The Civic Cup – Rounds 14 & 15
Oulton Park – 3rd October 2026

It was honours even between the two leading Civic Cup title contenders at Oulton Park last weekend (3 October), as Dave Marshall and Alistair Camp each went home with a win in their pocket.

With just the double-header finale at Brands Hatch remaining, Marshall now holds a 16-point lead over Camp in the title chase.

Qualifying

Ben Sharpe Racing came out on top of a typically close-fought timed session around the two-and-quarter mile Island circuit, filling three of the top four places.

Second-year driver Jake Renshaw led the way. Despite carrying 10kg success ballast, the young gun secured his maiden pole position by less than two hundredths of a second from Area Motorsport’s Alistair Camp.

Aidan Mitchell (5kg) was another tenth adrift in third, ahead of BSR team-mate Wilf Butler who may have challenged for pole position had he not had five lap times disallowed for exceeding track limits. Josh Bromley (Bromley Motorsport) and Sean McGovern (Area), laden with the maximum 40kg and another to fall foul of track limits on multiple occasions, completed the top six.

Wesley Swain (Area) was seventh quickest ahead of a disappointed points leader Dave Marshall (DMR with KA Car Spares). Marshall, 0.8s shy of Renshaw’s pole lap, reckoned he’d been on a significantly quicker flyer, only to make a mistake at the Druids double-apex right-hander.

Matt Wilkins (Motion Motorsport), on his first visit to the circuit, managed ninth, despite carrying 30kg ballast. Jamie Petters (Team Petters Racing) completed the top 10.

OULTON PARK QUALIFYING RESULT

Round 14 – Race Report

A cracking start from Camp on used tyres catapulted him into the lead of Saturday’s first race. BSR trio Renshaw, Mitchell and Butler slotted in behind, ahead of Bromley, a fast-starting Marshall, McGovern and Wilkins.

Despite foregoing fresh rubber for the race, Bromley set the fastest lap on the second tour and looked good to challenge those in front. But the Derby man’s pace went unrewarded when his EP3 lost fourth gear and he was forced to park up.

Behind him, McGovern’s race had already faltered when he locked up and ran wide at Island hairpin, dropping outside the top 10.

Out front, the leading quartet were evenly matched for pace. With all four driving cleanly, they found themselves in something of a stalemate situation while Marshall, who inherited fifth from Bromley, lacked the outright speed to keep in touch.

Camp didn’t put a foot wrong as he soaked up the pressure from behind to record his second win of the season. Though a touch disappointed not to convert pole position into race victory, Renshaw was still delighted to score a maiden Civic Cup podium. It also earned him honours in the Paul Winfield Trophy section, for rookies and drivers without podium finishes prior to this year.

Mitchell completed the podium, his second of the season, ahead of team-mate Butler, who held on to fourth despite picking up a 5s penalty for track limits abuse.

Marshall and Wilkins were pleased to finish fifth and sixth, given the weight they carried, while Swain managed seventh.

A determined recovery drive took McGovern to eighth ahead of team-mate Charlie Budd, who continued his upturn in form over the second half of the season.

A result of Petters tangling with Freddie Ingram (BSR) was that an entertaining midfield tussle became pivotal as it would decide 10th place in the race, which would earn pole position for the follow-up. Graham Ross held off Ben Bateman and Joe Dalgarno to record his best-yet Civic Cup finish.

Ross also took the laurels in the Goodyear Diamond Award, for driver aged 40 and over, while Charlie Constable, Adam Jackson and Francisco Howitt completed the overall points paying positions.

OULTON PARK RACE ONE RESULT

Round 15 – Race Report

Ross may have only contested two part-seasons in Civic Cup but he’s a multiple champion in front-wheel drive MGs. He demonstrated his pedigree by converting pole position into the race lead, while McGovern used the inside line to slot into second.

Marshall wasted no time in snatching third from Budd into the Island hairpin on the opening tour and was quickly followed through by Wilkins.

Under pressure from McGovern’s EP3, Ross made a slight mistake in his FN2 at Old Hall on the second lap, which brought the Irishman alongside. Ross held onto the lead, while Marshall took advantage of the situation to grab the inside line and pass McGovern for second.

Wilkins tried to get in on the act too, but caught the back of McGovern’s car under braking for Hislops, sending the Area Motorsport machine down the escape road. No harm was done as McGovern rejoined in third and battle resumed.

McGovern was less fortunate on the following lap when he locked up and went straight on at the hairpin. This time he was forced to go round the full Shell Oils loop and fell outside the top 10.

The battling behind gave the top two a gap to their pursuers and Marshall soon latched onto the similar FN2 of Ross. He dived inside to take the lead into Hislops on lap three of 10.

Wilkins, the only EP3 in an otherwise all-FN2 top five, then began to close Ross down before pulling a similar move to take second at Hislops. In their wake, Camp lunged past Swain who then also lost out to Mitchell at the end of the next lap.

As Marshall escaped to his fourth win of the season – nobody else has more than two – Wilkins was relatively comfortable in second and most attention focused on the battle for third.

Ross had his mirrors full of some of the leading lights in Civic Cup. But, aided by Camp’s ballast hindering him in the corners, the 59-year-old Scot didn’t put a wheel out of place as he went on to record a very popular maiden podium finish. It also earned him honours in both the GDA and PWT sub-classes.

Camp used all his experience to keep a train of lighter cars behind him to take fourth overall and make a net gain of eight points over Marshall across the day. Fifth for Mitchell was his fourth consecutive top-five finish, lifting him to seventh in the overall standings and marking himself out as potentially one to watch for a championship assault next year.

Arguably the drive of the race came from Josh Bromley. From the back of the grid after his earlier retirement, Bromley scythed through the field. A succession of terrific moves took him into the top 10 and were completed with a dive past Swain for sixth into Old Hall.

Butler further demoted Swain to take seventh, while the ballast-laden Renshaw was ninth. Another recovery drive from McGovern lifted him to 10th, edging Bromley for fastest lap in the process.

Budd dropped to 11th, just ahead of Bateman. The Midlands-based privateer completed arguably his best weekend yet in Civic Cup although, having been so close to usurping Ross in the opener, he might have been left wondering what could have been after seeing Ross’s podium drive.

Petters brothers Daniel, after another weekend of engine woe, and Jamie sandwiched Ingram to complete the rest of the points paying positions.

OULTON PARK RACE TWO RESULT

 

Heading into the title decider at Brands Hatch in a few weeks’ time, Marshall now holds a 16-point advantage over Camp, with 88 left on the table. If they slip up, Wilkins, another 22 adrift, will be ready to pounce, along with Butler who is 47 off the summit.

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER OULTON PARK RESULTS

Driver Quotes

Round 14 winner, Alistair Camp

“We took a risk to not put new tyres on so I knew I had to [make my move] at the start of the race. It was hard because they were so much quicker off the slow speed stuff – in the hairpin every time I was like ‘he’s got me again!’ But I managed to get the exit I needed.

“It’s hard when you’re under pressure, even when you’ve been doing it how long I’ve been doing it!”

Round 15 winner, Dave Marshall

“We’ve had rotten luck here in the past. If I’m honest, it was a kick in the teeth really in qualifying. We were on for a pole lap and ran wide at Druids – my own fault. Hence why I made up in the second race.

“Typical Civic Cup championship, as tight as it can be. But just keep chipping away, get the points while it matters, and somehow we’ve come away with a win.”

Next time – The Brands Hatch Finale