Mounsey & Dessoy split the spoils as Donington serves up two final corner deciders
The two share the wins and the luck in Round 2, with Belford taking over the points lead
Monday, 22 May 2023
Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing/Maddison Media) is now an R&G British Talent Cup race winner! The first showdown at Donington saw the number 4 come out on top in a final corner classic, pinching the win from Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) with a perfectly-judged move up the inside at Goddards. Huge drama hit at the same time and place as Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing) high-sided out of contention right at the end of the race, trying to head up the inside of Lucas Brown (Amphibian Scaffolding/SP125 Racing) but overcooking it – leaving Brown unopposed to take fantastic first podium in third.
Ryan Frost (Talentum Motorsport by Azure Notions) took the holeshot before duelling it out with Mounsey, with Belford initially dropping a few positions from pole. Meanwhile Harrison Dessoy (Microlise Cresswell Racing/Eastern Garage Racing) slotted into third, but drama hit on Lap 2 as Frost made contact with Dessoy and the number 55 slid straight off onto the grass, rider ok but left gesticulating from the sidelines. There would be consequences for Frost’s weekend too as he was judged to be at fault, and he was given both a Long Lap for Race 1 and, with penalty points added and that taking his total to six, a back of the grid start for Race 2.
At the front that left a seven-rider group battling it out: Mounsey, Frost, Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing), Belford, McCabe, Brown and Alexander Rowan (Mortimer Racing Victoria House Academy). With Frost serving his penalty, it became a group of six, and by the final five laps it was a group of five as Rowan faded slightly from the podium fight.
It remained a group of five right to the final lap as Mounsey led the way over the line, with Belford then just about muscling his way past. Brown then took a two-for-one at McLeans, demoting both Mounsey and McCabe to take over in second. But Mounsey immediately hit back and tagged onto the rear wheel of Belford, attacking at the Melbourne loop and then two then exiting side-by-side with their elbows out. The number 4 then sliced up the inside into Goddards and pulled up to perfection, heading over the line to take his first win by just over a tenth, with Belford forced to settle for second.
Behind though, there was drama as a final corner highside for McCabe – rider ok – saw him crash out between Brown and Correa. Brown was left free to cross the line for his first podium, but Correa was forced onto the grass on his way to the flag, that seeing him get pipped by both Frost, who had stormed back past Rowan, and Rowan too.
Ollie Walker (Wright Morgan/SP125 Racing) escaped the second group battle to take seventh, ahead of Filip Surowiak (FS75 Racing / FAB Racing), Charlie Huntingford (Opteven Mototechniks) and Josh Bannister (Dunsley Heat Racing) completing the top ten.
After the bad luck of Race 1, Harrison Dessoy hit back on Sunday as the second contest of the weekend likewise went down to the final corner. The number 55 pitched it to perfection as the drama unfolded right behind him, taking his second win of the season as Harley McCabe came through to take second and also reverse his fortunes on Sunday. Evan Belford, after leading down in to the final corner, gathered it back up to take third and another podium, holding on to his lead in the Championship.
Julian Correa took the holeshot from pole, with Belford right on his tail and not waiting long to take over at the front. As ever, however, it was a group fight from the off – with Ryan Frost on a charge from the back of the grid after that penalty and up into P16 at the end of Lap 1.
Correa was able to get back past Belford and Dessoy had made his own impressive leap up the order from 10th on the grid to second, making the initial group Dessoy leading Correa, Race 1 winner Sullivan Mounsey, Belford, Lucas Brown, Alexander Rowan and Ollie Walker.
By Lap 4, Frost was up into the top ten but facing a gap to Charlie Huntingford up ahead, and then another to the group ahead of him. But he was making progress, as was the front group as Walker and Rowan started to lose touch with the top six. Not long after that gap appeared, Frost had caught and passed Huntingford too, up into ninth with the next target on the horizon now that Walker-Rowan duel.
There was no headway into that gap though, and it was a six-rider fight for the win as Mounsey, Dessoy, Belford, Brown, Correa and McCabe tussled it out in the final few laps. Just before the very last lap, however, Brown slid out into the final corner just as Dessoy, Mounsey and Belford made a break for it. At the Melbourne loop Belford then made his move and pulled off a stunning two-for-one, slicing into the lead heading into Goddards.
Just as there had been on Saturday, there was drama on Sunday. Belford headed in too deep, opening the door for Dessoy and Mounsey as both shot through. But Mounsey then suddenly high-sided out of second in a near replay of McCabe’s Race 1 drama, with the number 4 likewise splitting the group.
Dessoy took the win to bounce back from his bad luck on Saturday, with McCabe then able to come through into second as he avoided the aftermath of the Mounsey crash. Belford took third and Correa fourth, with an angry Mounsey left on the sidelines to watch Frost storm through into fifth. Rowan and Walker took sixth and seventh, with Huntingford, Harrison Mackay (Wilson Racing/Super Soco) and Clayton Edmunds (City Lifting/RS Racing) completing the top ten.
That’s it from a dramatic Round 2, with Dessoy bouncing back from bad luck, Belford’s consistency putting him top of the table and Mounsey taking a first win before that late race heartbreak on Sunday. He’ll be keen to bounce back as the R&G British Talent Cup returns next time out at Knockhill… and they’ll also have Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects/RS Racing) back in the chase as the former points lead and double podium finisher returns from ETC duty! Join us for more from the 16th to the 18th of June!
