By Jordan Norwood This annual summary highlights the achievements, participation trends, and future plans across all BRCA racing sections for the 2025 season. Each discipline has continued to deliver strong competition, excellent organisation, and community spirit across the UK.
Overall participation across BRCA sections in 2025 showed both growth and challenges:
Strong growth in 1/8th Rallycross, 10th Trucks, 5C Circuit, and 12th Oval.
Stable or slight declines in 10IC & GT8, 8th On Road, 1/10 Electric Circuit, LSOR, and Truggy/E8 due to cost pressures and scheduling.
| Section | Drivers | Avg. Entries | Junior Involvement | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10IC & GT8 | 32 | 28 | Low | ↓ Decline |
| 1/8 Rallycross | 167 (17 juniors) | 123 | Strong | ↑ Record high |
| 5C Circuit | 331 | 41 | Moderate | ↑ Growth |
| 8th On Road | 33 avg | 32.9 | Low | ↓ Decline |
| 10th Trucks | 137 | 64 | 8 | ↑ Growth |
| 12th Oval | 150 | 30 | Very strong | ↑ Excellent |
| 1/10 Off Road | 190 | — | 26 | ↔ Stable |
| LSOR | — | — | Good juniors | ↔ Stable |
| 1/10 Electric Circuit | 127 (4WD) + 58 (2WD) | 30 / 63 | 13 | ↓ Decline |
| Truggy + E8 | 165 | 54.6 | — | ↓ Slight fall |
Mark Green (GT8-E), Matt Cook (Sport GT), Ollie Williams (200mm), and Dev Mahatme (220 WB TC) took top honours.
Record participation and dominance by Elliott Boots, winning every round. Other champions included Zak Edwards (Clubman), Erik Lykke (Junior), and Lee Martin (Over 40s). The EFRA 40+ Euros returned to the UK after nearly 20 years.
Barry Abbott (Touring Car), Chris Skidmore (FG530), and Aaron Weston (4WD Mini) led their classes in a season of growth and close competition.
Alex Thurston (Open), Daniel Leonard (F2), Max Holland (F3), and Mark Green (Electric) all triumphed. Outgoing Chairman Andrew Mollett handed over to new chair Ollie King after 20 years of service.
Tony Bishop (Stadium Truck), Jamie Long (2WD SC), and Eddy Rowland (4WD SC) took championship titles in a season of growth and camaraderie.
A year of dominance from Noah Bailey, claiming multiple F1 and F2 titles, supported by a strong junior base and several new clubs joining the national series.
Double titles for Tommy Hall in both 2WD and 4WD. A milestone was achieved as Neil Cragg celebrated 100 national wins.
Champions included Oliver Whittleston (2WD), Ian Oddie (4WD), and Alfred Jack Shilcock (SC). Continued success at European level with a strong British team.
Declines in attendance but solid championships for Elliott Harper (Mod TC), Zak Finlay (17.5 TC), Ben Moorey (Frontie), and Luke Lee (F1). Focus turns to revitalising participation for 2026.
Paul Crompton dominated both classes, clinching championships early. The section will merge with Rallycross in 2026 to unify 1/8th off-road racing.
Positives:
Growth in participation in several sections.
Excellent teamwork from committees and volunteers.
New venues and returning clubs.
Strong junior engagement across many categories.
Challenges:
Declines in some IC and circuit classes due to cost and travel.
Club and venue restrictions, especially around noise.
Disciplinary and driving standard issues highlighted in 1/10 Off Road and Electric Circuit.
Technological challenges at a few venues.
The BRCA recognises the exceptional service of volunteers and committee members:
Andrew Mollett and Martin Owen stepped down after years of leadership.
Craig King (10IC) retired.
Ollie King (8th On Road Chair) and Paul Diver (LSOR Treasurer) joined new roles.
Numerous club organisers, referees, and race directors were thanked for their contributions.
Key priorities for the upcoming season include:
Growing participation through simplification of classes and promotional activity.
Supporting clubs with resources and guidance.
Encouraging new drivers and juniors through regional and academy initiatives.
Maintaining affordability to sustain participation.
International collaboration, with several sections planning European participation.
Most sections have confirmed or provisional calendars of 5–8 national rounds, with dates finalised by the end of 2025.
The 2025 season has shown the strength, passion, and adaptability of the BRCA community. Despite economic and logistical challenges, every section delivered successful national championships and provided enjoyable, competitive racing.
The association remains dedicated to promoting, developing, and safeguarding the sport at every level — from juniors to seasoned champions.
Thank you to all racers, volunteers, and clubs for making 2025 another great year for British RC racing.
By Nikita Finnigan Any Classes Want to Join an Outdoor Series for 2026?
Hi everyone,
My name is Bob Harley, and I’m the Chairman of the BRCA 1/10th IC & GT8 Section. As we approach the end of another fantastic national racing season, we’ve noticed a slight drop in entries across some rounds — and it got us thinking.
We’d like to extend an open invitation to any other classes or car types that might be looking for a place to race as part of an organised outdoor national series in 2026. If your class doesn’t currently have a national home, this could be your chance to join us!
Our section runs six national rounds per year, roughly one event each month, making it a manageable and affordable calendar for racers across the UK. This structure helps keep travel and running costs down while maintaining a high level of competition and community spirit.
Perhaps the new Pro10 class or another emerging group is looking for an outdoor venue to race at national level — we’d love to hear from you. The only requirement is a minimum of six cars to make a heat, ensuring competitive and enjoyable racing for everyone involved.
If your class or group is interested in being part of our 2026 Outdoor Series, please get in touch with me directly.
📧 Email:
Let’s work together to keep RC racing thriving, inclusive, and exciting for all classes as we move into the 2026 season!
— Bob Harley
Chairman, BRCA 1/10th IC & GT8 Section
By Nikita Finnigan A Tribute to Roger Manwaring
With great sadness, we learnt that Roger Manwaring, an integral part of our 12th community in the 1990s and 2000s, has died aged 72. Roger was a really good 12th scale driver, regularly making the top 20 in both Stock and Mod, and a friend to so many 12th drivers over the years with his wit, wisdom and support.
Roger was a world class slalom canoeist, representing Team GB at World and European level. In 1980, Roger finished an individual 11th in the European Cup series, and by 1983 was representing Team GB at the World Championships in Merano, Italy. He later worked with fellow competitor Jim Dolan giving coaching lessons to budding canoeists.
Whilst starting out in RC, Roger worked for a composites company during the early years of its adoption in many products and applications. Roger raced with David Spashettand they became firm friends. Roger’s composite knowledge came in handy from time to time, as the material made its way into all sorts of parts of a 12th car.
By the mid 2000s, Roger was working for Helger Racing as a sales rep. Through the years we raced together, we had chassis’ from Corally, CEFX and Trinity – all products distributed by Helger. Roger was a great companion on many a long trip around the country for the BRCA 12th Scale Nationals. Roger became a stalwart of the Chesterfield Auto Racing Society (CARS) where his track designs were the stuff of legend. Just when you thought he’d outdone himself, he would come up with another great track for a National.
At many nationals, he, Nigel Hale and Chris Clarke would pit together, and have the rest of the table in tears of laughter at more than one point in the weekend. On a long, torrid trip to a national in Mold, North Wales (Roger on maps, me behind the wheel) we had to try and detour a road closure. Roger wasn’t best pleased. After a pretty poor event, we packed the car, got in, and Roger said “As they say in Wales, let’s get the flock out of here!” It became a regular refrain.
Roger was kind, thoughtful and had a wicked sense of humour. He and his wife, Pat, travelled with me and Chris to a number of events, including European Championships, where we would often share a hire car, or travel in convoy. He was excellent company, and so friendly, thoughtful, and keen that everyone who ran our cars got help and support. Sometime around end of the 2000s, Roger gave it all up and went mountain biking with his friends and son, Ben. He came to a lot of the nationals at Chesterfield after that, and his track designs lived on for quite a few years!
Roger, far right
Roger was a great ambassador for Helger Racing, the 12thSection and RC in general. He was missed by us all when he retired, now he will be missed by his family and friends.
To Roger’s wife Pat, his son Ben and all their family and friends, we send our thoughts and deep condolences on the loss of a family man, a great guy, and of one of life’s characters.
Peter Winton
By Darren Newton The British Radio Car Association (BRCA) is making changes to how we communicate and share information online. To improve clarity, consistency, and accessibility, we’re streamlining our social media presence across all platforms.
A Single YouTube Channel
All official BRCA video content — including race coverage, interviews, event highlights, and technical insights — will now be hosted exclusively on the BRCA YouTube Channel. This will serve as the central hub for all video media, ensuring members and fans can easily find authentic and up-to-date BRCA content.
Simplified Facebook Structure
The BRCA will maintain:
Each section’s page will operate as a Page, not a Group. This helps us present consistent branding and reliable, moderated communication across all BRCA platforms.
Closing Old Pages and Groups
To support this new structure, at the end of the current racing season [AGM], all other BRCA-related Facebook Groups and duplicate Pages will be closed. This change is designed to reduce confusion, eliminate outdated content, and ensure that members always receive official information from trusted BRCA sources.
Why the Change?
Our goal is to make BRCA communication clear, easy to follow, and accessible for every member, racer, and fan. By focusing on a single YouTube channel and a structured network of Facebook Pages, we can strengthen engagement, maintain brand consistency, and better serve the RC racing community across the UK.
For all the latest updates, follow:
👉 Facebook: BRCA Official Facebook
👉 YouTube: BRCA Official YouTube Channel
👉 Instagram: BRCA Official Instagram
Together, we’re making BRCA online communication clearer, stronger, and more connected than ever.
