Autosport’s top 10 club racing drivers of 2025

By Paul Lawrence, Mark Libbeter, Mark Paulson, Marcus Pye and Ian Sowman

10. Dylan Popovic

Dylan Popovic

Photo by: Steve Jones

CCRC GT Championship (1st)

“Finally,” sighed Dylan Popovic on landing the Castle Combe GT title in the October finale. Finishing second in 2024 strengthened the Bosnian-born Londoner’s resolve and, driving his self-developed seven-litre Ginetta G50, he chased the Lamborghini and Ferrari 488 exotica harder still, achieving personal best laps. The ever-smiling IT guru competes for fun and no champion is more popular among peers.

9. Sam Mitchell

Sam Mitchell

Photo by: Mick Walker

HSCC Historic Formula Ford 1600 (1st)

In the resurgent Historic Formula Ford Championship, Sam Mitchell set himself towards the title with a mid-season run of five wins on the bounce, which was enough to see off his main rival, three-time conqueror Benn Simms. This was Mitchell’s second title – he also won the crown back in 2013 and followed on from his father Westie’s 2009 success – to join a select and quality group of multiple champions.

8. Shaun Traynor

Shaun Traynor

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

750MC Toyota MR2s (1st)

Shaun Traynor has been competing in Toyota MR2s for more than a decade and has now won six out of the past 11 titles. The first four came in his Mk2, before switching to a Mk3 in 2020. Adam Lockwood (the 2023 conqueror), Neil Stratton and Jim Mew provided worthy competition this year, but half of the wins went to Traynor, including four at Silverstone and Oulton Park that effectively sealed the crown.

7. Matt Higginson

Matt Higginson

Photo by: Steve Jones

750MC F1000 (1st)

After three 750 Motor Club RGB titles a decade ago, Matt Higginson returned to bike-engined competition with the club in F1000 in 2022. Despite strong pace, his best points finish had been third, but there was a determination to add to his title tally, and this was his year. Grid sizes were down, but he still faced the reigning and 2022 champions in Craig Pollard and Rob Welham, finishing off the podium just once.

6. Matthew Hirst

Matthew Hirst

Photo by: Paul Lawrence

BTRDA Rally Series & Welsh Rally Championship (1st)

In national stage rallying terms, this was the year of Matthew Hirst. Alongside Declan Dear, Hirst was a powerful force in his Skoda Fabia R5 and won both the BTRDA Rally Series and the Welsh Rally Championship. His prime aim was to bag the BTRDA title he’d come close to winning for several years, and he did it in style despite a few glitches along the way. A fifth Welsh crown was then an added bonus.

5. Taylor O’Flanagan

Taylor O’Flanagan

Photo by: Jon Bryant

BARC Caterham Seven 310R (1st)

Having been denied the Caterham 310R title in the previous two seasons, including by a solitary point last year, Taylor O’Flanagan made sure 2025 was third time lucky as he overcame Lars Hoffmann. Victory in race three at Anglesey in May kicked off a sequence of seven straight wins that helped him take control of the series. The title was secured following his 12th triumph at the penultimate event.

4. Aidan Hills

Aidan Hills

Photo by: Steve Jones

MSVR Miata Trophy (1st)

Reigning MX-5 Supercup champion Aidan Hills switched his full-time attention to MotorSport Vision Racing’s equivalent series, the Miata Trophy, which became numerically dominant. Hills won 10 of the first 12 races, wrapping up the title with a round to spare. This was while running a fleet of cars that locked out the championship’s top four, plus the odd SuperCup foray, where he won five times in eight starts.

3. Adam Shepherd

Adam Shepherd

Photo by: Mick Walker

BARC TCR UK (1st)

In his fourth year of trying, Adam Shepherd finally shook off the bad luck that had dogged him to claim comprehensive TCR UK success. Having traced last year’s woes to a degrading fuel tank, the Capture Motorsport racer began 2025 with a Donington Park double. Extra backing enabled Shepherd to upgrade to Cupra’s latest Leon VZ, in which he added six wins and overcame a Croft exclusion to prevail.

2. Ali Bray

Ali Bray

Photo by: Jonathan Mills

BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championship (1st)

Long-time Mazda racer Ali Bray had been a capable MX-5 competitor for years, while focusing on running others in his AB Motorsport team. That changed in 2025 when Bray mounted his own bid and achieved the unprecedented feat of winning all 23 races. Returning champion Steve Foden and two-time runner-up Adam Sparrow provided proven benchmarks. That neither managed to beat Bray spoke volumes.

1. Jason Smyth

Jason Smyth

Photo by: Steve Jones

MSVR United FF1600, BRSCC FF Festival, HSCC WHT (1st)

Jason Smyth was the dominant force in Formula Ford during 2025. He scored 10 wins from 12 starts in United FF1600 to secure the title, which he then followed up with a convincing triumph in the Festival. Arguably, though, he saved his best performance for the Walter Hayes Trophy final. Frustrated at being forced to start 13th after a penalty, Smyth charged to the front to end a superb season in fitting style.

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Photo by: Steve Jones