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Oulton Park hosted Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2024 Miata Trophy season, on Saturday 28 September.
Two generations of Mazda MX-5 took to the Cheshire circuit’s International configuration in search of trophies and vital championship points at the penultimate race meeting of the year.
Qualifying
Miller Motorsport’s pairing of John Langridge and Alex Miller exchanged fastest laps in the early stages of qualifying, before John Robinson topped the timing screens in the #2 Misty Racing MX-5.
As the drivers dialed in to the challenging circuit, the lap times continued to improve. Both Langridge and Miller found themselves again enjoying stints at the top, before Declan Lee (Hills Motorsport) posted a tremendous lap of 2m04.320s to secure his place in SuperPole as fastest qualifier.
Miller and Langridge also progressed to the next session, along with a Hills Motorsport duo – Nicholas Stott and Khali Atkins. Kevin Silvain (BC Cars Motorsport) would also take part in SuperPole, as the fastest qualifier in ND Class.
SuperPole
Oulton Park proved that in a one-lap shootout anything can happen. Of the five NC Class cars that took part in SuperPole, only one would finish the session in the same position that they had finished the proceeding qualifying session in.
Current championship leader Langridge rose to the occasion to post a superb time of 2m03.304s to start the day’s first race in pole position. Lee would have to settle for second, while Atkins managed to rise up the order to third. Stott and Miller would start in P4 and P5 respectively.
Race One
Having narrowly missed out in SuperPole, Lee was clearly keen to make amends in the day’s opening race. An excellent getaway from the grid enabled Lee to get the jump on Langridge through the opening corner, while Stott and Miller capitalised on a poor start from Atkins to head into third and fourth.
Lee immediately tried to build a gap to the chasing pack, but Langridge would keep the leader in sight. Elsewhere, Drew Fletcher (Hills Motorsport) and David Chapman (Paul Sheard Autosport) were on the pace and making their way up the order.
The gap between the lead two gradually increased as the race went on and when the checkered flag fell Lee recorded a well-earned victory. Langridge would maintain second, being joined on the podium by teammate Miller.
Chapman pipped Fletcher to fourth by just 0.730s over the line, while Boreham Motorsport’s Jack Hargraves converted his best Miata Trophy qualifying position to finish in sixth – another personal best.
Robin Yau (Paul Sheard Autosport) enjoyed a debut to remember finishing in seventh, with ND Class winner Silvain, Simon Fleet (Jiffy Winks) and Stott rounding out the top ten overall.
Race Two
A sharp start to the day’s second and final race launched Miller onto the attack through the early corners. Having overtaken Langridge, the #7 driver was instantly on the heels of the leader but Lee’s defence was strong and kept him in front.
Stott and Atkins both prospered from strong opening laps to make their way up the order, while Silvain was another driver on the rise after a mega start.
By the end of the second lap, Langridge had reclaimed his second-place from Miller and set about closing the gap to Lee in front.
Langridge managed to reel in Lee as the race progressed. A pulsating couple of laps saw less than 0.680s separate the leading duo over the timing line after each circulation of the Cheshire circuit. However, Lee continued to fend off Langridge’s advances to record his second win of the day at Oulton Park - by a mere 0.362s!
Miller’s strong drive was rewarded with his second podium of the day, while an exceptional drive from Silvain resulted in ND Class victory and fourth overall for the #62 Mk4 MX-5.
Stott, Chapman, Fletcher, Atkins, Jack Hodges (North West Racing) and Yau rounded out the top ten overall finishers.
Congratulations to all.
Miata Trophy will return on October 26, at Brands Hatch, for the final meeting of the 2024 season.
Entries can be made here.
Photo: Gary Hawkins Photography