Photo credit to; Lee Fisher Motorsport Photography
Ayden Wilson will leave the SMRC ran Scottish C1 Cup in 2027 and join the highly competitive BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Clubman Championship, leaving after winning his 2nd straight C1 Cup after a competitive battle with fellow driver Marc Nisbet.
The C1 Cup ran a highly competitive season finale at Knockhill on the 10th-11th of October after a season of door bashing, dive-bombs and electric racing, with four drivers still in contention for the championship by October. When the field lined up for race two on Sunday afternoon, Ayden Wilson had the upper hand with Marc Nisbet close behind in a race with stakes that replicated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. After a long and tiring battle for both Wilson and Nisbet, Wilson would cross the line milliseconds in front of Nisbet with a NASCAR worthy photo finish, taking home his second C1 Cup championship trophy. However not without a scare in Parc Ferme. Coming out of the final corner Nisbet believed that Wilson had ran wide and exceeded track limits, aiding him in getting ahead of Nisbet on the run to the line and hence winning the championship. After a tense, but short wait Wilson was confirmed as the champion and congratulated by rival Nisbet.
Wilson in a post-race interview stated that he would race in the MX-5 Clubman next season after his success in the Scottish C1 Cup. Leaving the championship after successfully defending his title and moving onto the next chapter of his career. The MX-5 cup hosted a 37 car grid at the season finale in Silverstone, with Jordan Pimley winning the title in 2026 with 797 points to his name. Becoming the first driver since the championships inception in 2021 to win back-to-back titles. The field has proved to be highly competitive, with race two at Snetterton at the start of the season having the podium split by less than a second, showcasing the MX-5 Clubman to be one of the most exciting single make championships in the UK. Giving Wilson a worthy challenge for 2027!
Wilson spoke with the SMRC Media team after winning the title, speaking about his championship and the final round of the year. “I mean that was absolutely nothing, a photo finish over the line” was how Wilson described the battle with Marc Nisbet, with the title being decided by less than a tenth of a second over the line. “Race two was one of the hardest races I’ve done” in my life expressed Wilson, with the fight also most likely being the most important of Wilson’s career to date in a rare ‘winner takes all’ situation, with the runner-up forced to leave Knockhill empty handed. Wilson described the Mazda MX-5 Clubman as “something totally different for us” and the championship being a “new challenge” for the family run outfit. Wilson also spoke about the C1 Cup, describing his years in the championship as “the most amazing five years” of his life, wrapping up the first chapter of what promises a career of many trophies, battles and wins ahead for the Stirlingshire man!