Oulton Park Event Report

A highly entertaining pair of races at Oulton Park were eventually topped by current championship leader Aidan Hills, when the Cheshire circuit hosted Rounds 9 & 10 of the 2025 Miata Trophy season.

Qualifying

Hills was quickest out of the blocks in the morning’s qualifying session, but it was his teammate James Cossins who would start Round 9 on pole position.

Cossins, fresh from winning his first Miata Trophy race last time out, wasted no time in bettering Hills original benchmark. On just his third lap, the #24 driver posted a fantastic time of 1m59.390s to finish the session fastest.

Hills would line up second, with fellow Hills Motorsport drivers Will Morris, Jack Brewer and Declan Lee rounding out the top five. Oliver Allwood outqualified John Langridge to start sixth, as Michael Knibbs, Kamal Kalsi and Drew Fletcher completed the top ten fastest qualifiers.

Race One

Polesitter Cossins fended off the early challenges from Hills, while Brewer managed to get the jump into third and Lee into fourth. Knibbs was instantly on the charge, while a great move by Hills halfway through the opening lap claimed the lead.

Cossins was immediately hot on the heels of the #8 car to try and retake the lead, while there was plenty of overtaking throughout the field behind. Tyler Mcalpin had made good ground to run inside the top ten, as both Alex Miller and James Ball had also managed to make some progress through the pack.

An enthralling battle for the final spot on the podium was developing, with almost nothing separating Morris, Brewer, Lee and Allwood. The quartet battling not just for the third-place trophy, but also to outscore their championship rivals.

Out front, the pressure was being continuously put on Hills by Cossins, but Hills was defending valiantly. To demonstrate how close the racing was, after the first two laps, less than 0.277s separated the leading duo over the timing line on each occasion.

Despite the constant pressure from Cossins, Hills expertly maintained his position to take the checkered flag first and win Round 9 – ultimately beating Cossins by a mere 0.162s!

The battle for third-place continued to entertain. Ultimately, after a race-long contest, it was Brewer who managed to come out on top and claim his first Miata Trophy podium! Morris finished fourth, while a storming second half of the race saw Langridge finish fifth, ahead of Knibbs in sixth.

Mcalpin’s charge through the field culminated with seventh, as: Allwood, Lee and Roan Lundy rounded out the top ten finishers.

Cossins claimed the fastest lap of the race, courtesy of a 1m59.943s.

Race Two

As is the case with Miata Trophy in 2025, the top ten in the day’s qualifying session were reversed for the second race. Polesitter Fletcher had a seemingly quick getaway, but an even better start from Knibbs launched the #82 driver into the lead.

Knibbs immediately tried to gap the chasing pack, with Allwood and Lee now in second and third respectively. Hills and Cossins were making up good ground after starting P9 and P10, as was their teammate Morris.

There was overtaking aplenty throughout the grid, providing a large helping of entertainment for both spectators and drivers. By the end of the second lap Allwood had secured the lead, but it was incredibly close at the front. After three laps, only 0.595s separated the top four over the line!

Cossins, now in second place, made his move on race leader Allwood, however it was fellow competitor Morris who best utilised the situation to steal the race lead for himself. Allwood was now in second, with Cossins and Hills battling for third. The likes of Lee, Knibbs, Langridge, Brewer and Mcalpin were all in close proximity, waiting for their chance to pounce.

A gripping battle for the lead between Morris and Allwood would soon become a three-way fight, with Hills reeling in the duo to stake his claim on the top step. It wasn’t long before Cossins had also joined the action as well. After nine laps, just 0.335s separated the top four!

Following a breathtaking final two laps, and drag race to the finish line, Hills just managed to take his second win of the day – this time by an ever smaller margin! Morris finished second by only 0.066s, with Cossins just 0.501s behind that in P3! A remarkable finish to a tremendous race.

Allwood would have to settle for fourth, despite only finishing 1.737s behind the race winner.

The battle for fifth proved just as exciting, as Brewer narrowly fended off: Lee, Langridge, Knibbs and Mcalpin. Incredibly, less than one second covered the five afore-mentioned drivers over the finish line. Max Brown finished P10 to round out his Miata Trophy debut.

Hills recorded the fastest lap of Round 10, with a 2m00.372s, while the MX-5 Owners Club Driver of the Day award was presented to Tyler Mcalpin for a great day of racing.

Miata Trophy returns in less than one months’ time, at Cadwell Park, for Cult Classics on Saturday 6 September!

Entries can be made here.

Photo: Gary Hawkins Photography