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Long-time Rover Tomcat racer Stuart Tranter was tempted to race in the MG Cup at Oulton Park in an invitational entry, and the local immediately grabbed pole position for race one.

He looked good to dominate the race too as he charged off in first but after three laps reigning Class B champion Ian Boulton was suddenly on his tail, as Tranter’s tyres had gone off. Boulton got the lead after a place-swapping battle at half distance, where he first got by at Shell Oils hairpin. Tranter nipped back past on the start-finish straight but Boulton attacked again at the first corner, ran alongside down the hill to Cascades and stayed on the inside to seal the move.

Boulton stayed in first to get his first-ever outright race win. He led Tranter home by 3.4 seconds, and Tranter was just ahead of Class C winner Ashley Woodward in third place overall in his ZS 180.

Tranter sought to learn his lesson in race two by showing more pace restraint as he again led from the off. He was aided this time by that Boulton got a poor start and dropped to fifth. Boulton recovered to second by lap five and again hounded Tranter, but Tranter held on and the race ended a couple of minutes early with two cars off at Old Hall.

Dave Nixon, fourth home overall in his Tomcat, beat Woodward to Class C honours by less than a second and got driver of the race with it.

Tranter said: “I didn’t manage [the win] in the first one and rightly so, Ian was brilliant. This time [race two] I managed to just hang on. It really was ‘just’. I drove it a bit steady early on to try and preserve it a bit, then when the pressure was on at the end there was no way you could drive it lightly. I was just hoping the tyres lasted out and they did. So happy days, really enjoyed it.

“The MG Cup’s a great series. The class structure and everything is just really good. It’s relatively low-cost racing, which is what you want, and competitive racing. Generally speaking we haven’t had much damage [across the MG Cup races] today and that makes all the difference.

“It’s my 16^th year with that car. It just keeps on going – that’s the way I want it!”

Boulton added: “Stuart in the Tomcat is a couple of classes above me, because it’s really a fast car. I could get alongside him but I couldn’t get past him [in race two].

“Race one was fantastic, I did get past in race one and I got the overall win, that was a very first for me so I really enjoyed that.

“Sometimes you think it’s impossible to get past [a car in a higher class] but it’s not, you’ve just got to really really wait for your moment. But [in race two] he got wise from race one in how I was going to get past him and parked the car in the middle of the track.”

All eyes will we on Cheshire’s finest circuit for rounds 3 & 4 of the MG Cup on the 13th May 2023

Welcome back to Ian Cochrane who joins class B with his MGZS180. 36 Cars now registered for the championship.

Class A – 2 x MGZR160’s 2 x MGF/TF160’s

Class B – 17 x MGZR170’s & 3 x MGZS180’s & 1 MG Montego170

Class C – 3 x MGZR190’s & 5 x MGZS180’s & 3 x Rover Tomcat

Class I – 1 x MGZR160 1 x MGB Roadster 1 x Rover Tomcat

Its not to late to register and we plan on having more guests during season with the climax being at Snetterton were it started 35 years ago on the 23/24th September.

Dave rejoins us this season in a Tomcat 220 Turbo, Taking class C up to 11 cars, 5 x MGZS180 3x Rover Tomcat and 3 x MGZR190….. and our 36th registered driver! With a refreshed engine Dave will be one to watch.

The MG Cup celebrating it 35th year and registrations for another action-packed season are open.  Double headers to reduce costs, live streaming, one make regulations across 3 classes, control Toyo tyre, shared drives, ½ price entries to under 21’s.  DM for more information….    The home of MG Rover motorsport….

Stuart Tranter joins us for Oulton Park round in invitation class we look forward to a great day in Cheshire’s finest circuit on the 13th May 2023…. We look forward to more Tomcats joining us during the season. The MG Cup celebrating it 35th year and registrations for another action-packed season are open.  Double headers to reduce costs, live streaming, one make regulations across 3 classes, control Toyo tyre, shared drives, ½ price entries to under 21’s.  DM for more information….    The home of MG Rover motorsport….

The MG Cup races at Brands Hatch had a fresh look. Race-one pole was taken by none other than Lance Ellington, the Strictly Come Dancing singer and former 1990s’ Dunlop Rover Turbo Cup racer in a Daily Mirror-sponsored Tomcat 220 Turbo. This Brands event – back in a Tomcat – marked  his return to competition after a quarter century away.

Ellington also led race one early on, but it was another notable new entry that soon moved past to lead, in Steve McDermid in his brand-new ZR 190 that he had only just completed and had spent an intense last few months preparing. McDermid moved clear for a comfortable win.

“It’s a new car, just built, and it’s phenomenal,” McDermid said. “It came out [at the meeting] and just left the field for dust.

“I haven’t worked for the last two months after I decided to build a new car. There’s eight week’s work there; seven days a week the last six weeks. And I finished it at 9:30 on Friday night.”

Ellington was second home on the road but got a 10-second penalty for starting just ahead of his grid slot, despite his efforts to reverse into place. This let Ashley Woodward, whom Ellington pipped to the line, claim second place after all in his ZS 180. Woodward also got driver of the race.

Reigning class champion Ian Boulton, fourth home, won Class B in his MG ZR, helped by that Iain Dowler ran across the grass at Druids on lap one trying to get the lead from Ellington.

Race two looked very similar to race one as McDermid again moved up quickly from fourth place to lead. However this time Woodward, who’d led the first four laps, remained close to him. Then the race got turned on its head when the lead pair made contact at Druids when McDermid span, putting McDermid out.

Woodward continued in first but was hobbled by his resultant suspension damage and Ellington eventually passed Woodward’s understeering car to win. Ellington was awarded driver of the race as well.

Boulton inherited the Class B win as third home overall, when Dennis Robinson, who took the place on the road, got a 10-second track-limits penalty.

Ellington was delighted. “I just had the best weekend back,” he said, “and it’s everything I remember, especially the Tomcat, which is just a great car. [Car owner and Castle Combe champion] Gary Prebble’s set it up beautifully, and the racing was such fun out there. Absolutely chuffed.

“The MG Cup, what a great place to come back to. I’m excited to be out again with them at some other circuits this year, work permitting. Especially after this weekend, now I’ve got the bug back with the Tomcat I’m probably going to stick with that [rather than race elsewhere].”

Peter Burchill returned for the first race meeting following a stroke in Jan 22, he was pleased to bet out again and finished both races. “I achieved everything I wanted, to be back on grid was emotional. Thanks to my family and friends in supporting my return.”

The MG Cup is the only series to have all cars on the same Toyo tire, offering 3 classes of one make racing. With 35 drivers registered its the place to race.

Full report to follow

Well done Steve on getting car finished…..