Tongham 19 October 2025

TONGHAM MOTOR CLUB

Sunday 19 October 2025

Tongham Motor Club had got through their 16-event season with just two cancellations; one because it was too dry (with track work needed during the summer heatwave and water shortage) and one when the rain finally came in early September. This last meeting of the year started under a cloud, literally, with the forecast showing heavy rain due to arrive at 11 am and persist for the day. However, early in the morning it was more or less dry, so the plan was to crack on early and see how much racing the weather would allow.

In the end, it didn’t turn out too bad, with a light drizzle only turning to proper rain late in the first heats, and the second heats being completed in full before everyone had had enough. At this point the track was still raceable, with the hard packed surface still providing plenty of grip, but the increasing depth of muddy surface water meant visibility was a problem, and most drivers were happy to head home for an early bath after a very full season.

The entry was the smallest of the year (74 race cars plus 52 Bangers); the time of year and weather played a part, but it had also been decided to issue no day licences, other than for Novice Juniors and the Bangers. The main reason was to prevent any of the still closely contested class championships being affected by tripping over visiting drivers, although it also excluded one or two regular drivers who for some reason had never got round to taking out licences!

PRODUCTION A, after running with twenty plus cars for most of the year, just had seven signed on at the end of a hard season. Tia Stephens led the first heat away, before being passed by Tom Logan, before Alan Goddard took over to win. Tom dropped out on the last lap and Willow King ended up in second, despite a misfiring engine. Cherie Wells, with her exhaust falling off, finished third and Oliver Hester, also with a badly misfiring engine, was fourth. Second time out Riley Rogers joined in with his sister’s car and led the early stages before ending up on the infield with his front wheels pointing in different directions. Willow splashed through the muddy water to seal his points championship with a win, ahead of Tom, Alan, Oliver and Cherie. Overall Willow took the top trophy, from Alan and Cherie.

PRODUCTION B lined with nine cars. Lewis Jewer took the lead from the start and, although Laura Connors quickly came through to second, she couldn’t close the gap on Lewis, who took a good win with Laura holding off her brother Thomas for second, ahead of Martyn Culley, Mo Penfold and Bob Salter, with Addison Sibley the last finisher after Aaron Culley’s very smoky Micra finally stopped, while Fin Chance also retired. On the soaking wet track for heat two, Lewis Jewer put on a exceptional performance, coming up to lap the second place battle at the end, but backing off behind them as Laura held off Thomas and Aaron Culley for second. Martyn Culley spun on the first lap, collecting Thomas and Mo Penfold, with Mo later getting delayed again along with Addison Sibley. Lewis was obviously the day’s overall winner, from Laura and Martyn.

The 1450 HOT RODS had one new entry, Zak Palmer graduating from Prod B with the Gary Duce created spaceframe Vauxhall-powered VW/Nova Pickup. Early leader Mickey Hopcroft’s Nova stopped on the first lap and Kodi Page’s Cinquecento-Blackbird then ran away with the first race, with Rob Salter in second, holding off Ben Stockley and Zak Palmer, who was getting to grips with some nice sideways drifts in the Pickup. Neil Hudson’s Horizon brought up the rear after opting to start from the back all day. Kodi won again in the wet, this time finishing three quarters of a lap clear of Ben, who was the only one on the same lap after Zak finally spun out. Rob Salter found himself aquaplaning towards the first corner marshal’s post on the first two laps, but then kept going to stay ahead of Neil Hudson, who looked to be running on slicks through all the standing water. The top three overall were Kodi, Rob and Ben.

SUPER SALOONS had a seven car grid, with Chris Carter in the black 1440 Hayabusa Pickup, and Laurence Connors surrendering the Growler to son Thomas for the day. Chris still shot from the back to the front in the first half lap to lead the first heat all the way, finishing two thirds of a lap ahead of Chris Jewer, who had a good run to second while, a lap down, Graeme Taylor kept ahead of Tom Chance and Thomas Connors for third. Two laps behind the flying Chris Carter came Shaun Maynard’s Civic and Dave Bullen’s Starlet, obviously not happy with the increasingly treacherous conditions as a steady drizzle came in advance of the heavier rain. Just four cars came out for the second race and Chris Carter put on a sideways show that ended with him virtually a lap ahead as Tom Chance held off Chris Jewer for second, with Shaun Maynard completing the order. Chris Carter, Chris Jewer and Tom Chance took the trophies.

Only four SPECIALS showed up. Ash Lock got past Poppy Carter with a lap to go to win the first heat, sensibly started early to give them the best chance in the expected worsening conditions. Danny Croucher and Graham Baker took the other places. Both Ash and Graham had problems on the grid for the second heat, leaving a two car race in which Poppy passed Danny, both of them no doubt pleased to see the chequered flag after five laps as they tried driving with and without goggles. Poppy was the overall winner, ahead of Danny and Ash.

The THUNDER RODS were expected to suffer from the absence of day licences, but still brought out 14 cars, including Charlie Freeland, returning with a new MG ZR, while Charlie’s older MG was in the hands of former Civic racer Matt Stilwell. The rain was starting to set in properly as the first heat came out. Emily Richer led away in her Mazda, but Jordan Dell quickly made up the ten places from his grid spot and had his Fiesta in front on the second lap, then running away to win despite his exhaust trailing for the second half of the race. Ant Sawkins brought his Civic through to second and Carl Sawkins’ Fiesta completed a 1-2-3 for the angmering drivers as he held onto third from Matt Stilwell (good progress from the back), points leader Trev Stamp’s Fiesta and David Lock’s Astra. Elouise Powell’s Focus was seventh ahead of Charlie Freeland, while everyone else was lapped by Jordan. Connor Wright’s Audi TT headed Rian Sawkins’ Puma, John Burt, back in his trusty MG to complete the season, Jordan Emery-Barker’s Mondeo and Emily Richer, with Jacob Lock’s Astra bringing up the rear after skating towards the pit gate a couple of times.

In the second race, Carl Sawkins was the first to catch and pass Emily and he then pulled out a good lead, aided by brother Ant spinning on the top straight and causing a bit of a traffic jam. David Lock eventually headed the second place battle from Charlie Freeland, Ant Sawkins, discarding his rear bumper along the way, and Trev Stamp, although Ant wasn’t in the official result. Elouise Powell and Jordan Dell were next, with John Burt leading the lapped cars from Connor Wight, Jordan Emery-Barker and Jacob Lock, with Matt Stilwell the only non-finisher. Carl Sawkins won overall from Jordan Dell and David Lock.

The SEGTO JUNIORS had the day’s biggest grid, with seventeen cars for their first heat, which as the last class to run, had a very wet track. In his first full meeting since graduating from the novices, Riley Cushing led away in very confident style, setting a good pace for four laps until he ran a bit too wide out of the pits bend and heavily collected the armco, bringing out the red flag. His team-mate Kaci Rogers took the win, ahead of Callum Bealing, in the family Nova rather than his regular Corsa and George Muirhead. Next up were Elliott Simmonds, Alexia Bowen, James Rich, Jack Stacey, Tiger Kemp, Ellie Lines, Jake Liyanage and Tyler Cushing, while Hayden Bullen, Jobi and Harley Boswell, Easmae Powell and Jay Hopcroft had already succumbed to the conditions.

Only ten came out for the second heat, the last actual race to run, in the worst of the conditions. Ellie Lines led for a while, doing well to hold on after getting tagged from behind, but in the end it was James Rich who pulled out a dominant lead, while Jake Liyanage completed his first season with a good second, holding off the new champion Jack Stacey. Ellie held off Elliott Simmonds for fourth, followed by Tyler Cushing, while George Muirhead and Callum Bealing completed the finishers. Alexia Bowen pulled off, as did Tiger Kemp after whacking the armco on the last lap. James took the overall win ahead of Elliott Simmonds and Callum Bealing.

The NOVICE JUNIORS had their smallest entry of the year, with ten cars, although they included one newcomer Niko Roberts-Nash, son of former SEGTO regular Darren Nash, in the third Mini seen in the class this year. All the novices did an excellent job of coping with the conditions. Niko led his first lap before Brooke Mitchell took over, chased by Seren Chance. Brooke spun on the back straight and was clipped by Seren Chance, but Seren survived and then held on to take her first win, fending off Alfie Symonds in the last few laps. Freddie Salter took third from Maddie Knight, while a lap behind the leaders Poppy Stephens held fifth from Niko Roberts-Nash and Lexie Roberts, while Brooke Mitchell rejoined to finish two laps down. Leah Gregory and Harvey Mawdsley pulled off on the first lap.

All apart from Harvey made the second race, led by Leah Gregory until Alfie Symonds came through very quickly, pulling out a big lead and causing a bit of confusion as he caught up with the second place battle. Seren Chance took the place on the last lap from Brooke Mitchell and Leah, with Alfie a lap ahead in the middle of the. Maddie Knight, Lexie Roberts and Freddie Salter came next, with Poppy Stephens going well although she was lapped twice by Alfie. Niko’s Mini was the only retirement. The year’s last three recipients of the “most improved” trophies were Seren, Poppy and Freddie.

ROOKIE BANGERS were out in good numbers; quite a few vans turned up having either missed the previous meeting or looking to get a bit more milage out of the vans, so they were allowed out with the bigger cars. The 28-car first heat was headed by the Focuses of Daniel and Kirsty Broome, ending up first and second with Simon Dixon’s Nova in third. In the second heat there was a lot more wrecking going on, including most of the vans staging a private DD on the pits bend, and only six cars survived to the end, with Simon Dixon leading the way and Byron Dunn, in the only van to stay out of trouble, taking second.

The small cars’ first heat brought out 20 cars, although the field was quickly thinned out, mainly through the number of punctures with most, if not all, drivers obeying instructions to pull off. Rhys Gregory led this one all the way in the Fiesta he raced as a “van” last time, with Cherie Wells taking second in another Fiesta. In the second race Cherie went one better, taking the win ahead of Jamie Watts.

Once it was decided to complete the meeting at the lunch break, the Bangers were allowed out again to complete the season with an Allcomers race and DD. Neither lasted very long; the Allcomers was red flagged after a heavy follow-in by Sam Crawt in a Micra on an anonymous un-numbered Fiesta that we couldn’t identify on the signing-on sheet! Byron Dunn’s Transit Connect led all the laps that they managed, but then brought a swift close to the DD by delivering a smack to Louis Haslett’s Fiesta that brought the medics out on track for the second time in quick succession.

A messy finish to the Tongham season, but there’d been some good racing during the day in pretty dismal conditions, proving that the Tongham track can be raced on in the rain, if anybody really wants to!