Lydden Hill Motorsports Club

LYDDEN HILL MOTORSPORTS CLUB

RACE DAY - LYDDEN HILL CIRCUIT

19 July 2025

Many years ago we regarded Lydden as very much our home track for circuit racing, with regular visits to meetings hosted by TEAC (Thames Estuary Automobile Club), who ran their own “alternative” Mini Seven championship as well as enjoying strong local support for a regular menu of Special Saloons, Modsports, Formula Ford and Formule Libre – the staple classes for club racing in the 1970s. Later on it was great fun to work with Lydden’s creator, Bill Chesson, when he promoted similar meetings under his own Astra Motor Club banner. Much has changed at Lydden since Bill’s day and full circuit racing events are now few and far between, so when our original plans were cancelled for a weekend when Lydden had two days’ circuit racing scheduled, we grabbed the opportunity to head back to Kent.

Sunday would see the now annual “Historics on the Hill” day, while Saturday was promoted as the Lydden Hill Motorsport Club’s race day, with a full and varied programme. The Pickup Truck Racing Championship and the Classic 2CV Racing Club would feature over the full weekend, while the United Formula Ford Championship, the Intermarque Silhouette Series, the “OT Coupé Cup with Toyo Tyres” and the Classic and Modern Motorsports Club’s combined Super Saloons and Tin Tops Series would complete their racing on Saturday.

Saturday’s main event was the return to Lydden of the UNITED FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP after its successful visit last year. The 17-car entry had a 10- minute free practice, 20-minute qualifying and two 20-minute races scheduled, but the first race was a chapter of disasters. Having returned to the grid after a normal green flag lap, the green flag waved again, and off they went, some thinking it was another warm-up lap, but it was soon clear they were racing, as Tom Nippers outbraked pole man Jason Smyth into Devil’s Elbow for the lead, but a lap later the red flag was out, with a suggestion the grid had incorrectly been lined up two by two when it should have been in a staggered formation.

It was back to the paddock for a ten-minute wait before the grid was re-formed. This time Jason Smyth held the lead but after a couple of laps there was another red flag, with Belgian driver John Svensson’s Ray having stopped on the exit of North Bend. Another restart, for a promised 12 minutes from the original grid, only lasted a lap as contact first time into Devil’s Elbow put front runner Anthony Amato’s Ray into the gravel. Everyone was sent off with a promise of a rerun at the end of the day, if it could be fitted in before the 6 pm curfew. At times, that looked doubtful with a couple of prolonged spells of unexplained downtime between races, but it came good in the end.

In the meantime, race two lined up with a grid based on second fastest qualifying times, which still put Jason Smyth’s Team Dolan van Diemen on pole. The Irishman went straight into the lead and just pulled away into the distance, helped by a nine-car train contesting second place. Sadly a couple who were doing well dropped out, Frenchman Adrien Laissac’s Team Dolan van Diemen and John Svensson, but the battle continued to the end, with Morgan Quinn’s van Diemen RF92 taking advantage of a slightly too close encounter between Anthony Amato and Tom Nippers to make it an Irish 1-2 by narrowly beating Tom, while Anthony beat Charlie Mann’s slightly older Ray for fourth, chased by American Connor Willis, Spencer Shinner and German Maris Schulte in the trio of similarly liveried Oldfield Motorsport van Diemens. Germans Klaus Dieter Hackel and Gerhard Hauschulthe’s privately run van Diemens were split by Adam Fathers’ Ray in the next places, with the finishers completed by Mark Adkins’ Jamun and Matthew Smith’s van Diemen after Matthew Hayes’ Jamun retired in the closing stages. Innes Hickman’s van Diemen was the only non-starter.

Thankfully the turnaround of races became much quicker as time started to run out and the Formula Fords returned to the grid to start a 15-minute race, just 20 minutes before curfew time. 13 of the original starters made it and again Jason Smyth led all the way, although this time he was closely chased by Tom Nippers until Tom pulled off with a lap to go. That promoted another closely battling train of cars with Morgan Quinn taking second again from Anthony Amato, Charlie Mann, Connor Willis, Adrien Laissac, Spencer Shinner and Maris Schulte. Klaus Dieter Hackel and Gerhard Hauschulthe were next up, also first and second in the “Heritage” class with their 1991 van Diemens, with Adam Fathers quickly restarting after a spin across the finish line, dropping him out of the top ten, while Mark Adkins completed the order.

The INTERMARQUE SILHOUETTES SERIES, catering for National Hot Rod-type machinery, and populated largely by familiar ex-oval racing names, brought out a field of twelve cars, headed in the dry qualifying session by Ray Harris’ Ginetta G40-styled car, from Richard Smith’s Mercedes SLK, Keith White’s BMW Z4 and former Lydden Outlaw Hot Rod regular Colin Smith’s Ginetta. The first 20-lap race was led all the way by Ray Harris, with Richard Smith taking second from son Lewis, also in an SLK. Colin Smith unfortunately dropped out after holding an early third place and Keith White took fourth from Reuben Taylor’s Ginetta. Eventually lapped were Paul Cocksedge’s Tigra (also occasionally seen in the Kent Outlaw Oval class), Volker Timm’s Audi TT and Steve Phillips’ AutoXross Fiesta. Nick Bass’ Mazda RX8, Mick Robertson’s Corrado and Phil Spinks’ Tigra all dropped out.

The second race grid had the top eight (all the finishers) reversed from the first race result, although the front row opted to go from the back. Reuben Taylor led out of the first corner, but by the end of the lap Lewis Smith was in front from Ray Harris. It took ten laps for Ray to get to the front but once there he pulled out a comfortable lead to win from Lewis, with Richard Smith a bit further back in third, chased by the unrelated Colin Smith. Reuben Taylor, Keith White and Mick Robertson were eventually spread out a bit in the next places, with Paul Cocksedge and Steve Phillips lapped at the end, while Phil Spinks and Volker Timm retired.

The OT COUPÉ CUP caters for three generations of the Hyundai Coupés and brought out a 15-car grid for a 15-minute qualifying and two 15-minute (18-lap) races. A good start from fourth on the grid took Paul Lawrie into the lead and he held off pole man Nathan Williams for seven laps until Nathan managed to dive through on the inside of Devil’s Elbow to take the lead which he held to the end, while fellow front row man Stephen Slawson took second when Paul Lawrie took to the gravel out of Pits Bend with three laps to go. Paul held on to third with Adam Jones and Harvey Cursley close behind to complete the top five. A battle for sixth went to Ben Wilkinson from Matthew Watson, Mark Jones and Dan Fletcher, with Daren Ford completing the top ten ahead of Ian Brunning, Tim Prince and Spencer Hirons, with Kevin Sandford completing the field after Gary Hobbs pulled off before the start. The second race started in the finishing order from their first outing, but Nathan Williams made a slow start from pole and Stephen Slawson led into the first corner, chased by Paul Lawrie and Adam Jones. Adam quickly moved up to second and, after six laps, took the lead which he held the rest of the way, pulling out three seconds over Stephen, while a further eight seconds back, Nathan Williams worked his way from eighth place back to third, ahead of Harvey Cursley. Ben Wilkinson beat Paul Lawrie, Matthew Watson and Mark Jones in the next places, while Gary Hobbs, after problems in both qualifying and the first race, came from the back to take ninth, in front of Daren Ford, Dan Fletcher, Ian Brunning, Spencer Hirons and Tim Prince, with Kevin Sandford again completing the order.

The CMMC SUPER SALOONS AND TIN TOPS have had regular Lydden outings over the years, previously under the BARC South-Eastern banner, albeit the slick-shod Super Saloons and road tyred Tin Tops are now combined into one grid, with six different classes represented in the 16-car grid, ranging from Fiesta ST150s to an ex-V8 Supercars Holden Commodore. With the track drying out during qualifying the times tumbled and ex-Autograss man Mike Thurley, with his superb Zakspeed liveried Mk1 Escort, grabbed pole on his last lap from series stalwart Rod Birley’s 4WD WRC Escort, with the Civic of Glen Rossiter, fastest of the Tin Tops, third, just ahead of local man Tony Skelton, who’d celebrated his 90^th birthday the day before, in a Clio Cup car. Rod Birley got the power down at the start of the first race and went into a lead that he held throughout the 15-minute, 20-lap, race, challenged by Mike Thurley until Mike dropped back towards the end, defending second from Tom Burgess’ Mk2 Escort. Glen Rossiter was the first FWD car, and first Tin Top, car home, just ahead of Martin Reynolds, who came through from twelfth on the grid in his Millington-powered Mk2 Escort. Tony Skelton was chased by Terry Waller’s Fiesta, while Sam Heywood’s Megane beat Adrian Matthews’ Volvo C30. The finishers were completed by Dominic Ryan’s Mk7 Fiesta, Steve Walden’s BMW E30, Lee Cleugh’s Audi TT and Ian Seale’s Fiesta, while Andy Woods-Dean in the Holden and Graham Richardson’s Civic retired and unfortunately the second former Autograss star in the field, Colin Claxton, was a non-starter in his Mk1 Escort.

Race two started in race one finishing order and Rod Birley again went straight into the lead and started to open out a gap, but seven laps into the race Rod pulled off, leaving Tom Burgess, who’d just got past Mike Thurley, in front. Tom led to the finish, chased by Mike, with Glen Rossiter in third, although Glen had enjoyed a close battle with Tony Skelton until Tony dropped back in the closing stages, behind Terry Waller. Sam Heywood came sixth ahead of Adrian Matthews, Steve Walden, Dominic Ryan, Ian Seale and Lee Cleugh, with Graham Richardson and Andy Woods-Dean retiring and Martin Reynolds a non-starter.

The PICKUP TRACK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP used its unique qualifying format, with the clock zeroed halfway through a 20-minute season and the first segment used to set the grid for the first race, and the times from the second half setting the grid for race two (on Sunday morning) – albeit with the top six inverted in each race. In damp but drying conditions on Saturday morning, nearly everyone set their best time on their last lap. Ryan Hadfield headed Mark Willis and Dale Gent in the first set of times, with sixth place putting Eric Boulton on pole for Saturday’s race. Ryan then topped the times for most of the second half until first Eric and then Mark knocked him off the top in the final moments, while sixth place earned Allen Cooper pole for Sunday’s heat. From the rolling start in Saturday’s 20-lap race Ryan Hadfield took a wide line first time through Chessons to go straight from sixth to first, completing the first lap ahead of Eric Boulton and James Goldstraw. Dale Gent took five laps to work his way up to second, soon followed by Mark Willis. With Ryan maintaining a small gap all the way to take the win, Mark snatched second from Dale in the last four laps. Eric was close behind in fourth while Allen Cooper took fifth, holding off Chris Brockhurst, David O’Regan and Jonathan Hadfield. Tom Hutchins, Aaron Thompson, James Goldsmith and Chris Land followed this battle home, with Michael Smith dropping to the back of the evenly matched field of 13.

The CLASSIC 2CV RACING CLUB just had one race with their second qualifying session and race, in which quite a few cars were passed on to sharing drivers, taking place on Sunday. In drizzly conditions for qualifying, Brian Heery took pole despite expiring halfway through the session, with Andrew Bull second and ex-Autograsser Julie Walford relishing the wet track as she qualified third. It was bright and dry by race time and Andrew Bull went straight into the lead, with Kris Tovey coming from seventh on the grid to dispute second with Sebastian Jones-White and Ethan Sparrow. Kris then moved up to take the lead on the fourth lap and held it all the way until the red flag came out with a minute of the 20-minute timed race to go, as Sam Archer was beached on the exit of Pits Bend. The result was taken with 18 laps completed, Kris Tovey winning from Andrew Bull, these two pulling out a fair gap over Nick Crispin, who moved up from eleventh on the grid to take third ahead of Sebastian Jones-White, Ethan Sparrow, David O’Keeffe and Julie Walford. Simon Turner made up a few places to take eighth, and Chris Yates just beat Martin Riman for ninth. The remaining finishers were Matthew Hollis, Martin Sunderland and Colin Etchells, while Brian Heery and Matthew Arrowsmith-Brown both retired on the second lap and Robert Dawson dropped out on the warm-up lap.