The Alfa Romeo Championship enters its 44th consecutive season this year and has welcomed competition from Italian marques such as Fiat, Abarth and Lancia for a number of years now.
The opportunity has been taken to extend this welcome to all Italian cars and this has been reflected in a change of name to the Alfa Romeo and Italian Intermarque championship. This change has also coincided with a move from 750 Motor Club to the Historic Sports Car Club with 2025 being a transitional year involving both clubs.
The championship returns to the popular Snetterton circuit to contest rounds 1 and 2 of the 12 race season, using the 2 mile 200 layout for the first time in almost 5 years, the last visit marking a return to racing following the lifting of the first Covid-19 lockdown.
This year the championship will be contested across 4 classes, the Modified and Twin Spark classes remaining the same but the Power Trophy class principle has been extended to be attractive to a wider range of cars, resulting in the formation of 2 new classes, the revised Power Trophy class for cars up to 240 bhp per tonne and a Turismo class for cars up to 160 bhp per tonne. The option is still there for cars that are not eligible within the revised class structure to run on an invitation basis but these are unable to score championship points.
Heading the entry is 2024 champion Toby Broome driving his Revs Italia supported 147 GTA. He is joined in the Power Trophy by the entertaining Fiat Punto Abarths driven by Chris and Simon McFie, and the Bianco Motorsports supported cars of Stacey Dennis in the 1.4 Giulietta and Mark Skeggs in his GTV. Paul Webster makes a welcome return to the paddock in his 156 GTA and rounding off the class we extend a warm welcome to newcomer Steve Godfrey who has acquired the ex Tom Hill championship winning 3.2 litre GT.
In the Modified class, last year’s class champion Jamie Thwaites is in the very quick TCR Giulietta and class runner-up Andy Page returns to the action with his 116 Giulietta. Scott Austin is back in his Integrale engined 156 after missing the majority of last season following a major engine failure at the first meeting at Croft. Also making up a strong Modified entry is Jack Berry in the stunning Alfa Workshop prepared 4C, and 2021 champion Barry McMahon, now in the impressive Giulia Quadrifoglio.
In the newly formed Turismo class, Nathan Bignell has moved from the Power Trophy class in his 33 whilst last year’s Twin Spark Cup winner Edward Robinson hopes to demonstrate how this class can bring together cars from the two established classes of previous campaigns.
The Twin Spark Cup entry features 3 newcomers to the paddock, George Warren has raced in Fiats and Auto Italia and is in a 147, Ian Fenwick is racing with Dave Pickup’s support also in a 147, whilst Marcus Robinson returns to racing having acquired the ex Tom Herbert and Toby Broome 156. James and Richard Ford are in their familiar 156s, 2023 champion James electing to return to the class after a frustrating outing with the 3 litre V6 at Brands, the car still requiring quite a bit of attention to get it race ready. Richard’s GT rebuild is not quite complete so he is in his distinctive black and gold 156 in which he took the Twin Spark championship in 2021. Dave Pickup and James Powell debuted their cars in the championship in 2024 and both return in their 147s, James having secured an excellent third in class in his first season.
Completing a very healthy grid is Charlie McCarthy, driving his Ford V8 engined Ferrari Dino on an invitation basis and therefore eligible for overall placing and award but competing outside the championship’s class structure.
Overall, a very positive start to the season in terms of entrants and cars and we look forward to some exciting and enjoyable racing under the banner of the Historic Sports Car Club.
Thanks go to the HSCC and to all our sponsors this year: Hitek Electronic Materials Ltd, Irideum, Grove and Dean Motorsport Insurance and the Alfa Romeo Owners Club. Their support of the championship is much appreciated and valued.