Last weekend marked the start of the 2025 7 Racing UK Championship. Donington Park was the scene of this first round, and the perfect circuit to kick start another season of high speed, thrilling Caterham action.
With three classes spread across six races, there certainly was action aplenty and some superb racing to start the season in style.
420R
Starting with the 420R championship, the usual suspects returned for another bout of battle, however with some new faces in tow we were set for an exciting weekend at Donington Park – and we weren’t disappointed.
Having made the return to the 420R from the 310R championship, Jamie Winrow began his season in style with pole position ahead of race one.
Despite having the initial edge, sadly his advantage soon disappeared, as the chasing pack came thundering through.
After starting third on the grid, Anthony Barnes was keen to start his season as successfully as possible. After 20 minutes of furiously close racing, it was Barnes who came through to snatch the lead, just 0.1 seconds ahead of nearest challenger, the returning Gary Smith. 7 Racing newcomer, Jamie Ellwood completed the podium in third place.
Marco Aghem claimed the first victory of the season in the 420R Sportsman title battle, ahead of Philipp Nagel and Peter Rimer.
Onto race two, and as the grid lined up in the finishing order of Saturday’s race, the stage was set for another exciting outing.
After starting from pole, Barnes had the immediate advantage, instantly leaping into control, closely tailed by Gary Smith. As the field thundered around Redgate for the first time, it was set to be a gripping race, as drivers sat five abreast behind the Barnes-Smith battle. With the order more or less sorted as the pack navigated its way down the Craner Curves, Barnes led the way, followed by Smith and Mark Stansfield.
With stricken cars beside the circuit from an incident further down the field, the safety car was swiftly deployed, neutralising the pace for a few laps. With just over five minutes remaining, the race was back underway, with Barnes on the pace immediately.
As Barnes shot off into the distance, Stansfield, now in second place was forced to defend from Smith, Ellwood, JJ Magalhaes and Winrow, behind.
As the chequered flag came into view, it was Barnes who held on for his second victory of the weekend, this time with a slightly more comfortable cushion to second place. Separated by 1.5 seconds, Stansfield held onto second place, ahead of Smith in third.
Aghem also doubled his weekend’s success, claiming another 420R Sportsman victory in this second outing, ahead of Peter Rimer and Tom Greensall.
With the third and final 420R race upon us, and the infamous 7 Racing reverse top 10 grid format, it was Stewart Calder who started from pole position, with Aghem alongside him on the front row.
As the race began, it was Calder who held on to cement his position in front around Redgate. Behind, Aghem held onto second place, whilst Lewis Tootell was close behind in third.
As the opening lap unfolded, Calder soon found himself under immense pressure from the chasing Aghem, as Winrow, on a charge, slotted into third place behind. With Calder suddenly out of the running, Winrow and Tootell began their battle for supremacy, as they toured the circuit virtually side by side.
Before long it was Winrow who settled in front, as the battle for second place really ignited. Protected by just over two seconds, Winrow’s advantage soon evaporated with the release of the safety car.
A few minutes later the race was restarted, and with just over two minutes left on the lock it was set to be a fantastic showdown. Determined to retain his lead, Winrow raced away as soon as he was able, however with Barnes now hot on his heels, and keen to claim his third victory of the weekend, there was certainly a battle on his hands.
After two final laps, it was Winrow who crossed the finish line, just 0.2 seconds ahead of Lewis Tootell, with Barnes in third place, the pair separated by just 0.041 seconds.
It was Rimer who claimed 420R Sportsman honours this time around, ahead of Greensall and Nagel. After impressively making his 400th race start in race three on Sunday, and claiming the highest finishing position of the Chapman Trophy entrants, JJ Magelhaes was awarded the Chapman Trophy for this opening race weekend.
310R
The 310R grid is always a hive of activity, and last weekend at Donington Park was certainly no different. After welcoming more new faces to the grid, we were set for three electrifying races.
After joining the 7 Racing grid for the Brands Hatch GP round last season, Paul Goldstein decided to return for a full season assault in 2025. Stamping his authority immediately, Goldstein secured pole position ahead of race one, however he was set for some stiff competition in the form of fellow front row starter Fraser Riddington, third placed Stuart Bell and experienced Caterham racer Ben Winrow, starting fourth on the grid.
As race one began and the opening lap unfolded, Goldstein found himself muscled out wide around the Melbourne Loop, falling foul of fluid on the circuit. As he slipped backwards slightly, it was Winrow who took up the mantel, to lead the field by some margin.
As the race progressed, positions behind Winrow changed dramatically, as the chasing pack gradually closed in on him. After fighting back from further down the grid, Goldstein was a man on the move, as he picked off positions one by one, before challenging Winrow for the lead in the dying seconds.
After battling side by side for much of the final lap, it was Goldstein who snatched the lead in time for the chequered flag, with Winrow holding on for second place, just 0.3 seconds adrift. Stuart Bell, on his return to Caterham racing completed the podium, finishing ahead of 7 Racing debutant, Craig Denman.
Lining up on the grid in the finishing positions from race one meant we were in for another Goldstein-Winrow extravaganza – and the pair certainly delivered.
As the field thundered into Redgate for the first time, Winrow had the edge over the chasing pack, whilst Denman slotted into second place and Goldstein third. With the end of the first lap in sight, Winrow and Denman vied for the lead, as they rounded the Melbourne Loop side by side.
Before long, Paul Sethi joined in the battle for the lead, taking his opportunity to challenge Winrow for control. With five cars scrapping for honours, it was anyone’s guess who would eventually be crowned victorious.
With the top 10 now jostling nose to tail, Winrow and Sethi managed to break away ever so slightly, giving themselves a bit of breathing space as they competed for the spoils. The break was short lived, however, as Bell, Goldstein and Oliver Smith soon caught up. Ever the opportunist, Goldstein saw his chance to steal the lead as the field weaved their way onto the final lap of the race. With an eventual cushion of 0.9 seconds, Goldstein secured his second win in as many races, with Winrow once again second and Sethi third this time around.
A reverse of the top 10 finishing positions from race two saw Caroline Everett start on pole position for the final race, with Rob Goode alongside her. As the lights disappeared, it was Everett who led the way, ahead of Goode and the fast starting Denman in third place.
As the pack sorted itself into order down the Craner Curves, the race was well and truly on. Keen to bank a strong result on his debut, Paul Ingram challenged for a podium position, and looked set to secure a top three result. However, as the half way point arrived, a wing rubbing on his tyre caused Ingram to pit for a swift wing removal operation, before rejoining further down the order.
In his absence, Winrow, now back in the lead once again, Everett and Sethi edged away slightly as the trio raced nose to tail. After a knock causing a loose nose cone, Goldstein’s hopes of a triple success were thwarted, as he was forced to pit and retire from the action.
Shortly after, Winrow was forced to pull off circuit and out of contention on the penultimate tour, leaving the rest of the pack to squabble amongst themselves. After another 20-minute bout, it was Stuart Bell who proved victorious this time around, ahead of Paul Sethi and a very happy Rob Goode.
270R
After introducing our new 270R class last season, the class has begun to grow in popularity. With a strong amount of drivers racing for 270R supremacy at Donington Park, we were set for an interesting weekend.
It was great to welcome a whole host of new faces, not just to the 270R grid, but to the 7 Racing paddock. After claiming championship status in the Caterham Academy championship in 2024, James Hall made the decision to upgrade his car to 270R specification for 2025, and join in the fun in the 7 Racing paddock.
After claiming pole position for the first of three races, Hall proved to be a dominant force in the championship already, claiming three victories from as many races, and kick starting his season in the perfect way.
Behind Hall, fellow newcomer Neville Sykes raced his way to second place in race one. After a close battle with Amanda Anderson, Sykes just pipped Anderson to second, with the pair separated by just over half a second. With two races still to come, there was set to be some strong competition between the pair.
Race two saw the battle resume. With Hall set for another victory, Sykes and Anderson continued their tussle, with Sykes claiming second place by a slightly more dominant four second cushion this time around. Anderson held on for third place, ahead of the returning James McCullough in fourth.
As the third and final race began, Hall again leapt to the fore, leading the pack into Redgate. As he raced his way to victory number three, the battle for second place ignited once more.
After sustaining damage to his sump, Sykes was forced to retire at half distance, leaving Anderson hopeful of securing second place this time around. However, with McCullough keen to end his weekend on the podium the battle was well and truly on. After 20 minutes of action, it was McCullough who crossed the finish line in second place, ahead of Anderson in third once again.
Next up we make the trip to Spa Francorchamps, for the first European 7 Racing adventure of the year. Taking place across the Easter weekend, it is set to be a great return to the infamous Belgian venue.
Our next UK round takes place during 24th May at the superb Brands Hatch GP circuit. Always a popular round, and a rare opportunity to race your Caterham on the GP circuit, you can book your spot on the grid through our website: https://seven.racing/index.php/product/brands-hatch-gp-uk-championship-race-entry/