oulton park

Round One | 11th April 2026

The 2026 Classic Mini Racing Championship got underway at Oulton Park with a 15-car grid, marking the first full championship season following two successful invitational events in 2025.

At a glance

Grid Size: 15

Qualifying: P1. David Kirkpatrick | P2. Kelvin Fletcher | P3. Chris Morgan

Race One Winner: Chris Morgan

Race Two Winner: Neven Kirkpatrick

Fastest Lap of the weekend: Kelvin Fletcher – 2:09.502

qualifying

Grid for Race One –

  1. David Kirkpatrick
  2. Kelvin Fletcher
  3. Chris Morgan
  4. Neven Kirkpatrick
  5. Dave burns
  6. Will Burnham
  7. Steve Rideout
  8. Paul Ogborn
  9. Brayden Fletcher
  10. Tristan Beard
  11. Dave Rees
  12. James Bryan
  13. Nick Towend
  14. Chris Didcott
  15. Graham Sheppard

The Classic Mini Racing Championship’s first qualifying session got underway on a damp and greasy Oulton Park circuit, with drivers quickly discovering just how little grip was available. Every lap was a balancing act between building confidence and finding the limit, as fifteen Classic Minis tackled one of the UK’s most challenging circuits in unpredictable conditions.

When the chequered flag fell, it was David Kirkpatrick who secured the championship’s first-ever pole position with a lap of 2:23.368. Kelvin Fletcher, Chris Morgan and Neven Kirkpatrick completed a closely matched top four, separated by just two seconds.

With drivers still learning both the circuit and the changing track conditions, qualifying gave an insight into how competitive this field was. Everything pointed towards an exciting opening race.

race one

As the lights went out for the first race of the 2026 Championship, the track had begun to dry, but it still demanded precision. David Kirkpatrick made a strong start from pole position, but it wasn’t long before Chris Morgan, starting from third on the grid, worked his way into the lead.

Once out front, Chris found a strong rhythm and opened up just enough of a gap to give himself some breathing space. Behind him, however, the race everyone was watching was unfolding.

Kelvin Fletcher and Neven Kirkpatrick spent almost the entire race locked together in a remarkable battle for second place. Lap after lap they ran nose-to-tail, neither driver able to shake the other, pushing hard while leaving just enough room. It was close, clean racing from lights to flag, with the pair crossing the finish line separated by just a few tenths of a second.

Afterwards, Kelvin summed it up perfectly, saying he had been “grinning the whole way round” and had forgotten how much fun these little cars were to drive, having spent time in BTCC and GT racing.

It wasn’t just the fight for the podium that caught the eye. Throughout the field, drivers settled into their own battles as the conditions improved, with small mistakes and strong exits making the difference between gaining and losing places. Wherever you looked around the circuit, there was another group of Classic Minis racing hard but fairly.

Chris Morgan took the chequered flag to become the first-ever race winner in the Classic Mini Racing Championship. Behind him, Neven Kirkpatrick and Kelvin Fletcher completed the podium, with just 1.654 seconds covering the top three after one of the closest battles of the weekend.

Race One Results –

  1. Chris Morgan
  2. Neven Kirkpatrick
  3. Kelvin Fletcher
  4. Steve Rideout
  5. David Kirkpatrick
  6. Brayden Fletcher
  7. Dave Rees
  8. Dave Burns
  9. Paul Ogborn
  10. Will Burnham
  11. Tristan Beard
  12. Graham Sheppard
  13. James Bryan
  14. Nick Townend
  15. Chris Didcott

race two

The reverse grid turned Race Two on its head.

Novice driver Tristan Beard found himself starting from pole position for only his second race, while the front-runners from Race One faced the challenge of fighting their way through the field. It didn’t take long for the order to begin changing, with David Kirkpatrick making a superb start before Neven Kirkpatrick worked his way into contention.

The two brothers soon found themselves battling for the lead, swapping positions as they searched for every advantage around the fast, flowing Oulton Park circuit. Behind them, Chris Morgan was equally impressive, carving his way through the field to join the fight at the front after starting further back on the reverse grid.

Throughout the pack, the reverse grid created opportunities at every turn. Drivers who had spent Race One defending were now attacking, while others found themselves racing at the front for the first time all weekend. Wherever you looked, there were battles unfolding as confidence continued to grow in the improving conditions.

Neven Kirkpatrick crossed the line to take victory after a measured drive through the field, with David Kirkpatrick and Chris Morgan close behind. Just 1.304 seconds separated the top three, making Race Two even closer than the championship opener.

Race Two Results –

  1. Neven Kirkpatrick
  2. David Kirkpatrick
  3. Chris Morgan
  4. Kelvin Fletcher
  5. Steve Rideout
  6. Brayden Fletcher
  7. Will Burnham
  8. Dave Rees
  9. Dave Burns
  10. James Bryan
  11. Paul Ogborn
  12. Tristan Beard
  13. Chris Didcott
  14. Graham Sheppard
  15. Nick Townend

Weekend Summary

Oulton Park marked the beginning of the Classic Mini Racing Championship, and despite damp conditions and changing weather, the opening round delivered plenty to remember.

From novice drivers tackling their first race weekend to experienced racers renewing old battles, every session produced something different. Around the paddock there was a genuine sense that something new had begun.

As Chris Didcott reflected after the weekend, wherever you were on the grid, there was always another driver to race. It was a feeling shared across the paddock, with close battles unfolding from the front of the field to the very back.

For a championship taking its first steps, Oulton Park was a huge success

Next Event

castle combe – 4th May

One of the UK’s fastest circuits and a favourite among many of our drivers, CMR heads to Castle Combe.

Click below for everything you need to know for CMR Round Two!

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