MG Car Club Spring Race Meeting at Brands Hatch

The MG Car Club once again returned to Brands Hatch at the weekend (28th & 29th April) giving fans of the MG brand and fans of historic motorsport, two days of action packed racing on the famous Indy Circuit with a broad variety of machinery – some nearly a century old…

Some highlights from the weekend which the weather was not with more of a November feel than a Spring one.

The weekends proceedings began with the Classics Fuel Solutions MG Trophy Championship.

Chris Bray took first blood in the MG Trophy Championship race 1, the race being red-flagged twice. The first stoppage came after Andy Firth crashed at the bottom of Paddock Hill Bend, the car taking a nose dive into the tire wall. The second red flag came when Tylor Ballard ended up over a tire wall at Paddock, the car rolling multiple times.

Race 2 of the MG Trophy Championship, the MG ZR 170 of Paul Luti looked on for an outright victory, a possible first in the Trophy’s history but it was not to be. Luti made a fantastic start from fourth on the grid, driving around the outside at Paddock Hill Bend to take the lead. With the other classes falling over one another Luti managed to build a huge lead, more than 10 seconds, but then came the safety car. The MG ZR’s of Samuel Johnston and Ross Makar needed to be recovered…bunching up the pack for the re-start… Graham Ross in his more powerful MG ZR 190 went on to take a race 2 win and Paul Luti coming home 2nd.

Graham Ross Trophy Race 2 Winner

On to the MGCC TN Racing BCV8 Championship with a grid of 29 cars divided into five classes beginning with Class AB for the FIA and slightly modified MGB’s down to class I for MGB’s not fitting any of the regulations.

Rob Spencer took a race one victory with a blinding start from sixth on the grid to take him into the lead lead at Paddock Hill Bend. After an early safety car to remove Russ McCarthy beached car at Paddock Hill, Spencer kept his wits at the re-start, only to take the grass towards the end of the race but had enough of a lead from Neil Fowler to take the win.

Rain before the start of the second race lead to an a coming together at Graham Hill Bend taking out three cars, Paul Khouri, Simon Cripps and Neil Fowler, with more competitors taking on damage. Rob Spencer, starting from the forth row, would take the lead and went of to win the second BCV8 race of the day with Ian Prior taking 2nd and James Wheeler 3rd.

Simon Cripps Damaged MGB Roadster

A field of 30 cars from the 1920’s & 30’s lined up for the Baynton Jones Historic Motorsport MGCC Triple-M Challenge with the Wolseley Hornet Special of Tony and Rod Seber taking the compertition to the MGs and taking both the days wins.

Triple-M winning Wolseley

The first Lackford Engineering MG Midiget and Sprite Challenge was shortened by a lengthy safety car period after Carl Chadwick collided with barriers at the start of lap 2 and two more stationary cars at Paddock. Stephen Collier went on to take the race victory.

The second race went the distance with Stephen Collier taking the chequered flag and race victory along with Paul Campfield and Richard Bridge once again taking the last two podium spots.

The MG Midget Of Stephen Collier

Also out over the weekend we had the Equipe GTS with it’s massive grids and selection of cars, The MGCC Drayton Manor Park Metro Cup and the British Thoroughbreds.The MGCC Iconic 50’s Series, the MGCC Peter Best Insurance MG Cup and the All Comers Races also entertained throughout the weekend.

New for 2018 was the Equipe Pre 63 races, and I quote “Is a series in the sprite of the 1950’s clubman races” with some superb British machinery with the likes of Lotus, MG, Morgan and Austin Healey on track.

The weekend was an enjoyable one only hampered by the many red and yellow flags and the poor un-spring like weather.

Next on the calendar for the MGCC is the MG Live 2018 event at Silverstone on the 2nd and 3rd June, with a weekend of motorsport, family fun with many cars on show from the various MG car clubs. If you are a fan of the MG badge, be there.

MG Car Club

MG Live

Results and Timing