Michael Dolby told us afterwards. “I knew from the first few corners that if I kept my lines clean, we’d be in with a good shout.”

In Class C, Tom Bishop’s second-place overall finish earned him class honours, leading a tight group of competitors. The father-son duo of Nik and Chris Cowles in their matching Mini Cooper S machines claimed second and third in class, with times of 802.4 and 811.2 seconds respectively.

Class A featured perhaps the day’s closest contest, with siblings Ashley and Daniel Pearce separated by just 0.6 seconds after both tests. Ashley’s Nissan Micra ultimately prevailed with a time of 824.6 seconds, with Daniel settling for second place in 825.2. Chris Bravington’s Ford Fiesta completed the class podium, finishing just 4.2 seconds behind the winner.

John Jones delivered a composed drive in his Peugeot 208 GTi to secure Class B honours with a time of 819.1 seconds, comfortably ahead of Liam Brotherhood’s Suzuki Swift Sport, which finished 31.1 seconds adrift.

The day wasn’t without its challenges, particularly for competitors in Class F, where times were significantly slower. Alec Tunbridge claimed class victory in his Caterham 7 with a time of 1438.6 seconds, ahead of fellow Caterham driver Oliver Michaels.

Eddie Martin and Phil Gradwell rounded out the top five overall finishers in their Mazda MX5s, with Martin’s 784.8-second run earning him fifth place, 14.7 seconds ahead of Gradwell.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the day was the dominance of Mazda MX5s in Class E, with the model claiming the top five positions in class. Beyond Michael Dolby’s overall victory, Sam Harbour, Steve Dolby, Eddie Martin and Phil Gradwell demonstrated the model’s suitability for Autosolo competition.

The event also featured several family competitions beyond the Dolby, Cowles and Pearce pairings. The Frost family fielded three entries, with Bertie finishing highest in 29th overall, while the Osborne duo of Mark and Robyn finished 32nd and 37th respectively.

With 43 competitors across five classes, the event showcased both the accessibility and competitive nature of grassroots motorsport, with battles throughout the field keeping spectators engaged despite the considerable gap at the front.