The 1997 BARC/MGOC Championship got underway last weekend (saturday 8th March), below you will find a brief report. I hope you find the addition of a race circuit map helpful?

If you have followed this series on these pages in the past you will notice from the results there are some new names in the frame. And for those of you that are newcomers, I hope you will follow the fortunes of the drivers and their MG's and even perhaps make time to go along to some of the race meetings.Race Calendar

Race Report
Class A
The victor of the opening race was Jim Baynam, a name which seems to always feature somewhere near the top of the list. But it Mick Mercer who led the race for the first three laps, as the both of them went into 'Copse Corner' for the fourth time Baynam passed Mercer to take the lead.
Meanwhile, behind the two front runners, a large pack battled it out for a placing. Nigel Woolcott, who had started poorly, was on a charge and began to storm up the order. A battle between Woolcott & Sean Valentine ended when Woolcotts BGT dropped onto three cylinders, Valentine then spun and stalled at 'Becketts', Mercer was now third place, tucked in behind Darrell Atherton, but then Atherton clipped the spinning Valentine which put Mercer into second place.
So after all the excitement and the first race over this is how they finished

1..Jim Baynam (B)
2..Mick Mercer (Midget)
3..Darrell Atherton (Midget)
4..Richard Harrison (Midget)
5..Phil Walker (BGT)
6..Philip Gladman (B)
Fastest Lap Nigel Wollcott 1m 17.36s @ 76.27mph

Class B
Class B of the championship has for the last couple of seasons been dominated by the Maestro, but as a former owner of a Montego (for which I have a soft spot!) it was nice to see a Montego take the honours once more. Robb Addison, after a great tussle with Nick Golhar and Colin Simpson claimed victory in the seasons opening race for the Class B cars.
In the first few laps of this 10 lap race, Addison and Golhar traded as twice Golhar used his marvelous skill & pace to pass Addison through 'Luffield'
Addison later said.. "He was so much faster through the corner"
As the race drew to a close, Colin Simpson who had made a poor start came back fighting, and challenged Golhar for second place. While Simpson kept Golhar occupied Addison was able to take the advantage and put some space between himself and the battling Maestro duo behind him!
Golhars earlier superiority through the corners, did not last, and one can only speculate as to whether his brakes were beginning to give up on him. So!, with one lap to go, Simpson, took Golhar and with it second place as he exited 'Luffield'

1..Rob Addison (Montego)
2..Colin Simpson (Maestro)
3..Nick Golhar (Maestro)
4..Andy Campbell (Maestro)
5..Robin Walker (Maestro)
6..David Mellor (Maestro)
Fastest Lap Colin Simpson 1m 15.97s @ 77.66mph

Some Other News From The Pit Lane!
Former BARC/MGOC series winner Matthew Read has given up his MG Midget and is to make his single seater debut at Thruxton, on March 16. He is to contest the BARC Formula Renault Series in a Van Diemen RF93.
We wish him luck in his quest to conquer yet another championship.

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by Kelvin Fagan mg.maestro@mgcars.org.uk
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