RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Build A Better Locost  - Part One  -  Electrics

This series is intended to help you make your 750mc Locost safer, more reliable and (perhaps) quicker.

Electrical problems are one of the commonest causes of DNFs and they are almost always preventable.

Batteries should be securely mounted and foam strip or rubber used to protect the casing.  Mount the battery as low as possible to help keep the centre of gravity low. If it is sealed or a gel type, lay it on its side for the same reason.

While it is always tempting to save a few pounds I don’t believe in buying cheap ignition, starter or battery master switches . Only use switches with screw-on connectors. Push – on connectors can fall off very easily with vibration.  Screw – on connectors should be loctited and, if not easily accessible for checking, further secured with a blob of silicon or nail varnish. Use non – insulated eyelet connectors so that you can see that they are properly crimped, then insulate with heat-shrink. Throw away the plain nut securing your ignition coil terminals and replace it with a nyloc.

I prefer to take a supply for the fuel pump and starter which does not come from the ignition circuit. If you want to drain the fuel tank or check the compressions there is no danger of burning out the ignition.

Make sure you have a good earth connection between the engine and the chassis.

Arrange your fused circuits so that a short in a non-essential circuit or component such as indicators or horn won’t take out your ignition or fuel pump. Position your fuses so that they are easily accessible and clearly labeled.

Always use a grommet when a cable goes through a panel.

Wires and looms should be secured to the chassis or body every few inches, particularly at the ends so that the terminals are not placed under strain.

Use flexible mounts for ignition coil and fuel pump.

For a detailed guide to designing and making your own wiring loom I would recommend Jim Horner’s “Automotive Electrical Handbook” by HP Books.

All comments and suggestions welcome via this site or locostbuilders.co.uk .

Written by Maurice Dudley

Jenson and Lewis stroll through McLaren’s impressive car collection

Event Report Round 2, Barkston Heath, Sunday 4th April 2010

Round two of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series returned to an old favourite, the smooth, twisty purpose built sprint track at Barkston Heath, Lincolnshire.

The event was expertly organised and run by track day organisers Javelin, with support from Blitz-UK, Fensport, Millers Oils, Super Pro Bushes, Merlin International and the GT4 Owners Club.

Forecasts of snow earlier in the week saw the 35 drivers look to the sky with trepidation; however the sunshine and blue sky put an end to their fears. The temperature was very cold though, and the track was quite slippery and interesting during the morning runs.

Up to lunchtime, most of the cars managed to stay on the black stuff, and put some good times on the board. Hitting a cone or apex marking pole would cost a run, and many drivers fell foul and recorded void runs due to the damp track and cold conditions.

The game was very much on in class A1, with 2009 champion, Jonny Milner and 2008 champion Adrian Smith hot on the pace. Milner had set a 51.53 on run 2, to which Smith replied with a 51.91 just before lunch.

Throughout the 7 classes, competitive battles were being fought; proving the TSS can be just as much fun in a 1 litre as it is in a 600bhp supercar!! Another 1st for the TSS was the first ever Toyota iQ run in competition, the little car was in class F for 1 litre cars and was running well throughout the day.

After lunch, with no sign of rain, just plenty of wind, the track was in great condition, all drivers were really pushing hard and there were records to beat! 20 cars managed to finish within the magic minute, proving the increasing competitiveness of both drivers and machines.

Overall Results:

Class F: Up to 1.0l

Class F is growing in size, and saw the first iQ to be entered in the series. Paul Thomas still proved to be top in his Aygo with a time of 64.31. But Dan Quinn was chasing hard and ended as runner up in his Yaris, with a time of 65.29.

Class D: Up to 1.6l

David Brooks stormed to an early lead in his Starlet, David was seconds ahead once more with his time of 56.74 – gaining him 8th overall. Neil Latham in his 20v MR2 was runner up with his time of 60.02.

Class C: Over 1.6l Proving that big cars can be competitive on twisty tracks, Alex Meade drove his Supra round in 58.57 seconds, gaining him first place. Jeff Lotts in his 2.0L Celica was runner up with 58.70 seconds.

Class B: Up to 1.6l forced induction.

Darren Burwash set an amazing time of 56.71 on his 1st visit to Barkston, to take the class win in his Starlet. With barely a tenth between 2nd, 3rd and 4th in class, it was Pete Coleman who came out second with a time of 58.50 in his Starlet.

Class A3: Over 1.6l limited modifications

Things can’t get much closer than this. Chris Cooke and his MR2 Turbo were locked in a battle with Duncan McMath in his Celica, the two were separated by 1 hundredth of a second. Chris took the win with 55.26 and Duncan so narrowly missed the class win with a 55.27.

Class A2: Over 1.6l – modified

Otis Hayes made a welcome return and soon stamped his authority in this class with a time of 54.34, good enough for a class win and 3rd overall. Steve Timms chased all day with a best time of 58.28 earning him runner up spot.

Class A1: Over 1.6l – unlimited modifications

A close battle as ever between Adrian Smith and Jonny Milner. Jonny had the upper hand till just after lunch when Adrian pulled a couple of tenths clear. Unfortunately Jonny couldn’t reply when 2nd gear broke in his Celica. Adrian went on to take the win and set a new lap record with a 51.15s run. Jonny was runner up with his best time a very close 51.53. The 2 drivers are now joint equal in the championship and we look forward to seeing the battles unfold throughout the year.

Hard Charger:

The hard Charger award is given to the driver who has punched above their weight or stood out in some way at each round. Duncan McMath was the recipient of this award at Barkston Heath, with his excellent time of 55.27 gaining him 6th overall.

Fastest Lady:

Diane Turner and her Celica GT4 were 3rd in class A3 and 9th overall, with her time of 57.53, makes her definitely the fastest lady of the day.

Results – Simplified

1st Overall – Adrian Smith , Celica GT4X
2nd Overall – Jonny Milner, Celica GT4
3rd Overall – Otis Hayes, Celica GT4

Class A1 Winner – Adrian Smith, Celica GT4X
Class A1 runner up – Jonny Milner, Celica GT4

Class A2 Winner – Otis Hayes, Celica GT4
Class A2 runner up – Steve Timms, Celica GT4

Class A3 Winner – Chris Cooke, MR2 Turbo
Class A3 runner up – Duncan McMath, Celica GT4

Class B Winner – Darren Burwash, Starlet Turbo
Class B runner up – Pete Coleman, Starlet Turbo

Class C Winner – Alex Meade, Supra
Class C runner up – Jeff Lotts, Celica GT4

Class D Winner – David Brooks, Starlet 4AGE
Class D runner up – Neil Latham, MR2 20v

Class F Winner – Paul Thomas, Aygo
Class F runner up – Dan Quinn, Yaris

Hard Charger – Duncan McMath, Celica GT4
Fastest Lady – Diane Turner, Celica GT4

Summary

Another great day professionally organised and with everyone smiling by the end, the true spirit of the Toyota Sprint Series was shown at Barkston Heath this weekend.

We would like to thank Javelin Trackdays for their professionalism and smooth operation of the day. Also thank you to all our sponsors for making the championship a reality.

MR2’s, Celica’s, Supra’s, Lexus, Corolla’s, Auris, Starlets, Sera…….If you like Motorsport and Toyota’s then the Toyota Sprint Series is the place to be….

Round 3 is at Sculthorpe, Norfolk on the 6th June, All drivers and supporters are welcome. For further information on the series, please visit: www.toyotasprint.com

Report by Vykki Cutler
Photos: Norwich Photo

750mc Locost Championship 2010.  Round 7 Brands Hatch  June 20^th

We decided to skip the 840 mile round trip for the single header at Brands Hatch so this report is based on contributions from Ivan Gilmore, Paul Bryant, Steve Hills, Martin Gambling, Vicky Pickles, Matt Cherrington, Ian Mittell  and James MacAllister.

41 drivers signed on for the largest Locost grid of the season which meant that qualifying would be split into two sessions and there would be a heat and final. The surprise of qualifying was Sian Stafford who was third fastest, just a tenth behind Ali Garrett and Scott Mittell. Paul Bryant and Matt Cherrington  made up the rest of the top five who all came from session A. Dave Black and Tom Coller were the only  drivers from session B in the top nine.  Tenth place driver Richard Jenkins would be on pole for the heat.  Martin Gambling should have been alongside him but he trashed the front end of his car after he lost control at the exit of Druids and withdrew from the meeting. Martin was unhurt and he has decided to build a new car for 2011 rather than try to repair his 10 year old chassis.  Simon Wood would also miss the heat after a suspected head gasket problem in qualifying.

Llynfel Owen took the lead on the first lap of the 20 lap heat and he fought  with Nick Morley and Richard Jenkins  until he was left with only fourth gear in the latter stages of the race. By that time James MacAllister and Vicky Pickles had joined the lead group. MacAllister took second place from Morley at Druids on the last lap but, having missed the last lap board, didn’t attempt a move on Jenkins who won by two tenths. Castle Combe winner Lee Bankhurst went out of the race on lap four while in fourth place after having set what would be fastest lap of the race on lap three.

Sian Stafford undid her good work in qualifying by spinning in the middle of the pack at Paddock on lap one. Everyone made it through the chaos but the incident did establish a slight gap between the leaders and the rest of the field. Garrett, Mittell, Jenkins, Bryant, Coller, Black, Morley, Cherrington, Bradley And Von Erheim were all involved in a typically hectic Locost lead group in the early laps. MacAllister, some three seconds behind, led the second group. By lap eight the top ten were still covered by two seconds but some people were slipping down the order.  Paul Bryant  blamed “rusty racecraft” for his slide down the order after having been as high as third and Scott Mittell  began to lose places as he suffered from a slight loss of power. Matt Cherrington took the lead on lap 11 and held it until he had “a lapse of concentration” at Graham Hill bend on lap 17 which dropped him to seventh.  By this time Coller, Black and Garret had opened out a three gap to the next group. Black missed a gear on lap 19 which left  Coller and Garret in a drag race to the line. Garret nailed the exit from clearways to come from behind and win by  0.01 seconds.  With only Sam Bradley And David Morrow posting DNFs, 30 cars made it to the finish.

Full results, Championship positions and information on Locost racing at http://750mc.co.uk/

Report: Maurice Dudley

Club MSV Trackday Trophy attracts bumper grid for second round

McHugh father-son team Porsche 944 leads home 26-strong field in Norfolk

After attracting more than 20 entries for its inaugural event at Brands Hatch in March, the Club MSV Trackday Trophy featured an even bigger field of 26 cars when it returned for its second event of the season at Snetterton last Sunday (27 June).

Nine new teams joined the series for round two, including Fifth Gear presenter Jonny Smith in a Porsche 944 S2 and 18-year-old Michael Buxton, who only passed his driving test in November 2009, in a Citroen Saxo.

The fast, flat Norfolk circuit provided new challenges for competitors in the novice racing series compared to Brands Hatch, both in terms of the track layout and the racing conditions – Snetterton featured gloriously warm weather in comparison to the heavy rainfall that competitors experienced at the opening event.

Second round honours went to the pole-sitting Porsche 944 of father and son team Tom and Jamie McHugh, who enjoyed a late battle with Brands Hatch winner Jim Cameron in his BMW M3. The McHughs look set for a lights-to-flag victory until lap 25 when Cameron – who was joined at Snetterton by new team-mate Nick Oak – snatched the lead. However, Jamie McHugh, the younger member of the team, came back at Cameron on the final lap to snatch the win from his BMW rival.

Another father and son team, Gary and Ben Littlewood, clinched third place despite losing position on the opening lap when a fast starting Tom Barley overtook both them and the Ginetta G20 of Richard Hardie in his Peugeot 205. However, a retirement for Barley eight laps before the end of the race meant the Littlewoods reclaimed third position overall and victory in Class C.

Fifth Gear’s Johnny Smith secured fourth place and a Class B podium on his racing debut, whilst Hardie and his team-mate Gary Paterson clinched Class A victory in overall fifth position. Another media racing newcomer, CAR magazine’s Ben Barry, won Class D after crossing the line in sixth place.

Alex Baker, Club MSV Manager, said: “We’re thrilled with the development of the Trackday Trophy this season – we were impressed by the size of the grid for the opening round at Brands Hatch, but to attract an even bigger field for Snetterton is fantastic, especially with so many new teams joining us. We saw some great performances last Sunday and we’re now looking forward to making our first trip to a non-MSV circuit at Mallory Park in August.”

The next round of the Club MSV Trackday Trophy will take place at Mallory Park on Sunday 1 August. Entries are now open and cost £299 including VAT.

Club MSV Trackday Trophy, Snetterton race result:

1. McHugh/McHugh (Porsche 933 S), 30 laps

2. Cameron/Oak (BMW M3), +8.874s

3. Littlewood/Littlewood (Renault Clio Cup 172), +27.506s

4. Johnny Smith (Porsche 944S2), +1m05.695s

5. Hardie/Paterson (Ginetta G20), +1m22.159s

6. Ben Barry (BMW M3), +1 lap

7. Andrew Jebson (Peugeot 306 Rallye), +1 lap

8. Abercrimbie/Wheatley (Renault Clio 182), +1 lap

9. Smee/Schofield (VW Gold Mk2), +1 lap

10. Richards/Read (Vauxhall Nova 1.6), +1 lap

For more information on the Club MSV Trackday Trophy call 0870 850 5014 or visit www.trackdaytrophy.co.uk.

Racing Exposure contributor, Steve Shurey, has provided some photos from the recent BRSCC meeting at Silverstone.

The GT Cup gave the crowds two superb races with the battle in Group 2 proving to be decisive in the Championship battle which left Keith Webster in his BMW M3 leading after race five out of fifteen by just one point from Alex Martin after Pullen suffered a DNF in race one.

Race one was probably one of the best races we have ever seen in GT Cup!

Alex Martin driving his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car was on pole beside Andy Ruhan in another Porsche with Danny Winstanley and his TVR Tuscan  just 0.05secs behind them in 3^rd place. This proved to be an epic race between these three until Alex Martin spun off on coolant and fell back into third place. It was ironic that the water had been left on the track by his father’s Group Two Porsche after a ‘coming together’ with Fraser Robinson’s Porsche.

This gave Ruhan the lead and the TVR of Danny Winstanley second and the frustrated Alex Martin third.

If Group One had given us some brilliant racing there was even more action in Group Two. This surrounded Marco Pullen is his Ferrari 360 GTC, Keith Webster in his BMW M3 E46, Francis Galashan in his Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, and David Back in another Ferrari. It was a genuine, nose to tail ‘race long battle’ and any one of these drivers could have won the race! The lead kept on changing hands with these four and sometimes five cars never more than a few yards, or often inches, apart!

It went right down to the last but one lap when David Back’s engine let go and Marco Pullen had to head for pits as well. This left Keith Webster and Francis Galashan with a charge to the finish and it was Keith Webster in his BMW who just made it half a second ahead of Galashan and his Porsche. It doesn’t get much better than that!

By comparison Tom Andrew had a relatively quiet race in his KTM XBow bringing it home just under a second ahead of Dan Norris-Jones in his Lotus Exige. Dave Botterill brought his Porsche 944 Turbo home third.

Race Two

After the excitement of Race One the second of the GT Cup races had some act to follow!

Things were not quite as close but even so in Group One Alex Martin and Danny Winstanley had a fantastic race. Alex Martin led the race from start to finish but right up until the last couple of laps Danny Winstanley was rarely more than a car’s length behind keeping huge pressure on Alex Martin and his Porsche. Andy Ruhan was carrying his Race One ‘success ballast’ which meant he couldn’t quite get onto the back of the Martin versus Winstanley fight. But it was all about Martin and Winstanley.. They gave us a display of close, clean racing .. in the end the TVR began to overheat and Winstanley had to back off.. but he was just far enough ahead of Andy Ruhan to hang onto his well earned 2^nd place.

In Group Two we had lost one of the protagonists from race one, David Back’s Ferrari had blown it’s engine. But Marco Pullen was back with a vengeance and once again he and Keith Webster in his BMW E36 had a great race but it all ended when Webster picked up a puncture and went out of contention. This left Pullen with a relatively easy win ahead of Francis Galashan and a very happy Rupert Martin. This was Rupert’s first podium in GT Cup and he was delighted.

In Group Three the heat and wear and tear had thinned the numbers down and it was Tom Andrew who brought the KTM XBow home ahead of Dan Norris-Jones and his Lotus Exige.

Championship Points overall after Three Rounds and Five Races:-

Keith Webster                       BMW E36                              146pts

Alex Martin                             Porsche 997 GT3 Cup         144pts

Danny Winstanley                 TVR Tuscan                           143pts

Group Points after three rounds and five races:-

Group One

Alex Martin                             Porsche 997 GT3 Cup         144pts

Danny Winstanley                 TVR Tuscan                           143pts

Gary Eastwood                     Ferrari 430 GTC                   122pts

Group Two

Keith Webster                       BMW E36                              146pts

Colin/Sam Mowle                  KTM XBow                            131pts

(ABG M/sport)

Marco Pullen                          Ferrari 360 GTC                   124pts

Group Three

Tom Andrew                          KTM XBow                            124pts

Dan Norris-Jones                  Lotus Exige                            109pts

David Botterill                        Porsche 944 Turbo               95pts

Britcar GT & Production Race. Castle Combe. Sunday 19th June 2010.

It looked like there was a chance the MJC domination have come to an end. A sunny two day weekend was in store for the Britcar family as they all rolled up to Castle Combe for round four of the 2010 season. Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson had won all three races so far this year. Could anyone stop them?

The class two cars had their day in the sun during qualifying on Saturday, with the JMH Ferrari driven by Aaron Scott & Arwyn Williams being one of only two cars lapping in under 1min 8 seconds. Alongside on the front row was the Topcats Racing Mantis of Huggins / Fiorentino. Row 2 was the championship leading MJC Ferrari F430 with Witt Gamski & Keith Robinson down on their usual front row starting position. Another Ferrari was in fourth, this time in the shape of MTech Motorsport’s F430 GT3, piloted by Cameron & Khandon-Nia. The class 3 Oribtal Sound Lotus popped up in 5th spot, with Keith Gent & Steve Clark taking Production pole in their BMW M3 E46.

Row 4 consisted of the Neil Garner / Azteca Motorsport Porsche 996, just two tenths ahead of another BMW M3 – this time the Intersport Racing entry, who were only three tenths ahead of the other Topcats Racing Mantis. Gino Ussi rounded out the top ten and was in for a hot race, being the only driver in his Geoff Steel Racing E46 M3.

Both Sagaris’ (Sagarii?) had problems in qualifing, with the GTF Racing making it to 11th place, and the Glynnsport vehicle managing 17th. Two cars with a bit of history lined up in close proximity – the In 2 Racing Ginetta GT4 started in 12th, and the Cunninghams SG Racing Seat Leon, who had had gearbox problems, in 13th. It was these two who had the start line collision at Snetteron back in April, causing the Leon to miss the round at Croft.

Starting in 14th was to be the Day/Phipps entry in the Simmons Printers BMW with Gary Furst in his Mitsubishi Evo 9 in 15th. Dave Allan driving a Honda Civic run by Synchro Motorsport was 16th. The field was rounded out with the BPM Racing Renualt Clio in 18th, another BMW, this time from Brunswick Automotive in 19th. Sams Boyz Motorsport had a Honda Accord in 20th. The last row of the grid was the Bullrun Seat Cupra, with the Race Car Spares Ford Escort of the Cox family bringing up the rear after a forced gearbox change on Friday.

Unfortunately for the class two front row, Sunday didn’t quite go according to plan. The pole sitting JMH Ferrari was pushed off the grid just before the pace lap, and had to start from the pitlane – with suspected electrical problems. A great recovery drive, firstly from Aaron Scott who managed to get up to 8th by lap 13, and later by Arwyn Williams, saw the car home in fourth place overall.

This meant that Neil Huggins, who had the first stint in the Mantis, was in the lead going into turn one, and slowly pulling away from Witt Gamski in the no 1 Ferrari. Ten laps in and the Mantis was 3.6 seconds ahead, with Gamski only four tenths ahead of an exceedingly fast starting number 10 Sagaris – who had also had problems on the grid, but they obviously weren’t too serious given the pace of Tim Hood!

There were a couple of good scraps in the midfield. The Cunninghams Seat Leon and the In2 Racing Ginetta managed to avoid each other on the start line but were exceedingly close for a number of laps – Mark Cunningham all over Mick Mercer into the Esses. Nearly 20 laps in though, and the Leon started to drop back, possibly due to a return of the gearbox issues they had in qualifying the previous day, and lost out on positions to Steve Glynn and also and Robert Day. Peter Cunningham was unable to improve on matters, and they finished 16th, 16 laps down on the leader.

Javier Morcillo, who started in the Azteca Motorsport Porsche was also having a highly entertaining scrap with Steve Clark in the KG Motorsport BMW M3. From the off they were separated by less than a second, and in most laps it was only a couple of tenths, until lap 17. By this time they were going past back markers and so the gap increased to a few seconds. 10 laps further on though, and a drive shaft joint sheered off, which holds the rear stub axle on which in turn holds the wheel on, causing Morcillo to pull over by Camp corner, bringing out a safety car. The car was recovered to the pits, a new shaft fitted and the Porsche re-joined the race and saw the chequered flag, albeit not classified as a finisher. The failed part is supposed to last 40 hours, but this one had been run for only 20, so fingers crossed for the team the rest of the parts they have last the full distance.

As we were now about 40% of the way through the race at the time of the safety car going out, it was well within the pitstop window, and so a host of teams called their drivers in. The big winner of this was the MJC team, with Keith Robinson taking over driving duties, and managing to get out ahead of Raphael Fiorentino, now in the Mantis. Unfortunately for the Topcats team, the woe wasn’t over, as with 10 minutes to go, Fiortentino suffered a suspension failure (thought to be caused by a knock earlier in the race) and was forced to retire, but was classified in 10th spot.

This left the way clear for another Team MJC victory, and after 74 laps, Robinson took the chequered flag a lap ahead of Duncan Cameron who did the second stint for MTech Motorsport.

The afternoon ended badly for the GTF Racing team, after Hood pitting on lap 28 from their excellent third place, for Dowling to take over. The car started to overheat behind the safety car, causing more visits to the pits – losing htem 11 laps in the process – and eventually an 11th place classification. This meant that third spot on the podium was taken by the Orbital Sound Lotus. After pitting on Lap 30, Jamie Stanley took over from Chris Headlam and put in a sterling effort, eventually finishing just 5 seconds behind the Ferrari.

Keith Gent & Steve Clark took the Production victory, and 5th place overall, just 18 seconds behind the GT class 2 Ferrari of Williams & Scott. This was on top of a previous Production win at Croft, and second place at Snetterton, so the pairing is starting to put a good string of results together.

Topcats Racing did get a class podium, with O’Neill & Harrison, finishing an overall 6th, just 10 seconds behind Keith Gent, but second in class, just ahead of fellow class three competitors Day & Phipps.

Seventh overall, but taking the Production runner up spot, and class two victory, was the Cox family in the Motor Spares Ford Escort. This proved to be a very popular victory at the presentation a little after the race. Another lap down was the Renault Clio, also in class two of Production, who had a solid race and managed to improve to an 9th overall from their starting position of 18th.

The remaining classified competitors were the Glynnsport Sagaris in 12th place, the Brunswick BMW in 13th. Dave Allan’s Civic, Gary Furst in the Evo 9, the ailing Cunninghams Seat Leon, and the Sams Boyz Honda Accord.

So Gamski & Robinson, and the MJC team, did it again. 4 from 4 so far this season, and with each competitors best seven results of the year used for the points tally come seasons end, it would be a brave man to bet against them retaining their title.

With the GT & Production cars on track at the same time, there really is competition and action throughout the 20+ cars on track. Coupled with this there was a good sized crowd, perhaps encouraged to come by the public grid walk that happens just before the race.

Either way a good crowd, good weather and a good race – what more can you ask for.

Words: Alex Ings / Images: Alex Ings.

The weekend of 19th and 20th June saw Rotherham-based racing ace, Jake Cook, make the long trip to Wiltshire for round four of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain.

Castle Combe was the final destination, and having never been there before, it was a brand new experience for the youngster. Jake headed into the weekend once again on the back foot, as being unable to test on the Thursday meant he was at a disadvantage.

As Saturday arrived so did Jake’s 17th birthday. The day kicked off with qualifying, and despite struggling with an over-steering car and a new circuit, Jake set the ninth fastest time for the first race, once again overcoming the disadvantage. The qualifying session also saw a one-off livery displayed on his single-seater, as his team helped to celebrate his birthday by putting ‘L’ plates on his race car.

As race one got underway, the Getem Racing pilot got boxed in at the first corner, dropping him to 14th place. As the race developed Jake showed he had the pace we’ve come accustomed to, with his swiftness taking him to the fifth fastest lap of the race. Despite his early set back, Jake was able to fight his way back through the field to eighth place at the chequered flag.

The second race began with Jake starting in 13th position. This time around he was able to get a strong start, launching up to 10th place immediately. Not too far down the road he made up more ground, battling through to eighth.

Unfortunately this was short-lived for the 17 year old, as a lock-up at the chicane sent him off of the track and across the grass. After catching the kerb the floor of his Mygale machine came away, forcing Jake to pit immediately. Not being able to rejoin the race brought his second outing to an abrupt end instantaneously.

Glancing back over his first Castle Combe experience, Jake said: “It was a very different track to get used to. I had to drive a lot harder, and with missing testing on Thursday we didn’t have much time to get used to it.”

Jake’s next round is at Rockingham, Northamptonshire, the weekend of 17-18th July. Looking ahead to it Jake said: “I’m looking forward to Rockingham. I’ve been there a lot in the past and had good results. Plus my team [Getem Racing] have always done well there.

“I’m looking to get more podiums and maybe a first win there,” he added.

With a bit of a gap now until the next round Jake will be able to reflect on his season so far, and what a season it’s been for the rookie up to this point.

Report: Leanne Fahy
Photography: Jonathan Hatfield
Press release provided by The Racewire, a new PR & Media company

Brands Hatch will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix circuit at the HSCC Historic Superprix next weekend (3/4 July).

The Grand Prix configuration is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and spectacular circuits in motor racing, and the circuit regularly held the British GP for three decades in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Nigel Mansell scored his first ever Grand Prix win at the Kent venue in 1985, whilst MotorSport Vision Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer made his F1 debut at Brands Hatch in 1983 driving a Williams FW08C.

To celebrate the Grand Prix circuit’s golden anniversary, many of the vehicles that competed at Brands Hatch during its halcyon days will once again take to the track in the FIA Historic Formula One Championship at next weekend’s Historic Superprix, which will feature famous racing marques including Brabham, Lotus and Tyrrell.

Many of the drivers that took part in the inaugural Silver City Trophy, a non-championship Formula One event, in 1960 have also been invited to attend the Historic Superprix celebrations.

Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision Jonathan Palmer said: “We’re delighted that the HSCC has chosen such a special anniversary as the theme for this year’s Superprix. The Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is regarded by many F1 Grand Prix legends as one of the most challenging in the world, which makes it all the more satisfying to race on. With its dramatic sweeping undulations and the unique nature of every corner, it is one of those circuits that as a driver you just know at the end of every lap that there is a bit more time that can be found on the next – and that is so rare and exciting.”

There will also be support racing from an array of classic machinery including one litre Formula 3 ‘screamer’ cars, historic Formula 2 and Formula Junior vehicles and 1960s GT and Sports Racing cars.

Tickets for the HSCC Historic Superprix at Brands Hatch on 3/4 July are now on sale from £17 for adults, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk.

Blue skies and a healthy timetable greeted visitors to Castle Combe on Sunday for day two of the Rapid Racking June Summer Racing Carnival.

Mazda

In the Ma5da Racing Championship events which were spread throughout the day, reigning champion Tom Roche had an engine failure on Friday, but managed to get another power plant sorted out in time to take part. Because of the size of the entry list, the competitors are split into three groups A, B & C. Race one was groups A & C in which Roche, and pole sitter Adam Gore both had a poor starts. Roche managed to recover to second position (setting fastest lap in the process) hounding eventual winner Rob Boston to finish just 0.5 seconds behind at the finish. Some 6 seconds further back was Luke Herbert, who took third spot on the podium finishing 2 seconds ahead of Gore.

In the group B & C race, Gore wasn’t able to make amends, starting in second place and finishing third, albeit a lot closer to race winner Paul Sheard – just 0.6 seconds back. Sandwiched in between was Johnathan Greensmith who had started in 7^th place – but managed to make up 3 places by the end of lap one alone. Luke Herbet couldn’t make it second podium of the day, but was only a second adrift and finished in 4^th place.

The final Ma5da race was groups A & B, with three familiar names on the podium. Paul Sheard took his second victory of the day just 0.2 seconds ahead of race one winner Rob Boston. Less than another 0.2seconds back was race one runner up Tom Roche.

Formula Ford 1600

In race 1 of the Formula Ford 1600 events, pole sitter Scott Pye led from lights to flag with Scott Malvern taking the second spot on the podium, after starting 7^th and improving to third by the end of lap 3. Josh Hill, driving in his father’s, and grandfathers, helmet colours of the London Rowing Club had started from the front row, but had dropped to 4^th by the end of lap 3. A brave move into camp corner gave him the final podium position.

Race 2 had the same front row and the same 3 drivers on the podium. This time Hill managed to hold on to his second place starting position, following Scott Pye home by less than a second. In this race Scott Malvern was still the man making moves, all of them on lap 1 incidentally, – finishing third from his 6^th place starting spot.

Toyota MR2

Another lights to flag victory of the day, this time in both of Toyota MR2 races – Alex Gassman taking the honours in both events. He was followed home very closely by Adam Lockwood, with the two of them pulling away from the rest of the grid at a huge rate of knots. Arron Pullan almost was almost on his own in race one, with a 5 second margin over the close fighting Ross Stoner and Mark Scott who finished 4^th and 5^th respectively.

In the second race Stoner managed to go one better, but couldn’t seem to live with the pace of Gassman & Lockwood, and was 18 seconds behind by the end of the race.

Lockwood took the honours for fastest lap in race 1 by 72/1000ths of a second, and Gassman had his turn in race two, claiming it by 21/1000ths of a second.

Another good battle was a little further down the field with Matt Garnham and Philip O’Halloran going side by side into, round and exiting Tower corner, and off as far as I could see, still side by side.

Full Britcar race report to follow…

Words: Alex Ings / Images: Alex Ings.

Following a hugely popular opening event at Brands Hatch in March, the Club MSV Trackday Trophy has added a fourth round to its 2010 calendar at Mallory Park circuit in Leicestershire on Sunday 1 August.

The novice racing series, which is designed to give circuit driving enthusiasts a cost-effective route into motorsport, will visit Snetterton on 27 June before its Mallory Park debut in August. The season will conclude with a return visit to Brands Hatch on 23 October.

Alex Baker, Club MSV Manager, said: “We’re really excited about having Mallory Park on our calendar as it will be the first time that the Trackday Trophy has ventured from MSV tarmac, and we’re looking forward to working with the BARC to make this event a huge success.”

The addition of Mallory Park to the 2010 calendar follows exciting new changes to the technical regulations for the Trackday Trophy, which now features four power-to-weight classes up to 200bhp/ton.

Entries for the Mallory Park round of the Club MSV Trackday Trophy on Sunday 1 August will open shortly, whilst a limited number of places are still available for round two at Snetterton on Sunday 27 June at a cost of £299 including VAT.

For more information on the Club MSV Trackday Trophy call 0870 850 5014 or visit www.trackdaytrophy.co.uk.

Harvey sets new win record in Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Tim Harvey became the most successful driver in the eight-year history of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB when he claimed two more wins at Croft on Sunday (20 June).

Going into the weekend, he was level with Richard Westbrook on the score of overall race wins with 31 each, and so victory in the opening race put Harvey ahead of the 2004 champion. Harvey then won the day’s second race to take his career tally to 33 wins as well as extending his title lead to 39 points with half of the season’s 20 races now run.

“I’m not a great one for records and milestones but in a championship I love as much as the Carrera Cup to have the most number of wins ever is fantastic, especially to take the record from Richard Westbrook,” said Harvey. “It’s just part of a dream season so far for me. It’s a nice achievement and it is special.”

The Croft results take Harvey’s 2010 tally to nine wins from 10 races, which is an unprecedented run of victories in the championship. The next drivers in the wins rankings are Tim Bridgman (15), Damien Faulkner (13), James Sutton (12), Danny Watts (10), Michael Caine (8) and Steven Kane (7).

Harvey is now his seventh full season in the championship and is again driving for Red Line Racing. “This is my 28th consecutive season of racing,” said Harvey. “The Carrera Cup is the biggest and best national championship and it is great to be part of it.” He won the title in 2008 and has finished in the championship top four in each of the last six seasons, finishing runner-up in 2004, 2006 and 2007. He has now scored a total of 97 podium finishes from 134 starts in the Carrera Cup GB and needs only three more podiums over the next 10 races to hit another milestone.

Harvey has backing from Nationwide Accident Repair Services PLC, which is using the racing programme to promote its Mobile Restore and Motor Glass divisions. Additional backing is from Loctite, Datapulse and S P Fleet.

Tim Harvey makes it nine wins from ten races

• Tim Harvey makes it nine wins from ten races
• Ollie Jackson wins pro-am1 thriller
• Glenn McMenamin clinches pro-am2 victory
• Great battles all down the field

Tim Harvey completed a marvelous day at Croft today (Sunday 20 June) in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB when he made it nine wins from ten races and built his championship lead to 39 points. In a race full of fierce battling, Ollie Jackson won pro-am1 and Glenn McMenamin won pro-am2.

In front of a packed Croft crowd and live on ITV4, Harvey (Red Line Racing) once again made the start the decisive moment of the race as he out-dragged polesitter Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) on the rush to the first corner. However, Harvey was not able to pull away as Hankey mounted a dogged pursuit as he fended off Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance) and Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing).

In the early laps, there was little to chose between the leading trio, but as Caine launched his challenge on Hankey, Harvey got his chance to edge clear. Finally, on lap 12 Caine dived inside Hankey at Hawthorns and as they both oversteered through the corner, Caine came out ahead. However, their battle had made life easier for Harvey, who was nearly four seconds clear at the flag. “That was a bit harder and Euan was close at the start,” said Harvey. “But I looked after my tyres at the start and I couldn’t fault the car.”

Caine clinched second, but was frustrated to see Harvey extend his championship lead. “Qualifying cost us,” admitted Caine. “We had pretty much the same pace as Tim in the race.” Hankey completed the podium, but team mate Jelley was right behind to complete a good weekend.

Jackson had to race very hard to claim both fifth overall and first in pro-am1, running many laps in a mighty contest with Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing), Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) and Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance). However, at the hairpin on lap 10 Meadows pushed Bateman wide onto the grass and Meadows dropped to the tail of the field. Meanwhile, Tom Bradshaw (JHR) dived ahead of them both in a fantastic drive from the very back of the grid to seventh at the finish.

Once Gelzinis got clear of the battle he was able to close the gap to Jackson, and only half a second split them at the finish. “Jonas had a lot more pace than me at the finish,” said Jackson after a hard-earned victory. Third in pro-am1 went to Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) who battled against budget restrictions to claim another podium finish and take the ‘driver of the weekend’ award, as the Collins ReDesign Racing squad earned the ‘team of the weekend’ award.

Pro-am2 was just as hard fought and it was McMenamin (Red Line Racing) who tigered through to victory after a well-judged performance. However, early on it was Paul Mace (GT Marques) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed) battling for the lead until a tangle at the Hairpin pitched Mace into retirement and dropped Brewster down the order. McMenamin managed to steer around the drama to take the lead and stayed ahead as Mark Hazell (JHR) drove a fine race to take second from George Richardson (Motorbase Performance), who just pipped the recovering Brewster at the flag. “You’ve just got to bide your time,” said McMenamin of a cracking performance.

Harvey takes Carrera Cup round nine at Croft

• Tim Harvey takes record 32nd victory in round nine
• Jonas Gelzinis wins pro-am1
• George Brewster takes first pro-am2 win of 2010
• Stephen Jelley takes best result to date with second
• Harvey extends championship lead to 36 points

Tim Harvey became the most successful driver in the history of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB when he scored his eighth win of the season and his 32nd career win at Croft today (Sunday 20 June) in round nine of the championship.

While Harvey (Red Line Racing) led from the start to take a resounding victory, Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) took a hard fought pro-am1 victory and George Brewster (Celtic Speed) emerged to win pro-am2 for the first time this season.

“It was all done at the start,” said Harvey. “It’s always crucial here as the first corner is so tight.” While Harvey went immediately clear, second on the grid Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) was squeezed wide at Clervaux and dropped to fourth as his team mate Stephen Jelley and Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance) dived ahead. That set the tone for the race as Caine shadowed Jelley for lap after lap, but was never able to make a move on the former BTCC racer.

“The track was so dirty off line,” said Caine of his problem in trying to pass Jelley. “If you went off line it took four corners to clean the tyres up.” Ahead, Harvey was able to control the race and take a nicely measured victory. “Stephen was under pressure all race from Michael and I was just concentrating on tyre management,” said Harvey. Jelley, meanwhile, had his best Carrera Cup finish so far with second place. “We’re getting closer,” said Jelley. “As long as I drove the slow stuff well I was going to be okay, but it was a tough race,” said Jelley. Close to Jelley and Caine at the finish in fourth was Hankey.

Fifth place was the subject of a mighty battle as well as the contest for pro-am1 victory. Initially, Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) fended off Gelzinis, Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) and Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance), but then Gelzinis got briefly ahead of Geddie. The places soon changed back again and it was not until lap 11 that Gelzinis made his move on Geddie permanent. While the Lithuanian racer moved clear, Jackson set about finding a way around Geddie in order to chase after his pro-am1 rival. Into Tower with three laps to go, Jackson dived ahead and was able to close the gap to Gelzinis to three quarters of a second at the flag, while Bateman pushed Geddie back to eighth on the last lap.

“It was a big fight with Geddie,” said Gelzinis. “But I didn’t push too hard at the beginning and was able to save my tyres for the end of the race.” Jackson was almost close enough to challenge after a strong drive. “It was a really good race and I think we had the pace,” said Jackson.

In pro-am2, there was heartbreak for George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) when a superb drive took him into a clear category lead and 11th overall. Cruelly, a water pump issue ended his race at half-distance. “I made the best start I’ve ever had and just kept my nose clean. It was in the bag,” said the disappointed Cheshire teenager after his best Carrera Cup race so far.

Instead, victory went to George Brewster (Celtic Speed) after a gritty performance. He had to battle ahead of pro-am1 racer Liam Griffin (Addison Lee Motorbase) and then survived a brush with Alex Martin (GT Marques) at the Hairpin on his way to victory. “It was very hard work,” said Brewster, who won at Croft in 2009. “I had a scare when Alex broadsided me and I had a couple of scares on the dropped coolant,” he said.

Paul Mace (GT Marques) battled long and hard behind Griffin on his way to second in pro-am2 while Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) completed the pro-am2 podium, despite a high-speed scare at the Jim Clark Esses when a trip through the gravel at Clervaux took the front splitter off the car. At the start of the race, McMenamin dropped to the tail of the field when Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) stalled on the grid just ahead of him with a clutch problem.

The world’s hottest performance cars will descend on Brands Hatch this Sunday (27 June) when the West Kingsdown circuit hosts the Modified Live festival.

Modified Live is an all-action interactive day out that combines track demonstrations, performance car competitions, spectator activities and expert advice on modifying your vehicle.

Headlining the packed timetable will be the whistling turbos and smoking tyres of the European Drift Championship, along with track action from the Time Attack ‘beat the clock’ series for highly tuned roadgoing cars.

Modified Live will also feature a world exclusive, as manufacturer Cosworth will unveil the brand new 395bhp Impreza STI CS400 – its first road car in more than 14 years – at the event, in addition to demonstrating Cosworth founder Keith Duckworth’s original Sierra Cosworth RS500.

Plus, Modified Live will feature a series of supercar demonstrations including some exciting display laps by a 600bhp Nissan GT-R courtesy of the Sumo Power FIA GT1 World Championship team, along with a high octane drag car display by Santa Pod Raceway.

Other highlights include the chance for spectators to get involved in the event with drift car passenger rides, a huge exhibition area showcasing the latest tuning products and expert advice, and a search for the next grid girl competition. Performance car fans can also win up to £250 by entering their car into the ‘show and shine’ competition to find the best spectator modified vehicle.

Tickets for Modified Live are available in advance until Wednesday 23 June at £15 for adults or on the gate this Sunday at £20 per person. Entry is free for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk.

Ends

Words: 349

Note to editors: Copyright free captioned photographs attached, free for editorial use

Captions:

1. A European Drift Championship car tackles the Brands Hatch Indy circuit

2. Time Attack cars line up to leave the pit lane

3. Modified Live also features a grid girl search

Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Report, round four: Mid Wales Historic Stages

Nick Elliott and Dave Price made it three wins out of four this season as the Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship made its final visit of the season to Wales on Sunday (20 June) for the Mid Wales Historic Stages.
Rob Smith/Shaun O’Gorman challenged, but their Vauxhall Chevette collected three punctures and handed second in category three to the Escort Mk2 of Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James.

Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook (Ford Escort Mk1) finally took a win in category two, having led the duelling Tim Jones and Andrew Siddall all day, while rivals David Stokes/Guy Weaver ended their rally in a ditch. In category one the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride was briefly led by the Sunbeam Tiger of Jonathan Gale, until the Tiger became permanently beached on a bank.

Category 1
For the third successive rally dust was a prime factor, but it didn’t seem to bother Nutt/McBride, as the Porsche 911 pulled out an immediate 12 seconds lead over Gale/James Whittaker on the opening stage in Hafren South. “It was a lovely stage, but the dust wasn’t clearing,” said Nutt. “We had a stall which didn’t help,” Gale replied.
Graham Waite and Gill Cotton reported a quiet start in their Volvo Amazon, but were still third and well clear of fellow Amazon crew Dave Reynolds/Cliff Doe. “It was dying on me a bit out of hairpins so I had to keep dipping the clutch,” said Reynolds. Gwilym Roberts/Gwawr Hughes (Lotus Cortina) had a few brake problems, but Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp) had to stop in the stage after finding Steven Graham’s Lancia Fulvia on its roof in the middle of the stage.

There was a stage in Hafren North and a repeat of the opener before returning to service. “I am almost fell off the road on stage two, it was very loose and I slid around a lot,” said Nutt. The result was Gale in the lead by one second, only to go out of the rally on stage three, with the Tiger beached on a bank. Nutt was left 39 seconds clear of new second man Waite, who really went for it over the remaining stages.

However, Nutt still had 28 seconds in hand at the finish. “That was very hard work all day,” said the defending champion. “I forgot to plug the intercom in on stage five so lost a bit, but the Pikes Peak stage four was awesome,” said Waite. Reynolds held on to third with Roberts fourth after a dramatic end to the day. “We had the brakes go and then a rear puncture on stage three, before breaking the gear lever at the first corner of stage four. So we used mole grips but forgot there was no gaiter when we went through the water splash,” said a soggy Roberts.

Taylor’s Imp had been plagued with oil pressure problems and overheating in the dust all day. “The clutch seized and then the engine blew on stage four,” he reported of the car’s demise.

Category 2
Easson and Cook had come close to winning on several occasions this year, but finally clinched victory this time around. Both Easson and Stokes were given a notional time in stage one after a stoppage, which left them tied with Andrew Siddall/Colin Thompson and seven seconds up on Tim Jones/Don James as Siddall and Jones contested class C3. “It was lucky for us, as when we returned to service we found a rear puncture,” said Easson. Jones had lost time after damaging the steering on his Escort Mk1. “I hit a bank and it took the steering wheel out of my hands, it’s hurt my wrist too,” said Jones.

With two stages before returning to service it was nip and tuck between Easson and Stokes, but on stage three Stokes was caught out in the dust. “I was too quick into a hairpin, I could see trees so went left through the tapes and hit reverse. I thought I had kept it straight but we tipped it on its side in a ditch,” he admitted.

Easson was left 27 seconds clear, but second placed Siddall only had four seconds in hand over Jones. “We had two good runs and got the time back,” said Jones. “We went off on stage three, I stayed on the brakes too long and went up a bank,” Siddall replied.

Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne (Porsche 911) worked its way past Chris Browne/Liz Jordan (Escort Mk1) for fourth. “We peeled the front back a bit on the bumps,” said Smith. “I hit something on stage three and it affected the handling,” Browne added.
Jones’ pressure gave him second place from stage four and he even took time out of Easson on the last stage to clinch second and C3 honours over Siddall. “That was a really hard rally,” said Easson at the finish. “It was no holds barred and we tried our hardest,” Siddall explained. “We just went for consistency and got Andrew, but my wrist was really beginning to hurt,” Jones concluded.

C5 winner Smith retained fourth relatively unscathed, but as Browne slipped back to settle in 11th and second behind Easson in C5, Vince Bristow/Tim Sayer brought their Escort Mk1 into fifth from stage four. “We had an oil leak from the gearbox early on and it got onto the clutch. Towards the end it was slipping badly,” said the giant-killing class C2 winners.
Rex Ireland/Adrian Scadding were sixth and second in C2, while Jeremy Wells/Pete Phillips broke away from Dave Kirby/Sean Kennedy (class C2 Escort) to secure seventh and third in C3. Fellow C3 crews Richard Morgan/Tim Madeley (Porsche 914) and Richard/Pat Egger (Escort Mk1) completed the top ten.

Peter McDowell/Max Utting (Porsche 911) collected second in C4 and there was even a starter in C1 this time, but the BHRC debut of Steve and Tony Graham lasted only half a stage before their Lancia Fulvia rolled. The maiden outing for Terry Cree and Richard Shores in their eagerly awaited BMW 2002 netted them fourth in C3.

Category 3
There was a dramatic start to the day, which underlined the decision of Elliott and Price to proceed with caution. Will Onions and Dave Williams were off at the flying finish on the opening stage with their Escort Mk2 and the next four crews were give a notional time. “We were sideways for about 100 yards on the approach and then hit a bank head on. A bit too enthusiastic,” said Onions.

It was a lucky break though for Smith/ O’Gorman. “When we got into service we realised we had a rear puncture,” said the Chevette driver.

Onions had still set a time, albeit 10s slower than Elliott. Roger Kilty and Lynette Banks were the first to get a clean run after the restart, but had clutch problems.

Elliott was quickest through stage two in Hafren North and the re-run of the opener in Hafren South to reach service 56s clear of Smith. “We were right on the pace, but had a near over the edge moment on stage two so held back a bit after that,” said Elliott.

Connor Corkill/Rob Fagg (Escort Mk2) had gone into second place on stage two, only to roll on the third. “The corner went on a bit longer than I expected, we caught a bank and was over. We then had to stop again as it had punctured a rear tyre,” said Corkill.

Although second, Smith hadn’t had an easy run either. “We caught Corkill’s dust and it was losing gears and oil on stage three,” said Smith. Tim Pearcey/Craig Drew had slotted into fourth and despite a spin on stage three they held their place, but had been usurped by Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James (Escort Mk2). “The brake pedal went hard at a hairpin on stage two, but then it cleared again,” explained Lloyd.

Elliott was quickest on all but the last stage to take a comfortable victory, his third out of four this season. “I had time in hand so eased a little but stayed cautious,” he said.

Lloyd made it into second on stage four, after Smith had another puncture. “It was another rear and then only half a mile into the last stage we had a third puncture but just kept going,” he said after retaining third in category three and class D4 victory.

“I’m exhausted, it seems like I was in the car for weeks,” said Pearcey after coming home in an encouraging fourth, while in fifth Kilty was delighted to record his best ever finish.

Alan Walker/Jez Rogers (Escort Mk2) survived a last stage scare to hold onto sixth. “We fell off on a downhill righthander,” said Walker. Phil and Mick Squires edged away from Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons to consolidate seventh, while Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing took ninth in their first outing since rolling in Kielder. “The clutch was playing up a bit, but we weren’t looking for heroics,” said Slaughter.

Class D3 winners Richard Lane and Frank Richer completed the top ten in their Escort Mk2 after bending the steering on the second stage.

Jakob Scannell and Andrew Smith (Escort Mk2) were the only starters in D2 and despite losing the brakes on stage three were there at the finish. In D3 David Lloyd-Roberts/Dei Jones (Escort Mk2) followed Lane, with Wayne Bonser/Richard Aston third after Stephen Richards and Ian Withecombe rolled their Escort on the opening stage.

Report by Peter Scherer; photo by Simon Marks.

Mid Wales Stages moves to March for 2011

The Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages will move earlier in the season for 2011 following news that the event organisers from Newtown and District Automobile Club will run the popular event on Sunday 6 March 2011.

The historic element of the rally will now form the opening round of the 2011 Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

The Mid Wales Stages will retain a similar format for its new date, with scrutineering and documentation on Saturday 5 March followed by the rally on Sunday 6 March. Once again, the rally will be based at Theatr Hafren in Newtown and will take in classic stages of the Hafren and Myherin complexes.

“The current date for the rally in June comes at such a busy time for everyone, and this change moves us away from that crowded part of the calendar,” said event clerk of the course Chris Tomley. “It is a better time of year for lots of people, including the marshals. It also gives us the opportunity to grow the modern entry. We will keep the event to a similar format, with a compact route and regular visits to the service area.”

The organisers of the MSA British Historic Rally Championship are delighted with the date change. “We really do welcome this change,” said championship co-ordinator Simon Marks. “This is just what our calendar needed. It takes the pressure out of the middle of the season and spreads the championship nicely over seven months.”

Racing newcomers will experience their first taste of the super-quick Snetterton circuit this Sunday (27 June) when the Club MSV Trackday Trophy makes its Norfolk debut.

The Trackday Trophy is a new initiative for 2010 organised by Club MSV – the in-house trackday division of Snetterton owner MotorSport Vision – to encourage more people into motorsport. The series is aimed primarily at enthusiastic trackday drivers who would like to make the step up into racing, but it is also open to experienced drivers provided they team up with a novice, to help introduce newcomers to the sport.

The inaugural round at Brands Hatch in March saw 20 novice drivers compete for the first time and the event was a big success despite a torrential downpour just prior to the start of the race! Hopefully Snetterton should offer some finer weather, as well as providing an interesting technical contrast to Brands Hatch, for its long straights naturally lend themselves to more powerful vehicles.

An eclectic mix of machinery up to a maximum power of 250bhp per tonne will take to the circuit this Sunday for practice and qualifying in the morning followed by a 45 minute race featuring a mandatory pit swap. Both individual entries and teams of two drivers are eligible and among the cars competing on Sunday will be Volkswagen Golfs, Mini Coopers, BMW M3s and Porsche 994s.

As well as the Trackday Trophy, this weekend at Snetterton will feature headline racing from the Formula Palmer Audi Championship – a leading training ground for single seater stars of the future – and the GT Cup Championship.

Tickets for the Formula Palmer Audi and GT Cup Championships featuring the Club MSV Trackday Trophy at Snetterton on 26/27 June cost from £12 on the gate for adults. Entry is free for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.snetterton.co.uk.