Racing at the Home of the British Grand Prix! Mazda MX-5 Racing at Silverstone International!

The final round of the ‪@TheBRSCC‬ Mazda MX-5 Clubman Championship took us to the iconic Silverstone International Circuit. And what a venue to bring our first season to a close! For this event, we had the privilege of using the Formula 1 pit garages – an experience I will never forget. Having watched Formula 1 and the British Grand Prix since the age of seven, to race at a circuit where legends such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have battled at the highest level was genuinely a dream come true. Of course, Silverstone wasn’t going to make things easy! Red Flags, Safety Cars, sunshine and torrential rain – the iconic circuit threw just about everything at us. QUALIFYING Saturday morning started positively, with good pace during testing carrying into the early stages of qualifying. Unfortunately, traffic in the closing minutes prevented me from putting together the lap I needed, leaving me 21st out of 38 cars. Not the result I had hoped for, but I knew the pace was there. I was confident I could work my way through the field and make progress in the races ahead. RACE ONE I got away well at the start, but unfortunately encountered problems with the gear changes into second and third, costing me a couple of positions. I settled in, got my head down and concentrated on moving forward. What followed was a hard-fought race, battling wheel-to-wheel with some considerably more experienced drivers. There were some great exchanges, and I managed to come out on top of those battles. I crossed the line in 17th place. A positive recovery from 21st on the grid and some valuable racing experience gained. RACE TWO Starting 17th, I was determined to build on the progress made in Race One. My initial getaway wasn’t ideal, and I lost a couple of positions, before a major incident at Turn One resulted in a Red Flag. Following a lengthy delay, the race restarted in our original grid positions. This time my start was much better, and after the opening lap I found myself behind the driver I was battling for second place in the Rookie Championship. I felt confident in my pace and overtaking ability. Unfortunately, just one corner after the Safety Car was deployed following a collision at the final chicane, I was taken out, dropping me back to 25th place. After several laps behind the Safety Car, racing resumed. By now, the heavens had opened, and with the sun beginning to set, heavy rain created some extremely challenging conditions. It was a completely different race, requiring rapid adjustments in both driving style and concentration. I wasn’t prepared to give up, though. I got my head down, adapted to the conditions and worked my way back through the field, eventually finishing 19th following the subsequent disqualification of the driver responsible for taking me out. Naturally, it was disappointing not to have the opportunity to fight all the way to the chequered flag. However, that’s motorsport, and sometimes you have to take the positives from a difficult situation. THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS Despite the challenges at Silverstone, the points accumulated throughout the season secured two fantastic results: 3rd Place – Rookie Championship 10th Place – Overall Championship To finish inside the overall Top 10 and secure third in the Rookie Championship in my first season of competitive car racing is something I am incredibly proud of. Looking back, the season has been an incredible journey. From my first outing in the race car at Donington Park to competing in the closing rounds of a national championship, the improvement in both my driving and confidence has been significant. I’m also particularly pleased to have completed the entire season without a single DNF. A testament to the preparation, reliability and fantastic work of everyone behind the scenes. THANK YOU – AND BRING ON 2027! A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and LJB Motorsport this year. Whether you’ve followed the journey from home, watched the videos, shared our posts, or travelled to the circuits to cheer us on, it genuinely means a lot. A special thank you to the entire Misty Racing team for preparing and looking after the car, and for all the advice, encouragement and support throughout the season. Keep an eye out over the next couple of weeks for the full onboard footage from both races. Shoutout to ‪@jackspoonerr‬ for the rear-facing onboard footage capturing the incident that brought my Race Two challenge to an abrupt halt. Although the 2026 season has come to an end, this is most definitely not the end of the journey. In many ways, it’s just the beginning. We’ve learned a huge amount, made fantastic memories, established ourselves in the championship and, most importantly, proved that we can compete. If you’ve enjoyed following the journey, please like, comment and subscribe! Thank you for being part of it! #racing #motorsport #racingcar #racingdriver #silverstone #motorracing