RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Lydden Hill made history on July 14^th by holding its first ever Mini Festival. The ‘British Summer’ conditions of frequent heavy rain failed to stop the meeting being hailed a success, a strong first Festival on which the organisers plan to develop over future years.

Minis of all forms descended on the UK’s shortest circuit to take to the track and sit proudly on display in the Paddock. Stars of the Mini racing scene were joined on track by Rallycross racers, Drifters and the general public in the Public Track time sessions. Off the tarmac Trade Stalls, Show and Shine Competitions and Club Stands made for a great atmosphere despite the awful weather conditions.

The world famous Bill Richards was the star attraction, his ever popular Passenger Rides raising money for the RNLI Lifeboats. Richards loved the event: “The rain did not deter what was a fantastic event. We’ve pleased many people today and – importantly – done some great work for the RNLI.” Bill certainly thrilled, completing many laps in his Trackday Car – even in torrential rain.

From classic Mini vans to the modern BMW form the Festival provided something for every spectator. Paul Burnell of the Medway Mini Club, who took his own Mini on circuit, was impressed: “For its first Mini event this is a good start; I really did enjoy going round the track.” Josh Willis, also of the Medway Club echoed Paul’s thoughts, stating: “There is an array of nice Mini’s here, a good day out even in the rain.”

Alongside the iconic Mini’s the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship starred. With many demo races the Swift’s provided great racing entertainment in usual close style. Swift racer Darren Scott was impressed by the Festival: “This day has been excellent, for me it has been great track time in the car.”

For fans of more sideways motorsport many Drifters were on show, the drivers impressed with the Festival, one competitor saying:”This has been a good meeting on a brilliant track, the more drifting at Lydden the better.” Instead of burning rubber the Drifters splashed puddles, but still provided memorable over steering action throughout the day.

Plans are already being put in place for the 2013 Lydden Hill Mini Festival. Judging by 2012’s offerings, next year is sure to be another great event – just even bigger and better.

Written by – DAN WRIGHT
Images by – MATT BRISTOW (Rubber Duck Does Automotive Photography)

Javier Morcillo and Manuel Cintrano won the 2 hour MSA British Endurance Chamipnship race ahead of the Paul Bailey & Andy Schulz Ferrari, on the full Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch on Sunday. There was a safety car period which closed Morcillo up onto the back of Schulz with fifteen laps to go. A nail biting end to the race ensued as Schulz tried his best to stay ahead, but a bit of contact at Druids hairpin with just two laps to go enabled Morcillo to take the lead, and the flag.
Bailey & Shulz had taken pole position, ahead of Morcillo & Cintrano in a dry / wet session on Saturday and Bailey, taking the opening stint in the Ferrari led for the first ten laps, as Cintrano dropped to fifth during the same period. Going in the opposite direction was Chris Beighton in the Marcos Mantis he was sharing with Jon Finnemore – up to second place by lap ten, and then taking the lead the next time around.
Also having a cracking start were the Bullrun team in their Lotus Evora – up from sixth to second on the first lap. They would fall foul of a success penalty during the first safety car period, however. Requiring to stay in the pits for longer, they would not be able to exit before the safety car train came around, and so had to sit at the end of the pitlane and rejoin at the back of the train and, effectively, a lap down. They would go on to finish 8th overall and 4th in class three.
The first of the two safety car periods, on lap 33, was caused by Steve Guglielmi’s Lotus Elise which stopped at Paddock Hill bend, and what should have been a fairly short interlude was extended to five laps due to Mick Mercer’s Topcats Racing Ginetta G50 also having troubles and stopping out on track. Britcar rules state that only a single 25 litre churn of fuel can be added per pitstop under safety car conditions, instead of the usual two churns allowed during open racing. Ryan Ratcliffe & Joe Osborne took this opportunity to stop twice, on successive laps, and so getting the full 50 litre fill up, but being able to catch back up with the safety car train each time – a great strategic move which would see them finish third overall, a fantastic result in their class four invitation entry Ginetta G50.
With 35 minutes to go the safety car appeared for a second time, on lap 50, to enable the recovery of Kevin Clarke & Wayne Gibsons class 4 BMW. By this point Andy Schulz had handed over to Paul Bailey in the Ferrari, and was leading – the pits stops having pretty much shaken out by this point. Javier Morcillo was in second place in the Azteca Mosler – and had been 20+ seconds behind but not lapping particularly quicker than Schulz.
In third were Jacques Duyver and Charlie Hollings in the FF Corse Ferrari 430, who were yet to stop. They waited until the safety car had come back in before making their stop – presumably to enable them to fill with the full 50 litres. They would emerge in sixth place, and despite initially dropping a place this was retaken and they finished in sixth.
Their pitstop would promote the double safety car stoppers, Ratcliffe and Osborne to the final step of the podium. Finishing in fourth place and winning class two, despite having some electrical issues were the Motionsport Team and their Ferrari 458. Their other car, the class for Lotus Elise would suffer gearbox problems and retire from the race.
Rounding out the class two podium were the two Topcats Racing Marcos Mantis’. Second in class were Owen O’Neill and Danny Winstanley, who had a nightmare of a race. Starting in third place they suffered a double puncture, after being caught out by both safety car periods, they finished 9th overall ahead of stable mates Rob Wilson and Raphael Fiorentino .
Winning class three were the Webb family, driving their BMW M3 GTR, being in a position to take advantage of the Bullrun Lotus’ woes and finishing an impressive fifth overall. Second place on the class three podium were the FF Corse boys, and taking the final step were Nick Jarvis and Tommy Field in their Track Torque Racing Chevron GR8.
Taking second in class four was Intersports other BMW, driven by Adam Hayes and Mark Radcliffe who finished two places higher overall than the Strata 21 Porsche of Adam Sharped and David Pittaway who took the final step on the class podium.

The next round will be at Snetterton on the 18th/19th of August and will be a three hour race. That weekend will also see the Britcar Production Cup Championship compete again in a 90 minute race.

Words: Alex Ings / Images: Alex Ings

Triple victory for Harvey-Kelly

Bill Richards and Charles Harvey-Kelly dominated the results at an entertaining SEMSEC Lydden round. However, their paths to victory could not be more different, Harvey-Kelly won easily with Richards defeating arch rival Nigel Craig in two epic Saloon battles.

As ever, the Saloon and Sports Car Championship provided the most thrilling racing with a 17 car strong field of eclectic machinery. Before the race even began Richards provided drama, arriving seconds before the race start after collecting a new Wheel Bearing from his Ashford workshop.

From pole Nigel Craig’s Subaru Impreza led, chased by Tony Skelton’s Clio and a charging Mini Clubman of Richards. By lap two Richards sat second, battling in tooth and nail style with the under steering Subaru.

With the Mini’s cornering ability and the Subaru’s sheer power a fantastic battle ensued. Richards stated: “It was a great battle, but to get past Nigel I had to force him into a mistake.” He did just that as with two laps left Craig missed a gear, Richards pouncing on the run down Hairy Hill to take the win. Behind the leading pair: Mary Grinham, Andy Banham and Mark Garner jostled over fourth, the Space Frame Mini of Grinham prevailing over Banham who was plagued with boost problems.

Craig and Richards constantly battled

A tense battle was not repeated in Race 2, with Richards taking the lead by the end of Lap 1 down Hairy Hill. After a Safety Car period the field spread, Craig hopelessly chasing Richards with Lydden Trackday regular Banham passing Grinham round the Devils Elbow.

Local Mini racer Tristam Barden was the star performer, finishing fifth after a jumping Robert Knox’s Maguire Stiletto through Paddock Bend. Richards took a comfortable win, Craig second and a pleased Banham third ahead of the hard charging Grinham.

Harvey-Kelly took three “easy wins,” two in the Sports Racing and Kit Car Championship and one in the South East Challenge. The Radical SR4 defeated a quartet of entertaining Caterham’s (Conibear, Gibb, Wilson and Bishop) who provided typical close racing in the two Sports Racing and Kit Car encounters. Harvey-Kelly is frequently seen at Lydden, loving the Lydden set up: “I’m happy with my results round this well organised and very friendly circuit” he stated post race.

Frantic SEMSEC action

Ford Fiesta driver Michael Jackson claimed top spot in the John Taylor Handicap race. Over 12 laps Harvey-Kelly could not catch Jackson, who was pleased to see the man in the mirror not get too close.

It was another tense, exciting afternoon of SEMSEC action. The SEMSEC series returns to Lydden for a Sprint and Race Meeting on the 22nd of September.

Written by – DAN WRIGHT
Images by – JOSEPH WRIGHT

Caterhams provided great racing

There was a full day of racing on the “300” circuit at a dry, but very windy, Snetterton on Sunday for the MSVR meeting. The Mini Challenge, GT Cup and BMW Championship all took part, among other series, with varying numbers of races for each.

GT Cup:

With three races over the weekend, the GT cup boys were busy. Unfortunately for Group One competitor Richard Chamberlain, after a second place in race one, technical troubles at the start of race two, and the lack of time between races to sort the issues, meant that he missed race three completely. This left Derek Johnston to take victory in all three races. There was an incredibly close finish in the third and final race – Colin Broster beat home Peter Smallwood by just seven hundredths of a second!

MSV F3 Cup:

There were two twenty minute races for the F3 cars at Snetterton – with the same winner for both. Linton Stutley taking victory by over twenty seconds in race one, and nearly the same margin again in race two. David Scott was the only man to try and keep Stutley honest, and so Scott duly took second place in both races. Rounding out the podium was Gino Ussi in race one, and Louis Hamilton-Smith in race two.

All bar one car finished the first race, Chris Dittman not even making the start of the Saturday evening event. Less cars made it to the checkered flag on Sunday lunchtimes race though – only 11 of the 16 runners lasting the distance.

Mini Challenge:

The Mini Challenge cars had an exceptionally busy weekend, with four races over two days. Lee Allen took two victories in the first two races, and finished in third place in the final two, while Sam Osborne had two third places, one victory and a fourth place after some very entertaining racing.

Sandwiched between the pair was Martin Depper in race one, Ant Whorton-Eales in race two (who would win the fourth race) and Chris Smiley in the final race.

In the Club Class races Henry Gilbert took victory in the first, third and fourth rounds to have a very successful weekend. Jono Brown win in the second race and was runner up in race three to bag a very tasty points haul.

Marangoni Tyres Production BMW Championship:

A field of nearly thirty cars took to the track for two races, with Mike Tovey winning in both of them, and by the same margin of 4.1 seconds. Runner up in both races was different though, with Matt Parkes taking the second step of the podium in race one, with Ben Winrow taking the final step.

Winrow would go one better in race two, to collect the silverware for second place with Liam Crilly finishing in third. Some close racing throughout the field, with cars barely more than a second apart – especially in the midfield – gave the spectators some great racing to watch.

 
Words: Alex Ings / Images: Alex Ings

Lydden Hill’s Truck Festival (16th, 17th July) saw stars of the British Truck Racing Championship, Oval racing and multiple Saloon series invade the Kent track for a packed Festival weekend.  Competitors and spectators all hailed the eclectic event, entertained by the finest racing talent from across the UK and Europe.

The on track action didn’t disappoint, the many J.D. Services Truck races providing close quarters racing across both days. Seeing 100mph trucks lap the UK’s shortest circuit was a sight to behold, with 2011 British Truck Champion Dave Jenkins dominating the racing results. Jenkins – the pre event favourite – loved the event set up: “To race at Lydden is great; I hold many fond memories of this place so to race here is really nice for the Trucks.”

Class B British Truck Champion Steven Powell echoed Jenkins thoughts: “This place is brilliant for the fans, but is also a good circuit to us to test at.” This shows how highly Britain’s best truck drivers think of Lydden’s Festival, it is an event first in many drivers diary. For fans of all things Truck the race machines were not the only type on show, as many Show Trucks littered the busy Paddock – a magnificent sight.

Across the weekend many Saloon races (Cannon MotorSpares Tin Tops, Intermarque Series and Quaife Motorsport News Saloons) entertained an enthusiastic crowd. Mini racer Tristam Barden, who was dwarfed by the many daunting Trucks, sang the event’s praises: “To bring so many formulas together is a very good idea, there should certainly be more events like this – there is something for everyone.”

Any motorsport fan would be impressed by the Festival’s offerings, especially at the rumbling sound of the European Late Model Saloon Series. Europe’s NASCAR type racers spat flames around the circuit’s Oval, bringing a taste of America to the beautiful countryside of Kent. Away from V8 NASCAR’s, the eye catching UK Sprint Cars were the Festival’s winged warriors, lapping the Oval in dramatic style.

Spectators were surprised to see thrills on three wheels across the weekend with the Reliant Robins adding a touch of Del Boy to the Festivities. The final Oval action came in the form of National Hot Rods, races that attracted Intermarque flyer Tommy Field Jr, who stated: “As I race in the Intermarque Series my car is eligible to race in two championships this weekend – a fantastic aspect of this event as it is so varied.”

Field Jr showed his class in both Intermarque races, claiming both wins in dominate fashion. Event organiser Rod Birley summed up the weekend well: “Despite odd incidents on track the Festival has provided very good racing, with – importantly – a great atmosphere.” The Diggerland Trucks, live band, Hog Roast, Truck Pull, Demonstrations, to name just a few activities, helped create this fantastic atmosphere, the Lydden Hill Truck Festival is an event for anyone’s diary.

Written by – DANIEL WRIGHT
Images by – JOSEPH WRIGHT

This Sunday’s Modified Live Summertime Special event at Brands Hatch (8 July) will be better than ever as the UK’s hottest performance car festival celebrates the ultimate in four-wheel performance. Joining a feast of high-speed action in the Kent amphitheatre will be a demonstration of Formula 1 power that will stun spectators and performers alike!

Providing what is sure to be the day’s highlight for many will be four F1 cars from the 80s and 90s, a time when power outputs in the sport were at their highest. From the turbo era, the 1984 Toleman that was driven by Ayrton Senna allowed the Brazilian to showcase his skills. His compatriot Nelson Piquet drove for Lotus and Benetton in his illustrious career and the 1989 Lotus-Judd and 1990 Benetton-Ford, complete with high-revving 3.5 litre V8 engines will be on track this weekend. The 1993 Benetton, which was campaigned by Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese, and featuring active suspension and a host of high-tech driver aids will also appear.

There will be plenty to see and do at this year’s event. Also on track will be competitive action from the headlining European Drift Championship and Time Attack Championship. The former is motorsport at its most visceral, with points awarded not for being the fastest, but the most skilful and artistic at the wheel. Spectacular smoke-inducing sideways drifts are the order of the day, and competitors are expected to lap the course without all four wheels pointing in the same direction!

A more conventional approach is taken by the Time Attack contenders but the action is no less sensational as the wildest performance cars around are driven to the limit against the clock. The event provides all the drama and tension of an F1 qualifying session, with cars dancing on the edge of adhesion.

Racing fans are also well-catered for with bumper-to-bumper action from US-style Pickup Trucks and the brand new Civic Cup Championship. The on-track fun continues with amazing stunt bike demonstrations, whilst visitors wanting to join in can purchase 15 minutes on track in their own car for just £35, provided that they bring their driving licence along.

The interactive element of Modified Live continues off track with competitions, including a show and shine contest for the best looking car, a tug-of-war contest between car clubs, a sound-off for the best car audio system and sideways rides in a Drift Taxi. With car club displays and trade stands too, this weekend’s Modified Live Summertime Special is sure to be a hit.

Tickets for the Modified Live Summertime Special at Brands Hatch on 8 July are available in advance for £17, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk

High-speed wheel-to-wheel racing is expected to be a feature of this July’s (14/15) British Kart Grand Prix, which moves to Snetterton for the first time. The FIA-sanctioned event is a round of the Superkart European Championship and is one of the most prestigious races on the motorsport calendar.

Famous for nurturing Formula 1 stars from Ayrton Senna to Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, karting also stages its own British Grand Prix. The Grand Prix features Superkarts, designed to race on full-length circuits and featuring gearboxes plus aerodynamic bodywork, including wings.

Three categories of Superkarts will take to the Norfolk circuit this July, starting with Division 1 Superkarts, powered by two-cylinder 250cc engines producing around 100bhp – as much as a road car and at a fraction of the weight! Single-cylinder 250cc National class karts and 125cc Open karts will each have their own race.

The Snetterton 300’s long Senna and Bentley Straights will see the karts reaching speeds in excess of 140mph, while the mini-racers’ legendary handling provides a superb spectacle around the arena atmosphere of the new infield section, overlooked by panoramic spectator banks. Despite competitors’ budgets being at a fraction of the cost of GT sportscars, lap times are comparable and the race is expected to be one of the fastest of the year at the Norfolk venue.

There will also be a packed support bill with the Intersteps series for young racers fresh out of karts, plus close saloon car action from the Dunlop Production Touring Cars and classic Mini racing.

Tickets for the British Superkart Grand Prix at Snetterton 300 on 14-15 July are available in advance from £10, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.snetterton.co.uk

At the half-way point in the 2012 Vadabar Sports and GT Championship at Castle Combe, the action came thick and very fast for Races 5 and 6 (June 16/17th) with the Championship lead changing overnight and then back again, with one new driver taking his debut Sports and GT victory. Race 6 was certainly the most exciting of the season so far; there’s still only a few points between the two leading drivers at the top of the points table with 4 races still to go.

Race 5

Simon Tilling (Andover) was very slow getting his Radical off pole position when the lights turned green – it was the debut of his new launch control and things didn’t go quite to plan. Andrew Shanley (Trowbridge) snatched the lead chased hard by Guy Parr (Bath) in his Nemesis and Craig Fleming (Taunton) in his Juno TR250.

Shanley opened up an impressive lead in the first couple of laps from Fleming, who had nipped past Parr and the rest of the field. But by lap four Tilling had recovered from his poor start and moved up into second place and was closing the gap to the leader on each lap. The front pair were soon lapping back markers and Tilling made his move and powered past Shanley to lead to the chequered flag, setting a new lap record in the process. Tilling also moved to the top in the championship points table, now ahead of Gary Prebble (Southampton) who won his class and finished 7th overall, despite loosing boost pressure. Dylan Popovic took his Marlin to a class runner-up slot ahead of Stuart Dixon’s Lotus. Shanley retired his Radical Prosport on lap 8 with serious engine problems.

Race 6

Once again Simon Tilling made a terrible start and the entire grid stormed past him with Norman Lackford and his Radical ProSport taking an early lead chased hard by Craig Fleming and Gary Prebble. Prebble then lead for a couple of laps having what he described as one of his best ever races, and driving his socks off against ‘proper race cars’ before Guy Parr took his place at the front of the pack. Then on lap 9 Fleming grabbed his chance when Parr was forced off the track while passing a back marker and dived into the lead. A delighted Fleming went on to record his debut Sports & GT victory a few laps later. Prebble finished third overall, winning his class and setting the fastest Class C lap, to return to his earlier position at the top of the Championship points table. Tilling suffered turbo boost problems during the entire race, making several pit stops in an effort to cure the problem, but still managed to set the fastest lap of the race. Josh Smith drove his Radical to the runner-up spot, having been involved in a race long battle with his father Darcy (on Father’s Day!) who eventually finished 4th overall. Further down the field things got a little too close for comfort between Dylan Popovic’s Marlin and Parr, leading to them exchanging paintwork, Popovic having a spin, with Parr later excluded from the results and fined for driving in a manner not compatible with general safety.

The Championship returns to Castle Combe on Saturday and Sunday July 21/22nd with a race on each day.

Robson Claims first Club Pro Podium at Knockhill

Subaru driver Scott Robson earned his first podium position in the recent round of the UK Time Attack Championship at Knockhill.

Scott competes in the Club Pro class of the UK Time Attack Championship in his Ferrari red Subaru Impreza, with the support of Perth based Subaru experts RA Motorsport. The Club Pro class is one of the most competitive categories in the Time Attack Championship, which features a strong field of very highly tuned cars from a variety of manufacturers. Even with an impressive 550 horse power available, Scott’s Subaru is still almost 300bhp shy of the most powerful cars in this class, so putting all his skill and local knowledge to good effect in the changeable weather conditions would be essential for a good result.

A recurring misfire during the first round at Cadwell Park in May, where Robson still managed an impressive 7th in class, was traced post event to a damaged wiring loom. The poorly running engine had badly damaged the blades on the turbocharger resulting in a very narrow powerband with virtually no power below 5000 rpm and over 500bhp at 5750rpm! Unfortunately there wasn’t time to repair the damage ahead of Knockhill, and Scott would have to adapt his driving to suit.

The typically cold and wet early morning conditions for the morning warm up session were a mixed blessing for Scott. One the one hand his local expertise of the slippery Knockhill tarmac saw him fastest in class and an incredible third fastest overall with a lap time of 62.247 seconds, but the narrow power band induced some heroic power slides as the car tried it’s best to throw him off the greasy track.

Scott Robson competing at a very wet Knockhill

By the time the late morning practice sessions started, the rain had eased off and a dry line was starting to form around the 1.3 mile circuit. The improved conditions allowed Scott to make some adjustments to the suspensions set-up to maximise grip, and the narrow power band proved less of a hindrance. Worryingly during the session, the engine developed a loud ticking noise forcing Scott to abort his efforts, but not before posting a fastest in class time of 55.633 seconds. Thankfully the noise was traced to a leaking exhaust manifold gasket, and the RA Motorsport team set about repairing this for the afternoon sessions.

With an almost dry track for the afternoon qualification session, Scott was always going to be under pressure from his more powerful competitors and would have to push the car to its limits to earn the valuable points on offer to the top 5 drivers. Turning up the boost to its maximum setting and risking as much of the kerbs as the conditions allowed, Scott recorded a blistering time of 55.088 seconds, exactly a second behind class leader Steven Peel in his Mitsubishi EVO. This time was good enough for third in class and earned Robson 30 valuable championship points. Despite the diversity of front, rear and four wheel drive machinery in the Club Pro class, results as always proved extremely competitive with 3rd to 8th places being separated by less than a second!

Scott Robson riding kerbs at Knockhill

Despite performing a rain dance in the paddock as the final approached, the conditions continued to improve much to the delight of Scott’s competitors. The now fully dry track allowed all the drivers to extract the very best from their cars, and fellow Scottish driver Andrew Barbour quickly set a benchmark time 54.609 on the third lap in his Mitsubishi EVO. However, mechanical issues blighted some of the drivers and they were forced to pull off track resulting in the session being red flagged twice. With barely a minute remaining of the 15 minute session, the remaining drivers lined up in the pit lane for a last do or die effort. With only a single lap available to fully warm the tyres, there was no sandbagging as the full grid thundered onto the track to try and cross the start line and get a flying lap in before the chequered flag marked the end of the session.

Scott Robson Flat Out around Knockhill

Scott started his flying lap well positioned behind the very fast EVO of Steven Peel, and this spurred him on to record his best ever lap time of 54.714. Without in-car live timing information available for the final, it wasn’t until he returned to the pit lane that Scott learned how his efforts had earned him his first ever Club Pro podium position.

‘I was absolutely delighted that all the hard work the guys at RA Motorsport had put into the car had produced a podium at our home event, despite all the issues we had to contend with before and during the event. We are very much looking forward to the next round and the rest of the championship.’

Scott Robson on podium at Knockhill

The next round of the UK Time Attack Championship will be at Brands Hatch on the 8th of July.

For more information on Time Attack, please click to Time Attack
For more information on RA Motorsport, please click to RA Motorsport

Words: John Stewart
Images: Flat Out Photography