Having barely had time to unpack from Oulton Park three weeks prior, it was time to head off to Silverstone and race at the longest and most famous track in the country. A quick glance at the circuit’s fast, flowing 3.7-mile layout suggests our relatively low-powered ZRs might be a little overwhelmed around the full Grand Prix circuit, yet with a plenty of overtaking spots (and run-off, if you get it wrong), the racing was set to be as close as ever.
Before we even get into the races, I’ve got to thank Paul Streather Motorsport for building me a new engine in record quick time and College Motors for supplying the block. Of all the tracks we visit in the Trophy, Silverstone is the most power hungry and you need a good engine to be quick, meaning my shiny new motor had its work cut out on its debut outing.
Race 1 – Solid 2nd after bumpy start
Starting pole position in-class following the fastest lap in qualifying, I was feeling confident about my chances. The track was offering less grip than it was the day before, yet I’d set my fastest time without the benefit of a tow.
For those not familiar, ‘getting a tow’ (or draft/slipstream as it’s sometimes referred to) simply means that you’ve followed another car around the track and got a little extra speed thanks to said car punching a whole in the air, thus giving you less resistance. It’s a big feature in almost any kind of racing, yet I’d never really experienced it in the MGs until Silverstone.
Lining up on the outside, I was already overheating in the 25C heat and cursing my decision to team a black car with, yep you've guessed it, black overalls. If you’ve ever used a rowing machine in a sauna while wearing polar expedition gear you’ll have some idea of what it was like in the ZR.
As the lights went green and my body weight dropped another two pounds in sweat, I got a distinctly average start. Thankfully, Josh Bacon (lining up next to me 2nd in class), got an equally average start, yet looming in my mirrors came the bright orange missile that was Fergus Campbell in the number 31 car.
Coming into the first corner, I took a wide line over the run-off to create more space, then powered down towards Maggotts and Becketts, side-by-side with Campbell. Through the initial left right I carried more speed and got my nose ahead, yet coming into the middle left hander I was planted on the apex – two wheels on, two wheels off with no space to my left.
Determined to get a good exit onto the straight, Campbell came across and squeezed me hard and with nowhere for me to go, we made contact. Knocked off balance, I did my best to keep the car straight but had no choice but to take a trip across the gravel and grass. BANG BANG BANG. At one point all I could see out the windscreen was the grass in front of me, such was the angle of the car.
Having clattered back onto the Hangar Straight, somehow my little MG had come out seemingly unscathed and although I was now down in 5th, there was 20 minutes of racing to make up for it.
Determined to make up for the lost positions I dived down the inside into Stowe and Vale, regaining 4th and 3rd in quick succession. With Campbell the next car along, I chased him hard for 2 laps. Coming into Stowe, he went defensive allowing me to complete a nice move around the outside which I completed coming into Vale. Right – almost back where we started!
After my move on Fergus, Josh Bacon’s number 36 car was a few seconds ahead, yet by lap 6 I was right on top of him. Despite coming close to an overtake, I mis-read the number of laps remaining and, thinking my moment to get past Josh was gone, got embroiled in a costly (but exceptionally exciting) battle with Tylor Ballard for 2nd. As it was, I still had another two laps to make the move for 1st, yet for the remainder of the race I was fighting for 2nd.
With Tylor battling me firmly but fairly, he snuck past through Maggotts and Becketts. Yet, almost immediately, after a better exit onto the Hangar straight I stuck the car on the outside line and made another pass into Stowe – my third of the race! From then on in, it was about maintaining position and bringing it to the line. Come the flag, I grabbed 2nd position and just missed out on fastest lap.
Race 2 – fighting the tow
Race 2 had me starting P2 in class, just behind class polesitter Joe Dalgarno. Lining up on the inside, I got a good launch off the line and leapfrogged not just Joe, but two A class cars further ahead. Although we don’t get any extra points for finishing ahead of the cars in the class above, it can be handy having them behind you for a while to act as a buffer. Following my strong getaway, I did my best to keep it tidy on the first lap. Yet as I approached the final few corners, I was already under attack from Fergus (who always seems to get a good race starts). This was going to be a long one…
*SC*. When the safety car is about to come out, we get a shown a little white board with SC written in black lettering. This means we should immediately cease racing and line up in preparation for following the safety car at reduced speed. Race 1 winner Josh Bacon and Trophy veteran James Cole had had a coming together on the first corner, with the latter bearing the brunt and his car needing to be recovered.
Following three laps under the safety car, we were back racing and I managed to sneak a great restart just behind the A class car of Robin Walker. Having pulled a 1.5-second gap on Fergus (almost enough to break the tow) I just needed to concentrate and bring it to the line. And yet, the operative word in that last sentence was ‘almost’. Fergus still had the benefit of my MG punching a hole in the air and giving his no.31 less resistance down the long straights.
That, combined with struggles under braking on my part, meant it wasn’t long before he was right with me again making my life difficult. Having hounded Fergus in race 1, it was now my turn to defend and make my car as wide as possible. Counting down the laps I was struggling to hold him off down the straights, but following pressure on Fergus from Tylor Ballard in 3rd, I managed to maintain position to the finish line and take the race win – my 3rd of the season and probably the hardest of the lot.
After two days of racing I’d gained a big chunk of points, two podium finishes and extended my lead at the top of the class B championship – a great result even if the disappointment about failing to nick the win in race 1 was still in the back of my mind. Silverstone was a far better circuit than I’d expected it would be in the MGs and, I have to say, it was an incredible experience racing – and winning – on the GP track with stands full of spectators (great to have them back).
As always, huge thanks to the MGCC, MG Trophy, Unity MG and Silverstone, Tylor, Josh and Fergus for some thrilling racing, mum and dad for coming to watch (plus Emma for the virtual spectating) and Paul Streather Motorsport for running the car faultlessly all weekend. Also thanks to Powerflex for supplying the best bushes out there (sorry your stickers took another battering) and Garmin for the ever-helpful Catalyst lap timer.
The latest championship standings can be found here.
Brilliant pics supplied by Dickon Siddall.
