Event 1124 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Roose Reigns Supreme in Mazda MX-5 at Weekend Autosolo

Andy Roose delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim overall victory at the weekend’s Autosolo event, piloting his Mazda MX-5 to a winning time of 305.7 seconds across the two tests.

The battle at the front was fiercely contested, with Jay Thompson’s Mazda finishing just 4.5 seconds behind in second place. Alun Evans completed the podium in his Toyota Corolla, setting a combined time of 318.4 seconds which also secured him the Class C victory.

Roose established his dominance early, setting the fastest time in the opening test with 151.6 seconds, giving him a 3.4-second advantage over Thompson. The gap widened marginally in the second test as Roose maintained his composure to secure the overall win and Class D honours.

“The course suited the MX-5 perfectly today,” Roose commented. “I managed to find a rhythm early on and just focused on keeping it clean through both tests.”

Class D proved to be the most competitive category of the day, with Mazdas occupying the top six positions. Jason Wilson completed the class podium in third with a time of 321.7 seconds, followed closely by Ash Furlong just 1.1 seconds behind.

In Class A, Troy Allen emerged victorious in his Ford Fiesta with a time of 326.8 seconds, narrowly holding off Adam Forrester’s Nissan Micra K11 by just three seconds. Moi Williams rounded out the podium places in another Ford Fiesta.

The Class B battle saw Nigel Morris take the win in his Mini Cooper with a time of 355.3 seconds, comfortably ahead of Clare Davies in her Suzuki Swift who finished 7 seconds adrift.

Alun Evans’ third-place overall finish was built on a commanding performance in Class C, where his Toyota Corolla finished nearly 5 seconds clear of Ieuan’s Ford Fiesta. Alwyn Day claimed the final podium position in another Ford Fiesta with a time of 330.0 seconds.

In the single-entry Class E, Andy Crawley put in a solid performance in his Mini to record a time of 332.3 seconds, which placed him 13th in the overall standings.

The day’s competition highlighted the close nature of Autosolo, with just 27.3 seconds separating the top 12 finishers across a field of 26 competitors. The event showcased particular strength in the Mazda contingent, with MX-5s demonstrating their suitability for the technical course layout.

Notable performances came from several competitors who improved significantly in their second runs, including Ash Furlong who jumped from fifth after the first test to claim fourth overall by the finish.

The BMW 318 Compact pairing of Andy and Jack Lester had a challenging day, finishing 19th and 21st respectively, while at the rear of the field, Ryan Evans struggled with his Mazda MX-5, finishing nearly 94 seconds behind the winner.

As competitors packed away at the end of a dry and competitive day, Roose’s victory underlined the continued popularity of the Mazda MX-5 platform in grassroots motorsport, with the model accounting for nearly a third of the entry list and claiming the top step of the podium.