Anglesey Race Report – Round 3 of the 750MC Roadsports Championship
📅 Saturday, 5th July
📍 Anglesey Coastal Circuit
🏁 Result: DNF – 5 Minutes from the End
⚙️ Class C – P2 (at the time of retirement)
5th July 2025
Before diving into the report, I should say this upfront: the race ended in a DNF for me, and I’ll be honest—it nearly brought me to tears. As a fully grown man, that’s not easy to admit. We were running P2 in class, catching P1, with no threat from behind and a big gap to P3. Then, with just five minutes left, the gearbox failed. I was absolutely heartbroken.
But I keep reminding myself—this is only my third race of my novice season, in a very competitive grid. Since switching to A052s at Silverstone, I’ve had podium-level pace, and my competitors have pushed me harder than I’ve ever pushed in a car before.
Motorsport is brutal—expensive, unforgiving, and totally indiscriminate. Still, I’m learning to be proud of what I’ve achieved, despite the DNFs, and to recognize how far I’ve come in such a short time.
Image courtesy: Andrew Cooper Photography | Moral Rights Asserted | All Rights Reserved
Track Familiarisation & Practice
This was my first time at Anglesey, and thankfully, a rare opportunity for a 20-minute practice session in the morning before qualifying. It saved costs on a separate test day and thanks to my team, they only charged me for a can of fuel. I used the R888s for practice and saved the A052s for quali and the race.
🕘 09:00 – Practice Session
I spent the session learning the circuit and experimenting with braking points, each lap pushing a little deeper. The car felt great, and a newly fitted gearbox resolved the selection issues we had at Silverstone—though 3rd to 4th was still tricky, it was manageable. I came out of practice buzzing and full of confidence.
Qualifying – P3 in Class!
🕛 12:05 – Qualifying
A052s fitted and out we went. Anglesey Coastal is only 1.5 miles and very aggressive on tyres, so the plan was to either set a quick early lap or cool the tyres and go again. Finding a clear lap was tough, but despite traffic, I managed a 1:19.772, placing me:
- 🥉 P3 in Class C
- 🏁 P22 out of 38 overall
All three of my fastest laps were in the 1:19s, giving me strong confidence for race pace. There might’ve been potential for P2, but the Ginetta in P1 was in a class of its own. Still—absolutely buzzing.
Image courtesy: Andrew Cooper Photography | Moral Rights Asserted | All Rights Reserved
Race – DNF (Gearbox Failure, Lap 28)
🕠 17:45 – Race Start
Before we set of we had a gear selection issue in assembly (unable select any gear), Hitting down on the gear selector worked and we was able select gears again.
We had two formation laps and a rolling start, which allows overtaking before the start/finish line. Unfortunately, I got boxed in behind a VW, and Creed (P4) got a run on me into Turn 1. Down to P4.
Knowing Creed had a 5-second penalty from Silverstone (handicap for finishing P3), I was content to follow and bide my time. He and Baker (another RX-8) were having a fierce battle for P2. I held position and watched it unfold—sure enough, contact happened in the Corkscrew and again into Turn 1 on Lap 7. Creed went off; Baker got sideways but recovered. I capitalised and made a move around the outside at the Banking. P2 in Class!
From there, we pushed on. Creed rejoined but went off again at Rocket—possibly from earlier damage. We were managing the gap to P3 comfortably.
I tried to keep the Ginetta within a 15-second window (their post-win handicap). We pitted on Lap 16 for our mandatory 1-minute stop. After they swapped drivers and served their 15-second penalty, I could physically see we were closing the gap—it was shaping up to be an exciting final stint.
We’d maintained consistent 1:19s and the tyres were holding up beautifully, despite the abrasive surface. Then… disaster.
📉 Lap 28 – Coming into Rocket, I lost all gears. I tried the same lever technique, but this time it was in vain. I had to pull off into the pit lane. Game over. Just 5 minutes from the flag.
Summary
It’s hard to put into words the heartbreak—we were on for a strong P2, with a genuine shot at challenging for the win. But this is racing. I’m trying to focus on the positives:
- ✅ Great pace all weekend
- ✅ First time at Anglesey, adapted well
- ✅ P3 in qualifying, running P2 in the race
- ✅ Managed tyres, strategy, and pace effectively
- ✅ Battling cars well above our power-to-weight
Massive thanks to Rocketdog Racing and Craig for building a car that’s genuinely competitive. Despite our 151 bhp/ton, we’re taking the fight to cars in the the top end of our 180 class.
Next up: Snetterton. Hoping my luck finally turns.
Massive thanks to Andrew, at Andrew Cooper Photography, for = travel and accommodation for the weekend.