HEADLAM, OLIVEIRA AND FIRST-TIME RACER SOUSTER SHINE IN BRANDS HATCH OPENER

The 1.2-mile ‘Indy’ layout hosted the opening round of the 2026 Radical Club Challenge, one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. As sophomore Radical racer Scott Lear said: “It’s staggering how technical it is,” as drivers are tested physically through intense elevation changes and high-speed corners, while the short lap requires immense awareness of other cars, both faster and slower, as sessions progress.

QUALIFYING

Tom Cockerill, Lear and Souster were the early contenders for pole in the SR1 Class. As the track improved and the times fell, it was Souster who strode to pole with a 48.420 - a full second faster than Cockerill.

Oliveira was quickest in Class B, circulating the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in 45.567 seconds, putting the Brazilian on the front row overall, beside team owner Leon Morrell.

Oliveira described the difficulties of traffic and qualifying on such a short circuit: “That’s one of the annoying things as well, in qualifying, by the time you’ve done your outlap, people are still coming out the pits so you can’t really get a good lap in.

“I obviously managed to get a good lap in, put it on pole, but you get it in the race as well… Five laps in, you start lapping the lower cars and it does become a bit of an issue sometimes if you get them right on a corner.

“You’ve got to send it down the inside and hope they see you!”

Morrell took pole with a 44.652 second lap, unofficially breaking his own lap record. His nearest Class A rival, Joe Stables, trailed Morrell by 1.149 seconds, and later found the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend, ending qualifying prematurely.

RACE ONE

As the Kent venue bathed in sunlight through the morning, the temperatures rose for the opening race of the Radical Club Challenge season. The first lap was close and clean, albeit with minor drama for Sam Venning as his Tim Gray Motorsports SR3 XXR spun out of Druids. He kept the car going and was able to recover without damage.

Souster kept the SR1 lead from lights to flag, methodically opening the gap to Lear over the 25-minute dash, culminating in a seven-second SR1 Class victory - an immensely impressive feat considering it was his “first weekend with the Radical”.

Souster said: “I bought this car at the end of last year and we’ve done a few test days in it… It’s gone really well!” despite being away from car racing for 18 years. Scott Lear and Martyn Ball completed the SR1 podium.

David Drew Garages Racing, with Miles Drew behind the wheel of their shared SR3 RSX, fought a very close battle with RJ Motorsport’s Alin Fulga throughout the race. They tailed each other until lap 24 when Drew spun through Surtees and recovered with a trip through the grass. Meanwhile, Oliveira had what he called a “steady race,” in a league of his own, and a “very good start to the season,” with a front row, victory in Class B and a lap record.

Oliveira said: “I put it on pole in Class, second overall, had Leon, my team-mate, next to me on the grid, so it was a bit more relaxed. I managed to tuck in behind Leon after turn one and kept it there for the rest of the race… From there, I maintained the gap and pulled away even more later on.”

Daniel Headlam finished runner-up in Class B, followed by Calvin O’Connor.

In Class A, Matthew Twynham recovered from a poor getaway in his inaugural Radical start, dropping from fifth to 13th on the opening lap, but recovered to 10th, while Morrell kept the lead from start to finish, took the win by just 0.375 seconds over a charging Charles Hall, and officially broke his own lap record, with a 44.815-second time.

RACE TWO

Race Two was another clean and respectful edition of the Radical Club Challenge. Souster remained in the lead of the SR1 Class, steadily building the gap over Martyn Ball behind as the race progressed. Lear eventually passed Ball, but with six minutes remaining, he could not catch Souster, allowing Souster to claim two victories from two races.

Sam Venning, following a troubled start to Race One, held off Sharif Hosny in the battle for 9th in Class B. Headlam led the Class B field, closely followed by Oliveira hunting a second Class B win of the day.

Morrell repeated his Class A domination, leaving the closest battle to Charles Hall, chasing Joe Stables for second place. Hall sized up a move and eventually passed Stables on the inside of Paddock Hill Bend on lap 20. As Stables fell from the leading pair, Headlam and Oliveira passed the #98 PR6, clearing the way for a tooth-and-nail fight for the Class B victory - until a late red flag brought Race Two to an early conclusion.

The stoppage, with three minutes to go, occurred when Hosny’s RJ Motorsport SR3 ground to a halt at Clearways following a spin. The race did not restart and subsequently Souster, Headlam and Morrell came away with victories to finish the opening round of the season.

Headlam said: “It’s certainly a good day in the office!” following a second-place finish in Race One and the Race Two victory. “I don’t think we could have really asked for much more, considering this is the first time out in the car! …Only got it delivered on Monday, so yeah, it was a bit hectic to get up to speed” in his new SR3 XXR.

For many drivers, it was their first race meeting in the Radicals, each one describing the challenge and “steep learning curve” to overcome. Venning, for example, came from the F1000 Championship, calling them “very hard, very unforgiving, whereas these [Radicals] are a lot more forgiving… If you really push it, you can get so much more grip”. Twynham also arrived with experience in the 750 Motor Club, describing his recently-acquired SR3 RS as “a different breed.”

The Radical Club Challenge continues at Silverstone on the 9th-10th May.

To see the full results and find out more information visit www.radicalclubchallenge.uk

Photos by Christopher Dixon / University of Derby

View them at https://radical.pixieset.com/radicalclubchallenge7502026/