The 25th anniversary of the Walter Hayes Trophy delivered a spectacular conclusion to the 2025 UK motorsport season at Silverstone. As the largest annual gathering for Formula Ford 1600 cars, the event featured a massive entry list of over 120 drivers hailing from the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada, Australia, and the USA. The historic knockout format on the 1.6 mile National Circuit provided non-stop drama across two days of intense racing, culminating in one of the most remarkable comeback victories in the history of the tournament.
Smyth Triumphs Against the Odds
Irish racer Jason Smyth arrived at Silverstone looking to secure a rare Formula Ford triple crown, having already captured the United Formula Ford Championship and the Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival earlier in the season. However, his ambitions were severely jeopardised during a chaotic first semi-final. Battling out of Brooklands, the Team Dolan driver found himself in a fierce, three-abreast pocket alongside defending Hayes victor Rory Smith and Anthony Amato. The resulting contact led to a costly 10-place grid penalty, dropping Smyth to 13th for the grand final. Frustrated enough to briefly contemplate withdrawing from the event entirely, Smyth instead used the setback as motivation.
Smyth drove with clinical aggression through the 36-car grand final grid, slicing through the pack to reach sixth position by the end of the opening lap. By lap five, he had worked his way into second, eventually completing an astonishing charge in his Van Diemen RF00 to claim the victory and cement his place in the history books. Smyth crossed the line ahead of KMR Sport teammates Andrew Rackstraw and KC Ensor-Smith, while Luke Cooper finished fourth for Swift Cooper and Jordan Kelly rounded out the top five for Team Dolan. In the event's supporting Formula Ford classes, Mark McKenna emerged victorious in the Carl Hamer Trophy, and James Clarke claimed top honors in the Janet Cesar Memorial Trophy.
Kennedy Rules the Mutton Grand Prix Revival
The Historic Sports Car Club brought a distinct flavor to the weekend by reviving the Mutton Grand Prix. This unique event pays homage to an impromptu 1947 race around the old RAF Silverstone airfield, an unofficial contest that famously ended when a racer struck an errant sheep. The 2025 revival featured a highly eccentric 40-car grid ranging from modern GT3 machinery to modest everyday hatchbacks and classic sports cars. Charlie Kennedy dominated the proceedings in his unliveried, carbon-clad Nissan GT-R GT3, establishing a commanding lead right from the rolling start and breaking away from the pack.
Kennedy and his nearest challenger, Pecora Nera in a Lamborghini Huracan GT3, were the only drivers to drop under the magic one-minute lap barrier over the entire weekend, posting blistering benchmarks of 57.064 seconds and 59.630 seconds respectively. Despite a brief spin at Luffield, Kennedy maintained an easy two-second average gap over Nera to take the win, later confirming his intentions to graduate to the GT3 Legends grid next season. Behind the leading pair, David Farrow managed a commendable drive to bring his BMW 1 Series home in third place on the lead lap. Dave Williams took fourth in a Lola T492, while Russ Hird claimed fifth in a standard-looking Honda Integra after Charlie Beasley was handed a track limits penalty. Further down the diverse field, Tom Owen placed seventh in a Peugeot 205, and Steve Dunne completed a spectacular drive in his tiny Austin A35, climbing from 40th in qualifying to finish 27th.
Packed Support Bill Closes 2025 Season
The 17th running of the Ginetta Junior Winter Series featured a competitive 20-car grid combining experienced teenagers and car-racing rookies. On his 15th birthday, Jarrett Clark secured pole position for R Racing on Saturday morning and went on to convert that pace into a victory during the weekend. While individual race wins were shared across the entertainment-packed weekend between Clark, Lewis Goff, and Riley Cranham, consistency proved vital for the overall championship standings. Jesse Phillips, driving for R Racing in only his second-ever weekend of car racing, secured the overall winter title. Phillips was promoted to a maiden podium finish in the opening race after post-race track limit penalties were applied to front-runners Harry Bartle and Josh Watts, and he followed this up with two further top-six finishes to secure the crown ahead of strong seasonal performances from Torrin Byrne and Noah Young.
Just a few examples of the plentiful support grids - Ben Feetham
The Monoposto Reprise IT Tiedeman Trophy also concluded its season at the meeting, providing its trademark wheel-to-wheel single-seater action. James Williams ultimately came out on top to secure the prestigious overall Tiedeman Trophy honors for 2025. In the individual Silverstone National rounds, Charlie Locker piloted his machine to victory in the Moto 1000 class during the first race, while Amnon Needham claimed the Mono 2000 class honors in the second encounter.Sharing the closed-wheel support billing was the Hitek Alfa Romeo and Italian Intermarque Championship, which added further variety to the weekend. James Thwaites won the opening encounter in his Alfa Romeo HiTek Giulietta, demonstrating excellent pace before Barry McMahon took the spotlight in race two, piloting his Alfa Romeo Giulia to a well-earned victory.
