British Talent Cup: Surowiak snatches victory from Sparks at Thruxton
The R&G British Talent Cup arrived at Thruxton for Round 5 of the 2025 season, with a crucial 50 points up for grabs. The high-speed Thruxton circuit saw Filip Surowiak (City Lifting Team) enter his element. The #75 added a fifth win to his tally on Saturday, extending his title lead after snatching victory from Ethan Sparks (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) in a dramatic last lap battle. Elsewhere, Harrison Mackay (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) clinched the final spot on the podium, earning valuable points.
Sparks launched off the line like a rocket, seizing the holeshot and dictating the early pace at Thruxton. The #62 was looking to add to his win tally, leading the field on the opening from the fast-starting Joshua Raymond Jnr (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing), who continued a remarkable weekend as the American began to fight with Surowiak. Further back, there was drama in the opening stages for Jensen Bishop (Wilson Racing), who suffered a crash in the final sector, bringing an end to his hopes on Lap 2.
Up at the front, Jack Dunabie (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) was quietly chipping away, with the #63 hitting the top five before launching his podium attack on Lap 4. However, Dunabie now had work to do as Sparks and Surowiak built their own gap to the group behind, leading to a two-horse race. Later on, Joshua Williams (Dunsley Heat Racing) would suffer a crash, ending his hopes of a strong result, forcing him to head back to the drawing board on Sunday.
Seven riders scrapped for third position in the closing laps, with Mackay muscling his way into the podium fight. It was all action as the BTC riders traded blows, with slipstream proving to be vital as they searched for the perfect track position. Sparks continued to lead heading onto the last lap, with Surowiak glued to his rear wheel. The #75 made a small mistake, but the fate of Race 1 was decided at the final chicane as Sparks went wide, gifting Surowiak victory by 0.226s on Saturday.
It was a bitter blow for the rookie Sparks, who was forced to settle for second position, while Surowiak celebrated glory. Mackay earned third position, beating Ryan Frost (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing), who dropped further championship points after narrowly missing out on the podium. Mason Foster (Mortimer Racing) rounded out the top five finishers ahead of teammate Julian Correa (Mortimer Racing) in sixth. Further back, Dunabie claimed seventh, with Raymond Jnr, Clayton Edmunds (City Lifting Team) and Peter Willis (WM Racing) completing the top 10.
RACE 2
Thruxton thriller: Surowiak extends title advantage on Sunday
Filip Surowiak completed a flawless weekend at Thruxton, doubling up with a second victory of the weekend by a mere 0.273s. It was the end of an unforgettable Round 5 for Surowiak, who leaves the weekend with a 24-point advantage in the championship. Elsewhere, Harrison Mackay worked hard, finding himself in podium contention on the final lap – clinching second. Ryan Frost bagged third position, securing further points and claiming his first podium since Snetterton.
Ethan Sparks made headlines at the start, firing off the line to grab the holeshot ahead of Surowiak. The first lap wasn’t without its drama, with George Bowes (GB | 67 / Edwards Racing) crashing out at Turn 4, while Jack Burrows (Burrows Engineering / RK Racing) lost time. Mason Foster (Mortimer Racing) came charging through, muscling into the podium battle alongside a determined Jack Dunabie. The fastest lap swapped hands throughout as the pace began to heat up.
Surowiak pounced at the end of Lap 5, completing a textbook move to try to create a gap to the group behind. Thruxton continued to spring a surprise with positions changing at every opportunity, and Mackay leading the second group of riders in fifth place. The #61 was scrapping with Clayton Edmunds and Joshua Raymond Jnr as they began to close in on the leaders every lap. The lead group was soon expanded to 10 riders on Lap 10, with everything to play for in the battle for Race 2 glory.
It was edge-of-the-seat action in the final laps, with just two laps remaining to shape Sunday’s finishing order. Daniel Goodman’s (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing) hopes ended with a crash at Turn 3 as the front group pressed on. Sparks launched his attack on Surowiak on the penultimate lap, with Raymond Jnr lurking – ready to attack. Everything was set for a final lap showdown, with Surowiak braking the latest, charging to victory by just 0.273s.
Surowiak’s second win of the weekend stretched his championship lead to a commanding 24 points after Round 5, with Mackay and Frost joining him on an unforgettable podium. Raymond Jnr crossed the line in fourth, just shy of a rostrum position after finishing ahead of Sparks, who dropped to fifth. Foster grabbed sixth place at the flag, finishing ahead of Edmunds and Julian Correa in eighth. Further back, Dunabie and Peter Willis completed the top 10, with Blake Wilson’s (BWR Racing) weekend coming to a disappointing end, scoring no points following issues at the start of Race 2.
With the dust beginning to settle at Thruxton, the championship nears crunch time in 2025 as Round 6 quickly approaches. Join us for our second visit to Donington Park on September 05-07 to find out who will rise to the top!
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