MG Car Club
MG3 Low Cost Racer on the Grid for 2019
The MG Car Club, MG Motor UK and SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre are jointly developing a new low cost race car based around the MG3.
SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre Interns have been building the concept car as their Internship Project and will be unveiling the car in the early part of 2019.
The concept behind the car is aimed at providing a low cost entry route into saloon racing with the budget for the project to convert a road going MG3 into a racer set at just £5,000.
The regulations have been produced to allow any MG3 model to be converted and get on the grid; not just the All-New MG3, which went on sale earlier this year. This provides potential competitors a chance to race the most up-to-date MG models on track, which has not previously been possible within the Car Club’s championships.
For some championships, sourcing heritage MG donor cars in good enough condition to be converted has been a challenge and a barrier to entry for new and young competitors alike. By allowing MG3 to compete, this barrier to entry has been removed with a wide variety of MG3s available on the market for affordable prices and in appropriate condition.
As an additional strategy to encourage participation from young competitors, the MG Car Club also offers half price entries to any competitor 25 and under for the 2019 season, meaning entry fees for a weekend could be as little as £300.
MG3 will be able to race in the invitational class of the MG Cup during 2019, providing a first season of testing and development at the UK’s best race circuits before a full points scoring campaign in 2020.
The MG Cup has been running for over 30 years, with a simple structure and regulations designed to keep costs to a minimum and provide a challenge for new and experienced drivers alike.
Adam Sloman, General Manager of The MG Car Club commented “We are delighted to be involved in bringing the latest iteration of MG cars to race circuits up and down the country. Motorsport is a huge part of MG and the Club’s heritage, and we are very much invested in bringing new cars, drivers and young competitors to our grids in the future.”
Joanna Burland, Intern at SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre commented, “The Intern Project has provided a great opportunity to work on something slightly different, and gain valuable experience of helping to develop a new low cost race car and work with MG Motor and MG Car Club to make the project a success.”
2019 Motorsport Calendar announced
The MG Car Club’s Motorsport activities for the 2019 season have been confirmed with a six race calendar for the Club’s six Championships.
Alongside the Club’s non-motorsport activities, the Club are the largest single marque club organising and managing all of the race meetings and championships. Motorsport is synonymous with the MG brand, with numerous race and rally appearances and also land speed records littered throughout history.
Kicking off at the end of March; the calendar runs through to October;
Saturday 30th March Silverstone National
Saturday 27th– Sunday 28th April Brands Hatch Indy
Saturday 15th – Sunday 16th June MGLive! Silverstone Grand Prix
Saturday 20th – Sunday 21st July Donington Park
Saturday 31st August Oulton Park
Saturday 5th October Snetterton 300
To encourage participation from young competitors, the MG Car Club will continue to offer half price entries to any competitor 25 and under for the 2019 season, meaning entry fees for a weekend could be as little as £300.
The six championships and two series ran by the Club cover every era of MG from the first up to the later models.
BCV8 Championship
BCV8 Championship is the premier series for MGB and MGC racing, offering classes for the fully modified V8s to road going cars.
The BCV8 Championship has been one of the most successful Club based motor racing series and continues to thrive by providing close racing at a relatively low cost.
Cockshoot Cup
Cockshoot Cup Championship is a racing championship run by the North West Centre of the MG Car Club. It provides an opportunity for owners of MG sports and saloon cars to race their cars within easy travelling distance of the North West of England.
The Cockshoot Cup is a solid silver trophy donated to the MGCC in the nineteen thirties by the then MG Dealers in Manchester. Since 1984 the Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the race series run by the MG Car Club North West Centre Ltd.
MG Metro Cup
The Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup is the racing formula for all types of MG Metro and Rover 100 Metro. For 2019, the MG Metro Championship will allow five-door Metro variants to enter the championship.
Started in 1992, the Championship has been successful in maintaining its objective of providing an easy way into motor racing for drivers with a limited budget.
Midget & Sprite Challenge
The Lackford Engineering Midget & Sprite Challenge is the only exclusively “Spridget” race series in the UK. The class structure reflects the different specifications that Spridgets have raced over the years, with all historic body styles catered for.
MG Trophy
MG Trophy caters for the front wheel drive MG ZR in 3 classes.
In recent years the MG Trophy has produced a number of drivers who have gone on to higher levels of motorsport with ex Trophy driver Jack Goff now competing in the BTCC having won the Clio Cup in 2012.
MG Cup
For 2019, cars from the Austin Rover stable will be welcomed to the grid, with Rover Tomcat Turbos and Rover Metro GTis lining up against the usual array of MG machinery.
The MG Cup has been running for over 30 years, with a simple structure and regulations designed to keep costs to a minimum and provide a challenge for new and experienced drivers alike.
Series & Guest Championships
The Iconic 50s series for 50s MG Sports cars and MG XPAG specials against other Marques including Austin Healey and Alfa Romeo and the Triple M Challenge for MG Midget, Magna, Magnette cars will also be back at selected events.
In addition to the six MG Car Club Championships, guest championships from Equipe GTS, Morgan Sports Car Club and Porsche Club GB will be welcomed back to ensure each meeting provides an excellent spread of racing for spectators.
Champions Crowned at Snetterton Showstopper
Several champions were crowned under cloudless early autumn skies at the season finale at Snetterton, the club’s first meet at the Norfolk circuit’s three-mile 300 layout.
Peter Best Insurance MG Cup
The overall Peter Best Insurance MG Cup title had already been decided in favour of Class A front-runner Darren Harris (ZR 160) while Nick Arden (ZR 170) already had Class B sewn up, but it was all to play for in Class C, for modified cars. Sadly, Richard Buckley was unable to take part having rolled his Rover Tomcat at Nelson in qualifying.
A pair of rapid Metros led the way at the start of the first race, reigning champion Alan Brooke shooting through from row two to lead Mike Williams into the first corner, but his tenure was short-lived as a broken throttle cable ruled him out on lap four. Williams took over the mantle but he was also ruled out when a fuel hose came off two laps later. That left the Tomcat of Matthew Simpson out front, having started on row three, but Dave Nixon (Tomcat) hunted him down and was challenging for victory on the last lap. However, a spin at the Palmer left-hander dropped Nixon back to fourth, with Simpson holding on to win from Peter Burchill’s ZS 180 and the Class B ZR 170 of Dan Jones, who had a tremendous first outing of the season that was rewarded with the Driver of the Race prize. Kayleigh Twigger was having one of her strongest races to date – right on the Class C pace in her Tomcat – until a spin at Brundle ruled her out. Meanwhile, Harris beat Aaron Ross in Class A.
The second race followed a similar pattern in that both of the Metros expired while leading, but this time it was Williams that was first to go, making it just six finishes from 12 races. Brooke had made up a couple of places in the final third of the opening lap to run second, which became the lead when Williams pulled up. Three-wheeling his Metro around the circuit, Brooke looked set to take the victory but Simpson was closing on the final lap and Brooke could only crawl over the line, handing the Tomcat man his second victory of the day. Burchill came home third, collecting enough points to wrap up the Class C championship. Dave Nixon fended off top Class B driver Jones for fourth overall, while Harris again topped Class A, runner-up Ross earning Driver of the Race this time.
MG Trophy
The destination of the MG Trophy, supported for the event by Norfolk Motor Group, went right down to the wire, but Graham Ross emerged on top from a weekend that did not quite follow his plan. He did qualify on pole position, and was joined on the front row by Paul Luti – who appeared not in his regular Class B car but in past champion Chris Bray’s ZR 190.
Having changed the clutch after qualifying to a more standard part, Luti made a terrible start to the opening race, with Jason Burgess storming through from row two to lead. Luti climbed back to third before a safety car period, then lost out to Ross Makar at Riches at the restart, before the latter went straight on at Agostini. A lap later, the seventh, Luti made contact with Ross at Wilson hairpin and grabbed second, before Ross spun down the order at Hamilton – although importantly he remained third in Class A, and eventually regained that position on the road. Up front, Burgess defeated Luti by 0.7s to also pick up Driver of the Race.
In a typically crazy Class B race, Ryan Firth came out on top although Sam Kirkpatrick had been ahead almost race-long. “He just pulled off under the bridge, I don’t know if he missed a gear or what,” mused the beneficiary. Matt Turnbull and Tom Butler completed the podium, while the two leading Class C contenders both failed to finish. Tylor Ballard was ruled out when startline contact left a wheel hanging off, while John Booth’s engine blew on the final lap. Guest Joshua Bacon triumphed from Joe Dalgarno.
Race two was, by and large, a relatively sedate affair. Burgess again scorched into the lead, but this time threw it all away with a spin at Hamilton on lap two, salvaging only fourth position. That left Luti out front, having taken track position from Ross at Oggies on the opening lap. Ross, meanwhile, did all that he needed and stroked the car (which he reckoned was understeering after the race one incident) home in second, ahead of Makar. “I’ve been doing this since 2008, so I am in my 11th year but never really had a concerted effort on the championship,” said Ross, having wrapped things up. “I am not in the first flush of youth so I am really chuffed!”
After Kirkpatrick went off at the first corner, Firth initially led in the ZR 170 division but was passed by Turnbull at Wilson on the second lap. Turnbull was handed a bit of a cushion when Burgess slotted in behind him after his spin, and Firth was unable to chase him down – but did wrap up the Class B title. While Turnbull took his first class win of the year, Fergus Campbell was an excellent third and claimed Driver of the Race. In Class C, Ballard and Booth (following an engine change) slugged it out for the title but although young Ballard won on the road, Booth did enough to take the class crown.
Lackford Engineering Midget and Sprite Challenge
The Lackford Engineering Midget and Sprite Challenge was also resolved in the final race, with simultaneous lead battles in different classes both potentially having a bearing on the final result, although multiple overall race winner, Stephen Collier, eventually triumphed.
Stephen Watkins had been almost three seconds faster than anyone else in qualifying, but was unable to take up his pole position after his gloves had been mislaid prior to the start of the race. After joining from the pit lane, initially with a misfire, he climbed as high as fourth position. Collier took an unchallenged win, but a brilliant battle for second played out with the position changing “about twenty times” according to David Morrison, who narrowly lost out to Driver of the Race Richard Wildman.
Pippa Cow defended magnificently in Class E to keep reigning champion Paul Campfield – who was trying to keep his own title hopes alive – at bay for eight laps, until he dived ahead on the inside line at Riches to claim the class honours. Ed Easton also looked to have maintained his challenge going into the final race with another Class D win – but that victory came in spite of damaged rear suspension after clouting a kerb, which ruled him out of race two.
Watkins started the second race from the grid as expected, and he outbraked Collier to grab the lead at Agostini on lap four. Down to second and with his championship chances increasingly tenuous, Collier was afforded no respite by third-placed man Morrison. However, Watkins car appeared to become increasingly ill-handling, regularly running wide at Oggies and finally spinning out of the race there, handing Collier the victory from Morrison. In Class E, Campfield was doing all he could by fending off Cow, who was never more than a couple of tenths behind him and thoroughly deserved Driver of the Race.
Collier’s victory, however, confirmed him as the 2018 champion, and it wasn’t just Watkins and Morrison that he was up against in the final race – he also struggled with the low sun. “I couldn’t see a thing, it was blind going into Riches and Hamilton,” he said. “You just had to turn in and hope for the best.”
Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup
The Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup was sealed by Jack Ashton, with victories at the final meeting shared between him and his brother Andrew.
Jack immediately assumed the lead of the opening race with brother Andrew soon following him, once he had seen off fast-starting team-mate Shamak Glodek. The top two pulled well clear of the rest, with the gap between the Ashton brothers coming down towards the end of the nine-lap distance. “I am always rooting for a battle with my brother, but seemingly something always happens. So it is good that we have had one and to beat him,” said Jack. “I gave it the kitchen sink but couldn’t quite get him,” countered his sibling.
For the first couple of laps there was a fantastic dice between Glodek and Mark Eales but after that settled down the best action came in the battle for eighth, behind Driver of the Race Tim Shooter. Richard Garrard eventually came out on top.
Jack Ashton drove suitably cautiously in the second race, staying out of trouble and claiming fifth position in order to seal the crown. Hopes of an Ashton on-track win were threatened, however, when Eales took the lead from Andrew at Hamilton, only to ruin his chances by going straight on at Murrays further around the second lap. Glodek briefly took the lead on the third lap, but Andrew Ashton controlled the race thereafter. Dan Balster completed the podium, while Phil Goodwin was rewarded for his seventh place with the Driver of the Race trophy.
Guest Races
The guest races for this event were provided by the Morgan Sports Car Club, with Philip Goddard running out a comfortable winner in the Aero Racing Morgan Challenge after leader Keith Ahlers’ blew his +8’s engine at Coram, coating the circuit in oil and bringing out a premature chequered flag and an early lunch. Tim Parsons claimed the championship with victory in his class. Later, a fun handicap and pit-stop race for the Oliver’s Cup was won by Andrew Thompson his ARV6.
Join us at Snetterton for our Season Showstopper!
- Circuit – Snetterton 300, Norfolk
- Race Day – Saturday 29th September
- Open paddocks for spectators to meet the drivers and see the cars!
- 10 Races in total – Four MGCC Championships racing
- Two special races from Morgan Sports Car Club
The Club’s final race meeting for the 2018 season will feature a full schedule of the MGCC’s championships and series, as well as two races from our guests, the Morgan Sports Car Club.
In all, the MG Car Club will run ten races over the course of the day, with qualifying in the morning, followed by the racing. The full line up is:
MSCC Aero Racing Morgan Challenge
The NMG MG Trophy Championship (DH)
MGCC Peter Best Insurance MG Cup (DH)
MGCC Lackford Engineering Midget & Sprite Challenge (DH)
MGCC Drayton Manor Park Metro Cup (DH)
The Oliver’s Cup Morgan Pit Stop Race
As always, the paddock will be open all day, allowing spectators a chance to meet the teams and drivers!
The timetable and other information for the meeting, can be found HERE.
Tickets for this meeting can be purchased on the gate for £16. For more information about Snetterton, please CLICK HERE.
Oulton Park Race Report
A variety of MG Car Club series were packed into a hectic single day’s schedule on September 1 for the club’s penultimate meeting the season held in pleasant weather at the spectacular Oulton Park circuit.
British Motor Heritage North West 100
And the schedule included a very special one-off British Motor Heritage North West 100 mile race, run as an aggregate of two 50 mile races allowing refuelling and potentially a driver change between legs. The race was open to sportscars, GTs and Saloons on moulded and treaded tyres.
Andrew Rath driving a Lotus Europa built a fifty-four second lead over Bernard Foley in a MGB GT in the first part of the 100 mile race. In the second part though it looked like Foley – who was during alone – would be able to claw back the time to win overall and he indeed at the halfway point of part two was forty-four seconds clear of Chris Tilly, who had taken over the Lotus from Rath. However then the gap stabilised and Tilly was subsequently able to close back in meaning he was only twenty-one seconds shy at the end and that he and Rath were the overall winners.
The Dan Surridge and Julia Penfold pairing was third in their ZR 170 and Penfold was awarded Driver of the Race for the second part after holding off James Wheeler’s Roadster for much of the way in a spirited dice. Paul Rayment got Driver of the Race for the first part after prevailing in a long all-MGB Roadster battle with Simon Skentelbery.
The Knight Industries MG Trophy
Jason Burgess won both The Knight Industries MG Trophy races and in so doing took maximum advantage in the championship table. Championship leader heading into the meeting Graham Ross led the first race from pole with Burgess in second seeking a way by. The pair touched at Old Hall second time through leaving Ross in the barrier and Burgess dropped behind new leader Gary Wetton. Burgess then got by Wetton at half distance for a lead he wasn’t to lose.
And Paul Luti in Class B, who was second to Ross in the overall championship, also didn’t make the end of race one as his brake pedal went to the floor leaving him in the gravel. Luti had also been unhappy with his brakes in the previous two rounds at Donington and Silverstone, and his problems included air getting into the system as well as issues with the pads.
Luti in the first Oulton Park race had been in locked in a tight scrap for Class B honours, which was won by Ryan Firth in third place overall and Firth with it got Driver of the Race. He just pipped Sam Kirkpatrick for the class win with Mike Harris, who was third in Class A, also in close proximity between the pair. Kirkpatrick dropped to third in class afterwards, behind Tom Butler, due to a five second penalty for track limits being applied.
Tylor Ballard continued his run of Class C wins stretching back to his Brands Hatch crash earlier in the year, consigning Class C table leader John Booth to second place four seconds adrift.
The damage from his race one off meant that Ross was unable to take part in race two and Burgess again took advantage by winning. He led from lights to flag though had to resist close attentions from second-placed Doug Cole for the entire distance, particularly after a period when the safety car boards were displayed then withdrawn before the pack had formed up, in which time Cole moved a little closer to the leader. Wetton followed them home in third, four seconds adrift.
“Over the moon,” said Burgess after his double win. “Really happy with the second race, it was a clean fight. Kept honest by Doug, as he always does, we were both throwing everything at it and we were pretty even.
“I was looking forward to the chequered flag – it seemed to go on forever and ever!”
“My early lead was because I managed to get a break away, I think Doug had got someone behind him and I worked extra hard to get the tyres warm, up to pace, and I was very confident from the word go.”
Race two’s Driver of the Race award went to fourth-place finisher Harris for upping his pace and staying well up the road from the Class B pack that time.
Burgress also made gains in the overall championship in race two as Firth finished third and Luti fourth in Class B behind class winner Kirkpatrick and second-placed Matthew Turnbull. The quartet had a close battle for class honours though the mentioned safety car board intervention had the effect of spreading them out a little.
Ballard again led home Booth in the Class C race, this time by two seconds.
TN Racing BCV8
Russell McCarthy won the first TN Racing BCV8 race comfortably in his GT V8. Having taken pole by over a second he admitted that starts were his Achilles’ heel, which came to pass as he dropped to third at the off behind Rob Spencer and Neil Fowler – that pair who were separated by just a point at the Class D table top heading into the meeting.
McCarthy passed Fowler at Old Hall on lap two then swept by Spencer on the start-finish straight third time by to take back first place. Spencer then dropped to a distant third with a rough-sounding engine and second-placed Fowler took up the chase of McCarthy enthusiastically, finishing within six seconds of him.
Ollie Neaves was fourth overall and took the Class C win ahead of Rob Spencer’s son Jordan, who also got Driver of the Race thanks to his spectacular driving. Benjamin Tovey took a comfortable Class B victory – pre-Oulton Park class championship leader Simon Cripps was not at the meeting – while Class AB leader Simon Tinkler also took class honours.
Poleman McCarthy was also beaten off the line in race two, dropping to third initially and later on the first lap dropped to fifth after an off. He recovered to join a close three-way battle for the lead with Fowler leading and Ian Prior in second – who had a puncture in qualifying and a throttle cable break early in race one.
McCarthy was able to take second place from Prior at around two-thirds’ distance but Fowler held McCarthy off for the remainder to win. Prior maintained third place and finished just over a second shy.
It was Fowler’s first win of the season and it also got him Driver of the Race. The result was particularly good for him in the Class D championship as Spencer’s engine problems in race one – which was due to a spring detaching with the potential to damage a piston – meant he had to sit out race two.
“Long overdue a win! So that was needed!,” said a relieved Fowler afterwards. “I know I’m leading my class [now]. Just one round to go at Snetterton, so [as] long as I finish there and finish reasonably I’ll be quite happy.
“The whole race [two was] under pressure. It was really enjoyable – enjoyable seeing the chequered flag!”
Neaves was denied a double Class C win when he pitted with technical problems with just two laps go, which let Andrew Young through to take the victory. Tovey and Tinkler again took comfortable class wins in Class B and AB respectively.
Peter Best Insurance MG Cup
Richard Buckley in his Rover 220 Turbo took his fourth win of the season in a dramatic Peter Best Insurance MG Cup opening race, co-sponsored by Expert Beauty, and with it got Driver of the Race. Buckley seized the lead from Matthew Simpson’s 220 on the final lap when the latter ran out of fuel, though Simpson still salvaged second. Earlier Alan Brooke’s Metro had led but had a ten second penalty applied for an out of place starting position, then he slowed and pulled in having heard a strange noise from his engine at the top end.
Mike Simpson as at Donington started his Metro from the back – this time due to smelling fuel in his cockpit in qualifying then being unsure about his wheel bearings all of which meant he did not set a qualifying time. This time he came through the pack to run third in the race, but then was told to pit by race control as his exhaust was hanging off.
Ian Boulton finished third overall and won in Class B in his ZR 170 – he was locked in a close fight with David Thompson’s fellow 170 which was resolved when Thompson got a five second penalty for track limits late on, though Boulton pipped him home in any case. Darren Harris eased to a dominant Class A win in his ZR 160.
Race two lost both of his front row occupants almost immediately. Brooke who was due to start second did not want to risk a larger engine failure after his earlier problem so did not take part. Poleman Simpson also had a knock-on impact from his first race issue; his running out of fuel then created a problem with his fuel pump and with little drive at the start of race two pulled off after a few metres.
The race two show was stolen by Williams who once again starting from the back, of 15 runners, had a stunning launch and moved around the outside of turn one to run in second place after a few corners! He then cleared Buckley to lead on lap three after a frenzied battle which including Williams leaving the track briefly.
Buckley was able to stay with Williams for the rest of the way particularly as Williams’ Metro developed a misfire later on, though Williams held on for his first win since his double triumph at Brands Hatch earlier in the year.
Thompson finished third and claimed the Class B win. He had again been in close battle with Boulton but the latter was eliminated in a dramatic multi-car incident also involving Dave Nixon and Stuart Tranter.
Harris got fifth place overall took another Class A win which has made his class title this year a matter of when not if. He also was given race two’s Driver of the Race and overall Driver of the Day for his advantage over the rest of his class – in both races he finished over a minute clear of the next home.
Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup
Jack Ashton won the sole Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup race, aided by that his brother and championship rival Andrew started from the back after not setting a qualifying time as his gearbox dumped its oil during the session. Unusually neither Ashton took pole, as that was taken by Shamak Glodek, though Jack Ashton took the lead at the start. Andrew was fourth at the end of lap one and passed Glodek for second, around the outside of Old Hall, with two laps to go. By then Jack was close to ten seconds up the road, though Andrew had the partial consolation of winning Driver of the Race.
Cockshoot Cup
Ray Collier continued his domination of the Cockshoot Cup by taking another win in his ZR 190. Phil Standish took the lead from fifth on the grid after an amazing start in his TF, but Collier – who has already wrapped up this year’s championship – had the lead back by the end of lap one. He triumphed by nine seconds ahead of Standish, who held off Peter Bramble’s Roadster for second.
Mike Peters finished fourth overall in his Midget and with it took a dominant Class B win as well as the Driver of the Race accolade, recovering from terrible problems in the Anglesey round. In addition Peters had only flown back from Portugal the day before the race.
Words by Graham Keilloh
Photos by Martin Price