Sparks grabs maiden win as title fight heats up
The R&G British Talent Cup rolled into Brands Hatch for Round 4 of the season, with high stakes and unpredictable weather as Ethan Sparks (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) clinched his maiden BTC victory, dominating on Saturday. The 62 took the win by 4.907s in a reduced-distance Race 1, which was red-flagged due to adverse conditions. Sparks finished ahead of teammate Jack Dunabie (Kovara Projects / RS Racing), who finished as runner-up after an incredible four-way fight for second place. Meanwhile, Filip Surowiak (City Lifting Team) earned a crucial third position, snatching back the title lead.
From pole, Sparks stormed into the lead on the run to Turn 1, with Surowiak forced to get his elbows out from the start, maintaining third position. Surowiak sat behind Harrison Mackay (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) on the opening lap before a move on Lap 2. Meanwhile, Ryan Frost (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing) began his charge through the pack, edging towards the top five following a P11 start. The fight for second was spectacular, with Surowiak, Mackay and Dunabie all wanting a spot on the podium.
As the battle for the podium intensified, Frost carved through the pack to lead the second group, battling with Jack Burrows (Burows Engineering / RK Racing), Julian Correa (Mortimer Racing) and Clayton Edmunds (City Lifting Team) as spots of rain appeared. Burrows’ Race 1 hopes came to an end on Lap 6, after a crash while fighting in the top five. At the front, Sparks began to build a comfortable gap, soon growing it to one second and then later three seconds – adapting to the tricky conditions.
With rain in the air, every lap counted as Mackay reclaimed second position, demoting Surowiak into Dunabie’s grasp. Frost continued to edge closer, maximising clear track ahead, sitting a further second behind the podium duel – closing in every lap. It was a spectacular display for the Brands Hatch fans as a three-way battle became four on Lap 9. Surowiak, Dunabie and Mackay were the key contenders for second position, trading places on Lap 11 before a red flag was brought out – declaring Race 1 a result.
Sparks’ dominant win set the tone for the remainder of the weekend, crossing the line 4.907s clear in the red-flagged Race 1. Dunabie and Surowiak completed the podium, split by just 0.048s at the last completed lap. Mackay finished fourth, with Frost claiming fifth and one point behind the championship lead. Edmunds clinched sixth ahead of Correa and Peter Willis (WM Racing), while Mason Foster (Mortimer Racing) and Joshua Raymond Jnr (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing) rounded out the top 10 in an unforgettable race.
