Words By: Andrew Lloyd – Head of Media at Student Motorsport
Photography Lead: Bernice Bradley Photography
The Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Championship, fires back into life on the Silverstone National Circuit on Sunday August, the 17th, for rounds 11 and 12 of the 2025 season.
14 SMo Competition entries will take to the grid on the 2.6-km circuit as the CityCar Cup Championship reaches its final three race weekends of the season, with Brooklands Technical College adding a second car to its line-up and City College Norwich welcoming Luke Power as its driver for the remainder of the season. Power is a product of the West Suffolk College Driver Development Programme and made his circuit racing debut in July at Snetterton.
Silverstone 2024 ‘Events’
The Student Motorsport Competition last competed on the Silverstone National Circuit in September 2024 in what was the penultimate race weekend of the season. It proved decisive in the battle for the title but was memorable for a number of other reasons in what proved to be an eventful meeting.
In Race One, East Surrey College’s Jack Wheeler took the class victory for East Surrey College, his second victory of the season in the Student Motorsport Competition class on his way to finishing third in the Competition standings at the end of the season. Joining Wheeler on the podium was Team Northbrook Racing’s Richard Jepp and WSC ME’s Brady Pollock.
At that stage, the momentum in the title chase was moving in the direction of the young West Suffolk College rookie driver, but Race Two saw a turning point in the 2024 season when Pollock missed a gear shift and buzzed his engine, resulting in a DNF and the chance to challenge for the lead in the Competition standings. Meanwhile, Wheeler secured his second Competition victory.
Race Three saw history made when both the QE Motorsport drivers finished on the class podium for the first time, Joshua Jackson finishing second while teammate Haydn Payne was less than half a second behind in third.
How it Looks in 2025
Fast forward to 2025, and the battle at the top of the Student Motorsport Competition standings remains close. Boston College Racing’s Stuart Bliss leads the field on 118 points (after dropped scores) due to the Weston-Super-Mare-based driver’s five Competition class wins and only finishing off the class podium once over 10 rounds. Triple title winner Team Northbrook Racing’s Richard Jepp is 10 points back after a season which has seen Jepp unlock the pace in his Gen II Peugeot 107 and take two second-place finishes last time out at Snetterton, along with fastest lap in Race One.
Andrew Dyer, at the wheel of the #15 RTW Vans and Conversions-backed Boston College Racing 2 Toyota Aygo, sits third in the class standings on 95 points. BCR 2 has equal points as the West Suffolk College ME entry driven by Brady Pollock, but retains third in the standings due to class wins at Anglesey in June. Dyer missed the two Snetterton rounds but will be raring to go when the Student Motorsport Competition grid assembles at Silverstone.
Weekend Racing Format
The race weekend format will be markedly different for Rounds 11 and 12. Due to the growing popularity of the Student Motorsport Competition and the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, the two rounds will be raced over three separate contests. Qualifying will see all 48 entries out on track for a 15-minute session after which the field will be split into three groups: A, B and C. This will be accomplished by allocating the pole sitter to Group A, the second quickest to Group B and third quickest to Group C. The same allocations will then be applied to the rest of the grid. Groups A & B will then race at 10.55am on Sunday the 17th of August followed by Groups B & C in the afternoon and Groups C & A to close the meeting.
Whilst the new format allows everyone to compete in two 15-minute races, it will mean that we could see some new faces sitting in class pole position and competing for Student Motorsport Competition podiums. What does this mean for the title race? We’ll need to see after the weekend!
Our Silverstone Line-Up
Lee Crisp’s Boston College Racing returns to Silverstone with its two-car line-up. Stuart Bliss in the team’s #18 Toyota Aygo has proved hard, but not impossible, to beat, and two wins in class at Snetterton show the competitiveness of the award-winning North Somerset car servicing specialist. Bliss knows the Silverstone National Circuit well, too, having taken an overall win and two second places when the CityCar Cup Championship last raced here in 2024.
Team Principal Lee Crisp is looking forward to Silverstone after BCR took a short break following the previous rounds.
“Boston College Racing has taken time out for summer leave since Snetterton, so the team will be refreshed and back for race week, preparing the #18 and #15 cars for Silverstone,” he said. “We hope that Andrew Dyer can make up some ground and continue his form from Anglesey after his Snetterton absence.
“The team are uncertain as to the outcome of this coming weekend with running two cars and the alternative grouping and points system that is being used for this round. There is no doubt that BCR will be prepared, and we will approach this round no differently than any other this season, and we hope for a successful weekend.”
West Suffolk College, led by Alan Barrett, has bitter-sweet memories of the home of British motorsport after Race Two in 2024 put paid to their chances of the Student Motorsport title. A year later, not only has the team expanded to three cars with the inclusion of the #119 WSC ME BEE entry, driven at Silverstone by Ben Bee, but drivers Haydn Payne and Brady Pollock have another year’s experience behind them. Pollock was bitterly disappointed with his driving at Silverstone last season but is showing flashes of the brilliance he displayed in 2024 with a class win at Anglesey in June and three further podium finishes in 2025. A 23-point deficit might be a tough ask, but if anybody has the tenacity and drive to close the gap, it is Brady Pollock.
Teammate Haydn Payne has not had the start to the season that he would have wished but, as a tenacious young driver at the start of his career, he won’t give up until he sees the chequered flag at the final round in October. Expect to see the #72 WSC ME2 Toyota scrapping for podiums around the Silverstone National Circuit
Team Principal Alan Barrett has ambitious plans for his WSC programme.
“Following on from CityCar Cup at Snetterton, three SMo drivers competed in the SW Motorsports ClubSport Trophy,” said Alan Barrett. “Brady Pollock and Haydn Payne drove a Citroen DS3 and Jack Wheeler competed in a Fiesta ST with Brady and Haydn finishing an impressive second in class. This gave the students the opportunity to look at a different racing format which included a mandatory pit stop. This involved making strategic decisions as to when to swap drivers to reduce the lead to the car that was first in class.
“This is another step in the evolution of WSC Motorsport and it is also fantastic to see one of our development drivers taking to the wheel of the City College Norwich car. Luke Power has been nurtured by WSC, with guidance from Andrew Payne. We have also been busy supporting JAS Autosport which is a team of former students that grew from being part of the team in 2023. This demonstrates how important having a platform such as Student Motorsport is in the building the future of the next generation of the industry’s professionals.”
Brooklands Technical College takes a step forward with its Student Motorsport Competition commitments when it expands to two cars from the Silverstone weekend. Starting driver Junior Gravina-Read finished inside the top ten in class at Snetterton last time out, his best results of the season so far and will be looking to build on that confidence at Silverstone.
Gravina-Read will be joined in the Brooklands Technical College awning by Carter Steele in the sister #210 Citroen C1. Steele made his car racing debut in late 2024 and competed in earlier rounds of the CityCar Cup Championship in 2025 with a best placed finish of 21st overall and 5th in the Novice class.
For Carter Steele, it was a chance meeting with Competition series organiser JP Latham at Anglesey in June that set off a series of events which resulted in the University of Greater Manchester Motorsport Engineering student joining the SMo grid for Silverstone.
“At Anglesey I wasn’t competing because I had broken my foot, but I went to show my support and watch some racing,” he said. “I spoke to JP (Latham) about opportunities to get involved with Student Motorsport, and luckily, Marios Katzis (Brooklands Technical College Racing Team Principal) was there, and he indicated that they were open to welcoming another driver, so it was pretty much a random meeting that has led to this opportunity.
“It is my intention to compete with Brooklands Technical College for the rest of the season and potentially for next season depending on how things go.”
Team Principal Marios Katzis is delighted that Steele is joining his fledgling squad.
“Carter is joining us, which makes this weekend very exciting, from not racing in almost a decade to now racing two cars in the Student Motorsport Competition,” said Marios Katzis.
“Our overall aim is to bring the history of racing back to its roots in Brooklands. Brooklands Technical College Racing and Brooklands Technical College have worked tirelessly to make this happen and it’s been great to see. Carter joining us brings another dimension, with his experience and ambition to learn. He is very dedicated and I love his ambition to support and outreach to the students. He is already a great asset to the team.
“Our current driver Junior has been pivotal in making this all happen, along with the immense support from everyone at the BTC and BTCR. Whilst we are in our infancy and all learning as we go, the ambition and drive is clear. I love this team and I am very excited for the future of BTCR!”
Leon Wilde’s City College Norwich travels to Silverstone with a new driver as Luke Power joins the Norfolk squad from Round 11. The team has already tested with its new pilot and Team Principal Wilde is confident that Power will work well within his team.
Luke Power is a protégé of the West Suffolk College Driver Development Programme and was mentored by WSC Team Principal Alan Barrett as he made his move up from karting, where he was a contemporary of Brady Pollock, to cars in 2025.
“Alan Barrett saw me racing with Brady and thought that I should get a shot in the Student Motorsport Competition. I put in some testing laps during 2024’s ‘Driven by Racing’ event and that was my first real taste of the car,” said Power. “I also shared some seat time with Brady when WSC was testing pre-season. I then competed in my first race event in one of WSC’s in the Production Cup Championship, driving Haydn Payne’s car.
“When City College Norwich needed a new driver, I put my name forward and I was delighted that the decision was made that I would be driving for the team moving forward.
“Alan Barrett has been a huge help to me, getting me a lot of track time and I can’t thank him enough. For the rest of this year, I will be bedding myself in at CCN and then next year I’m planning on the full season with City College Norwich if everything goes smoothly.”
For CCN Team Principal Leon Wilde, early indications are that the team has chosen well with their new driver.
“All is going well with Luke and he worked well with our team dialling the car in on a Snetterton test day,” said Leon Wilde. “He provided good feedback to the team, and we made many improvements based on his suggestions.
“An engine failure, however, provided us with some challenges, but the students have worked evenings to ensure we are ready for Silverstone. Luke is a keen, calm driver and is already proving a delight to work with.”
East Surrey College has probably not had the start to the season that it would have wished for, but a fifth-place finish in class last time out at Snetterton showed that the Redhill-based team has lost none of its desire to compete at the sharp end of the Student Motorsport Competition grid. Team Principal Laurence Sait and driver Jack Wheeler will be using every bit of their combined racing experience to see if they can replicate the success they enjoyed at the circuit in 2024.
Team Principal Laurence Sait is already thinking about East Surrey College’s future development within the Student Motorsport Competition.
“For the 2025/26 academic year, all Motorsport learners will be brought in, along with their parents or guardians, for a full Motorsport briefing,” he said. “This will include the requirements expected of them, travel, accommodation and roles that need to be fulfilled. This will aid me both in terms of the team but also their suitability to the course, as I want passionate learners on our Motorsport courses.
“For the 2025/26 academic year, all Motorsport learners will be brought in, along with their parents or guardians, for a full Motorsport briefing,” he said. “This will include the requirements expected of them, travel, accommodation and roles that need to be fulfilled. This will aid me both in terms of the team but also their suitability to the course, as I want passionate learners on our Motorsport courses.
“Learners will go through a process that will be devised to determine who would be good at specific tasks. For example, one person may be able to lead better than others, so we will devise a Motorsport Aptitude Test. This will create a ‘core team’ with purely the more mundane aspects of our race programme being left to myself and the staff.
“I really believe in the Student Motorsport offering, and my aim is to simply be the man who places orders for parts and transports the car to and from the track. This approach will embrace the core values of the Competition along with my beliefs as to what should be happening.”
NESCOT College Racing embark on its second race weekend with new driver Elliot Lettis. The 2023 CityCar Cup champion made the switch from City College Norwich for the Snetterton rounds in July and brought the #333 Peugeot 107 home for 7th and 5th place finishes in class, the best results for George Keith’s team since their entry into the Student Motorsport Competition this year. Lettis has considerable experience racing City Cars so we can expect to see the LKQ Euro Car Parts-backed Peugeot competing for podium finishes at Silverstone.
Emma Norton’s Team Northbrook Racing is having a consistent season, and even though Boston College Racing appears to be the team to beat in 2025, don’t count out the Shoreham Airport-based squad just yet. Richard Jepp drove the team’s #65 Peugeot to two podium finishes last time out in Norfolk while picking up the bonus point for fastest lap in Race One, and will be looking to add to his single victory in class when the grid assembles at Silverstone.
Teammate Ari Barker has finished inside the top eight in class on four occasions in 2025 with a best finish of 4th on the opening weekend in April. After making his debut in cars in 2024, Barker’s experience grows with every round and with the knowledge he gained from three rounds on the Silverstone National Circuit in 2024, podium finishes in class are a realistic possibility in Northamptonshire this year.
“The upcoming Silverstone weekend will be a challenge for us as we have a change in students as our Level 6 (BSc students) have now left us for employment and pastures new,” said Team Principal Emma Norton.
“We are hoping to have rid ourselves of a couple of technical gremlins that Ari’s car has been experiencing recently and to have Richard once again challenging for wins and making headway to reduce, if not eliminate, the gap between him and BCR1.”
QE Motorsport’s Emilia Vincent had a frustrating weekend last time out at Snetterton, where atrocious weather conditions and contact from other competitors forced the Dorset-based driver to fail to complete Race One. Emilia, Team Principal Helen Snuggs and the team of pupils from Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate know that the #174 Peugeot 108 has the pace to compete given the trio of top eight in class finished when the Competition visited Anglesey in June.
Only one car will be on the grid for Sussex Motorsports at Silverstone, but one is enough, given the team’s breakthrough podium finish at Snetterton in July. In variable weather conditions in Norfolk, Alex Jackson brought the team’s #47 Citroen home for a second-place finish in class in Race One and allowed the South Coast-based team to celebrate podium success in the Student Motorsport Competition for the first time since its inception in 2024.
Sussex Motorsports will be working under a revised management structure after Team Principal Shiv Bhagnari moved on to new career challenges after Snetterton, but the team has great strength in depth and Jackson will be keen to replicate his Snetterton success at Silverstone.
Weekend Action
With track action for Rounds 11 and 12 of the Student Motorsport Competition taking place on Sunday, August 17th, the SMo Work Experience Media Team will be making use of the available time on Saturday to record paddock activity as the teams set up for the weekend.
With the end of the 2025 season in less than two months, the Media Team will be gathering evidence to support the end-of-season awards, with an emphasis on the ‘Race Car Preparation’ and another secondary area of ‘Team Professionalism’ awards.
On-track activity for the SMo Competition grid gets underway on Sunday, the 17th, with the standard 15-minute qualifying session for the whole grid at 9.25am. The field will then be divided into the three groups with the first race for Groups A & B getting underway at 10.55am and the second contest for Groups B & C beginning at 1.45pm. The lights go out for the final race, this time for Groups C & A, at 5.20pm.
To add to the excitement, the weekend will be live-streamed on the @TheBRSCC YouTube channel.