“The 2025 season has been a memorable one for Nicole Drought and the Motion Motorsport 91´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ Racing and all her personal sponsors with passion and determination at every event.â€�

“91´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½-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.â€�

“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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½, 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.â€�

Previously competing alongside Justin Roberts, the duo has been running an 91´«Ã½ 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´«Ã½ 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.

“Round 6 of the MSVR Trackday Championship saw us packing our car to the brim with tools and spares and sending it on its way to sunny Spain to the newly refurbished Circuito de Navarra. Acquired by MSV recently and subject to lots of recent updates of the facilities and track itself, we would be the first race series to battle it out on the new layout. A very exciting adventure having not raced overseas before. A logistical challenge as much as a racing one!

“With testing completed on the Friday, the technicalities of the circuit and its challenging mix of elevation and compound corners combined with tricky braking brakes was becoming more fluid to us. We were using three-race-old pads up front with very little material left, which is one of the many benefits we’ve found using the RP-X compound – we can use them pretty much to the backing plate and suffer no loss of pedal feel and modulation. With one last session to go, we strapped on a new set of Ultimax front discs and RP-X pads to bed in ready for race day to complement the tried and tested Yellowstuff rears that have been in there all year so far testament to their wear and performance characteristics.

“With fewer numbers making the trip to the Spanish circuit than at previous rounds, the class pressures were largely diminished, however the opportunity to mix it up with the higher class cars wasn’t to be dismissed. We powered on qualifying the current Class C championship leader, putting us a solid 8th on the grid of the main event. The heavy braking zones into the four tight hairpins made light work of by the RP-X/Yellowstuff combo.”

“With the temperatures rising, the race would be a tough one on the cars, with race management being key. As we set off, as the lights dropped we got into the battle with the Class C Celica and Class B Civic just ahead. With a ‘last of the late brakers’ move into the top hairpin after a great run up the hill, we dived up the inside of the Semprini Civic after a few laps of lining up a move. After a few laps re-defending the higher power car, I was able to focus on reeling in the Celica who looked to be struggling with tyre temp. With a great battle all the way down the main straight into the fast sweeper, I snuck up the inside gaining a further position on the brakes. Confidence on the middle pedal being the most important factor at this circuit! With Kev now in the car after the pit stop, he dutifully went about the business of consolidating the position and managing the car and gaps to the end as there was no potential to gain on the higher-class cars ahead.

“Another class victory and high points finish to go towards the championship campaign! With 1 round to go at the probably not-so-sunny Brands Hatch later this month, we can hopefully add to the season’s silverware!�

“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.�

“Round 4 brought us to a very humid Snetterton in Norfolk. With the car cleaned down from all the Rallycross dirt and muck from a soggy Lydden Hill, we readied ourselves for qualifying. With the RP-X front pads and Ultimax discs fitted before the last round showing very little in the way of wear, the braking zones of Snetterton weren’t going to pose any issues. The Yellowstuff pads fitted in the rear at the start of the season showing less than 50% wear which is also an impressive feat.

“With Class D making up the majority of the grid again, the competition was going to be tough. After the first half the session cut short due to a stranded car, with us sat 3^rd in class, Kev jumped in for the 2^nd half. Improving on the first half’s time unfortunately didn’t jump us any positions in class but the top-3 bunched nicely together making for a potentially interesting race start. We were later promoted to 2^nd due to a regulation infringement by the pole sitter.

“The race start at Lydden Hill, or lack of, due to me stalling was at the forefront of my mind as a sat on the grid in the thick of it again! Luckily some refreshed focus on the basics and a good reaction time catapulted me through the 6 cars in front of me as the red lights dropped. Probably the best race start I’ve ever made! The negative side of making such a good start is having a whole host of higher class B and C cars trying to navigate their way back round on the first 2 laps!”

“Being careful to pick my battles and not lose tie defending pointless battles the race started to settle into its initial order. Having made it back up to first in class, the 2^nd place Mazda was hot on out heals slowly gaining on our 5 second gap. At this point I decided to drop the normal tactic of managing the car and race mitigating reliability and risk went out the window and switched to ‘drive the wheels of it’ mode. Deeper, later and harder on the brakes as I ever have been in race condition. The brake combo simply took the abuse and gave me confidence to keep pushing, allowing me to maintain the gap nicely.”

“A combination of the race leading car catching fire and another car stricken on the infield in the barriers caused an early red flag, with disappointingly no restart. – However confirming our class victory which was of course a positive! I was glad of the chance to blink and breathe again however! 

“Round 5 sees us tackle the ‘Nürburgring of the North’ at Cadwell Park. Not a firm favourite, but a track we have a good record at non the less. Last half of the season coming up!�

“Round 3 saw us in uncharted territory – Lydden Hill Circuit in Kent. A short circuit with very aggressive tarmac and large elevation changes throughout.

“Having tested on the Friday before the racing on Saturday, we had a chance to bed some new RP-X pads and Ultimax discs ready for qualifying. And scrub some tyres in also. The rear EBC Yellowstuffs fitted from round 1 are still in great shape with well over 50% remaining, despite them getting a regular hard workout with the ABS system controlling bias. The pedal modulation, and control/feel the we get from this combo give us confidence and performance in all conditions and surfaces.  

“With 12 other class D cars to battle it out over the short Lydden circuit, qualifying was a bit of an odd affair. With the rain starting to fall we managed to secure provisional pole, however a stranded car in the infield gravel trap provoked a red flag. We opted to do our driver change at this point and noticed that the fuel tank strap under the car had simply snaped off! Utilising the red flag period to fix the issue we lost a fair bit of track time dropped to third in class. By the time we re-joined the session the rain had made it all but impossible to improve. Far from a disaster, but leaving us work to do!”

“The race was to start in damp conditions, but drying. As we lined up on the grid, I picked up the revs as normal and waited for the red lights to clear. As soon as they did I dropped the clutch and stalled the car! Possibly due to the super abrasive surface, the car just gripped and bogged. I sat there praying that no one collected me whilst re-starting the car. As luck would have it everyone did a great job, and I was soon fired back up and chasing the pack.

“From flat last with quarter of a lap to catch everyone, I set about the mother of all comebacks. With myself fully in the zone, and dispatching of the first few cars with relative ease, I started to gear up for the some of the more challenging moves required to climb the order. One after one they started to be dispatched, in a combination of moves on the brakes, round the outside, down the inside, along the straight, passing spinning and stranded cars, I had managed 11 moves before handing the car over Kev to complete the job with the car now back up to third in class.”

“Kev got straight to work passing a higher Class C Clio into the tight left hander with a ‘last of the late braker’ style move! Testament to the confidence on the brakes. The very next corner he managed to edge the Class D MX-5 up the inside into the final corner for second in class. With 10 mins left of the race, Kev set about the Class leaders. After a couple of laps he was right on their bumper. Attempting to go round the outside on the hairpin, we were just about given space on the exit, heading side by side in to the final corner. With the fullest of commitment edging past to take the Class lead round the outside despite some questionable contact on the exit!

“Bringing the car home with a comfortable lead we reflected on what had just happened! From flat last to taking the class win and 9^th overall! The car was just sublime, so much confidence everywhere, where others seemed to struggle. A great points haul and an extension to our lead in the Class D standings! Roll on Snetterton for round 4 in August…�