MGCC MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance

Mike Williams continued his strong form in his swift Metro GTi by winning the opening MGCC MG Cup race supported by Peter Best Insurance. He led all the way from pole, though the race wasn’t entirely straightforward, as much of the 3.5s lead he had built early on was eliminated by a brief safety car call. Also Druids turn was treacherous for most of the distance due to oil on the circuit. “It was the scariest corner in the world before the oil went down and once there’s oil it is the scariest corner in the world plus!,” said Williams.

“It was just a case of hanging on in the first race, because I didn’t really need to push, I was about a second a lap slower than qualifying just to get me round.”

Williams beat championship-leader Richard Buckley’s Tomcat home by just under a second, with Matt Simpson’s fellow Tomcat close-at-hand in third. Stuart Tranter in the invitational class, also in a Tomcat, was fourth, just ahead of the ZS 180 of Peter Burchill, who got Driver of the Race for his effort.

Both the joint Class B championship leaders Iain Dowler and Ian Boulton hit problems in the first race. A piston or crankshaft failed on Dowler’s ZR 170 early on, which sent him spinning in a cloud of white smoke at Druids, miraculously without any of the “about eight” cars behind hitting him. He still had to sit out race two, as there wasn’t enough time to complete the required engine change.

Boulton had started at the back after a problem with the inlet manifold in qualifying meant the car wouldn’t accelerate properly and was short on revs. Having swapped the inlet manifold for the race he rose to run second in class, but his 170 slowed late on as he heard the big end bearings fail. He nursed his car to the end and passed through the pits on the final lap, wanting to not necessitate a recovery of his car or drop things on the track, only to discover that meant he was classified as a non-finisher. Third-in-the-table Chris Boulton took the Class B win, leading all the way.

Williams looked well on the way to winning the second race too but a brake problem pitched him off at Druids. “I was completely in control, I wasn’t pushing the car,” Williams added. “What I think happened is the brakes on one side either locked up or on the other side failed completely. I had to press harder and harder and I think I almost got down to the floor with the pedal and it pulled me to the right.”

This let Buckley through to win, holding at arm’s length a multi-car scrap for second, and he admitted that fortune smiled on him. “Mike was just too quick to be fair,” he said, “but then he had his brake problem, I just sort of managed the gap to the flag.”

The scrap behind had a dramatic conclusion. Matt Simpson got by Burchill for third at Hislops on the final lap with a sharp outbraking manoeuvre, then tried immediately to line up a similar move on second-placed Tranter at Druids but found at the corner that his brakes had gone! The pair therefore collided and were out, letting Burchill through to second while Chris Boulton got third and another Class B win.

Ian Boulton returned from his race one problems and again came charging through from the back and this time finished second in class. This also got him Driver of the Race. Carl Robinson took both Class A wins from Aaron Ross.

The MG Cup roles into Cheshire’s finest circuit with its great mix of MG & Rover for two rounds of close competitive racing.   With 4 races left this season every race counts to name the class and overall champion of the 2019 MG CUP.

In class A (road going)  Dale Reet leads the fight for class honours followed by John Gill and then Jago Keen.

In class B (Modified) Ian Boulton shares first place with Iain Dowler on equal point chased by Chris Boulton so we expect to see some hard thought racing to separate the front runners this weekend.

In class C (Race) Richard Buckley leads the fit for class hours followed by Peter Burchill and then Mike Williams.

In class I we see Stuart Tranter lead Chirs Hughes which is a David and Galorath battle of Rover Tomcat Vs Rover Metro

Over championship standings

1^st Richard Buckley Rover Tomcat

2^nd Ian Boulton MGZR 170 & Iain Dowler MGZR170

3^rd Peter Burchill MGZS 180

If you think you have what it takes to join the MG Cup please see our website for details www.mgcup.com

The championship would like to thank the support of Peter Best Insurance and all the Marshalls and volunteers that give their time to allow us to race.

MGCC MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance

Both races for the MG Cup supported by Peter Best Insurance featured intense battles for first between championship leader Richard Buckley in his Rover Tomcat and Mike Williams, who appears now to have ironed out the previous reliability problems of his rapid Metro GTi. The pair took a win apiece.

Williams’ Metro starting second beat Buckley off the line in both races though in both Buckley was able to move back into first place in short order; his fast-in-a-straightline Tomcat looking more suited to Donington than Williams’ Metro. In race one however Buckley lost his power steering as it lost its fluid when the filler pot came away. This let Williams get with him and after a long and frenetic place-swapping fight Williams dived past at the chicane at the end of the final lap to win – though Williams thought it was the penultimate lap as the chequered flag was waved a few seconds early.

Race two was a repeat performance but with his steering problems now sorted Buckley was able to turn the tables to win, managing the gap to Williams behind.

“It was really really hard work,” Buckley said of his race without power steering, “Mike was all over me and I was just doing as much as I could to keep just to keep in front and not hit him! Every time he came around the outside of me I was hanging onto the car! If he’d known the trouble I was having he’d have gone the other side. The last corner – gutting!

“Second race [was] just awesome, it was really a case of managing the gap and managing my tyres; Mike is always on the edge. I know he’ll try his absolute damnedest and his tyres will go off.”

“That was about as intense as it can get I think!” said Williams of the two battles. “I think we both lost control of the cars!,” he added of his late race one pass to win “I was completely locked up at the front end, it was do or die basically! It was all good fun, we don’t knock each other’s cars or anything – it’s hard racing but fair.”

Dave Nixon finished third in both races, hanging on to the battling front pair in the first race to finish less than a second shy.

Ian Boulton in race one charged though the field to win Class B, starting from a lowly grid slot after his engine blew up in qualifying and he had to replace it for the race. The performance got him Driver of the Race. Boulton was nudged off on lap two of race two, losing him a lot of time and Iain Dowler that time took the Class B victory with a fine drive to fourth overall. Carl Robinson claimed both Class A wins, while Ed Davies in a ZR and Chris Hughes in a Rover 100 split the invitational class wins.

Kayleigh Twigger got Driver of the Race for race two after an intense battle for sixth place with Peter Burchill’s 180, in which she only came up short when her Tomcat coughed short of fuel in the run to the line.

Race Report from MGCC Website – https://www.mgcc.co.uk/motorsport/about-mgcc-motorsport/news-events/

27 Drivers will line up for action on Sunday 21st July for rounds 5 &6 of the 2019 MG Cup, the only championship offering diversity of cars with clean close racing. Have you got what it takes?

Do you race a MG or Rover do you want to join the fastest growing championship in the MG Car Club. #fillthegrid with less than a month thats get some more cars out.

Thats get all cars out for Donington Park for rounds 5 and 6 of the MG Cup, we are racing on Sunday but arriving on Saturday for Pulled pork special thanks to Chirs @ Redhill Garage. Come and join the fasting growing championship in the MG Car Club to home of club motorsport for MG Rover owners #fillthegrid

Thanks to Redhill Garage sponsoring Saturday evening “Pig yourself silly” event for all registered drivers and helpers at Donington Park for rounds 5 and 6 of the MG Cup.  Chris Twigger one of our drivers has kindly organised this.  The MG Cup the home of club racing #fillthegrid

Jack Ashton drove the socks of his championship leading Metro GTI battling with Richard Buckley in his Championship leading Rover Coupe Turbo. Great to watch and shows that power to weight can level a field well.