JAPCOM at RacingHondas 2025
JAPCOM had been busy taking part in Racing Hondas throughout 2025, with all the drama and excitement you would expect from events (including a re-shell). Racing Hondas was built for club-level competition, offering an inclusive environment for both newcomers and seasoned racers. With a strong emphasis on accessibility, the championship continued to embrace grassroots motorsport, welcoming everyone from first-time drivers to those running a ‘van and trailer’ setup.
Cadwell Park – Rounds 1 & 2 – Monday 5th May 2025
The season opener at Cadwell was a big step up, with most rivals running wider tyres and aero, leaving me feeling underprepared. After a solid track day on Sunday, I managed P7 in class for Race 1 with some good battles, and P5 in class for Race 2 despite a red flag restart and splitter damage. Times dropped into the 1:39s, and I even won a pair of Yokohama AO52 tyres in the raffle which helped for future rounds. Bob put in strong drives, finishing P4 in Race 2. It was a positive first weekend with both cars home safe.
Donington Park – Rounds 3 & 4 – Monday 26th May 2025
Big changes for Donington included wider Konig Hypergrams and aero updates, but nerves and lack of confidence on track showed in practice with spins and off-track moments. Qualifying left me P11 in class, where I struggled for pace. In Race 1, I finished P8 in class in wet conditions after battling hard and gaining confidence. Race 2 brought gearbox issues, forcing me to manage shifting, but I still finished P7 in class with improved lap times down to a 1:18.9. Bob had another solid weekend with P4 and P5. It was tough mentally, but progress was made.
Brands Hatch – Rounds 5 & 6 – Sunday 15th June 2025
A chaotic week started with a Knockhill test where Bob heavily damaged his car just two minutes before the end, forcing a late-night repair job before heading to Brands. Testing on Friday went well, as I learned the track and set consistent 55s, later improving to 54.7. Qualifying was tricky but resulted in P11 with a 53.4. Race 1 brought strong battles, and I finished P10. In Race 2, I made up places early, set PB laps down to 53.0, and held P7 at the flag after a safety car. Bob finished P6 and recorded a DNF. Confidence in the car returned, and the weekend was a big boost for morale despite budget worries about Snetterton.
Snetterton 300 – Rounds 7 & 8 – Sunday 27th July 2025
Upgrades included stiffer suspension, wider rear tyres, and aero tweaks. Thursday testing was wet but valuable for finding lines. Practice and qualifying in the dry were positive, securing a P10 grid slot with a 2:09.8. In Race 1, I had close battles with Alford and Kiff before contact dropped me to P9, while Bob claimed his first podium with P3. Race 2 ended badly for me with a heavy crash at Oggies after running wide, which badly damaged the car, though I was unhurt. Bob finished P5. The weekend was mixed: a big high for Bob, but it left me facing a full rebuild before Oulton.
Oulton Park – Rounds 9 & 10 – Monday 25th August 2025
Following the heavy Snetterton crash, I re-shelled the car in just two weeks with more camber added, and the new shell felt much stiffer. Practice and qualifying went well, dipping into the 1:53s and lining up P9. Race 1 brought my best result of the year, finishing P6, though Bob was taken out early. Race 2’s reverse grid gave me a front-row start, and I even led for a short time before falling back with fuel starvation, eventually finishing P8. Bob salvaged a P5 after repairing his car between races. Overall, it was a huge positive step after the crash, showing the new car’s potential.
Fraser and Bob first met at a Knockhill track day in 2015. Bob was in his EK9 and Fraser in his DC2, both new to track driving. Fraser melted a front tyre halfway through the day, and Bob, who he had never met before, offered him a spare set of CE28Ns with R888s so he could continue. This sparked a strong working relationship: Fraser was breaking Civics for parts, while Bob was building them for customers, with many parts travelling from Japcom in Glasgow up to Barron Automotive in Huntly.
In 2019, Fraser entered his first motorsport event, a Time Attack RWYB at Cadwell Park, which led to him competing in Super Lap Scotland in 2019 and 2020, becoming Class E Champion in 2020. That same year, he made his first door-to-door race start in the Knockhill Mod-Sports Series, but buying his first home soon after paused his racing ambitions as he continued to self-fund with only limited sponsor support.
Fast forward to 2024, Fraser was back racing in the Knockhill Mod-Sports Series. That year, he and Bob helped bring HondaPro Jason over from the US with support from Bamikaze Garage and Automek. The trip included a Knockhill track day which reignited Bob’s drive to go racing himself.
Knockhill Racing Circuit - Round 13 and 14 - Saturday 27th September 2025
Our long-awaited home round at Knockhill was easily the most anticipated weekend of the season, with local knowledge giving us a rare opportunity to fight further up the grid—especially if the weather turned. After setting up a full “Kilted Kswaps” paddock on Thursday, Friday testing showed promising pace, with improvements down to a 56.7 PB. Qualifying built on that momentum, delivering another PB of 56.675 and P8 on the grid, but it ended dramatically when all four wheel studs sheared, sending me into the gravel. Back in the paddock, it was all hands on deck—teammates and fellow racers helped rebuild the car in time, while both Mike and Bob also battled gearbox issues. Despite that, Bob stormed to pole with an incredible 55.1. Race 1 saw me recover to P7 while adapting to the car without a front splitter, Mike retired with a mechanical issue, and Bob took a fantastic first win of the season.
Race 2 brought heavy rain—exactly what I’d hoped for—and a strong start pushed me quickly into P5. Battling through poor visibility and engine hesitation due to water intake, I managed to stay competitive in tricky conditions. After close racing and a safety car restart, I pushed on to secure P4—my best result of the season—while Bob capped off a perfect weekend with another win. Considering the qualifying setback and challenges throughout, it was a hugely positive result and proof of real progress. The team effort across the weekend was immense, and to achieve a PB and best finish at our home circuit made it even more rewarding.
Snetterton 200 - Round 15 and 16 - Sunday 19th October 2025
The final round of the 2025 season at Snetterton was a much smoother and more relaxed affair compared to previous events. The car was well-prepared with rebuilt hubs, fresh components, and a new splitter, and confidence was high—especially with hopes for wet conditions to close the gap to front-runners. A Thursday track day helped ease nerves after the earlier crash at the same circuit, and by race day the pace was consistent, qualifying P7 with a 1:22.1 while Bob secured an excellent P3. Race 1 saw a strong start and close battles throughout, finishing P7 with improved lap times, while Bob claimed P2 to complete his set of trophies for the season.
Race 2, run in the wet, brought a golden opportunity starting from the front row, but an early mistake at Turn 1 dropped me down the order. From there, I fought back through the field to finish P6 after some close battles, salvaging a solid result despite the setback. Overall, it was a positive and enjoyable way to end the season—no damage, strong pace, and clear progress made across the year. Reflecting on 2025, what started as a challenging introduction turned into a hugely rewarding experience, with real improvement, great racing, and strong friendships formed. Plans for 2026 are already in motion, with upgrades to a K24 setup and a focus on continuing to push towards the front while remaining self-funded.
This brings us to 2026, 11 years on from that chance encounter at Knockhill. Bob and Fraser have entered the Racing Hondas Championship as a joint team effort from Barron Automotive and Japcom. They chose the team name “Kilted Kswaps” to show their Scottish Heritage and both running Kswapped Civic EG’s
Fraser is driving a K20 Honda Civic EG
Bob is driving a K24 Honda Civic EG