RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Jack Frost Rally (DDMC) – Sunday 22 January

Darlington & District Motor Club’s annual event for rally cars run on stages all within the confines of the Croft Circuit.

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Motorcycle races (NEMCRC) – Saturday 31 March – 1st April

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Car Races (BARC) – Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 April

The first of three top-class club level events being run at Croft in 2012 by the famed British Automobile Racing Club. A packed two-day programme includes qualifying and races for hotly contested categories such as N.W. Sports and Saloons, Clubmans Cup, Classic Clubmans, Kumho BMW, Max 5, Crossle sportscars, 125cc gearbox Karts

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Car Races (DDMC) – Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 May

The first of four appearances by the Darlington & District Motor Club’s Northern Saloon and Sportscars Championship at its spiritual home of Croft in 2012 (rounds 3 & 4 of 14). The championship was one of UK motor sport’s best supported club-level series in 2011 with oversubscribed entries forcing the DDMC to run extra races for its near-capacity grids. With more than 20 different makes and models of car on the grid it’s a golden opportunity to see the best drivers from the region in action over the two days. Other categories include Saker sportscars plus 1 TBA & VW Fun Cup Endurance Race (Sat evening only)

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British Touring Car Championship – Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 June

The stars of Britain’s premier motor racing championship are back at Croft! Honda ace Matt Neal won two of the three races at Croft in 2011 on his way to the crown – can he do the same again in 2012 as he seeks to equal Andy Rouse’s record of four titles? Two days of non-stop bumper-to-bumper, fender-bending action featuring BTCC practice, qualifying and (Sunday) three races plus plenty more thrills and spills from the supporting categories such as Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Ginetta GT Supercup, Ginetta Juniors etc. Public access includes paddock and BTCC driver autograph session.

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Car Races (BARC) – Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 July

Another weekend full of superb club action from the BARC with categories including Porsche Club GB, 2CV, Max 5, Honda VTEC, Darlington & District Motor Club Saloon & Sportscars. Headlining are the Formula Renault (BARC) single-seater and Porsche GT3 Cup sportscar championships, each using cars previously used in their more senior BTCC-supporting series

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Nostalgia Weekend (HSCC) – Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 August

A magical trip down memory lane! On-track single-seater, saloon, GT and sportscar motor races for cars from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. Off-track hundreds of classic cars and motorcycle displays plus a fascinating and unmissable WWII presence including tanks, jeeps, buses, cars, music, fashion, catering and, in the sky, air displays courtesy of Croft Military. Dressing in period style is a must (but not compulsory!) for all public visitors for what is truly one of the big highlights of the year at Croft

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Motorcycle Races (Derby Phoenix) – Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 August

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Car Races (DDMC) – Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 September

The title race in the Northern Saloon & Sportscars Championship will be hotting up as it enters its penultimate two races of 2012. Also on the race card are Porsches, Scottish Mini Coopers, Mazda MX5s, MGCC Cockshoot Cup

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Car Races (BARC) – Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 September

The BARC’s final appearance at Croft in 2012 with the thrilling final title-deciding rounds for its raved-about InterSteps single-seater category, Production Touring Car Trophy and Mini Se7en/Mini Miglia series. Further action is provided by Legends and 250cc gearbox Karts while it’s also the final two races of 2012 for the DDMC’s Northern Sports & Saloon Car Championship as it crowns its new Champion

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British Rallycross – Sunday 28 October

After a successful return to Croft in 2011, more robust rallycross action is on the cards in 2012. Categories expected include Swifts, Hot Hatches and Supernationals right up to the flame-belching 450bhp Supercars expected. Watch this space for more info!

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Roger Albert Clark Rally – Saturday 24 November

Recreating the Lombard RAC Rallies during a time many believe was rallying’s golden era, Britain’s (and one of the world’s) favourite events for historic cars stops off for two stages at Croft as part of its gruelling four-day route that runs from North Yorks and across into the forests of Kielder, Cumbria and Dumfries etc. It’s rear-wheel-drive only with Ford Escort Mk1s & Mk2s, Vauxhall Chevettes, Lancia Stratos and Fulvia, Opel Asconas, Saab 96s, Porsche 911s and many more among the entries. A real gem in the crown for Croft and motor sport in the North East!

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Christmas Rally – TBA

Expect up to 90 cars to take to the start line for Northallerton Auto Club’s annual and highly popular end-of-year, single-venue event held within the confines of the Croft Circuit. Kevin Procter made it three wins out of four recently – can he add another win this time around?

Toyota Sprint Series 2011 event report – round 5 Croft 4th September 2011

For the first time in the Toyota Sprint Series history, Croft played host to round five of the championship. A former wartime airbase located in North Yorkshire, records of racing there go back to the 1920’s, although the current layout was not designed and put into use until 1997, and has since received yearly visits by the British Touring Car and British Superbike championships.

Only the organisational skills of Javelin Trackdays Colin Jebson and the compliance of the Toyota Sprint Series competitors to adhere to noise limits throughout the year made this event possible, as due to a court judgement in 2009 regarding noise, only forty “noisy” days a year can be run at the circuit.

Thirty one drivers in twenty six cars took part, and those who hadn’t seen the circuit before were surprised at how fast and flowing it was, the only exception being tight hairpin at the end of the lap.

With the end of the season drawing closer, overall and class positions were being fought out and looked at closer than ever before, and Croft would be a turning point for many in their quest to come out on top.

Results in class order:

Class F Street – Up to 1.0

Dan Quinn returned in his little 1.0 litre Yaris, and thoroughly enjoyed his day, proclaiming it to be his greatest days sprinting ever. Praise indeed from someone who has taken part in every event bar one in the history of the series.

Dan managed to shave over a second off of his previous best on his last lap to win the class with a 96.25 lap.

Class F Pro – Up to 1.0

Class F Pro is the home for the TRD built 1.0 Vitz shared by Jane Newsome and Tim Cogman. A rejuvenated Jane drove with more confidence and verve than she has all season, an ever larger smile accompanying her return from each run.

A 97.49 lap was her reward, but Tim once again took the class spoils with a 93.87 obtained on his last lap.

Class D Street – Up to 1.6 Normally Aspirated

Local man Matthew Tyson made his series debut driving his pretty Corolla AE111 at Croft, and thoroughly enjoyed his day. Matthew was consistent throughout, and like so many others, set his best time of 89.07 on his final lap to take the class win.

Class C Street – Over 1.6 Normally Aspirated

Scott Briance unusually had his car all to himself for Croft, his father and brother being unable to take part.

Scott drove with his normal speed and consistency, six of his eight runs being in the 89 second bracket, his sixth run of 89.19 being the quickest to clinch the class win.

Class C Pro- Over 1.6 Normally Aspirated

Stephen Ellis put up a brave fight in his automatic ST182 Celica, finishing with a 91.09, but it was once again Paul Thomas’s Supra that took Class C Pro honours with a 86.42 attained on his final run.

Class B Street – Up To 1.6 Forced Induction

After a short absence Gavin Mycock entered his second event in a row in his Sera and found himself all alone in Class B Street. Despite some unorthadox mechanical assistance by certain “friends” (!), Gavin chipped away at his times throughout the day to finish on a 89.06.

Class B Pro – Up To 1.6 Forced Induction

The fierce season long battle between Barrie Newsome and Phil Cutler was expected to continue at Croft, but sadly a supercharger problem for Phil’s MR2 left him helpless. Barrie cruised to an untroubled victory with an 80.71, Phil’s best time being an unrepresentative 89.32.

Class A3 Street – Over 1.6l Forced Induction

Seven drivers contested Class A3 Street, Ash Simpson’s ST205 Celica again proving dominant with a superb 80.69.

In her last sprint of the season, Di Turner’s relaxed attitude reflected in her times.  An 82.6 in her ST205 Celica putting her an excellent second in class, 10th overall, and a deserving recipient of the Hard Charger trophy.

Class A3 Pro – Over 1.6l Forced Induction – Modified

A healthy seven cars also did battle in Class A3 Pro.

Andrew Falkingham once again proved untouchable in his ST205 Celica, and recorded an extremely fast 77.41 on his fifth run.

Chris Cooke again encountered overheating issues with his MR2, but assistance from Arran Gabell allowed Chris out for the final three runs to record an 80.45 on his final run, enough to finish a commendable second in class and fifth overall.

Class A2 Street – Over 1.6 Forced Induction

Dave Ellen missed the last round at Cottesmore due to tyre issues, but bounced back in his Lexus IS350 at Croft to cruise to a to an 89.33 class win.

Class A2 Pro – Over 1.6 Forced Induction

The Servicetune duo of Andy Bunney and Nigel Levinson enjoyed one of the closest tussles of the day, consistently trading fastest laps with each other in their ST185 Celica.

A huge spin for Nigel ensured that Andy eventually came out on top, but only by a mere .41 of a second. Andy’s best of 80.24 coming on lap six, Nigel’s 80.65 on lap five.

Class A1 Pro Over 1.6 Forced Induction

With only two rounds left in the championship, pressure on both Jonny Milner  and Adrian Smith was really building.

At times Jonny did not look particularly fast, looking over the limit due to the amount of sideways action, but the eyes can deceive and Jonny was on top form, setting a stunning 67.82 on his third run.

Adrian was left to play catch up for the rest of the day, and despite giving his absolute all during his final run, had to settle for second on the day with a 69.92.

Results – Simplified:

1st Overall: Jonny Milner – Celica GT4-TC

2nd Overall: Adrian Smith – Celica GT4-X

3rd Overall: Andrew Falkingham – Celica GT4

Class A2 Pro Winner: Andy Bunney – Celica GT4

Class A2 Pro Runner up: Nigel Levinson – Celica GT4

Class A2 Street Winner: Dave Ellen – Lexus IS350

Class A3 Pro Winner: Andrew Falkingham – Celica GT4

Class A3 Pro Runner up: Chris Cooke – MR2 Turbo

Class A3 Street Winner: Ash Simpson – Celica GT4

Class A3 Street Runner up: Diane Turner – Celica GT4

Class B Pro Winner: Barrie Newsome – Starlet Turbo

Class B Pro Runner up: Phil Cutler – MR2 SC

Class B Street Winner: Gavin Mycock – Sera

Class C Pro Winner: Paul Thomas – Supra

Class C Pro Runner up: Stephen Ellis – Celica ST182

Class D Street Winner: Matthew Tyson – Corolla AE111

Class F Pro Winner: Tim Cogman – Vitz

Class F Pro Runner up: Jane Newsome – Vitz

Class F Street Winner: Dan Quinn – Yaris

Hard Charger: Diane Turner – Celica GT4

Summary:

The smooth, faster than anticipated nature of Croft made it hugely popular with every competitor. Excellent facilities along with the friendly nature of the series led first time entrants to comment they would definitely be back for more, and those who had travelled the furthest distances to attend stated they would have no hesitation in returning should the series use the same venue again.

It is interesting to note that fourteen of the 31 competitors posted their fastest laps on the eighth and final lap of the day. Learning the track? Feeling more confident in their own or cars abilities? Pure desperation? A combination of all of these? I leave it for you to decide, but driving standards and car preparation certainly take a leap forward with each passing round.

One of the many indications of how friendly and easy the series is to access is reflected by the fact that five ladies were once again entered at Croft, enjoying it every bit as much as the men, and often putting them to shame in the process!

Congratulations to all who took part, every one of you making it a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day for everyone involved.

And so on to the last round of the series at Blyton.

With so many classes yet to be decided, the action is sure to be even more tense and closely fought than ever before.

Bring yourselves, bring your family, bring your friends, and witness the final round of the 2011 Toyota Sprint Series for yourselves.

Some more photo’s from the day:

Photo’s courtesy of Andrew Cliffe at www.norwichphoto.co.uk

Event report by TSS Tim

A number of big meets this weekend.

Brands Hatch – DTM – the German Touring Cars come to the UK once again

Rockingham – British F3 and British GT

Knockhill – British Touring Car Championships

There are a number of smaller events going on as well…

Oulton Park – BRSCC meeting on Saturday

Thruxton – BARC meeting, including BARC Formula Renault

Cadwell Park – BARC club meeting on Saturday, Bikes on Sunday

Croft – Toyota Sprint Series on Sunday

Anglesey – Lancashire & Cheshire Car Club & MG Car Club sprint

Castle Combe – bikes on Saturday

Snetterton – bikes

Bowyer edging closer to the podium with best car racing weekend yet

Car racing rookie Callum Bowyer reckons a podium finish between now and the end of the season is not out of the question in the 2011 Formula Renault BARC Championship, after producing a superb performance in what was incontestably his finest outing to-date at Croft.

Having graduated into single-seaters this year off the back of an ultra-successful national karting career, Callum took a giant leap forward in the third round of Formula Renault BARC’s 2011 campaign at Oulton Park – leaving him bullish about his prospects as the action resumed with round four at Croft in North Yorkshire.

“We had driven at Croft in an official pre-season test back in March, and it had gone really well,” revealed the talented young Peterborough speed demon. “It was my first time in the car in dry conditions and on slick tyres, and I had lapped sixth-quickest, which was really encouraging. I felt I had learned a lot since then and gained much more experience, so I was looking to have a strong weekend.

“I really like the track; it’s got everything – long straights, twisty and technical corners and some fast corners as well…a real mixture – and I just wanted to keep on improving and build upon my Oulton Park result. We’d shown really good pace at Oulton, which had done my confidence a lot of good and given me quite a big boost.”

That pace was palpably maintained during practice at Croft, as Callum lapped an eye-catching fourth-quickest on Thursday and then sixth on Saturday morning – or fourth-fastest again of the drivers not to elect to bolt on a set of fresh rubber – barely half-a-second adrift of the outright benchmark. Heading into qualifying, it was all looking extremely promising.

“We’ve tended to have better race pace than qualifying pace so far this year, so to be fourth and sixth-quickest over a single lap was really good,” affirmed the Antel Motorsport star. “Unfortunately, in qualifying, a number of factors conspired against us and when it really mattered, it all fell away from us a little bit.

“With the tyre performance at Croft, there was such a small window to actually put a lap together – and I think we missed that window. In the first session, I got traffic on my fastest lap, so that was out of our hands, which was a bit frustrating, and I think we took the best out of our tyres in that session which meant we struggled in the second one as well. The wind had changed direction since Friday, too, and it was slightly warmer, neither of which seemed to help us. It was just a really disappointing outcome overall.”

The upshot was an unrepresentative 11^th place on the starting grid for race one and 12^th for race two amongst the 21 competitors, but undeterred and unbowed, during the opening encounter, Callum went on to demonstrate the virtue of grittily refusing to give in.

“We knew we were on the back foot tyre-wise going into the races, but we changed a few things on the car which seemed to improve it and made it gentler on them,” he explained. “That enabled the tyres to last that little bit longer and allowed me to fight my way through.

“I knew our race pace would be good because it has been all season, and since there was so little to choose between a lot of the drivers around me on the grid in terms of lap times – literally just thousandths of a second – I simply concentrated on picking them off one-by-one. In the first race, I got a good start and managed to dodge an incident ahead when a few cars went off. I ended the opening lap in eighth and then tried to establish a decent rhythm.

“To be honest, it was quite a boring race from where I was sitting, but I gained steadily on the group of cars in front and on the last lap, the driver I was applying pressure upon went off. Then into the Complex, there was a coming-together between two more drivers and I was able to pass one of them. I had been expecting to finish seventh, so fifth was really quite a bonus!”

A bonus it might have been, but thoroughly well-deserved it was, too, as Callum ably demonstrated his raw pace and potential with the fourth-quickest lap time – better than the two drivers who took the chequered flag directly ahead of him – to turn his troubled qualifying around in style and match his best result in cars thus far.

Whilst conceding that ‘it would have been nice to have gained the positions by overtaking the others on the track’, the Gunthorpe ace nonetheless rightly acknowledged that ‘you’ve got to be there when it counts to be able to grab the opportunities when they arise’ – and he subsequently entered race two with his tail up.

“I got another really good start,” he recalled, “and over the first few laps, I focussed on trying to keep my tyres in good condition, because with Croft being such an abrasive circuit, we knew they would drop off over the second half of the race. I just had to persevere for a while, but then after a handful of laps we really got going, and I caught and passed a few drivers in front, pulling away afterwards each time.

“It’s so hard to overtake in these cars; you really have to think hard about where and how you are going to do it, line the moves up and carefully plan everything out. I got up to eighth place, but then in the closing stages there was quite a big gap to the pack in front, so I just made sure I brought it safely home in that position.”

With nobody ahead retiring or hitting problems that he might have been able to take advantage of, it was indeed a result achieved entirely on merit – and one that crowned Callum’s best weekend in car racing yet. Making a special point of thanking Antel Motorsport, Brett Parris, Julian Parris, Calum McGregor and Stuart Croft for the key role they all played in that, there is no denying that in recent weeks, the 17-year-old’s improvement has been significant and his progress meteoric.

Having vaulted from 15^th in the championship standings pre-Croft to 12^th now – tallying the fifth-highest points total over the course of the weekend and impressively outscoring each of the seven drivers immediately above him in the table – the former British Karting Champion is clearly fired-up to keep his momentum going next time out at Thruxton, the most fearsomely fast circuit in the whole of the UK.

“Everything feels like it’s coming together a bit more,” Callum mused in conclusion, “and that’s reflected in the results we’re getting. I feel a lot more comfortable in the car now; we’ve still got a little way to go, but we’ve made massive progress in that respect. We certainly took another step forward at Croft – we’ve done so every time, to be fair – and that’s definitely a good sign.

“Obviously, I’d like to be right up at the front at Thruxton, but the main goal really has to be to just keep on improving. Every time we go out, we’re getting closer-and-closer to the outright pace, and hopefully between now and the end of the season, we might even be able to get a podium. With a good qualifying performance and just a little bit of luck, I don’t think that’s out-of-reach.”

Callum is seeking sponsorship for the remainder of the 2011 campaign; if you are interested in supporting him, please contact Tracey Bowyer on 01733 701099 or 07960 400731, or e-mail: callumkf3@hotmail.com

Photos: Jakob Ebrey

Croft: July 23^rd/24^th (Rounds 9 & 10 of BARC’s VTEC Challenge)

Croft Circuit provided a home for the popular VTEC Challenge over the weekend of the 23^rd and 24^th of July, for rounds 9 & 10 of the 2011 series.

Set in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, this superb 2.1 mile circuit has been developed over 50 years into a top-flight racing venue which now hosts prestigious events such as British Touring Car Championship, British GT Championship, and the British Formula 3 Championship.

The fast sweeping curves of the “Jim Clark Esses” and “Barcroft” offer a genuine white-knuckle experience for those brave enough to push their cars to the limits of adhesion. When these sections are combined with the circuit’s high speed straights, slow corners and the famous hairpin leading onto the start/finish straight, you have all the ingredients for a breathtaking experience.

VTEC

Both Andy Harvey and Tim Blowers were new drivers to the fold, each running their Honda Integra’s in Class C.

Andy’s DC2 has previously seen race action in the Japanese Touring Cars before being shipped to the UK. After passing through the hands of several friends, Harvey has became the cars current custodian and following a few safety updates it was declared fit to race. Usually seen behind the wheel of his 550bhp 4wd Subaru Impreza, Croft would be the first time racing the Integra for the recently qualified ARDS instructor.

Tim’s DC5 in the rare hue of “Vivid Blue Pearl” has been developed from his road/track car into a fully fledged race equipped tin-top specifically for the “VTEC Challenge” by Andy and the team at “vtecdirect.com”. With Croft being Tim’s first ever race, he would be alongside Mark Chese in his Civic Type R in class B.

Amazingly both Tim and Mark drive their car’s to the track, race and then drive home again! True grass roots spirit, which show’s anyone out there who thinks they can’t do this to think again.

“R-Motion” returned to the track with their lightweight EG Civic, which has been rebuilt to take part in the “Tuner” class thanks to a “K” series transplant. Originally running in class D (for cars with engines up to 1600cc) as an exercise to show what was capable on a budget, the tuners have gone all out to produce a car that will challenge for the top spot. Finished only in the days leading up to Croft, it was hoped that all would be well come race time.

Entrants:

03 – Tim Blowers – DC5 Integra 2000cc (B)
11 – Dave Roberts – CRX 1600cc (D)
24 – Rich Voaden – DC2 Integra 2200 (A)

31 – Andy Smith – Accord Type R (A)

64 – Rich Chilton – DC2 1800cc (C)
66 – Andy Harvey – DC2 1800cc (C)

70 – Kris Dunlop – Civic EG 2000cc (T)
85 – Stew Hutchinson – Integra 1800 (C)
98 – Mark Chese – Civic Type R (EP3) (B)

Qualifying Race 1:

Scrutineering saw all entrants return with the necessary stickers applied, which meant everyone was good to go, and qualifying could get underway when the allotted time came.

For the weekend, the VTEC Challenge had been asked to allow some of the classes from the Darlington and District Motor Club Northern Saloon Championship to join them on circuit. Classes B,C,D and H for cars of various specs, but all with treaded tyres would line up and do battle. With some serious metal to contend with, as well as two other Honda’s, qualifying would be a close run thing.

With everyone clean out of the holding area, there were 34 cars on track all looking to set their fastest time and secure a good grid slot.

With a few laps under their belts to get everything up to temperature, and to make a mental note of the circuit’s corners and undulations, everyone pressed on.

Andy Smith in the “vtecdirect.com” ATR managed a pirouette mid track, but kept it together without further incident to him or fellow racers.

On lap 6, it looked as though it could be an early bath for the “R-Motion” Civic as driver Kris Dunlop pulled into the pits.

Following qualifying, the result showed that Richard Voaden had again secured VTEC pole, and impressively taken 3^rd place overall ahead of a Mitsubishi Evo 4 and a Metro 6R4 of Group B rallying fame.

Pole: Rich Voaden – 1.37.557 (3rd Overall)
2nd: Kris Dunlop – 1.39.026 (10th Overall)
3rd: Stewart Hutchinson – 1.39.195 (12th Overall)

In the paddock, it was all hands to the pump to help out where required. The Civic of Dunlop had developed a misfire, which was traced to a faulty throttle position sensor. A spare was borrowed from one of the “Honda’s On Track” members who had stayed on from Friday’s track day to watch the weekends racing.

Race 1:

Following the green flag lap, everyone was held on the grid until the red lights went on and then quickly out, signalling the start of the race.

With a the lights extinguished in a fraction of the time usually experienced, some of the racers were caught napping, meaning some accurate driving was needed to avoid any contact.

Running down the start/finish straight and into “Clervaux” Voaden was unable to hold off the Evo and 6R4, who had both used their 4wd to great effect and had powered past him.

Held up in traffic, a Sierra 4×4 turbo and a rapid Citroen Saxo also managed to pull ahead and cut of Rich’s racing line through “Hawthorn Bend”.

Dunlop was next through the first couple of corners, thankfully showing the fix to the car had worked, and he was hard on the gas looking to capitalise on any mistake.

Hutchinson and Harvey were 3 abreast through Hawthorn with the DC2 Integra of Simon Gibson from the DDMC, door handle to door handle, with Hutchinson exiting ahead to lead Gibson and Harvey into the chicane. A battle was brewing for sure between these three.

Chese in the Civic Type R had made a good getaway and was leading the rest of the VTEC pack around the circuit, with Smith, Chilton, Roberts and Blowers flying the flag for the Honda’s.

Through “Barcroft” and chasing Hutchinson hard, Harvey found that the rear tyres were not yet up to temperature as the rear of the car tried it’s best to overtake the front whilst flat out. A composed Harvey buried the throttle and in true touring car style, the Integra pulled itself out of a potential big “moment”.

Undeterred, the two Integra’s continued to dice throughout the rest of the race, with Harvey two wheeling his through the corners, with the help of the kerbs.

Chasing the lead cars, Voaden looked for his way through, and battled with the XR4x4 and Saxo which had passed him earlier. Lap 4 saw him dispatch the Sierra and a lap later it was the Citroen’s turn. With clear air ahead, Rich was soon posting his fastest lap times, and closing the gap to the Evo in 4^th. However 5^th place would be as high as the driver from Highworth would achieve, due to the distance between him and the Evo and the tyres starting to loose grip.
Dunlop’s Civic was closing the gap to Voaden, passing cars at a rate of 1 every couple of laps. Given a better starting position on the grid, this car has the ability to be on the top step at the end of the race.

All of the drivers were in their own battles, but everyone was climbing the overall leader board, showing their skills to the gathered crowd.

Hutchinson and Harvey fought over 3^rd place all the way to the line, with Harvey looking for the slightest chink in the solid defense shown by Hutchinson, but it wasn’t to be.

Mark Chese took care of the MX5 of Daniel Irving on the last but one lap to place 15^th overall.

Rich Chilton was battling with the XR2 of Daniel McKay and in the later stages was closing up on Andy Smith and his ATR who was battling with a Peugeot 307 for the majority of the race.

Dave Roberts and Tim Blowers closed out the VTEC entrants, ahead of some more potent and accomplished entrants.

1^st: Richard Voaden

2^nd: Kris Dunlop

3^rd: Stewart Hutchinson

Class wins were awarded to Kris Dunlop (Civic), Rich Voaden (ATR), Mark Chese (CTR), Stewart Hutchinson (ITR) and Dave Roberts (CRX)

Fastest lap: Rich Voaden 1:37.889 sec on lap 6 of 11

Race 2:

Grid formation for the start of race 2 was taken form the drivers 2^nd fastest lap from Saturday’s qualifying.

This meant all the VTEC drivers were spread throughout the pack, where each would be promised some close racing.

With lights out, it was another drag race down to the first corner, where all hell broke loose.

Bogging down off the line, Rich Voaden in the “Performance Autoworks” Integra took a while to get up to speed, but was soon charging down to “Clervaux”. Running alongside the Civic of Peter Dixon from the DDMC, Voaden had the inside line, when the Beetle RSi of Ian Humpish turned across the front of Dixon and then speared into the passenger side of Voaden. Whilst the Beetle’s race ended where it came to rest, Voaden took to the gravel trap in his heavily battle scarred Integra, and re-joined the race, albeit a bit further down the running order. Down, but not out Rich regained control and began to push on to claw back lost positions.

Coming through from 13^th and 14^th on the grid, it was Harvey and Dunlop who where on top of the carnage before they knew what had happened. Already up with Hutchinson who had started in 10^th place, the trio again were battling for position, with Harvey the victor as he lead the VTEC contingency through the chicane.

Although out in front, the Integra of Harvey couldn’t hold off the advances of Dunlop in the “K” Series engined Civic, and following that, the charging Integra of a recovered Voaden. Whilst Voaden closed the gap to Dunlop considerably, he was unable to prise the lead off of Dunlop, who took his first race win of the season.

Coming into “Tower” on lap 6, and comfortably holding 3 place overall, the front left wheel of Harvey’s Integra locked up, causing a massive moment and an untimely retirement from the race. Investigation later found a missing calliper bolt to be the culprit, which had caused the calliper to move and lock on the brakes.

With Harvey out, Stewart in his DC2 JDM Integra took 3rd place, however following a massive lock up coming into “Tower”, issues with the Integra’s steering began to make themselves known. With a decision to retire or push on needed, it was a relief when the chequered flag was deployed.

Mark Chese and Richard Chilton were tooth and nail right down to the wire, with Chese taking the position, over Chilton’s fastest lap.

Dave Roberts was busy fending off the Peugeot 307 of Stephen Maude for his position on track, while Smith and Blowers both brought their cars home safely to round out the VTEC grid.

1^st: Kris Dunlop

2^nd: Rich Voaden

3^rd: Stewart Hutchinson

Class wins were awarded to Kris Dunlop (Civic), Rich Voaden (ATR), Mark Chese (CTR), Stewart Hutchinson (ITR) and Dave Roberts (CRX)

Fastest lap: Kris Dunlop 1:37.596 sec on lap 8 of 11

Summary:

Another brilliant event, which has been hailed as the best racing ever encountered by several of the drivers, comes to a close. This is surely a testament to the series organiser efforts, the close but clean racing and the superb off track atmosphere.
The VTEC challenge heads east to the new layout of Snetterton in Norfolk for rounds 11 & 12, which will be run on Saturday the 27^th of August.

Can it get any better than this? Join us to find out.

Words: Jonathan Fletcher

Pictures: Adrian Arran

George

The GoMobileUK.com with Tech-Speed team is focused on challenging for honours in the second half of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season after the 2011 campaign reached the half way point at Croft.

As was the case at Oulton Park a fortnight earlier, Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill and Guernsey-based team-mate John George showed encouraging speed at the wheel of their normally aspirated Chevrolet Cruzes during the Croft race weekend, where O’Neill secured his seventh top ten finish of the campaign.

Paul qualified eleventh on the grid for the opening race of the weekend, which was held on a wet circuit after rain during the morning. With the rain having stopped before the race got underway, Paul elected to gamble on a mix of slick and wet tyres on his Chevrolet on what was a drying circuit, although he lost places early on to those cars running on wets all round. However, as conditions improved, Paul was able to make the most of his tyre choice to come back through the field to finish ninth.

Although he lost places at the start of a dry second race, Paul quickly fought his way back up to eighth with a series of quick laps, with his Chevrolet one of the quickest cars on track as he battled for position with the Ford of Tom Chilton. However, a clash of wheels at the hairpin on lap ten damaged the rear suspension on the Cruze and forced Paul to return to the pits to retire.

Starting towards the back of the field for race three as a result, Paul lost places after being forced off by Lea Wood on the second lap but the fans favourite was again able to make the most of the speed of the Cruze to start climbing back through the pack. However, in an almost carbon copy of race two, Paul was forced to retire late on after clashing wheels with a rival car at the hairpin.

At the half way point of the season, Paul sits tenth in the championship standings and is sixth amongst the independents.

“In the first race we took the gamble on tyres but we couldn’t quite get the heat into the slicks until later in the race,” he said. “However, I’m not sure the end result would have changed if we’d been on full wets, as all it meant was we were struggling for grip at the start while the others struggled at the end.

“In race two, the car felt really good and we had strong pace, but when I went down the inside of Chilton at the hairpin, we just touched wheels. I’ve probably done that move 15 times in the past few years and not had a problem. In race three, it was a carbon copy.

“We don’t deserve some of the luck we have had so far this season but we can’t change what has happened and have to look forwards. We are still learning the car and continue to make progress every weekend, as we could see in race two before the retirement. It all looks good for the second half of the season and we saw last year that it was after the summer break that the Cruze really came on song.”

Team-mate John qualified 23rd on the grid in the sister car but was an early retirement from the opening race of the weekend after going off in the wet conditions and hitting the tyre barriers. The impact with the tyres left John with an injured thumb that was attended to prior to the second race, where he was able to line up towards the rear of the field after the Tech-Speed team worked hard to repair the damaged Cruze.

Despite his injured thumb causing plenty of pain every time he went to change gear, John steadily worked his way up the order and – despite losing places after an incident mid-way through the race – secured a solid 14th place finish from race two.

Another solid drive despite the injury in race three saw John take the flag in 17th and he will now look to work his way towards the top ten when racing resumes at Snetterton in August.

“The incident in race one really handicapped me for the rest of race day as my thumb was extremely painful when I was changing gears, especially on the downshift,” he said. “There had been quite a bit of damage to the car after the incident and the boys did a great job to get me out on track for the second race of the weekend.

“I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t achieve more this weekend, but I didn’t quite have the pace. We’ve got a seven week break now before Snetterton so I need to work with the team to see what I can do to improve myself and the car as a package and then come out stronger and faster in the second half of the season.”

Pics: Speedsnaps.co.uk

Best victory of the season keeps Ingram ahead on bruising weekend

A weekend that culminated in two failures to finish and a hefty slice of damage might not perhaps be regarded as the most successful of endeavours, but for Tom Ingram, such ill-fortune in the fifth meeting of the 2011 Ginetta G50 Cup at Croft failed to detract from a race that he described as his finest triumph of the season and one that reaffirmed his status as the fastest and most accomplished driver in the field.

Perennially underfunded, Tom’s participation at Croft came about only when his team Plans Motorsport generously stepped in at the last minute to save the day. Having stormed to six victories from the opening 11 races and established a commanding 81-point championship lead, the talented young High Wycombe star arrived targeting a trio of solid results, in the knowledge that such was his advantage in the title standings, consistent podiums and points-scoring finishes should henceforth be enough.

What’s more, the 17-year-old had invariably performed well around the North Yorkshire circuit in the past, qualifying third and fourth there during his maiden campaign of car racing in 2009 and claiming a brace of rostrum finishes 12 months later.

“I really love Croft,” he enthused. “It’s one of my favourites. I’ve always been quick there but have never had much luck. It seems to suit my driving style quite well; you have to be really precise and make sure you hit all the apexes right. It’s quite tight, twisty and technical with effectively just one long straight, so there’s not a huge amount of opportunity to relax around the lap. I need to say a massive ‘thank you’, as well, to Plans Motorsport for getting me out at the weekend – without their help, I wouldn’t have been racing.”

Lapping a close second-quickest during Friday practice without even running on new tyres, when a fresh set of rubber was bolted on for qualifying the next day, the BRDC Rising Star was fastest straight out-of-the-box, comfortably securing pole position to the tune of three tenths of a second, and eighth overall in amongst some of the more powerful Ginetta G55s. If single-lap pace is the most accurate barometer of a driver’s raw speed, then the statistics are telling indeed; in 2011 to-date, Tom Ingram has clinched five successive poles out of five.

“Even on my quickest lap I made a small mistake when I ran a little bit wide and missed the apex through one of the corners,” he mused, “so I knew there was another tenth or two to come and I was confident I could maintain a consistent pace throughout the races.

“I got off to a decent start in the first of them and made some good progress on the opening lap. I managed to hold onto the G50 lead and then overtook a couple of G55s to give myself a little bit of breathing space. After that, I just kept pushing to try to extend the gap, whilst not taking too much life out of my tyres.

“With the pace we had, I was really gaining on some of the other G55s as the race went on, and I managed to get past them as quickly as possible so as not to risk getting held up too much. I was able to pick people off when I wanted to and I even overtook some of the faster guys – including Stefan Hodgetts and Tim Harvey. With two laps to go, I was up to fifth place and closing in on two G55s ahead, and with just one more lap I reckon I would have been right on the back of them and pushing for an overall podium.”

Given that Harvey is a former British Touring Car Champion, twice a title-winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and a man with some three decades of racing experience behind him, for a driver in only his third year of competition in cars to pass him on-track is no mean feat indeed. In an incredible performance, Tom took the chequered flag less than two-and-a-half seconds adrift of an outright rostrum – and eight-and-a-half ahead of his nearest G50 pursuer. It was, quite simply, a cut above.

“It was good fun overtaking people like Stefan and Tim, especially being in a lower class,” confessed the former Wycombe and Marlow Sports Personality of the Year. “It was admittedly a bit nerve-wracking to be really mixing it with the G55s like that, particularly knowing I couldn’t afford to get into any trouble, but I just had to keep my nose clean. I was really pleased to get the win, and it was even more special to have achieved it whilst battling against cars from a higher class. It was brilliant – definitely my best race of the season so far.”

Increasing his championship lead to 96 points – almost three race wins – into the bargain, sadly, that would be the final highlight of the weekend. With the weather frustratingly unpredictable ahead of race two, Tom initially climbed to a superb second overall and harried the G55 leader for a while, but as the track dried out, being on wet tyres severely counted against him and he slipped down the order.

When the rain re-materialised a third of the way through, he rubbed his hands in glee, with the scene set for an inspired fightback – but no sooner had that fightback begun than the reigning Ginetta Junior Champion and ex-British Karting Champion found himself unceremoniously harpooned out-of-contention by an errant rival and shunted into the unforgiving tyre barriers. The fact that his assailant was excluded from the results was little consolation, for it didn’t give him back the points he had lost.

Although the damage was principally cosmetic, unbeknown to Tom and the team, the steering rack had also taken a knock, and the Bucks speed demon discovered as soon as he took to the track in race three that it was pulling to the right.

The upshot was that when he got to the first left-hander on lap one, the back end of the car snapped away from him and spat him off the circuit and heavily into the tyres at precisely the same spot as the accident in race two. With the grass still very wet from the earlier rain, he was a passenger all the way to the impact. Quipping that ‘as soon as I went off, I just thought, not again’, whilst he valiantly tried to carry on, the car was no longer in a state to be driven.

“It was one of the best days of the season followed immediately by one of the worst – straight from a high to a low – but that’s motor racing,” Tom mused in conclusion. “We’ve been very lucky for the past year-and-a-half – we got through the whole of 2010 without any damage at all – so I guess it was always going to happen at some stage.”

In the circumstances a case of ‘damage limitation’ given that the Race Drivers Inc. member still has a 42-point championship lead – 60 on dropped scores – he is now vowing to put the weekend behind him, learn from the mistakes made and come back out fighting again in the next round…although with a seven-week break before the second half of the campaign revs into life at Snetterton in August, the chief task for Tom Ingram is to try to raise sufficient funding to be able to complete the season and keep his title dream alive.

If you are interested in supporting Tom and helping him over the second half of 2011 or beyond, please e-mail: tom@ingram26.fsnet.co.uk

Pics: Jakob Ebrey, except crash damage shot by Lee Foxon.

King shines through the spray for maiden Formula Renault UK podium

He had been threatening this kind of result for some time, truth be told, but the accomplished manner in which Jordan King artfully achieved his breakthrough podium finish in the 2011 Formula Renault UK Championship at Croft suggests it will be far from his last.

Having challenged right up at the front at Thruxton two rounds earlier, Jordan then endured a ‘nightmare’ at Oulton Park – struggling for speed in one of the races and finding himself caught out by a puddle whilst well-placed in the other – meaning he travelled to Croft determined to make amends.

A self-confessed fan of the North Yorkshire circuit’s tight, twisty and technical nature, after lapping encouragingly quickly during practice, the highly-rated Warwickshire star headed into qualifying in optimistic mood and ready to ‘put it all together’.

Unfortunately, the first session in wet conditions would swiftly degenerate into a disaster, as whilst the tyres on Jordan’s Manor Competition single-seater were at their peak immediately, the track was not. The upshot was 12^th and last place on the starting grid for the opening encounter – by which time the circuit had dried out – and a couple of subsequent issues failed to make matters any easier.

“The clutch broke at the start, which meant I didn’t get away properly,” revealed the talented Stoneleigh-based speed demon. “I lost a lot of time there, and it was disappointing that I couldn’t gain any ground through the first few corners, but I soon latched onto the back of the pack and when two drivers ahead ran a bit wide, I gained a couple of places.

“Later, I managed to get one of my team-mates up the inside into the hairpin, but then my steering column broke as well which made the car horrible to drive. There was no feeling, and I was having to hold the steering wheel up instead of it being in a fixed position – it was constantly moving about in my hands! That was probably the biggest issue I’ve ever had to deal with during a race, and it restricted me to ninth place at the end; without the problems, I’m pretty sure I could have got past the group just ahead, which would have put me sixth.”

Only three seconds adrift of P6 at the chequered flag and with a fastest lap time better than all three of the drivers directly in front of him, the results sheet ably bore out Jordan’s conviction, and he would begin race two from ninth, after the elements had once more conspired against him in qualifying.

With precipitation in the air and anticipating a downpour, the BRDC Rising Star ventured out on-track immediately and laid down an early benchmark, but then the rain unexpectedly stopped and other drivers who had gambled on waiting were able to lap faster as Jordan’s tyres had passed their best. Had the heavens not relented, he would likely have ended up on pole position. As it was, he was back on the fifth row.

“At the start, I got past Josh Hill up the inside into the first corner, but because that left me on the wet line, I got a slow exit and lost a bit of time to the group in front,” the 17-year-old recounted. “I also got a hit from behind going through the second corner, but whilst that bent the floor of the car slightly, fortunately it didn’t seem to affect its performance.

“The drivers ahead then got into a bit of a squabble, and on the exit of Tower Bend I managed get past one of them, which moved me up to seventh – and on the next lap, someone else ploughed straight into the tyres at the chicane which meant I was sixth.

“I then caught the group fighting over third, and as I got onto the back of them, there was a coming-together between a couple of them into the last corner and I was able to out-drag them both on the exit. I pulled away

and focussed on trying to catch the drivers in second and third, and one of them went off in front of me as the rain started falling again.

“When that happened, we seemed to find the grip immediately whilst everyone else was still looking for it, and that enabled me to get on it pretty quickly. You can’t just throw the car about in those conditions – you can manhandle a kart in the wet and use the weight of your body to move it around, but because a car is so much bigger, you have to take it a bit more cautiously.

“I kept putting myself in the right place at the right time, made a few moves on people and put pressure on when I needed to – and that meant the gaps opened up. We had the pace, and once I was in third, I started closing on the driver ahead by about a second-a-lap.

“There was quite a big gap but I thought I had a chance, until I made a small mistake which sent me briefly sideways. If I’d needed points to fight for the championship or something like that, for sure I’d have kept on pushing to try to catch him, but I’m not in that situation so I decided to slow it down a little and settle for third.”

Wisely deeming that with grip levels at a distinct premium, discretion was indeed the better part of valour, Jordan belied the fact that he is one of the youngest drivers in the field by maturely keeping his head in treacherously slippery conditions that caused many of his more experienced adversaries to lose theirs.

Positive that he could have done exactly the same in the dry, the fastest lap of the Graduate Cup contenders – better than that of the driver he had been chasing down – clearly confirmed his raw speed. The fact that he was a touch disappointed to ‘only’ be third simply underlined his burning motivation – but he has nonetheless palpably earned the respect of his rivals, who are really sitting up and taking notice of Jordan King now.

“It was a little frustrating we couldn’t have done it from the front, but it’s a different achievement coming through from the back,” the Princethorpe College student reflected. “We had a few problems over the course of the weekend, so to get my first podium in Formula Renault UK was a really good outcome at the end of it. Hopefully it will be the first of many, and we can take that confidence on to the next round.”

Before that, however, Jordan has a little bit of history to make, when he becomes the youngest driver ever to start a race in the current era of the FIA Formula Two Championship around legendary Belgian Grand Prix circuit Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. After lapping an impressive eighth-quickest during testing at Snetterton earlier this month, he is bullish about his prospects.

“It’s good to go into a different championship having proven the speed is there,” affirmed the Hugo Boss brand ambassador in conclusion. “The top ten is the aim, I think it’s doable – and I’ll definitely be giving it a go!”

To keep up-to-date with Jordan’s latest career news and results, please visit: www.jordanking.co.uk

Pics; Jakob Ebrey

‘Dream’ new team debut for Hawksworth with breakthrough car racing victory at Croft

Jack Hawksworth enjoyed what he described as an ‘absolute dream’ debut with his new team in the fifth outing of the 2011 Formula Renault UK Championship on ‘home’ turf at Croft, by storming to his breakthrough car racing victory – a result that he admitted left him feeling somewhat ‘overcome’.

Off the back of a relatively successful start to his maiden full campaign of car racing competition with Mark Burdett Motorsport – claiming a brace of podium finishes from the opening eight races – Jack switched camps to Atech Reid GP following Oulton Park, with his primary motivation stemming from the desire to have a fast, experienced Formula Renault UK front-runner to gauge himself against inside the same team.

“From having observed them during the season, I liked the way they worked and their approach to everything,” revealed the highly-rated young Bradford-based speed demon, palpably impressed by Atech Reid GP’s facilities and professionalism. “They had been consistently up there and on the pace right from the opening round, and the main thing really was having the opportunity to measure myself against Tio Ellinas.

“My team-mate at Mark Burdett was a quick guy, but he didn’t have the experience in Formula Renault, whereas Tio is quick and does have the experience – on average, he’s been the championship leader’s closest competitor this year. When there are two drivers always at the front, you can push each other along and learn and improve from each other; one of you might be doing something better in one corner, the other in another.

“There were a few nerves on Friday at Croft – I knew a lot of people were questioning my move and that if I didn’t pull it off, that was me effectively done-and-dusted – but in general, I settled into the team pretty quickly, I think. They’re a really good bunch of lads at Atech Reid GP.

“During practice, it was just a case of getting to know everyone’s names and how they all worked. It took me probably the first day to get my head around everything and there were inevitably some small teething issues with a car that hadn’t been run for quite a while – but once we had ironed them out, we managed to improve its performance and when we all got onto the same page in terms of working together, we felt ready for the next day.”

Whilst Croft – a tight, twisty and technical track close to Darlington in North Yorkshire – may be Jack’s ‘local’ circuit of sorts, it is far from his favourite, but that did not prevent him from utterly dominating a wet opening qualifying session in which car control and raw talent truly came to the fore to clinch a superb pole position, his first of 2011 and a crucial advantage given the difficulty of overtaking in Formula Renault UK.

Laying down a marker early on in the session, the Cullingworth-based hotshot then went and lowered the benchmark again to put pole beyond doubt, and praising a ‘perfect’ car, he felt he could have gone even faster still. Unwilling to count his chickens too soon after similarly looking to be on-course for the top spot at Oulton Park only to be pipped by just a few hundredths of a second right at the close, this time Jack would not be denied, as none of his rivals could get to within a third-of-a-second of his scintillating effort.

“It was dry for race one, but I wasn’t worried as I knew I had track position and a decent car underneath me, so it was all about making sure I kept my head and got the job done,” he maturely reasoned. “I’ve got a lot of experience in racing and I knew I was on top form, so I wasn’t really fazed by any of it – it was up to the others to take the risk to try to pass me.

“I got an absolutely storming start off the line, and Tio leapfrogged Alex Lynn to move into second. I was under a little bit of pressure through the opening corners, but I managed to keep it all under control. The car felt awesome, and over the first few laps, I was able to build up a small gap back to Tio and I felt like I was dictating the pace.

“It did get a little more difficult over the second half of the race, as I picked up a bit of understeer when the tyres went away. That enabled Tio to close in again towards the end, but it’s so hard to overtake in these cars, and I just had to concentrate on not making any mistakes and making sure I got good exits from the corners.

“I was nervous for the last few laps – I kept wanting the pit board to say just one to go – and when I came across the line, it was a sense of relief more than anything. I worked so hard for this season and set my targets high; I had wanted to get the win earlier than this, but to finally take that step from podium-challenger to race-winner was a huge boost and lifted the pressure off my shoulders instantly.

“It was definitely a risk pitching myself against Tio the way I have done, but it was great to be able to pinpoint myself as one of the strongest drivers in the championship. I was a bit overcome with it all up on the podium – it felt brilliant! I couldn’t have asked for a better debut with Atech Reid GP than getting pole by almost a third of a second and then winning my first race with the team, with Tio making it a one-two. The guys were all over-the-moon – they did a great job and they deserved the result. It was just perfect – an absolute dream start.”

That it indubitably was, and the victory – in only Jack’s 15^th car race – established the 20-year-old as one of just three drivers to have triumphed in Formula Renault UK this year, with fastest lap making it even sweeter. Unfortunately, traffic issues and a touch of unexpected understeer scuppered his efforts to make it two pole positions out of two in the second qualifying session, but convinced he still had the pace to challenge right at the front, he set his sights on a rostrum finish from sixth on the grid.

“I got a good start to move up to fourth by the first corner, but then I caught a damp patch coming out of the chicane and ran wide onto the grass, which dropped me back to sixth,” recounted the former national and international karting star. “I had to be quite brave in my defence to not lose another position, but our pace was really good after that.

“I got up to third, and then the rain began to fall and the conditions worsened. I was so much quicker than the driver in second – I was actually lapping the fastest of anyone at the time – and I was pushing like hell to try and catch him, but then I made a fatal error at the chicane, hit the kerb and the suspension collapsed. It was a bad mistake and I won’t be making it again – I was just pushing too hard for the conditions because I was so determined to get second place.

“Looking back now, I should have settled for third, but hindsight is a great thing – and it’s difficult to tell yourself to calm down when you’re out there on-track and rapidly closing in on the driver ahead! I felt like I could definitely have had a go at him. I was disappointed with myself for making that mistake – I want to be the perfect driver and not put a foot wrong anywhere – but otherwise, it was a really good weekend.”

That much is indisputable, and Jack was in fairness one of many to get caught out by the elements in what he conceded was an ‘absolutely crazy race’. The second-fastest lap time – beaten only by the winner – was further evidence of his potential, and the Yorkshire ace now heads into the summer break sitting fourth in the title standings, just ten points adrift of third place and – on dropped scores – 37 shy of second. Better still, next up is Snetterton, scene of his car racing bow last November – and an outstanding pole position first time out.

“I had been treating Croft just as a gelling weekend with the team, to be honest,” he confessed, “so that we could go into the seven-week summer break and return at Snetterton in-shape to really hit the ground running and start winning some races – but it ended up being a massive success. It was a bit of a surprise to win so soon, obviously, but credit to everyone involved, and also to Mark Burdett Motorsport – I couldn’t have done it without all the knowledge I gained with them in the Winter Series and over the first four rounds of the season.

“I’ve settled in nicely and I feel really comfortable at Atech Reid GP already, and we’re all working together well. We’re only going to get stronger-and-stronger, and now I feel we can go to Snetterton and continue this form and keep on going for wins.”

To keep up-to-date with Jack’s latest career news and results, please visit: www.jackhawksworth.co.uk

Pics: Jakob Ebrey

A challenging day in the North East

Race day for the latest rounds of 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship held at Croft Circuit near Darlington, proved to be a challenging day for both of the Triple Eight Race Engineering with Collins Contractor’s Vauxhall turbos driven by James Nash and Tony Gilham.

Nash opened with an eighth place finish in race one which was run for the main part on a wet track following a pre-race heavy shower. He could only though recover to finish eleventh in race two after a first lap spin had dropped him to the back of the field, but then had a stormer of a race in the third and final race of the day to finish fifth from a P11 grid start.

Gilham meanwhile spun out of the first race when challenging for a top ten placing but later drove a tidy race two to finish just behind team-mate Nash in twelfth position.

Gilham’s best drive of the day though, like Nash’s was reserved for the final race when he enjoyed a battle for position for most of its duration with the Chevrolet of reigning Champion Jason Plato. Another twelfth place finish, just outside of the points was poor reward for a stirring drive.

In the driver’s overall Championship standings at the halfway point Nash who came into the event in fourth place now finds himself back a place in fifth while Gilham remains second in the unofficial rookie rankings in thirteenth place overall. In the Teams’ award Triple Eight with Collins Contractors fell to fifth place, though only 12 points separates the third, fourth and fifth-placed teams.

James Nash ♯14:

“I really enjoyed the last race. Until then it had been quite a trying day with one thing and another. We changed the set-up on the car quite a lot for the third race and for the first time today we found ourselves right on it. I can’t remember where I made some of the passes I did, but having a car I could really push with was great.”

“I feel that we’ve made a bit of a breakthrough with the car today that hopefully will serve us well for the rest of the Championship. Certainly, we now know that to get the maximum out of it we’ve got to be quite aggressive on the set-up.”

Tony Gilham ♯34:

“I’d had a good start in the first race and had made up seven places. Unfortunately though in the damp conditions I locked up going into a corner and there was nothing I could do to keep the car out of the grave trap.”

“Race two was about keeping things tidy, while in race three I could go for it and had a lot fun staying ahead of Jason Plato for much of the race.”

“We’ve got a few issues though to sort with the car because it still feels very ‘understeery’. We have got a bit of a break before Snetterton in a few weeks so we’ve got the time to get to the bottom of things which should enable us to better next time out.”

Ian Harrison, Chairman Triple Eight: “It’s been a bit of an up and down day – a bit of a challenge really. We made the right tyre choice with James in race one (wets only on the rear), but for whatever reason James didn’t get the most out of the car in the opening laps and it ultimately cost us when the track dried towards the end and the conditions really suited us.”

“A mistake on the first lap of the second race put paid to James’s chances while for race three we decided to gamble and made some pretty big changes to the set-up of the car.

To be honest the changes almost defied logic when we considered them but come the race they really did work well and James drove really well.”

“Tony’s day unfortunately didn’t really recover from his non-finish in race one. It’s always very difficult to recover the day when you fail to finish the first (race). I was though pleased to see him go well in the third race and I’m sure that he’ll have gained valuable experience from his battle with Plato.”

———–

Qualifying

Triple Eight Race Engineering with Collins Contractors two turbo Vauxhall’s will start from 6th and from 19th on the grid for tomorrows 13th round of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit near Darlington.

James Nash starts 6th and will share the 3rd row with another Vauxhall driver, Andrew Jordan. Tony Gilham in the second car meanwhile had a qualifying session to forget and lines up only 19th despite improving his lap time from morning’s Free Practice by almost 2 seconds.

James Nash ♯14: “That was better. The car is better than it’s been for the last couple of rounds so I’m much happier here. We found a good set-up with the car and I’m pleased that it seems to work.”

“I’ll be looking to consolidate my grid position in race 1. A podium would be nice and that’ll be the initial aim and then to take it on from there in races 2 and 3.”

Tony Gilham ♯34 “Its been really exhausting work all day and that was the worst qualifying session of the season so far. The car’s just not working for me at the moment.

It might be me but obviously I hope that the problem lies in the car somewhere. We’ve got massive understeer throughout the whole lap. We’ll have a look at the data and make changes to the set-up for tomorrow.”

It was a tough weekend for Special Tuning Racing, but the team still recorded three top-ten finishes in the fifth round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire.

With varying track conditions following an earlier downpour, Tom’s decision to start the race on full wets immediately paid off with a gain of four places over the first lap and a further place on the second.

An impressive 15-lap contest developed between Tom and Alex MacDowall, with bumper-to-bumper action as Tom held the Chevrolet Cruze driver at bay. Even when the safety car was deployed on lap eight, the pair raced right up to the line.

With the safety car closing the gap, Tom got a good get-away at the restart. But with more dry-lines appearing on the circuit, he was unable to make further progress on the wet tyres and was then passed by Mat Jackson in the Ford Focus, tearing through the field.

Then on lap 16 MacDowall, still competing with Tom for eighth, shunted the back of the SEAT sending the Cruze careering off into the grass. With Tom’s wet tyres becoming increasingly worn on the rapidly drying track, the pursuing cars of James Nash and Paul O’Neill, both running slicks then seized position from Tom on the final lap. Tom finished in a solid tenth place, picking up a vital championship point.

Unfortunately for Dave a front right puncture after a tangle into the first corner meant he had to return to the pits after just one lap. He rejoined the race on lap four, but was one lap down. He went on to finish in nineteenth.

Speaking after the first race, Tom said: “My drive in the first race was good, and if it hadn’t been for the safety car adding extra laps to a drying circuit, my tyres wouldn’t have gone off as much, and I would have finished a couple of places higher.”

With drier conditions for the second race, Dave and Tom were determined to produce the results they both know they are capable of. Both made fantastic starts, and by the third lap, Tom had moved from tenth to eighth and Dave had climbed a phenomenal eight places from 20th to 12th.

Both drivers were also lucky to still be on the track, each having skilfully avoided earlier incidents. On the first lap, Nash in the Vauxhall Vectra came to a standstill in the middle of the track, after a spin which almost wiped Tom out. And just one lap later, as Foster’s BMW swerved erratically, Dave swept past both him and Wrathall in a spectacular move that moved him up to tenth.

But Tom’s luck was to run out on lap four. Approaching the chicane, he hit the tyre barrier spinning backwards off the circuit. The incident damaged the front wing, broke the car’s front suspension and resulted in a two-lap safety car intervention to retrieve the stricken SEAT.

Dave, on the other hand was delivering the drive of the day! From the restart, he was pushing Onslow-Cole’s Ford Focus hard, challenging for ninth as well as contending with MacDowall, who was right on his tail.

Lap ten and eleven saw him gain a further two places as Tech-Speed’s O’Neill spun out of the last corner, followed by Plato in the Cruze slowing with mechanical problems. Then on lap twelve, the pressure Dave had mounted on Onslow-Cole paid off as the Ford Focus ran wide. Dave shot past into seventh.

Then over laps 14 and 15, another great battle again involving MacDowall broke out. Both he and Dave traded places over the two laps. Dave maintained the position, but with tyre wear taking its toll, Foster in the BMW caught the pair, pushing his way past at the last corner. Dave went on to finish the race in a fantastic eighth place.

Coming from the back of the grid I’m well pleased with that!” exclaimed Dave.

“I was actually struggling with my tyres throughout, but I kept pushing and making up place after place. It was a case of driving the correct lines and taking my chances as they came. It was a fantastic drive to be proud of.”

Once again the STR mechanics worked miracles to patch up Tom’s battered car and he was able to make it out for the third race, albeit starting from 23rd. Another strong start saw him move up the grid, although he was again forced to take another early slice of evasive action to avoid a collision ahead of him. Benefiting from the skirmish he advanced into 19th place. Up to 16th on lap ten, a gearbox issue abruptly brought Tom’s race to an end and he retired to the pits.

It wasn’t such a great start for Dave. Having started from eighth, he lost two places over the first lap. He soon gained a place back though as Onslow-Cole drifted wide, after he and Nash came together. Although lapping as fast as those ahead, Dave was unable to make any more headway. Then at half distance, a charging MacDowall closed the gap, passing Dave to take ninth.

Rounding out the top-ten, it was yet another great race for Dave in only his sixth outing with STR, giving him and the team valuable points.

Speaking after the final race, team principal John Boardman said: “There were quite a few positives to take away from the weekend. Despite only having 24hrs notice of the further boost reduction to our turbo engines, we still had good speed. The team once again proved they can match the bigger teams and managed to have the car ready for the final race of the day. We will now use the time we have off before the next round to work on the engine reflecting the new boost levels.”

The Championship now takes a seven-week summer break and will return at Snetterton in Norfolk on 6 and 7 August.

Pics: Pete Mainey / PSM Motorsport Images

Grantham-based Richardson Racing made a winning return to action in the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup at Croft, with Andrew Richardson making the trip to the top of the G50 class podium for the second time this season.

With sister Louise absent as the team continues to work on repairs following a heavy accident at Thruxton, Andrew was left to fly the flag alone on what was his first outing at the North Yorkshire circuit.

Having sampled the track for the first time during Friday testing, Andrew qualified twelfth overall on the grid and fourth in class. Saturday’s opening race then started well as Andrew made up places at the start, but he was forced to take avoiding action when G50 class rival Jake Hill lost his bonnet coming out of the hairpin.

Taking to the grass to avoid the bodywork in front of him, Andrew slipped down to the back of the field but fought his way back to eleventh overall and fifth in class by the finish.

The second race of the weekend on Sunday was held in damp but drying conditions, with Andrew gambling on slick tyres for the start. It proved to be the correct choice as he quickly moved into the G50 class lead and ran inside the top three overall.

However, a clutch problem early in the race forced Andrew to back off as the race wore on but despite the issue, he was able to see off the challenge of his rivals to take G50 class honours in seventh overall.

In a race against time for the final race, the small Richardson Racing team worked hard to try and replace the clutch in time for race three but fell just ten minutes shy of getting Andrew out for the final race of the weekend.

“It’s been an eventful weekend,” he said. “I’d not been to Croft before but when I qualified fourth in class, I was hopeful of a good performance in the races. The first race was annoying as there was nothing I could do about Jake dropping his bonnet in front of me and I had no option but to go on the grass as I couldn’t risk hitting it and damaging my tyres.

“I was praying for damp conditions for Sunday because those conditions really level the playing field and take away some of the advantage that other people may have because they have done more testing. I’d watched the touring car race before and could see there was a dry line so I told the guys I wanted to put slick tyres on and then it was a case of keeping the car on the road.

“Early in the race the clutch started to go and it meant I was having to use half throttle on the straights, but I pushed as hard as I could and it was great to get the win. Some of the bigger teams said we had no chance of being out for race three so the fact we got so close shows what a great job the team did and its just a shame that we didn’t have another ten minutes.”

Andrew now heads into the summer break before the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercar season resumes at Snetterton, where younger sister Louise will rejoin the grid having been forced to miss her second successive meeting due to damage sustained in a start-line accident at Thruxton last month.

Pics: Jakob Ebrey

For the fourth time in five race weekends, Andrew Jordan and Pirtek Racing were on the podium in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the all-action racing headed north to the Croft circuit in Yorkshire (18/19 June). A tremendous performance from the Pirtek Racing squad put Andrew into the top six right through the weekend and he ended Sunday with fourth place overall in the drivers’ championship standings.

Once again, changing weather conditions made for a tough race day with difficult calls on tyres, but Andrew and the team delivered a fine performance to finish sixth, third and fourth in the three races. For his team mate Jeff Smith it was a tough day, with a hefty accident in race two giving the team a lot of work to do in short order to get his Vauxhall Vectra ready for the third race.

Andrew qualified fifth fastest and ran fifth for much of the opening race, which started on a wet track. With the possibility of it drying as the race progressed, one or two drivers gambled on slicks and that proved correct over the closing stages. Up the order came slick-shod Mat Jackson and Andrew, on wet tyres, could not fend Jackson off as the track dried. “The first race was a bit average,” said Andrew after taking sixth place.  “But we were third independent and hopefully we can get on the podium in race two,” he added.

Sure enough, a mighty performance in the second race put the Pirtek car into third place for another podium finish. “We were on slicks but the track was still a bit damp at the start,” said Andrew, who pulled off two superb passing moves to battle ahead of Jackson and Gordon Shedden in the closing stages. “That was a great move,” said TV commentator Tim Harvey as Andrew sliced inside Jackson under braking for Tower Corner.

“I was really pleased with that,” said Andrew. “The car was hooked up really well and I could see where the others were struggling. I knew the race would come back to me and I had to make decisive moves on Jackson and Shedden. The Pirtek guys did a cracking job,” he said. To complete a great day’s work, Andrew fought through to fourth place in the final race, carrying out a repeat of his pass on Shedden at Clervaux.

The Croft results have put Andrew fourth in the overall standings heading into the mid-season break and second to Jackson in the Independents’ Trophy. The BTCC resumes at Snetterton (Norfolk) on 6/7 August.

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team enjoyed a solid weekend at Croft as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship reached the half way-point with its annual trip to the North East.

The West Thurrock-based team made the long trip north with team principal Shaun Hollamby returning to action at the wheel of its Volkswagen Golf for the first time since the 2010 season finale.

After a brief test at Brands Hatch prior to the weekend, Croft marked Shaun’s first opportunity to race the VW since it underwent drastic changes over the winter, which included the fitting of a new turbo-charged engine.

Following mixed conditions in practice, Shaun qualified 21st on the grid for the opening race of the weekend but was quickly making progress when the lights went out to get the first race underway. In tricky wet, but drying conditions, Shaun had taken the Golf up to twelfth place before being tipped into a spin by James Nash, which dropped him back down the order. Shaun was however able to recover to take the flag in 17th place.

Shaun once again made quick progress through the field in the second race to run in 13th place before slipping back to 17th after running off track at the opening corner while avoiding an incident for another car. By the end of the race however, Shaun was able to climb back up to 13th, which would be his starting position for the final race.

Despite a number of quick cars starting behind him after early problems, Shaun was able to fight with the pack throughout the final race of the weekend, with the highlight being a battle for position with the Chevrolet of defending champion Jason Plato. Finishing the race in 15th place despite contact late on with Paul O’Neill, Shaun posted his quickest ever BTCC lap around the Croft circuit to end the weekend – and his time behind the wheel of the Golf – on a high.

With a six week break before the next round of the season at Snetterton, Shaun and the AmD Milltek Racing.com team will now evaluate a number of possible options in regard to who will be at the wheel of the Volkswagen for the remainder of the campaign.

“Race three was the first proper race I feel I’ve had in the BTCC as I was able to fight with people on track and I wasn’t just running around towards the back,” he said. “Earlier in the day, Nash fired me off in the first race and then in race two, I went off in sympathy when Frank Wrathall had a problem and was suddenly slow in front of me. I think some of the boys tried to push me around on track today but I wasn’t having any of it and even though I didn’t manage to get into the points like I hoped to, I feel I can go away from Croft with my head held high.

“However, now the weekend is at an end, that is my time behind the wheel done. I’m happy with how the weekend has gone and I feel I’ve done myself justice, but now its time for us to look at the options and choose a younger driver to put in the car for the remainder of the season.”

Acting team manager Rhea Beauchamp, who stepped in for the weekend to allow Shaun to focus on his on-track role, was also full of praise for the performance of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team throughout the weekend.

“Shaun has done brilliantly this weekend, especially when you consider the pressure he was under getting back behind the wheel at short notice,” she said. “The whole team has worked hard and three solid finishes are a good result for them and for the sponsors who continue to support the team. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team for the weekend and I think Shaun has gone out on a high.”

Pics: Steve and Bob Knightley

Jordan and Pirtek Racing head for Croft

The scene of Andrew Jordan’s first BTCC victory, Croft circuit in North Yorkshire, is the next stop on the schedule for Andrew and Pirtek Racing over the weekend of 18/19 June as the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship reaches the halfway point.

A year ago, Andrew scored his landmark victory at the challenging venue near Darlington and he now heads north once more in the midst of a fabulous season with the Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra. He has already won this season at Donington Park and has finished on the overall podium six times in 12 races to date. His pace has put him in the hunt for the overall BTCC crown and Andrew is one of six drivers starting to break clear at the head of the title race. He is now just 15 points behind series leader Matt Neal and only three points behind defending champion Jason Plato. With a gap of 35 points to Tom Chilton in seventh, it seems probable that the current top six drivers will battle out the title race over the second half of the season.

But Andrew’s main target is the Independents’ Trophy and he is currently third in the standings, just 10 points behind leader James Nash, Meanwhile, in the Independents’ Team Trophy, Pirtek Racing is only five points behind first place. Supporting Andrew in the team contest is Jeff Smith in the other Pirtek Racing Vectra, and his impressive pace is set to increase further as his BTCC experience builds.

Andrew is delighted to be going back to the scene of the biggest win of his career to date. “Obviously after last year’s win I’m looking forward to racing at Croft again. It is a very busy lap, with tight technical sections as well as some challenging high-speed corners like the Jim Clark Esses and Sunny. It is an important weekend as it leads into the summer break in the calendar, so we want to score well at Croft to set up a push for the Independents’ Trophy over the second half of the season.”

888 aiming for a win

Croft Circuit near Darlington this coming weekend is the final venue for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championshiop (BTCC) before the series takes a seven week break. Triple Eight with Collins Contractors’ James Nash currently lies 4th in the overall driver standings just eight points behind leader Matt Neal while Nash’s team-mate Tony Gilham shares top rookie status in 12th place with Eurotech Racing’s Jeff Smith. Nash and the team also currently lead the Independent driver and Independent team awards respectively.

Nash though has yet to win in the BTCC and where better to break that duck than Croft? The North Yorkshire circuit has generally been a good one for the team with victory taken in one of the days three races for three of the last four years. Additionally, no manufacturer has scored more BTCC wins at Croft than the Triple Eight run Vauxhalls.  For many, Milton Keynes’ Nash has been the surprise of the season so far and it is surely an indication of just how far the 25 year-old driver has come in 2011 that last time out at Oulton Park he felt deflated after recording only his first non-points result of the year so far in the third and final race. Earlier in the day he had scored Independent wins in both races one and two including a BTCC career equalling best of 2nd place in race two just behind 2010 Champion Jason Plato.

Porsche Carrera Cup graduate Tony Gilham meanwhile will be looking to erase the memory of a challenging meeting last time out that included a spin to the back of the field in race one, a crash in race two and a charge from the back of the grid in race three that narrowly failed to earn the Championship points it deserved. The Dartford-born driver has previously scored top ten finishes in all of his nine Porsche races at Croft and will be looking to continue the run this weekend.

James Nash ♯14:“There is usually a good crowd at Croft and I’d love to give them something to cheer about. Hopefully, the team and I can find a bit more performance, but irrespective we’ve just got to keep pushing. I am though feeling confident and very much looking forward to the weekend.”

Tony Gilham ♯34: I always look forward to racing anywhere to be honest, so in a sense Croft is just another track. Having said that I’ve done reasonably well there in the past and hopefully will do so again this weekend. We need to have a good practice and qualifying to build from, but yeah, looking forward to racing at Croft.”

Ian Harrison, Chairman Triple Eight: “Croft is quite a technical circuit and one where we’ve proved that we’re not too bad. We’ve got a good car this season but we’ve got to get a bit more out of it somehow and we have got to keep finishing. That’s the key to the whole thing. So far we haven’t won a race this year and yet we’re still right there at the front end of the Championship, which goes to show what a good job the team and James especially is doing. From here on in keeping everything tidy will be vital.”