IT TOOK a blown engine while way out in front to stop Rugby’s Mark Cossar from winning the Masters of Midshires at Ashorne near Leamington Spa on Sunday.
The 30-year-old had won all of his heats in the hot and dusty conditions. He looked set to comfortably win the final after taking a big lead in front of the rest of the field but an oil filter split caused him to stop and he was forced to withdraw.
“It’s one of those things – one of those very annoying things,” said Cossar. “It was just bad luck that it happened in the final, but my passenger Carl Blyth and I are feeling sharp and looking forward to the big sidecar speedway meeting at Brandon on Friday June 3rd.
“It might be the last time that sidecars take to the track at Coventry Speedway, so I hope we can pull a good crowd and give them some exciting racing. With it possibly being the last one, I want to win it of course.”
At Ashorne, Cossar did win the separate Paul Pinfold Memorial Race, staged in honour of the former British Sidecar Speedway Champion from Coventry who sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve.
Paul, who also was a tremendous innovator for the sport, raced only last year at Brandon, reaching the semi-finals of the highly successful Sidecar Shootout.
With Cossar pulling out due to his mechanical problems, the Masters of Midshires was won by Rob Bradley & Shaun Simpson.
