Briggs Masters International Women's Day AutoSolo at Blackburn
Date: 2026-03-08
Briggs Masters International Women’s Day AutoSolo at Blackburn
Ben Briggs dominated the International Women’s Day AutoSolo event in Blackburn, piloting his Nissan Micra to a commanding victory with a time of 420.9 seconds. The event, which featured a mix of AutoSolo and Production Car Autotest (PCA) classes, saw Briggs establish himself as the clear frontrunner in both the overall standings and Class A.
Phil Gradwell put in a strong performance in his Mazda MX5 to secure second overall with 422.6 seconds, narrowly missing out on the top spot by less than two seconds. James Williams rounded out the overall podium in his Haynes Roadster, finishing as the fastest Class E competitor with a time of 438.5 seconds.
The battle for positions just off the podium was particularly fierce, with Steve Kaye (Mazda MX5), Colin Moreton (Mazda MX5), and Darren Keiller (Honda Civic) all finishing within five seconds of each other. This tight grouping demonstrated the competitive nature of the event despite the varied machinery on display.
In Class A for AutoSolo cars under 4.15m and below 1400cc, Briggs’ victory was never in doubt as he finished nearly 27 seconds ahead of his nearest class rival, Andrew Williams, also in a Nissan Micra. The Johnson family made their mark on Class A with three members competing in the same Nissan Micra, with Hazel leading the family charge in third place.
Class B for AutoSolo cars under 4.15m but over 1400cc saw a much closer contest, with John Jones edging out Chris Millward-Jackson by just one second – both competitors driving Mini Coopers. Stephen Johnson completed the class podium in his Renault with a time of 453.4 seconds.
Oz-Lloyd Phillips had the distinction of being the sole competitor in Class C for larger AutoSolo cars, taking an uncontested win in his Peugeot RCZ with a time of 505.5 seconds.
The Class E battle for modified and kit cars produced some impressive performances, with James Williams’ Haynes Roadster setting the pace at 438.5 seconds. Darren Keiller’s Honda Civic and Ian Harcourt’s MG F completed the class podium positions.
In the Production Car Autotest categories, Jason Crook led Class PCA-A in his Micra with a time of 463.2 seconds, while Miley Jones took the Class PCA-B win in a Mini Cooper.
The event highlighted the accessibility of grassroots motorsport, with a diverse range of competitors and vehicles participating across multiple classes, appropriately celebrating International Women’s Day with strong female representation throughout the field.
Overall Results
| Overall Position | Competitor Name | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Briggs | Nissan Micra | 420.9 |
| 2 | Phil Gradwell | Mazda MX5 | 422.6 |
| 3 | James Williams | Haynes Roadster | 438.5 |
| 4 | Steve Kaye | Mazda MX5 | 439.8 |
| 5 | Colin Moreton | Mazda MX5 | 440.2 |
| 6 | Darren Keiller | Honda Civic | 443.8 |
| 7 | Helen Kaye | Mazda MX5 | 447.2 |
| 8 | Andrew Williams | Nissan Micra | 447.5 |
| 9 | John Jones | Mini Cooper | 447.6 |
| 10 | Chris Millward-Jackson | Mini Cooper | 448.7 |
| 11 | Ian Harcourt | MG F | 451.0 |
| 12 | Stephen Johnson | Renault | 453.4 |
| 13 | Shaun Mundy | Mazda MX5 | 459.9 |
| 14 | James Chaplin | Honda Civic | 460.3 |
| 15 | Jason Crook | Micra | 463.2 |
| 16 | Hazel Johnson | Nissan Micra | 466.8 |
| 17 | Gary Sherriff | Toyota Yaris | 467.6 |
| 18 | Nigel Fox | Austin Mini | 472.1 |
| 19 | José Freitas | Volkswagen | 479.1 |
| 20 | Pam Knott | Mazda MX5 | 482.5 |
| 21 | Ray Simpson | Mazda MX5 | 484.0 |
| 22 | Andrew Crawley | Audition Minim | 485.1 |
| 23 | Oz-Lloyd Phillips | Peugeot RCZ | 505.5 |
| 24 | David Dunlop | Citroen C2 | 507.1 |
| 25 | Aidan O’Rourke | Nissan Micra | 509.1 |
| 26 | Mark Johnson | Nissan Micra | 515.8 |
| 27 | Heather Johnson | Nissan Micra | 533.0 |
| 28 | Rachael Firth | Nissan Micra | 549.9 |
| 29 | Will Self | Vauxhall Corsa | 607.1 |
| 30 | Isla Pickford | Vauxhall Adam | 652.5 |
| 31 | Charlie Crook | Nissan Micra | 694.4 |
| 32 | Miley Jones | Mini Cooper | 795.5 |
Class A Solo <4.15m <1400cc Results
| Class Position | Competitor Name | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Briggs | Nissan Micra | 420.9 |
| 2 | Andrew Williams | Nissan Micra | 447.5 |
| 3 | Hazel Johnson | Nissan Micra | 466.8 |
| 4 | Nigel Fox | Austin Mini | 472.1 |
| 5 | Aidan O’Rourke | Nissan Micra | 509.1 |
| 6 | Mark Johnson | Nissan Micra | 515.8 |
| 7 | Heather Johnson | Nissan Micra | 533.0 |
| 8 | Rachael Firth | Nissan Micra | 549.9 |
Class B Solo <4.15m >1400cc Results
| Class Position | Competitor Name | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Jones | Mini Cooper | 447.6 |
| 2 | Chris Millward-Jackson | Mini Cooper | 448.7 |
| 3 | Stephen Johnson | Renault | 453.4 |
| 4 | Gary Sherriff | Toyota Yaris | 467.6 |
| 5 | José Freitas | Volkswagen | 479.1 |
| 6 | David Dunlop | Citroen C2 | 507.1 |
Class C Solo > 4.15m any cc Results
| Class Position | Competitor Name | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oz-Lloyd Phillips | Peugeot RCZ | 505.5 |
Class E Solo - Other- Rally/Kit Car must be taxed.. Results
| Class Position | Competitor Name | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Williams | Haynes Roadster | 438.5 |
| 2 | Darren Keiller | Honda Civic | 443.8 |
| 3 | Ian Harcourt | MG F | 451.0 |
| 4 | James Chaplin | Honda Civic | 460.3 |
| 5 | Andrew Crawley | Audition Minim | 485.1 |