RACE REPORT SILVERSTONE 4/4/26

Stunning Season Start for Equipe Classic Racing at Silverstone. The large Equipe MG Cup field started the day’s, and the season’s, race action and it was Rhys Higginbotham on pole in his newly built up ZR190 but a slow getaway saw him just sixth at the end of the opening lap, the MGF Cup of Mark Wright leading from Peter Bramble’s fast starting MGB. Higginbotham was on a charge though, up to third after two laps with a gap to close to the lead pair.

He passed Bramble on lap four and two laps later was with Wright, and in the lead by lap seven. Higginbotham stayed clear to take the win and class D, Wight in second and Bramble rounding out the podium. Ales Fletcher was fourth and first in class C, having battled class B pace setter Dan Ludlow in the middle part of the race. Archie Styant claimed class A in his newly restored Rover 216 GTi, James Brown second in class.

“I was caught out at the start as only one red light came on then went out!” said Higginbotham. “I was still sat here as everyone else set off, good to get back through, this is a new car so still working on the set-up.”

In race two on Saturday afternoon again Higginbotham was slow away, Wright once more taking the early lead but Higginbotham moved ahead into Stowe on lap four and started to pen a gap. A slow lap from Higginbotham with three to go saw Wright move closer, but the leader held on to start his season with two wins.

Stuart Tranter took third in his Rover 220 Tomcat after a battle with Bramble and Fletcher, the three finishing in that order. Ludlow claimed his second class B win of the day with sixth overall while in class A this time round Brown got the better of Styant.

“Lots of wheelspin off the line,” explained Higginbotham. “I settled down a bit in the middle of the race but maybe a bit too much as I could see Mark’s MGF coming back at me!”

joinus@mgcup.com