The 2026 AllClear Services Ltd Formula Grasstrack Championship made its first visit to Malpas Farm Shop for Round 4, the Tom Thomas Memorial meeting, on Saturday 4th July, a day that also marked the opening round of the Best Pairs Championship. While the meeting ultimately had to be brought to a premature close following a serious crash involving Antony Worrall, there was still plenty of outstanding racing across all classes.
Race Report by Andy Falconer – Images by DSM Photos
With no finals able to take place, standings in all classes were determined by the heats completed. Everyone at the Formula Grasstrack Association sends their best wishes to Antony for a full and speedy recovery.
Malpas delivered on its pre-meeting promise as a day packed with family narratives. The three generations of the Worrall family – Grandfather Antony, son Ben and grandson Harry – all took to the track together, and the pair of Antony and Ben Worrall combined to compete in the Senior Pairs before the accident that curtailed the day.
The other great family story of the afternoon was a joyful one. Teleri Hughes, daughter of Grasstrack Sidecar racer Shaun Hughes and grand-daughter of Senior frontrunner Phil Thomas, made her grasstrack debut in the E-Bike class and produced a performance that earned her the Youth Rider of the Day award. With Phil Thomas also competing in the Senior class on the same afternoon, it was a genuinely proud occasion for the Thomas and Hughes families.
Wayne Broadhurst was once again the dominant force in the Senior class, topping the meeting standings and extending his championship lead still further. The reigning champion continues to operate on a different level to the rest of the field, and now leads the championship on 160 points.
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Graham Thomas claimed second on the day, remaining Broadhurst’s closest championship challenger on 156 points, while Kevin Gwillam took third and was rightly recognised with the Senior Rider of the Day award for another composed and consistent performance. Gwillam now sits third in the overall standings on 150 points.
Adam Hawker continued his reliable form to finish fourth, with Phil Thomas taking fifth on a day that held special significance as he watched his grand-daughter Teleri make her racing debut in the E-Bikes. Glyn Edwards battled hard throughout to take sixth, while Max Broadhurst – returning to Senior action – took an impressive seventh place ahead of Colin How.
Marcus Crutchington impressed to take tenth, while Sam Hall, Ben Worrall, Sue Dowling and Paul Dufty all gained valuable points tallies.
If one story summed up the spirit of the day in the E-Bike class, it was the performance of Cruz Harris. Having suffered a significant crash in practice, Harris dug deep to not only take to the start line but to produce a stunning display throughout the heats, topping the E-Bike standings on 32 points.
Harry Wicks rode superbly to claim second place on 31 points, with reigning champion Reggie Goodwin taking third on 29 points. Despite slipping behind Harris and Wicks on the day, Goodwin retains his overall championship lead on 97 points heading into Round 5. Oscar South took fourth and Hadlee Jones fifth, with Maddie Adams and Blake Woolley rounding out the top seven.
The day’s most heartwarming moment in the class came from debutant Teleri Hughes, who impressed throughout on her very first grasstrack outing and was deservedly awarded the Youth Rider of the Day honour.
Harry Worrall produced a commanding performance in the Auto class to take the meeting win with a maximum 32 points, and in doing so he also moves to the top of the Auto championship standings on 93 points – overtaking the absent Levi Collins, who now sits second on 75 points.
Isla Gannon continued her impressive progress since her grasstrack debut at Round 3, claiming an excellent second place at Malpas. JJ Falconer completed the podium in third, adding to what has been a solid run of results across both the Auto and E-Bike classes this season.
Dalton Wright remained the sole representative in the Cadet class and continued his flawless record, completing all of his rides to stay unbeaten in the championship. Wright now leads the Cadet standings on 74 points.
One of the most satisfying results of the day came in the Cubs class, where Albie South finally got the reward his performances have deserved all season. Having been plagued by misfortune in earlier rounds, South produced a brilliant display at Malpas to share the top spot with Rogan Woolley, both riders finishing on 29 points.
It was a significant result for South, who had previously been denied a strong finish by bad luck on multiple occasions. Reigning champion Lucas Astley, who had been unbeaten coming into Round 4, slipped to third on the day with 26 points, though he remains at the top of the overall standings on 97 points, with Woolley now close behind on 95.
Dakota Wright took fourth and Lillie-Mai Warwick fifth, the latter continuing to show improvement with every meeting.
Archie Whitelam maintained his perfect record in the Junior class, topping the standings at Malpas to reach the landmark of 100 championship points across four rounds. John Cox Jr. pushed him hard throughout and took second on 28 points, with the two continuing to pull clear at the top of the Junior championship standings. Whitelam leads on 100 points, Cox Jr. is second on 94.
Round 4 also incorporated the opening round of the Best Pairs Championship, with some strong partnerships emerging across both the Youth and Senior divisions.
The Youth Pairs category produced a dramatic tie at the top, with Albie South and Oscar South – the South brothers – matching the total of Reggie Goodwin and AJ Bence on 57 points apiece. Both pairs share the early championship lead. Hadlee Jones and Harry Worrall took third on 56 points, ahead of JJ Falconer and Harry Wicks (55 points). Lucas Astley paired with Isla Gannon and Dalton Wright with Maddie Adams both claimed joint fifth on 54 points. Archie Whitelam – pairing with debutant Teleri Hughes – took seventh on 51 points, a fine result given Teleri’s first-ever meeting.
The Senior Pairs produced an extraordinary three-way tie at the top of the standings, with Wayne Broadhurst and Sue Dowling, Glyn Edwards and Den Edwards, and Colin How and Marcus Crutchington all finishing level on 46 points. Graham Thomas and Paul Dufty sit fourth on 43 points, while Phil Thomas and Charlie Glaze are fifth, also on 43. Kevin Gwillam and Nigel Bowkett are sixth with 42 points.
Poignantly, Antony Worrall and Ben Worrall competed together as a pair before the accident that ended the day, finishing on 35 points in ninth place.
Round 5 heads to Hampton Old Hall on Saturday 18th July, with entries closing on Friday 10th July.
Results
Podium Pictures
