Exhausting

26 Sep, 2026

2026 MSV Miata Trophy

Rounds 11 & 12 – Oulton Park International Circuit

Racing at Oulton Park is always a rushed day as the timetables are tight; however this year we were up against it more than usual.

I posted a time in qualifying that was actually quick enough for pole, but that was deleted because I went about a foot over the track limits. I ended up sixth fastest, but with pace to get involved in the race at the front.

However, after the qualifying session my car was protested for having the wrong type of exhaust. Turns out my spare system (which we fitted in a bit of a rush after the crash at Anglesey), is not legal. I should have double checked the type of system to be sure, but we were preoccupied with sorting out the subframe. This was my fault, but I did feel a bit aggrieved that the protest arrived at that exact moment.

After much talking, checking and running around I had to start race one at the back; with a 10 second delayed start and as a guest driver (meaning I would score no championship points). It was a pretty bad race as I needed a pit stop and I didn’t trouble the main pack.

We borrowed and fitted a legal exhaust system for race two and I chose a pit lane start, rather than the same situation as race one. This went better and I got stuck into racing the midfield, finishing up ninth after some action, in the pack fighting for fifth.

Overall, it was a long, hard day. Thankfully Alex and the guys at Project 29:7 were on hand and Brian from BC Cars is a generous man. Onwards.