RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Rallying returned to Snetterton for the first time since 2003 this weekend with the Tamdown Stage Rally.     Eight stages would be run, using variants of the Snetterton 300 circuit. After a two hour delay due to fog, rallying got underway at 11:15am.

Stages 1 and 2 were 2 laps of the Snetterton 300 circuit, run in reverse to how it is normally run, with some additional chicanes added.    Rather than the using the normal Esses (Nelson and Brundle), the escape roads were used, with coned chicanes halfway down the Bentley Straight, the Senna Straight and one between Palmer and Agostini corners.

The Escort Mk 2 of Peter Rayner and Richard Bonner took stage 1 with a time of 5m 44, but stage 2 would go to Ray Brammer and Mark Loomes in their Subaru Impreza WRC.    An early casualty would be the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Rally of Alan Thistlewaite and Mick Klien who misjudged braking at Murrays and slid into the Armco – there isn’t much run off when running the circuit the wrong way to usual.

Stages 3 and 4 were similar, although there was an extra loop of the 100 circuit run each lap.

Brammer and Loomes would take stage three and Nigel Mummery and Fiona Scarrett would take stage 4 in their Ford Focus WRC.

Stages 5 and 6 were as stages 3 and 4 but run in the traditional direction. Mummery and Scarrett would take both stages to cement their lead

Stages 7 and 8 were as stages 1 and 2 but run in the traditional direction. Rayner and Bonner would win both stages, but Mummery/Scarrett had done enough and would win the first running of the Tamdown Snetterton Stages by 1 second.

Class Winners:

Class 5: Nigel Mummery / Fiona Scarrett,
Ford Focus WRC – 49m 47 – 1st overall

Class 4: Pete Rayner / Richard Bonner,
Ford Escort Mk 2 – 49m 48 – 2nd overall

Class 3: Martin Hodgson / Andrea Hodgson
Ford Escort Mk 2 – 51m 02 – 3rd overall

Class 2: Johnnie Ellis / Dave Green
Ford Fiesta – 52m 57 – 4th overall

Class 1: Aron Rayner / Stanley Graham
Citroen AX – 54m 25  - 7th overall

Pics: Norwich Photo

Here is the entry list for the Formula Renault Winter Finals, held at Snetterton this coming weekend, and Rockingham the weekend after.   The races will include entrants from Formula Renault UK, Formula Renault BARC and the Formula Renault Eurocup teams.

2 Daniil Kyvat, Koiranen
3 Ocon Esteban, Koiranen
4 Hans Villemi, Koiranen
5 John Bryant-Meisner, Koiranen
6 Martin Rump, Koiranen
7 Stefan Wackerbauer, Koiranen
8 Geoff Uhrhane, Atech Reid GP
9 Melville McKee, Interwetten
11 Dennis Van Der Laar, Van Amersfoort Racing
12 Joao Sergio Camara, Van Amersfoort Racing
14 Josh Hill, Fortec
16 Dan Wells, Atech Reid GP
17 Nick McBride, Manor Competition
18 Hector Hurst, Manor Competition
19 Dan De Zille, Fortec
21 Josh Webster, Mark Burdett Motorsport
22 Tomasz Krzeminski, Mark Burdett Motorsport
24 Felix Serralles, Fortec
25 Victor Jiminez, Hillspeed
26 Archie Hamilton, Fortec
27 Ivan Taranov, Antel
28 Chirag Marhotra, Antel
29 Ed Jones, Fortec
31 Joe Kibbler, Hillspeed
33 Sean Walkinshaw, Hillspeed
34 Thomas Jäger, Fortec
39 Shahaan Engineer, Fortec
41 Jake Dennis, Fortec
42 Jordan King, Manor
44 Oliver Rowland, Fortec
66 James Fletcher, MGR
99 TBA, MGR

Pic: Norwich Photo

Formula Ford front runner Dan de Zille will be teaming up with Fortec Motorsport to do the Renault Winter Series this November.

After three years of Formula Ford and some very impressive Sports-car racing results, automotive engineering student Dan has his sights set on testing his skills at a higher level.

Richard Dutton of Fortec commented” The Winter Series is a great opportunity for drivers to get a feel for the Renault Championships and learn to qualify and start”

The Winter series events start the first weekend of November with an intensive weekend of four races at Snetterton followed by an event at Rockingham the following weekend with a further 2 races. Dan will also have the benefit of three days solid testing leading up to the first round at Snetterton so there will be lots of track time to get used to the new car.

“The main difference with the car is getting used to the down-force, the Formula Ford cars have no downforce and the Formula Renault cars have both slicks and wings.”

“Since Dan was a front runner in Formula Ford, I see no reason why he should not do just as well in Formula Renault, there will be plenty of data to look at and he will have strong teammates to compare against, he will also have the same technician working alongside him throughout whom he can trust and rely on”

The first event will be at Snetterton on 5th November. After his seat fitting last week Dan commented “I am very excited about the Renault Winter Series, Fortec have a good reputation and I am looking forward to the new challenge, new faces and learning all about the new car, testing my driving ability on a higher level”

Snetterton is preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year this Sunday (25th September) for an event which many racers admit to not really understanding.   Time Attack is a phenomenon originating in Japan, but is now hugely popular in both the US and increasingly in the UK.

Most racers are aware of the normal concept of a practise of qualifying session, and then a race where the first across the line is the winner.    Time Attack isn’t like this.  For the people used to racing, an analogy of a series of knock out qualifying sessions is most apt.

It is more similar to Sprinting, but unlike sprints where each car is released on its own, and is unlikely to encounter traffic, Time Attack uses an open pitlane format, and overtaking is permitted, although there is no actual wheel to wheel racing – they are not racing for position.      Some competitors have graduated from Sprinting and to compete in some of the lower classes, a race license isn’t needed – just a National B non-race license, which can be applied for on the day.    The higher classes just require a National B race license which many readers will possess, although some drivers are vastly experienced racers.

Those who know they have a fast car will pace themselves early on – fast enough to get ensure safe passage to the next round, but not so fast to risk the car or to reveal the true speed of their car to their competitors. Sandbagging, or keep your powder dry as long as possible…

Those with slower cars will want to go as fast as they can to get as far as they can in the days sessions, and may knock out some faster cars caught napping or with problems.

Because these sessions are open pitlane format,each driver has to slot their way into the traffic on track, and as the track rubbers in times start to drop, unless the weather interferes.    Its crucial to get a clear lap and to ensure you slot into clear air.

When the final round is there, the cars are wound up to their maximum potential.   Boost is turned up to eleven.   Rev limits are raised.  He who dares… …may just win.

The cars are often highly tuned – some pushing out 800bhp or thereabouts.    One control element is that Pirelli are the tyre supplier and each class is limited to what tyre compounds they can use.    Many cars are road legal too.

As there isn’t any racing to watch, the commentary is all the more important as the tannoy can advise who to watch and what the current benchmark times are.

The European Drift Championship is another controversial discipline and this event will also entertain the crowd.   Drift cars will start from Corum and drift through to Murrays (formerly Russells) whilst observers judge each run and allocate points.   The driver with the best score wins.    Some say this isn’t motorsport, but when asked if Ice Dancing is a sport, or Diving, they say yes, and both of those are scored by a panel of judges.    Yes this is motorsport, but maybe a form of motorsport many are not comfortable with.

The crowd that does turn up certainly does ‘get it’.   In terms of audience it is behind British Superbikes and BTCC, and probably level with the Lotus Festival, certainly one of Snetterton’s top 5 events.

Pics: Norwich Photo

Former BTCC and Porsche Carrera Cup champion Tim Harvey is the latest high profile driver to sample the thrills of the UK Time Attack series. In a recent testing session at Donington Park, Tim took the opportunity to drive a few laps of the damp circuit in Paul Doyle’s 750bhp K-Sport Impreza. Matt Neale drove the Ameon Racing Mitsubishi EVO at Brands Hatch earlier this year, whilst Phil Glew was part of the championship winning Zen Performance team in 2007.

You can watch Tim driving the K-Sport Impreza in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cgLb98K8Zs

Tim declined the opportunity to drive the Impreza on full boost in the demanding wet conditions!

Paul will be competing in the final round of the UK Time Attack series this coming weekend at Snetterton Park, as part of the Modified Live event, which includes the final round of the European Drifting Championship.

Words: John Stewart
Images: Flat Out Photography

This weekend the Aston Martin Owners’ Club holds a landmark meeting at Snetterton. The club has been established for 75 years and held the very first meeting here in 1951, making it 60 years since racing engines were first heard at the Norfolk circuit. Motorsport artist and circuit historian Andrew Kitson guides us through the years:

Motor racing was a popular pastime in the immediate post-war period, with an abundance of circuits made up from the access roads of airfields that were now surplus to requirements. The Eastern Counties Motor Club originally used Fersfield for racing activities but after they could no longer use this facility, they started looking for another airfield where they could organise race meetings. ECMC members Oliver Sear and John Wyatt were the driving force and approached Fred Riches, owner of farmland at Snetterton, just 7 miles away. Snetterton Heath had been home to the US Army 8th Airforce during the war.

Oliver Sear was also a member of the Aston Martin Owners Club and he invited the club to organise the first meeting. The airfield perimeter road made a fast and flowing 2.7 mile circuit and on October 27th 1951 racing started. The president of AMOC, Dudley Coram, was clerk of the course and corners were named after him, Fred Riches and Oliver Sear.

That first event was a sprint race meeting and the fastest time of the day went to Ken Wharton in a pre-war 2-litre ERA, at 82mph. The Eastern Counties Motor Club organised the next meeting in April 1952, where Archie Scott Brown scored his first race win in his MG TD. He became a legend at Snetterton, particularly his performances at the wheel of a Lister Jaguar and there is a permanent memorial to him in the paddock.

The circuit grew in stature and the crowds flocked in throughout the 1950s, 60s and beyond to watch their heros, such as Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt. F1 and F2 races drew huge crowds, in the days when Grand Prix stars could enter other events away from the World Championship. Motorcycle racing first came to the circuit in 1953 and remains an important part of the calendar, whilst Drag racing and Rallycross also took place at Snetterton in the ’70s.

Snetterton became and remains an important circuit in the UK, and a circuit also favoured by many manufacturers and teams to test cars. In 1967, the most successful Grand Prix engine of all time, the Ford-Cosworth DFV, was tested by Graham Hill in the new Lotus 49, ahead of its winning debut.

The world’s first racing school was based at the circuit from 1957, started by Jim Russell, and the world famous Formula Ford Festival also started at Snetterton in 1972 before moving to Brands Hatch. Night racing came to Snetterton with the Autosport 3-hour race, the European Touring Car Championship and the Avon Tour of Britain, and Britain’s first round-the-clock race was held in 1980, the Willhire 24 Hour, starting a tradition that continues to this day. Night races were also revived by the British Touring Car Championship in the late 1990s.

Two cars from Snetterton’s long history will be present at Snetterton on Saturday: Archie Scott Brown’s MG TD from that second meeting and the winning Ford Sierra Cosworth from the 1989 Willhire race, which celebrated the sponsor’s 25 years by being extended by an hour – the longest ever race to be held in the UK. There will also be appearances from special guests and relatives of those who were key to the early years, including Leslie Marr, winner of ‘best Aston’ at the first ever meeting, and Jack Sears. The transformed circuit will be used in both 300 and 200 layouts over the weekend, both providing great entertainment with fantastic viewing opportunities from the new spectator banking. These improvements ensure that Snetterton is ready for the next 60 years.

Tickets for the Aston Martin Owners’ Club 300/200 weekend are available on the gate for £13 per day, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information, call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.snetterton.co.uk

Snetterton 200: August 27th (Rounds 11 and 12 of BARC’s VTEC Challenge)

The rural East Anglian circuit of Snetterton was the latest venue to welcome the VTEC Challenge to town.

On Saturday 27^th August, rounds 11 and 12 were held on the circuits “200” layout, as part of an action packed weekend of racing.

2011 is a landmark year for Snetterton, as the Norfolk circuit celebrates its 60th anniversary and the start of a new era following the recent multi-million pound redevelopment project.

Re-generated to allow International races to take place, the circuit has been developed under the watchful eye of MSVR boss Jonathan Palmer, who has played a huge part in the design the new layout.

Created from a network of US Air Force runways in 1951, Snetterton’s sweeping corners and enormous straights have provided sensational full-throttle action for six decades, and the recent work has cemented the circuit’s future for generations to come.
The new “200” layout closely follows the old circuit, with the biggest change being the addition of the new hairpin “Montreal”.

The hairpin (as with other parts of the re-developed circuit) is a replica from a famous circuit, and in this case it’s the corner from the Canadian Grand Prix circuit of the same name.

VTEC

For Snetterton, the VTEC Challenge welcomed experienced racer Lee Bennett-Neil to the fold. Whilst Lee is a new face to this series, he has been racing since 2009 with his bright green B18 powered UKDM DC2 Integra. With his useful local knowledge, he would be one to keep an eye on.

Rick Rowles was also returning again to the VTEC Challenge with his immaculate, Mugen laden late model Civic Type R.

Entrants:

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

42 – Rick Rowles – Civic Type R (B)

64 – Rich Chilton – DC2 1800cc (C)

83 – Lee Bennett Neal – B18 DC2 Integra (T)
98 – Mark Chese – Civic Type R (EP3) (B)

Qualifying:

Being the first cars of the day out on track, there was a lot of surface water lingering from the previous nights down pour.

With such tricky conditions, the drivers would need to exercise some caution in order to produce a quick lap, without disappearing off into the Norfolk countryside!

Everyone began qualifying with understandable caution, as grip was poor and minimal at best around the sodden circuit.

“Murrays” was the sight of many a locked wheel as cars came into the corner a little too quick and it also saw the spectacular slide and subsequent save of Mark Chese in his Civic Type R. Keeping his right foot planted on the accelerator kept the black and green machine from an untimely end at the entrance to the pits.

After crossing the line to begin his 6^th lap, Tim Blowers, in only his second event of the season was caught out by the conditions, and on the exit from “Riches” span off the circuit. Upon returning to the paddock, the previously immaculate DC5 Integra was sporting a near perfect imprint of the armco along the length of the passenger side!

In addition to the bodywork damage, the front wheel was also at an unnatural angle, which looked like it could have ended Tim’s day there and then.

Thankfully that was the limit of the issues experienced and the remaining drivers went on to run the remainder of qualifying.

Following the session, the results showed that Richard Voaden had gotten to grips with the circuit and the wet handling set up of his Integra and had taken another pole to add to this seasons tally.

Pole: Rich Voaden – 1.34.670
2nd: Richard Chilton – 1.37.103

3rd: Mark Chese – 1.37.737

In the paddock, Simon Cribley of “Performance Autoworks” came to the aid of Tim and his battle scarred Integra. Within minutes, the cars front suspension was dismantled and checked over to see if racing would still be possible. With the adjustable top mounts re-set, and the camber “best guessed”, the car was back together for a quick shake down on the roads around the circuit. Thanks to the camaraderie that follows the series wherever it goes, Tim would be back on track, even if he was still a little shaken from his incident.

The remainder of the grid set about checking over their cars, adding fuel and setting the tyre pressures for what was to become a dry race.

Race 1:

With only a short distance from parc fermé to the grid, everyone was soon lined up for their formation lap.

Everyone was held on the grid until the red lights went out, and the VTEC engines screamed into life.

From pole, Voaden did what he does best, and stretched the legs of his Integra to take a commanding lead, which would only grow throughout the race.

Chese in his Civic Type R stuck closely with Voaden as he headed off through “Riches” and onto “Montreal”. Holding the inside line from his position on the grid, Chese stood his ground to keep Chilton on the outside, and gained 2^nd position by the time he had exited the hairpin.

Charging from the back of the grid was Dave Roberts in his “Class D” CRX, who came through from 6^th to join the battle for a top 5 place going into “Montreal”.

Tim Blowers hooked up a good start and went from 5^th to 4^th, passing Lee Bennett-Neal for position as he struggled to capitalise on his start. However upon entering the “Bentley Straight” a missed gear change quickly dropped Blowers to the back of the pack, undoing all his hard work.

As the race progressed, the drivers proceeded to have their own “race within a race” as they found themselves evenly matched with one, if not two other cars.

Chese was able to hold a decent margin back to Chilton, who in turn was watching his mirrors constantly for the “yellow peril” of Roberts.

Lee Bennett – Neal was able to reel in Rowles following his poor start, and by lap 4 was back up to 5^th place and chasing the trio in front, but was unable to close the gap significantly enough to look for a shot at overtaking them.

As the race drew to a close, the action around the circuit hotted up. On the last lap Blowers executed the first overtaking manoeuvre of his race career, and passed Rowles to take 6^th place from him.

Closer to the podium positions, Roberts closed the gap to Chilton, and on lap 10 of 11 took 3^rd place from the Integra driver around the hairpin of “Montreal”, in a fantastically executed piece of driving.

Chese was able to hold off the advances of Roberts, despite the fuel light blinking at the Civic driver for the last couple of laps!

Voaden crossed the line untroubled, and nearly 30 seconds ahead of 2^nd placed Chese.

1^st: Richard Voaden

2^nd: Mark Chese

3^rd: Dave Roberts

Class wins were awarded to Lee Bennett-Neal, (DC2), Rich Voaden (DC2), Mark Chese (CTR), Richard Chilton (DC2) and Dave Roberts (CRX)

Fastest lap: Rich Voaden 1:26.119 sec on lap 10 of 11

Everyone returned safely to the paddock, with no issues to deal with in readiness for race 2.

Race 2:

At the request of the drivers and event organisers, the grid formation for the start of race 2 was now taken form the drivers finishing position from race 1, and not the 2^nd fastest lap from qualifying.

This meant that Roberts, who had climbed from the back of the pack, would be directly behind Voaden in a commanding position.

As the lights were extinguished, it was Voaden who as expected led the charge to “Riches”, with Chese holding his 2^nd place on the grid.

Roberts bogged down off the line, and struggled to get underway, as the surrounding drivers of Chilton and Bennett-Neal and Blowers closed in around him.

Making another good start, Blowers in his Integra passed Chilton for 5^th place and proceeded to chase Bennett-Neal who had gone from 5^th to 4^th.

Already recovering from his less than perfect start, Roberts in his CRX was charging hard and making ground on Chese by lap 2. Coming across the line and towards “Riches” Roberts was close enough to make a dive up the inside of Chese, and took the position. However, this was short lived as Chese wasn’t going to give up 2^nd place without a fight, and at “Montreal” had clawed his way back past Roberts, to re-take 2^nd place.

With Bennett-Neal some way off in 4th, Blowers held off the DC2 of Rich Chilton for a further 2 laps, but with his handling still not a 100% the red Integra took 5^th place as the pair rounded the “Bomb Hole”, and then proceeded to hunt down Bennett-Neal, passing him along the back straight “Bentleys” a couple of laps later on.

Chese and Roberts continued to have a monumental battle for 2^nd place, swapping position over and over, and often on the same lap! The CRX managed to pull out a bit of a gap over Chese, but come lap 7 Chese was again letting Dave know his intentions on retaking 2^nd place.

On the run into “Riches”, Chese had the legs to pull a repeat manoeuvre of Roberts from earlier on in the race, and put the black and green Civic ahead of Roberts and then proceeded to pull away.

Blowers, who had managed to fend off Rowles in his Civic Type R for the majority of the race, found he was unable to match his pace on the entry to “Bentley Straight” and Rowles took the position. The last 3 laps were side by side, and it ended with a reversal of positions for the two drivers.

Again Rich Voaden crossed the line well ahead of his fellow competitors, but he did not let up until the chequered flag dropped. He was pushing all the way to the finish line, with his lap times getting quicker as testament to his commitment.

The challenge laid out to Voaden by the race commentator and previous VTC racer “Charlie Butler-Henderson” to get into the 1min 25’s lap time, was obviously a big enough incentive to keep the driver from Wiltshire focused!

1^st: Richard Voaden

2^nd: Mark Chese

3^rd: Dave Roberts

Class wins were awarded to Lee Bennett-Neal, (DC2), Rich Voaden (DC2), Mark Chese (CTR), Richard Chilton (DC2) and Dave Roberts (CRX)

Fastest lap: Rich Voaden 1:24.938 sec on lap 8 of 11

Summary:

Another brilliant event comes to a close, with some of the best racing to date. The on track action was a battle of skill and nerve, with excellent close fought racing.

Mark Chese and Dave Roberts provided some of the most exciting racing seen within the VTC this year, changing position time after time and keeping the commentary team on their toes and out of breath as they both kept passing one another!

In addition to taking 2 class wins and 2 3^rd place overall, Dave Roberts was also awarded the “Driver of the Day” award for his driving.

Both races were dominated by Voaden, however the technical in-field section of the forthcoming Rockingham event could throw up some interesting results.
The VTEC Challenge heads to Rockingham for the final two rounds of the 2011 season on the 1^st and 2^nd October, and we’d like to see as many cars, spectators and race entrants as possible to wind up our first season.

Words: Jonathan Fletcher

Pictures: Adrian Arran

The Ginetta GT Winter Cup will take place on the new Snetterton 300 circuit in November (5th -6^th) and will feature two 2hr endurance races, plus a 30 minute qualifying session open to all current Ginetta models.

The 4 tier class system will be made up of G40s, G50s, G55s and an ‘all-comers’ open class from Ginettas competing in GT racing across the globe.

Combining the Ginetta GT Supercup and Challenge grids for the first time, alongside other Ginetta GT racers from international championships and endurance series racing, the 2011 Ginetta GT Winter Cup – Ginetta’s first one-make endurance race – will be open to either 1 or 2 driver teams and feature two mandatory timed pit stops. GT Winter Cup prizes are still to be announced.

Ginetta Chairmen – Lawrence Tomlinson said: “This will be Ginetta’s first one-make endurance race and a great opportunity to amalgamate the Supercup and Challenge grids creating the first Ginetta GT Endurance Championship. Ginetta Teams and drivers who have never done endurance racing will experience the mandatory pit stop, refuelling and driver changes common in GT endurance racing at all levels.” “It will be fantastic to see all of our championships and GT drivers/teams from GT4/GT3, and international series’, together in the same paddock for the first time. We want to push the Ginetta GT career ladder further so endurance racing is an important step and something we may look to do more of in the future.”

Also announced is a separate ‘Junior Winter Series’ which will consist of four 20 min races plus a 15 minute qualifying session and will run alongside the GT Winter Cup on the same weekend. Previous winners include Josh Hill 2008, Aaron Williamson 2009 and Current Ginetta Juniors Championship point’s leader Seb Morris in 2010.

Tomlinson went on to say: “The Junior Winter Series is an excellent prospect for 14 – 17yr old drivers looking to get into motorsport for the first time, or step up from karting, to drive a race car at one of the UK’s most prestigious circuits.”

“For older Juniors exiting the Ginetta Junior Championship this year, the senior GT Winter Series will be a great opportunity for anyone looking to progress their careers to try a bigger car alongside existing Supercup drivers, it will also offer a great entry point for licence holders looking to enter the GT Supercup Championship in 2012.”

As a precursor to the GT Winter Cup endurance event the next GT Supercup outing at Rockingham (Sept 17 – 18) will see a slight change in format. In place of the usual three 20min races, Rockingham will see two extended races of 30 minutes, a sprint race on Saturday and a 1 x pit stop race on Sunday, which will include a mandatory 2 x wheel change. The championship season closer at Silverstone International (Oct 15-16) will also run a similar extended-race pit stop format to Rockingham, details to be confirmed at a later date.

Pics: Jakob Ebrey

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

Snetterton was the venue for this weekends penultimate round of the Britcar GTN Championship where Sarah Bennett-Baggs and Team mate Jensen Lunn were contesting the Adrian Flux sponsored no.57 BMW E46 M3.

The duo were up at Snetterton testing on the Friday to ensure the gremlins which caused a DNF at Castle Combe had been sorted out. Testing went well and the car ran without cutting out, although both drivers were complaining of the BMW being down on power and sure enough the data showed that the a temperature sensor problem was to blame for the reduced output.

Saturdays qualifying was dry and Sarah took the first stint, she put in a 2.05 which at half time placed the pairing in 3rd position in class. Jensen then followed managing to put in a faster time of 2.03 which left the duo qualified fifth in class by the chequered flag, starting 19th out of 33 runners.

It was essential to score points this weekend to keep in with a chance of the Championship, and both Jensen and Sarah were keen to get a good result. They both felt the car was going better than Friday but perhaps not as lively as it usually was!

Sunday’s two hour race started at 12.25 and Sarah took the start, dropping a couple of places at the first few hair-pins as the pack sorted it-self out. Sarah’s first stint was broken up with various safety car periods preventing her from working her way back up the pack, but she kept her competitors in sight and picking up the places she lost before handing the car back over to Jensen at half time. A tidy pit stop, by the Strata21 team and Jensen also had a clean drive in his stint making up many places to finally finish in 12th position overall fifth in class.

Sarah commented “I think both Jensen and I are both a little disappointed, we have both been driving our socks off this weekend, but for some unknown reason we were not as competitive as we normally are, either we have lost some power or everyone else in our class has stepped up their game, I don’t think either of us could have done anything more – it was a faultless drive, we have both been pushing hard all weekend and both stayed out of trouble and on the track. What more can I say, its a shame we couldn’t do any more.”

The last round of the Championship is at Brands Hatch on the 18th-19th November.

Pics: Xynamic Motorsport Photography

One of the most popular aspects of the BTCC format is the public pit lane walkabout and also the grid access that lucky VIP’s get.    The grid girls are a popular attraction, taking time out to pose with spectators for photos.

Here are some from Snetterton.

Scotty from Star Trek often said ‘ye canna change the laws of physics’ and at Snetterton there is often a firm breeze which tests to the limit the holding capabilities of hairspray!

Photos: Norwich Photo

To say that Jordan King took a giant leap forward at Snetterton in the sixth round of the 2011 Formula Renault UK Championship would be something of an understatement, and despite being cruelly denied the breakthrough triumph he so palpably deserved, the talented young Warwickshire star proved that he is indubitably ‘ready to win now’.

Whilst Snetterton revived Formula Renault UK from its summer slumber, Jordan had kept himself race-sharp and fighting-fit over the long seven-week hiatus with appearances in the FIA Formula Two Championship – stunning with a top five finish as the youngest driver ever to compete in the series’ modern era – and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup.

Although he might have benefitted from less testing than his rivals around Snetterton’s super-fast new 300 layout due to a ‘hare-raising’ incident there several weeks earlier – one that did for the hapless hare, and did Jordan’s Manor Competition single-seater few favours, either – the highly-rated Stoneleigh-based speed demon arrived in optimistic mood, and promptly lapped sixth and second-fastest during Friday’s two practice sessions.

“It was good to keep my eye in during the break, and the Northern European Cup in particular had helped me to get my mind back into driving and understanding a Formula Renault again,” he reflected. “Snetterton is a lot longer now, and more of a challenge because of that. I enjoyed the 300 layout; there’s a lot more to it than there used to be, and that makes the lap time harder to come by. The goal was definitely to come away with two podium finishes, and I felt confident we could do that.”

That extra challenge evidently posed few problems for Jordan during qualifying for race one, and with his car on-form, so too, clearly, was he. Outwardly targeting a top five starting spot but secretly eyeing the top three, the BRDC Rising Star exceeded his expectations with second place – and then when the pole-sitter found himself demoted to the rear of the field after his car transpired to be underweight, P2 became P1.

“I was already pretty pleased with second,” he confessed. “There was still more time to be found, so we knew the speed was certainly there – but to be promoted to pole position was a real psychological boost. With it being so difficult to overtake in Formula Renault, starting from pole is a massive advantage – you can control the race so much more easily.

“I wasn’t really thinking about anything whilst I was sitting on the grid; I was concentrating on getting a good start and doing a good job, so I just blocked everything else out and remained focussed on what I needed to do. I got a good start when the lights went out, and after that, I was able to manage the gap throughout the race.

“There were a few times when Alex Lynn behind got close enough to perhaps have a think about doing something, but I always felt in control; he definitely put me under pressure, but I was comfortable in what I was doing and towards the end, I actually began to edge away a little bit – without even having to push 100 per cent.

“I was thinking, ‘we can really do this’, and I was just concentrating on hitting all my braking-points and doing everything right – but then I think Lynn’s exhaust broke, which gave him more power and therefore more performance and he was able to get back onto me again.

“He was more than 3mph faster down the straights and towed up behind me, and on the penultimate lap, he decided to go for a bit of a lunge. Just as I was about to turn in at the end of Bentley Straight, I had a quick glance in my mirror and saw him diving up my inside. He was partly on the grass, so I delayed turning to give him a little bit of room to back out of it, but he didn’t and his front wheel hit my back wheel and spun me round.

“I was really surprised that he had tried to pass me into that corner, particularly with such a half-hearted attempt. Given he has such a big lead in the championship, he could have settled for a safe second place and still gained points on the two drivers chasing him.

“I was so disappointed that we didn’t get the result we should have done. We were the quickest on the track, and we should have won. The only consolation was a new lap record, which was certainly an achievement and at least proved we had the pace and are making real progress.”

That much is indisputable, and whilst stewards agreed with Jordan – fining Lynn for his indiscretion and putting points on his licence – that did not give the Princethorpe College AS-level student back what had so cruelly been snatched away from him as it was right within his grasp.

On the positive side, the manner in which the 17-year-old car racing rookie had led throughout like a seasoned veteran, maturely soaking up relentless race-long pressure – with Lynn never more than a second behind and on occasion breathing right down his neck – was encouraging indeed, as Jordan betrayed no nerves in the slightest, controlling proceedings beautifully and never looking in any danger of cracking. Unfortunately, the weekend’s second encounter would similarly end in disappointment – and again, through no fault of his own.

“I made a decent start and held position in sixth,” he recounted, with incorrect tyre pressures for the lower track temperatures in the second qualifying session having left him down on the third row of the grid, “but then on lap two, Olly Rowland came up the inside of me from a long way back. He didn’t make the corner and went straight on – and he took me with him.

“I lost four places through that, and because I had gone off the track, I had lots of dirt on my tyres, too, so I ended up in a fight and dropped to 12^th. I managed to battle my way back through to eighth, but the general driving standards over the weekend were pretty appalling, to be honest – there were some crazy overtaking moves being pulled out there.”

A better fastest lap time than race-winner Lynn once more went to underline what might have been, and Jordan’s final tally bore no reflection on his pace. Had he won race one, the Hugo Boss brand ambassador would be up to sixth in the championship; as it is, he is eighth, but he will carry his confidence through to the remainder of the campaign.

After offering a glimpse of what he is capable of by running second at Thruxton and subsequently claiming his maiden podium finish at Croft, Snetterton has now has concretised that promise. Jordan King is unquestionably a Formula Renault UK race-winner in-waiting.

“The potential is there,” he concluded. “We just need the cookie to crumble slightly more our way next time – but we’re definitely ready to win.”

Photos: Jakob Ebrey

The GoMobileUK.com with Tech-Speed Motorsport team made a welcome return to the podium as the second half of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship kicked off at the new look Snetterton circuit.

The Leamington Spa-based team went into the weekend eager to get its campaign back on track after a difficult start to the 2011 season, with Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill and Guernsey-based team-mate John George eager to impress in the latest three rounds of the year.

Despite losing time in free practice with an oil leak, Paul qualified ninth on the grid at the wheel of his normally-aspirated Chevrolet Cruze but made up places when the lights went out for race one to sit seventh. A small mistake at Riches allowed Mat Jackson to get ahead with Paul then spending the remainder of the race battling with the turbo-powered Airwaves Ford ahead. Although the pair got ahead of Tom Chilton as the race wore on, Paul was unable to find a way ahead of Jackson and had to settle for seventh place at the finish.

From the same position on the grid for race two, Paul slipped back to ninth during a chaotic opening lap around the newly extended circuit before starting to make up places when he got ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole into eighth. Problems for Matt Neal and Frank Wrathall allowed Paul to make up two additional places and he then battled past the SEAT of Dave Newsham to take fifth place and a slot on the second row of the grid for the final race thanks to the reverse grid draw.

Holding position at the start of the final race, Paul then found himself stuck behind Newsham’s SEAT as he attempted to secure his best result of the season, with the Clio Cup champion forced to take a defensive approach to keep Paul’s Chevrolet at bay. Having finally got ahead at the Montreal hairpin on lap six, Paul was able to pull away from the SEAT man but was unable to challenge race leader Jackson, who had been able to build an advantage while Paul fought for second.

However, the second place finish marked Paul’s best result of the season so far and has allowed him to consolidate his top ten championship position.

“It’s been a good weekend,” he said. “I spoke to the team before we came here and we agreed that we had a chance to run towards the front if we got things right here because the chassis of the Chevrolet is so strong, and we got a good result in the first race which we were then able to build on in the two that followed.

“The car was exceptional this weekend and I have to give credit to Vic my engineer and to Marvin for that. This is the first weekend where I can say that we’ve really been able to race against the turbo cars and I was actually able to overtake a car with a turbo engine in it. It’s not easy by any means as I think I was having to drive to new limits in the same way Jason [Plato] has had to. He came up to me after the final race and said he’d been able to learn a few things when he was behind me, which shows what a good job we’ve done.

“On the grid before the first race, Marvin came on the radio and said ‘Go out there and enjoy it’. That’s exactly what I did and I made sure I never lost my focus behind the wheel and we’ve reaped the benefits. As I said before the weekend, our season starts now.”

Team-mate John qualified 21st on the grid at the wheel of the sister car and a solid and consistent drive in the opening race of the weekend saw him come home to the finish in 19th place.

With further progress up the order the aim for race two, John was quickly up to speed as he lapped a second quicker than he had done in race one on only his second lap. However, having moved up to 17th place, John was forced to retire on the eighth lap after being shown a black and orange flag by officials after contact with Andy Neate’s Ford saw him lose his rear wing.

Unfortunately, John’s weekend would end in disappointment when he was forced to retire from the final race after clashing with the Vauxhall of Jeff Smith while making a move for position at Agostini on the fifth lap.

The results of the Snetterton weekend have enabled GoMobileUK.com with Tech-Speed to close the gap to the teams ahead in both the HiQ Teams’ Championship and the Independents’ Team Trophy ahead of the next round of the season at Knockhill, with team manager Marvin Humphries pleased with the outcome of the weekend.

“That is what we came here to do,” he said. “We know that we’ve made some mistakes in recent races and that things haven’t always gone our way, but we’ve worked hard this weekend and we got the result in race one that we could build on. We made progress every time we went on track and Paul drove bloody brilliantly to get onto the podium in race three; even Jason Plato admitted he couldn’t match him.

“I think they now have it about right when it comes to parity between the normally-aspirated cars and the turbo cars and we are in the position we should have been in earlier in the season. It’s not easy, although it isn’t meant to be, but we’ve been able to fight against them this weekend and have come away with the results.”

Pics: Norwich Photo

Grantham-based Richardson Racing enjoyed its best weekend of the 2011 season to date at Snetterton, with two wins amongst a total of three podium finishes in the latest rounds of the Michelin Ginetta GT Superup.

Brother and sister pair Andrew and Louise Richardson were on the pace throughout the weekend, with Andrew securing a brace of race victories and Louise taking her third podium finish of the season.

Andrew secured place third in class and twelfth overall on the grid for the opening race following a tightly-fought qualifying session and his usual strong start saw him climb into second in class through the opening corners.

However, on the run towards Brundle, the G55 of Colin White suddenly dropped oil all over the circuit, causing Andrew to slide off track and drop to the rear of the field. With the opening race running over just seven laps, Andrew faced a challenge to try and make up the time lost but battled his way through to fourth in class and eleventh overall at the chequered flag.

From the same position on the grid for race two, Andrew jumped up to second in class behind Jake Hill on the opening lap and then took the lead on lap two when Hill, under pressure from Andrew, was forced to pit with damage to his car after making a mistake and clipping a tyre stack. A dominant performance for the remainder of the race saw Andrew take the G50 class win by nearly 19 seconds and a fine seventh overall – ahead of a number of the quicker G55 cars.

After a lightning start to the final race, Andrew was delayed at turn one by two spinning cars ahead and dropped to second in class behind Jody Fannin. A further clash between G55s ahead allowed Andrew to move up to seventh overall and he kept the pressure on Fannin before a fine move at Riches on lap seven allowed him through into the class lead and sixth overall.

Although he dropped behind two of the G55s before the finish, Andrew took the chequered flag in eighth place overall for his second G50 class victory of the weekend and fourth of the 2011 season.

“I really didn’t expect to come away from the weekend with two wins, and if it hadn’t been for the incident on the first lap of race one, I might even have had a hat-trick,” he said. “However, a double win is fantastic and rewards the team as they did a great job.

“In the second race I kept pushing despite the fact I had such a big lead and when I got away from the line well in race three, I thought I could do the same. When the cars clashed in front I had to jump on the brakes and it allowed Jody to get past and then I was all over him as I was much quicker than him on the fast parts of the circuit. When I was half a car length behind him into Riches, I thought ‘I’m going for it’ and went up the inside and managed to make the move stick.

“Our problems earlier in the season mean that its now all about going for podiums and race wins, so this weekend it’s mission accomplished.”

Younger sister Louise was returning to action after missing two rounds as a result of damage sustained in a start-line accident at Thruxton back in May. Having qualified seventh in class and 16th overall, Louise ran as high as twelfth in the opening race as she eased herself back into racing action before taking the flag sixth in class and 14th overall.

A fine start to race two saw Louise climb up to tenth overall and third in class on the opening lap before Hill’s retirement saw her slot into second behind Andrew to put the Richardson Racing team on course for a 1-2 finish. Although a number of G55s knocked her back down the order, Louise ran second in class for much of the race despite the close attentions of Jody Fannin. A forceful move from Fannin at Hamilton on lap eight saw Louise pushed off the circuit, dropping her back to third place where she remained until the finish despite late pressure from Connaire Finn – giving the team a double podium.

Louise’s hopes of matching that result were hit on the opening lap of race three when she was forced wide twice on the opening lap and then had to back off when other drivers clashed in front of her on track. Having worked her way back up to fifth in class, Louise lost position to former touring car racer Michael Doyle in the closing laps as a problem on her car started to affect the handling and she took the chequered flag sixth in class and 14th overall.

“It’s been a bit of a mixed weekend really,” she said. “Getting a podium in the race two was a good result although it should have been second place as I was keeping Jody behind until he pushed me off.

“For the final race we changed a few things on the set-up and the car wasn’t quite right. I’d already lost time at the start as I was forced onto the grass a few times and then had to back off to avoid people spinning in front of me, and then I was getting understeer and had to wait to get the power down out of the corners.

“Overall though, I came to Snetterton knowing I had a good car and its good to have come away from the weekend with another podium after so long on the sidelines.”

Photos: Jakob Ebrey

Joy and despair for STR at Snetterton

It was three impressive top-ten finishes in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the new Snetterton 300 circuit for Dave Newsham, but it was to be a luckless day for team-mate Tom Boardman as engine issues marred a promising start to the weekend.

Having qualified in eighth, his highest starting position of the season, a slow get-away allowed the chasing pack to get the jump on Dave off the line. But he soon had the hammer down and by lap three had moved back up to ninth. Matching the times of the drivers’ ahead, he began to make headway before damage to the suspension arm cost him a place to Onslow-Cole as he ran wide at the Montreal hairpin. Doing a great job to keep the car on the road, he held the Vectra of Jeff Smith at bay to round out the top ten and claim another Championship point.

“I had a woeful start but once I got going I had the pace, I just couldn’t find that little bit extra. Then something broke on the left front and I was just hanging in then, struggling to go round the right handers. It felt awful! But I’m pleased to get another point to add to the tally,” said Dave.

Meanwhile, team-mate Tom, having failed to set a competitive time in qualifying due to engine failure, started the race from last on the grid. With the pressure off he ploughed through the field climbing to 14th by the end of the first lap and into an incredible tenth place by the end of lap three. On course for a points finish, his race was cruelly cut short just two laps later when the same engine problems that had plagued him in qualifying once again ended his day early. It was a huge blow for Tom as the damage forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the races.

“I was really buzzing, having got up to tenth, when the oil light came on and the engine cut out. That was our second engine, so it’s a short weekend for me! We’d made huge strides with our developments during the break, so I’m gutted this has happened again,” Tom said after the race.

Starting from tenth for race two, this time Dave got a cracking start claiming four places over the first lap. A brilliant move out of Palmer’s put him behind the Cruze of Alex MacDowall who had to do everything he could to keep Dave behind as he piled on the pressure. Out-braked into the Montreal hairpin on lap five, Dave lost sixth to Matt Neal. Not to be out-done though he fought back hassling Neal and taking back the place as the Honda headed to the pits with a suspected puncture. Dave then had to fend off Paul O’Neill in a great battle that was to continue for the next five laps. With Frank Wrathall’s Avenisis slowing with a mechanical issue, Dave gained a further place, but with deteriorating tyres, O’Neill and Mat Jackson were able to pass over the two remaining laps. He went on to finish in a great seventh place.

The seventh place finish played into his hands as the top seven finishers from race two were reversed to form the grid for the final race of the day, handing Dave pole position.

He led away from the line brilliantly with Jackson and O’Neill behind. But Jackson had the pace on Dave and was ahead inside two laps. Dave’s attention then turned to defending from O’Neill. The duel started in race two picked up again and the pair diced for position over the next four laps. Capitalising on Dave running slightly wide at the Montreal hairpin, O’Neill took second, putting Dave into the clutches of a charging Jason Plato. For the next five laps Dave deftly maintained his place, but on the penultimate lap Plato struck into Bombhole, followed by Matt Neal a lap later at the same spot. Then going through Murray’s, contact from MacDowall pushed Dave onto the grass and he lost three places to finish eighth in what had otherwise been a very impressive drive by the Inverness driver.

Speaking after the race, Dave said: “I got a great start, but I think the rears must have been a bit cold at the beginning of the second lap and I just lost the back end. I was pleased with the car’s pace and held off the Chevvy’s for a long while but I struggled on that hairpin today and they took loads of time from me there. Then about 5 laps from the end, something appeared to break at the rear, and the car was close to undriveable. I hung on again, but it was a bit of a downer to finish like that. It’s been a great day though and we’ve been really competitive and put points in the bag in all three races, so I’m really pleased about that. We can go to Knockhill positive that we’ve got a great car!”

The next race is at Knockhill, Dave’s local circuit, on 3 and 4 September.

Photos: Norwich Photo

Solid Snetterton showing for AmD Milltek Racing.com

AmD Milltek Racing.com enjoyed a solid weekend of racing in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the 2011 season resumed following its summer break at Snetterton (6/7 August).

The weekend marked the first appearance for Colchester-racer Martin Byford at the wheel of the West Thurrock-based team’s Volkswagen Golf as he made his long awaited debut in the BTCC having previously enjoyed success in a number of the support series.

Despite only having a single day at the wheel of the turbo-powered VW prior to the race weekend, Martin was on the pace from the outset as he lapped inside the top twelve in both free practice sessions around the new Snetterton 300 circuit.

Having taken 19th on the grid after his first BTCC qualifying session, Martin finished the opening race of the weekend in 14th place but was then unable to build on the result in race two when a broken gear linkage forced him to retire early on.

Forced to start near the back of the field for race three as a result, Martin showed his ability to race with the pack as he worked his way up to 16th place by the chequered flag, meaning he was able to score Independents’ Team Trophy points for the AmD Milltek Racing.com team in two of the three races.

Martin will now head to Knockhill next month for the seventh round of the season eager to challenge for an overall points finish, with valuable time at the wheel of the Golf now under his belt.

“It was very hot and hectic!” he said, “and I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone by. After a solid start to race day, it was a real shame that we had to retire from the second race because a finish around twelfth there would have put us in a good position on the grid for race three. However, motorsport is full of ‘ifs and buts’.

“Overall I feel we’ve made progress throughout the weekend and the car was more and more consistent as the weekend went on. We’re getting the car more to my liking and I’ve been able to build my relationship with the team. Not scoring is the only downside to the weekend but people have noticed us and seen that I can do a job on the BTCC grid and compete with the pack. I’ll learn more and get quicker at Knockhill, but it’s going to seem like a long month until we go there!”

Team boss Shaun Hollamby was pleased with the performance of his debutant driver, with the focus of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team now firmly on returning to the top ten next time out in Scotland.

“We’ve shown lots of potential this weekend and to be honest, we should have come away from the weekend with some points,” he said. “We didn’t manage that, so we know there is work to do and that there are small tweaks that we can make to improve the car for Knockhill.

“Martin will also have more time in the car to get comfortable with his new surroundings but he’s made a good start this weekend and shown people that he deserves his place on the BTCC grid.”