2025 Whitmore Cup highlights | 82MM

Whitmore Cup highlights

Take a field of classic saloon cars, add some touring cars drivers and give them the Goodwood Motor Circuit as their stage. It’s a recipe that never fails to result in some of the closest, most thrilling racing. For the Whitmore Cup, that largely meant a fight between the Mini Cooper Ss and Lotus Cortinas at the front of the grid.

The three Minis of Adam Morgan, Nick Swift and Nick Padmore started how they intended to carry on, going three abreast into Fordwater. There was a smidge of contact, but after they kept their close battle very clean. The same went for the two-way battle between Max Chilton and Justin Law, both pedalling their Lotus Cortinas as hard as they could go. And it was same throughout the field, with hard-fought race-long battles.

But it was Lotus Cortina driver Guy Smith who ran away with the victory. Further down the field Chilton was matching his lap times but it wasn’t enough to overcome a poorer start.

Official Practice for the Whitmore Cup Part 1

The Whitmore Cup for pre-’66 touring cars with a capacity of less than 2.0 litres brought a generous serving of wheel-to-wheel action to the 82^nd Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport despite this only being the Official Practice session for the main event. 

Max Chilton set the pace, going fastest of all with 11 minutes of the session remaining, with a time of 1:33.054 in his 1964 Lotus Cortina, putting him 0.4seconds ahead of Guy Smith in another Lotus Cortina. Nicolas Padmore, driving his own Mini Coopers S, held third. 

But Chilton's lead wouldn't last for long, with Smith's eye-catching blue Cortina nudging in front with a time of 1:32.372, which he soon chipped down to 1:31.588. In the meantime, Justin Law sneaked into third, knocking Padmore into fourth and ensuring Lotus Cortinas locked out the top three, albeit only briefly.  Padmore immediately took the place back, and was a hair's breadth away from stealing second from Chilton.

The Minis further down the field were having as much fun, proving to be the definition of 'momentum' machines as they pirouetted around corners hell-bent on using their brakes as sparingly as possible.

Meanwhile, Matthew Holme and Lukas Halusa’s Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTAs added a touch of Latin flare to proceedings, Halusa doing well to keep control of his car after understeering onto the grass. Neither Italian machine ever looked like they'd mount a serious challenge on the top vehicles. 

But the front of the grid was still fluid, with Nick Swift taking third position, only to be overtaken on another hot lap by fellow Cooper S driver Adam Morgan, who slashed more than a second off Swift's time to take third. That's how things would stay, with Smith winning pole position ahead of Chilton and Morgan in second and third, respectively. 

2025 Whitmore Cup grid (Top 10)

Photography by Jordan Butters.

The Whitmore Cup captures the spirit of Sir John’s saloon car racing from the early 1960s. The race is open to sub-2.0-litre saloon cars built before 1966 which means Lotus Cortinas, like the one he drove in period, feature heavily. 

Which cars race in the Whitmore Cup?

Aforementioned Lotus Cortinas are a prolific force in the Whitmore Cup, along with a fleet of buzzing Mini Cooper Ss and no shortage of Alfa Romeo Giulias. Essentially, they are the cars that could have done the 1960s school run but stripped and prepped to excel around Goodwood. It makes for close racing and an evocative sight dripping in nostalgia.

Which drivers are racing in the Whitmore Cup?

It will come as no surprise that the Whitmore Cup attracts its fair share of touring car drivers. Adam Morgan and Mike Jordan will be pedalling Mini Cooper Ss, while Max Chilton will be at the wheel of a Lotus Cortina. 

When is the Whitmore Cup?

Official Practice for the Whitmore Cup is scheduled to take place at 12:55 on the Saturday, with the race the following day at 13:15.

Previous winners of the Whitmore Cup

Images courtesy of Getty Images.