Date: 2025-11-16

Cashman Claims Victory by Just Two Seconds in Thrilling Autotest Battle

Liam Cashman emerged victorious in a nail-biting finish at yesterday’s Autotest event, piloting his Vauxhall Nova to overall victory with a cumulative time of 695.5 seconds, just 2.4 seconds ahead of James Wilson in his Morris Mini.

What began as a three-way battle after the first test developed into an intense duel between Cashman and Wilson that went down to the wire. Despite Wilson leading after the first test with a time of 200.1 seconds, Cashman’s consistency across all three tests ultimately proved decisive.

John Nolan completed the overall podium in his Toyota Starlet, finishing with a respectable 712.9 seconds, though he couldn’t match the blistering pace set by the front two.

The event showcased remarkable driving across multiple classes, with particularly fierce competition in the Challenge F1 category. Nolan’s victory in this class came despite strong challenges from Brian Kingston in his Suzuki Ignis Sport and Dermot Hade’s Toyota Starlet, who finished second and third respectively.

In Challenge A, James Wilson maintained family bragging rights by comfortably beating Harry Wilson, also in a Morris Mini, with a gap of nearly a minute between them by the final test.

Adam Geraghty provided one of the day’s most consistent performances in the Challenge C class, guiding his Westfield Special to victory by a narrow margin of just 3.9 seconds over Anthony Freeney’s Westfield Seven after three gruelling tests.

The Challenge D class saw Damien Phillips establish early dominance in his Toyota Starlet, eventually finishing well ahead of Jessy Ward in an identical car.

Peter Grimes claimed the Championship 1 honours in his Mini Special with a time of 768.0 seconds, while Darren Quille’s Westfield Se proved too quick for Guy Foster in the Championship 2 class.

In Championship 3, Jack Lowry’s Mini Saloon held off challenges from Chris Grimes and Damien Doran, while Paul Davidson had a lonely but effective run in his Seat Mii to claim the Championship 4 class.

The event’s turning point came during the second test when Cashman, despite trailing Wilson after the first test, delivered a stellar performance to close the gap. By the final test, Cashman’s metronomic consistency allowed him to overturn Wilson’s early advantage and claim the overall victory.

“The level of competition today was extraordinary,” remarked one spectator. “To see such close times across three challenging tests shows the remarkable skill of these drivers.”

The day’s results highlight the competitive nature of grassroots motorsport in Britain, with multiple classes providing close battles throughout the field and the overall victory decided by the slimmest of margins.