The 2026 Time Attack Championship opened in style at Cadwell Park during Modified Live, with changing conditions, fresh builds and several standout performances shaping an intense opening round of the season.
From a damp morning warm-up to increasingly faster afternoon sessions, the day steadily evolved into a battle of outright pace and late-session improvements, with several drivers finding crucial time when it mattered most.
PRO – Griffiths and Gallacher Trade Blows in Tight Pro Fight
The Pro category delivered some of the closest margins of the event as Simon Griffiths immediately established himself as one of the drivers to beat in the V8-powered Ginetta G56 GT.
Griffiths topped the opening Attack session before returning in Super Attack with a 1:27.354 lap that remained the quickest Pro time of the day.
But the pressure increased throughout the afternoon as Andrew Gallacher steadily closed the gap in the AG Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo. Gallacher responded by topping Attack 2 and finished the final Super Attack session only half a second away from Griffiths’ benchmark pace.
Bradley John also remained firmly in contention throughout the day, ending Super Attack less than six tenths from the outright pace in the Riverside Racing Evo IX.
Although Griffiths ended the day quickest overall, Gallacher emerged with the strongest points return among the championship contenders.
In Club Pro, Aleksandr Volkov guided his rebuilt Nissan GT-R through a demanding day where reliability proved critical, remaining in contention throughout the event to secure the class victory.
👉 Key takeaway: Griffiths delivered the headline pace, but Gallacher ensured the Pro fight stayed close all day.
CLUB CLASS – Vincent Fan Dominates on Debut
One of the standout stories of the entire event came from Club Class newcomer Vincent Fan.
Driving the Toyota GR Supra, Fan topped every session across the day — from warm-up through to Super Attack — immediately establishing the car as the benchmark package in class.
Despite Fan’s control at the top of the timesheets, the chasing pack continued edging closer as conditions improved. Luke Capehorn, Neil Robson, Jonny Fletcher and Andrew Kime all remained within striking distance across the timed sessions, keeping the pressure on throughout the afternoon.
Super Attack ultimately saw Fan produce a 1:33.888 to secure the quickest Club Class time of the event, with Capehorn ending the session just 0.357 seconds behind.
Fletcher’s recovery through the day was also notable after a difficult warm-up session left the JDF Racing Astra well down the order before climbing back into contention later in the event.
👉 Key takeaway: Vincent Fan arrived and immediately became the driver everyone else was chasing.
CLUBMAN / POCKET ROCKET / CLASSIC & RETRO – Late Improvements Define the Day
The mixed Clubman, Pocket Rocket and Classic & Retro sessions produced some of the biggest improvements as the track conditions continued to evolve.
Clive Hopwell’s Volkswagen Golf R emerged as the benchmark Clubman package by the end of the day. After a cautious start in the damp morning conditions, Hopwell steadily lowered his times through each session before producing the quickest lap of the combined field in Super Attack.
David Dyson remained in close contention throughout in the Ninemeister Porsche, while Adam Taylor continued improving session-by-session in the Lotus Exige.
Dean Riley delivered another highly consistent performance in Classic & Retro. The VX220 remained near the front across every timed session and topped both Attack runs before narrowly missing out on the quickest overall combined-class time in Super Attack.
In Pocket Rocket NA, Michael Hume’s Honda-swapped Renault Clio continued to improve throughout the day after setting the early pace in warm-up, eventually securing class honours ahead of a closely matched field of Civic challengers.
Gary Papworth controlled Pocket Rocket FI from start to finish in the Norfolk Mini Cooper S, consistently remaining clear of the chasing pack across the timed sessions.
👉 Key takeaway: As the circuit evolved, the final sessions became a battle of who could continue finding time late into the day.
Next Stop: Donington Park
The 2026 Time Attack Championship now heads to Donington Park, where the early benchmark drivers from Cadwell will attempt to defend their advantage as rivals arrive with fresh data, revised setups and unfinished business from the opening round.
FULL EVENT RESULTS:
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