Anglesey Circuit in North Wales, arguably the race track with the very best vista in UK motorsport, welcomes the Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres next weekend, 25th/26th May, where the fast-paced category will once again provide the ultimate in close-quarters action.
Consistently one of the most popular venues on the calendar, the annual visit to Anglesey always provides fantastic racing from the 5/8 scale pocket rockets and with the championship celebrating its 25th anniversary this year the fight for the title looks set to be even more intense than ever.
Following a sensational hat-trick of race wins during the 2019 season curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch last month, Connor Mills (Upminster) heads the driver standings by 40 points and will be looking to continue that superb momentum a week from now.
No fewer than four drivers claimed victories over the course of rounds one and two during Easter weekend, including 2018 Rookie Champion Sy Harraway (Weston-super-Mare) who will arrive in North Wales second in the title battle.
Reigning and five-time Legends Cars National Champion John Mickel (Horsham) is third in the standings and although he didn’t manage to climb to the top step of the podium in any of the six races at Brands, a typically consistent weekend meant he bagged significant points.
Fourth in the championship is Miles Rudman (Sutton Coldfield) and the former Rookie title winner will be hungry to claim his first victory of 2019 a week from now, particularly as he was a winner at Anglesey this time last year and one of the most prominent front-runners last season.
Jack Parker (Wolverhampton) and James Hall-Morton (Cleckheaton), both race winners at Brands during the season opener, are fifth and sixth in the championship at present and clearly have what it takes to repeat that form in rounds three and four.
Hall-Morton, of course, heads to Anglesey’s coastal track – which looks out across the Irish Sea – on the crest of a wave after claiming his maiden win last time out, and the son of former Legends Cars National Champion Peter Morton will clearly be one to watch.
As is always the case in Legends Cars, but perhaps more so this season than any other, there are any number of competitors capable of winning and especially with the format of the series where grids for the Heats are drawn by ballot, with the quicker drivers starting near the back.
The likes of Marcus Pett (Boston), Sean Smith (Marlow), multiple Masters Champion Paul Simmons (Lingfield) and Nathan Anthony (Horley), the latter driving the only Se-Van in Legends Cars racing, could all challenge for success at Anglesey.
After a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch, notable for a luckless barrel-roll in the second day’s Final from which he thankfully emerged completely unscathed, Will Gibson (Camberley) will be absolutely determined to get his season back on track – and he has the pace and racecraft to be a major player during the second event of the 25th anniversary season.
In addition to the superb grid expected for the six Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres races at Anglesey, a bumper weekend of sensational track action will also be augmented by additional races for our friends from the Scottish Legends and Irish Legends.
“Anglesey always delivers superb Legends Cars racing, we’re absolutely delighted to be back again at one of the most picturesque venues in the UK”, said Phil Cooper, owner of the Legends Cars National Championship, “We enjoyed a sensational start to our 25th anniversary season over Easter weekend at Brands Hatch, and we’re expecting more of the same when we arrive in North Wales.
“It’s fantastic to see a rapid young racer like Connor Mills at the top of the championship, but equally good to see how closely matched everyone is this season. With Sy Harraway, Jack Parker and young James Hall-Morton all winning last time out, it’s going to be intriguing to see if they can continue the same momentum or if we’ll have some fresh faces on the podium in rounds three and four.”
Qualifying for the first day of action at Anglesey will get underway at 10.00 on Saturday, 25th May, with Heat One set to follow at 11.30, Heat Two at 13.00 and the Final at 15.45. On Sunday, 26th May, the day’s track action will begin at 09.00 with Heat One, Heat Two will start at 10.25 and the Final will begin at 11.50.
Legends Cars National Championship with MRF Tyres Points (after Rd2):
1st Connor Mills, 960pts; 2nd Sy Harraway, 920pts; 3rd John Mickel, 910pts;
4th Miles Rudman, 875pts; 5th Jack Parker, 760pts; 6th James Hall-Morton, 730pts