“With the success of 2025 behind us, winning the MSVR Trackday Championship overall, we set our sights on a different goal for 2026: the Roadsports Championship hosted by 750MC would be where we plan to do battle. With a very similar format, but slightly higher power categories and faster pit stops, it sets a very different challenge.Ìý

“Over the winter, the car has received a slight power hike with a bigger turbo and supporting mods, along with some other minor upgrades. Rear brakes have been upgraded to factory Mk5 Golf R32 vented EBC plain discs, and Ultimax2 pads with slightly larger diameter; not necessarily for more brake force, but a more consistent temperature window, as the rears are worked quite hard with the OEM ABS system. This, matched with the now tried-and-tested EBC Apollo 6 pot 355x32mm front big brake kit, and our ‘go-to’ RP-X compound pads.”

“Round 1 was held at the Croft circuit near Darlington, with the weather looking to be mixed to say the least. Qualifying started in wet conditions. We readied the car with a known good wet setup and Kev rolled out to see where we were pace wise.

“Having no previous running against the new field of competitors (26 in our Class B!), it was a complete unknown at this stage. As Kev pulled in after his stint, we were sat in P2 initially – a great start! Henry jumped in for the final few laps with the track conditions improving quickly, but unfortunately a combination of traffic, an odd red flag due to a circuit electrical glitch, and various other racing driver excuses!, we ended the session in P5.

“Still a very respectable start to the campaign. It’s always been a bit of a disadvantage having 2 drivers in a sprint enduro format, as you lose half the session changing drivers and getting back up to speed, whilst single driver entrants keep lapping. Especially in changeable conditions.

Ìý“The new brake setup was proving a vast improvement in terms of feel and temperature consistency, so we were very happy with the confidence that was giving us in the bumpy braking zones.”

“The race was full of excitement, the weather constantly changing throughout. The rolling start went without issue and first five cars including us started to pull away from the remaining pack. With contact up ahead from a bold move into the Complex saw us take advantage and up to P3, using our normal measured approach. A lap later the leader went off going into the Complex too! P2.

“A few laps went by before the previous leading car of Packer was back on our rear bumper, he went through on the inside into the Complex, allowing all 3 leading cars to bunch up nicely heading down into Tower corner the following lap, where Packer re-took the lead. I ceased the opportunity to follow him through with a late brake manoeuvre both going past the leading Mk7 Golf back into P2.”

“On the way into the pits, a lapped Porsche Boxster held us up for half a lap, unfortunately meaning Kev came out the pits now in P4. Soon after Kev’s pit exit, there was a safety car due to a crashed Vauxhall Corsa, meaning it would be a 3-lap sprint to the end. The 3^rdÌýplaced BMW Z4 seemed a long way ahead on the penultimate lap, with the added hassle of a lapped VW Scirocco in-between Kev and his target. A very committed move past the backmarker through the left hander of the Esses, subsequently forcing the BMW to out brake himself into Sunny-in. Kev lined up the move into the harpin after getting right up under the bumper through the Complex. taking the P3 spot!

“A podium first time out! Couldn’t be happier with that, especially with the quality of the machinery we were up against. The car was faultless through all the different conditions. Ultimate confidence on the middle pedal making the difference for us once again.ÌýÌý

“Next round – Brands Hatch GPÌýon May 3^rd! Bring it on…â€�

Photo credits: Jonathan Elsey

“We managed to get the Civic back together after the crash and made the last two races of the year!Ìý

“After a mid-season crash at a wet Donington Park, the Semprini Racing Civic underwent an unscheduled rebuild!Ìý

“Joining up with the Club Racing UK team for the famous Birkett Relay, the EBC SR-11/Bluestuff-equipped Civic made its return to action on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.Ìý

“Pressed into action for two stints rather than the planned one due to an issue with another car in the team, Jeremy quickly got himself and the car back up to speed and posted a best lap time two seconds quicker than when they had raced at the circuit earlier in the season.”

“The final race of the season was in the Trackday Trophy at Brands Hatch and was a unique experience as qualifying had to take place behind the safety car because of fog. This meant grid positions were drawn out of a cup with Jeremy drawing P30 out of the 34 cars!Ìý

“Come race time and the fog had lifted but the rain had started. A very busy start at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit from P30 saw Jeremy stay out of trouble and then set about some overtaking… and some more overtaking!

“In tricky wet conditions, Jeremy relied on the excellent feel from the 91´«Ã½ setup and made up an incredible 25 places to finish 5th overall and 4th in class at the flag. In fact, Jeremy made up more places than any other driver!

“On to 2026 now and plans are already taking shape for another season with the Civic.”

“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€�

Oulton Park International – Round 4

“Weather looked warm for the weekend – a nice change from the monsoon conditions of Donington where we scored the car’s maiden victory! We readied the car for qualifying. With very little changed from the last round apart from basic setup changes to adapt to the dry conditions, the EBC RP-X front pads combined with the Apollo 6 pot brake kit barely showing any signs of wear from the last round up front. The Ultimax 2 pads in the rear also showing signs of fantastic durability after 2 rounds in the rear. Again, we didn’t test prior to round so we had to make sure everything was on point prior so we could hit the ground running in Qualifying.

“The car instantly felt good, with a nice balance. This was the first proper use of the 6 pots in the dry. With some big braking zones at Oulton, it was clear good stopping capability would be essential as well as consistent feel for optimum performance. Managing to put the car right in the mix at the front was going to be critical to ensure we could capitalise. With 3^rd place secured we did exactly that.”

“A quick bleed of the brakes to ensure fresh fluid was in the system, Henry lined up for the race start. With an aim of consolidating a podium finish, he set about the race start. Managing to defend some early attacks round the first corner he settled into the rhythm of the first lap. A committed move from fellow EBC-backed stablemate, Nicole Drought, into cascades saw us momentarily drop down to 4^th place. The first 4 cars pulling away from the pack it was clear this was going to be a race of 2 halves! With a safety car intervention, the cars streamed into the pits bumper to bumper. A mis-judged stop by the Civic of Nicole would leave them unfortunately out of contention from that point onwards. Leaving the top 3 cars battling for the top step after Kev had taken over from the pit stop. With an impressive move on the Mk6 Golf of Jack and George Wright into Lodge Corner on the brakes early in his stint Kev set about chasing the super consistent Matt Swaffer in his 130i BMW. His pace was to be rewarded with the victory having defended a late charge from Kev finishing a mere 2 seconds behind. 2^ndÌýplace! A great result. Making it 3 podiums finishes in row from the newly acquired Golf.

“The back-to-back podiums feeling very rewarding after all the hard work and early development with the car. – There’s still so much more to come too! Safe to say we’re very much in the right ballpark in the braking department though. The ability to drive hard all race long with such consistent pedal feel, and wear characteristics that are extremely impressive given their use and weight of the car. Next round Cadwell Park!�

Cadwell Park – Round 5

“Cadwell Park: not a firm favourite of Henry’s. However, Kev seems to enjoy it! You can guess who will be starting the race here for us… Despite not having a bad record here and generally going well, it’s not been a place I’ve ever really gelled with. This all changed a little bit when we rolled the car out for qualifying. Again, with no testing prior, we bolted a set of new tyres (the first new set since we started testing in April) and set about trying to get ourselves in contention with the host of front running cars that had tested the previous day. The car felt absolutely superb, With Henry and Kev both managing to lap within 2 tenths, albeit making time in totally different ways and sections of the track having looked at the data! The session finished with us 4^thÌýoverall. Knowing that there was plenty left on the plate performance wise. The car’s brake balance with multitude of different corners and elevations was confidence inspiring to say the least.

“Kev started the race with it being one of his preferred tracks, and immediately got off to a good start making short work of 3^rd place round the outside into turn 1. Immediately setting his sights on the BMW of Matt Swaffers who appeared to be struggling to get up to speed straight away. A challenge that lasted another 4 corners before Kev committed an excellent move down the inside into the downhill left hander at Mansfield, finishing the move into the entry of the mountain section. Up to second place on lap 1.”

“This set the tone for the whole first half of the race. With Kev and the Mk6 Golf of Jack and George Wright pulling clear of the rest of the pack. With the pit stops completed, Henry jumped in hoping to consolidate to great work Kev had started. After a couple of laps of adjustment to how the car was handling, and the gap to 1^stÌýstable, Henry set about narrowing the gap to the Golf. Keeping an eye on the hard charging Civic of Nicole behind. With 1 lap to go, Henry was right on the bumper of the Golf having stabilised the gap to 3^rd. A back marker decided to place himself right in the wrong place into turn one defusing any chance of lining up a pass at the end of the Park Straight frustratingly! With the narrowness and twistiness of the Cadwell Park Circuit, another passing opportunity wasn’t to present itself. Crossing the line a mere 0.2 seconds off the winning Golf. Ìý

“Another fantastic result in the bank. With the championship starting to take place, this leaves us leading Class B and 2^ndÌýoverall. With 2 rounds to go, it’s going to be important to maintain the momentum! It’s all to play for! Next round Croft Circuit!â€�

“A mixed firstÌýhalf of the season!

“Semprini Racing’s EBC-equipped Honda Civic has had a busy and mixed start to the season. Electrical gremlins in pre-season testing meant the first round of the BRSCC SupersportÌýEndurance Cup was missed, with the season starting instead with the MSV TrackdayÌýTrophy at Silverstone.

“This season, the Civic is once again with the tried-and-tested combination of EBC SR-11 front pads and BluestuffÌýrear, giving that great combination of stopping power and pedal feel.

“Solid mid-class pace at Silverstone, but importantly, reliability from the first race with a new engine wiring loom gave the team a huge relief.

“Next up was the delayed return to the SupersportÌýgrid at Oulton Park, a great track and firm favourite of both Jeremy and Phil. Tricky, changeable wet/dry conditions saw the pair again solidly mid-class without taking undue risks. The feel from the SR-11/BluestuffÌýcombo meant braking in the changeable conditions was predictable and the drivers could concentrate on finding grip on the damp track. Despite a last lap clutch failure, the Civic was classified as a finisher and we breathed a sigh of relief, only to have the recovery truck pull the front of the car off and damage the oil cooler, meaning a bigger repair job than hoped for!

“With clutch and oil cooler replaced and the car put back together, it was off to Snetterton – a circuit the Civic has performed well at historically. Qualifying was tricky with both drivers unhappy with the feel from the car and unable to match times from previous visits. We started the race a bit further back than hoped for and after 20 minutes alternator failure ended our race early. We subsequently found a leaky shock absorber to explain the poor handling. Surely our luck had to change soon!

“Onwards to Brands Hatch and back to the TrackdayÌýTrophy on the iconic Grand Prix circuit. Jeremy is driving these races solo this year as Phil shares another Civic with his sons in this series. Putting in competitive lap times in an extremely close top Class B, Jeremy improved on his previous visits to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit and was comfortable in the car, now complete with new shock absorber and alternator plus some other setup changes. A fresh set of each of the SR-11 and Bluestuff pads completed the car prep.

“A poor start by Jeremy saw him drop a couple of places and settle in to a battle in the middle of the class B pack. A safety car just as the pit window opened where Jeremy decided to stay out and gain a lap over those ahead who pitted backfired when the Safety Car picked up Jeremy as the leader and slowed him right down. Pitting next time around, the circuit went green as the Civic was stationary, compounding the loss in time!

“Now in 18^th,ÌýJeremy set about overtaking anything in his path, leaning on the EBC brakes as never before to overtake a total of 10 cars – including three in once corner – and finish in 8thÌýoverall, 7thÌýin class, with a new personal best lap time. The car felt great and performed well – the driver could do better!â€�

“Back to the BRSCC and DoningtonÌýPark, where Phil re-joined Jeremy for a double-header ClubsportÌý45-minute race we used as a test for the main event, the 2-hour SuperSport race on Sunday.

“Another solid mid-class outing in wet conditions on Saturday set us up well for Sunday… or so we thought! Going out first in qualifying on Sunday, Jeremy set out for an early push lap while the track was quiet, unaware a helpful Mini had dropped coolant at the top of the circuit at the fast right hander at Coppice. Full of confidence, Jeremy turned into the corner fully committed to have the car go straight on and into the gravel trap, beached! The lovely marshalls hooked us up to a telehandler and dragged the Civic out so Jeremy could put in another lap to get the requisite three before handing over to Phil. As we’d received ‘mechanical assistance’ to get out of the gravel trap, none of our subsequent lap times counted, so we were plum last on the grid!

“Not to be deterred, Phil took the start and had overtaken five cars before the first corner as he set off to make up places. During his hour-long stint, Phill got us up to an incredible 2ndÌýin class by the time of the change-over. Keeping it consistent and battling fading tyres and diminishing fuel, Jeremy had a good battle for position with the fast Mazda MX-5 in our class and brought the Civic home in 2ndÌýfor our first podium and trophy of the season! Finally a good result where car and drivers had combined well,

“Our travels took us to Croft circuit next – the first time Jeremy had been to the new layout, having last raced there on the rallycross circuit over 20 years ago! A fresh pair of SR-11 front pads and it was into a free practice session to iron out any issues and do a bit of set up work followed by a good qualifying in P2 in class behind the all-conquering Audi TT that is dominating this class, but in front of the MX-5 we are battling with.

“Jeremy took the start and actually overtook the Audi into turn 1, but was soon back down to 2nd as the rocket ship Audi took off and joined the battle with the cars in the classes above. Keeping an eye on the Mazda’s pit board, Jeremy could see the gap increasing as he pulled away and settled into a nice rhythm. The Civic then threw its latest curveball by losing 3rd gear as Jeremy came out of the complex towards the final hairpin after 20 minutes. Despite this – and a couple of excursions – he managed to maintain 2nd in class and hand over to Phil with a very useful buffer. Phil duly maintained and then extended the gap before a late safety car which – this time – played into our hands and increased the gap to the Mazda. We crossed the line for another P2 and another trophy, plus a front left tyre down to the cords!”

“Back to Donington and back with MSV for the double header weekend of Trackday Trophy and Trackday Championship. For the first time this season, Jeremy was entered in the TDC and duly strapped on a set of the control Toyo R888R tyres for the wet/very wet qualifying session. Driving on these tyres in the wet for the first time, the Civic Jeremy kept his head and didn’t push things too hard, to come in mid-grid.Ìý

“The race started even wetter and after a reasonable start, Jeremy was battling in a group of cars when one – another MX-5 – spun in front and into the path of an evasive-action taking Jeremy who had nowhere to go, slamming into the spinning Mazda and sustaining considerable damage to the front left of the car.Ìý

“It’ll take some time to repair the Civic, but the aim is to be back out this season, at the very least for the season-ending Birkett Relay, but hopefully for a couple more events before that.

“Big thanks to 91´«Ã½ for the support again this season – we may not get through as many sets of pads as we’d have liked to due to our enforced absence for a while, but the SR-11//Bluestuff combo has been one thing we haven’t had to worry about in this challenging season!â€�

Round 3 – Donington Park GPÌý

“Round 3 of the Trackday Championship took us to the not so sunny Donington Park circuit in GP format.

“The Clubracer Golf had been subject to some upgrades after its impressive 3^rdÌýplace at Silverstone, where it had shown good pace throughout the weekend despite its lack of testing, and our familiarity with the platform.

“The newly fitted EBC Apollo 6-pot Motorsport Big Brake kit grabbing the attention of many as we had the car up on stands preparing a full wet weather setup for the days racing. The 355mm x 32mm floating disc setup looking menacing behind the 18â€� wheels. With our old tried and tested EBC RP-X pads up front, combined with some Ultimax 2 rear pads, we had all the reason to be confident going into the weekend on the hardest track in the country on brakes.”

“With the rain falling hard before qualifying, and our total lack of testing in the wet with the Golf, it was a case of applying previous experience in setup and wet racing line to try and get the best of things. Championship leader Nicole Drought, in her 91´«Ã½ Racing Apollo-equipped Civic Type R, was straight out the gate into provisional pole in the wet conditions, getting up to pace almost instantly. The first few laps were a case of finding the balance and grip forÌýHenry, who handed the car over to Kev at the session halfway point. With the Civic in the pits assuming it was job done, Kev set about the final lap in the session having the got familiar with the car and conditions very quickly as the rain eased slightly. A blistering lap putting the EBC/Helix Golf on pole by 2 tenths of a second as the flagged dropped, before Nicole could get a chance to respond. Locking out the front row with the EBC-equipped cars.

“With the rain falling harder and harder, Kev strapped himself into the car, ready to do battle. With the conditions as they were, race control opted for a rolling start to try and minimise risk. Kev got a great run and maintained the lead from the hard-charging Civic of Nicole. As the two leaders pulled a 14-second gap together away from 3^rd place, the rain was still falling harder. Kevin showing absolute composure under pressure. A rare error from the Civic entering the infamous Craner Curves on standing water and proceeding impact with the tyre wall prompted a safety car, then a red flag as multiple cars required recovery in dangerous positions.”

“As the red lights fell for the standing restart, Kev again managed a faultless getaway, pulling clear of the field before pitting to change over toÌýHenry. The rain having eased slightly at the point he left the pits only to find a hard charging Charlie Palk in the distinctive lime green Scirocco (also equipped with EBC pads all-round on our recommendation) who was up to speed after his stop and filling up our mirrors. The gap changing constantly with the flow of back markers and traffic, withÌýHenryÌýmanaging to find some imaginative gaps along the way eventually breaking free slightly. With the hard work done, a few more laps managing the situation led to us bring the car home for its maiden win in the TDC.

“The new Apollo Big Brake Kit having performed faultlessly in combination with the standard ABS system. Untested and unknown, bolted on two days prior to the race meeting. Taking pole and the overall and class win a testament to the quality and performance we’ve relied on for the last four years.Ìý

“With the championship all of a sudden blown wide open, it’s all to play for heading into Round 4 at Oulton Park…�

“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.�

Round 2 – Silverstone GPÌý

“Round 2 took us to sunny Northamptonshire and Silverstone Circuit – home of the British GP. A rare club motorsport visit to the full GP circuit.

“With the engine issues of Round 1 behind us, and the car clad with some new EBC SR-21 pads, and new two-piece floating discs in combination with the beautiful hard anodised four-pot callipers up front, as well as EBC Yellowstuff matched with Ultimax grooved discs on the rear, we were confident of a better weekend!

“Qualifying is always a compromise with two drivers, due to the required mandatory driver change. Once you’re up to speed, you have to change drivers. All within the 25-minute session time. This made even harder with a long lap time, with the in and out laps. That said, we quickly got to grips with task in hand and made the best of the 3-4 laps we had each… Putting the car on the second row of the grid in 4^th.”

“The race itself started with a sizable safety car period after a start-line collision which neutralised things whilst they recovered cars, and ensured drivers were ok – thankfully that being the case.

“Once the safety car peeled in, the top four cars including our Golf, made a break from the rest of the pack. Henry had the best view of the battle between 2^ndÌýand 3^rdÌýplace which he positioned himself in prime position waiting for any opportunity. Carefully waiting and watching the battle unfold, aware that they were compromising themselves in the hunt for the lead!

“The battle headed all the way into the pits, where the swift driver change, and perfectly timed exit saw us come out in a favourable 3^rdÌýposition overall. Kev making the sensible decision to manage the race and get some very good points and podium finish under our belts by not getting in any trouble and confirm our position as a top Class B contender this year.

“A very respectable finish in our first race finish with the car! There is so much more to come, and development to exploit yet.

“The braking package is testament the EBC products we are used to. Being able to sustain the temps and harsh usage required to be the front. The confidence in the package is critical to any success.�

“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€�