castle Combe

Round Two | 4th May 2026

The 2026 Classic Mini Racing Championship continued at Castle Combe for Round Two, where a 17-car grid took on one of the UK’s fastest circuits. A damp morning, close qualifying and two action-packed races produced another memorable weekend as the championship continued to gather momentum.

At a glance

Grid Size: 17

Qualifying: P1. Steve Rideout | P2. Ben Seyfried | P3. Will Burnham

Race One Winner: Neven Kirkpatrick

Race Two Winner: Neven Kirkpatrick

Fastest Lap of the weekend: Steven Rideout – 1:24.435

qualifying

Grid for Race One –

  1. Steven Rideout
  2. Ben Seyfried
  3. Will Burnham
  4. Sam Slater
  5. Todd Boucher
  6. Ben Butler
  7. David Burns
  8. Neven Kirkpatrick
  9. Graham Sheppard
  10. Tristan Beard
  11. Dave Rees
  12. Chris Didcott
  13. Nick Townend
  14. Suzy Inch
  15. Kevin Taylor
  16. James Bryan
  17. David Kirkpatrick

A damp Castle Combe greeted drivers for the first session of the day, with conditions changing throughout qualifying as the circuit slowly began to dry. Finding the limit was far from straightforward, and every lap became a balance between building confidence and making the most of the improving track.

At the front, the times were incredibly close. Steven Rideout secured pole position with a lap of 1:28.853, just 0.071 seconds ahead of Ben Seyfried, while Will Burnham completed the top three only three hundredths further back. With less than a tenth of a second separating the front row, it was clear that the opening race would be hard fought.

Further back, the field remained closely matched as drivers adapted to the conditions and searched for every fraction of a second. For some it was about chasing outright pace, while for others it was about building confidence ahead of two races on one of the country’s fastest circuits. By the time the chequered flag fell, the stage was set for another day of close Classic Mini racing.

race one

There was plenty to talk about before the lights had even gone out. After qualifying problems, David Kirkpatrick lined up seventeenth and last on the grid, leaving him with a mountain to climb if he was to challenge at the front.

When the race got underway, Steven Rideout made full use of his pole position to lead the field away, while David immediately set about carving his way through the pack. With every lap he picked off another car, gradually turning what looked like a difficult afternoon into one of the standout drives of the weekend.

At the front, Neven Kirkpatrick had his sights set on the leader. As the pressure mounted, Steven’s race came to an unfortunate end, handing Neven the lead for the closing stages. David’s remarkable recovery continued all the way to second place after gaining sixteen positions, while Ben Seyfried completed the podium after a composed and consistent drive.

Elsewhere, battles developed throughout the field as drivers settled into the rhythm of Castle Combe’s fast, flowing circuit. From the front of the grid to the back, there was rarely a lap where someone wasn’t chasing, defending or finding a way past.

Race One Results –

  1. Neven Kirkpatrick
  2. David Kirkpatrick
  3. Ben Seyfried
  4. Sam Slater
  5. Ben Butler
  6. David Burns
  7. Will Burnham
  8. Graham Sheppard
  9. Todd Boucher
  10. Chris Didcott
  11. James Bryan
  12. Tristan Beard
  13. Suzy Inch
  14. Nick Townend
  15. DNF – Steven Rideout
  16. DNF – Kevin Taylor
  17. DNF – Dave Rees

race two

With the reverse grid in place, Race Two brought a fresh challenge for the field. Chris Didcott and Todd Boucher shared the front row, while the leading drivers from Race One found themselves buried deeper in the pack with plenty of work to do before they could think about the podium.

David Kirkpatrick made an excellent start, slicing through the traffic to lead the opening laps, but it wasn’t long before Neven Kirkpatrick had joined him at the front. The brothers quickly settled into another close battle, swapping the lead before Neven edged ahead and gradually began to build a small advantage.

Behind them, the race was just as busy. Steven Rideout produced another determined drive after his Race One retirement, climbing back through the field to fourth, while David Burns backed up his earlier result with another impressive run to complete the podium. Across the grid, the reverse format created opportunities at every turn, with drivers constantly attacking, defending and finding new ways past.

Neven crossed the line to secure his second victory of the day, with David Kirkpatrick finishing second once again. Just behind them, the fight for the remaining podium places remained close until the chequered flag, bringing another action-packed day at Castle Combe to a close.

Race Two Results –

  1. Neven Kirkpatrick
  2. David Kirkpatrick
  3. David Burns
  4. Steven Rideout
  5. Ben Butler
  6. Sam Slater
  7. Ben Seyfried
  8. Will Burnham
  9. Chris Didcott
  10. Graham Sheppard
  11. Tristan Beard
  12. Nick Townend
  13. Suzy Inch
  14. DNF – Kevin Taylor
  15. DNF – Todd Boucher
  16. DNF – James Bryan
  17. DNF – Dave Rees

Weekend Summary

Castle Combe delivered us so much more than racing.

The lunchtime grid walk gave spectators the chance to wander among the colourful Classic Minis, chat with the drivers, take photographs, get a closer look at the cars, and see what it’s like to stare down the start finish line from the drivers perspective. A reminder that club motorsport isn’t something to watch from a distance – it’s something you can be part of.

Back in the paddock, we celebrated not just the race results, but also birthdays, a wedding, and baby news! Looks like one of our drivers will need a baby seat fitted in his race car for the 2027 season!

It was a brilliant weekend to be a part of – novices and veterans, new faces and familiar ones, all mixed in and having fun together – united by the love of motorsport.

Castle Combe showed us just how bright the future of the Classic Mini Racing Championship could be.

Next Event

Silverstone – 13/14 june 2026

Onto the home of British motorsport, for the first triple header of weekend CMR heads to Silverstone for Round Three.

Click the button below for everything you need to know for CMR Round Three at Silverstone!

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