Hampton dishes up the Drama! 2026 Formula Grasstrack Championship Round 5 – Race Report & Results

Round 5 of the 2026 AllClear Services Ltd Formula Grasstrack Championship brought the Jonathon Rodgers Memorial meeting to Hampton Old Hall on Saturday 18th July, and the venue delivered one of the season’s most action-packed afternoons of racing. Back-to-back victories, a stunning family headline in the Senior class and a championship lead change in the Cubs, Hampton Old Hall will be remembered as one of the standout meetings of the season.

Race Report by Andy Falconer – Action Images courtesy of Keith Haughton

Wayne Broadhurst continued his flawless championship campaign at Round 5, topping the Senior standings for the fifth consecutive round to move to a commanding 200 points overall. But the headline story of the Senior class on Saturday was not the champion, it was his son.

Max Broadhurst produced a stunning performance to finish third overall on the day, ahead of both Kevin Gwillam and Adam Hawker, in what was arguably the most eye-catching Senior result of the day.

Graham Thomas claimed second overall and remains Broadhurst’s closest challenger in the championship standings on 195 points. Gwillam (187 points) and Hawker (180 points) round out a top four that remains unchanged in the standings, though Max Broadhurst’s form suggests he is now capable of mixing it with the very best.

Colin How turned in another solid performance in sixth, with Phil Thomas seventh and Glyn Edwards eighth in a tightly contested field. Sam Crabtree returned to form in fine style, posting a strong performance on his way to ninth overall and providing the day’s most compelling Senior subplot. Racing against his brother Ben Crabtree in the Senior B Final, Sam edged an excellent battle to take victory, with Ben pushing him all the way to the line.

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Nathan Alder also had a strong performance, winning the Senior C Final to cap a productive afternoon. A new face for this season also impressed at Hampton, with Dave Binns finishing a highly commendable 11th overall.

The afternoon was not without incident. Theo Copestake was involved in a significant crash in the first Senior heat after the interval, suffering chest, neck and muscular pain that forced him to withdraw from the meeting. Everyone at the FGA wishes him a speedy and full recovery.

Sue Dowling was named Senior Rider of the Day for another consistent and spirited performance, a well-deserved recognition for one of the class’ most committed competitors.

Cruz Harris is fast becoming one of the stories of the 2026 season. Having produced that extraordinary Round 4 maximum at Malpas, Harris backed it up at Round 5 with another commanding performance to complete back-to-back victories in the E-Bike class. Harris led from start to finish and once again demonstrated why his form over the last two rounds has been the talk of the championship.

Hadlee Jones delivered his best meeting of the season in second place, with Oscar South third and reigning champion Reggie Goodwin dropping to fourth on the day, even after taking third place in the E-Bike Final. Despite the meeting result, Goodwin retains his overall championship lead on 119 points but with South on 114 and Jones now closing rapidly on 113, the E-Bike title race is as tight as anywhere in the championship. Blake Woolley continued his solid season in fifth, while Teleri Hughes rounded off a growing list of impressive performances in sixth on her second appearance.

In the Autos class, Levi Collins served notice on his return to action in the most emphatic way possible, producing an outstanding performance at Hampton Old Hall to record a full-maximum and take the meeting win. As predicted, his return after missing Round 4 set up a fascinating head-to-head with championship leader Harry Worrall, and Collins emerged on top on the day. Worrall, though, continues to lead the Auto championship on 117 points, with Collins now up to 100 points after his maximum.

Isla Gannon completed an impressive display, continuing her remarkable development since making her grasstrack debut in Round 3.

In the Autos Final, JJ Falconer clinched third ahead of Gannon, with Falconer making the gate in his last three rides and taking the final podium spot.

JJ Falconer was also presented with the Curran-Bennett Award, recognising his determination and spirit throughout the day. The award was presented by the Curran-Bennett family, Lisa and Maddox, making it a particularly special moment on the day.

In the Cadet class, Dalton Wright continued his own unbeaten record, posting another maximum to move to 99 championship points and maintain his perfect season. Wright’s consistency has been remarkable throughout the campaign.

The Cubs class provided one of the most eventful passages of racing of the entire meeting. Early in the afternoon, the second Cubs race of the day saw a nasty-looking crash involving Lucas Astley and Albie South, with Dakota Wright also caught up in the incident. Thankfully, Dakota was able to continue, but both Astley and South were subsequently withdrawn from the meeting as a precaution. Astley suffered a badly bruised arm, while South was dealing with a bitten tongue and feeling very second-hand. The FGA sends its best wishes to both riders for a swift recovery.

With Astley and South unable to continue, it was left to the remaining three riders to contest the bulk of the meeting, and what a performance they produced. Dakota Wright seized the opportunity magnificently, taking the meeting victory with a maximum score and delivering by some distance his best result of the season. It was a thoroughly deserved win for a rider who has shown steady improvement throughout the campaign.

Rogan Woolley claimed second place in another strong display, and his efforts were recognised with the Youth Rider of the Day award, made all the more impressive given that he suffered a mechanical failure in his final heat of the day before the finals.

Lillie-Mai Warwick completed the podium in third, recording her best result of the season in a performance that underlined just how much she has improved as the year has progressed.

The result brings a significant shift at the top of the Cubs championship standings. Woolley’s second place at Hampton, combined with Astley’s withdrawal, means Woolley now moves to the top of the Cubs standings on 119 points, with Astley just a single point behind on 118. Warwick’s third place lifts her to 107 points overall, and she is now a genuine factor in the championship picture. Dakota Wright also moves up to 93 points in fifth.

Archie Whitelam maintained his remarkable unbeaten record in the Junior class, taking the meeting win to reach a perfect 125 championship points from five rounds, a maximum score across every round of the season so far. John Cox Jr. pushed him all the way once again, finishing second to move to 118 points overall as the gap between the pair continues to close.

The result of the day in the Junior class, however, came from Jessica Cox, who marked her comeback from a broken shoulder with a composed and confident third-place finish on a new machine. Cox had not competed in the Championship since her injury at Leamington in Round 2. She moves to 69 points in the championship standings.

Round 5 at Hampton Old Hall also served as Round 2 of the Best Pairs Championship, producing some significant shifts in both the Youth and Senior standings. The Youth Pairs lead has changed hands, with Hadlee Jones and Harry Worrall moving to the top after a strong combined performance. In the Senior Pairs, Colin How and Marcus Crutchington take the lead after Round 2, moving clear of the three pairs who had been tied at the top after the opening round at Malpas.

The Championship returns to the Malpas Farm Shop venue on Saturday 15th August, with Regulations now available.

For further updates, visit the Formula Grasstrack Association website at www.formulagrasstrack.com or the official Facebook page.

Round 5 Meeting Results

Seniors (Top 10)

E-Bikes

Autos

Cadets

Cubs

Juniors

Championship Standings After Round 5

Seniors (Top 10)

E-Bikes

Autos

Cadets

Cubs

Juniors

Youth Pairs

Senior Pairs