MGF Racing News 16-Oct-97:

The long awaited, but expected announcement, has been made this week at the London Motor Show at Earls Court.
The Rover Group & the MG Marque is to re-enter the national motorsport arena with two separate high profile one-make MGF championships in 1998.
The announcement was made at the London Motorshow.

Series 1
The first championship will be for race prepared MGF's, coordinated by the BRDC (British Racing Drivers Club) which may support the British Grand Prix. It will be run to a similar format as the highly popular Rover Turbo Cup series.

Series 2
The second series will be organised by the MG Car Club, and will be a multi-disciplined series including, races, sprints, hillclimbs and rallies and would be intended for near road-standard cars.

The BRDC's MGF Trophy is likely to form part of the new British Formula 3 package, which includes National GT's and Saloon Cars. Although Rover will not confirm the rumour as yet, the whole MG team and Rover Sport have been looking at the possibility of such a series for some time, and with the MGF being the best selling British sportscar it is felt that there is a definite commercial benefit to such a series being launched.

The Rover Group have announced their proposals now as so to enable many teams the time to seek sponsorship and recruit drivers. However most teams who ran cars in the Turbo Cup series are in agreement that this will be the most exciting series for sometime. If Rover are involved in such a series they, unlike many manufacturers, have the experience in motorsport to make the series a huge success.

This site MG-The Classic Marque, follows MG Motorsport closely, and the two new series, as announced above, will of course be featured closely during 1998 and beyond, on this site!

As Rover and the MGCC announce further details, we will bring you right up to date with the details & regulations.

Kelvin Fagan
MG Motorsport: @ MG-The Classic Marque

MGF Cup & Abingdon Trophy Launch

The MGF Cup consists of 12 rounds of races at high-profile motor sport events, including races supporting the British Grand Prix, Formula 3 events and rounds of the FIA GT and FIA Formula3000 championships. It will have extensive press and television coverage. Cars have been race-prepared by Rover and will be available for sale to anyone wishing to put together a team. Specifications include 195Ps race-prepared engines, plus uprated bodyshell, suspension, brakes and tyres, racing seats/harness, safety equipment and reduced weight.

Provisional dates for the MGF Cup races are as follows:

• April 4-5, Silverstone
• April 25-26, Brands Hatch
• May 3-4, Oulton Park,
• May 16-17 Silverstone
• May 23-24, Croft
• June 13-14, Snetterton
• June 27-28, Knockhill
• July 9-11, Silverstone
• August 1-2, Donnington Park
• August 30-31, Castle Combe
• September 13, Thruxton
• October 3-4, Silverstone

The Abingdon Trophy dates are not yet finalised but there will be six circuit races and six speed events (sprints and hill-climbs) - note that this is two more than the 10 which may be reported in the press. The modifications needed to enter your F in these races are minimal and Rover will release a low-ish cost (c £1500) sports pack to all competitors registered through the MGCC. This will include the a roll cage, four point seat belts, cutoff switch and fire extinguisher. An optional racing hardtop is also available. The aim is to make these items fittable to your F with as little cosmetic intrusion or damage as possible. There will be separate championships for 1.8i and VVC cars, and prizes are to be awarded for the best overall competitors in the race series, the speed series and the combined series. There are also awards for best novice, lady driver and youngest driver.

Anyone wishing to compete can take part in a race-tuition and track day organised by the Ian Taylor Racing School at Thruxton, where ARDS and RACMSA licences can be obtained for those who don't have them. Anyone wanting further details or a full set of regulations should write to the MGCC Competitions Secretary, Peter Browning, at Kimber House, PO Box 251, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 1FF.

Disclaimer: This is based on information in the MG and MGCC press release and is correct as we are aware - however we expect that the MGCC series will almost certainly have 6 of each in the race series and speed series, not 5 as announced in the press release.

The MG Car Club Ltd
    Kimber House, PO Box 251, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 1 FF. Tel: (01235) 555552 Fax: (01235) 533755
    INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/.
    
    PRESIDENT: Bill Wallis
    
                               MGF ABINGDON TROPHY
    
    The MG Car Club, one of the world's largest and most active Clubs catering for MG owners,
    today announces the MGF Abingdon Trophy, a 10 round series for MGF owners to be run in
    1998. The MGF Register is the fastest growing group within the Club currently with over
    2,000 registered cars.
    
    The series, a joint initiative and with the welcome support of MG Cars, is to provide an
    opportunity for MGF owners to make a start into motor sport using their everyday road cars
    running in 'showroom' trim and with only mandatory regulation safety features and
    modifications required without affecting the car's everyday road use.
    
    The series will have two disciplines - five circuit races and five speed events (hillclimbs and
    sprints). Most of the 10 qualifying rounds will be at established MG Car Club meetings.
    Drivers can contest both disciplines, choose the races only or just run in the speed events.
    
    All 10 rounds will count towards overall placings in the series and to win the major awards
    competitors must have taken part in at least one event in each discipline. There will, however,
    be separate awards for the best placings in the race and the speed event disciplines. Amongst
    other end of season awards will be trophies to the highest-placed novice driver, lady
    competitor and the vouncest competitor.
    
    There will be separate classes for 1.8i and VVC powered cars.
    
    A specially prepared 'race pack'will be made available to competitors registering for the
    series at modest cost, which will include all the regulation safety items a competitor requires
    to take part in the race events - safety roll cage, four-point seat belts, electrical circuit master
    switch and a fire extinguisher. An optional 'sports' hardtop to accommodate the mandatory
    race event roll cace will also be offered.
    
    Before the start of the 1998 season the MG Car Club will be offering prospective competitors
    an exclusive track day and pre-season get-together in conjunction with the lan Taylor Motor
    Racing School at Thruxton when novice drivers will be able to take their mandatory
    Association of Racing Drivers' School test and obtain their RAC MSA Competition Licences.
    
    Full details and Regulations for the MGF Abingdon Trophy will be available from the Series
    Administrator, Peter Browning, at the MG Car Club.
    
    23rd October 1997

    Registered Office: Kimber House, 12 Cemetery Road, Abingdon, Oxon.   Reg. No. 962227 England

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