Round 3 - Event Report

The 2026 Trackday Championship season continued at Mallory Park for Round 3, taking to the Leicestershire circuit.

Qualifying saw the Team Air Supply #46 Volkswagen Golf of Jack Wright and George Wright secure pole position with a best lap of 52.889 seconds. Their pace was closely matched by Michael Rawlings' Paddock Performance Racing BMW E36, which qualified second just 0.403 seconds adrift.

Championship leader Matt Swaffer placed his Swaffer Racing BMW 130i third on the grid with a 54.048-second lap, keeping himself firmly in contention heading into the race.

Class C honours in qualifying went to Wayne Cockerill's Aindale Racing Toyota Celica in fourth overall, narrowly ahead of Ashley Parsons' Se7en Motorsport / Michael John Flooring Toyota Celica. Nathan McPhail completed the top three in class aboard the MCS Racing Honda Civic Type R.

Alister Esam in the BC Cars Motorsport #16 Mazda MX-5 lead an all MX-5 trio at the top of Class D, followed by the #50 Brake Dancer duo of Harry Eyre and Tim Steel, then the Boreham Motorsport #66 contender of Jack Hargraves.

As the lights went out for the 42-lap encounter, pole-sitters Team Air Supply converted their advantage into an early lead, with Rawlings' BMW E36 settling into second and Matt Swaffer maintaining third place.

The leading Volkswagen Golf quickly established itself at the front, consistently lapping in the low 51-second bracket. Rawlings remained within striking distance throughout the opening stages, refusing to allow the leaders any breathing room, while Swaffer's BMW held a comfortable third position and concentrated on maximising championship points.

The battle for outright victory developed into a fascinating strategic duel. Team Air Supply led every lap, but Rawlings kept the pressure on throughout the race, the gap fluctuating but rarely growing significantly. Despite relentless pressure from the BMW, the Volkswagen Golf remained faultless.

After 42 laps of racing, Team Air Supply crossed the line first, with Jack and George Wright claiming overall victory. Rawlings finished just 0.284 seconds behind with one of the closest finishes of the season so far.

Matt Swaffer completed the overall podium in third place, a result that represented another valuable points haul for the Swaffer Racing squad.

In Class C, Ashley Parsons delivered an excellent drive to finish fourth overall and claim class victory in the Se7en Motorsport / Michael John Flooring Toyota Celica. The Class B Renault Clio of John Lyne followed home in fifth overall, while Jeremy Evans secured sixth overall in the Class B Semprini Racing Honda Civic.

Stephen Docker continued his strong season with seventh overall and second in Class C aboard the Independent Mazda MX-5. Phil and James Hart rounded out the Class C podium in their Honda Civic Type R after a competitive run to eighth overall.

Class D honours went to Alister Esam and BC Cars Motorsport. Esam brought the Mazda MX-5 home ninth overall and first in class after a consistently quick race, recording the fastest Class D lap with a 54.204-second effort. Jack Hargraves finished second in class for Boreham Motorsport, a result that sees the Boreham driver remain in the lead of Class D, while Steven Orant completed the Class D podium for STAL Powered for Racing.

The fastest lap of the race went to the winning Team Air Supply Volkswagen Golf, recording a superb 51.086-second lap at an average speed of 95.13 mph.

Trackday Championship returns for Round 4 on Saturday 1 August at Anglesey Coastal.

Secure your spot on the grid today.

Photo: Gary Hawkins Photography