Champions crowned at incident-filled Donington Park 750 Motor Club meeting

Thomas Westworth clinched the F1000 title in dramatic circumstances during a disrupted 750 Motor Club meeting at Donington Park last weekend.

Reigning champion Matthew Higginson boosted his hopes of retaining his crown by leading race one, as a slow start dropped Westworth to third behind James Clennell, but the front duo’s battle was extinguished when Higginson’s left-rear wheel flew off at Old Hairpin, causing him to spin out at high speed.

Westworth lost a further place to Sam Satchwell before the race finished behind the safety car, with third enough to claim the championship, as Clennell took his first victory since 2025. “I’m made up to wrap the championship off,” said Westworth. “It wasn’t how you really want to end it with [Higginson] getting a DNF, but these things happen in racing. So pleased.”

Eric Cowell sent Westworth spinning under braking for Fogarty in the reversed-grid finale - putting both drivers out and causing a red flag. The race was abandoned moments after the restart following another collision.

The Toyota MR2 Championship’s three-way showdown was decided in anti-climactic fashion after Shaun Traynor and Adam Lockwood were excluded from qualifying for multiple track-limits violations - the title-contending duo also penalised 10 seconds at the start of race one. Jim Mew therefore took the crown with a race to spare with victory before triumphing again in the sequel, with Neil Stratton and Scott Edbrooke completing the podium in both contests.

“I had a bad round at Thruxton, so I knew I had it all to do [this weekend],” said Mew. “But, obviously [my rivals] had trouble in qualifying so it was a bit of a free run for me.”

Ransom was in the thick of the Clio action and won second race

Photo by: Jon Elsey

The Clio Sport Championship’s class A title was settled in bizarre fashion after rivals Taylor Norton and Greg Hill both retired in a collision not of their making. Joshua North dominated an eventful race one ahead of fellow Class B runner Darren Ransom, who prevailed in a thrilling early dice with Matt Hipkins before outbraking Norton into Fogarty to steal second. Chris Lawrence shunted heavily at Old Hairpin after losing control while completing a move on Scott Carruthers, who later retired himself in a collision with Norton, and Peter O’Connor’s hopes were ended by left-rear damage after being hit from behind.

A first-corner tangle between Hipkins and Paul Clark in the decider resulted in Norton and Hill being forced into the gravel - and into each other - settling the Class A duel in Hill’s favour. Ransom passed North in a two-lap dash to the finish following the resultant safety car intervention to take the win while O’Connor claimed a redemptive podium.

There were also incidents aplenty in the Radical Club Challenge opener. Sherif Hosny locked up and rear-ended Alin Fulga at the first corner, while a spin left Mark Grason facing the wrong way at Old Hairpin. Charles Hall gave chase to team owner Leon Morrell at the front, only to grind to a halt on the pit straight with mechanical failure. Morrell went on to take a comfortable seventh win of the season, while Aaron Rose finished second ahead of Ben Higgs, despite Sam Venning trying to snatch second from the pair at Coppice before sliding into the gravel.

Hall grabbed first place in the sequel, and he eventually led home his team-mates Morrell and Rose, as Morrell set a new lap record in his PR6. “I was pushing for that,” said Morrell afterwards. “What a phenomenal job to see three green cars here - a podium lockout. It’s been a dream season for me after starting this new business.”

LM Racing machines were again at the head of the Radical Club Challenge pack

Photo by: Jon Elsey

Track-limits penalties led to a chaotic climax to 116 Trophy’s 90-minute enduro. Peter Keen triumphed despite being penalised 5s moments before the chequered flag was waved, while William Abraham - who had pushed Keen hard in the closing stages - was demoted to 12th by multiple sanctions. James Poole and Charles Devlin overcame a penalty of their own to claim second ahead of Scott Parker. Harry Darrall emerged unharmed after hitting a tyre stack rolling early on at Fogarty.

Keen also won the second of the 116 Sprint and 120 Coupe Cup’s contests in peculiar fashion after Anthony Seddon pulled into the pitlane from the lead on the final lap and failed to take the chequered flag, with Abraham finishing a close second and Scott Jeffs taking third. 

Rob Carvell - who only entered after failing to secure a place in the Roadsports enduro - edged Seddon in the earlier bout, which will also be remembered for William Guy’s final-lap exit when his bonnet flew open and smashed into his windscreen, and Jack Godden’s impressive recovery from 29th on the grid to 11th in the space of just five racing laps. Christopher Nylan and William Puttergill (Audi RS3 TCR) won the packed Roadsports encounter ahead of Oliver Harris (BMW M2) and Luke Woodhouse (VW Golf). 

Robert Fenwick and Andrew Shepherd were victorious by more than a minute in Club Enduro at the wheel of a Cupra TCR. Running solo, Joe Williams came second in his SEAT, with Danny Hobson and Tom MacFarlane’s Audi RS3 TCR the only other car to finish on the lead lap. The race was red-flagged halfway through due to two serious off-track medical emergencies involving crew members, with the rest of the meeting abandoned due to inadequate medical cover.

The final BMW Car Club and Ma7da races were cancelled as a result. Four-time British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington had earlier taken third in a rain-affected BMW race in his striking M2, while his son Lewis debuted in a 325i. Paul Cook won ahead of Steven Schweikhardt, while polesitter Graham Crowhurst recovered from the very back to fourth following an early spin.

Meanwhile, Eddie Mawer resisted early pressure from Lucas Batt before winning comfortably in the sole Ma7da contest. While the front two romped clear, Ben Abbitt prevailed in an exciting battle with Benjamin Dade and David Bowen to hold on to third.

Mawer won the sole Ma7da contest as the meeting ended early

Photo by: Jon Elsey