Once again Donington Park GP Circuit gave us everything we asked for… and a bit more.

By Ed Lewis.

It was advantage Lucas Brown in a sun soaked action packed thriller that gave us our fifth different race winner of 2024.  

Florida’s Julian Correa (Microlise Creswell) dominated Free Practice and Qualifying, leading the pack by 0.382 taking pole position by storm, he edged out Polish hero Filip Surowiak (RS Racing) who in turn pushed out our current championship leader Lucas Brown (Sencat Mortimer Racing) and his own team mate Amanuel Brinton. George Bowes (Microlise Creswell) also stepped his game up in fifth and an excellent start to the event from the third RS racing rider Clayton Edmonds. 0.586 of a second covering the top six. 

Race One:
The four top qualifiers went head to head in the Race One 14 lapper. Correa looked strong on the mega quick Creswell NSF 250R Honda. He wasn’t having it all his own way as Brown seemed to own sector two of this iconic track. Brinton was overlooking proceedings until Surowiak decided he preferred the escape road at Foggy Esses taking himself out of contention. Ryan Frost replaced him in the lead group, but it was Brinton in control taking maximum points, Correa second, Brown settled for the third spot, Frost impressing in fourth and Ronnie Harris (RS Racing) showing us his 2023 win was no fluke in fifth position. 

Race Two:
Sundays Race would arguably give us the closest R&G BTC race seen for some time. Again Correa Surowiak Brown, Brinton and first out of the stalls Ryan Frost (Fibre Tech Honda) battled it out between them with a breath-taking display of close racing. Friends off the track they all may be but it was to become an epic duel. Again Lucas Brown dominated turns 5-6-7-8 and looked in total command around McLean’s. The drama intensified on lap six, Surowiak stormed into turn 12 – Goddard’s and seemed to drift out wide leaving a gap for Correa to sneak through mid-corner. Brilliance turned to disaster as Surowaik recovered, contact was made causing Surowiak to slide off. In our view a racing incident but the MSVR stewards deemed Correa contributed to the incident awarding a long lap penalty to the American.    

The pace of the Creswell bike was strong as he literally took the long lap penalty on his chin, running far too hot into the Melbourne loop penalty area losing the front end of the red white and blue Honda. Race over. The race duel continued up front with Frost reeling in the Brown and taking over on lap 11. Brown looked like he had it all under control ready to pounce on the final lap however a red flag stopped the race deciding that Ryan Frost was your race winner. Brinton a strong third with a new lap record (1.39.397) and Ollie Walker (Fibre Tech Honda) in an excellent fourth spot. What a race! Further down the order Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing) managed his second seventh placing of the weekend. As one of our pre-season tips for the crown the Halifax teenager is struggling for set up and confidence, his season must start at round three or the front chargers will have left him behind in the point standings.       

The rapid and consistent Sencat Mortimer Racing’s Lucas Brown now extends his championship lead to an impressive seventeen points. Stay tuned in as the next chapter unfolds at Snetterton 300, 5th – 7^th July.  

The Short Shift News office unanimously awards the R&G rider of the meeting award to the latest star of the Mlav talent factory Ryan Frost. I’ve a feeling we might see some more of him in 2024. 

Featured Images: Olithephoto & R&G British Talent Cup.