GT & Sports Car Cup 2026: Anglesey Race Preview
Anglesey Circuit - Trac Môn in Welsh parlance - is a new and exciting addition to the GT & Sports Car Cup calendar this year. Situated on the eponymous island, a short hop from the historic Menai Bridge, it will take to seven the number of British venues enshrined in the history of the invitation series for Pre-1966 GT and Touring cars and Pre-1963 Sports Racers.
Built on the decommissioned Ty Croes army and RAF asset, part of which was previously used for motorcycle racing and Rallycross, the facilities were improved and granted an RACMSA [now Motorsport UK] licence for car racing in 1997. Rebuilt, lengthened and upgraded in 2006, it is now a very popular race and test venue.
Carved into an escarpment overlooking the Irish Sea, Anglesey is undoubtedly the most picturesque racing venue in these islands. On a sunny summer’s day there is simply nowhere like it in the motorsport world, with breathtaking views over the shimmering water to one side and towards Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) - Wales’ tallest mountain at 1085 metres (3560 feet) - rising majestically over the Snowdonia National Park to the other.
We are using the 1.55-mile 10-turn Coastal Circuit, second longest of the complex’s four options, which features an elevation variance of 36 metres - 118 feet - between Church curve and Peel Corner. The plunge from there takes you through the dramatic Corkscrew, by-passing the Tom Pryce Straight, named for Wales’ late Ruthin-born Formula 1 hero, winner of the 1975 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch. Among many challenging elements are The Banking (a 10 per cent dished hairpin) and Rocket, a deceptive momentum-sapping left-right flick-flack on the climb towards Peel. Corner exit speeds are clearly crucial to lap times.
Following our exciting 20th anniversary season-opener on Silverstone’s Historic GP circuit at the end of May, our entry for the second of four races - over 90 minutes within a 750 Motor Club event, and live-streamed to the world - is splendid. Topping it in different classes are Jaguar E-type exponents Jon Minshaw and John Clark, whose sporting CVs contain no fewer than 10 GTSCC outright victories between them. Indeed, they won their first rounds in back-to-back events back in 2008, Jon at Pau, John at Monza.
Six-time winner Minshaw, head of the fabled Demon Tweeks motorsport equipment emporium in Wrexham, traverses the North Wales coast to share his car - prepared by Nigel Morris’ Valley Motor Sport team in Shropshire - with Ben Cussons, immediate past chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, whose own Jaguar racing heritage is legendary.
Scottish motor dealer extraordinaire ‘Clarky’ teams up again in his GT4 contender with Cotswolds charger Ben Mitchell, whose remarkable record of racing success spans victories from Formula Ford to Historic F2.
Another E-type in the GT4 mix, fresh from finishing a strong fifth at Silverstone, is Read Gomm’s gorgeous low-drag-coupe. Veteran racer/coach Nigel Greensall - who competes most weekends and remarkably has clocked 100-race international seasons - co-drives this weekend instead of Andy Keith-Lucas, brother of BBC weather presenter Sarah. Today she forecast a new heat wave for the week preceding Anglesey, after the hottest May on record, but a turbulent early June.
Two AC Cobra derivatives take on the Jags, their crews hopeful that the torque of their 4.7-litre Ford V8 engines will be a match for the harmonious straight sixes. Nick Sleep and Alex Montgomery saddle a hard-topped version, while indefatigable Bristolians David Smithies and North Borneo [Sabah]-born Chris Clarkson are in David’s Tour de France Automobile tribute-liveried Daytona Coupe. Sidelined by an unprecedented gearbox failure at Silverstone at the end of last month, nobody would begrudge the popular duo a solid run.
At Silverstone, the agility of the 26R spec Lotus Elan of young Connor Kay and Chester golf pro James Hughes - who had driven it for only a few minutes prior to the event - trumped the big bangers for outright victory. They plan to return for October’s Algarve seasonal finale, but Steve Jones and 2023 Classic Formula Ford champion Ben Tinkler have renewed their partnership in Steve’s Elan, which should suit the circuit well.
The GT3 contest pitches a trio of Jaguars against four burbling Austin-Healey 3000s and the Ross-Jones family’s omnipresent Triumph TR4. Alongside the aforementioned Minshaw/Cussons entry, the pristine Roman Purple roadster of Will Garrett - restored to ultimate Pre-’63 spec - and Tim Crighton, is guaranteed to attract attention. Former Formula Vee racer Crighton should know his way around Trac Môn as his father Andrew was circuit manager for several years.
The other cat is Sir David Scholey’s XK120, the oldest car in the field, prepared by Classic Autos of Kings Langley and driven by XK tamer of yore Rob Newall and Oliver Marçais, who will juggle stints in it and his family’s big Healey TSU 680, which finished a class-winning sixth overall at Silverstone with Jeremy Welch mid-stinting. Their partnership, a blend of rapid youth and unparalleled experience, is unchanged.
Also Healey-mounted are Alex Hewitson/Jack Rawles, Crispin Harris/James Wilmoth (sidelined early at Silverstone with engine dramas), Joe Ward/Chris Conoley - Spa Six Hours winners in 1995 and 1996 in different TVR Griffiths - and former Historic F1 Shadow and Chevron B19 racer Paul Ingram, with son George.
The GT2 category is as hotly contested as ever, a three-way fight between robust MGBs, featherweight Lotus Elites and plucky Sharlie Goddard’s two-litre Triumph engined Morgan Plus 4 Super Sports, co-driven by Graeme Smith. At Silverstone, past master Olly Bryant set fastest lap in an Elite, but the MG of Mark Hope and Jason Minshaw - Jon’s brother - came out on top, finishing an outstanding 10th overall after two hours.
Hope/Minshaw and Bryant - mentoring Irishman Michael O’Sullivan to good effect - head their ‘sides’ again. Also out in Peter Kirwan-Taylor’s Lotus styling masterpieces are Americans Lee Hower/Tim Gregorio - who had a whale of a time on their series debut at Silverstone - and returnees Benjamin Tarlow/Mark Hamilton Peters.
It will be interesting to see whether the fibreglass coupes powered by 1216cc Coventry-Climax FWE engines - homologated by Colin Chapman’s marque in 1961 at just 576kgs - with ZF gearboxes - and heavier, at 830kg in December 1965, but torquier 1840cc BMC B-series engined MGs are evenly matched on Anglesey’s gradients. Both manufacturer declared weights, incidentally, were with spare wheels, but dry of fuel.
The Phillips family - Beverley, Chris and son Olly - B battlers are joined by Jonathan Hopper and the redoubtable tutor Chris Ward, whose steed went lame during testing on the eve of the season-opener. Cheshire man Chris’ pedigree is undeniable, with three outright GTSCC races on his slate, at the Algarve Classic Festival in 2016 and 2023 in Jaguar E-types and Castle Combe in 2024, where he shared John Spiers’ Lister-Jaguar.
Three Touring Cars are coming out this time to complete the pack. Richard and Alice Locke in the superb little Broadspeed GTS face newcomers Paul Jesty and rolling road expert Malc Fitzpatrick of TTP Performance, first time out with us. They are driving the pale blue Mini Cooper S built and raced by Nick Jesty - Paul’s late father, a TV rallycross hero into the early 1970s - from 2020. Dorset Racing’s Ellie Birchenhough is the team’s pit strategist.
The other TC entry is in a larger capacity division. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA of Richard Frankel and Geoff Turral should certainly be a sonorous and wieldy tool on the wonderful Welsh playground.
Per tradition, quality catering is provided for competitors and guests. Automobiles Historiques is delighted to offer this and support the Driver of the Day prizes. The Royal Automobile Club is also putting up its coveted Family Award.
Future 2026 GTSCC events are:
September 12, CASTLE COMBE AUTUMN CLASSIC (90 minutes)
October 30-November 1, ALGARVE CLASSIC FESTIVAL (120 minutes).
Reserve your entry now to avoid disappointment.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS:
St Cwyfan’s Church, Aberffraw. Situated on a rocky outcrop lapped by the sea, literally below the circuit, this tiny place of worship is only accessible when the tide is out, thus occasional services during motorsport weekends are memorable.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysili ogogogoch - often abbreviated to Llanfair PG - boasts the longest place name in Great Britain. Close to the Menai Bridge, it’s just 17 miles from Anglesey Circuit.
Beaumaris Castle was envisioned by King Edward I as part of his quest to conquer North Wales. Work on the symmetrical limestone and sandstone design ran from 1295-1330 but it was not completed. Subsequently storied within the Revolt of Owain Glyndwr (1400-1409) and the English Civil War (1642-’48) the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a 24-mile drive from Anglesey Circuit, on the coast to the north east of Bangor.
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is the tallest peak in Wales at 1085 metres. While it is eminently climbable, is it easier to take the historic train from Llanberis - 30 miles from Anglesey Circuit - to the summit. NB: Scotland’s Ben Nevis (1345m) is the UK’s highest mountain.
