The R&G British Talent Cup returned to Oulton Park International last weekend, supporting the British Superbike meeting for the Cup’s penultimate race of the 2023 season.
Wilson Racing Team, kitted out in their Scimitar paddock apparel and with the bikes all featuring Scimitar branding, were looking for performances from all three riders for very different reasons!
Race One on Saturday was huge for the team, with Sullivan Mounsey yet again showcasing his qualities and Harrison MacKay coming away with a top-ten finish. Ben Joliffe would unfortunately DNF in the first race of the weekend.
Lap One proved to be the the calm before the storm; drama unfolded on the second lap as both Amanuel Brinton and Ryan Frost crashed out of the race, leading to the safety car being deployed. It was an unfortunate end for Brinton, who rides for Kovara Projects / RS Racing, as the DNF in Race One dashed his hopes as he was no longer in contention for the title.
With the safety car out, the track was reset which would be particularly frustrating for Mounsey, as he was comfortably leading the race. Despite the setback, Mounsey set off quickly to reaffirm and strengthen his original position as he continued to pull away from the pack as the race progressed.
It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, as title rival Evan Belford began to threaten on the penultimate lap of the race. On the final lap, Belford’s move paid off as he overtook Mounsey to take the lead.
But hold fire. Sullivan Mounsey’s race wasn’t over just yet. As the final corner at Oulton Park approached, Mounsey pulled alongside Belford and edged in front to secure a well-deserved victory and 25 points from the first race of the weekend.
What about Race 2?
Just 0.0006 seconds prevented Mounsey from taking a second win of the weekend, as he was narrowly beaten by a redeemed Amanuel Brinton who took the win after crashing out of race one.
After qualifying in 5th place and making his way through the pack in the opening laps to lead the race towards the final few laps, it would once again prove to be a showdown between Brinton, Brown, and Belford.
There was to be more drama at the final corner as Brinton managed to draw side by side with Mounsey, closely taking the top spot of race two at Oulton Park ahead of Sullivan Mounsey in second.
Harrison Mackay added to his strong seventh finish in Race One with a second top ten finish to pick up a total of 17 points across the weekend; echoing his points tally last time out at Thruxton. Ben Joliffe on the other hand dusted himself off after a DNF in Race One to cross the line in eighteenth in Race Two.
Belford’s fourth place finish at Oulton Park meant that the title battle with our very own Sullivan Mounsey would come down to the finale of the R&G British Talent Cup at Donington GP 2.
A huge weekend of racing from Mounsey closed the gap on Belford to 37 points between the two, with 50 up for grabs. It’s going to get tasty!
Catch all the action of the R&G British Talent Cup supporting the British Superbikes on Eurosport across 29/09 to 01/10.
