Date: 2026-04-12

Tunbridge Edges Yapp in Thrilling Kemble AutoSolo

Alec Tunbridge clinched victory in the Bath MC Kemble Spring AutoSolo 2026 by the narrowest of margins, piloting his Caterham 7 to a winning time of 202.2 seconds, just 1.6 seconds ahead of Jamie Yapp in his Mazda MX5.

The event featured a dramatic turnaround after the first test, where Yapp had established an early lead with a blistering run of 104.5 seconds. Tunbridge, sitting in second place after test one with 107.1 seconds, delivered a masterclass in the second test to overturn the deficit and claim overall honours.

Oliver Jenkins completed the podium in another Mazda MX5, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Yapp with a total time of 204.0 seconds, highlighting the incredibly tight competition at the sharp end of the field.

The battle for supremacy in Class E was dominated by Caterham drivers, with Tunbridge leading the way from Jason Brown and Neil Costen, who finished within 0.2 seconds of each other. Ian Rowles was the best of the Westfield drivers, taking fourth in class with a time of 221.5 seconds.

Class D saw the largest entry with 38 competitors, predominantly in Mazda MX5s. Yapp’s stellar performance earned him class honours ahead of Jenkins, with Liam Rollings completing the class podium on 206.2 seconds. The Mazda contingent demonstrated remarkable consistency, with the top five in class separated by less than 8 seconds.

Patrick Horrocks emerged victorious in Class A, his Fiat Cinquecento proving the perfect weapon for the technical course with a time of 216.5 seconds. Simon Clemow put up a strong challenge in his Austin Mini, finishing 5.6 seconds adrift, while James Northfield rounded out the top three in his Citroen AX.

The Hickson family fielded an impressive five drivers sharing a Mazda MX5, with Alex leading the family charge in 18th overall. The Walker duo of Dan and Finn also shared an MX5, finishing 11th and 16th respectively, while the Cross pairing of Simon and Dave took 27th and 29th.

The event highlighted the accessibility of AutoSolo competition, with a diverse range of cars from the nimble Fiat Cinquecento to the more powerful Caterham 7s all proving competitive across the challenging tests.

Overall Results

Overall Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Alec Tunbridge	Caterham 7	202.2
2	Jamie Yapp	Mazda MX5	203.8
3	Oliver Jenkins	Mazda MX5	204.0
4	Liam Rollings	Mazda MX5	206.2
5	Steve Conner	Mazda MX5	208.5
6	Mathias Hansen	Toyota MR2 Roadster	211.2
7	Jason Brown	Caterham 7	214.5
8	Neil Costen	Caterham 360	214.7
9	Jim Bryant	Mazda MX5	215.3
10	Eddie Martin	Mazda MX5	216.3

Class A Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Patrick Horrocks	Fiat Cinquecento	216.5
2	Simon Clemow	Austin Mini	222.1
3	James Northfield	Citroen AX	226.6
4	Tom Clemow	Austin Mini	240.7
5	Jason Cropper	Austin Mini	244.3
6	Ben Cropper	Austin Mini	309.9
7	Chris Kent	Nissan Micra	336.5
8	George Thompson	Rover Mini	336.5
9	Patrick Osiak	Citroen Saxo	336.5
10	Robert Crean	Austin Mini	336.5
11	Ian Kent	Nissan Micra	336.5
12	Andy Thompson	Rover Mini	336.5

Class D Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Jamie Yapp	Mazda MX5	203.8
2	Oliver Jenkins	Mazda MX5	204.0
3	Liam Rollings	Mazda MX5	206.2
4	Steve Conner	Mazda MX5	208.5
5	Mathias Hansen	Toyota MR2 Roadster	211.2
6	Jim Bryant	Mazda MX5	215.3
7	Eddie Martin	Mazda MX5	216.3
8	Dan Walker	Mazda MX5	216.4
9	James Hurford	Mazda MX5	218.6
10	Andy Laurence	Mazda MX5	220.3

Class E Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Alec Tunbridge	Caterham 7	202.2
2	Jason Brown	Caterham 7	214.5
3	Neil Costen	Caterham 360	214.7
4	Ian Rowles	Westfield SEIW	221.5
5	Oliver Quinton	Renault Twingo	232.3
6	Jon Steer	Nissan Micra	245.2
7	John Fox	Westfield SEIW	271.8