It was a tale of extraordinary highs and devastating lows for Wilson Racing at Donington Park this weekend.
The highs.
Sullivan Mounsey, who sat a Mathematics GCSE on Friday morning and missed the first practice session, took the win in a frantic Race 1 after qualifying on the front row. It turned out to be a highly competitive race, with just 0.319 seconds covering the top three.
The last lap saw the lead change several times, but Mounsey just managed to hold and pick up his first race win of the season for Wilson Racing. Harrison Mackay scooped a points finish in 13th, while Ben Jolliffe finished in 19th to continue an impressive first season in the British Talent Cup upon the NSF250r.
The lows.
It was all looking good for Mounsey going into the last lap; in the hunt for a podium and on course for a huge haul of points to put his name into the hat for championship contention.
As the leading pack rounded Goddards for the 14th and final time, Mounsey pinched and dismounted the bike, resulting in a DNF and a missed opportunity in the race for the Talent Cup championship.
Harrison Mackay rounded out a strong weekend in 9th, picking up his second points position and taking home ten points overall. Ben Jolliffe improved on his opening race finish in 18th, improving his best time over the two races by 0.400 seconds.
So what does all this mean?
While Gary Wilson and his team celebrated a first victory of the 2023 season and a very competitive performance, ultimately they were left to rue what could have been.
What’s next? The British Talent Cup heads across the border to Knockhill, Scotland’s premier race circuit, from 16-18 June as the series continues its support of the British Superbikes 2023 season (and the MotoGP British Grand Prix event in August).
The remainder of the calendar for the year is as follows:
16-18 June – BSB Knockhill
7-9 July – BSB Snetterton
21-23 July – BSB Brands Hatch
4-6 August – MotoGP British Grand Prix at Silverstone
11-13 August – BSB Thruxton
15-17 September – BSB Oulton Park
29 September – 1 October – BSB Donington National
