Date: 2025-10-19

Williams Dominates Autosolo with Commanding Performance

Richy Williams delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim a comprehensive victory at Sunday’s Autosolo event, finishing nearly 34 seconds ahead of his nearest rival with a combined time of 355.8 seconds across the two tests.

Williams, piloting his Mazda MX-5, established his dominance early in the competition, setting a blistering pace of 146.5 seconds in the first test – over 30 seconds quicker than his closest competitor. The gap proved insurmountable for the chasing pack, with Williams maintaining his advantage through the second test to secure both overall and Limited Slip class honours.

“The car felt perfectly balanced today, and I was able to find the ideal racing line through the tighter sections,” Williams remarked after his victory. “Once I saw the first test time, I knew I just needed to drive cleanly in the second run.”

Behind Williams, a fascinating battle unfolded for the remaining podium positions. Harry Morgan (Mazda MX-5) and the single-named Joe (MX5) engaged in a tense duel throughout the day, with Morgan ultimately claiming second place overall by just two-tenths of a second with a combined time of 389.6 seconds to Joe’s 389.8.

Bill Bourne rounded out the top four with a respectable 398.9 seconds in his Mazda, while Paul Atkins and Ollie Jones finished fifth and sixth respectively, separated by just half a second after both tests.

In the Open Diff class, Peter Morgan emerged victorious with a combined time of 459.5 seconds in his Mazda MX-5, comfortably ahead of Ian Gough’s Mini Cooper, which finished 27.8 seconds adrift. The Morgan family showed their motorsport pedigree with three members competing, though Josh Morgan could only manage 17th overall.

Ralph Fernihough deserves special mention as the sole Ford entrant in a field dominated by Mazdas, guiding his Fiesta to a creditable seventh place overall with a time of 409.1 seconds.

The event highlighted the enduring popularity of the Mazda MX-5 platform for grassroots motorsport, with 15 of the 18 competitors choosing the Japanese roadster. Only the Gough family’s Minis and Fernihough’s Fiesta provided variety to the starting grid.

Elspeth Stubbs was the sole female competitor, finishing a respectable 13th overall with a time of 455.5 seconds in her MX-5, ahead of several more experienced drivers.

Perhaps the most distinctive entry was Merik Carpenter-Richardson’s “drift king MX-5,” though its sideways capabilities didn’t translate to outright pace, with Carpenter-Richardson finishing 12th overall.

The day’s competition showcased the accessibility of Autosolo events, with competitors ranging from seasoned campaigners to newcomers, all enjoying the challenge of navigating the tight, technical course against the clock.