Event 1292 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Mathers Masters the Course to Claim Commanding Victory

Kev Mathers delivered a masterclass in precision driving to secure a comprehensive overall victory at this weekend’s autosolo event, completing the nine-test course in a total time of 699.2 seconds in his Mazda MX5.

The champion maintained his advantage throughout the day after establishing an early lead on the first test, eventually finishing 8 seconds ahead of Ronan Quinn’s Suzuki Swift. Steven Candy rounded out the podium places in his Ford Escort GT, a further 7.1 seconds adrift.

From the outset, Mathers demonstrated exceptional car control, posting the fastest time of 75.1 seconds on the opening test. This immediately put him a second clear of both Quinn and Candy, who recorded identical times of 76.1 seconds to share second place.

“I knew getting off to a good start would be crucial today,” Mathers told us afterwards. “The course was quite technical, and the MX5 felt perfectly balanced through the tighter sections.”

The leading trio maintained their positions throughout the day’s competition, with Mathers extending his advantage on nearly every test. By the halfway point, he had built a lead of over 18 seconds to Quinn, who continued to hold off Candy’s determined challenge.

In Class A for cars up to 1300cc, Mike Legg emerged victorious in his Citroen Saxo with a total time of 790.9 seconds. Legg established his dominance early, leading the class from the first test and managing his advantage throughout the day. Colin Stewart’s VW Polo claimed second in class, finishing 11.5 seconds behind Legg, with Luke Cherrington’s Nissan Micra completing the class podium just 4.6 seconds further back.

The battle for Class B honours was effectively the same as the overall victory fight, with Mathers, Quinn and Candy occupying the podium positions. Sean Blackmore’s Citroen C2 put in a respectable performance to finish fourth in class, though he was unable to challenge the leading trio.

Matt Bennett claimed Class C victory in his Mazda MX5, finishing fourth overall with a time of 731.9 seconds. Bennett established himself as the class leader from the first test and never relinquished his position, despite pressure from Adam Roberts in another MX5.

One of the day’s most impressive performances came from Chris Mathers, who recovered from a difficult first test where he was 19.1 seconds off the pace to steadily climb the standings throughout the day, eventually finishing 17th overall.

At the other end of the field, Jari-Matti Sibley demonstrated admirable perseverance in his Smart Car, completing all nine tests despite finishing over 5 minutes behind the overall winner.

The event saw a strong turnout of 33 competitors across the three classes, with Mazda MX5s proving to be the most popular choice of vehicle, accounting for nearly a third of the entry list.

Weather conditions remained consistent throughout the day, allowing for fair competition across all tests, with many drivers improving their times as they became more familiar with both the course and their vehicles.