2025 MX-5 Club Motorkhana Championship Finale
24 November 2025 / Story by Bryan Shedden, Photos by Rob Wilko
On Saturday 15 November, the 2025 MX-5 Club Motorkhana Championship reached its exhilarating conclusion under the floodlights of Sydney Motorsport Park’s skidpan. For the first time ever, the event was held in the evening, kicking off at twilight at 6:30pm and wrapping up at 10:30pm. The warm spring night provided perfect conditions, and we were fortunate that the thunderstorms drifted just north and south of us, putting on a spectacular light show in the distance.
This novelty of a Saturday night motorkhana drew an enthusiastic full field of 42 drivers, including six visitors. While the majority piloted MX-5s, a few diversions into other makes included David Phillips in a GR Yaris, Matt Fraser in a Ford Escort, and the visiting Gotch family sharing a Toyota 86. It was especially inspiring to see six Junior competitors, led by 13-year-old Chase Raddatz, who drove the NB he built himself at MX5 Mania. Remarkably, one-third of the entrants were under 30, highlighting the growing appeal of motorkhana among younger drivers. The atmosphere was made even livelier by strong support from family and friends cheering on every test.
Our Clerk of Course, David Wilson, crafted a challenging series of six tests despite a tighter four-hour schedule—significantly shorter than the usual seven hours of daytime competition. Skipping the typical meal break, David expertly guided the field through two attempts at four tests, then quickly transitioned to a final test with one attempt each in two sections. This well-planned format allowed everyone to experience five tests, with only a minor time overrun past the 10:30pm cutoff.
Although the Druitt Circuit was quiet and the Garage Cafe was closed, the Amaroo Circuit buzzed with a smoky and noisy drifting event. Unfortunately, the food truck ran out early, so many of us resorted to vending machine snacks and a late-night Macca’s run—thankfully, I had enjoyed a big lunch earlier!
On the skidpan, lightning-fast times were posted by several competitors: Alex Shedden blitzed Bowler, David Phillips dominated Lazy Eight, Ian Hung excelled on Tophat, Chris Andry mastered Crazy Square, and Charlie Karayannis conquered Plumb Crazy. Congratulations to the class winners — Damian Ryan in Open, Helen Green in Ladies, Charlie Karayannis in Junior, and David Phillips in the non-MX-5 class. Charlie’s outstanding performance, earning outright second place, showcased the impressive skills he’s honed under the guidance of his dad John—and crowned his final year in Junior Class with flair.
With the championship wrapped up, the 2025 Motorkhana titles were decided. Christopher Stevens took the Open Class crown, followed by Damian Ryan and Ian Hung. In the Ladies Class, Annie Chan emerged victorious, with Helen Green close behind. The Junior Class saw a nail-biting finish, with Charlie Karayannis clinching the title, Chase Raddatz just one point behind in second, and Mackenzie Ryan in third. Congratulations to everyone who competed and contributed to a fantastic season!
A heartfelt thank you goes to the dedicated officials who made this event possible: Barry Luttrell, Jenny Luttrell, David Wilson, Ian Combes, Phil Reid, Phil Donnelley, Greg Unger, and of course our talented photographer, Rob Wilko. Their tireless efforts and professionalism ensured a smooth and enjoyable evening for all.
Follow the links for a detailed rundown of the results and pointscore.
