Anthony Reid showed his BTCC pace in the final two rounds of the 2003 season at Oulton Park today, the MG Sport and Racing driver setting a new lap record for the Cheshire circuit in the final race of the 20-round season, beating his own new time set in the first race of the day. Slight delays on his pit-stops in both races saw him miss out on potential podium finishes, Anthony taking a fifth and a fourth place, but able to show the race pace and potential of the MG ZS.

The opening race saw Anthony running in third until his pit stop at the end of lap eleven. A wheel problem lost him precious seconds, and he stormed out to set fastest race lap, and take fifth by the end of the 25-lap race.

“The MG had the speed to win, I showed that by taking fastest lap,” said Anthony. “Unfortunately, we had a problem in the pit stop, the one thing you can’t control as a driver, and time lost in the pits is time you can’t make up on the circuit.

“We know the car was good enough to win, though I lost a little traction at the start and lost places. My initial launch off the line was good, then we just lost a little traction on some joints in the track and that was enough. I got back to third, and after a Safety Car period I could see all the cars ahead and thought I was really in the game.

“I spoke to the team about pit stop strategy, and every thing went to plan until we had a cross-threaded nut on the wheel-change. The pace of the car was good, but I got embroiled in a big battle with Matt Neal’s Honda and fifth was all I could do.”

Anthony’s second race followed a similar script, even down to setting his fastest lap on lap fourteen, just as in the earlier round.

“That race promised a lot,” he explained. “I made a good get-away this time, was up into third and right with the two leading Vauxhalls. The MG ZS felt super-quick, but again we lost seconds in the pits, and when I was back on the track I had slipped behind my team-mate Colin Turkington. I was able to do a series of fastest laps and the car was flying, if we had got a good turn around in the pits I could have been right with the leaders.

“My car was good, but Colin was carrying less weight and his car was better as the tyres wore. We ran together, and were trying hard not to hold each other up. At the end of the day it was a good result for MG for Colin to be on the podium, and I was just behind him.

“It was frustrating as there was more to be had in both races, the first in particular, but it does show that the MG is very strong, and it’s pleasing to have taken fastest lap in both races.”