Event 1286 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Gradwell Clinches Victory by Less Than a Second in Thrilling Autosolo Finale

Phil Gradwell emerged victorious in a nail-biting finish at yesterday’s Autosolo event, piloting his Mazda MX5 to overall victory by the slimmest of margins – just 0.8 seconds ahead of Ben Briggs in his Nissan Micra after five gruelling tests.

The final test proved decisive in what had been a day-long battle between the top contenders. Gradwell’s consistent performance across all five tests saw him complete the course in a total time of 556.5 seconds, with Briggs finishing agonisingly close behind at 557.3 seconds.

John Jones rounded out the podium places in his Peugeot 208 GTi, finishing third overall with a time of 567.4 seconds, despite having set the early pace in the competition.

The day began with a surprising leaderboard after Test 1, with Ben Briggs setting the fastest time of 48.2 seconds in his Micra, followed closely by John Jones in the Peugeot at 48.3 seconds. Gradwell, who would eventually triumph, was only fifth quickest in the opening test.

By the halfway point, the battle for supremacy had intensified. Jones had edged ahead after Test 2, but Briggs regained the advantage following Test 3 with a time of 213.4 seconds against Gradwell’s 218.4. The MX5 driver’s consistency began to pay dividends in Test 4, as he moved into contention with a strong run.

In the class battles, Hazel Johnson dominated Class A (Series Production Saloon up to 1400cc) in her Nissan Micra, maintaining her lead from the first test to finish with a time of 581.8 seconds, comfortably ahead of Darren Keiller’s Mitsubishi Mirage.

Mel Morgan claimed Class B honours in a Toyota Yaris with a time of 587.0 seconds, while John Jones took Class C victory in his Peugeot 208 GTi, despite missing out on the overall win.

The well-subscribed Class D for Series Production Sports cars saw Gradwell’s overall-winning performance secure class victory, with Colin Moreton taking second in class in another MX5, some 14 seconds adrift.

Phil Clegg demonstrated remarkable car control in his Rover MGTF to win Class E with a time of 606.1 seconds, whilst the Production Car Autotest classes saw Ben Briggs (Class PCA X) and Olav Foster in an Audi TT (Class PCA Y) take the honours.

The day’s most eye-catching machine, Colin Park’s Ariel Nomad, attracted considerable attention in the paddock but could only manage 24th overall with a time of 629.1 seconds.

One of the day’s most impressive performances came from Steve Kaye, who recovered from a relatively modest opening test to climb the leaderboard steadily throughout the day, eventually finishing seventh overall in his MX5.

The event showcased the accessibility of grassroots motorsport, with a diverse range of cars competing across the classes – from nimble Nissan Micras to the more powerful Peugeot 208 GTi and the distinctive Ariel Nomad.

As competitors packed away at the end of a thrilling day’s action, the talk was all about Gradwell’s remarkable recovery from fifth place after Test 1 to claim overall victory by the narrowest of margins, demonstrating once again that consistency is often the key to success in Autosolo competition.