Tom Mills claimed victory in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone after a thrilling final on his return to the event. The KMR Sport driver managed a tense battle at the front to finally capture the title he had long desired.
Road to Victory and Early Drama
Mills, whose father Kevin is a leading team boss, had not entered the Walter Hayes Trophy since a controversial 2022 clash with Max Esterson at Luffield dashed his hopes. Driving a KMR Sport Spectrum 011c, the 21-year-old showed no signs of rustiness as he led his heat, semi-final, and most of the final. Polesitter Mills began to edge away in the opening laps, while Jason Smyth and Jordan Dempsey battled for second.
The race was neutralized when a safety car was deployed after Stephen O’Connor and Ricky Simpson became stranded in the Copse gravel. The caution period saw further drama as Josh Fisher collided with 2024 victor Rory Smith at Becketts, eliminating both contenders and earning Fisher two penalty points on his licence for failing to slow sufficiently.
A Chaotic Finish
When racing resumed, Anthony Amato moved around the outside at Copse to challenge Mills for the lead. Amato secured the position on lap 13, before Dempsey pushed past both drivers to take the lead on the following lap. The decisive moment arrived at Brooklands two tours later when Mills dived down the inside of Dempsey from a long way back. Dempsey attempted a counter-attack at Luffield but was run out wide, allowing Mills to cross the finish line 0.333 seconds ahead.
Chris Middlehurst secured a remarkable second-place finish after starting his weekend with major setbacks. A brake master cylinder change between qualifying and the second heat left his team without time to fix a faulty transponder, resulting in a 30-second penalty that dropped him to 19th. After his appeal was rejected, Middlehurst won the Last Chance and Progression races, then climbed from 26th on the grid to finish fifth in his semi-final before charging through the chaotic final laps.
Amato finished third, while Tom Nippers claimed fourth after successfully appealing a 30-second penalty for weaving during his heat. Meanwhile, a late-race collision between Dempsey and Smyth at Brooklands on the final lap eliminated Dempsey and left Smyth sixth overall behind Hugh Esterson.
Mills reflected on his journey to the top step after years of near-misses and supporting the team since childhood. As reported by Autosport.com, Mills noted that he had dreamed about winning the event since he was 14 years old.
