Race Report: CMMCS Tin Tops at Brands Hatch

It was back to the home turf of Brands Hatch, for the fourth round of the Classic and Modern Motorsport Club Southern Tin Tops around the technical Indy Circuit, on July 19th 2025.

Qualifying

Under unexpectedly cloudy skies, and cool conditions, qualifying was going to be all-important. The occasional drizzle would not be enough to warrant the use of the wet tyres, but getting sufficient tyre temperature would be critical before pushing hard on a lap. Initially, things were working out very well for the #41 Team HORNET Renault Megane, which emerged from the pit lane second, which quickly became first as Mike Thurley's #129 Ford Escort Super Saloon took time to build temperature in its slick tyres. with a totally open road ahead, things were looking very promising.

This would last under a minute, however, as Rod Birley's #44 Ford Escort WRC Super Saloon would grind to a halt at the exit of Graham Hill Bend, necessitating a red flag just a couple of seconds shy of the first flying lap being posted. To make maters worse, due to the timing of the red flag, the #41 Megane would now line up almost at the very rear of the pack when the session resumed, meaning that finding a clear lap would now prove to be very tricky indeed.

And so it would prove, with multiple laps aborted due to encountering other cars in just the wrong spot. Finally, on the twelfth lap of the session, and with time running out, a clearing in the traffic allowed for a 55.228, enough to snatch pole position in class T1 of the Tin Tops, as well as overall Tin Tops pole position. The #41 would line up in eighth on the grid when combined with the Super Saloons.

Race One

As the lights went out for the first rolling start of the day, the grid remained surprisingly orderly through the first couple of corners. Initially, Clive Haynsford's impressive #787 Mazda RX-8 Super Saloon roared past on the approach to Paddock Hill Bend, but a stack up on the run to Druids allowed the #41 Megane t sneak back past on the outside. Haynsford would begin to slow shortly afterwards as a boost pipe had become dislodged.

This would set up a section of the race where the #41 Team HORNET Renault Megane was in an unusual position of being out on its own, steadily falling away from the Super Saloons in front, but maintaining a gap behind. This would be broken in the final few laps as Rod Birley's recovery drive in the #44 Ford Escort continued, eventually blasting past on the Brabham Straight.

Team HORNET would complete the race in seventh position in the combined field, and be the first Tin Top over the line.

Race Two

There would be delays before the second race could get underway, but when it did, things were far removed from the earlier event. Approaching the lights, a miscommunication down the inside line saw a minor hesitation from multiple cars, allowing Graham Richardson's Class T1 #87 Honda Civic to vault ahead. With the inside line for Druids, the Megane would retake the position, before the order was scrambled by the Super Saloons that had suffered dramas earlier in the day making their way past. On lap three, Clive Haynsford (who was one of those recovering from earlier dramas) saw a boost hose again become detached from his #787 Madza RX-8, causing him to slow on the Cooper Straight. What followed appeared to be a catastrophic bout of miscommunication, as the slowing Mazda sat on the apex of Surtees, and then attempted to move off-line through McLaren, despite the Team HORNET Megane sitting to its left on both occasions! The ensuing grassy moment through McLaren allowed Graham Richardson to vault back through into the Tin Tops lead in his #87 Honda Civic.

What followed was a back-and-forth slugfest of a race, with the Renault seemingly able to outmanoeuvre the Civic, but not able to keep pace in a straight line. Plenty of close racing kept the crowds entertained, including a side by side run through Graham Hill Bend, and a slightly over-optimistic attempt to use Rick Skelsey's Class TP #29 Ford Fiesta to prise open the door. Ultimately, Richardson would hold on to the position and take the overall and class win, with the #41 having to settle for second best.

The next race for the CMMCS Tin Tops will take place on the Silverstone National Circuit on Sunday, September 28th