BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup – Round 6 Oulton Park Preview

Three weeks after the dramatic and controversial Anglesey round, the MX-5 SuperCup is heading to the Cheshire circuit of Oulton Park where last year’s championship was decided in the dying moments of the final race.A race-long battle between Paul Sheard and Andrew Clarkson ended with a collision – Sheard came off worse, gifting Clarkson the championship by just 4 points. The racing at the front was closer than ever; the top 5 in race one were covered by just one second at the finish. Expect to see more of the same this weekend. Words by David Chapman.

After the shake-up at Anglesey, Abbie Eaton leads the championship by a slim 6-point margin over Tom Roche. Both have won at Oulton Park in the past – Eaton in the final SuperCup race of 2013 and Roche on multiple occasions in the MX-5 Mk1 championship. Third in the title race is local driver Matt Davies, followed by the increasingly impressive Liam Murphy who lies fourth in his first season in the SuperCup. Behind them are the familiar names of Mike Comber and David Chapman – Comber has fallen down the standings following his exclusion from race 1 at Anglesey and Chapman remains sixth despite having withdrawn from the championship after round four. Tenth-placed Paul Sheard, who twice finished on the podium at Anglesey, will be abstaining from the Oulton Park races in order to manage his full team of SuperCup drivers.

Though several front-running drivers might be missing, a surprise arrival will fill in for them – former British Touring Car Championship race winner Paul O’Neill is set to make a guest appearance as part of Paul Sheard Racing’s eight-car team. The Congleton-based squad will be looking to impress at their home round and all eyes will be on O’Neill to see how a BTCC winner shapes up against some of the leading young drivers in the country.

The ever-popular Oulton Park circuit has also attracted many drivers back to the championship, including Clint Bardwell, Justin Newnam and Nicola Gillatt. In addition to Paul O’Neill, two other drivers will be making their SuperCup debuts: James Aspinall (Paul Sheard Racing) and David Whitmore (MGA Motorsport). Grid sizes are expected to exceed 20 cars as the championship nears its conclusion.

A packed day of on-track action will start early on Saturday morning with practice and qualifying, followed by two 20-minute races in the afternoon.

Meeting Timetable:

Saturday 30 August: Practice 8:30am, Qualifying 11:30am, Race 1 3:10pm, Race 2 5:55pm.

Last Year’s Winners:

Race 1: Andrew Clarkson

Race 2: Abbie Eaton

2014 Championship Standings (minus 3 lowest scores)

1. Abbie Eaton 875pts

2. Tom Roche 869

3. Matt Davies 844

4. Liam Murphy 808

5. Mike Comber 800

6. David Chapman 776

7. Chris Lord 754

8. Simon Fleet 704

9. Robert Way 662

10. Paul Sheard 644

Lap Record
2m03.295s (78.60 mph) – Abbie Eaton, 2013.

Words by Team Paddock42’s David Chapman.

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