Will Self and Kevin Talbot took the outright victories in Cadwell Park’s dramatic 2025 season-opener – the latter tying for the Class A points lead with Liam Collins.

Self’s Civic EG dominated the first of the two races for which he’d qualified on pole position on his Racing Hondas debut.

Tommy Knight took second on his Class A debut but only after a panel-crunching final lap tussle between his Civic EG and the Integra DC2 of Liam Collins who was third.

“I had a scare on the opening lap when I went off at the Gooseneck and thought I was heading for the barriers but luckily it came back to me and I got into a rhythm,” reflected Self whose task was made easier after second-fastest qualifier Phil Wright failed to start due to mechanical issues.

Talbot took fourth, with Bob Barron – impressing mightily on his car racing debut – close behind in fifth.

Sixth was James Alford and this was pivotal with number six later drawn for the Racing Hondas Championship’s first ever reversed grid in Race 2…

From his first pole position, Alford made a decent start only to miss a gear change – this hindering his acceleration and enabling to close on him dramatically.

In the bunching and confusion behind, Self and Knight both suffered heavy crashes against the barriers with Alford’s car also too badly damaged to continue as officials stopped the race to enable the debris to be cleared. All drivers were able to vacate their cars unharmed.

At the restart, the sensational Barron stormed into the lead and, despite intense pressure from Talbot, Collins and Wright (his Civic EP3 now repaired) he stayed there for most of the race.

An error by Barron at the Gooseneck, though, allowed Talbot and Collins through whilst Wright had to take avoiding action on the grass.

Talbot spent the closing laps fending off Collins and there was almost contact as they rounded the Hairpin on the final lap, the pair ending the race split by less than half a second in the first Integra 1-2 finish in Racing Hondas history.

The pair leave Cadwell tied for the Class A lead with the elated Talbot ahead thanks to his maiden win.

“I didn’t have the pace of Liam or Phil behind but Cadwell is narrow so it’s possible to defend more than at other circuits and that probably saved me,” reflected Talbot.

Behind, Wright was able to wriggle past Barron to finish third with the fastest race lap to boot as the latter’s Kilted KSwaps team-mate Fraser McNeill took a competitive fifth.

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CLICK HERE for Cadwell Park’s race results.