Alex (left) was pleased with his trophies. Photo courtesy of Dave Smith
Loughborough Car Club organises a series of autoSOLO events called the Donington Winter Series, running from November to February. These autoSOLOs take place on the Tarmac Lake at Donington Park during the winter break, allowing competitors to improve their driving skills and, most importantly, have fun.
The Winter Series has been a huge success for the club, with most rounds selling out with 64 competitors. For many competitors, this means using their everyday road car, although some do compete in specialised competition cars. A generous group of marshals has also been in attendance, helping the autoSOLOs run safely.
The Winter Series is a club championship based on class results rather than overall results. This means that a 1.0-litre Nissan Micra in Class A has the same chance of winning as a 300bhp Volkswagen Golf R in Class E, as long as the driver can beat everyone in their class. This helps to keep competition high and car development costs low.
Overall, Chris Bravington won Class A in his Ford Fiesta with a class win in Round 1 and three third-place finishes. Class C was won by Mathias Hansen in his Toyota MR2 with a class win in Round 3, alongside one second-place and two third-place finishes. Will Herbert won Class D in his Toyota GR Yaris with two class wins in Rounds 1 and 2, as well as two second-place finishes. The Class B winner and overall championship winner was Alex Sharpe with three class wins.
The autoSOLO series saw many young people take part, as competitors can get involved in autoSOLO from the age of 13. The top three juniors were James Starmer in his BMW 1 Series, Erin Hodgkiss in a Ford Fiesta shared with her dad, and Robyn Osbourne, who shares a Nissan Micra with her dad.
Motorsport is for everyone, and the Disabled Driver Scholarship initiative highlights this. Loughborough Car Club is one of three clubs that facilitate the scholarship, and drivers who win the scholarship are able to enter the Summer Evening Grass Autotest Series and the Donington Winter Series each year. The two winners selected at the 2025 assessment day were Paul Barker and Alex Sharpe.
Paul and Alex won a fully funded year in motorsport. Both had use of the club’s Toyota Yaris and enjoyed a light-hearted rivalry throughout the Summer Evening Grass Autotest Series. Alex Sharpe went on to become the overall championship winner this year. He secured three class wins, which was especially impressive given that last year’s championship winner, Dan Pick, competed in the same class.
Loughborough Car Club’s Disabled Drivers Scholarship is continuing this year, with the assessment day taking place on 29 May. If you are interested in finding out more about the scholarship and how it works, please visit the StreetCar website. You can also apply for the assessment day by completing the online form found HERE.
Loughborough Car Club’s Donington Winter Series brought together competitors of all ages and experience levels for a successful winter of autoSOLO competition at Donington Park. From close class battles to the continued success of the Disabled Driver Scholarship, the series showcased the club’s welcoming and inclusive approach to grassroots motorsport.
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