Smyth stuns by winning sensational 2025 Walter Hayes Trophy final

Photo: Ida Wood

Team Dolan’s Jason Smyth came from 13th on the grid to win a thrilling final to the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.

He was handed a 10-place grid penalty pre-race, which meant B-M Racing Jordan Dempsey started third behind semi-final winners Andrew Rackstraw (KMR Sport) and Niall Murray (Team Dolan).

Poleman Rackstraw was slow off the line and dropped to third, with Top Nippers in fourth ahead of KMR duo Jacob Tofts and KC Ensor-Smith. Dempsey looked to Murray’s outside at Brooklands, as Smyth made his way up to eighth.

The top two began laps two and three side-by-side, with Dempsey tucking back in behind at Copse both times. By then Smyth was sixth, just behind the lead train.

Rackstraw went down Dempsey’s inside into Becketts, then to Murray’s outside at Brooklands. That left the inside free for Nippers to go from fourth to second, but Rackstraw was back ahead at the direction change of Luffield and Dempsey moved past at Woodcote.

Murray had Rackstraw alongside him for the start of lap four, and he stayed there through Copse and down to Maggotts. Smyth had overtaken Nippers on the pit straight, then edged ahead of Dempsey at Maggotts, so when Rackstraw ran wide at Becketts he was alongside at the exit.

Rackstraw was stuck to Murray’s gearbox down the Wellington Straight, while Smyth was neck-and-neck with him until Luffield where the inside line gave Smyth the advantage.

A second split the top eight starting lap five, and Smyth went for the lead on the outside at Copse. He was fully ahead at Maggotts, but Murray braked late into Becketts to reclaim first. They were wheel-to-wheel again at Brooklands and Smyth slid into the side of Murray who was on his outside. Despite this, Murray still got to Luffield in the lead with Dempsey now third.

Smyth tried a switchback through Copse on lap six, and this time was the later braker into Becketts and took the lead. Murray attacked at Brooklands, then had Dempsey alongside him until the pit straight where Rackstraw pushed him forward.

Rackstraw took third into Becketts on lap seven of 15, as Murray looked to the outside of Brooklands again. They entered lap eight leading a 15-car train, and Murray went around Smyth’s outside at Copse. Smyth nosed ahead at Maggotts, but Murray had the inside for Becketts so led again.

Smyth’s straightline speed put him into the lead again down the Wellington Straight, but after brushing each other Murray led again on the inside into Brooklands. The response from Smyth was a switchback, and he went around Murray’s outside through Luffield to get to the front. Just behind, Dempsey overtook Rackstraw.

Dempsey dived past Murray into Maggotts on lap nine, then did a switchback as Murray slid into Becketts. They were side-by-side until braking for Brooklands, where Dempsey went to the outside and tried passing Smyth. He took second, but exceeded track limits and copped a five-second penalty.

Smyth had a 0.256-second gap entering with five laps to go, the biggest margin yet for a leader, but Dempsey then closed in and tried passing around the outside at Brooklands. That bunched up the lead group of nine even more, as Nippers challenged Rackstraw for fourth, and Dempsey began lap 12 alongside Smyth.

Copse was his next point of attack, where Murray ran wide and got his own track limits penalty. Rackstraw therefore was Smyth’s main rival, and he dived past Murray at Maggotts and then hassled Dempsey through Becketts. He could not get past, and Nippers overtook Murray out of Luffield.

Murray reclaimed fourth with a high-speed move at Brooklands a lap later, and Dempsey went into the penultimate lap alongside Smyth again. He stuck to the outside at Copse but could not pass, and a slide into Becketts let Rackstraw through to second.

When they reached Brooklands, Rackstraw exited Smyth’s tow and sent it around the outside but their wheels rubbed and Rackstraw was sent off. He rejoined in fourth, and Smyth entered the last lap 0.073s ahead of Dempsey.

Murray wanted to win, and he lunged to the inside of Dempsey at Maggotts, then held his speed around the outside through Becketts. Just behind, Tofts sent Nippers spinning.

There was even more drama at Brooklands, as Dempsey dived down Smyth’s inside and drove into his sidepod. Murray also went to the inside and just avoided Dempsey’s spinning car, and Smyth went off and rejoined side-by-side with his team-mate.

The inside line meant Smyth had the advantage through Luffield, and he met the chequered flag with Rackstraw right behind and Murray alongside. Just 0.017s split the top two on track, but the penalty demoted Murray to 15th, with Dempsey 10th on-the-road but being pushed down a spot.

Ensor-Smith was promoted to the podium, and completing the race-long lead group was Swift Cooper’s Luke Cooper and Dolan’s Jordan Kelly.

B-M Racing’s Rory Smith had charged from 27th to eighth before 45s of track limits penalties sent him back down to 26th, so Oldfield Motorsport’s Connor Willis was the biggest climber as he rose from 29th to finish 10th.

Sema Racing’s Alex Ames also starred, being in the lead group for a long time and coming 17th in a Van Diemen RF90, making him the top heritage class driver.

Final results (15 laps)