RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race Two

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

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

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

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

Championship Points overall after Three Rounds and Five Races:-

Keith Webster                       BMW E36                              146pts

Alex Martin                             Porsche 997 GT3 Cup         144pts

Danny Winstanley                 TVR Tuscan                           143pts

Group Points after three rounds and five races:-

Group One

Alex Martin                             Porsche 997 GT3 Cup         144pts

Danny Winstanley                 TVR Tuscan                           143pts

Gary Eastwood                     Ferrari 430 GTC                   122pts

Group Two

Keith Webster                       BMW E36                              146pts

Colin/Sam Mowle                  KTM XBow                            131pts

(ABG M/sport)

Marco Pullen                          Ferrari 360 GTC                   124pts

Group Three

Tom Andrew                          KTM XBow                            124pts

Dan Norris-Jones                  Lotus Exige                            109pts

David Botterill                        Porsche 944 Turbo               95pts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Words: Alex Ings / Images: Alex Ings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harvey sets new win record in Porsche Carrera Cup GB

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tim Harvey makes it nine wins from ten races

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harvey takes Carrera Cup round nine at Croft

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ends

Words: 349

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

Captions:

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

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

3. Modified Live also features a grid girl search

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

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

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

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

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

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

The latest rounds of the 2010 Toyo Tires Racing Saloons saw a full grid of 43 cars take to the sun drenched Kent track.

Qualifying saw the Class A Ford Sierra Cosworth of Colin Tester claim his first ever pole position in the TTRS ahead of the new to the series BMW E36 M3 of Peter Seldon. The other Class pole positions went the way of Andrew Busby (Class C), Stephen Primett (Class D), David Margalies (Class B), Ian Berry (Class F) and James Carpenter (Class E).

Race One:

Tester, the pole sitter made a good start and was able to hold the race lead until the last lap of the race – when his turbo failed forcing him to retire. This meant that the hired E36 M3 of Seldon took the Class A victory and outright race victory ahead of the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Craig Jamieson and the leading Class D driver, the Ford Escort of Stephen Primett.

The race was brought to a premature end due to the Renault 5 GT Turbo Coupe of Oliver Davies being near the tracks edge at Druids, having been caught up in Richard Ibrahim’s accident. Ibrahim had brake failure which caused him to go off. Davies and Ibrahim weren’t the only drivers who went off at Druids, Tim Sweet in the Class A BMW E36 M3 lost control on the exit of the hairpin and went into the tyre barriers.

At the start, the Class C pole sitter, Andrew Busby wasn’t able to select any gears on the grid so dropped right to the back of the 43 car field before fighting his way back up to fifteenth at the end of the race, while the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus of Leigh Franklin started plum last after a qualifying problem to end up an impressive sixteenth overall.

In Class E, the battle between the top two went all the way to the line – with the Hillman Avenger piloted by James Christie coming out on top ahead of the Toyota Corolla of James Carpenter. The other Class victors were Mark Capewell (Class C), David Margalies (Class B) and Ian Berry (Class F).

Race 2:

Having won the first race, this gave Peter Seldon pole position for the second race of the day. At the start, Seldon made a bad start which dropped him down the field to fifth, second place starter Craig Jamieson was able to capitalise and take the lead of the race – he wouldn’t lose the lead during the duration of the race. By the end of lap three, Seldon had recovered his way to second and set about catching Jamieson – leaving the rest of the chasing pack behind.

The early race leader in race one, Colin Tester had started back in 39th position and by the end of the opening lap was 16th! Tester continued to climb the field until the end, when he was fourth once the results were taken a lap back.

The podium was completed by the winner of Class C, Leigh Franklin and his Talbot Sunbeam Lotus – completing an incredible recovery for the driver, who had started race one right at the back.

As in race one, the race came to a premature end – this time caused by the VW Golf of Paul Cowland. He went through the gravel trap at Paddock Hill bend then across to the Armco barrier on the other side of the track, rolled and saw his car end up in pieces. Paul was ok after the incident.

The other class winners were Robert Sadler (Class D), David Margalies (Class B), James Carpenter (Class E) and Ian Berry (Class F).

Race Report by Matt Auger
Photography by Snappy Racers

Racing Exposure photographer Scott Mitchell has provided these shots from the MG Live meeting at Silverstone.   Click the thumbnails for the bigger versions.

Scott has a website at www.scmmotorsportpictures.co.uk where more shots can be seen.

The programme included:

• Aero Racing Morgan Challenge
• Cockshoot Cup
• Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup
• Enduro Pit Stop
• Equipe GTS
• Finishline MG Trophy Championship
• Historic British Sportscars
• Kimber Trophy
• Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club
• MGA’s and ‘T’ Types
• MMM
• Moss-Europe BCV8 Championship
• Motoring Classics Thoroughbred Sportscars
• Pete Best Insurance Challenge
• Surveying Devon & Cornwall Midget Challenge

Photography: Scott Mitchell

2010 Lotus Racing T127 F1 car will run at Classic Team Lotus Festival

Snetterton to reverberate to the sounds of modern Grand Prix machinery

For the first time in 15 years a contemporary Formula One car will take to the Snetterton track, after it was confirmed that the new Lotus Racing T127 car will run at the Classic Team Lotus Festival on Sunday 20 June.

With current Formula One regulations severely limiting testing away from Grands Prix, this is a rare opportunity for fans to see a current F1 car running in the UK.

Whilst teams are permitted to run short private ‘shakedown’ sessions between races, Lotus Racing have been given special permission by F1′s governing body, the FIA, to conduct its European Grand Prix installation procedure at the festival.

It is not yet known who will drive the car, but both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will be present at the festival, as well as test driver Fairuz Fauzy.

With an example of every Lotus F1 car ever made on display, this is another announcement that will make the festival an unmissable experience for Formula One enthusiasts.

At the end of the event, the T127 F1 car will be loaded onto the Lotus Racing transporter to be waved away by the crowd as it sets off for the European Grand Prix, the 500th race for the Lotus name in F1.

Tickets for the Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton on 20 June are available for £20 for adults, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.snetterton.co.uk.

750mc Locost Championship Rounds 5&6 Anglesey 28^th&29^th May 2010

Most circuits have one or two corners which are crucial to a quick lap but as we walked around Anglesey to familiarize ourselves with the track on our first visit it became clear that the biggest challenge would be the surface.  My hiking boots were sliding on the dry sandy surface and there appeared to be very little rubber on the racing line. The slower part of the circuit, from Rocket to the corkscrew, looked particularly tricky with several off-camber sections to reduce traction even further. A softer than usual set-up and sensitive use of the 85 or so bhp seemed to a reasonable starting point….and then it rained.

Those of us taking the locost option of sleeping in vans and tents were woken by the rain in the early hours of Saturday morning and it carried on for most of the day. Light rain was falling during qualifying but, apart from a few grassy moments, everyone made it through without damagealthough Campbell Cassidy suffered an engine failure.  Scott Mittel and Dave Black were running together and looking strong. They tried a variety of lines around The Banking to find traction before settling on the conventional racing line for the best exit. Tom Coller was running quickly and Ali Garret, making his 2010 debut, was looking tidy. Mittel took pole from Black by 3 tenths. Garret and  Coller were on the second row with James MacAlister  in a personal best sixth place. Glen Boyer missed qualifying and the Saturday race because of a faulty brake light switch. Make sure you put one in your spares box.

Mittel lead of from pole while Coller made a poor start and finished the first lap in seventh place. Mittel pulled away from the pack until, after five laps, he had a five second lead from  Garret and Coller who had cautiously passed Woods, O’Donnel, MacAlister, Jenkins and Black. From this point Mittel began to slow up with his full wet set-up  on the damp track as Coller passed Garret and began to close on the lead at over a second a lap. Coller took the lead on the last lap and looked to have secured the win, but he hesitated behind a back-marker as they approached Rocket and Mittel dived up the inside to retake the lead. Coller stayed calm and took the higher, drier outside line from Rocket to Peel and was able to cut inside to take the lead as they ran down to The Corkscrew and on to the chequered flag. An impressive display of mature non-contact driving. The rest of the field seemed to be following their example in what was the most damage-free wet Locost race I have seen. Ali Garret was third and Dave Black recovered from a mid-race indiscretion to take fourth. Simon Wood , who had been having his best race for a long time, retired from fourth place on lap eight with clutch problems. Nick Morley was the first Team Challenge finisher in eighth.

Saturday evening featured an excellent bbq by our awning and live music in the paddock bar. I’ll skip the gig review on humanitarian grounds.

Dave Black was on pole for Sundays  18 minute + 1 lap race from Mittel, Coller And Garret.  Black held the early lead and an accident at Rocket allowed the front runners to make a break. The driver who reversed out of the resultant traffic jam and into the path of the on-coming cars should have a little think about his actions. Ali Garret picked off one car per lap and took the lead on lap four. He then proceeded to put in a series of  ten laps within a second of one another including three consecutive laps within three hundredths. By the end he had a very comfortable lead of five seconds from Black, Coller Mittel and Woods. There was a seventeen second gap from Woods to Owen, MacAlister, Bryant, O’Donnel and Stafford. Another great weekend of Locost  racing.

Full results, lap charts,championship positions and information on Locost Racing at 750mc.co.uk

Tim Harvey completed a double Porsche Carrera Cup GB victory at Oulton Park today (Sunday 6 June) when he won a shortened round eight of the championship. Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) completed a superb pro-am1 double, while Paul Mace (GT Marques) took the pro-am2 victory.

Harvey (Red Line Racing) was ahead, but under constant pressure from Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance), when the race was halted at 12 laps following an accident involving Steve Parish (Addison Lee Motorbase) and Alex Martin (GT Marques). With the circuit curfew time fast approaching, there was no time to restart the race.

Harvey got the jump off the line, but there was drama as the 27-car field headed for the first corner. Contact between the Team Parker Racing cars of Euan Hankey and Glynn Geddie sent Hankey’s car spinning across the track and into the barriers on the left of the circuit. The other Team Parker Racing driver of Stephen Jelley had a miraculous escape as Hankey spun across in front of him. “I was just hard on the brakes; he came right across my nose,” said Jelley.

That incident allowed Harvey and Caine to establish a small but important margin over the chasing pack. As ever, their cars were supremely evenly matched and they ran nose-to-tail for lap after lap as Caine looked for a way to dislodge his title rival. But any plans that Caine had for a late race bid were thwarted by the red flag with six laps to run. Harvey duly claimed his seventh win from eight races. “I can’t afford to be complacent, but I’m very, very pleased to come away with two wins,” said Harvey. “I did think I could have a go at Tim and I’d sized up a couple of places,” said Caine. “The early finish is not what we wanted.”

Jelley recovered from his first corner scare to run a strong third, while Gelzinis was a mighty fourth overall to complete a double victory in pro-am1 after a superb debut weekend at Oulton Park. “I changed my driving style in some of the corners and it helped a lot,” said Gelzinis. “It’s been a very good weekend for us.”

Joining Gelzinis on the pro-am1 podium were Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) and Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase). “It was a very tough race,” said Al Harthy, who had Jackson as a constant challenge. “It’s very good to be back on the podium and we gave it all we had,” said Al Harthy after another very encouraging race. Into fourth, to back up his earlier podium, went Archie Hamilton (Red Line Racing) who was declared ‘driver of the weekend’. Meanwhile, Red Line Racing earned the ‘team of the weekend’ award.

Initially, John Gaw (Kinfaun Racing) made the pro-am2 running as he battled for tenth overall with Tom Bradshaw (JHR). But into Lodge on lap eight Gaw attacked on the inside and slid into Bradshaw as he locked up. Both cars spun and Gaw dropped down the pro-am2 order. Into the pro-am2 lead contest then went Paul Mace (GT Marques) and Steve Parish (Addison Lee Motorbase) and they battled hard until Parish had a moment and dropped back before spinning at Cascades. The unsighted Martin had nowhere to go, and with two damaged cars on the track the race was halted.

That confirmed Mace as pro-am2 winner as he bounced back from major brake problems in the first race. “I was struggling for grip,” said Mace as he raced on tyres that had already done a race at Brands Hatch. “It was very tough, but we sorted the brake problem from the first race.” Close behind Mace at the finish was Mark Hazell (JHR) after a very good race. “We altered the car for the second race and made it better,” he said as Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) recovered from a poor start to complete the pro-am2 podium ahead of George Brewster (Celtic Speed).

Harvey wins Carrera Cup round seven at Oulton Park

Tim Harvey was the big winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Oulton Park today (Sunday 6 June) in round seven of the championship. With title rival Michael Caine off at the first corner, Harvey’s victory became even more significant. Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) drove a gritty race to win pro-am1, while Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) won pro-am2.

The major drama came as the 27-car field stormed into the first corner. Both Caine (Motorbase Performance) and Harvey (Red Line Racing) made relatively slow starts and contact with Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) pitched Caine’s car into a spin and it then went backwards into the tyre wall. “I got a big hit from behind,” said Caine as his Oulton Park gremlins struck again. “The car just wouldn’t restart, otherwise I’d have carried on.”

Harvey survived contact with Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) at the first corner, and emerged from Old Hall in the lead. “I got my head down for the first four laps to take advantage of the new tyres and to try and get fastest lap,” said Harvey. “I didn’t realise until about lap five that it was Michael off at Old Hall.” Later, Harvey was penalised three championship points and Geddie was penalised six championship points over the contact incidents.

With Harvey pulling clear, Hankey slotted into second from Geddie and Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing). While Hankey could never relax in second, Jelley mounted a lengthy challenge on Geddie and finally dived ahead when Geddie ran wide at Old Hall. “I got a run on him and got up the inside at Cascades, but it was very tight,” said Jelley. A mistake by Hankey later in the race allowed Jelley to close to within half a second of his team mate as Geddie took fourth. Through to fifth with a fighting drive came Charles Bateman (Motorbase Performance), who was chased home by Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing).

The contest for pro-am1 ran all the way to the flag, even though Gelzinis led throughout. However, his car’s handling deteriorated over the closing stages thanks to a damaged front splitter. Leading the chase of Gelzinis was Archie Hamilton (Red Line Racing) and the winning margin was little more than a second after 25 minutes of racing. “The handling was a problem and I was losing time towards the end of the race,” said Gelzinis. “I was catching him and I had Ollie Jackson closing in on me as well,” said Hamilton. “I just didn’t have quite enough at the end,” he added. Jackson took the final podium position in pro-am1 from Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing), who wrapped up the overall top 10 places.

In pro-am2, McMenamin leapt into the lead at the start with a very rapid getaway. “I made a demon start,” he said. But he soon had pro-am2 polesitter John Gaw (Kinfaun Racing) on his tail and knowing that Gaw was not going to score championship points McMenamin did not defend too much when Gaw attacked. They then ran in close formation for many laps before Gaw slid off the road at Cascades. “I don’t know what happened,” he said. “The steering had been out of true from the start and it felt like something broke.”

That left McMenamin with a strong lead, which he calmly converted into a clear category victory. “It doesn’t get any better than that,” he said after finishing seven seconds clear of George Brewster (Celtic Speed) as Mark Hazell (JHR) completed the pro-am2 podium. “That’s about as good as we could have expected,” said Brewster after a strong race.