There is a vast array of cars and championships in club motorsport that are portrayed as being entry-level introductions to the sport. But not all of them are as basic as they first appear and the machines instead require a raft of repurposing to make them fit for the race track. The MG ZR 160s that form Class C of the MG Car Club’s MG Trophy Championship do not fall into this category, however. Instead, the regulations have been specifically designed to ensure that this division is as accessible and cost-effective as possible and is an ideal starting place for those just beginning their racing journey.
“The 160 class essentially is just a road car with the interior stripped out,” explains Dan Surridge, who has worked on ZRs for decades having originally been an engineer with MG Sport & Racing, running the cars nationally and internationally before the company went bust. “The whole point of the 160 class was to keep it as simple as we can. People talk about buying a car, taking out the seats and going racing and, in this case, it’s exactly that. They’re an incredibly cheap car – what’s expensive with an MG is very cheap [compared] with other manufacturers.”
