Photo by: Steve Jones
F1000 ace Matt Higginson is at the top of the Autosport National Rankings table as we begin our weekly updates for the 2026 season.
Higginson has taken seven victories to date at the wheel of his Jedi, a treble at Silverstone last weekend moving him to the top of the leaderboard.
We traditionally wait until at least 50 drivers have scored three wins or more before publishing our National Rankings table – over the weekend just passed, that figure exploded from the low forties to 61 as the national and club racing season kicks into gear.
The Autosport National Rankings is based on the simple premise of who wins the most races across the British and Irish car racing season, with each carrying equal weight – from a Legends heat to the British Grand Prix.
Lancastrian Higginson is a multiple 750 Motor Club champion, but he started his season by taking in the opening Monoposto triple-header – also at Silverstone – and taking victory in all three races. He then picked up one win in the F1000 curtain raiser at Brands Hatch, to the two of Tom Westworth, before his steamroller last weekend.
Higginson’s latest successes knocked Junior Saloons title favourite Ollie Smith from the top of the tree. Smith started his season perfectly with three wins at Donington Park before earning a further pair at Cadwell Park, then added one more at Croft. The three races he hasn’t topped have been won by Max Scharfegger, who sneaks in at the bottom of our top 50.
Connor Kay
Photo by: Steve Jones
Completing the top three is Connor Kay, who has been an ever-increasing force in 1960s sportscar machinery in recent seasons. He has used Lotus Elan 26R, MG Midget and TVR Tuscan to notch up his six wins, his most recent success coming with a shared drive in the Pall Mall Cup at Donington’s historic festival at the beginning of May.
More Monoposto representation comes from George Line in his Formula 3 Dallara in fourth place. He has enjoyed the biggest average grid size (our tiebreaker when drivers are equal on victories) of those on five wins to head Ginetta Junior standout Lewis Goff, Sports 2000 king Michael Gibbins, Miata Trophy man-to-beat James Cossins, and Legends pair Aaron Cooke and Chris Needham.
Keep on eye too on drivers from the British Touring Car Championship. That series’ addition of a fourth race at each event has helped points leader Ash Sutton into an early 19th place following his pair of victories at Brands Hatch last weekend.
All car races in UK and Ireland are included except qualification/repechage, consolation and handicap races. No races in other countries. Class wins are only counted when there are at least six starters in the class, except: when the race is part of a multi-stage event where six or more have taken part in earlier heats that feed into a semi-final or final; when multiple championships are merged in the same race, the ‘overall’ winner from the slower championship can count a class win as long as that championship has at least 10 starters across all classes. Only classes divided by car characteristics are included, not those divided by driver characteristics such as ability, professional status, age, experience (for example rookie or pro-am classes). Each race counts only once, so an overall winner’s class win is not added. Where there is a tie, overall wins take precedence. Where there is still a tie, average grid size for a driver’s wins determines the order.
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- The Autosport.com Team
Source: Autosport