BRSCC READY TO COOK UP A BRANDS HATCH BANGER
The BRSCC 2025 Spring Season Starter is ready to light up the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit with a weekend of high-stakes racing, as some of the most exciting championships in British motorsport go wheel-to-wheel at one of the UK’s most iconic circuits. With everything from multi-hour endurance races to fast-paced sprints, this event promises to be a spectacular curtain-raiser for the spring racing season.
The opening four hours of racing for the Fun Cup Endurance Championship kick off what’s due to be one of their most impressive and competitive campaigns in recent years, off the back of an incredible 2024 that ended with a healthy entry. 2025 promises to deliver even more, especially with so many strong teams expected. Defending champs Olympian are hoping to begin another title defence in perfect fashion, but their competition will be formidable. Squads such as UVio/ Hofmann’s Motorsport, GCI Racing and Racelogic and PLR Racing have also won FunCup titles in the past, while Greenheath, Red River Sport and Vapeclub with EDF are regular front runners too.
Plus there’s a very exciting influx of new teams with very talented drivers, including Race Venture featuring CityCar Cup champion brothers Richard & Stuart Bliss, Team FFS featuring former Caterham champion Lewis Thompson, Balfe Motorsport with GT expert Shaun Balfe along with Thomas, and Demon Tweeks entering two cars, one containing Jason and Guy Minshaw plus rapid historic racer Michael Lyons. This opening race of the season has all the makings of being pure magic.
A few weeks removed from their opening races of 2025, the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 paddock now bundles its way into the Kent speed bowl for race weekend number two. The Kent Models Mazda MX-5 Championship goes to Brands Hatch with AB Motorsport boss Ali Bray on a high after owning the top step all weekend, but he’ll know that key rivals such as Steve Foden, Adam Sparrow and Will Chadwick will surely make it difficult for him straight from qualifying. On such a short circuit, expect the battles at the front to be congested and exciting.
Also in the Mk1 ranks, the Clapham North MOT Mazda MX-5 Clubman Championship also brings a healthy entry ready to resume after Silverstone. Both of their races were on a combined grid back on the GP circuit last month, but this time they’re back to standalone on a much less busy grid. Jordan Pimley and Jack Warry came away with the victories, but both had to contend with 2024 champ Jonny Greensmith plus the Paices Del and Jake. With their pair of races taking place on the Saturday, drivers will be looking to be in and out of there drama-free and with solid points.
The Clapham North MOT Mazda MX-5 SuperCup found its early front runners at Silverstone, with 2022 Pro champion Will Blackwell-Chambers and Thomas Langford inseparable on track all weekend. They’ll be set to pick up where they left off, but they’re sure to have company in the form of double defending champion Aidan Hills and multiple race winner Jack Harding on the entry list this weekend. They’re sure to give the current points leaders in Pro some extra competition, while rookie Sam Middleton was a sensation at Silverstone with Club class wins in all three races. He will wish to keep the same form going to Kent and even try and get amongst the Pro runners again.
Bringing a single seater flavour, the opening Geoff Page Engineering Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford Championship begins a new campaign at Formula Ford’s spiritual home of Brands Hatch. The Indy circuit welcomes another excellent mix of cars across all four classes competing for their respective accolades.
Super Classic A features defending class winner Tom Hawkins, but with increased competition including Vincent Jay, Ben Powney and Andy Charsley. Chris Stones is also back to defend his Super Classic B honours with Mathew Smith, Lorna Vickers and Tim Fitzgerald amongst the contenders here too. Super Classic C will feature Stuart Kestenbaum, Colin Williams, Mark Bates and Simon Langman, while Oliver Chapman looks to make an impact in Super Classic D.
The SW Motorsports ClubSport Trophy is back once more with another grid filled with excellent variety and competitive machinery for their opening race of 2025. Class A looks mighty with familiar front runners including Phiroze Bilimoria’s VW Scirocco, Shane Kelly’s Morgan, Adam Marshall’s VW Golf, and David Shead’s BMW likely to be favourites for overall victory. With the rest of the field populated by BMW Z4s, more VW Golfs, Honda Civics and Audi TTs amongst others, there will be plenty of position swapping up and down the classes.
Two grids will merge into one for this weekend and for most of the season, as the Ricci Concept Classic VW Cup and Hickford Construction MG Metro Cup will share the tarmac between each other. The Classic VWs have an excellent selection of VAG cars, from the usual VW Golfs including Carey Lewis, Dawn Butcher, Chris Adams and Thomas Redford, to Ken Lark’s Scirocco, Ellie Dixon’s Polo, Pinnacle Racing’s trio of Audi A3s and Tony Hunter’s SEAT Leon. Competition amongst this lot should be entertaining.
Over with the MG Metros, Jack Ashton has to start as the overwhelming favourite after missing the opening two rounds of 2024 and still managing to end the season runner up in points. If he can make as strong a start as he finished last year, he will surely be the one to beat. He will surely have main competition from Jon Moore, Dick Trevett, Tim Shooter and Matthew Simpson, all of whom will also have points to prove.
Written by Scott Woodwiss
