Kyle Tilley delivered a star performance at the 2025 Castle Combe Autumn Classic as the Era Motorsport front man snatched GT & Sports Car Cup glory with just 2 laps remaining aboard his recently acquired Lotus 15.
The mandated 2 pitstop, 1 hour 30 minute GT & Sports Car Cup would headline day 1 of the 2025 Castle Combe Autumn Classic and feature one of the finest pre-66 grids of the year so far. Indeed some 42 cars would make the start of the race with a vast array of marques on display that included seemingly everything from Broadspeed Mini to Lister Knobbly!
Chris Chiles Junior had earlier taken pole position aboard the family Shelby Cobra with an incredible 1.16.086, a whopping 1.8 seconds quicker than anyone else! And, after a steady start in damp conditions would hit the front on lap 2 after fellow front row starter Kyle Tilley (Lotus 15) had been quicker out of the blocks. John Spiers (Lister Knobbly) and Christian Albrecht (Jaguar E-Type) also started the race well with the latter soon past Spiers and Tilley to lie second before a safety car after just fifteen minutes of running would cause several crews to head to pit road.
Both Spiers and Albrecht would in fact take the opportunity for a cheap pitstop with Nigel Greensall and Gary Pearson taking the respective hotseats. Chiles Junior meanwhile would continue to lead the opening stint but he and Chris Chiles Senior would lose their chance of victory when Chiles Senior misinterpreted a warning flag for a pitstop infringement and pitted for a second time in as many laps. This left Pearson in the lead of the race with Greensall second and Tilley rounding out the top 3 as the pitstops unwound.
Greensall has proven rapid in most things 4 wheeled and during a heavy shower, which blighted the middle part of the race, put his skills to the fore as the renowned driver coach quickly reeled in the E-type of Pearson to hit the front before the unofficial opening of the final pitstop window with 40 minutes remaining (Maximum driver time).
Spiers would emerge from the Lister Knobbly’s final stop in the lead but with Albrecht closing as the track began to dry. As it turned out all was not well with the big Lister and Spiers’ attempts to claim a second victory in as many years would be brought to a halt after a spin with just over 25 minutes remaining; a battery issue leaving Spiers unable to restart the immaculately turned out machine.
This left Albrecht on course for what appeared a certain victory only for a misfire to slow the E-type dramatically over the final stages and allow Tilley, in a car only purchased during the week, to claim a quite remarkable victory; incidentally repeating the success of the very same car some eight years earlier when in the hands of Miles Griffiths and Philip Walker.
Albrecht and Pearson would however finish the event in 2nd whilst Chris Chiles Junior put in a storming final stint to climb back upto third in the Shely Cobra. Meanwhile class wins would go the way of William Garrett & Tim Crighton with a brilliant 6th overall in their GT3 spec Jaguar E-Type, Mike Thorne and Sarah Bennett-Baggs with 15th (despite a 20 second penalty for a yellow flag infringement) in the GT2 class Austin Healey 100M, Doug Muirhead and Jeremy Welch with 17th in their Lotus 11 (SP1) and Alice Locke and Matt Green with 27th in the Broadspeed Mini (TC1).
Running just one week on from the Goodwood Revival you could be forgiven for expecting entrants hard to come by but in addition to the excellent turn out for the GT & Sports Car Cup some 27 cars would line up for the 30 minute FISCAR encounter whilst 38 would take the start of the combined CSCC Classic K, Jaguar and Ecurie Classic racing event.
Conditions were in danger of becoming relatively pleasant by the time the 50s Sports Cars (FISCAR) emerged and a great battle would ensue over the first part of the race between the front row starting duo of Jonathan Abercassis (Healey 100/4) and David Alexander (Lotus Elite). Scott Quattlebaum in his Leco Sports would soon join the lead battle and would run as high as second after a grassy moment on the approach to Tower for Abercassis.
Alexander had qualified on pole by a fair margin however and after the stops the 2024 victor was really able to stretch the nimble Elite’s legs as conditions continued to improve. So much so in fact that the Lotus pilot would go on to claim victory by a whopping 25 seconds! Behind, Glenn and Rory Tolley would cross the line second in their Healey 100M only to be relegated 5 positions to 7th after missing the pit window, thus promoting Abecassis and Quattlebaum to the remaining steps of the podium.
Fresh from success in the FISCAR encounter David Alexander would then round out a successful day with 3rd position, alongside Richard Fores, in the combined Classic K, Jaguar and Ecurie Classic Racing 40 minute race in what turned out to be the best conditions of the day.
But whilst Fores was able to keep pace with early leader Mike Thorne (Austin Healey 3000) over the opening stint there was no catching CSCC regular Paul Tooms in his Lotus Elan during the second half of the race. Indeed, once Tooms was in clear air after the stops the Elan pilot would set about building a healthy lead and go on to record a near 22 second victory in a red flag shortened encounter.
Mike Thorne would complement class victory in the GT & Sports Car Cup with second in what proved to be the final event of the day after a scary collision between the Mustang of Jerry Bailey and Gilbern GT of Mary Bell and David Smith. Bailey had been hunting down the final podium position in the closing stages before his charge was cut short. Thankfully both drivers were able to walk away from the scene but the subsequent barrier damage was enough to bring an early end to the day’s proceedings and push the planned Mini Miglia race back to the morning of day 2.
Earlier in the day Nic Carlton-Smith, aboard his Lotus 20 lead from start to finish in the Silverline Formula Junior race to claim a 5.7 second victory after pole sitter Paul Boulton retired early. The highlight of the race however was the incredible battle for front-engined glory between Stuart Roach and Adrian Russell.
Roach would hold the upper hand early on with Russell following closely behind. However the Alexis MK2 pilot would be hampered by traffic at Camp corner during the second half of the race and Russell would not miss his opportunity to pounce. Indeed the Condor Sii man slid into the class lead and despite pressure throughout the remaining laps would hold on to claim a well earned second overall with Roach ruing his luck and having to settle for third.
The Superperformance Ferrari Club Classic Series and Mini Se7en’s also featured on day 1 of the Castle Combe Autumn Classic and Tim Mogridge (F355 Challenge) and Ross Billison would claim the respective victories. Billison really having to work for his winner’s trophy as the predicted heavy showers made a first appearance of the day.
Now a true highlight of the historic racing calendar the Castle Combe Autumn Classic has become one of my favourite events of the year. It is obviously a hit with competitors too given the incredible entry levels achieved. The fact it is independently organised makes this event so unique and as grids are supplied by multiple clubs is probably the reason for the high numbers in the first place. A blue print for others to follow maybe? …
GALLERY
Paul Commons Motorsport 