MG Cup Rounds 1 and 2 Race Report #fillthegrid

Photo Credit Dickon Siddal Race Report Paul Goodman

Twenty-five drivers signed on at Silverstone for the first two rounds of the MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance. Qualifying started under a cloudless sky with perfect track conditions. The quickest time would determine the grid positions for the first race with the second quickest used for the race two grid. Sadly, out of the meeting immediately was Mike Williams, his very quick MG Metro side-lined after a single lap. When the flag fell, it was Fred Burgess who was quickest and second quickest so securing pole position for both races driving his ZR170. Completing the front row for race one was Dan Jones in his similar Class B ZR170 with Stuart Tranter and Peter Burchill driving Rover 220 and ZS respectively filling row two and heading the invitation class and class C. Carl Robinson headed Dale Reet in class A both driving ZR160s.

For Race two, Tranter was on the front row ahead of Jones. Race favourites Matthew Simpson and Richard Buckley both had troubled qualifying sessions in their Rover 220s occupying ninth and twenty-second places on the grid for both races.

When the red lights went out for race one, Fred Burgess stormed away into an early lead pursued by Peter Burchill in the ZS and Stuart Tranter in the yellow Rover 220. These three pulled away slightly from the dicing trio of Dan Jones, Tyler Ballard and Ian Boulton in their identical ZR170s. An early retirement was class A polesitter Carl Robinson, followed by Matthew Simpson’s Rover 220. Meanwhile, Richard Buckley was slicing through the field from his lowly grid position, finally passing Tranter to take the lead and win the race and class C. Tranter hung on for second from the hard charging Pete Burchill who finished third and second in class C. Fred Burgess stayed with the front runners, but was penalised five seconds for track limits infringements which dropped him to seventh. The class B battle of the ZR170s was clinched by Dan Jones from Tylor Ballard and Ian Boulton. Chris Twigger was eighth in his Rover 220 securing third in class C. John Gil triumphed in class A in his ZR160 with Dale Reets’s similar car and Michael Simpson in the MG3 completing the podium. The first race ever for the standard MG3 being a great success.

The second race of the day ended the MGCC race meeting. Some earlier delays would mean a race into twilight for the MG Cup sponsored by Peter Best drivers. This time, Matthew Simpson had his Rover 220 running properly with Richard Buckley once again scything through the field. These two drivers held the crowd spellbound with some incredibly close driving particularly around Becketts and Maggots. Matthew held on for many laps, but a superb manoeuvre by Richard took him into the lead and a second race win being named driver of the race and driver of the day for his performance. Stuart Tranter made it an all Rover podium with third place. Behind these three there was a battle of the drivers beginning with “B” – Burgess, Burchill, Boulton and Ballard who eventually finished in that order. Fred Burgess secured the class B win this time by staying on the black parts of the track with Ian Boulton and Tylor Ballard taking second and third in class B. John Gill, Dale Reet and Michael Simpson produced an identical class A result.

So have you got what it takes to race in the MG Cup our next race is at Brands Hatch on the 27th and 28th April and enteries are open now.