FOUR TOPS FOR SAM KIRKPATRICK IN UPGRADED MG
Sam Kirkpatrick claimed four wins from four races competing in his newly upgraded MG ZR 190 for the first time at MG Car Club’s season-opening Donington Park meeting.
Kirkpatrick has converted his ZR 170 to move up a class in MG Trophy and he immediately took two clear wins in the category Then on the following day he took the same car to two dominant Cockshoot Cup victories. “[The car’s] got better as the weekend’s gone on because we’ve learned,” Kirkpatrick said.
“We’ve never [before even] managed the double win! Four, you can’t do much better!”
MG Trophy rival Fred Burgess was Kirkpatrick’s closest challenger, and he was another in new machinery as he stepped up a class to race his dad Jason’s ZR 190 after an engine failure in Fred’s usual 170 in Friday testing.
Ollie Neaves in the BCV8 championship was another in new kit, as he’s replaced virtually everything in his MGB to move to frontrunning Class D, and he took two wins.
Metro Cup champion Jack Ashton also debuted an upgraded engine, to move his Metro into MG Cup, and he immediately joined similarly equipped Mike Williams in the frontrunning battle. Williams won the first MG Cup race, while the chasing Ashton’s gearbox broke. Leader Williams then dropped out of race two with suspected wheel bearing seizure, letting Ashton win.
David Morrison looked on the way to Midget and Sprite race one victory, but his Midget developed a misfire under a late safety car. This let Richard Wildman’s Midget close in and pass for first seconds before the flag. Morrison’s misfire was still present in race two and Wildman won again. Tony Seber in his Wolseley Hornet Special won both Triple M races.
Noted historic single-seater racer Jonathon Hughes was another taking a car to a debut triumph, easing his Jaguar E-type to victory in Equipe’s opening sprint race. Mark Holme in his 3000 MKII won the other sprint race while the Equipe three-hour relay was won by the ‘50 Shades’ Lotus Elan pair Cliff Gray and Stephen Bond.
Roger Whiteside in his Morgan +8 was first home in both Morgan Challenge races, but in the first was one of several disqualified for yellow flag infringements. In race two he came through from the back to win. Miglias, Libres and Se7ens shared the track in the Mini Challenge races, and Miglia champion Aaron Smith twice was first to the flag.