The Civic Cup returns to action this weekend (16-17 May) for three hair-raising races on the UK’s fastest circuit, Thruxton in Hampshire. A huge entry is set to do battle in arguably Britain’s most competitive one-make championship and includes some returning stars of the past.
We are delighted to welcome back two-time champion Max Edmundson, now a star of the Mini Challenge. Edmundson couldn’t turn down the opportunity to revisit one of his favourite circuits, a venue that holds special memories as he scored a double on Civic Cup’s last visit two years ago, en route to his second crown. Fresh from two Mini Challenge wins at Brands Hatch last weekend, the Area Motorsport star will be sure to hit the ground running in one of the squad’s familiar EP3 Civics.
Also bringing a sense of déjà vu to Rob Baker’s Area team will be international tin-top ace Josh Files. The Norfolk star was another to shine at Thruxton in 2024, his only full season in the championship. But, having finished second to Edmundson back then, Files’ target will be to go one better this time.
Tweaked rules for 2026 have contributed to making the championship more competitive than ever. But you can always be sure that Area Motorsport’s cars will be fighting up near the front. Alongside their star guests this weekend, Wesley Swain (who drives the alternative FN2 model) arrives on the back of a maiden victory in the season-opener at Brands Hatch last month.
Irish tin-top ace Sean McGovern, rising star Francisco Howitt and Civic Cup convert Charlie Budd complete the squad and will benefit from the line-up’s wealth of experience.
Points leader heading into the weekend is Motion Motorsport’s Matt Wilkins who began the season in fine fettle with a trio of top-five places. How Wilkins handles carrying 20kg of success ballast through qualifying and the first race could be a pointer towards the strength of his championship challenge.
Motion team-mates Don De Graaff and David Walsh enjoyed strong debuts that they will look to build upon, while Hampshire local Joe Dalgarno has the pedigree to bounce back from a difficult start to the season.
Driving the heaviest car on Saturday is privateer Jake Hewlett, who will be making friends with 40kg of lead courtesy of his win in the Brands Hatch finale. Hewlett, who finished sixth in last year’s championship standings, marked himself out as the man to beat with prodigious pace. But two non-scores after a technical disqualification leave him with ground to make up in the championship.
An indication of just how competitive the championship is this year is the fact that only one driver has more than one more podium finish to his name from the first three races. Dave Marshall (DMR with KA Car Sales) has twice finished second in his new-build FN2. Were it not for a simple thermostat failure, Marshall may have been even better placed than his current fourth in the standings, 13 down on leader Wilkins. His success does, however, bring 30kg of success ballast with it.
Alongside his own car, Marshall’s team also runs FN2s for Harry England – who had his best weekend yet last time out – and Mark Hughes, a leading contender in the Goodyear Diamond Award. Hughes’s main competition in the category for drivers aged 40 and over comes from Anthony Gannon.
Just ahead of Marshall in the points is Ben Sharpe Racing’s Spencer Stevenson, who has finished in the top five of all three races so far this season. Team-mate Wilf Butler has also had a fantastic start to the season, his first in Civic Cup. Butler took an overall win in the reversed-grid race at Brands Hatch and lies sixth overall in the points.
Teen sensation Butler showed his liking for the 2.4-mile Hampshire speedbowl last year with a victory in Junior Saloons. He also leads the Paul Winfield Trophy, a sub-category for rookies and other less experienced drivers. He is 14 points clear of Harry England, with Don De Graaff a further three adrift.
Alongside Stevenson and Butler, the BSR squad also fields entries for second-year drivers Charlie Constable, Jake Renshaw and Aidan Mitchell, plus fellow young gun Freddie Ingram.
Other likely contenders towards the sharp end of the ultra-competitive grid include Josh Bromley (Bromley Motorsport), whose pace in his new-build car didn’t yield the deserved results at Brands Hatch, and Junior Saloons graduate Louis Austin who impressed by qualifying in the top 10 on debut.
Team Petters duo Daniel and Jamie Petters always entertain and tend to be especially strong contenders in reversed-grid races, while Jack Ruddell will aim to bounce back from a frustrating season-opener.
This weekend’s triple-header begins with Qualifying on Saturday (16 May) morning, at 1120hrs before Round 4 of the championship takes place at 1525hrs. The ever-popular reversed-grid race, Round 5 of the championship is scheduled for an 1150hrs start on Sunday morning (17 May). Round 6 of the championship completed a busy weekend, with lights-out set for 1620hrs.
A circuit like no other, it’s always worth making the trip to Thruxton to watch the action in person if you can, especially with the British Truck Racing Championship and the inaugural races for Audi Cup also on the bill. But all the race action will also be streamed live to watch for free on the BARC’s YouTube channel.
To find out more about the Civic Cup, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/ for more info and how to get involved.
To find out more about the events on the 2026 Milltek Civic Cup Calendar, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/2026-season-calendar/ for more info.
Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the 2026 season via our website and social media channels:
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Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/civic_cup_official/
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Useful information
THRUXTON TIMETABLE
THRUXTON SATURDAY LIVESTREAM
THRUXTON SUNDAY LIVESTREAM
