Britcar News from Emma Cliffe, Pit Lane Observer
The 2011 running of the Britcar 24 was the fastest on record, with the total distance covered being 2097 racing miles completed in the 24 hours. Just one more lap would have broken the 2100 mile barrier!
Information on the demise of the Top Cats Mosler
Record distance in prospect?
The fine weather means that the 2011 running of the Britcar 24 may cover a record distance. At the current average speed of 88mph, 24 hours may see the 2100 mile barrier broken which will smash previous runnings.
2000 miles will pass on lap 546. The Arena circuit is 3.6604 miles long.
Previous running on the Bridge layout ( 3.19 miles ) have not been so fast.
2006 – 595 laps – 1900 miles
2007 – 596 laps – 1903 miles
2008 – 603 laps – 1925 miles
2009 – A 500 mile race was run instead
2010 – 565 laps – 1799 miles
2010 was held in wet conditions for much of the race. Previous years had suffered from early morning fog which stopped racing until it cleared.
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Britcar issued the following statement last night about the condition of the marshal injured last night.
At approximately 9:45pm there was an incident during the Britcar 24hr race at Silverstone where a competing vehicle left the road and collided with another vehicle. A trackside marshal was struck during the incident.
The marshal in question has been transferred to Northampton Hospital with a suspected broken leg. They also have cuts and bruises but no life threatening injuries.
This statement was received by Britcar 24hr Ltd. via the BRSCC from Silverstone circuit Chief Medical Officer.
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Okay, so I gave up at about 11.45 p.m. I needed some sleep. And I think I got some because I’ve woken this morning feeling refreshed.
And feeling a sense of shock. Checking the live timing the Aquila is still running! Last year, it fell to bits for the last time at about midnight, so I really wasn’t expecting it to make it to daylight hours. But it has. And it is currently running eighth.
Other shocks? The safety car has managed to do 27 laps – I can’t remember if that’s more or less than at this time last year but O think its a lot less than last year. Car number 92 is currently 30th – why am I interested in that? Well, it’s a Smart.
I’m hoping to hear good news on a Marshal that was injured last night too. He went out to help recover a car when another car arrived on the scene. Being a Marshal is dangerous and this sport couldn’t happen without these brave volunteers who give up hours of their life and their hard earned money to support this sport.
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Pic: Emma Cliffe
So, the race gets under way and there’s a full 24 hours to go. And, within 15 minutes, the first safety car is out. I head down to the pit lane to find out what is returning on the back of a low loader.
It turns out to be car number 51, a Ginetta G50 being run by Optimum Motorsport. When the car arrived, it was apparent that some sort of collision had occurred. I’ll admit I wasn’t brave enough to approach the driver to find out what happened. Some drivers will talk, some won’t, and I have difficulty gauging the ones that will.
What I then had the opportunity to observe was a brilliant piece of the poetry in motion they call “teamwork”. The crew had arrived in the Scrutineering area with various spare parts they thought may be needed (including a spare bonnet – well, it is a Ginetta and they are pretty fragile in the bodywork area). They proceeded to undertake a nearside rear wishbone change and the various safety checks on things like the wheels. From arriving on the low loader to being pushed out of the Scrutineering area to be sent back on to the track took exactly 30 minutes. Now, these guys may have radios to communicate with each other and so forgotten parts and tools can be called for easily – but – everyone knew what was expected of them, got on with it and put the car back on the circuit.
The problem (or, the thing I love) about 24 hour races is you never know what will happen next. As I sit here in the media centre, it has just flashed on the screen that car 51 has retired. Although there are actually 2 cars showing as number 51 on the timing screen. And the other car number 51 has just broken the timing beacon and apparently did a lap time of 2 minutes 24 seconds. I’m confused already and they’ve only been racing for about 2 hours…there’s another 22 for me to keep up with yet!
