Date: 2026-03-29

Fox Flies to Victory in DDMC March Autosolo

John Fox delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim overall victory at the Derby and District Motor Club’s March Autosolo, piloting his Westfield SEIW to a winning time of 513.31 seconds across the four tests.

Fox established his dominance early, setting the fastest time on the opening test with 147.8 seconds, creating a slender 1.5-second advantage over Liam Shaun Rollings in his Mazda MX5. This gap proved crucial as Fox maintained his lead throughout the day, extending his advantage to 4.2 seconds by the final test.

Rollings put in a valiant effort to stay within striking distance, finishing second overall with a time of 517.50 seconds. Jamie Yapp completed the podium in third place with 521.5 seconds, making it two Mazda MX5s in the top three positions.

The battle for supremacy in the hotly contested Class D saw Rollings emerge victorious, with Yapp just four seconds behind. Steve Conner rounded out the top three in class, finishing fourth overall with a time of 529.6 seconds in yet another Mazda MX5.

In Class E for specialist production cars, Fox was in a league of his own. Ian Rowles (Westfield) and James Weekley (Caterham 7) engaged in a fierce contest for second place, with Rowles ultimately prevailing by the narrowest of margins – just 0.1 seconds separating the pair after four tests.

Patrick Horrocks dominated Class A in his nimble Fiat Cinquecento, finishing seventh overall with a time of 541.94 seconds. James Northfield’s Citroen AX and Chris Kent’s Nissan Micra completed the class podium, with Kent and his brother Ian sharing driving duties in the same car.

Alan Wakeman claimed Class B honours in his Peugeot, finishing tenth overall with 553.3 seconds. Christopher Newton’s BMW was just 2.3 seconds behind, while Anthony Newton completed the class podium in his BMW Compact.

Class C saw Alex Ball take a comfortable victory in his Mini Cooper S, finishing nearly 19 seconds ahead of David Newbold in an identical car.

The event showcased the enduring popularity of the Mazda MX5 platform, with 12 examples competing across the field. The day’s competition remained remarkably close throughout, with just 28 seconds separating the top five finishers after four challenging tests.

Overall Results

Overall Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	John Fox	Westfield SEIW	513.31
2	Liam Shaun Rollings	Mazda MX5	517.50
3	Jamie Yapp	Mazda MX-5	521.50
4	Steve Conner	Mazda MX5	529.60
5	Eddie Martin	Mazda MX5	536.00
6	Jim Bryant	Mazda MX5	541.50
7	Patrick Horrocks	Fiat Cinquecento	541.94
8	Ian Rowles	Westfield	550.10
9	James Weekley	Caterham 7	550.20
10	Alan Wakeman	Peugeot	553.30

Class A Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Patrick Horrocks	Fiat Cinquecento	541.94
2	James Northfield	Citroen AX	559.30
3	Chris Kent	Nissan Micra	564.80
4	Ian Kent	Nissan Micra	574.30
5	Harry Thompson	Rover Mini	578.50

Class B Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Alan Wakeman	Peugeot	553.30
2	Christopher Newton	BMW	555.60
3	Anthony Newton	BMW Compact	572.30
4	Dom Taylor	Mini Cooper	584.10
5	Monty Taylor	Mini	595.80

Class C Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Alex Ball	Mini Cooper S	559.50
2	David Newbold	Mini Cooper S	578.30

Class D Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Liam Shaun Rollings	Mazda MX5	517.50
2	Jamie Yapp	Mazda MX-5	521.50
3	Steve Conner	Mazda MX5	529.60
4	Eddie Martin	Mazda MX5	536.00
5	Jim Bryant	Mazda MX5	541.50

Class E Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	John Fox	Westfield SEIW	513.31
2	Ian Rowles	Westfield	550.10
3	James Weekley	Caterham 7	550.20