Date: 2025-10-05

Tunbridge’s Caterham Dominates in Commanding Autosolo Victory

Alec Tunbridge delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim a comprehensive overall victory in his Caterham 7, finishing more than 43 seconds ahead of his nearest rival in a thrilling day of motorsport action.

The lightweight sports car proved the perfect weapon for the technical course, with Tunbridge establishing his dominance from the outset. Despite trailing Alun Evans’ Toyota Corolla by a mere 2.9 seconds after the first test, Tunbridge found another gear to build an unassailable lead through the remaining three tests.

Evans, who showed early promise with the fastest time in Test 1, ultimately had to settle for second place overall, though he did secure a class B victory with a time of 1156.5 seconds. The Toyota driver maintained consistent pace throughout the day but couldn’t match Tunbridge’s blistering speed in the latter stages.

The battle for the final podium position provided some of the day’s most compelling competition, with Andy Crawley’s Leyland Mini edging out John Jones’ Peugeot 208 GTi by just 1.2 seconds. Crawley’s performance was particularly impressive as it secured him the class A win, showcasing the enduring competitiveness of the classic British machine against more modern machinery.

Phil Gradwell rounded out the top five in his Mazda MX5, claiming class D honours with a time of 1161.0 seconds after a consistent display across all four tests. The MX5 contingent was well-represented with a dozen entries, but none could match Gradwell’s pace and precision.

In class E, Colin Park’s exotic Ariel Nomad provided visual spectacle but couldn’t challenge Tunbridge’s Caterham, finishing over a minute behind the class and overall winner.

The McDonough family brought a trio of Ford KAs to the event, with Aaron (1202.2) narrowly outpacing his relative Mark (1203.6) by just 1.4 seconds after a day-long duel. Rhys McDonough completed the family effort in 13th position overall.

Helen Kaye impressed in the MX5-dominated class D, finishing fourth in class and 12th overall as the highest-placed female competitor. Her time of 1213.3 seconds put her ahead of several more powerful machines.

Further down the field, the classic car contingent added character to proceedings, with Duncan Wild’s Austin Mini and Cernyw Howatson’s Vauxhall Chevette delivering respectable performances despite giving away years of development to their more modern rivals.

Charlie Hunt endured a challenging day in his Mazda MX5, finishing last overall after struggling particularly in the opening tests, but showed commendable perseverance to complete all four runs.

As competitors reflected on a day of close competition across all classes, it was Tunbridge’s commanding performance that left the lasting impression, his Caterham demonstrating once again why lightweight sports cars remain the benchmark in autosolo events where agility and driver skill are paramount.