Uncategorized Archives - MG Trophy Championship

Report by Graham Keilloh. Photographs by Dickon Siddall.

Fred Burgess impressed after on his return to the Trophy

The MG Trophy races at MG-Triumph 100 – Silverstone, 10th & 11th June, saw the return of Fred Burgess (ZR190) who, in 2021, was a consistent frontrunner in Class A and finished 3rd overall in the championship. Racing for the first time in 18 months, he immediately demonstrated that his absence from the track had not diminished his speed.

James Moreton (ZR170) returned to the Trophy grid for the first time in 2023. He was joined by newcomers, Jonathan Candler (ZR170) and Thomas Stanfield (ZR160) making a total entry of 22 cars, the best so far this season.

Newcomers, John Candler (ZR170) and Thomas Stanfield (ZR160)

For the second successive year, Perrys MG generously sponsored our races and had a distinctive display of new cars which attracted much attention. Pete Macwaters, MG Trophy chairman presented a special ‘Thank You’ award and we are grateful to all the staff at the Aylesbury branch for their continued support.

Millers Oils also continued their invaluable sponsorship of the ‘Driver of the Race’ awards.

The Trophy qualifying session was shared with the 90 year old Triple-M machines. Due to the huge speed differential all the cars could not be on track at the same time so the 20 minute session was split between the two groups which meant the ZRs only had time for four laps. Adam Jackson took pole with Fred Burgess in P2 and Graham Ross P3. James Cole took Class B honours followed by Tylor Ballard and Jack Woodcock. Colin Robertson qualified the MG3 in P8 and Thomas Stanfield was the only runner in Class C.

Jackson got a good start to race 1 and headed the field for the first lap but Burgess moved into the lead at the start of lap two and moved clear to win by 5.2 seconds, setting the fastest lap time of 2:27.493 on lap 4.

Jackson then headed a close three-way battle for second with Graham Ross and Doug Cole which was went in Ross’s favour when he passed Jackson at Becketts at half distance and Cole had a spin at Vale on the final lap. Cole recovered to a distant fourth but got some recompense with the Millers Oils Driver of the Race award.

Tylor Ballard won Class B, beating Fergus Campbell by 2.2s, while Ballard’s closest challenger, James Cole, dropped out with a broken damper. John Donnelly, Robin Walker and Jack Meagher were also non-finishers.

Robertson was sadly handicapped by power steering problems but managed to bring the MG3 home in P10 while Stanfield crossed the line one lap in arrears.

Race two was much closer at the front as Jackson sorted his race one overheating problems with a radiator change. He passed Burgess to lead early on when Burgess missed a gear but Burgess was soon back ahead for a lead he kept to the flag, again setting the fastest lap time of 2:27.238. Jackson maintained his challenge until the final lap when he slowed as a CV boot blew filling the cab with smoke. He was still able to continue and maintained his position, crossing the line in P2, some 6 seconds adrift.

Ballard pipped James Cole for Class B honours, though Cole set the fastest Class B lap time and made it a family double by being awarded the Millers Oils Driver of the Race award.

Ross and Doug Cole both dropped out mid race, with alternator and gear linkage problems respectively and Woodcock retired from the Class B contest on lap 3.

Tylor Ballard now leads the championship standings with Adam Jackson P2 and Graham Ross P3.

The next MG Trophy races are scheduled for Cadwell Park on 30th July.

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Report by Graham Keilloh. Photographs by Dickon Siddall.

Adam Jackson leads Race 2 to take his second win of the day.

Adam Jackson did not compete in MG Trophy’s 2023 Brands Hatch curtain-raiser round, as he was thinking he might “have more of a laid-back year”. But as soon as he was watching the Brands race he was tempted to return for the Oulton Park round, joining the 18-strong line-up there.

And Jackson was rewarded in Cheshire with two dominant race victories, in both races leaving his fellow ZR 190 racer Graham Ross far behind, with Brands double winner Ross unhappy with his suspension settings.

In race one Jackson blasted past poleman Ross at the start then streaked clear to be almost 14 seconds ahead by the end, a feat that also got him driver of the race. And no-one else was in contention for first as another habitual Class A frontrunner Doug Cole was an early retiree with a driveshaft problem.

The battle for Class B victory was tight however, and was won by Tylor Ballard who kept the chasing fellow MG ZR 170 of Fergus Campbell at arm’s length.

Tylor Ballard and Fergus Campbell battle for Class B honours in Race 1.

Jackson again dominated the second race, this time from pole, and again beat Ross comfortably even though a late-race safety car closed things up after Jack Chapman was pitched off when a battery problem resulted in his rear brakes locking.

Cole didn’t manage to start the second race due to a gearbox problem. His son James however salvaged family glory by winning race two’s Class B bout. James in race one indeed had pitted to retire a lap after Doug did, in his case with a cylinder head problem.

James Cole took the Class B win in Race 2.

The battle for the race two Class B win started early and Ballard ran across the grass on lap one. Campbell took up the class lead but Cole Jr soon overtook him and remained in the place for the remainder. He also got driver of the race.

Jackson said: “Can’t complain at that. I tend to go well around Oulton but I usually have a disaster that ruins it for me, and we’ve just not had any issues today. Just concentrate and get the lap times and that’s it.

“The car was alright, it wasn’t where we wanted it to be but it’s a lot better than where it’s been.

“There’s a lot of work to do on the front suspension. Last year a damper burst through Cascades, and I’m not running that damper, I’m still running the other damper, a matched one for it, so I need to get them sorted. Other than that it’s near enough there.”

Ross added: “I just never had the pace in the car. I suspected it because there was a glimpse of that at Brands. So my fiddling with suspension is not getting me where I want to be. I was never ever going to challenge Adam.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, have a think, see what we can do, and just try and get some of the pace that I used to have back. I’ve gone the wrong way and I think the car’s telling me that, so I need to listen to what it’s saying and apply some common sense.”

Stepping up to Class A, Sam Meagher took P3 in Race 2.

Class B runners, Tony Wigley (58), Cal Moore (66) and Mark Livesey (6), battle for position.

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MG Car Club

Race Report – Silverstone – 10/11 June 2023

Race Report – Oulton Park – 13 May 2023