RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Cadwell Park for rounds 8 and 9 of the MR2 RACING Series with Red Dragon Race and Track club, Sunday race day was nice and sunny saw an absolutely full grid of 32 cars, qualifying was damp but drying due too a wet night so Hall Bends was interesting!
Qualifying saw Alex Gassman in car 48 get pole followed by Sarah Wherry in car 4 in 2nd place both lapping in 1 min 50 sec, then Ross Stoner in car 22 with a 1min 51 lap.

race 1
was a four car battle between Alex Gassman car 48, Ross Stoner car 22 , Sarah Wherry car 4 and David Hemingway car 5, the win went too Gassman from Stoner, Wherry and Hemingway, with the rest of the grid over two seconds behind having there own battles lead by Chris Shackle in car 77 and Shane Wright car 71 and Matt Smith.

race 2
Again the same four leading the pack this time saw Ross Stoner take 1st from the first lap up Coppice from Gassman then Wherry who was also taken by Hemingway on the first lap, this order continued with all four drivers chasing hard and leaving the grid again, with hot battles going on behind on this tight twisty circuit, on lap 5 the front order changed again seeing Wherry sneak an underpass on Hemingway at the bottom of the Mountain to take back third again and then hold this until the chequed flag, so race podium went too Ross Stoner 1st,Alex Gassman 2nd and Sarah Wherry 3rd the next rounds will be at Mallory Park on September 19th.

There is plenty of racing around the country this bank holiday weekend.

Snetterton – British F3, British GT, Formula Ford, VW support races

Oulton Park – HSCC Gold Cup

Mallory Park – CSCC and Monoposto

Thruxton – Great and British

Silverstone – 750MC

Rockingham – Britcar & BRSCC

Castle Combe – A Plant LUX Sportscar Raceday

Lydden Hill – Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship

And on two wheels…

Anglesey – Hottrax bike racing

Brands Hatch – Thundersport GP Bike Races

Cadwell Park – British Superbikes

Even Schuey’s only got 7……

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Simon Davey is the current Monoposto race administrator, but still finds time to race, his current tally of championships in FF based cars is currently 15.

Simon was very reluctant to give us an answer but after some gentle persuasion, blackmail (thanks, Judith) and waterboarding we were able to glean the following facts. Simon was even kind enough to dig out some pictures too. So we have here probably the best collection of diverse Formula Ford pictures you will find on one page on the internet.

The answer to the question is, in fact, 15. And they are:

Year	Championship	Car
1979	Carlton & Bullen Pre ’74 FF1600	Dulon MP15
1981	BRSCC Pre ’74 FF1600	Dulon MP15
1982	MCD Champion of Snetterton FF1600	Van Diemen RF78/79
1983	MCD Champion of Snetterton FF1600	Van Diemen RF81
1984	Monoposto Kent	Van Diemen SF78
1985	Monoposto Kent	Kinell MB85
1985	MCD Champion of Snetterton FF1600	Van Diemen RF82
1988	BARC Intercon ’74-’78 FF1600	Van Diemen RF78
1993	BRSCC Pre ’85 FF1600	Lola T640E
1998	BRSCC Super Classic FF1600 Class A	Reynard FF88
1999	Monoposto 1600	Reynard FF83
2000	Monoposto 1600	Reynard FF83/Van Diemen RF78
2002	BARC URS Classic FF1600 Class B	Van Diemen RF78
2003	BARC URS Classic FF1600 Class B	Van Diemen RF81
2010	Avon Tyres BRSCC Southern FF1600 Class B	Swift SC92

The editorial guess is that the championships won’t stop at 15.

The pictures (with Simon’s captions) are as follows:

Caine completes Carrera Cup double at Silverstone

Michael Caine made it a perfect weekend by winning round 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone today (Sunday 22 August). Caine had to fight ahead of Tim Harvey to make sure of victory, but a hard-earned second place keeps Harvey at the head of the title race with six races to run.

Jonas Gelzinis won pro-am1 despite big pressure from Ollie Jackson, while Glenn McMenamin completed a tremendous day by winning pro-am2 for the second time.

Harvey (Red Line Racing) made a great start from pole and went clear on the opening lap as Caine (Motorbase Performance) fended off Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) to take second. But it was soon clear that Caine had exceptional pace as he closed in on Harvey and they ran nose-to-tail until lap nine when Caine saw his chance at Luffield and squeezed through into the lead.

Once ahead, Caine quickly built his lead while Jelley reeled Harvey in, as Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) and Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) ran in Jelley’s wheel tracks. Rather than try and go after Caine, Harvey had to concentrate on the growing challenge. Then, on lap 15 the safety car was deployed while Paul Mace’s car was moved clear.

Caine shot clear again at the re-start, but Harvey now had a queue of cars behind him and spent the rest of the race under intense pressure. Jelley even dived ahead as they braked for Brooklands, but with the medical car on course after Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) went off at Luffield, Jelley dropped back in behind Harvey until they cleared the incident. That was how they finished, with Jelley, Meadows and Geddie crossing the line in close formation behind Harvey.

However, Caine had been the dominant force of the weekend. “We just had the best car out there,” said Caine. “It’s a bit easier when your car is so good.” Caine earned the ‘driver of the weekend’ award for his performance. Harvey had to fight to the line for second and the championship lead, while Jelley claimed another podium finish. “Our car was really good and we had the pace for second,” said Jelley.

Gelzinis (Juta Racing) had to work hard to get ahead of Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) and then ran a fine sixth overall chasing Geddie while defending his place from pro-am1 rival Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase). “It’s been a difficult day and I tried a few times to overtake Euan Hankey,” said Gelzinis. Jackson was close behind at the flag to maintain his pro-am1 title lead. “I lost two places with a terrible start,” said Jackson. “I tried to get past Gelzinis when he was behind Hankey,” said Jackson as Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) completed the pro-am1 podium.

McMenamin (Red Line Racing) completed a great day by leading pro-am1 throughout, keeping George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) at bay. “I can’t ask for more than that; it’s been a big day for the championship,” said McMenamin. “Luckily I got away cleanly at the re-start,” added McMenamin as Brewster held off Richardson for second. Celtic Speed took the ‘team of the weekend’ award.

Caine takes Carrera Cup round 13 at Silverstone

Michael Caine scored an emphatic victory in round 13 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone today (Sunday 22 August). While Caine dominated the race, Tim Harvey maintained his championship lead with second place as he scored his 100th Carrera Cup GB podium.

With fierce battling all the way down the superb 27-car field, Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) claimed another pro-am1 victory and Glenn McMenamin withstood race-long pressure to win pro-am2.

The biggest challenge to Caine (Motorbase Performance) came on the opening lap when he had a poor start and had to fight with Harvey (Red Line Racing) over the first two corners. Slight contact between the two cars left Harvey contending with tracking that was out of line and he struggled for pace. However, Caine was in stunning form and pulled clear at the head of the field to score a resounding win, his third of the season.

“I didn’t get a very good start and had to brace it out on the first lap,” said Caine. “But when I got my head down the pace was good,” he said after stretching his lead to nearly seven seconds at the flag. Second place for Harvey was good for his championship bid, but over the final lap he had to fend off Stephen Jelley (Red Line Racing). “I’m pleased with the result but not with the pace,” said Harvey. “When you can’t take the win, you take the best you can.”

Jelley drove a fine race to battle ahead of Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) after a long contest. Once into third, Jelley set off after Harvey and was right on the championship leader’s tail at the finish. “The car was mega; even when the tyres were old,” said Jelley.

Meadows ran home fourth to repeat his strong qualifying form, but had pro-am1 leader Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) as a constant shadow. “I probably had the pace to have a go at Michael, but pro-am1 points were more important,” said Jackson. “The car was absolutely spot on all the way through the race,” he added. Behind Jackson, Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) turned in a superb recovery drive having twice had to take to the grass on the opening laps to avoid other cars. From 14th place, he fought back to sixth at the flag.

Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) ran second in pro-am1 for much of the race, but then spun at Luffield and hit the car of Bob Lyons (Celtic Speed), who was trying to stay out of the way. With a damaged wheel, Gelzinis was forced out and that promoted Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) and Michael Leonard (Team Parker Racing) to the pro-am1 podium.

Pro-am2 was the focus of a race-long battle as McMenamin (Red Line Racing) had to withstand constant pressure from George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed). “That was absolute pressure from the outset,” said McMenamin. “The two Georges were at me all the time,” he added. But with a faultless drive, McMenamin held off his challengers for a fine win. Richardson ran second initially, but an error at Luffield allowed Brewster the opportunity he needed to grab the place.

Race Report – Brands Hatch – 21/22^nd AUGUST 2010

Brands Hatch is the home circuit for Caterham, the factory being just a few miles away.  A mid-August trip promised sunshine and warmth compared to the usual October date for the championships’ visit to Brands.  The weather didn’t deliver, but the racing did…

R300

Fleury’s fastest, but Fowell’s the master…

Paul Fleury upset the apple cart on Saturday morning when he put his car on pole ahead of the usual suspects, by just 0.002s.  In fact, just a single second covered the top 21 cars on the grid.

Andrew McMillan made the best start from the front row to take the lead for the early laps, but was overhauled by Fleury and reigning champion Jon Walker.  The Fleury-Walker battle was a fraught, but short affair, the pair removing themselves from the race on the run up to Druids with Walker’s car launching over the top of Fleury as he tried to find his way through an ever-decreasing gap on the inside.  Championship leader Trevor Fowell was an innocent victim of the incident as Walker’s car rolled back onto the track.  After an appeal, Stewards overturned the initial declaration that Fleury was to blame, passing some to Walker (Fleury’s earlier fine was reduced to £100).  With the leaders out of the picture, McMillan Motorsport’s Jamie Ellwood assumed the lead with Ambitions Racing’s Ollie Taylor in close contact and Mark Shaw shadowing them closely.  But behind, Paul Wilson was making his way through the field.  When Ellwood and Taylor tangled, Taylor initially came off worst but Ellwood’s car had damaged rear suspension and he would eventually retire, while team-mate McMillan had his own problems pushing him down the order.  Wilson’s silent charge through the field was rewarded with the lead, while Shaw and a recovering Taylor argued over the remaining podium slots.  Bizarrely, although the battle was between three cars, there was a fourth in the pack on the track – Andrew Harrison-Sleap.  Having recovered from an earlier error, the Trackcars driver found himself amongst the three and pushed hard before it eventually dawned on him where they were in the race.  Fully entitled to un-lap himself and attempt to catch other back markers, Harrison-Sleap stayed with the leaders before dropping behind into ‘fourth’ to watch the lead battle without having a major bearing on it.  Fittingly, he was the fourth fastest car on the track.  Wilson went on to take a well deserved win for himself and SPY Motorsport, with Taylor an impressive second and Shaw at last being rewarded with a podium for his speed this season.  In his brief time on the track, Paul Fleury set the lap record.

Sunday’s race looked set for action with Fowell starting at the back of the grid in his newly repaired Fauldsport car, with Fleury just ahead of him and Harrison-Sleap ahead of the pair.  Sadly, neither Ellwood or Walker’s cars was not able to make it out for the second race.  At the head of the grid, Taylor launched past Wilson off the line and the pair would set the early running, with DPR Motorsport’s Jon Packer finding himself battling with McMillan in the thick of things.  A bit of shoving between all the leaders on the exit of Druids resulted in a front left puncture Wilson, but the pressure remained for Taylor with McMillan now pushing hard and Packer still in the frame.  Meanwhile, Fowell was steadily picking off a car a lap, with Fleury (again the fastest man on the track), moving through the field as well, though not quite so effectively.  Things would change at the front when a desperate lunge by McMillan at Graham Hill Bend did nothing other than send him spinning onto the wet grass and out of the lead battle.  Paul Brannan and Mark Shaw now took up the third place fight, while Packer continued to hound Taylor, briefly grabbing the lead, but by now Trevor Fowell had found the lead group and started to make his presence felt.  At the front, Taylor was feeling the relentless pressure and eventually span out at Druids, handing the lead to Packer who had to defer to the skill of Fowell shortly after.  Further back, the flying Paul Fleury pushed a little too hard and span off at Clearways, calling it a day at that point.  With the race settled, Fowell drove to a peerless victory, with Packer close behind in an excellent second for the relative novice and Brannan picking up a welcome third having demolished his R300 in Friday testing.  Series sponsor BookaTrack.com came to the rescue, loaning him one of their hire R300 trackday/race cars for the event.

Fowell continues to extend his championship lead over McMillan, while Ellwood, Taylor and Brannan are locked in a tight battle for third.  Walker’s weekend takes him out of the title running.

Supersport – MacLachlan’s proves unstoppable.  Again.

Once again, DPR Motorsport’s James MacLachlan failed to secure pole, suggesting there was a chink in his armour.

Paul Begley made the most of his pole position at the start of the race, taking the lead and looking to control the race.  This started a four car lead battle which raged for the duration of the race, MacLachlan displacing Trackcar’s Begley a quarter of the way into the race.  Iain Forsythe had got the better of Keith Ashworth allowing him to tackle Begley for second.  The four extended a massive lead on the Nathan Lindop and Robert Smith battle for fifth, and continued to parry for the remainder of the race but the order remained the same.  MacLachlan won as usual, Forsythe getting the Begley for second and third and Keith Ashworth really deserving an extra place on the podium for a sterling drive to fourth.

Sunday’s race promised much of the same and duly delivered, although the lead battle was closer this time.  MacLachlan got away cleanly from pole to take the lead, Forsyth second and this time Ashworth taking third having passed Begley.  However, the lead four weren’t able to make the break and were joined by several others including Lindop and PIM Racing’s Smith, the only other winner this year.  With so many cars challenging the front, the pace slowed a fraction giving MacLachlan the breathing space he need to make a little gap to second, being hotly contested by Ashworth and Forsyth until the pair touched at Druids and sailed off the track.  Ashworth rejoined smoothly but Forsythe wasn’t so lucky, finding the barrier on the inside side of the track.  With Forsythe out of the picture, the race settled into a fast moving nose-to-tail train, led by MacLachlan and with little change until Rod Arnold starting fighting his way backwards down the order.  MacLachlan took yet another win, with Begley second and Smith, benefiting from the Ashworth-Forsythe clash in third.  Ashworth’s hard work all weekend didn’t go unrewarded as he now hold the lap record.

MacLachlan’s lead in the championship looks increasingly unassailable.  Behind him Smith and Lindop remain level pegging with Begley threatening to rob one of a championship podium position…

Roadsport-A

O’Malley joins the title chase, but can’t match Orton in the wet…

In a change from the usual suspects, Anthony Sidney-Woollett put his PIM Racing machine on pole, ahead of JJ O’Malley and an impressive performance from Jason Redding.

Off the line O’Malley instantly slipped into the brilliant form that has taken him to five wins already this year, passing ‘Sid’ for the lead and looking to instantly take control.  However, an early incident at paddock left Robin Ellis’ car in a vulnerable position bringing out the safety car.  O’Malley showed good sense to slow the field past the marshals on track before the safety car could pick up the leader and then made the perfect getaway on the restart leaving SPY Motorsport’s Ian Payne and Sid to battle over second.  Behind them Jonathan Ramsay ran wide at Clearways, making contact with Magd Mohaffel which sent him wider yet, through the gravel ending the challenge that had seen him occasionally in third.  This promoted Ramsay’s Fauldsport team-mate Orton to fourth, where he would eventually finish, only to be penalised ten seconds for not sufficiently slowing down under the earlier yellow flags.  Ahead, O’Malley never looked like anything other than winning and the Trackcars driver crossed the line for victory number six, with Sid in second place – a terrific result for him and a fitting tribute to his late friend Anders Nielsen for whom he bore an Anders RIP number plate.  Pretty much alongside Sid, Payne picked up third place.

A nasty surprise greeted the Roadsport-A grid for Sunday in the form of a deluge before the start, though these conditions were to the delight of Orton, shunted back to ninth on the grid thanks to his penalty.  With the race underway he took just a lap and half to get to the front and overcome O’Malley for the lead, then set about building a margin while the top three from race one circulating well behind, with Ian Payne having got the better of O’Malley.  When Richard Boughton’s miserable weekend ended in the Druids gravel, the safety car was treated to another outing and Orton’s massive lead was instantly negated.  To the despair of his challengers, Orton kept his cool and on the restart simply drove off into the distance again with the order unchanged.  Further back, Ramsay and title contender Graham Johnson were making their way through the field from the back, only to plunge themselves into the recently vacated Druids gravel, this time bringing out the red flag.  Orton took a commanding victory ahead of Payne and O’Malley in third.

Orton resumes the championship lead, though O’Malley is ahead after drop scores, with former leader Colards Motorsport’s Johnson now third on both counts.

Roadsport-B

Wiggins finds his form again, but is briefly outclassed…

It made a change see Lee Wiggins rather than regular pole-man Steve Day in the top slot, but more impressive was Martin Addison alongside, qualifying just 0.001s behind.  Behind them, championship contender Jeremy Webb was demoted three places for repeatedly putting four wheels off the circuit and gaining an advantage.

Addison made the better start but was overhauled by Wiggins within a lap.  However, Addison wasn’t fazed by regular winner Wiggins and set about finding a way past before being retaken yet again by Wiggins.  The resulting epic battle saw the pair rarely separated by more than a tenth or two, Addison ultimately taking command of the situation and doing fantastic work to hold Wiggins off all the way to the line, with Reece Somerfield taking a deserved (if overlooked) third place.  Wiggins broke Gordon Sawyer’s lap record, indicating that the pace at the front of Roadsport-B this year is as quick as the Fowell-Sawyer-Brannan battle of 2009.

Come Sunday and Wiggins wasn’t about to be outdone a second time, helped mainly by Somerfield who was challenging Addison strongly for second, giving Wiggins a small but crucial gap.  Addison’s speed would win through and although he couldn’t quite catch Wiggins, he left Somerfield in the clutches of fourth place man Jeremy Webb, some way ahead of Ben Whibley.  As Webb considered his overtaking options at Paddock, Somerfield gifted him third with a wildly ambitious (much too) late braking move on the inside that sent him flying into the gravel, leaving the way clear for Webb to assume third.  Wiggins crossed the line for the win, Addison a creditable second and Webb third.

Wiggins is back at the top of the table, with Webb, Day, Whibley and Addison all to close to call in the positions behind him.

Academy Gp1

Mike Hart wins on the track, but loses to the officials…

It was no surprise that championship leader and undisputed fast man Mike Hart was on pole.  Alongside him and hungry for his first win was Merlin Edwards.

A strong start saw Edwards take the early lead with something of a gap, while Hart, Jon Mortimer, Blaize Rhodes and Wes Fox argued over the runner-up spot.  Once they’d sorted themselves out in Hart’s favour, he could set about catching the leader, which he duly did with the others in tow, until Rockingham winner Mortimer had a mishap dropping himself out of the running.  As Hart caught Edwards he gave him a hefty shunt, leaving Edwards to retire.  Hart took the lead, only to be displaced by Fox, while Rhodes kept a watching brief in third.  As the lead pair exited Druids, Hart ran down the outside of Fox in what would become a controversial move to take the lead again.  Hart crossed the line to win, Fox a disappointed second and Rhodes third.  However, after reviewing the officials’ report of the incident with Edwards, Hart was excluded from the race for ‘driving in a manner incompatible with general safety’, promoting Fox to first, Rhodes to second and Bishop, who had quietly crept up to the lead battle, third.

This result now hands the lead of the championship to Fox, with Mortimer second and Hart third, though Edwards takes the final podium position once drop scores are accounted for and he could easily overcome Mortimer for second.

Academy Gp2

Another race, another winner…

Like Mike Hart in Gp1, Kurt Brady was the dominant figure in the sprints, so predictably took pole with Snetterton winner-of-sorts Martin Pass alongside.

As the red lights went out, Pass got away cleanly, only to fluff the change to second allowing him to be swamped by the front of the field giving Brady a clear run into Paddock.  Not to be outdone, Pass fought back to catch Brady and the pair pulled clear of the rest until they tangled at Druids, plunging them both down the field.  Third place man Ross Macindoe inherited the lead, with David Menzies and Andrew West close behind.  Chris Bingham, not having a good race, slid off into the Paddock gravel bringing out the safety car and setting the race up for a sprint finish.  Macindoe made a confident restart and all looked settled until West span himself off at Clearways handing third to PistonHeads journo Matt ‘Riggers’ Rigby.  Macindoe took a worthy win, Menzies second and Riggers third, with a recovering Pass in a damage-limitation fourth.

Pass overhauls Tim Abbott for the lead of the championship by just one point, though with dropped scores, Brady is a point ahead of him.

Next Rounds: Academy, Mallory Park, 19^th September.

Roadsport B, Roadsport A, Supersport, Oulton Park 4^th September.

Superlight R300, Castle Combe, 2^nd October.

Brands Hatch: dpr customers at the front across all steps of the Caterham motorsport ladder

dpr motorsport customers had impressive results across all of the steps of the Caterham motorsport ladder. In the new Supersport category, James Maclachlan reinforced his championship supremacy with his two first place wins. Magd Mohaffel gained a fastest lap and fifth place in the parallel Roadsport A championship.

Despite the terminal exit for the Caterham R300 of the 2009 champion Jon Walker early in the first R300 race, the remaining three dpr motorsport Superlight R300 drivers gained impressive results including two podiums (Shaw & Packer) and a fastest lap (Mark Shaw, race two).

dpr motorsport customers had a similar result in the non-team supported championships with the dpr “accolade” of the weekend going to Academy driver Wesley Fox with a very impressive win that included setting a new lap record.

Maclachlan dominates in Supersport

Not only does James Maclachlan drive the most eye-catching Supersport on the grid but given his two wins at Brands adding to his near unbroken run of firsts, the championship outcome must surely be beyond challenge.

Not that this outcome was easy. In race one, Maclachlan was pressured by another dpr customer Iain Forsythe who, thanks to some sensational overtakes at the exit to Graham Hill bend, was able to relieve Maclachlan of his role as race leader several times. However in the final dash, Maclachlan was the first man across the line but with only 0.127 seconds separating the two drivers.

Race two saw Forsythe take advantage of the high ground on the outer side of the circuit to gain first place by Paddock only for Maclachlan to regain the lead by the end of the pit straight. Forsythe’s pressure ended with a DNF gained in an incident on the exit of Druids only for Paul Begley to take over the challenge ending the race just 0.111 seconds behind the bright blue Supersport of James Maclachlan.

Superlight R300 – Caterham novices Shaw and Packer get their first podiums

The opener of race one saw a repeat of Walker’s start line ability with a great move from his qualifying position of 5th to be 2nd on the downhill drop from Paddock. However an early-tangle at Druids saw Walker’s car out of contention for the complete race weekend.

However the remaining team members, all new comers to Caterham racing, gained an impressive result with Mark Shaw’s first podium (3rd), Jonathan Packer (7th) and Andrew Bruce (10th).

In race two, despite this being his fifth-ever Caterham race, Jonathan Packer took over Walker’s mantle with some brave opening moves that moved him up from his start position of 7th to become race leader but finished 2nd after succumbing to Trevor Fowell’s remarkable drive from the back of the grid. Despite a badly damaged rear suspension, Mark Shaw achieved 5th place and fastest lap with Andrew Bruce in 13th.

Strong dpr motorsport results across the Caterham Motorsport Ladder

dpr team principal David Rowe said “We gained impressive results across all steps of the Caterham Motorsport ladder. This demonstrates our unique approach in combining our championship winning car preparation with driver coaching. We have developed our own in-house driver coaching programme making use of the latest video V-Box technology. In the Caterham Academy our customers were at the top of the results with Wesley Fox and Blaize Rhodes gaining 1st & 2nd in Group One.

Whilst we have just provided a set-up service to Blaize Rhodes, Wesley Fox was one of the first dpr customers to try out our new coaching programme in combination with a highly personalised car set-up, so his result including setting a new Academy lap record has a special relevance to us. In Roadsport B, Jeremy Webb and Ben Whibley gained creditable results including Jeremy Webb’s podium in race two.

For the higher steps of the Caterham championships, team support is allowed and the Supersport championship race one saw dpr motorsport customers James Maclachlan and Ian Forsythe in 1st & 2nd. In Roadsport A, Magd Mohaffel gained fastest lap in race one but a racing incident on Clearways put him back from the leading pack to finish 12th. For the second race, which took place on the new and wet Brands tarmac, Mohaffel climbed through the field to finish fifth. Our novice driver Fraser Greenshields achieved his best ever race results with a 15th & 13th.

However the team outcome in the Caterham Superlight R300 championship demonstrates our ability to support and mentor drivers new to Caterham motorsport. Despite two DNF’s by the 2009 champion Jon Walker, our Superlight R300 novice drivers secured podium wins against some of the most successful drivers in Caterham motorsport and all of this in probably the most competitive championship currently in UK motorsport.”

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport enjoyed a stunning weekend at Silverstone to secure a third podium finish of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill secured a fine second place in the final race of the weekend to add to podium finishes at Thruxton and Rockingham, while Guernsey-based team-mate John George enjoyed his best weekend of racing in the BTCC even though he was unable to add to his points tally.

Paul qualified seventh at the wheel of his Honda Integra and finished in the same position in race one having spent the entire 22 laps fixed onto the rear of Rob Collard’s BMW.

Having held position at the start of race two, Paul was then embroiled in a heated battle for position with Matt Neal that saw the pair swap places through the final laps as they duelled for fifth place. Matt eventually won the battle after pushing Paul wide exiting the final corner of the race to take fifth, although sixth gave Paul pole position for the final race of the day.

A good start allowed Paul to hold the lead into Copse, with contact between Neal and Jason Plato allowing him to break away from the chasing pack, only to lose his advantage when the Safety Car was deployed following an accident further down the order.

With the two LPG-powered Fords behind, Paul faced a battle to retain the lead but successfully kept Tom Onslow-Cole behind for two laps after the restart before the Ford blasted past. However, Paul was able to keep Tom Chilton at bay in the sister car and broke away from the chasing pack as he followed Onslow-Cole home for a hard-earned second place finish.

“Without the Safety Car, we had a chance to win that race but we lost the best of the tyres when it was deployed,” he said. “We knew the Fords were going to be quick but I just went out there and raced my own race. I got my best start of the year and was able to defend well and second place is almost as good as a win. The fact I was able to pull away from Chilton is testament to the Tech-Speed for the job they have done in giving me a great car.

“We don’t have a big budget like some of the other teams, but every time I go out on track, the team tells me to do my best. That’s exactly what I did and a podium is a great result.”

Team-mate John enjoyed a fine day in the second car even though a mechanical issue robbed him of a points finish in the final race of the weekend.

Having qualified 15th, John finished the first race in 17th place having been delayed on the opening lap but he then enjoyed two of the best races of his BTCC career – although he wasn’t rewarded with the points he deserved.

From 17th on the grid, John made up four places on the opening lap and then moved into twelfth before closing onto the rear of James Nash’s Vauxhall. However, contact from the following BMW of Mat Jackson turning into Brooklands on lap eleven saw John suffer a spin that dropped him to the rear of the field.

Refusing to let his head drop, John battled back up to 14th place at the finish and took the start of race three looking to break into the points.

A solid first lap saw him make up two places off the line and the forward progress continued as John climbed into the top ten. Having battled for ninth with Phil Glew, John was overhauled by the Chevrolet of Jason Plato but was unable to try and battle back into the points when a mechanical issue forced him out.

“I knew all weekend that we had the pace in the car and it was great to be on it,” he said, “even if it’s disappointing not to be able to score a point. This has been my best weekend ever when it comes to my own performance at the wheel of the car as I was able to dice with the likes of Jackson and Plato on track.

“The incident with Jackson in race two soured it a little bit as he touched me a few times and didn’t need to do that, but overall I can go away from the weekend happy with how I’ve performed.”

Tech-Speed chief Marvin Humphries said he was pleased with the return to form after a difficult time at Snetterton two weeks earlier.

“That makes up for Snetterton a bit,” he said. “We’ve done a good job here and it went well, aside from the issue for John at the end. Paul was probably the only person who really gave the gas cars a race today and that was a great result to end the weekend with. Three top tens and a podium isn’t bad in this company.

“John did really well this weekend and you can see he is getting more confident in the car as he is out there racing with some good drivers. It was disappointing that he got put into a spin in race two and then had the problem in race three as two drivers in the top ten would have been a fantastic result for the team.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown was also delighted with a return to the podium even though he admitted to mixed emotions at John’s performance going unrewarded.

“I didn’t think Paul would be able to fight the Fords but he did brilliantly,” he said. “I kept expecting Chilton to find a way through, but Paul was able to drive away from him as he chased Onslow-Cole and second is a fantastic result. The second place at Rockingham was good, but here you could see he was hanging on for dear life and getting everything from the car; it was brilliant.

“I’m gutted for John as he was driving like a demon today. I honestly believe he is one of the most under-rated drivers out there. He really applied himself well on track and it is only through bad luck that his performance hasn’t been rewarded with some points. Tech-Speed have once again done a brilliant job with the cars and the drivers have done us proud.”

Fan-funded race team YourRacingCar.com enjoyed an impressive debut in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone, with Phil Glew securing three finishes for the team at its home race.

Having agreed a deal with Special Tuning UK to move into the BTCC for the Silverstone weekend as part of bigger plans to compete in the series full-time in 2011, YRC enjoyed a successful outing both on and off track, even though a penalty in the final race prevented Phil from securing a point-scoring finish.

Aside from a seat fitting prior to the weekend, opening practice marked Phil’s first time at the wheel of the Special Tuning-run SEAT Leon, fitted with the BTCC’s Next Generation Touring Car engine. After finishing first free practice in 16th place, Phil improved to 15th in FP2 – ahead of Tom Boardman in the sister car, which continues to run a normally aspirated SEAT engine.

While confidence was high heading into qualifying, it would end in disappointment for the YRC crew when a driveshaft issue prevented Phil from setting a time and left him at the rear of the field alongside Martin Depper and Martin Johnson – both of whom missed the qualifying session.

Race One (P14, Fastest Lap 1:01.512):

The issues in qualifying meant Phil started the opening race from 19th on the grid, with the VW Golf of Shaun Hollamby having been withdrawn from the weekend due to an engine issue.

Despite the fact he hadn’t been able to practice a race start in the car, Phil got away well to make up places off the line and completed the opening lap in 15th – having made up four spots in the first mile and a half of racing!

Lapping consistently and without problems in the first race for the car, Phil dropped a position to Gordon Shedden on lap six as the Honda driver recovered from an incident on the opening lap, with Phil then closing onto the rear of the BMW of Andy Neate. Having made up one position through the retirement of David Pinkney’s Vauxhall, Phil then made a move stick on track as he got ahead of Neate on lap ten and then pulled out an advantage of nearly five seconds over the BMW before the chequered flag flew.

Encouragingly, Phil finished the race within 20 seconds of winner Tom Chilton despite the unproven package of the SEAT and NGTC engine and picked up an Independents’ points finish.

Race Two (P13, Fastest Lap 1:01.473):

Phil started the second race of the weekend from 14th on the grid and held his position through the opening lap before climbing to 13th on lap two. Having been briefly knocked back a place, Phil continued his forward progress to climb as high as twelfth despite an issue with the gearbox on his car.

Crossing the line just behind Tom’s normally aspirated SEAT, Phil secured two Independents’ points and set a fastest lap just three-tenths of a second behind race winner Tom Chilton.

Race Three (P13, Fastest lap 1:01.650):

A chaotic start to the final race allowed Phil to climb up to tenth place at the end of the opening lap as he targeted a points scoring finish to the weekend. The SEAT then moved into ninth place when an incident ahead saw Andrew Jordan retire and Phil was lapping strongly and well placed to end YRC’s first weekend in the BTCC with a solid top ten.

However, that all changed when Phil was handed a drive-through penalty for running off-track at Copse – despite a number of other drivers having done the same repeatedly throughout the day without penalty. That meant he dropped down to 13th place at the finish although he still secured more Independents’ points towards his tally.

Quoteboard:

Phil Glew – Driver: “It had definitely been a productive weekend for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it was frustrating to start with as we had some niggles with the car, but we have done well to get into a position where we were able to fight for points. It’s just disappointing that we have been penalised for running wide when others have done the same and nothing happened. Personally, there was nothing I could do to prevent it as we were suffering from understeer with the car and I was drifting wide as a result.

“I hope my performances have been well received by the YRC members and I think things have gone better than we expected them to from the weekend as a whole. It’s just disappointing that we didn’t get a points finish to reward the team and everyone who has worked so hard in recent weeks to make this happen.”

Hannah James – YourRacingCar team manager: “The result of the final race is a disappointment as I feel like we were robbed of a top ten finish, but the weekend as a whole has been everything that we hoped for from the BTCC and more besides. The support from the YRC members has been fantastic and the sponsors who have been with us for the weekend have all been impressed by what they have seen. The guys from Special Tuning have been brilliant with the car and Phil has done exactly what we expected behind the wheel.

“We owe massive thanks to Talent Works, Glasurit, WD-40, 3 in 1, SEATCupra.net, Special Tuning and all the YRC members – old and new – for making this possible. We will now sit down and look at what we have learned from this weekend and continue to work on our plans for 2011 but this isn’t the last you’ll see of YRC in the BTCC!”

Neil Purcell – MD Talent Works International: “The weekend has been phenomenal. We’ve been involved in sponsorship before but it was exciting to be so involved with the team and be a real part of things. It’s a shame that the decision in race three meant there was no top ten finish, especially for Phil for the job he did behind the wheel and for Hannah. They deserved more.”

Photos: MW Motorsport Media
Report: Matt Salisbury

Category two victory for David Stokes and Guy Weaver and a stunning category three win for Connor Corkill and Rob Fagg headlined the action as the Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship headed to Northern Ireland for the Ulster Rally (20/21 August).

In category one, a fine victory went to the Mini Cooper S of Ray Cunningham and Ross Forde, but the BHRC points contest was between Jonathan Gale/James Whitaker (Sunbeam Tiger) and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911).

The BHRC’s first visit to Ulster was a runaway success and all the crews gave the event rave reviews. “We’ve been to a world class rally,” said Jeremy Easson.

Category 1

Although not registered for the BHRC, Cunningham was keen to pit the Mini against the British crews and the Galway driver was in stunning form as he swept clear on the opening day to lay the foundations for an emphatic victory.

But the battle for top BHRC crew was far less clear-cut and it took a mighty effort from the XS Racing crew to keep Gale’s Tiger running after a range of dramas. Two offs, including one into a fence, steering damage after a heavy landing and a detached roll bar all hit the Sunbeam in the course of 12 stages, but they ploughed on and ended the event as leading BHRC crew.

But Nutt was always there on his home event and maintained a constant pressure on Gale. Even at the finish the margin was just 15s after nearly two hours of competition. “There is still some play in the steering,” said Nutt on Friday evening, but Gale had bigger concerns after hitting both ends of the Tiger on a bank in the Torr Head stage.

The contest went back and forth through Saturday, but Gale managed to grab the upperhand as the XS crew worked hard to keep the car running.

As the only finishers in class B1, Gary and Jane Edgington took the spoils even though they ran under super rally rules when the gear lever came off their Singer Chamois on the fourth stage on Friday. On Saturday, they continued to throw the car around the lanes and typically came to the aid of Neil Rudd when his Escort stalled at the end of the Langford Lodge stage, with a failed starter motor. Edgington finished the stage and then ran 500m back to help Rudd get going again.

Philip Wylie and Maurice Beckett (MGB) won class B4. They arrived at first service needing to tweak the suspension to cope with the bumps and jumps. “The first stage was good but we couldn’t keep going at that pace,” said expatriate Ulsterman Wylie. His brother Drew, partnered by Howard Pridmore, unfortunately retired on the opening stage with electrical woes in his Lotus Elan. Rikki Proffitt and Peter Scott teamed up again to take fifth in the category in Rikki’s Porsche 911, with Scott having won the Ulster Rally back in 1974 with Billy Coleman!

Category 2

Right from the off, Stokes and Weaver set a cracking pace in category two, although local crew Keith McIvor and David Burns were right in contention in their Porsche 911. With McIvor not registered for points, Stokes was content not to fight with the Irishman and instead concentrate on his BHRC rivals.

On the first stage, Stokes was running first car and had a strange moment when he came over a brow to find a tent in the road. He managed to avoid it and several more cars reported the same problem before the stage was halted to move the tent.

With the Escort running like clockwork, Stokes ended the first day well clear or Easson/Alun Cook, but recognised that for maximum points he needed to beat Ernie Graham and Iain Johnston on Saturday’s times as well. A distributor problem cost Graham a lot of time on Friday, but with Saturday’s stages going past his former home, he would surely fly.

Stokes pushed very hard and eventually beat Graham by just 4s on Sunday with a big late charge that also took him ahead of McIvor’s Porsche. “It was a wonderful event with fantastic stages,” said Stokes, summing up the views of just about every BHRC contender.

Easson took second in the BHRC contenders, but acknowledged that he was short on recent asphalt experience and was nearly caught at the finish by the recovering Graham.

The Escort Mk1 of Vince Bristow and Tim Sayer again won class C2. “No brakes, as usual,” said Bristow. However, they also had a serious title rival to watch for this time as Nick Danks and Martin Corbett had a great run in their Escort Mk1. Competing at this level for the first time, Danks was a revelation on his first closed road event and chase Bristow all the way home.

Andrew Siddall and Captain Thompson swept to class C3 victory in their Escort Mk1, winning by more than five minutes. Siddall set course for the class win with a strong run on Friday. “More of the same on Saturday,” said Siddall. In his wake, brothers Michael and David Pedley took second in C3 in their Escort RS2000 having again run on maps rather than complete the recce.

In class C4, the Porsche 911 of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne took maximum points after a strong run, with the car back in top condition after the off on the Isle of Man.

Category 3

The prospect of a mighty contest in category three was dashed when Ryan Barrett and Paul McCann suffered gearbox failure barely three miles into the first stage. “It’s such a let down for everyone,” said a dejected Barrett as he ran with number one on his Escort Mk2 for the first time.

Instead, Corkill and Fagg took a vice-like grip on the rally in their Escort Mk2, going 7s ahead on the opening stage and building that to 1m22s by the end of Friday. Despite his pace, Corkill maintained that he was not taking chances. “No big risks, the pace we’re on is okay,” said Connor as he laid the foundations for the biggest win of his career to date. “We hit the tent as well,” he added of the strange incident on stage one.

With Will Onions/Dave Williams leading the chase, Corkill and Fagg kept up the pressure on the opening stages of Saturday before easing back to score a resounding win. Onions was a strong second, with a minute in hand over class D4 winners Rob Smith/Shaun O’Gorman (Vauxhall Chevette). “That’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on,” said Smith after only the fourth asphalt rally of his career. Like many, he fell instantly in love with the dramatic Torr Head stage on Friday.

A minor off cost Tomas Davies/Eurig Davies a good result in their Escort Mk2. They slid off on stage nine and, though the car was undamaged, their rally was over after a very strong run.

Through to fourth in category three after an equally impressive run came Roger Kilty and Lynette Banks in their Escort Mk2, finishing less than half a minute down on Smith/O’Gorman.

So, with 5 rounds out of 9 completed in the 2010 Britcar Championship, it seemed an ideal time to have a look at the championship standings, and recap some of the basics for people who may not be familiar with the scoring system when you have different classes of car racing at the same time.

Both Britcar GT and Produciton have three classes, with 20 points awarded to the winner of each class, going down to 1 point for the 20th place man. A point is also awarded for fastest lap per class. Because of this scoring method, it is possible for a class 3 car, say, to win the overall championship, and it does keep the scoring quite close all the way though. An entrants best 7 results are used to calculate the final championship standings.

So far this season, the MJC team with drivers Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson have tied up the GT Class one title already (105 points), but with a closely fought battle for second between the McInerney’s in their Mosler (39 points) and Stephen Brady and Michael Millard in their Ultima (37 points).

Class two is being headed by the Topcats Racing Mantis of Huggins and Fiorentino on 99 points, who are keeping the MJC team honest for the overall GT title with the class 3 Porsche on Neil Garner / Azteca Motorsport only 4 points back in third. Both of these entries are looking good for their respective class titles, as they each have over 20 points in hand over the next cars.

In the Production title race, it’s incredibly close with the Lawson & Wilds ING BMW (Class 2) on 77 points, the Cox family Race Car Spares For Escort (class 2) on 77 points, Gino Ussi in the Geoff Steel Racing BMW (class 1) on 77 points and the Adams / Green / Byford Bullrun Seat Cupra (class 2) on…. 76 points.

Parsons / Malone and Gooch in their Brunswick Automotive BMW are only another 7 points back, so it’s really close going into the final part of the season.

The next race is at Rockingham on Saturday 28th of August.

The 2CV 24 hour endurance race finished this afternoon, after a full day and nights worth of close, clean racing.

The winning car was that of Rent Boys Racing, driven by Graham, Cox & Paton, covered 738 laps of the Norfolk circuit within the allocated 24 hours at an average speed of 60.01mph.

Just 4 laps behind were Tete Rouge 2, of Robinson, Hopkins and Haynes who recorded the fastest race lap.

8 laps being the leader was the third place team of Team Stinky, the car shared between 4 drivers -Yates, Thompson, Savage and Thompson.

According to the results, the safety car was only deployed for 8 laps which is a remarkable achievement, demonstrating the clean racing.   All 26 teams who entered were classified finishers, as everyone managed to get their back on the track to take the chequered flag.

Report: Andrew Cliffe
Photography: Norwich Photo

For the second race weekend in a row, Michael Caine and Tim Harvey shared the pole positions for rounds 13 and 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during qualifying at Silverstone today (Saturday 21 August).

While Harvey (Red Line Racing) and Caine (Motorbase Performance) each took an overall pole at the head of a superb 27-car field, Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) twice posted a top five overall time to head pro-am1 for both races. In pro-am2, Paul Mace (GT Marques) bagged an impressive double pole.

Although there was the threat of rain in the air as qualifying started, the session remained dry. Most of the best laps came early in the half-hour session, as the track seemed to loose pace as the session went out. In a fabulously close field, less than a second covered the first 14 cars on the grid for round 13 with Caine clinching pole by 86-hundredthds of a second from Harvey, with Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) an excellent third fastest.

In the line-up for round 14, based on second best lap times, Harvey headed Caine by less than a tenth of a second as Meadows again posted third fastest time. “It’s a stalemate,” said Caine of his on-going battle with Harvey. “The track lost its edge through the session,” he added after failing to match his early pace when he went out later in the session on his second set of tyres.

“As soon as I went out on the second set of tyres I knew the track was slower,” confirmed Harvey. “It’s the same qualifying result as at Snetterton and if we get the same race result I’ll be happy,” he added, after each driver took a win and a second at the Norfolk track. “This weekend is a bit of a worry for me as we’re all on the same pace,” said title leader Harvey. Meadows continued his strong recent form with two third places. “We were quick straightaway this weekend and it’s great to be mixing it with Tim and Michael,” said the Carrera Cup Scholarship driver.

Fourth and fifth fastest for each race were Jackson and Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing), with the positions reversed for round 14. “That was pretty spectacular,” said Jackson after a hugely impressive session. “It’s always good to be in the top five overall.” Second in pro-am1 was Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing), although a gaggle of pro category racers separated the pro-am1 leaders. “I think I’ll catch him in the races,” said Gelzinis. Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) and Michael Leonard (Team Parker Racing) each took a third place on the pro-am1 grids.

Mace clinched pro-am2 pole for both races by a very small margin from Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing). “That’s very good; being fastest in pro-am2 is all I can do,” said Mace of his poles after limited running in testing on Friday. McMenamin was frustrated by traffic as he chased Mace’s time and was relieved to be second in pro-am2. Meanwhile, George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed) each took a third slot in the category.

David Pinkney will start the opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the weekend at Silverstone from 14th on the grid after qualifying at the Home of British Motorsport.

The Harpenden-racer headed to Silverstone looking to build on his top ten finish last time out at Snetterton and was an encouraging tenth quickest in the opening free practice session – just three-tenths of a second behind Tom Chilton’s Ford Focus.

While David then went quicker than he had in practice during the all-important qualifying session, the pace at the front was such that the gap to the LPG-powered Ford’s increased to 1.5 seconds, although the times were closer through the rest of the field.

Despite being little more than half a second slower than Andrew Jordan in sixth place, the Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra will start the opening race of the weekend from the seventh row of the grid with David admitting there was some frustration at the way qualifying had panned out.

“If I’d set that time in first free practice it would have been good enough for fourth place,” he said. “While we found time during the day, the others were able to find more. The car is good and I was on the limit, but it’s frustrating when you do a lap that feels awesome in the car and then find the cars at the front are so far ahead.”

Team manager Andrew Dean said the team had worked hard to improve the car over a race distance as it seeks to secure its seventh top-ten finish of the year in Sunday’s three races.

“We seem to have made 14th place on the grid our own this season,” he said. “We have gone quicker during the day, but the others have found more time than us. We made a significant change to the car before qualifying which should make the car more driveable over a race distance and we aren’t in a bad position to start race day. We have to try and work our way forwards as we did at Snetterton to try and bring home some points.”

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport will target a return to form at Silverstone this weekend as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to the home of British motorsport for the seventh round of the year.

The team endured a difficult weekend at Snetterton last time out after both Paul O’Neill and John George were involved in an accident on the opening lap of race two, with the Tech-Speed team working miracles to ensure that both Honda Integras were able to take part in the final race of the weekend.

Despite the difficulties faced in Norfolk, Widnes-racer Paul heads to Silverstone still firmly in the mix for the Independents’ championship with a gap of just 25 points to current leader Steven Kane.

With his car fully repaired following the Snetterton weeekend, Paul will hope to return to the kind of form that has seen him secure two overall podium finishes and two Independent victories already this season.

“Snetterton was one of those weekends that happens in motorsport,” he said. “We went there expecting a good weekend and it didn’t happen, whereas we have been to other circuits and things have gone better than we thought they would.

“We had some problems at Snetterton which have now been sorted and the car will be as good as it’s ever been when we arrive at Silverstone. I’m mad for it this weekend and hope we’ll be fighting at the sharp end. I’m going to Silverstone to be near the front and get a result. I’ve got nothing to lose so I’m going to go all out to pick up some laurels from the weekend.”

Guernsey-based team-mate John once again showed impressive pace in the sister car at Snetterton a fortnight ago, even though bad luck meant he came away from the weekend without any points after the race two incident.

Despite that, John battled through the field to finish just outside the top ten in the final race and now heads to Silverstone seeking to secure his second points finish of the season to reward the team for the work it has put in throughout the year.

“Silverstone is a circuit where I have gone well in the past and I always look forward to going there,” he said. “This weekend is no different and I go there looking to get into the top ten at least once.

“If it hadn’t been for the second race at Snetterton, I feel we would have scored some points. The guys did a fantastic job to get me out for the final race after the incident and I feel I could have got into the points if I hadn’t got stuck behind Tom Boardman. Without race two, I definitely think I’d have come away from the weekend with a top ten, but our day will come.

“I really want to get into the top ten at Silverstone, not just for myself, but to reward the boys who work so hard on the cars for the part they play. The BTCC is a team game at the end of the day and I want to get a points finish for them.”

The incident in race two at Snetterton left the Tech-Speed run team with plenty to do in the two weeks between races, but Tech-Speed boss Marvin Humphries said the two Honda Integras were ready and raring to go this weekend.

“Snetterton didn’t go to plan, but the boys have worked hard to get the cars prepared for Silverstone and we go there optimistic of a good weekend,” he said. “There is no reason why we can’t run well as we know the car is better than it was last year, but as Snetterton showed, you never know what is round the corner! We’ll certainly be giving it a good go.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown agreed that the team was now putting Snetterton behind it as it looks to impress through the remainder of the year.

“We didn’t get the results we were hoping for at Snetterton, but we’ll be working hard to put that right this weekend,” he said. “We know it won’t be easy at Silverstone because the long straights are going to favour certain cars on the grid, but the Honda should also be strong and we go there chasing some good results.

“Paul has shown on numerous occasions this season that he can fight with the best at the front of the field, while John hasn’t scored the points he has deserved for some good performances during the year.

“They were both really impressive in the final race at Snetterton and I’m confident that they will be able to challenge for points this weekend.”

Over 500 drivers set to compete at historic racing event

The Oulton Park Gold Cup is celebrating the biggest line-up in its fifty year history, with 480 vehicles and more than 500 drivers confirmed for the historic racing festival this Bank Holiday weekend (29/30 August).

Among the headline features of this year’s Gold Cup is the Sir Stirling Moss Trophy, a new event for pre-1961 sportscars and sports-racers. After recovering from terrible injuries suffered in a lift accident at his home five months ago, Sir Stirling himself is set to compete in the event – exactly 50 years after winning the 1960 Gold Cup in a Lotus 18 – and the 80-year-old will be piloting an Osca FS372 alongside Ian Nuthall.

Moss has won the Oulton Park Gold Cup a magnificent five times, and he will also be demonstrating the unique Ferguson P99 that he steered to victory at the event in 1961, when he became the only driver to win a Formula One race in a four wheel drive car.

Another notable entrant in the Sir Stirling Moss Trophy is Richard Attwood, who steered Porsche to its first ever Le Mans 24 Hour race victory in 1970 alongside team-mate Hans Herrman. Attwood will be racing an Aston Martin DBR1 with British GT and Le Mans Series racer Gregor Fisken.

The Gold Cup will also feature historic Formula Two and Formula 5000 single seaters in the Derek Bell Trophy, along with a bumper grid of 35 classic Formula Fords, including both Frank Sytner and double Gold Cup winner Ian Ashley. Other racing highlights include the Guards Trophy for pre-1966 GT and Sports Racing Cars, Historic Formula Junior and Classic Touring Cars.

Grahame White, executive director of Gold Cup organiser the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), said: “The Oulton Park Gold Cup is now truly established as one of the most popular historic motor race meetings anywhere and this year has attracted an all-time record entry, including many competitors from overseas. It is a ‘must-do’ event for racers with so many top drivers confirmed and as race organisers we are looking forward to a fantastic weekend.”

In addition to a two-day programme of circuit racing, the Oulton Park Gold Cup will feature a number of unique demonstrations including a Silk Cut Group C Jaguar Le Mans car and a 3.5 litre R90 Nissan, steered to pole position by Mark Blundell at the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hour race.

There will also be a special parade to celebrate 30 years of the Audi Quattro, plus several displays from a collection of Group B rally cars.

Tickets for the Oulton Park Gold Cup on 29/30 August 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.oultonpark.co.uk.

The 360 Motor Club hosted their inaugural event at Snetterton.         Endurance racing has always been an expensive event, with circuits pricing track time by the minute (a figure of £ 150 per minute of track time is not uncommon).   A novel business plan was established in order to attempt to get an endurance race for clubman drivers in more older and more affordable machinery.   The idea was first mooted on popular motorsport forum – Ten-Tenths.

Whilst the entry was slightly disappointing, with just 8 teams taking the start, the efforts and enthusiasm displayed by each team and the pit lane and paddock camaraderie was such that many are looking forward to the next event.   Many were novice endurance racers, more used to sprint races over 15 or 20 minutes.

As with any endurance race, there were battles throughout the order, and there was drama as cars started to develop problems which required nursing to the finish.    Out of the 8 starters, 5 cars were classified finishers, with the Jaguar Mk 1 of Ed Simpson Racing crossing the line 6 hours, 1 minute and 7 seconds after the rolling start, after 221 laps of the Norfolk circuit.

The Peugeot 205 GTI of Climax Motorsport was 2nd overall, on the lead lap just 70 seconds behind the winning team, with the Toyota Corolla GT of Eleiko Motorsport in third, 10 laps behind.   Fourth was the Ford Capri of Mallett Racing, and the final classified finisher was the MG Montego of Team Mont Blanc, completing 190 laps.

The non classified cars were the Ford Escort RS2000 of Team Dilligaf (139 laps, 3hrs 53m), the Lancia Fulvia Sport of Squadra Donnaiolo (137 laps, 4hrs 20m) and the Hairy Canary Escort RS1600 (101 laps, 6hrs 1m)

Graham Turner did some demonstration laps during the lunch break in his marvellous Porsche 917 replica in Gulf Oil livery, and the Alfa Romeo Owners Club put on a parade of cars.

No doubt many lessons were learnt which will be put into practise for the 2011 event, but if the enthusiasm of the organisers and those that competed is any example, there is a bright future for the 360 Motor Club and for a low-cost endurance racing series.

From little acorns…

Report: Andrew Cliffe
Photos: Norwich Photo