FUN CUP ENDURANCE 2025 – ROUNDS THREE & FOUR– ANGLESEY – RACE REPORT
OLYMPIAN-GRD UNBEATABLE…..AGAIN!!
Defending Champions Olympian-GRD once again proved the class of the field at Anglesey. Despite a number of lead changes in both races, the Olympian-GRD trio of Chris Dovell, Simon Rudd and Riley Phillips reigned supreme.
RACE ONE
After PLR’s Tim Wheeldon had led the first couple of laps, it soon developed into dual between Morpheus’s Charlie Hart and Pacific’s Matt Hyde for the early advantage. Both drivers had a share of the lead, with Peter Belshaw a solitary third for Sherardize, until he was the first to stop after 24 laps.
“So long as we kept the car safe and kept the gap, we had some good racing and worked together,” said Hart. “I had good pace but couldn’t close on them,” Belshaw added.
Wheeldon stayed in contention too, but lost out to B.E.R.T’s Jon Railton and Racelogic’s David Denyer before the end of his stint. “A great start and I felt we were really in the battle today,” said Railton. “I lost the tow and was being caught though,” Denyer admitted.
Playing catch up though were UVio/Hofmann’s Lotus, after Farquini Deott made an unscheduled stop. “The left paddle came off and I was stuck in fifth gear,” he explained after surrendering an early third place.
Greenheath were also in trouble early on, “two punctures on the banking on the first lap after we were hit,” Gary Bate added.
Chris Hart took over from Charlie and initially held on to the lead, but was reeled in by the flying Teddy Wilson, who gave the Sherardize an 8.350 secs lead over Hart after the first hour, with Vapeclub EDF’s Ted Bradbury in third.
Phillips had taken over the Olympian-GRD and despite making their second stop early to hand to Simon Rudd, they were still in fourth, after Pacific’s Simon Goodwin stopped early too. “Joined about 15th and came in as a challenger, so good progress,” said Philips.
Fabulous Randaccio had clawed his way back to fifth for UVio/Hofmanns and in sixth Harry Mailer was charging too in the second Morpheus car.
Wilson handed his lead to Belshaw, but Rudd was in pursuit. Out of contention though were the Hart’s after the double stinting Chris headed pitwards with a broken throttle cable.
Half distance was reached after 66 laps, with Belshaw 12.605 secs up on Rudd, while Vapeclub’s Vlad Vassiliev, Racelogic’s Thomas, PLR’s Wheeldon, Disruptive’s Steve Lake, and Morpheus’s Steve Walton followed, with Pacific’s Toby Clowes and B.E.R.T’s Railton rounding off the top 10.
By the end of the second hour it had become a battle for supremacy between Sherardize and Olympian. They alternated for the lead dependant on when they stopped, but Wilson was over 25 secs clear of Phillips, “it was a bit understeery but I got through the traffic Ok,” said Wilson. “It was hard out there, really pushing the tyres and lots of lappery,” Phillips added.
Rudd had the lead on lap 104, but had to serve a stop go for an unsafe release. “I had just got the lead, then served the penalty and had to do it again,” he said, as he was back in charge just before Belshaw made Sherardize’s final stop.
Phillips took over the lead car for Olympian and brought it home just over 14 secs clear of Wilson. But the battle for third went right to the flag after a terrific scrap between Randaccio and Bradbury. “We had a bit of a fuel issue but that cleared. But a great ding dong with Ted. He did tap me but let me back ahead after he made contact, but brilliant to race with him,” said Randaccio.
After going wheel to wheel through the Corkscrew Bradbury finally sealed third. “I made a mistake, locked up and hit Fab, so gave that back. Then back on him, what a great battle. My maturity is getting better,” Bradbury replied.
Racelogic were fifth behind UVio, but excluded for being under weight. “It was our first time with this car and we forgot to weigh it before the race,” Thomas admitted.
PLR’s Neil Plimmer therefore became fifth, one lap down, with Team Disruptive’s Lake/Kristian Rose completing the top six. Team FFS’s Barry and Lewis Thompson with Nick Highton, Morpheus’s Walton/Mailer, Red River’s Gareth Williams/Johnny Mowlem and Pacific’s Hyde/Goodwin/Clowes rounded off the top 10.
RACE TWO
There was plenty of drama at the start of race two, when firstly Charlie Hart broke a driveshaft before coming under orders.
Randaccio had led for UVio from pole, from AxiaMetrics John Perrott, Morpheus’s Walton, Greenheath’s Paul Turner and Disruptive’s Lake.
But the safety car was immediately in action as Belshaw had spun and was hit by Fast Track’s Tom Greensall. Two laps under caution followed, with top four making an immediate break from the green flag.
Perrott had already started to challenge Randaccio, and became the new leader as UVio headed for the pitlane with a broken driveshaft.
Turner was into second, from Demon Tweeks 2’s Will Abraham, Walton, Signature RV’s Steve Ruston and Seed Data’s Matt Hogg. But when Perrott went wide at the Bus Stop, Abraham led, until Perrott took it back at Rocket a lap later.
The lead pair shared more exchanges as Turner consolidated third, while Pacific’s Matt Hyde made good progress to oust Walton from fourth on lap nine, before the later was tapped into a spin at the Bus Stop by Lake.
“I was down on power so don’t know how I managed to catch them,” said Hyde.
After 11 laps out in front Perrott succumbed to another attack from Abraham, who kept the Demon Tweeks car out in front for the rest of the opening stint. “Exits weren’t my thing,” Perrott admitted.
Just a lap after losing his lead Perrot lost second to Turner at Rocket too, but it was soon all change again at the first pitstop window. Bate emerged as the new leader for Greenheath, with Chris Weatherill second for AxiaMetrics and a closing Harry Mailer third for Morpheus.
Bradbury was closing in for Vapeclub too, while FFS’s Lewis Thomspon and Demon Tweeks’ Jack Minshaw completed the early top six.
Seed Data’s luck disappeared again just after making places at their stop. Mike Devlin was in fourth when their engine let go and brought out the safety car.
Although Bate led into the second hour he couldn’t hold off Mailer. “I was really on my limit,” Bate admitted. Mailer got by on lap 43 and managed to consolidate the lead until handing back to Walton six laps later. “I just drove it to get to the front, quite uneventful,”said Mailer.
By half distance it was Lewis Thompson out in front though for FFS, just 0.978 secs ahead of Olympian’s Rudd, from Turner, Thomas, Red River’s Mowlam and Walton.
Just before the milestone Marcus Clutton had led for Signature RV, but after pitting for a suspected puncture, he rejoined only for a front upright to break on his first lap back out.
Highton took the next stint for FFS, but as the two-hour mark arrived, he was down to third behind Phillips and Mailer, as Olympian’s lead was up to 19.852 secs. Fourth placed Bradbury was on the lead lap too, while Denyer, Rose, Jason Minshaw, B.E.R.T’s Angus Gough, Perrott and Bate were the rest of the top 10.
“Second would be great, and fourth would be good,” said Lewis Thompson. But their hopes were dashed on lap 93 when Highton was stranded at the Bus Stop with broken rear suspension and 45 minutes left on the clock.
“I thought it was me going too fast, but the rear upright broke,” Highton explained.
With the safety car back in action there was 36 minutes on the clock as the green flag was waved, with Rudd pitting first of the leaders for their final stop, leaving Mailer to the fore.
Mailer stayed out for another three laps before his stop, Walton emerged second for Morpheus but Phillips was in the clear securing win number four for Olympian and keep their 100% record intact.
“Just great, my personal best finish. I felt the pressure and started hearing things, but I did it,” said Walton delighted with their second place.
Bradbury had been vying for a podium finish too, but slowed and retired a couple of laps from home. “We had struggled with gear selection and when I put it in second it kept coming out,” he explained.
So the dual for third went down to the wire, with Greg Evans securing it for AxiaMetrics on the last lap, after a late swap with Greenheath’s Bate. “A great battle, I was ahead and locked up at the Corkscrew. So Gary got me but I outdragged him to the line,” said Evans. “I was 10 secs clear in the lead until the splitter broke, a great last lap though,” Bate added.
Racelogic’s Denyer/Thomas were the last crew on the lead lap in fifth, with Red River’s Mowlem/Williams, Disruptive’s Lake/Rose followed a lap down, while in eighth Rare Vinyl’s Matt Larbey pipped B.E.R.T’s Gough on the last lap.
The Demon Tweeks trio of Jason,Guy and Jack Minshaw rounded off the top 10, while team mates Burton/Abraham missed out after collecting a five-lap penalty for pitting outside the window.
https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=BRSCC/2025/252331fun.pdf
Published by Peter Scherer for Fun Cup Endurance, June 10th 2025
To find out more about the Fun Cup Endurance Championship visit www.funcup.co.uk for more information and how to get involved.
To view the championship calendar, visit https://funcup.co.uk/events/ for more information.
