Event 1084 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Tunbridge Triumphs in Dominant Autosolo Display

Alec Tunbridge delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim a commanding overall victory at yesterday’s Autosolo event, piloting his Caterham 7 to a winning time of 304.3 seconds across the four tests.

The lightweight sports car specialist established his dominance from the outset, setting consistently quick times throughout the day to finish more than seven seconds ahead of his nearest class rival, Neil Costen in another Caterham. More impressively, Tunbridge finished over 63 seconds ahead of the second-placed overall competitor, Nigel Walton in his Mazda MX-5.

In the hotly contested Class D, Jamie Yapp emerged victorious with a time of 311.6 seconds in his Mazda MX-5, making him the third-fastest driver overall. Yapp set the fastest time on the opening test with 74.5 seconds, establishing an early advantage that he never relinquished despite strong pressure from Steve Conner, who finished 15.7 seconds behind after a consistent performance in his own MX-5.

The battle for Class E honours was effectively a two-horse race between the Caterham drivers. While Tunbridge maintained his lead throughout, Costen kept him honest with solid performances across all four tests, ultimately finishing just 8.9 seconds behind the winner. There was a significant gap to the rest of the class, with Nathan Thomas in his Lotus Elise and Dave Hall in a classic Vauxhall Chevette finishing almost 45 seconds further back, separated by just two-tenths of a second.

The day’s most remarkable consistency came from James Northfield and Maciej Czechowicz, who incredibly finished tied on 336.3 seconds overall. Northfield’s Citroen AX edged ahead in the final standings by virtue of faster early tests against Czechowicz’s diminutive Fiat 126, which proved surprisingly competitive throughout.

Patrick Horrocks impressed in his Fiat Cinquecento, claiming fifth overall with 320.1 seconds, while Kieran Belcher’s more powerful Subaru Impreza could only manage seventh place with 327.6 seconds, highlighting how autosolo rewards precision and car control over raw power.

Lower down the order, several family battles added interest to the proceedings. The father-son duo of David and Ruben Hutt in their BMW finished just 2.1 seconds apart after four tests, while the Thompson family saw Andy claim bragging rights over George in their Rover Mini by 12.7 seconds. The Laurence family fielded three drivers in the family Renault Clio, with Andy leading the way from son Archie and daughter Immy.

At the other end of the results, Vicki Kent experienced her first day of competition in her Nissan Micra, finishing with a time of 521.5 seconds improving consistently from the first test.

The event showcased the accessibility of grassroots motorsport, with vehicles ranging from classic Minis and a Vauxhall Chevette to modern sports cars like the Caterham and Lotus Elise all competing on a level playing field, where driver skill rather than vehicle performance often proved the deciding factor.