Event 1259 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Hansen Clinches Victory in Thrilling Autosolo Contest

Mathias Hansen delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim overall victory in Sunday’s Autosolo event, piloting his Toyota MR2 Roadster to a winning time of 341.9 seconds across four challenging tests.

The Danish driver established his dominance early, moving into the lead after the second test and maintaining his advantage through to the chequered flag. Hansen’s consistent performance throughout the day saw him finish 2.3 seconds ahead of Tom Eckett in his Mini Cooper, with Neil Costen’s Caterham 360 rounding out the podium places a further 2.7 seconds adrift.

“I knew I had to be absolutely precise on every run,” Hansen told reporters afterwards. “The competition was incredibly tight at the top, and there was simply no room for error.”

Indeed, the battle for supremacy proved remarkably close, with just 7.9 seconds separating the top five finishers after a full day of competition. Cristian Muntean (Toyota MR2) and George Buckley (Mazda MX-5) completed the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The opening test provided no indication of Hansen’s eventual triumph, with Tom Eckett and Neil Costen sharing the fastest time at 84.0 seconds. Hansen sat fifth overall after the first run, but launched a remarkable comeback in the second test, posting the day’s most impressive single run to vault into the lead – a position he would not relinquish.

In the class battles, Hansen’s victory also secured the Class E honours for two-seat sports cars, where he faced stiff competition from Muntean and Buckley. The Toyota driver’s smooth style proved decisive as he gradually extended his advantage through the later tests.

Class C (saloons between 1401-2000cc) produced one of the day’s most compelling contests, with Tom Eckett eventually prevailing over David Fooks’ Ford Puma by 7.7 seconds. Eckett’s performance was particularly impressive given the pressure applied by Fooks, who had briefly taken the class lead after the second test.

Evan Kent demonstrated remarkable consistency in his Nissan Micra to secure Class B honours for smaller-engined saloons. Kent established an early lead and never looked troubled, eventually finishing 42.8 seconds ahead of David O’Neill-Street’s Kia Picanto.

Perhaps the closest class battle came in Class D for larger saloons, where Gavin Watson’s Mini Cooper S edged out Lesley Knowles’ Ford Focus RS by just 1.6 seconds after a day-long duel that could have gone either way.

Neil Costen was unchallenged in Class F for kit cars and specialist vehicles, but his third-place overall finish in the Caterham 360 demonstrated the potency of lightweight machinery on the twisting course.

The event, which attracted 42 competitors across five classes, showcased grassroots motorsport at its competitive best. With multiple lead changes in the early tests and battles throughout the field, spectators were treated to a display of driving skill that belied the relatively modest machinery on display.

As Hansen celebrated his victory, the closeness of the competition suggested that the next event in the series could produce an entirely different outcome, with at least half a dozen drivers demonstrating pace capable of challenging for overall honours.