Archived Race Reports 2022

Croft September 18th

Qualifying

Ten drivers arrived at Croft for the final two rounds of the Championship. Illness, car damage and holidays had reduced the size of the field, but some interesting racing was still possible. Qualifying on Saturday lasted fifteen minutes and pole position was grabbed by the fastest Class B runner David Morrison in his MG Midget. Alongside on the front row was Karl Green heading Class C driving the MG ZS. Chris Greenbank was quickest Class F runner on row two with Leon Wignall alongside in his MG ZR160 the leading Class A runner. The only driver to encounter a problem was David Coulthard with a damaged distributor cap on the engine of his MGF Cup Car.

Race One

Dry conditions greeted the drivers at twelve o’clock on Sunday as they formed up on the grid. The first go at the race only lasted for two corners as Karl Green had a spin on cold tyres and clipped David Coulthard’s car. Karl’s car was stranded with broken steering and the red flag was shown. The re-start, without Karl, lost another driver on lap one when Andrew Greenbank had a scary moment when the bonnet on his ZR160 flew up and smashed the screen causing a retirement. David Morrison drove away at the front to take the race win and clinch Class B. Second in the race was Chris Greenbank winning Class F and in third was David Coulthard the victor in Class C. Next up in fourth and fifth were Rhys Higginbotham and Leon Wignall who had a race long dice for Class A victory with the gap being 0.205 seconds at the line. Final finishers were David Greenbanks ZS, Colin Stubbs ZR170 and Phil Ribgy’s MGF the drivers taking second places in Classes C, B and F.

Race Two

Dan Surridge and the CMC team were able to repair Karl Green’s car whilst the circuit ran a three hour race for Citroen C1s. Andrew Greenbank removed the screen and tailgate from his car and was in for a cold race wearing a full face helmet. When the lights went out David Morrison made a lightening start and again won the race. His aim was also to break his own lap record set in 2015 which he achieved on the last lap of the race. The race behind was very close with Karl Green pursued by Chris Greenbank who broke the Class F lap record but had to settle for third. David Greenbank clinched fourth and second in Class C but was harried by David Coulthard who came through the field after his qualifying problems to finish fifth. The close race between Rhys Higginbotham and Leon Wignall resumed, but was resolved in favour of Rhys when Leon got too close and spun at Tower Bend resuming to finish eighth. In doing so Rhys set a new lap record for Class A. All ten cars finished the race with Colin Stubbs seventh and second in Class B, Phil Rigby ninth and second in Class F and the valiant Andrew Greenbank tenth and third in Class A.

The special trophies for aggregate performance over the two races were awarded to David Coulthard (Malimson Trophy), David Morrison (Genesis Trophy), Chris Greenbank (Malimson MGF Trophy) and Rhys Higginbotham (Entune Trophy).

David Morrison is confirmed as Cockshoot Cup Champion for 2022 winning by a single point from Chris Greenbank the winner of Class F. Class C winner is Karl Green and Rhys Higginbotham takes Class A.

Oulton Park September 3rd

Qualifying

Nineteen drivers signed on to compete in rounds seven and eight of the Cockshoot Cup Championship for 2022. The weather prospects were good and the day stayed dry. A safety car during the qualifying session restricted the number of competitive laps but didn’t stop the two ZSs of Paul Wignall and Karl Green from taking the front row grid slots. David Coulthard put some good laps in driving his MGF Cup Car to occupy row two with Chris Greenbank the fastest of the Class F group. Keith Egar’s Midget ended up on row three with Rhys Higginbotham quickest in Class A alongside him. Quickest Class B runners were Tony Roberts (ZS), John Payne (Sprite) and David Morrison (Midget). All the drivers set a time and would start race one.

Race One

When the red lights went out the three red Midgets all made brilliant starts. The heavy ZSs were left behind, but Paul Wignall quickly got through the pack to take the lead. Meanwhile, Karl Green was forced to make a pit stop to check his wheel security. The safety car was then deployed after John Spencer and William Fraser made contact leaving John’s ZR170 in a dangerous place. When racing resumed, Keith Egar overtook Paul Wignall to take the lead. Paul then had a massive slide, couldn’t regain control and made heavy impact into the barrier on the Avenue. So Keith took the race win with David Morrison second on the road and winning Class B. David Coulthard finished third and second in Class C with John Payne second in Class B next up. Rhys Higginbotham took an amazing sixth place and driver of the race in his Class A MG ZR160. Tony Roberts was next and third in Class B. Chris Greenbank won Class F from Phil Rigby and Joe Jones. Karl salvaged some points by finishing last in the race but fourth in Class C.

Race Two

Paul Wignall, John Spencer and William Fraser were ruled out of race two so sixteen cars formed up on the grid for race two. Keith Egar got another rocket ship start to lead from lights to flag. Karl Green tried hard to catch Keith but couldn’t quite make up the gap. David Coulthard finished third completing the Class C podium and winning driver of the race. David Morrison managed to overcome a misfire to achieve another Class B victory from John Payne and Tony Roberts who had to work his way through from the back after stalling at the start. Rhys Higginbotham set a new Class A lap record beating Leon Wignall for Class A honours. Chris Greenbank drove another solid race to win Class F. This time Joe Jones got the better of Phil Rigby the two taking second and third in class.

After the race the Vicky Peters Trophies were awarded to Keith Egar, Dave Morrison, Chris Greenbank and Rhys Higginbotham.

Donington Park July 3rd

Qualifying

Mixed weather conditions greeted the twenty five Cockshoot Cup competitors who arrived at Donington Park for the fifth and sixth rounds of the Championship. Earlier rain had left a slippery surface for qualifying. As the track dried, the fastest times were set towards the end of the session. Karl Green carried on from his Silverstone success by taking pole position in his MG ZS with Mark Wright alongside on the front row in the restored MGF Cup Car. Fellow Class C runners Keith Egar driving his MG Midget and Paul Wignall in his MG ZS made up row two. A best ever performance by Aaron Jackson in his MG Midget secured fifth spot and top Class B driver but a mechanical issue caused him to retire from the meeting. Second qualifier in Class B was Tony Roberts driving the four cylinder MG ZS with joint championship leader Dave Morrison in his MG Midget being only third in class. The other championship leader Chris Greenbank secured pole position in Class F from Tom Mensley and Tom Church with Rhys Higginbotham just in front of Leon Wignall in Class A in their MG ZR160s. Class newcomer Andrew Greenbank was a welcome addition to Class A after an engine change on Friday.

Race One

Rain was in the air as the drivers assembled for race one. The Class C runners leaving tyre choice as late as possible. Conditions improved during the race, but then another shower resulted in a wetter surface for the final laps. Mark Wright took the early lead in the MGF Cup Car, but was soon passed by Paul Wignall in the MG ZS who romped away to take the race win and maximum Class C points. Mark’s car ran well and he secured second in the race and class. Karl Green had tyres more suited to the damp conditions and his car came alive in the final laps. He closed on the two leaders but had to settle for third place in his MG ZS. Some great dicing in Class B resulted in a first ever Cockshoot Cup class win for Tony Roberts who held off the hard charging Mark Bellamy who was second in Class aboard his MG ZR170. Third in class was Colin Stubbs in a similar car. Dave Morrison made significant progress as the track dried out, but fell back to fourth in class in the last part of the race. Class F was dominated by Chris Greenbank with Tom Mensley and Joe Jones taking second and third. In Class A, Rhys Higginbotham drove a brilliant race taking seventh overall and winning the class with Leon Wignall second and Andrew Greenbank third.

Race Two

The circuit was completely dry for race two and so the Class C cars were all using slick tyres. This time the lead battle was between Karl Green and Mark Wright with Paul Wignall retiring early in the race. Karl triumphed by just 1.86 seconds to take the race and Class C win from Mark. Dave Morrison drove an incredible race to finish third and win Class B with Keith Egar’s Midget taking fourth and third in Class C. David Coulthard had a great run in his MGF Cup Car to finish fifth in the race. John Payne also appreciated the dry track as he drove his MG Midget to sixth overall and second in Class B with Colin Stubbs again taking third. Star Class B performer had been Ian Whitt who started his Midget from the back of the grid after mechanical problems. He stormed through the field only to have to pull off with one lap remaining. Chris Greenbank looked to be on course to win Class F again and maintain his championship lead, but the track marshals spotted that his exhaust system was falling off the MGF and he was called into the pits and had to retire, although he was able to improve his own class lap record whilst on the circuit. So Tom Mensley was victorious in Class F with Tom Church and Joe Jones second and third. Rhys Higginbotham finished tenth this time, again winning Class A from Leon Wignall and Andrew Greenbank.

So going into the summer break, Dave Morrison has a narrow championship lead from joint second place drivers Karl Green and Chris Greenbank.

MG Live Silverstone June 11th and 12th

Rounds three and four of the Cockshoot Cup for 2022 were run on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. Bright, sunny but windy weather arrived for the weekend with track conditions being perfect. The Cockshoot Cup cars were on the circuit with another championship leaving the grid first on the red lights. Twenty five cars arrived to take part.

Qualifying

Pole position and first in Class C was taken by Karl Green in his MG ZS with the similar car of Paul Wignall lining up alongside. Keith Egar in his K series engined Midget was on row two with fastest Class B driver Dave Morrison alongside. Chris Greenbank was fifth quickest leading the large Class F. All the drivers finished the session and would start the first race.

Race One

The first part of race one was halted by the red flag after one lap following an incident in the other race that was sharing the track. After a lengthy delay for barrier repairs the race was re-started over twelve minutes. As ever the Midgets Of Keith Egar and Dave Morrison were quick off the mark, but the power of the MG ZSs soon put them ahead. Paul Wignall held the lead for a while, but was overtaken by Karl Green who won the race and Class C. Paul took second and third went to David Greenbank in his MG ZS. No Cockshoot race had ever finished before with three MG ZSs on the podium. Keith Egar had an eventful race using unsuitable tyres finishing sixth. David Morrison was fourth on the road winning Class B from John Payne in his MG Midget who drove through the field after starting at the back of the grid. Mark Bellamy was the best of the MG ZR170s taking third in class. Chris Greenbank finished in eighth place clinching Class F in his MGF with Adam Key and Paul Rigg securing second and third in Class. Rhys Higginbotham beat Leon Wignall in Class A both driving MG ZR160s.

Race Two

Conditions were still good when the drivers took to the track as first race after lunch on Sunday. This time the race would run the full twenty minutes without any stoppage. When the red light went out the dicing between Paul Wignall and Karl Green resumed but was cut short when Paul was forced to pit with a mechanical problem. This left Karl out on his own taking a second win. Keith Egar had been home to pick up a replacement tyre which enabled him to finish second in the race and in Class C. Mark Wright took third in his MGF from Dave Morrison who finished fourth again winning Class B. John Payne was another retirement from the race so Mark Bellamy grabbed second in Class B with Julia Penfold brining her MG ZR170 into a class third place. Chris Greenbank again dominated Class F but this time with Gareth Jones having a great last couple of laps to get ahead of Phil Rigby who took third in Class with Paul Rigg fourth. Adam Key was another non-finisher with a mechanical problem. In Class A Rhys Higginbotham again beat Leon Wigg.

The Tim Forwood Trophies for best aggregate performances over the two races were won by Karl Green, David Morrison, Chris Greenbank and Rhys Higginbotham.

Karl Green beat his own lap record and David Morrison bettered the record of Mike Peters.

Cadwell Park May 9th

Qualifying

After a very long closed season the Cockshoot Cup Championship for 2022 began at the superb Cadwell Park Circuit on May 8th. Sunny weather greeted the competitors with the track in perfect condition for the whole day. Twenty nine drivers arrived for scrutineering in the old style queue at 8 in the morning and all made it on to the track for qualifying. The very busy session was interrupted by a safety car period after the gearbox in Carl Chadwick’s MG Midget broke meaning that his day was over. Paul Wignall was the quickest driver overall and in Class C in his newly acquired MG ZS. Alongside on the front row was Dave Morrison in his rapid Class B MG Midget. On the second row were Pete Bramble’s MGB and Phil Standish returning to the championship with an MG ZR190. Second quickest qualifier in Class B was Ian Whitt’s MG Midget with Colin Stubbs in third returning in his ZR 170. Quickest Class F car was Chris Greenbank with new driver Rhys Higginbotham heading Class A in an MG ZR 160. Mark Wright was driving an MGF Cup Car but failed to set a time and would have to start at the back of the twenty eight car grid.

Race One

Race one got underway before lunch with the colourful grid of cars surging through Coppice on lap one. Sadly, Peter Bramble in his MGB came to grief without injury or huge damage at the Mountain and with the car in a dangerous place, the safety car was replaced by the red flag and the cars were formed up again on the grid. Mark Wright had already made great progress through the field from the back. The restart over seventeen minutes resulted in an incredible drive from Mark who passed all the rest of the cars to take the race win and first in Class C. Paul Wignall and Dave Morrison were together for the whole race with Paul taking second overall and in Class C. Dave was happy with third in the race and winning Class B. Keith Egar’s MG Midget couldn’t quite match the pace of the front runners but secured fourth and third in Class C with Karl Green’s MG ZS finishing just ahead of Phil Standish in fifth and sixth. John Payne in his MG Midget with a new engine had a great drive passing Mark Bellamy’s MG ZR170 and Ian Whitt’s MG Midget to finish second in Class B with third going to Ian and fourth to Colin Stubbs. Chris Greenbank finished seventh overall winning Class F from Tom Mensley and Adam Key. Rhys Higginbotham bettered Lean Wignall in Class A.

Race Two

All the cars were able to take their places for race two with twenty eight lining up. Mark Wright was again at the back. When the red lights went out the pack howled into Coppice where some contact was made. Gareth Jones MG MGF was damaged and could not continue, but everybody else was able to rejoin. It was the Class B Midgets that were pushed down the field and they set off on a recovery drive. After one lap the field were released again with Keith Egar taking the lead. Paul Wignall managed to pass the Midget and win the race and Class C from Keith and Karl Green. Mark Wright was close to taking the lead but a spectacular mechanical blow up at the Gooseneck ended his race. Dave Morrison recovered from the earlier spin to take a second Class B victory. This time Ian Whitt was second in class and Mark Bellamy third and Colin Stubbs fourth. Chris Greenbank won Class F again from Tom Mensley and Adam Key. Rhys again beat Leon in Class A.

Dave Morrison lowered the lap record which he held already for Class B with Mark Wright and Chris Greenbank setting new lap records in Classes C and F.