MG XPower Girl Sets World Record on 80th Anniversary Weekend

26 July 2004

Fast lady driver Fiona Leggate created a little bit of history this weekend as she set the Guinness Book World Record for competing in the most motor sport speed events in 24hours-and she did it all in MGs.

However, despite all the meticulous planning, not everything went to plan. Fiona started well enough in the MG Trophy eight lap race in a 190bhp MG ZR on Saturday at the MG 80th Anniversary International Race Meeting at Silverstone, but no-one was about to do her any favours and she had to fight hard to come in 15th out of the 25 strong field.

As soon she arrived back in the paddock, she was whisked off to a waiting helicopter which flew her to Brands Hatch in Kent to take over the works two litre MG ZR in which former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans had already started the two hour Britcar endurance race. As they came in to land Fiona and her team could see Gwyndaf racing around the circuit, but disaster struck in the time it took to get to the pits. The little MG was rammed from behind by a BMW and into another BMW in front and despite a valiant effort from the MG Sport & Racing pit crew, the car couldn’t be repaired in time for the next race.

Not one to be troubled for long by such a set back Fiona was back at Silverstone on Sunday morning for a sprint event on the fastest part of the Grand Prix circuit in a replica BTCC MG ZS, a car she had never even sat in before. She finished 2nd in class, just 0.18 seconds behind the leader and, as she had never competed in a sprint before, won best novice award.

In an incident packed MG Trophy race which had to be stopped as cars crashed around her, Fiona was 8th from 22 survivors.

In the Thornley Trophy race she wrestled with the surprisingly quick MGB (a car built before she was born) to come in 14th and was back in a familiar MG ZR for the 40 minute Enduro race which she was sharing with MG Sport & Racing’s Team Manager Don Kettleborough. They finished in a fighting second place.
Fiona Leggate said: “ My arms were beginning to really ache during the Enduro and the effort of the last two days was beginning to show”.

The final race was yet another endurance event, another thirty minutes, this time without a co-driver.

Fiona’s Dad, Malcolm Leggate said: “ you could tell she was tired in that last race, but she kept going and won the race for the second year running and set the new record, which is what we set out to do. ”.

Images from the MG80 Weekend at Silverstone, including Fiona's races, are available here.

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