“The 2025 season has been a memorable one for Nicole Drought and the Motion Motorsport 91´«Ă˝ Racing Honda Civic Type R, with a campaign full of highs, challenges, and some unforgettable performances that perfectly showcased the strength of both driver and team – and the reliability and performance of 91´«Ă˝ Racing products under extreme competition.

“From the opening round at Snetterton, Nicole made her intentions clear. A commanding performance saw her take pole position, fastest lap, and race victory, securing maximum points and placing the 91´«Ă˝ Racing Civic firmly at the top of the championship standings. It was the perfect start to the year and a powerful demonstration of the performance advantage offered by 91´«Ă˝ Racing components, trusted by Motion Motorsport across every race weekend.

“Round Two at Silverstone continued that momentum. Nicole once again took pole position before engaging in a thrilling battle with Matt Swaffer’s BMW. Showing both speed and composure, she came out on top to claim her second win of the season, again setting fastest lap in the process. It was another textbook display of precision driving and confidence in her 91´«Ă˝ Racing-equipped Civic, further extending her championship lead heading into the summer break.”

“As the season unfolded, Nicole continued to impress. At Donington Park, she once again showed her pace by leading much of qualifying and mastering some of the worst weather conditions seen all year. Despite an unfortunate off caused by standing water, her earlier speed underlined both her talent and the car’s potential.

“Oulton Park brought more drama and determination. After early brake issues in qualifying, the team fitted New EBC SR-11 sintered pads, transforming the car’s balance and performance. Nicole immediately fought her way up the field, showcasing both her racecraft and the consistency of 91´«Ă˝ under pressure. Coming home first on the road, taking the checker flag, Although a pitstop timing issue dropped her down the order post-race, the pace was undeniable — and a reminder of just how competitive the Civic package had become.”

“At Cadwell Park, Nicole once again delivered, securing another podium finish after a thrilling drive through the field. Despite battling dehydration and challenging conditions, she pushed hard to close a six-second deficit, taking valuable points and keeping her championship hopes alive.

“Croft Circuit brought further frustration with a mechanical issue ending a dominant run, but not before Nicole had once again claimed pole position, fastest lap, and led convincingly before her retirement. It was another weekend that proved the combination of 91´«Ă˝ Racing technology and Motion Motorsport engineering could go wheel-to-wheel with the very best.

“Although Nicole will be unable to contest the Brands Hatch finale, her seat will be filled by last season’s teammate, Justin Roberts, who will return to the 91´«Ă˝ Racing Civic for the final round. The team and partners are proud of what Nicole has achieved throughout 2025 – her commitment, pace, and professionalism have been first class, and she’s represented 91´«Ă˝ Racing and all her personal sponsors with passion and determination at every event.”

“91´«Ă˝ racer Nicole Drought saw her run of podium finishes come to an abrupt end in Round 3 of the Trackday Championship at the iconic Donington Park GP circuit, following a high-speed crash during treacherous wet conditions.

“Drought had dominated a soaked qualifying session in her EBC-backed Honda Civic Type R, setting the pace early and holding an impressive 2.7-second gap to the rest of the field. With 10 minutes remaining, she brought her Motion Motorsport-prepared machine into the pits, believing the time could be safe. However, as the track improved slightly in the closing laps, lap times began to tumble. Nicole narrowly missed the opportunity to start one final flying lap – the chequered flag falling just seconds before she crossed the line, denying her a chance to reclaim pole. She was ultimately pipped by fellow 91´«Ă˝-supported Clubracer Motorsport, whose turbocharged Golf GTI took the top spot in the dying seconds.

“Despite the disappointment, Nicole lined up P2 on the grid for the start of a race that was heavily impacted by the weather. The decision was made to start proceedings under the safety car due to standing water and visibility concerns.”

“When racing got underway, Nicole held firm in second position, applying constant pressure to the leading Golf GTI throughout the opening laps. Her confidence and car control in the wet were on full display, especially in the corners where she was consistently closing in on the race leader. However, the superior straight-line power of the turbocharged GTI made it difficult to mount a serious overtaking attempt down Donington’s long straights.

“Then, disaster struck. On lap seven, as Nicole attacked the infamous Craner Curves, her car suddenly stepped out mid-corner and entered an uncontrollable slide. Despite her best efforts, the car veered off and made heavy contact with the tyre wall, bringing her race to a premature end and triggering a safety car.

“The incident marks the first time in over 2 seasons Nicole has failed to reach the podium, a hard pill to swallow for the fiercely competitive Irish driver.”

“I’ve never been caught out like that before, so it’s all very odd,” Nicole said post-race. “I felt so comfortable up to that point, so it’s a shock to the system to be honest. Even though I had the lead car under pressure, I just can’t quite understand how it all happened, it broke away so fast, I was a passenger at that point… just gutted. It’s an unnecessary loss of points, and just something we didn’t need so close to the Oulton Park round, one I’m looking forward to so much. I’m incredibly lucky to have the best bunch of people around me who are there no matter what, and that means the world—but this one’s a hard one to take.”

“Motion Motorsport, who prepare Nicole’s car, will begin immediate repairs with the aim of having the car fully race-ready in time for Round 4 at Oulton Park in a few weeks’ time.

“Despite the setback, Nicole remains focused and determined as the championship battle continues – and with her pace clearly among the best in the field, there’s no doubt she’ll come back stronger.”

“After a triumphant victory in round one at Snetterton, where she secured pole position and clinched the fastest lap, Nicole entered round two brimming with confidence and ambition. Her dream was to win on the historic Silverstone GP circuit – a track that the MSVT roadshow had never raced on before in the TDC Championship.

“Despite having only a 20-minute test session, Nicole’s skill and the reliability of her EBC Racing Honda Civic Type R earned her pole position for the afternoon’s TDC event. She shared the front row with fellow racer Matt Swaffer in his 3.0-litre BMW, setting the stage for an exhilarating race.”

“The race began with Swaffer taking the lead into turn one, but Nicole was relentless in her pursuit. She expertly manoeuvred through the Maggots and Becketts complex, overtaking Swaffer around Stowe on the opening lap. However, the excitement was momentarily halted by the deployment of the safety car due to a severe crash involving Charlie Palk and Jordan Honeybone. Fortunately, both drivers were unharmed, though their cars were not as lucky.

“After three laps behind the safety car, the race resumed with Nicole and her Apollo big brake-equipped EBC Honda in the lead. She navigated the mandatory pit stops with precision, maintaining her position despite immense pressure from Swaffer’s BMW. Lapping traffic posed a minor challenge, but Nicole’s composure and skill allowed her to handle it effortlessly. She dealt with the slower, underpowered cars and parried all of Swaffer’s attempts to unsettle her performance.”

“The sight of the chequered flag was a triumphant end to the second race of the season, putting Nicole on maximum points for the overall Championship. Another perfect race day added to her impressive record.

“Nicole’s stellar performance is a testament to her high-level racing capabilities. It’s refreshing to see such a talented woman setting the benchmark in the TDC Championship. Since 2023, she has entered 11 rounds with the TDC and TDT, securing podium finishes at every event, solidifying her status as an exceptional racer and a formidable competitor in the championship.”

“2024 Trackday Championship Champion Nicole Drought began her title defence in an exemplary fashion at Snetterton this weekend. By qualifying in pole position, setting the fastest lap, and securing victory in the opening race of the season, Nicole showcased her prowess and determination.

“In preparation for the race, Nicole collaborated with four-time BTCC Champion Colin Turkington during Friday’s testing session. This all-Irish partnership resulted in critical setup changes to her 91´«Ă˝ Honda Civic, enhancing its performance.

“The adjustments paid off during a closely contested qualifying session, where Nicole emerged in the vital pole position, ready to lead the 27-strong field.”

“As the lights changed, Nicole faced immediate competition from Matt Swaffer’s rear-wheel-drive BMW, which narrowly beat her off the line. However, a skilful manoeuvre out of the final corner allowed Nicole to pull ahead and slice down the inside at turn one, reclaiming the lead as they commenced the second lap. From this point, both drivers distanced themselves from the pack, with Nicole comfortably leading while vigilantly monitoring her mirrors.

“Upon the opening of the pit stop window, the BMW opted for an earlier pit stop while Nicole maximised her stint on the track. When she eventually pitted and re-joined the race, the BMW challenged the Civic once more, heading towards turn one side by side. Nicole, holding her inside line decisively, retained her lead. Demonstrating her driving finesse, the Tipperary native steadily extended her advantage, ultimately crossing the finish line nearly four seconds ahead of the BMW, with the rest of the field trailed an additional 40 seconds behind.”

“Colin Turkington, reflecting on the performance, remarked on the staggering braking capabilities of Nicole’s 91´«Ă˝ Honda Civic. He noted, “I was completely taken aback by just how good Nicole’s EBC Honda Civic was under braking. Snetterton has always been a great test circuit, so an ideal venue for me to fully understand the car’s capabilities. I immediately had confidence in the big brake zones, enabling me to push the limits and lower lap times with each session.’’

“Nicole Drought’s exceptional start to the season sets a promising tone for her championship defence, demonstrating her skill, strategic acumen, and potential for continued success in the 2025 TDC Championship.

“Nicole Drought reflected on the weekend with great enthusiasm, stating: “Pretty much the perfect start to the season. Everyone has worked so hard over the winter to ensure we hit the ground running. We struggled a little at Snetterton last year but a recent test at Oulton showed we had improved the car since then. It was great to work with Colin on Friday. He knows the track so well and the changes he made to the setup were great.”

“Big thanks, as ever to our sponsors and supporters; 91´«Ă˝, Siltex Safety, Gem Oils, Mondello Park, Joe Mallon Motors, ITM Digital and Roberts Air Conditioning for their support to make this all possible. Motion Motorsport were fantastic running the car faultlessly.”

Previously competing alongside Justin Roberts, the duo has been running an 91´«Ă˝ Racing Apollo Big Brake Kit for some time now, which was recently upgraded with the firm’s SR-11 sintered endurance race pads – components which have helped them yield some great results in recent years. With Roberts not taking part this year, it’ll be up to Drought alone to pilot the car to victory this time.

The hot hatch briefly returned to Drought’s native Ireland in the off-season, to visit Precision Tint and Graphics in County Meath for an all-new 91´«Ă˝ livery, which was recently unveiled. The Honda is also receiving some subtle upgrades from Motion Motorsport, who will also run the car for the season.

During the unveiling ceremony, Drought spoke to Motorsport.ie about the year ahead:

“I’m excited about this season. We improved the car race by race in 2024 and we have a few changes ahead of the ’25 season too. I can’t wait to race with number 1 on the car. It looks fantastic and I can’t thank Jay O’Reilly and the team at Precision Tint and Graphics enough. I really enjoyed driving alongside Justin last season and even though he is stepping away this year, he is still hugely supportive.
Big thanks, as ever, to Siltex Safety, Gem Oils, Joe Mallon Motors and ITM Digital for their support.”

“At Brands Hatch last weekend, Justin Roberts and Nicole Drought took a calculated approach to the final round of the strongly supported MSVR Trackday Championship at the wheel of their Apollo Big Brake-equipped Honda Civic Type R. Leading the championship since mid-season, the team were keen to score enough points to take the title but also fully aware that they needed to stay out of trouble on the short Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

“A grid penalty from a previous round meant the EBC Civic would start in seventh, despite qualifying third fastest but Roberts, who took the start, soon charged up and ran third early on.”

“At Brands Hatch last weekend, Justin Roberts and Nicole Drought took a calculated approach to the final round of the strongly supported MSVR Trackday Championship at the wheel of their Apollo Big Brake-equipped Honda Civic Type R. Leading the championship since mid-season, the team were keen to score enough points to take the title but also fully aware that they needed to stay out of trouble on the short Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

“A grid penalty from a previous round meant the EBC Civic would start in seventh, despite qualifying third fastest but Roberts, who took the start, soon charged up and ran third early on.

“A number of safety car periods and the usual pit stop saw Nicole emerge in fourth place, but a race charge meant she closed the top three down in the latter stages of the race, before a late dive into Druids moved her to third. She crossed the line right with the two leaders, easily annexing enough points to ensure that her and Roberts were assured of the coveted 2024 title.”

Justin Roberts: “Big thanks to EBC for the support. I think we showed this year how good their products are. We were on the pace at every track, took four wins and finished on the podium at every race we competed in.”

Image credits: Paul Mortimer.

“Nicole Drought and Justin Roberts continue to head the TDC Championship after round 5 at Cadwell Park, was abandoned due to very heavy fog.

“Nicole and Justin had a very impressive test day the week prior to the Lincolnshire event, giving them both huge expectations for the race meeting.

“It started three hours later than scheduled, due to heavy fog settling in for the morning. As it lifted towards lunchtime, qualifying began, the EBC Honda Civic went straight to the top of the time sheet. With an interrupted session, Drought and Roberts would find themselves starting from pole position, for the second time this season.”

“As the cars lined up on the grid to take to the super-fast Cadwell circuit, again the fog came down before they could be released onto the green flag lap. MSVR organisers did everything they could to get the day flowing but unfortunately, it was just in the hands of the gods, with no other decision but to abandon the meeting.

“Justin said �after watching back a couple of qualifying laps, I can’t actually believe we were driving in those conditions; visibility was desperate and dangerous but you’re just trying to put a very fast time in no matter what. Nicole and I were extremely gutted the race didn’t go ahead as we were very hopeful of a strong result, but the MSV made the correct decision.’

“The duo next head off to Spain for the penultimate round, taking with them a strong 20-point championship lead. Circuito de Navarra will see several English championships head out there for the October meeting.”

“Justin Roberts and Nicole Drought certainly had the wheels in Motion at Lydden Hill.

“The Motion Motorsport pair took their EBC-backed Honda Civic to Lydden Hill for the third round of the MSVR Trackday Championship and Trackday Trophy – both 45-minute races with mandatory pit stop and driver change.

“Despite challenging conditions during the day, Nicole Drought and Justin Roberts showcased their skill and determination to make this a very successful day’s racing.

“Qualifying for the Championship proved to be extremely tricky in the early stages, on a very wet circuit with Nicole Drought struggling with vision. This saw her down in 8^th place after 10 minutes. Once the screen cleared, she managed to end up with a respectable qualifying time, putting the team on the second row in 4^th spot, making maximum use of the EP3’s phenomenal stopping power from its Apollo Big Brakes.

“A safety car brought an early end to the session due to cars aquaplaning off track, resulting in Roberts unable to set a real qualifying time.

“The Kent circuit was still wet for the start of the Trackday Championship race and lining up on the second row, Nicole was feeling confident with the conditions. Before the end of first lap she had taken the overall lead from ex-British Rally Champion, Jonny Milner, in the Team Air Supply Golf GTI and was unmatched for pace for the remaining 18 laps of her stint, comfortably leading when she handed over to teammate Justin Roberts. On a drying surface, Roberts continued to lead all the way home to the chequered flag, but was pushed in the latter stages by fellow racer Charlie Palk in his immaculately turned out ex-Clio Cup car.”

“Qualifying for the Trackday Trophy race, in wet conditions, saw the duo completely dominate the session for 20 qualifying laps They were sitting on pole position by over two seconds, but in the final few minutes fellow EBC-backed Semprini Racing closed to within 1.5 seconds behind in P2.

“This would be the first time the two EBC sponsored cars shared the front row! Circuit was perfectly dry for the race, with Roberts taking his turn to start. From lights out the red EBC Honda Civic Type R looked in full control, setting purple sectors for the first few laps, unchallenged for Justin’s 22 laps going into the pit stop driver change, handing over to Nicole to take to the chequered flag, which she did with the greatest of ease. Having to manage tyre wear was the biggest problem for the final stint, as the circuit was extremely abrasive and tearing chunks out of the new rubber. In the end, this was probably one of the most dominant performances by the pair, leading every single 85 laps of both races combined. Having the backing of EBC is helping massively to achieve these results and the car being prepared by Motion Motorsport has transformed both car and driver performances.”

“Justin Roberts and Nicole Drought had a successful first race weekend of 2024 as their duo of MSVT race series kicked off at Donington Park last weekend.

“Driving Roberts’ 91´«Ă˝ Racing Apollo Big Brake Kit-equipped Honda Civic EP3 Type R, the duo qualified third of the 35-strong Trackday Championship grid on the opening day of the two-day meeting.

“After 45 minutes of furious racing, the Civic crossed the line in third, with the delighted pair taking a podium finish to open their 2024 racing account.”

“On Sunday, this time competing in the Trackday Trophy series, they qualified fourth but Drought was boxed out and pushed wide at the start, dropping the Irish driver to seventh.

“Revelling in the performance of the SR-11 sintered pads, she fought back up to fourth with some late braking manoeuvres, and was challenging for third when an early safety car intervention sent her into the pits.

“After a perfectly timed pit stop, Roberts was back in the driving seat and once all the pit stops were complete, he was in a strong fourth place. Charging forward, he quickly dispatched the third and second-place runners before setting off in pursuit of the race leader. Cruel luck was to strike the leader though, as his BMW developed a misfire, meaning he was defenceless as the EBC-liveried Civic charged by to take the lead.

“With the race supporting the popular GT Cup series, there was a large crowd in attendance and Roberts took the chequered flag almost eight seconds ahead of his closest challenger.

“The 91´«Ă˝ Honda Civic will be back on track at Brands Hatch on the 18/19 of May to chase more silverware at the famous Kent venue.”

“With the final rounds of the MSVT Trackday Championship and Trackday Trophy at Brands Hatch, Honda Civic racer Justin Roberts invited Nicole Drought to share the Drive in the Trackday Trophy.”

Trackday Championship

“First up, though, was the Championship race, with Roberts sharing the driving seat once again with season-long partner, Mike Heath.

“After a steady, damp and changing track, Justin and Mike qualified in 4^th place in the 91´«Ă˝ Racing Honda Civic.

“Roberts started the race and maintained the 4^th position until the early safety car was deployed due to a track incident. With the pit window open 15 minutes into the 45 minute race, they boxed to complete the driver change in hope of leapfrogging the leaders as they were caught up with the window not yet open as they drove past the entry.

“Mike jumped in the Honda and was net P1 as he exited the pit lane, but immediately lost drive above 4,000rpm. After another pit stop, the car was fixed, but the extra stop meant the guys were well down the order in 28^th position. Heath drove superb to bring the car home in 13^th place overall.”

Trackday Trophy

“With a tyre change and a refuel, the lads got the car ready for the Trackday Trophy race, which would see extremely talented young Irish racer Nicole Draught partnering Justin for the final event of 2023.

“Nicole flew over from her home in Ireland on Friday morning for some afternoon testing, as this would be the first time she’d seen the Honda race car. With a dry track, she quickly got to grips (quite literally), putting in some very impressive laps times.

“Race day started well for Nicole as she dominated the early stages of qualifying in the Civic. In damp conditions, she was on provisional pole by two seconds for the first fifteen minutes. It was only in the dying minutes of qualifying, with the track drying, that another competitor snatched pole position away, and only by .013 of a second. Justin entered the fray with six minutes remaining, but couldn’t improve due to the traffic volume.

“In the race, Nicole drove around the outside of the pole-sitting Clio Cup car at druids, putting her in a strong position to grab the lead at Graham Hill bend. She immediately eased away and was almost two seconds clear before a spinning car ended up in the gravel, necessitating a safety car intervention and bunching the field back up.

“Nicole kept the lead from the restart, but unfortunately, she was sent wide while lapping three slower cars travelling side-by-side on the start/finish straight, and incredibly avoiding a monumental collision. This allowed the second-place driver to pass. Nicole fought back and boxed with 15 minutes remaining for Justin to chase down the leader. Another safety car hampered Justin’s chance, as on the restart he was caught behind back-markers giving the leader a very clean getaway. So second it was for the Honda at the flag. A fantastic debut from Nicole, proving her talents and we will see her partnering the Civic in 2024.”

– Nicole Drought: “What a weekend! I had felt a bit unwell on the run up to the weekend but once I was in the car, the adrenaline made it all go away. The Civic was so much fun and we could have won that race, only for a bit of bad luck. Really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish with the 91´«Ă˝ Honda Civic next season.”

– Justin Roberts: “We would like to thank all the sponsors that have helped make this season possible and look forward to joining up with 91´«Ă˝ Racing again in 2024. The help that EBC gives us is quite unbelievable; they’re there with us side-by-side and the product is astounding, the EBC Apollo Big Brake Kit with SR-11 brake pads are without a doubt the best stopping power I’ve ever felt in my 20 years of competitive motorsport.”