RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

The British Touring Car Championship and the support races, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta GT Supercup, Ginetta Juniors and the Renault Clio Cup moved onto Thruxton for rounds 7,8 & 9.

The sun and temperatures of the opening rounds at Brands Hatch are long gone, to be replaced with wind, rain and cold Thruxton. Saturday qualifying and the rain was already coming down, but Andrew Jordan mastered the quick and very wet Thruxton to put his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic on pole.

For race day on Sunday the wind and rain hadn’t let up, if anything it had got worse. The thought on most peoples minds was if the races would go ahead. But the races did go ahead and the drivers braved the almost aquatic conditions.

In round 7 Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Mat Jackson went going into Allard side by side, Jordan and Plato hit with Jordan’s spinning off and into the barrier damaging his car and putting him out of the race, Plato was pushed wide onto the grass but managed to keep going. It was Mat Jackson that took advantage and went on to take the first win of the day.

Round 8 and Mat Jackson was on Pole after winning the first race, but this time the race was started behind the safety car. But this round it was Gordon Shedden that was on a mission, the Honda  Civic working brilliantly in the wet weather moved through the field with ease and caught Jackson and passed of lap 9 going into the complex and stormed ahead. Jackson dropped to third and Plato passed, but Jackson was carrying maximum ballast, but managed to just hold off Frank Wrathall to take third. Shedden went on to win Round 8.

Round 9, Tony Gilham in round 8 just managed to take 9^th place and in the last race of the day was picked out of the hat by Murry Walker to be on Pole. A fantastic outcome for the small privateer Team HARD. Gilham made a great start, but it was only a matter of time before Shedden (who was still on a charge as the rain came down harder) got passed. But Gilham wasn’t going to give his Pole and 1^st place up easy, even though he was on a dry setup due to budget. Sheddon and Neil got passed with Gilham in third, till Gilham made a small mistake going into the complex, locked up and hit the barrier. He got the car started but limped back to the pits to retire. Round 9 finished with Gordon Shedden taking a second win of the weekend, Matt Neal in second and Frank Wrathall held on to take the last place on the podium.

The new curbs of Thruxton didn’t catch anyone out and the racing was very clean, maybe down to the weather and the fast Thruxton circuit, with the only crashes due to driver error rather than the normal bumping and pushing of BTCC. We can only wait till next year and hopefully a dry Thruxton to see how the curbs will effect the racing.

Report and Photos: Tim Surman, www.timsurman.co.uk

BTCC Support races practise day, Thruxton.

Before the British Touring Car Championship returns to Thruxton on April 28-29th, the support races were out on track for a practise day and this year there is a big change at Club. The first thing you notice is the new asphalt with the large Motorola sponsorship painted on the inside of the corner, but look a little closer and you can see more fresh asphalt. The corner looks a little tighter `S` shape, add to that the new curbs to catch any driver that decides to make their own line through the corner. Its going to be interesting to find out what happens when the BTCC go through Club, expect punchers and more!

The BTCC support races consist of: Renault UK Clio Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Ginetta Supercup Championship and the Ginetta Junior Championship.

All (including the BTCC) will be on track for an action packed day on April 28^th for qualifying and the 29^th for race day.

Tim Surman

Castle Combe Historica, Monday 9th April

The first Bank Holiday of the year in the UK is normally wet and this year was no different for the Historic race meeting at Castle Combe circuit. The rain started in the morning for qualifying and just got worse through out the day and because this was the first real rain of the year the track was like an ice rink.

Of course all the rain added to the action on the track with sideways opposite lock racing in all classes. There might have been  classics from the late 1950s and early `60s but the racing was clean but full on, it was a brilliant sight to see the Austin Healey 3000 Mk.1 driven by Ted Williams, going sideways lap after lap.

This year is the 50^th anniversary of the MGB and the first `MGB50` race was at the Castle Combe Historica. The grid had 20 MGB`s cars, including a MGB WSM GT driven by Tony Wilson-Spratt, a MGB Le Mans driven by Barry Sidery-Smith and a MGB Sebring with Anthony Binnington at the wheel. But it was the number `12` MGB Works car driven by Paul Campfield that really enjoyed the really wet track with opposite lock coming out of almost every corner.

The classic racing was broken up with more model machines in the Castle Combe based Championships. These included the VADABAR Sports & GT Championship,Saloon Car Championship supported by Nation Mobile Windscreens and the Formula Ford 1600 Championship.

The weather might of tried its best to ruin the day, but the drivers and action of the Castle Combe based championships and the historic racing entertained the crowds.

Tim Surman.

The Masters Series members blow the winter cobwebs off themselves and the cars with a track day at Goodwood Motor Circuit organised by the club, before the first race of the year at Outon Park on March 17^th. Being a track day no racing was involved, but of course this doesn’t stop the drivers from finding their cars limits and the Goodwood Circuit is the perfect venue that suits the cars and the Master Historic Racing.

The racing is made of seven series, GP Masters – 3-litre Formula 1 cars from 1968 to 1985.

World Sportscar Masters – Le Mans-type Group 4 prototypes pre-1975.

CanAm Interserie Challenge – For Can Am cars and 2-litre (to the end of 1977) and 3-litre (to the end of 1976) sports-prototypes. Invited MS-P cars are eligible as well.

Sports Racing Masters – 1960 to 1965 sports-racing and GT prototypes.

Gentlemen Drivers – Pre 1966 GT cars running to Appendix K with HTP papers, accompanied by Pre 1963 sports cars. Includes a seperate podium in each race for the Under 2-litre GT cars.

Masters Pre-66 Saloons – Pre-1966 touring cars running to Appendix K specification.

70s Celebration – Group 2 touring cars of the 1970s, plus 1970s touring cars and production saloons plus production sports and GT cars.

Report and Photos by Tim Surman.

The Rallye Sunseeker officially started at Poole Quay, where the public could meet the drivers, sign autographs and get a close look at the cars, before being waved off the start by the Mayor of Poole, the cars then drive pass the crowds and back to Canford Park Arena ready for the action to start the following morning.

For the second year running the Rallye Sunseeker is the first round of the British Rally Championship. It`s a single day event running through 66miles of Dorset forests including a couple of stages at Somerley Park estate. The first of the day is Wareham forest for a single stage before moving north to Uddens forest then into the forests around Ringwood. Many of these stages are run twice through out the day, normal once in the morning then revisited again in the afternoon. The stages are run in the same direction with no changes to the route.

With four different groups, Rallye Sunseeker International, National, Challenge and the classic cars with the Rallye Sunseeker Historique. But James Ford and Neil Colman won the Sunseeker Challenge in their Mk2 Ford Escort  beating much more modern cars like the Citroen C2R2 Max, showing that there is life in this classic old car.

The rally finishes at Bournmouth Pier for a Champagne finish for the winners of each group, with trophies made by Poole pottery  presented by the Mayor of Bournmouth and the Pirelli girls of course. Then the madness of the Champagne starts with drivers, photographers and normally the crowds getting covered for good measure. For the Sunseeker Historique winners they have a much more orderly finish at Somerley House.

And that ends the first round of the British Rally Championship, the championship moves onto North Wales for the Bulldog Rally for round 2. See www.rallybrc.co.uk for full details.

The Rallye Sunseeker will return to Poole Quay and the forests of Dorset in 2013.

Report & Photography: Tim Surman

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Rallye Sunseeker International 2012

It was a very intense battle all day that was only really settled when Jarkko Nikara, retired on SS11 with an Engine fire that the victory went to Mark Donnelly / Dai Roberts in a Renault Clio R3 over Desi Henry / Niall Burns in a Citroen DS3  by almost 2 minutes. The battle between Donnelly and Nikara kept everyone entertained during the day and it was a superb battle that enthralled everyone. Equally impressive was the fact that Desi Henry then finished 0.2secs ahead of Elfyn Evans in a super finish in his Ford Fiesta. Mark Donnelly also went on to claim the Pirelli Star driver award at the finish ramp on the seafront finish ramp in Bournemouth.

1st 2 Mark Donnelly/Dai Roberts – Renault Clio R3 1:07:06.0
2 – 9 Desi Henry/Niall Burns – Citroen DS3 R3 1:08:55.5
3 – 4 Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards – Ford Fiesta R2 1:08:55.7
4 – 10 Osian Pryce/Iestyn Williams – Citroen DS3 R3T 1:09:28.4
5 – 7 Peter Taylor/Andrew Roughead 5 Renault Clio R3 1:09:29.1

Rallye Sunseeker National 2012

The Spectators on Rallye Sunseeker National 2012 were treated to a great days rallying in the National category on this years event. Last years winners Roger Duckworth / Mark Broomfield in their Subaru WRC headed home the Ford Focus WRC of Michael O’Brien Paul Spooner by just overt a minute. Michaels son Daniel O’Brien, also in a Ford Focus WRC with Paul Morris alongside made it a family affair by making the podium in 3^rd spot 58.4secs ahead of local crew Anthony Wilmington / Andy White in their Mitsubishi EVO6. Stuart Larbey with son Simon co-driving the Childrens Trust MG Metro6R4 finished behind them in 5^th place.

1st – 35 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield – Subaru Impreza WRC 0:53:22.7
2 – 37 Michael O’Brien/Paul Spooner – Ford Focus WRC 0:54:35.4
3 – 38 Daniel O’Brien/Paul Morris – Ford Focus WRC 0:56:02.5
4 – 36 Anthony Willmington/Andy White – Mitsubishi EVO6 0:57:00.9
5 – 42 Stuart Larbey/Simon Larbey – MG Metro 6R4 1:01:16.2

Rallye Sunseeker Challenge 2012

After a day of battles in the forests of Bournemouth and Poole, it was James Ford / Neil Colman who ran out winners of the Rallye Sunseeker Challenge 2012, in their Ford Escort MkII. They led home the Citroen C2R2 Max of Richard Sykes / Simon Taylor by 53.1 secs. Making the final podium place was another Citroen C2R2 of Gareth White / Matt Dickson just over a minute behind.

1st – 79 James Ford/Neil Colman – Ford Escort Mk2 0:54:49.6
2 – 77 Richard Sykes/Simon Taylor – Citroen C2R2 Max 0:55:42.7
3 – 89 Gareth White/Mike Dickson – Citroen C2R2 Max 0:56:58.5
4 – 83 Mark McCulloch/Mike Curry – Proton Satria 0:58:27.4
5 – 91 James Watts/Steve Hartley – Volkswagen Polo 0:59:15.2

Rallye Sunseeker Historique 2012

After 8 Stages, and a finish at Somerley Park it was the Ford Escort MKII of James Potter / Nick Broome that finished in first place and came home ahead of the similar car of Robert Dennis / Bob Stokoe by just over two minutes. Southern Car Club member Matthew Fowle, with co-driver Elliott Edmondson in a Ford Escort Mexico finished in 3^rd place, just under a minute ahead of Nick Danks / Martin Corbett again in a Ford Escort Mexico.

1st – 102 James Potter/Nick Broome – Ford Escort MK2 0:45:10.0
2 – 104 Robert Dennis/Bob Stokoe – Ford Escort 0:47:18.2
3 – 105 Matthew Fowle/Elliott Edmondson – Ford Escort Mexico 0:48:27.9
4 – 106 Nick Danks/Martin Corbett – Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico 0:49:23.8
5 – 109 Bob Gibbons/Stuart Cardell – Ford Cortina MK2 0:51:43.2

The next round of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship was at Thruxton. With qualifying in the morning and two races in the afternoon it`s a busy day for the teams and drivers. The Friday practice was a really hot day with tempertures in the high 20`s but for Saturday qualifying and race the temperature had dropped, with fine rain in the air. Qualifying ended with Dino Zamparelli  a clear half second ahead of second place James Thorp and Matt Mason in third.

The first race of the day was full of drama. A first lap crash at Campbell between Victor Jimenez, Hector Hurst and Archie Hamilton saw all three drivers race end, the rest of the field carried on with Dino Zamperelli pulling a clear lead. But with three quarters of the race done a second crash between Jack Dex and Zaamin Jaffer on the exit of Club with the two cars ending up by the side of the pit wall, the safey car came out but with the two cars in a dangerous place for the marshalls to recover and race was stopped and Dino Zamparelli was declared the winner, with Matt Mason in second and Josh Webster in third.

The second race of the day and Dino Zamparelli was on pole again. The start of the race saw Steve Durrant having a brilliant start and managed to get pass Josh Wesbter and into third from seventh on the grid and held that place for a number of laps, with a clean fight between the two till Josh Webster got past to retake third. The race finished with no crashes and the same order as the first.

With the results from Saturday Dino Zamparelli keeps ahead in the championship.

Results below the gallery.

Report and photographs by Tim Surman.

Qualifying Race 1:

Pos:      No:      Name:                                      Entry:                           Time:

1          8          Dino Zamparelli                        Antel Motorsport          1:12.490

2          38        James Thorp                             Mtechlite                      1:13.086

3          14        Matt Mason                             MGR Motorsport         1:13.123

4          5          Josh Webster                            Fortec Motorsport        1:13.335

5          77        Kourosh M Khani                    Scorpio Motorsport      1:13.360

6          18        Steven Durrant             RPD Motorsport          1:13.660

7          2          Archie Hamilton                        Fortec Motorsport        1:13.700

8          35        Hector Hurst                            Scorpio Motorsport      1:13.708

9          25        Victor Jimenez              Fortec Motorsport        1:13.805

10        43        David Wagner                          MGR Motorsport         1:13.852

11        7          Callum Bowyer             Antel Motorsport          1:13.877

12        27        Jack Dex                                  SWB Motorsport         1:13.935

13        1          Howard Fuller                          Hillspeed                      1:13.970

14        9          Zaamin Jaffer                            Hillspeed                      1:13.971

15        55        Ivan Taranov                            Team Daytona              1:14.169

16        29        Rauol Owens                            SWB Motorsport         1:14.962

17        33        Sean Walkinshaw                     Hillspeed                      1:14.974

18        17        Tom Walker                             JWA Racing                  1:15.453

RACE 5 – GRID

Pos:      No:      Name:

1          8          Dino Zamparelli

2          14        Matt Mason

3          5          Josh Webster

4          36        James Thorp

5          77        Kourosh M Khani

6          35        Hector Hurst

7          18        Steven Durrant

8          2          Archie Hamilton

9          43        David Wagner

10        27        Jack Dex

11        7          Callum Bowyer

12        25        Victor Jimenez

13        9          Zaamin Jaffer

14        1          Howard Fuller

15        55        Ivan Taranov

16        33        Sean Walkinshaw

17        29        Rauol Owens

18        17        Tom Walker

RACE 5 – Classification

Pos:      No:      Name:                                      Gap:

1          8          Dino Zamparelli

2          14        Matt Mason                             3.957

3          5          Josh Webster                            8.047

4          18        Steven  Durrant             12.381

5          77        Kourosh M Khani                    15.388

6          2          Archie Hamilton                        17.150

7          36        James Thorp                             18.567

8          35        Hector Hurst                            19.427

9          1          Howard Fuller                          20.141

10        9          Zaamin Jaffer                            20.849

11        27        Jack Dex                                  27.129

12        55        Ivan Taranov                            40.479

13        17        Tom Walker                             40.479

14        33        Sean Walkinshaw                     40.938

DNF    7          Callum Bower

DNF    43        David Wagner

DNF    29        Rauol Owens

Fastest lap:

Dino Zamparelli            1:13.518          115.36mph