MG Cup
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RACE REPORTS DONINGTON PARK
| 30 cars lined up for the opening race – the biggest Equipe MG Cup field of the year. The track still damp making the cars with the option of slicks think long and hard about their tyre choice. Rhys Higginbotham had his ZR190 on pole and led the field away, some of the slick shod runners scrabbling for grip. By the start of lap five, Higginbotham had put in a storming lap and moved clear of the field, Mark Wright’s MGF Cup next up ahead of Dan Ludlow and the Rover 220 of Stuart Tranter. Higginbotham held the advantage, Ludlow’s ZR190 closing on Wright in the latter laps and going past round the outside at Redgate heading into lap 11 to claim second. Higginbotham won overall and claimed class D, Ludlow second and heading the Invitation class. An entertaining class B battle had filled the lower part of the top ten, Andy Firth’s ZR170 taking class honours and sixth overall, Peter Burchill wining class C “It was very slippery out there,” said Higginbotham. “We weren’t sure what tyres to go for and chose semi-slicks which really paid off, the car was locking up a lot but a good race.”and the Rover 216 GTi of Freddie Ugo first class A car home. |
| The afternoon’s race was on a dry track and Ludlow took the lead off the line, holding off Wright who failed to complete the first lap, series returnee Eliza Seville gaining ten places on lap one and another five on lap two to come round 14th in her MGF. Ludlow eased away at the font, Tranter second but Chaz Ryles had his ZR190 going quickly and was past Tranter on lap seven, Seville by this time part of a six-car battle for fourth. Ludlow took the win and the Invitation class. Tranter in turn second and clear of the rest, Ryles third over the line but carrying a five-second penalty that dropped him to fifth, Seville rewarded with third after a great drive from the back. Seville was first class D car home, with Firth again heading class B in fourth overall. Burchill made it a class C double in his ZS180, while Ugo was another to claim two wins on the day in class A. “I was enjoying being in P1 for once and I just got my head down and enjoyed it,” said Ludlow. “The car held together, we have had so many issues lately, so good to take the win. I last won in this car a couple of years ago at Cadwell Park.” |
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