BTC: Sullivan Mounsey wins in a dramatic last-lap battle

Sullivan Mounsey delivers in a last-lap thriller for the R&G British Talent Cup.

Evan Belford started race one from pole position, with Sullivan Mounsey and Ryan Frost alongside him on the front row. It was a packed grid once again, with 27 riders competing on the Donington Park circuit.

Heading into turn one, Ryan Frost took the race lead, with Mounsey and Dessoy getting ahead of Belford. Dessoy and Mounsey began to battle, with Dessoy eventually taking the race lead.

Dessoy’s race came to an unexpected end, with Frost and Dessoy making contact with each other on the exit of turn one. However, his teammate, Julian Correa made his way into the podium positions onboard his Microlise Cresswell machine.

Sullivan Mounsey led the way at the front onboard the #4 machine, after showing some incredible place in the opening stages of the race. Mounsey experienced success one week ago, after winning two races at the FAB-Racing Minibike British Championship.

Evan Belford continued to make his way through the field after struggling off the line on the City Lifting machine. Belford sat in second position, just one-tenth away from the race leader, Mounsey.

Harley McCabe had an incredible start to his race and sat in third position after qualifying in seventh position. Behind McCabe were Correa and Lucas Brown, who continued to try and put pressure on the third-placed man.

Filip Surowiak sat in 10^th position in the early stages of the race after qualifying down in 15^th position. 

Belford reclaims the lead

Evan Belford found his way into the race lead and would try to break up the lead group after setting the fastest lap of the race. This lap was good enough to take a new lap record around the Donington Park circuit.

Ted Wilkinson’s race also came to an after a massive high side on the exit of the Melbourne Hairpin. Wilkinson would end his hopes for a good result at Donington but would walk away from the incident.

Ronnie Harris had a great race in his first weekend riding for the City Lifting / RS Racing team. Harris qualified down in 19^th position but would make his way up to 14^th place, inside the points.

Harley McCabe found his way through pole position sitter Evan Belford and made his way into second position. This turned into a titanic battle, with Belford and McCabe swapping places every lap. 

At the front, Mounsey extended his race lead to almost half a second after claiming the lap record. This record quickly changed hands, with Ryan Frost setting a lap time of 1:40.645, setting a new lap record.

In the final lap of the race, Belford tried a move for the race lead and would make it stick. Lucas Brown made his own move from fourth to second position, with Mounsey reclaiming the position.

McCabe dropped down to fourth as Mounsey made a move on Belford at the Melbourne Hairpin. Belford retook the lead on the exit, with both riders side by side heading into the final corner.

Mounsey wins at Donington

It was a drag race to the line, and it was Mounsey who took the race win in the opening race of the weekend for the R&G British Talent Cup. The top three riders were separated by three-tenths of a second, with Belford and Lucas Brown rounding out the podium.

Harley McCabe did not make it to the chequered flag, with the McCabe Racing rider high siding out of the final turn. This ended an upset McCabe, who ended his chances of claiming a podium.

Image credit: britishsuperbike.com