How club racing fared in a tough 2025
Many series battled shrinking grids last year, but there were still plenty that defied the gloom to achieve impressive growth
Another year has passed and, once again, Autosport has dusted off its calculator and crunched the numbers to assess how club categories performed in terms of grid sizes in 2025. And it makes for some interesting – and mixed – reading.
The headline statistic is that 67 of the 127 English series with comparable data (Scottish, Irish and Northern Irish divisions are not included because they have a smaller competitor pool to draw upon) suffered a reduction in average grid size during 2025, equivalent to 53% of all club contests. That compares to exactly half that declined the previous year.
However, on the flipside, there were 51 series that grew last season (40%), compared to just 31% that grew in 2024. And there were plenty of impressive performers despite the continued tough financial climate.
Seven categories still averaged over 35 cars per round (only down slightly on 2024’s nine) and leading the way were the 750 Motor Club’s Roadsports Championship and the Classic Sports Car Club’s Swinging Sixties series.
Others to defy the gloom were CityCar Cup and the C1 Endurance Series from the British Racing & Sports Car Club, CNC Heads Sports & Saloons and Caterham Graduates Sigma 135 from the British Automobile Racing Club stable, along with Monoposto.
Over these pages, the numbers are explored in more detail. But, when examining the figures, it is important to remember a host of caveats – most significant being that comparing grid sizes can be a very blunt tool for measuring success.
750 Motor Club
Lack of impact from Sport Specials rule tweaks was “frustrating”
Photo by: Steve Jones
When it comes to attracting the largest average grids, there is one club that has consistently topped Autosport’s tables over the years: the 750 Motor Club. Once again, the organiser’s brand of low-cost racing proved popular during 2025 and it achieved the joint-highest average across a portfolio of any club with 24 cars. But just because the 750MC is again leading the way, it does not mean it has been a straightforward year.
Fourteen of its categories actually shrunk last season and that is a clear indication of the challenging market all clubs faced. Yet 750MC managing director Giles Groombridge says there is no easy explanation for why it fared better than others.
“We have some categories where we really try to drive affordability, not just by keeping entry fees as low as possible – that’s only a fairly small component of what people spend going racing – but quite static regulations and tyre usage limitations, that certainly helps some categories,” he states. “Others it’s difficult to say. Some of our championships have been around for a long time and have a cyclical nature of success.”
One category that certainly proved bountiful in 2025 was Roadsports. It switched from a series to a championship last season, but that served to only boost the popularity of the division’s mini-enduros and it attracted the highest average of any standalone English series with 44 cars.
“We saw a niche for that level of performance of car and the package was competitively priced and the cars were fun to drive” Giles Groombridge
“There’s a fear that if you change to a championship, it means there will be changes to the dynamic or atmosphere, but it didn’t seem to do that,” says Groombridge. “What it did was keep people engaged and brought greater commitment – it was a really excellent year.”
Another success story was the Swift Sport Challenge. Very few new series were launched amid the tough climate in 2025 and even fewer performed well. However, a remarkable 29 Swifts participated in the inaugural race. The club was confident enough to give the championship standalone grids from day one and it finished the year with an impressive average of 27.
“We saw a niche for that level of performance of car and the package was competitively priced and the cars were fun to drive,” says Groombridge.
“We timed its introduction well in terms of seeing the cars for the first time last August and giving people plenty of time to build cars and test. It’s popular with novices so it’s always going to have a churn of people, but I’m pleased to see cars coming onto the market are being snapped up.”
Roadsports went from strength to strength with new championship status
Photo by: Mick Walker
However, as alluded to earlier, there is also plenty of red in the table to the right. Among the notable decreases was the Armed Forces Race Challenge, which had grids down by 26%.
“The Armed Forces Race Challenge suffers when their members are unable to race with periods of greater military deployment,” Groombridge explains. “That can impact their numbers and we probably saw a little bit of that.”
Another near the bottom of the table is Sport Specials. Several rule tweaks were made for 2025 in a bid to expand the pool of competing machinery, but Groombridge reckons changes in the kit car industry have had a detrimental impact, although is optimistic for 2026.
“Sport Specials was a little bit frustrating,” he admits. “In the British kit car industry, those manufacturers aren’t so interested in competing with their cars. You have MEV that have a different approach and are working on a new car that unfortunately wasn’t ready last year but will be for this year, so hopefully that will breathe a bit of life into the championship.
“Also, MK are working on a Mazda-powered version of their ubiquitous Seven for Sport Specials, which we were hoping to see last year but didn’t.”
In a similar vein, the Toyota MR2 coordinator selling a swathe of cars at low prices is expected to give that series a boost, while new organisers will attempt to restore Mighty Minis to a firmer footing.
Groombridge is reluctant to make sweeping changes at a time of financial hardship, so the club will continue focusing upon what it does best by offering popular, low-cost club racing.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Roadsports 44 +16%
MX-5 Cup 34 +17%
116 Sprint Trophy & 120 Coupe Cup 32 -6%
116 Trophy 31 -24%
Club Enduro 30 -12%
CALM All Porsche Trophy* 29 +7%
Locost 29 +16%
Swift Sport Challenge* 27 N/A
Armed Forces Race Challenge 26 -26%
Toyota MR2 25 -4%
BMW Car Club Racing 24 +9%
Hot Hatch* 24 -14%
Ma7da 23 +5%
Radical Club Challenge 23 N/A
Type R Trophy 23 -4%
Formula Vee 22 -21%
Clio Sport 20 +18%
750 Formula 19 +12%
Historic 750 Formula 19 -17%
Classic Stock Hatch* 18 -10%
Sports 1000 18 -18%
Sport Specials 16 -11%
F1000 14 -22%
Mighty Minis* 12 -43%
Club average 24 -4%
Note *shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds, but figures are based on each series individually
MotorSport Vision Racing
Introduction of new petrol model alongside the existing diesel boosted Focus Cup grids
Photo by: Steve Jones
Any category that increased its average grid size during 2025 was bucking the national trend of a gradual decline. However, despite that challenging backdrop, MotorSport Vision Racing achieved some impressive growth last season.
In fact, the average of six of its series increased by a whopping 40% or more. Yes, some of these were from very low bases, but it still shows that work behind the scenes has borne fruit.
The most popular of that sextet is the MotorSport Vision Trackdays-run Miata Trophy for Mk3 Mazda MX-5s, with its mean grid size now standing at 28 cars. “Rigorous eligibility checks and a very firm approach to driving standards have helped the championship gain momentum,” says MSVR manager Joe East.
Another to enjoy a major boost was the Focus Cup, which successfully introduced the newer, more powerful, petrol Mk3.5 Focus as an alternative to the older diesel model. This helped it grow by over 50% and East is confident momentum will continue to build this season.
“The introduction of a 100-minute endurance race at Silverstone and Donington Park was very well received and will remain for 2026” Joe East
“The Focus Cup has been a real success story, and anyone who has seen their paddock set-up will understand why,” he explains. “The professionalism of the operation shines through in every area. The cars look good, and the new Mk3.5 ST250 petrol class provides drivers with a clear step up into a faster car.”
Elsewhere, also returning to significant growth last year was the GT Cup. This had suffered several years of decline and, even if its grids are still smaller than the shrunk British GT average, they had increased by 40%.
“It was never in doubt for me that GT Cup’s numbers would recover,” says East. “Chris Haynes and Hannah James at Bute Motorsport made some well-judged tweaks, including the introduction of a 100-minute endurance race at Silverstone and Donington Park. This was very well received and will remain for 2026.”
Others to have notably improved fortunes were GB4 and Ferrari Challenge UK – another two categories to feature new machinery. However, away from this sextet, there were some series that struggled, and a surprising one was the MSVT Trackday Championship. Both it and the sister Trackday Trophy series have traditionally been popular entry points to club competition, but the championship’s numbers decreased by 20%.
After several years of decline, a healthy recovery for the GT Cup was “never in doubt”
Photo by: Ollie Read
“It’s inevitable there will be some ebb and flow between grids at this level,” notes East. “We naturally see progression from Trackday Trophy as drivers move into the Championship. With Trackday Trophy enjoying strong grids last season full of newcomers, I expect this ‘lag effect’ to correct itself.
“Stuart Garland [MSVT championship manager] has also been proactive in responding to driver feedback, moving to the Yokohama tyre for 2026 after some issues last season, which should have a positive effect on numbers too.”
Further down the grid sizes table, the Radical Cup UK proved to be one of MSVR’s weakest. The decision was taken to remove the SR1s from the factory championship (these instead finding a home in the 750 Motor Club’s rebadged former Bikesports series) and this left numbers in low double figures.
East feels it was the correct decision and says efforts are now focused upon replicating the growth seen elsewhere. If that can be achieved, then it will be another sign that MSVR’s attempts to improve the categories towards the bottom of its table are continuing to pay off.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Trackday Trophy 33 +3%
Bernie’s V8s* 30 +3%
Sports 2000 30 +7%
Miata Trophy 28 +40%
EnduroKa 26 -10%
Focus Cup 26 +53%
7 Racing: 420R* 24 -4%
7 Racing: 310R & 270R* 24 -4%
GB4 24 +71%
Porsche Club* 24 +14%
Trackday Championship 24 -20%
GB3 23 +10%
Legends 22 -12%
GT Cup 21 +40%
Porsche Boxster Cup* 21 -5%
United Formula Ford 1600 20 +5%
Clubmans Sports Prototype 19 -5%
Allcomers 17 +70%
Ferrari Challenge UK 17 +55%
Snetterton Saloons 16 -27%
Production GTI 14 +17%
Radical Cup UK 13 N/A
Pickup Truck Racing 12 -14%
Club average 22 +5%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. *Shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds, but figures are based on each series individually
Classic Sports Car Club
Ramair BMW category has featured a greater range of cars since CSCC move
Photo by: Mick Walker
It is fair to say 2025 was a year of changes and challenges at the Classic Sports Car Club. The retirements of two long-standing club figures in director Hugo Holder and treasurer Richard Wos piled on the pressure in the midst of the CSCC’s most ambitious calendar yet.
While the off-track situation was challenging, it was not always easy on track either – although the club was buoyed by impressive driving standards. “We announced the biggest number of dates ever and it was too many,” admits managing director David Smitheram. “It increased costs and diluted grids a little bit.”
As Autosport has previously explored, booking dates is tricky when schedules need to be planned months in advance and predicting competitor demand is far from straightforward. The abundance of CSCC events and wildly contrasting entries at these did contribute to six grids shrinking in 2025.
But, go beyond the averages, and the picture is more nuanced. Take Classic K as an example. The series for Appendix K pre-1966 machinery averaged 21 cars, down 19%, but entries were far higher at some events.
“Classic K numbers yo-yoed,” says Smitheram. “We had a couple of really strong rounds and others clashed with something else or the circuit didn’t appeal. The number of registrations was still high, and we had 28 cars at Brands and 33 at Donington.”
With a more compact calendar, new directors Hannah Gardin and Tony Rushforth up to speed, and fresh innovations like Knockhill night races, there are plenty of other signs of green shoots
But there were some notable successes. Although the Ramair BMW Championship cannot be directly compared to 2024 when it was paired with the Open Series at times, it did average 23 last year – far higher than its Kumho BMW days.
“We made it easy for existing BMWs [in CSCC categories] to slide across,” says Smitheram. “For the first time in the championship’s history, that opened the door to cars with sequential gearboxes.”
One series that has perennially struggled in recent times is Magnificent Sevens and Smitheram admits its future was looking bleak mid-season as entries hovered around 10. But the appointment of new coordinator Tom Suckling sparked renewed interest and optimism.
“Magnificent Sevens has probably been the series discussed the most in recent years,” says Smitheram. “Tom has been brilliant, really active on social media and demonstrated we could turn things around. We had 24 Sevens at the final round, which gives us the confidence to think it’s worth persevering with. In recent years it’s been all Caterhams but GBS came out for the first time ever at Brands Hatch and had two cars at Oulton Park.”
With a more compact calendar, new directors Hannah Gardin and Tony Rushforth up to speed, and fresh innovations like Knockhill night races, there are plenty of other signs of green shoots for 2026.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Swinging Sixties** 44 -6%
Modern Classics & Future Classics 34 +13%
Tin Tops 31 -9%
Turbo Tin Tops & New Millennium** 31 -6%
Midget & Sprite Challenge 24 0%
Ramair BMW Championship 23 N/A
Special Saloons & Modsports* 22 +22%
Classic K* 21 -19%
Jaguar Championship 19 N/A
Magnificent Sevens* 15 -12%
Open Series* 15 N/A
Slicks Series* 15 -6%
Club average 24 -14%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds. **Shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds, but figures are based on each series individually. **Split over two or more grids at some events
Castle Combe Racing Club
Hot Hatch remained CCRC’s most popular, but did suffer a decline
Photo by: Ollie Read
There is no escaping how 2025 has been a tough year for much of UK motorsport. But that challenge is even greater for clubs based around a single venue and therefore have a smaller pool of regular competitors to draw upon, such as the Castle Combe Racing Club.
“You have to keep on your toes and try to keep fresh, but it’s difficult to be innovative,” explains chairman Ken Davies. “As far as the deliverables are concerned, 2025 was absolutely great. We had some great racing but we had quality, not quantity. We’re finding the market is very tough and there are people going out of it not being replaced.”
This was most evidenced by the 28% reduction in Formula Ford 1600 entries, with grids falling to just 13 cars on average. “We looked at the people who left and it’s not one reason – everybody seems to have a different reason,” says Davies.
“You have to realise people are not consistent year after year – they might want a change and some guys have gone to United [FF1600 championship] and have done some different circuits.”
It was a similar story with the club’s Hot Hatch division, which remained the most popular but also declined by around a quarter. “We’re trying to make it difficult for people in poorly supported classes to win the championship by just turning up,” adds Davies. Little tweaks like that can make a difference and, with GT numbers creeping up, Davies heads into the new year with optimism.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Combe Hot Hatch 22 -24%
Combe Saloons 18 +6%
Combe GT 14 +17%
Combe Formula Ford 1600 13 -28%
Club average 17 -11%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events
British Racing & Sports Car Club
CityCar Cup has kicked up a storm of popularity with some huge grids
Photo by: Richard Styles
At a time when many club racing grids are shrinking and there is concern about a smaller pool of competitors, it is more important than ever to encourage new drivers into the sport.
Some categories are naturally more suitable for newbies than others, and the British Racing & Sports Car Club’s CityCar Cup has been a great entry point for several years now. The series for race-focused Toyota Aygos, Citroen C1s and Peugeot 107s hit new heights during 2025, attracting a brilliant average of 42 cars, up by a quarter.
“It’s a well-managed championship with a great coordinator,” explains BRSCC chairman Peter Daly. “Student Motorsport [the subcontest for teams from education institutions] is part of that – it’s not just about trailer racing, it’s got a lot of people starting racing careers. We’re also quite strict on driving standards. We had a lot of novices in it to begin with so standards have been discussed at length.”
Another championship remaining popular is Fiesta Junior, which continues to grow year on year since its 2019 nadir – when grids mustered barely a handful of Fords. That is some contrast to the average of 25 cars achieved last year and reinforces the work the BRSCC has done behind the scenes to improve its fortunes.
“It’s the only junior car derived from an NCAP-rated road car. It’s a relatively modern car and it’s very tightly controlled regulation-wise” Peter Daly
“It’s the only junior car derived from an NCAP-rated road car,” says Daly. “It’s a relatively modern car and it’s very tightly controlled regulation-wise. There is also a great list of alumni now, like Joseph Loake, Jenson Brickley and Deagen Fairclough.”
With categories like the Fun Cup also enjoying an upturn, the BRSCC ended the year with the joint highest average of all organisers. But, as with other clubs, there was a mixed picture – and that was summed up by contrasting seasons for its Mazda MX-5 divisions.
While the MX-5 Clubman category for Mk1s proved very popular – its single-day events and focus on lower costs understandably a hit in the current climate to rise by 19% to an average of 32 cars – there was another slump for the Mk3 MX-5 Supercup contest.
The BRSCC has previously outlined how this has seemingly been impacted by the increased interest in the MotorSport Vision Trackdays-run Miata Trophy, but it is worth considering the main Mk1 MX-5 Championship also had a (small) decline last year.
There was a mixed picture among MX-5 series as Clubman thrived but Supercup declined
Photo by: Jonathan Mills
At the top end of the national racing tree, British GT had previously seemed impervious to all the financial pressures that were affecting other categories, but last year was its turn to suffer, with a 31% reduction from the previous full grids. A slimmed calendar, tweaked driver grading rules and a focus on cutting costs are all aimed at reversing that decline this season.
Elsewhere, the BRSCC has been buoyed by two British Automobile Racing Club divisions – Caterham Graduates and 2CVs – jumping ship. A revamp of its old Audi TT Cup Racing series is also planned after grids fell.
“The TTs had one or two challenges, which included driving standards – possibly due to the power of the cars,” says Daly, who adds that a degree of negativity within the paddock did not help. These issues are being addressed in the new division as the BRSCC attempts to curate another large grid to add to the mix in 2026.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
CityCar Cup 42 +24%
C1 Endurance Series 37 -10%
Clubsport Trophy 34 -13%
Modified Fords** 33 -13%
MX-5 Clubman* 32 +19%
Fun Cup 26 +13%
British GT 25 -31%
Classic VW Cup & Metro Cup 25 N/A
Fiesta Junior 25 +14%
Ginetta Junior 24 +4%
MX-5 Championship* 24 -11%
BMW Supercup 23 N/A
Supersport Endurance Cup 23 -23%
Production Cup* 21 N/A
Fiesta ST150 Challenge 22 -4%
Audi TT Cup Racing 20 -29%
Fiesta ST240 Championship 19 -5%
Ginetta GT 18 +64%
Super Classic Pre-’99 Formula Ford 1600 18 0%
Ginetta GT Academy 17 0%
MX-5 Supercup 16 -27%
Cockshoot Cup 15 -6%
Club average 24 0%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. *Shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds, but figures are based on each series individually. **Split over two or more grids at some events
British Automobile Racing Club
A huge 42 MGs descended upon the Thruxton Retro event as series flourished
Photo by: Steve Jones
“It’s a really good news story,” is how British Automobile Racing Club group chief executive Ben Taylor describes the impressive 50% growth in the MG Owners’ Club Championship during 2025. Its grids rose to an average of 33, and was one of several of the BARC’s categories that enjoyed a sizeable boost in numbers last year.
“With MGOC, Jim Baynam [coordinator] has done a really good job of giving people a great place to have fun racing MGs,” Taylor continues. “We got the calendar out early and it’s really well run and people appreciate that – they know what they’re going to get.”
Alongside the MG division, CNC Heads Sports & Saloons fields were up by 36% to a whopping 38 cars, Taylor saying “the North West Centre do a great job of making sure their competitors get what they want”, while uniting the two Britcar grids into the Britcar Endurance series worked well.
Taylor was also particularly pleased by the 46% growth in British Truck Racing entries after the category had a tough 2024. “A lot of people came back for 2025 and I think 2026 looks really encouraging,” he says.
“Historics is a really competitive marketplace and Classic Touring Cars has grown so astronomically in the last five or six years” Ben Taylor
“It is going from strength to strength and it’s not just the number of competitors but the quality of the championship, the quality of the support, the commercial partners that are starting to take a look at Truck racing.
“For 2026 we’ve added the Pickups to it and bringing those back into the BARC fold. They’re under the management of the BARC and commercial activity of Trucksport using the same model with Pickups as with Trucks. They’re natural bedfellows and I think that will be really successful.”
Despite those notable successes, and the club’s overall average grid size also increasing, there were still other divisions that struggled. Some of the factory Caterham championships had sizeable reductions – with Taylor saying work is ongoing to address that for 2026 – while the Classic Touring Car Racing Club also featured a few sharp declines.
“Historics is a really competitive marketplace and Classic Touring Cars has grown so astronomically in the last five or six years,” says Taylor.
It was a mixed picture across the CTCRC’s divisions in 2025
Photo by: Steve Jones
“But some of those cars are eligible for pretty much anything. If someone else has an event on Brands GP, then they will be in, thank you very much, rather than going to perhaps Cadwell Park.”
But Taylor says the CTCRC appearing at Thruxton Retro for the first time this year should provide fresh impetus, describing the Hampshire speedbowl event’s inclusion as “the talking point across the club”.
It seems a perfect fit for the classic tin-tops and, while grid numbers are far from the only measure of success – the CTCRC’s “atmosphere and camaraderie” being a less numerical barometer – the hope is there will be further improvements across the BARC in the year to come.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Caterham Graduates: Sigma 135* 38 +26%
CNC Heads Sports & Saloons** 38 +36%
MG Owners’ Club 33 +50%
Caterham Academy 30 N/A
Britcar Endurance 29 N/A
Caterham Roadsport 29 -17%
Classic Touring Cars: Pre-’66* 27 +4%
British Touring Car Championship 24 +20%
Caterham Graduates: Sigma 150* 24 0%
Civic Cup 24 -4%
British Formula 4 23 +10%
Classic Touring Cars:
Pre-’93, Pre-’03 & Blue Oval Saloons** 23 -26%
Caterham Seven 270R 23 -26%
Mini Challenge JCW 23 +15%
Porsche Sprint Challenge GB 23 0%
Mini Challenge Trophy 22 -12%
2CV 19 -10%
British Truck Racing 19 +46%
Track Action 19 -5%
Hyundai Coupe Cup 18 0%
Caterham Seven UK 17 -6%
Classic Touring Cars: Classic Thunder* 16 -41%
Classic Touring Cars: Pre-’83* 16 +33%
Mini Challenge Clubsport 16 -24%
Porsche Carrera Cup GB 16 -30%
Junior Saloon Cars 15 -32%
TCR UK 15 +7%
Caterham Seven 310R 14 -30%
Club average 23 +5%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. *Shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds but figures based on each series individually. **Split over two or more grids at some events
Historic Sports Car Club
Plenty of effort behind the scenes has led to Historic FF16000 revival
Photo by: Mick Walker
There was a time when Historic Formula Ford 1600 was one of the most competitive and best subscribed championships in the historic scene. But the series then fell into the doldrums for a couple of years with grid sizes shrinking.
That trend was well and truly reversed in 2025, with the efforts of Chris Sharples and the Historic Sports Car Club getting its average grid back up to 26 cars, a 44% increase year-on-year.
“That shows a move to people coming back to grassroots motorsport and that’s good to see,” says CEO Andy Dee-Crowne.
Another of the club’s 2025 success stories was the revamped Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque division. This had previously been among the British Racing & Sports Car Club and 750 Motor Club portfolios, but the Alfas appeared at HSCC events last year and the series seemed to thrive.
“F3 had some good numbers but there’s some issues with getting people out. You’ve got the European series as well as the English” Andy Dee-Crowne
“I think they’ve found a place that they like,” says Dee-Crowne. “Some of the cars are historic and they found a historic paddock is better in many ways than a more modern one.”
While there was renewed optimism around these categories, numbers did fall in Derek Bell Trophy and Historic F3, although Dee-Crowne is not duly concerned. “How do you class success?” he muses.
“In terms of bang for your buck, do I want a full grid of F5000s? I’m happy with a smaller, more capable grid for things like F5000s. F3 had some good numbers but there’s some issues with getting people out. You’ve got the European series as well as the English.”
Looking ahead, 2026 is a special year for the HSCC as it plans to celebrate its 60th birthday with a summer Castle Combe event. With that focal point, Dee-Crowne is targeting an upward trajectory across the board.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
70s Road Sports, Historic Road Sports &
Historic Saloons** 31 N/A
Historic Formula Ford 1600 26 +44%
Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque 24 +85%
Classic Formula Ford 1600 24 -8%
Historic Formula Ford 2000 22 0%
Guards Trophy** 19 +12%
Derek Bell Trophy 18 -18%
Historic Formula 3 17 -23%
Club average 23 -4%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. **Split over two or more grids at some events
Equipe Classic Racing
Equipe Libre led the way with impressive 35-car average grid during 2025
Photo by: Gary Hawkins
It was a case of another year, another season of growth for Equipe Classic Racing as the organiser continues to increase its footprint – and not just in the historic world it is synonymous with.
Among the highlights was the first Equipe Six Hours race, designed in the spirit of the Spa Six Hours but without Ford GT40s running riot, while Equipe Libre continued “going great guns”.
“We had 568 drivers and 650 different cars race with us last year,” says Equipe partner Rob Cull, who notes how things have changed. “We had 17 cars on the grid for one series at our first event 10 years ago.”
Away from the pre-1966 core, it was a good season for MG Cup. Cull says: “It’s grown thanks to Peter [Burchill, coordinator] . It was averaging 16 cars two years ago when we took it on. We’re keeping that as our intro to premium club racing – we’ve tidied up the cars and driving standards.”
Not everything has been successful for Equipe, however, with its foray into historic single-seaters still struggling to catch on. It also ventured into the world of modern prototypes by uniting the Zeo Proto Series and Sports Prototype Cup. This only secured modest grids in year one, but Cull is optimistic of better numbers in 2026.
“We had 45 different cars race with us, which is really healthy,” Cull adds. “People dipped their toe in and then there were calendar clashes. There’s some interesting cars, including Chirons, coming out the woodwork.”
Equipe’s innovation does not stop there. Exciting plans are being formulated for a British Sportscar Weekend at Donington Park that will feature a wealth of historic one-make races, while it is also launching a new national-level historic championship as it seeks further growth this year.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Equipe Libre** 35 +17%
Equipe GTS 29 0%
Equipe MG Cup 23 +5%
Equipe 70s 15 +50%
Equipe Sports Prototypes 13 N/A
Club average 23 +21%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. **Split over two or more grids at some events
Vintage Sports-Car Club
Good grids at Mallory provided the VSCC some cheer during a sad year
Photo by: Mick Walker
The core focus of this feature is numbers. And, while they are undoubtedly increasingly significant for clubs, sometimes there are other far more important considerations. Julian Grimwade’s fatal accident at the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s Donington Park meeting in May provided a sad reminder of that and put things into perspective.
“That overshadowed everything we did last year,” says VSCC secretary Tania Brown. “We were lucky enough to go along to a celebration of his life in August at Brooklands Museum [where Grimwade was a key figure], which was perfect. It showed the depth of feeling for him in the historic motorsport community.”
Brown says the VSCC team dealt with the horrible incident “really well”, but it understandably took some processing. Fortunately, the August Mallory Park event provided the perfect antidote.
“Mallory Park has to be the highlight of the year – it was full grids across everything,” Brown adds. “We had our youth grid, Triple-Ms, the 750MC Austin 7s versus our Austin 7s. When you all work together, things can be really good.”
“Novices got entry free of charge. There’s a target number of laps to qualify. That was an excellent opportunity for people to try it out without the pressure of a full-on race” Tania Brown
Brown was delighted with the return of a High-Speed Trial as part of the club’s Silverstone Spring Start fixture. “It’s important to encourage novices and youngsters to come in so we put that back on,” she explains.
“True racing novices got entry free of charge. There’s a target number of laps to qualify. That was an excellent opportunity for people to try it out without the pressure of a full-on race. It seemed to have worked and we’ve got lots of new people coming through.”
Brown says it will again be part of the Silverstone event in April but before that comes the Northamptonshire venue’s Pomeroy Trophy contest, which will be celebrating its 75th edition this February.
“We’re going to have some pretty sexy stuff there – that’s going to be one not to miss,” concludes Brown as the VSCC tries to maintain the passion for historic motorsport of enthusiasts like Grimwade.
Others
Like many organisers, the HRDC had a mixed year for grid sizes
Photo by: Steve Jones
Alongside the large players, a host of smaller organisers also battle for attention in the congested club racing marketplace. But, as the proliferation of red in the table below illustrates, a lot of these found 2025 tough going.
Among the best supported were two single-seater categories that were sometimes spread over two separate grids: Monoposto and Formula Junior. While numbers dipped slightly in the more modern Monoposto series, Formula Junior entries were up a tad as the category continued to thrive without being ensconced in the Historic Sports Car Club’s stable.
It was a mixed picture across at the Historic Racing Drivers Club. While the Allstars & Classic Alfa and Jack Sears Trophy contests remained popular, Gerry Marshall Trophy grids (for pre-1983 Group 1 tin-tops) suffered amid ongoing changes within the historic market.
The Mini 7 Racing Club also had mixed fortunes as its Se7ens field remained strong, while Miglias fell – but this did still feature a mesmerising four-way title battle at the front.
The Classic and Modern Motorsport Club Southern categories propped up the table, but it is worth noting they were often either combined or appeared alongside other series, including the Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship. This only had one standalone event in 2025 and therefore does not appear as part of the table.
Grid sizes
Series 2025 average Change from 2024
Monoposto** 36 -5%
Formula Junior** 34 +3%
HRDC Allstars & Classic Alfa Challenge 33 -11%
HRDC Jack Sears Trophy 30 0%
FISCAR 27 N/A
Mini Se7en* 27 +4%
Northern Saloons & Sports Cars 26 -13%
Morgan Challenge* 24 +33%
Racing Hondas 24 -27%
HRDC Gerry Marshall Trophy 20 -31%
Mini Miglia* 20 -31%
Ferrari Club Classic 17 -26%
500 Owners’ Association Formula 3 16 -27%
CMMCS Intermarque Silhouettes* 15 +15%
CMMCS Super Saloons & Tin Tops* 14 -39%
Note All figures only apply to UK rounds and include series that had at least four race events. *Shared a grid with another series at one or more rounds. **Split over two or more grids at some events
This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the February 2026 issue and subscribe today.
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