The Civic Cup – Rounds 4, 5 & 6
Thruxton – 16th & 17th May 2026

A maiden victory for Matt Wilkins extended his lead at the top of the Civic Cup championship standings after a spectacular weekend at Thruxton which had something of everything.

Returning stars Josh Files and Max Edmundson showed their class with a win apiece as tricky conditions on Britain’s fastest circuit made for plenty of thrills and a few spills in front of a very large crowd.

Qualifying

Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Making his first appearance in the Civic Cup for over 18 months, Josh Files fired in a blistering early lap in qualifying that no-one could match as he earned himself pole position. The Area Motorsport man was one of five drivers to record laps averaging more than the magical 100mph around the daunting sweepers of the 2.4-mile circuit.

Ben Sharpe Racing’s Wilf Butler continued his fine start to the season by going second fastest – and earning the maximum six points, due to Files’ status as a guest – 0.219 seconds down on Files’ best. His team-mate Aidan Mitchell next, his best ever qualifying position, just ahead of two-time champion Max Edmundson (Area Motorsport) who was making a one-off appearance at a circuit he loves.

Spencer Stevenson (BSR) and privateer Jake Hewlett completed the top six, just ahead of Austin Autosport’s Louis Austin. Best of the runners in the alternative FN2 model Civic was Dave Marshall (DMR with KA Car Sales), as regular frontrunners Wesley Swain and Alistair Camp (both Area Motorsport) struggled for balance on the circuit’s high-speed sections and found themselves outside the top 10.

The top 10 was completed by Irishman Sean McGovern (Area Motorsport) and Bromley Motorsport’s Josh Bromley. Both Bromley (electrical/misfire) and Marshall (overheating) had their laps limited by technical issues, but they fared better than points leader Matt Wilkins. The Motion Motorsport driver was put on the back foot by a power-steering issue and was only 16th quickest of the bumper 31-car field.

The classification of second-fastest times, by which the weekend’s third race grid would be set, produced the same top two of Files and Butler. Edmundson and Hewlett jumped Mitchell to third and fourth, with Marshall also improving to sixth.

THRUXTON QUALIFYING RESULT

Round 4 – Race Report

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A terrific start by Butler propelled him past Files into the lead of Saturday afternoon’s race before Files drafted back past up Woodham Hill at the end of the opening tour.

Second row men Mitchell and Edmundson slipped back as Hewlett and Stevenson slotted into third and fourth. But Edmundson, winner of both races at the circuit on Civic Cup’s last visit in 2024, was on a mission.

The Durham driver set a series of fastest laps as he picked off Mitchell, Stevenson and then Hewlett by mid-race before reeling in the lead pair. Butler, aware that neither Area Motorsport guest was scoring points, offered little resistance as Edmundson charged through and latched onto the experienced international racer out front.

Spots of rain, with increasing intensity, threw another variable into the mix in the closing stages and made Files’ life harder as he was always the first to encounter the changing grip levels. But the Norfolk racer held on to complete a dream comeback victory. Edmundson, just 0.4s behind as they took the flag, completed the sense of 2024 deja vu.

Behind the lead pair, there was heartbreak for Butler. Thruxton is notoriously tough on tyres due to its high-speed nature and abrasive surface. Sadly for Butler, he suffered a delamination on the penultimate lap and was forced to retire.

That promoted Hewlett to third overall and maximum points behind the two guests. He had crossed the line fourth after losing out to Louis Austin on the penultimate lap, but the young gun was hit by a track-limits penalty that dropped him to ninth.

Fourth overall, and winner of the Paul Winfield Trophy section for Civic Cup rookies and less experienced drivers, was a fantastic result on only his second appearance for Sean McGovern. The Irishman was just 0.2s behind Hewlett. Another half-second back in fifth was Stevenson, just ahead of team-mate Mitchell.

A strong drive from Matt Wilkins was rewarded with seventh, although it wasn’t enough to prevent Stevenson taking the championship lead. Daniel Petters (Team Petters Racing) made similar progress to eighth. Behind Austin, Charlie Constable (BSR) completed the top 10.

Best of the FN2s were Camp and Swain in 11th and 12th after Marshall slowed to retire with more overheating – a legacy of the thermostat issue he had suffered at Brands Hatch.

THRUXTON RACE ONE RESULT

Round 5 – Race Report

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While Austin was disappointed to be denied a podium by his track-limits penalty, every cloud has a silver lining. It meant he benefited from the top-10 reversal used to form Sunday morning’s grid, and would join Constable on the front row.

Constable converted pole position into the race lead as a great start from Wilkins jumped him into second ahead of Austin. But the race was soon brought under caution as, amid the frantic action in the pack, Swain found himself flicked around at the Club chicane that ends the lap. Swain’s car was sent heavily into the tyre wall and safety car was called.

Unfortunately, that led to another incident as the pack slowed and Freddie Ingram’s BSR car was tagged from behind approaching the high-speed Noble left-hander. Ingram was sent into a spin, collecting David Walsh (Motion) in the process, with both cars careering into a marshals’ post. The drivers (and marshals) were unhurt but their cars suffered heavy damage and the race was swiftly stopped.

With less than two laps run, a complete restart was required over a shortened, 10-minute duration. This time, Austin made a better start, and although Constable held the early lead, Austin drafted past up Woodham Hill on the second lap.

Wilkins was also on a charge and came through to second, followed by Dan Petters and McGovern, as Constable clung on to a tank slapper at the chicane.

Wilkins’ pressure told as Austin made a mistake at Goodwood on lap five of seven, and the Motion Motorsport car swept past at Church to take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. The 2024 Type R Trophy champion was delighted to secure his first Civic Cup win and, with Stevenson suffering an early spin, it put him back into the points lead.

Petters equalled his best Civic Cup result with a superb second place after passing Austin into the chicane on the penultimate lap. Despite a damaged splitter, Austin held onto third to secure his maiden podium and Paul Winfield Trophy honours.

McGovern, Constable and Mitchell all drove strong races to complete the top six. Lugging 40kg of success ballast, Files could only climb to seventh from row five of the grid. But he fared better than Edmundson and Hewlett who tangled on the first lap of the restarted race and then speared across the front of Files’ car into retirement.

From near the back of the grid, Butler charged to a fine eighth at the flag. Josh Bromley, now with a new wiring loom fitted, did likewise en route to 10th, the pair sandwiching a slightly subdued Camp.

THRUXTON RACE TWO RESULT

Round 6 – Race Report

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The rain rolled back in ahead of Sunday afternoon’s finale, making for treacherous conditions.  But great racing drivers revel in adversity as Max Edmundson proved as he stormed to a mighty impressive victory.

A big sideways moment for front-row starter Wilf Butler at the Complex let Edmundson into second as polesitter Files led away. But by the end of the lap, it was Edmundson in front as he pounced on Files’ mistake at the chicane.

From there, Edmundson simply disappeared into the distance with a masterclass performance as he found grip that no-one else could. In a display of dominance rarely seen in such a competitive championship, Edmundson’s pace was more than a second per lap faster than everyone else. He was over 11s clear at the chequered flag as he secured a 14th career Civic Cup victory.

Behind Edmundson, McGovern was the star performer despite carrying 10kg of success ballast. He took second from Butler on lap two of 10, then reeled in Files. The four-time Civic Cup race winner’s car looked a real handful and a big slide through the sweeping curves just after half-distance allowed McGovern to grab second position. He translated that into his second podium finish of the weekend (and PWT honours once more), this time earning maximum points behind guest Edmundson. As the rest of the pack battled, Files remained a comfortable third.

As Butler slipped to seventh, Dan Petters took fourth under pressure from Hewlett. It earned Petters second-place points, as well as the fastest lap bonus, his 92-point haul across the weekend bettered only by McGovern.

Fifth (and third-place points) completed another strong weekend for Hewlett that has lifted him to second overall in the standings. Marshall was sixth and, behind Butler, the top 10 was rounded out by Jamie Petters, Swain and Jack Ruddell who was another to finish a tough weekend on a high.

Camp had run as high as eighth after rounding Stevenson at Church, but slipped to eleventh at the flag, just ahead of the ballast-laden Wilkins.

THRUXTON RACE THREE RESULT

After another strong weekend, Wilkins now holds a 39-point lead in the championship standings over Hewlett, who has Stevenson, Camp and McGovern breathing down his neck. McGovern is 11 points clear of Butler in the Paul Winfield Trophy section.

In the Goodyear Diamond Award, for drivers aged 40 and over, Anthony Gannon and Mark Hughes were closely matched in all three Thruxton races. Gannon edged it, with two wins to one over the weekend, and retains a 24-point lead in the standings.

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER THRUXTON RESULT

Driver quotes

Round 4 winner, Josh Files

“That was the first time I did a standing start in 18 months – did it tell?! Then I had my old nemesis chasing me down and it started to rain, and you’re the one that hits it first every time. That was scary!

“The car was in pieces on Monday, so this is pretty impressive. I’m just pedalling it, but the car was on point.”

Round 5 winner, Matt Wilkins

“I’ll take that! First time winning a race in the Civic Cup.

“It’s early days, but it’s good to be up there in the points. Hopefully, we’ll continue to stay up there.”

Round 6 winner, Max Edmundson

“It was good fun. The start was proper greasy but Josh being first car in, he wasn’t going to risk too much. But I didn’t really have anything to lose.

“Last time we were here it was wet, so I found where the grip was, and knew where the grip was from last time, and just drove away.”

Next time – We make our debut at Pembrey

Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography