Classic and Competition car 43

Classic and Competition Car
April 2014
MG action at Silverstone
Issue 43
© Simon Wright
Contents
Page 3
News.
Page 9
Refurbished Arrows GP car
Page 10
Mallory Park Grand Re-opening
Page 13
Shelsley Walsh Breakfast Club
Page 18
The Filling Station Drive-in
Page 22
BTCC Media day, Donington Park
Page 26
Archive gallery of the month
Page 29
Bromsgrove Car Club Sunday meet
Page 34
MSVR Media day, Brands Hatch
Page 35
458 Radical Days of Thunder
Page 38
MGCC Race meeting, Silverstone
Front Cover.
Stuart Dean in an MG Dick
Jacobs Special battles with
Nick Ashman in an MG TC
at Silverstone.
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Our Team.
Simon Wright - Editor.
Simon has been photographing
and reporting on motor races for
many years. Served an
engineering apprenticeship many
years ago. Big fan of the Porsche
917
Pete Austin.
Pete is the man for Historic racing,
with an extensive archive of black
and white images covering the last
few decades of motorsport in
Britain. Very keen on BRM.
All content is copyright classicandcompetitioncar.com unless otherwise stated. All
photographs are copyright the original photographer and cannot be used for
commercial purposes unless by prior approval of the original copyright holder. We try to
ensure accurate and truthful reporting but if you spot an error, please contact us and
will we verify and correct accordingly. We do not organise any events which are
mentioned and we are not responsible if the event does not take place or is cancelled.
Please contact the event organiser before making a long trip.
Classic and Competition car
Classic and Competition Car is published by
simonwrightphotos.com High View Drive,
Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8HT
E-mail [email protected]
Tel 07905 435973
April 2014
Mick Herring
Mick's first love is GT racing,
including Historic, especially the
Lola T70. Has an extensive
knowledge of all things GT.
Janet Wright.
Janet has been taking
photographs for many years, and
is also very skilled in video. She
likes Aston Martins
Page
2
Editorial.
Spring is in the air, and the
racing season has started at last.
Now the problem is that there
are so many great events taking
place, that many of them clash.
Sometimes its a choice between
classic or modern, race meeting
or show. The only good thing is
that there are so many great
vehicles out there, that whatever
event you choose, you will
probably be spoilt for choice on
what to look at first. We have a
great motoring heritage in this
country, so get out there and
enjoy yourself this summer, and
let us know which events you
attended.
News
© Simon Wright
This did not deter current
Champion Andrew Jordan in
his family run Honda Civic from
completely dominating the first
two races from pole position.
The third race with the reverse
grid proved a little too much for
the reigning champion whose
car was heavy with success
ballast. This left the way open
for former champion Colin
Turkington to take his first win
of the year in the E-Bay BMW
125i M Sport after a tough
battle with his two eBay Motors
team mates Collard and Foster
who all started at the front of
the reverse grid in race 3.
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition car
BTCC Champions to
the front.
The first round of the
British Touring Car
Championship took
place at Brands Hatch
at the end of March.
With seven former
Champions now
competing for this top
touring car crown, the
competition is going to
be harder than ever.
April 2014
Page
3
Hamish McNich.
New Strakka Dome S103 LMP2 car.
The new LMP2 chassis from the Strakka Dome racing partnership
is powered by the Nissan VK45 4.5 litre V8 engine. The two
companies will develop, build and race and market the cars,
eligible for the WEC, European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans
Series and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in
America.
The Strakka team will retain its driver line up of Nick Leventis,
Danny Watts and Jonny Kane to contest the 2014 FIA World
Endurance Championship and the Le mans 24 Hours.
Historic MG racer Hamish McNich from Glastonbury in Somerset had
an unfortunate accident at the opening MG Car Club race meeting, held
on the Silverstone National Circuit on Saturday 29th March 2014.
During the MMM Cars with MG T-Types & invited VSCC cars race,
Hamish was enjoying a spirited battle in his MG C-Type Montlhery with
Dutch driver Thijs de Groot in an MG PA Special. On the third lap
Hamish got a puncture and raised his arm to indicate a problem. The car
lost control and Hamish was thrown from the car. The race was stopped
and Hamish was taken to the circuit medical centre where it was decided
to airlift him to hospital via helicopter for further investigations on his
back. It is reported that he has two broken vertebrae and bruised ribs,
but is otherwise OK. We would like to wish him a speedy recovery.
© Janet Wright
Rare Lagonda
heads sale.
A rare 1939
Lagonda V12
Hooper two door
saloon that has only
done 40,000 miles
from new is being
offered for sale at
the Silverstone
Auctions sale at the
first Restoration
Hamish battling with Thijs de Groot before his accident at Silverstone
Show sale. It is thought that the car will sell for between £75,000
and £100,000. Held at the NEC, near Birmingham on Saturday
Classic and Competition Car Facebook Group
We now have a Facebook Group - Classic and Competition Car - where you can join and
12th April 2014, the auction is part of the first Practical Classics
up to date with additional Photographs, postings, and extra event photo galleries.
Restoration show at the NEC on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th keep
Please feel free to add personal postings and your own photos.
April 2014.
Page 4
April 2014
Classic and Competition car
© Simon Wright
Crabbies enter the BTCC.
Jack Clarke, 26 years old, is joining the
BTCC in 2014 at the wheel of the Crabbies
Ford Focus ST. Jack was born into a motor
racing family and is the step son of former F1
driver Julian Bailey. His career to date has
been mainly single seaters after Karting. He
has raced in Formula BMW, Formula Palmer
Audi, and competed in the 2009 FIA Formula
2 series taking a win at Brands Hatch. He
switched to GT racing with races in the
Blancpain series at the wheel of a McLaren
MP4-12C, the ELMS and WEC in a Nissan
powered Oreca.
G
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
Thruxton Easter Revival making History.
The HSCC will turn back time at this year’s Thruxton Easter
Revival meeting when the new Super Touring Car
Championship is launched, and BTCC racing legends will relive
their glory days.
In the late 60s and 70s, the Thruxton Easter meeting used to be
a Formula 2 and Touring car spectacular, with many Grand Prix
drivers of the day racing in Formula 2, competing against the
new up and coming young drivers. Many of these fabulous cars
will be back to race again this year. The meeting always drew
large crowds to the Hampshire circuit. Now the HSCC are
recreating these meetings with their second running of the
Easter Revival meeting on the 19th and 20th of April 2014.
The meeting will also see the first round of the new Historic
Super Touring Car Championship. Back in the 90s, Super
Touring Car series took place all over the World, with many
manufacturers keen to show their family cars off in the racing
arena. Some manufacturers even employed Grand Prix teams
like Williams and McLaren to create high tech versions of their
normal saloon cars to race. These cars remain some of the
most advanced and fastest touring cars and they will feel right
at home round the fast sweeps of the Thruxton circuit. Several
former drivers are intending to take part in this series including
double BTCC Champion John Cleland and legend driver Patrick
Watts. Cars should include the likes of the Ford Sierra RS500,
BMW 320i, Honda Accord, Nissan Primera, Vauxhall Vectra
and the Williams Renault Laguna.
Page
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© Simon Wright
50 Years at Croft.
To celebrate its 50th birthday, the north-east’s premier
circuit, Croft Autodrome has a bumper calendar of
events lined up for this year. The high-light event will be
the mid-summer Nostalgia weekend, where cars and
stars from the circuits history will recreate the illustrious
past of the venue.
Croft hosted its first major event on August 3rd 1964, the
Daily Mirror Trophy meeting for touring cars, GTs, sports
cars, single seaters and bikes. Exactly 50 years later, the
Nostalgia weekend will be held over the weekend of the
2nd and 3rd of August 2014, where the sights, sounds
and smells of the past will entertain the crowds. Both cars
and stars from the past will attend the event, both on and
off the track, to remind the crowd of the important part
this circuit has played in the history of motorsport in
Yorkshire. As well as track action with Ford Cortina’s
and Hillman Imps etc, there will be a World War 2
encampment, air shows, live music and fashion displays
to recreate the past atmosphere and provide fun for all
the family.
Croft Nostalgia weekend will have plenty of action in the air as well as on the track
Giovanardi returns.
Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi is one
of the most successful touring car
drivers in the World.
He has won touring car titles in
Italy (1992, 1998, 1999), Spain
(1997) and Europe
(2000,2001,2002) as well as
winning the British Touring Car
Championship in 2007 and 2008.
2014 Calendar.
21st April Easter Sprint meeting Darlington & District MC
26-27th April BARC Race meeting
10-11th May Darlington & District MC race meeting
28-29th June Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
19-20 JulyBARC Race meeting.
2-3 August
Croft Nostalgia weekend
6-7 September BRSCC Race meeting
20-21st September BARC Race meeting
18th October MSA British Rallycross championship
19th October MSA Rallycross Grand Prix
16th November BTRDA Rallycross
TBC Roger Albert Clark Rally
28th December Christmas Stages
With 24 wins behind him in the
BTCC, he has returned this year
to race one of the Airwaves
Racing Ford Focus ST in this
years series along side Mat
Jackson. The team is based near
Brands Hatch in Kent and run by
Motorbase Performance who
have won 12 BTCC races since
2006.
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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6
MAC Classic.
The Midland Automobile Club biannual Classic 100 mile
run, organised by the clubs Classic and Sports section, will
take place again this year on Sunday 27th April. The run will
start at four different locations, the National Motorcycle
museum, Cotswold airport, Halfpenny Green Vineyard and
Shelsley Walsh, all ending up at Shelsley Walsh where
entrants will be able to have a run up the World famous
historic hill climb course. For further information see
www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden unveil the new Honda Civic Tourer at the
BTCC media day at Donington Park. The estate car will compete in this
years British Touring Car Championship under the Yuasa Honda banner.
New Record Breaker
display at Beaulieu
Four iconic Land Speed
record holding cars are
part of a new multi media
display “For Britain or the
the hell of it” at the
National Motor Museum.
The cars include the
350hp and 1000 hp
Sunbeams, Bluebird CN7
and the Golden Arrow.
They reflect the British
record breakers between
the 1920’s and now.
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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7
© Simon Wright
The Peter James Insurance
Bromley Pageant of Motoring.
The UK’s biggest one day classic vehicle
show returns to Norman Park, Bromley on
Sunday 8th June 2014. With over 3,000
vehicles on show, including cars, trucks,
motorcycles and tractors, there should be
something to suit any enthusiast. There
will also be a car boot sale - Classic Trunk
Trading, where classic car fans can fill
their boot with classic parts, spares and
other classic memorable and for just an
extra £5 can trade from where they park.
These spaces must be booked in
John Surtees OBE will be the guest advance.
Heritage Liveried Barn find van at Restoration Show. of honour at this years Donington
The main arena will feature classic car
The Classic restoration Show at the NEC near
Historic Festival which runs from
parades and special guests and live music
Birmingham on the 12th and 13th of April 2014 will
the 3rd to the 5th May 2014.
from Elle and the Pocket Belles and the
feature this restored 1964 Austin LD van. Heritage
Surtees will be there on Sunday
‘firestarting’ Houndogs rockabilly band.
Classic Car Insurance is sponsor of the Barn find
and Monday to celebrate the 50th
Tickets are £11 in advance or £14 per
anniversary of his F1 World
feature at the show, so thought it appropriate to bring
adult on the gate. Concessions for
Championship driving for Ferrari.
along their own barn find van to display.
children and senior citizens. for more
The new
information go to
Formula E
www.bromleypageant.co.uk
global electric
racing series
headquarters
is starting to
take shape in
the paddock at
Donington
Park. All teams
will be based in
the building
© Simon Wright when finished
Page 8
April 2014
Classic and Competition car
© Pete Austin
Refurbished Arrows Grand Prix car shines at Race Retro. By Pete Austin
Standing out from the crowd on the Bahamas Speed Week Revival stand at Race Retro was the
newly refurbished Arrows A21 resplendent in its Orange Mobile sponsor livery.
This particular car is chassis 06 as driven in the 2000 Grand Prix season by Dutchman Jos
Verstappen and Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa. After a poor 1999 campaign with the Arrows A20 this
car helped Tom Walkinshaw’s team achieve 7th position in the constructor’s championship the
following year.
© Pete Austin
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
The car was designed by Mike
Coughlan with aerodynamicist
Eghbal Hamidy. Quite
advanced for its time it was
fitted with a carbon fibre and
titanium gearbox designed by
John Barnard and had pull rod
suspension on the front. The
car proved to be quick in a
straight line but power output
and reliability from its Supertec
V10 could never match the
works engines at the front of
the grid.
The livery currently on the car
is that used when it was a test
car in 2001 and shortly after the
show it was taken to Blyton
Park near Gainsborough in
Lincolnshire for a test run by
driver Barry Walker. The aim is
to display and demonstrate the
car throughout Europe. Details
are on facebook.com/
ArrowsA21F1.
Page
9
© Pete Austin
© Pete Austin
Mallory Park Grand Re-opening. Saturday 1st March 2014. By Simon &
© Janet Wright
Janet Wright with additional photos by Pete Austin.
After the uncertainty of the future of Mallory Park over the last year, it was great
to arrive at a very sunny Mallory Park on the 1st of March, to the Grand Reopening of the circuit under its new management. The warm sunny weather
drew in a large crowd to this special preview display, a taster for events to come
this year at Mallory Park. There was plenty to interest the four wheeled
enthusiasts, with confirmation of the first car race meeting confirmed for the
circuit in 2014. The Classic Sports Car Club are helping to organise a race
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
meeting at Mallory park on July 20th 2014 which
will include races for their new Dunlop
Production Cup for Porsches and existing Special
Saloons and Modsport category.
There was no track action at this free event, but
many people were taking the opportunity to walk
around the circuit, something they may not have
been able to do in the past. The paddock was full
of mainly motorcycle displays, as the new owners
are from the motorbike racing scene, and the
circuit has always been a popular motorbike
racing venue. However, there was still plenty to
interest 4 wheel motorsport fans on display. The Williams FW08 GP
high light for many car fans was the ex Keke Rosberg Grand Prix Williams FW08 parked in the
paddock. Many fans took the opportunity to get up close and get a picture next to this Grand Prix car
legend. There was also a line up
© Janet Wright
of classic cars under Race Control, with a perfect
example of a Jaguar E-Type and a Triumph TR5
showing the beauty of the classic British sports car.
© Pete Austin
Classic and Competition car
George Shuttleworth Speed demon
April 2014
April 2014
Jaguar E-Type
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At the far end of the paddock was a line up of modern
and classic rally cars emphasising the wide range of
motorsport that utilises the Mallory Park circuit. The
2014 Rally of the Midlands will again use Mallory Park
as a special stage in their rally this year. The sight of
classic Ford Escort rally cars competing against more
modern Subaru Imprezza and MG Metro 6R4 rally cars
round different sections of the Mallory Park circuit will
bring a smile to the face of any motorsport enthusiast.
The British Trial and Rally Drivers Association
(BTRDA) had a couple of cars on display including the
Rallycross 2 litre Renault Megane of Barry Dutton
from the Production class. Lets hope we might get to
see it in action at Mallory Park some time in the future?
Cathy Stewart’s Sunbeam Lotus
© Simon Wright
© Pete Austin
Classic
and
Competition
Classic
and
Competition
carcar
© Simon Wright
Clive Temple’s Amilcar
April
April2014
2014
Barry Dutton Renault Megane
Page 1212
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A warmer than usual Sunday
morning really drew out the cars
for the monthly Shelsley Breakfast
Club meeting in March. The
biggest attendance yet at a
Breakfast meeting saw over 350
cars descend on the famous hill
climb course and over 700 people
crowded around the paddock
area, which was completely full of
cars by 9:30am. The overspill was
located in the orchard field behind
the paddock and spectators were
directed in to the main car parking
Shelsley Walsh Breakfast Club. 9th March 2014. By Simon and Janet Wright.
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
© Simon Wright
Italian Stallions
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© Janet Wright
field along with late arrivals in classic cars.
The meeting was almost a tribute to the sports car, with the
majority of vehicles on display being sports cars.
There was a great display of modern supercars on show in
the paddock with a McLaren MP4 12C, a pair of
Lamborghini’s, 5 different types of Ferrari, a host of Porsche
models and around fourteen Aston Martin supercars, plus a
KTM X-Box sports car.
The classic supercars were equally impressive, with a
Jaguar E-Type Roadster, an E-Type Coupe, an AC Ace
Bristol roadster and an AC Ace Bristol coupe, an Aston
Martin DB6, a Lotus Elan, a Frazer Nash BMW, a Bristol 401
2 litre saloon and a pair of immaculate Triumph TR6 sports
cars. At the lower end of the market there was a nice group
line up in the field of a 1959 Triumph TR3, a 1972 MG
Midget and a 1971 Austin Sprite, all budget British sports
cars that introduced many young Brits to open air motoring.
Classic and Competition car
Triumph TR3, MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite
© Simon Wright
AC Ace Bristol roadster
April 2014
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Aston Martin DB6
Ford Zephyr convertible
© Janet Wright
The unusual vehicles attending included a classic Citroen utility
van, a VW camper van and even an electric Renault Twizy
Many of the enthusiasts that had turned up, took advantage of the
traditional breakfast from the restaurant in the courtyard and then
followed it up with a walk to the top of the hill climb course, which
allows fantastic views across the surrounding countryside.
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
A pair of Triumph TR6 Sports cars
April 2014
Alfa Romeo and Ferrari replica
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Top: VW Camper, Aprillia
motorcycle, Renaut Twizy
electric car.
middle : Morgans lined up
in the over spill field.
McLaren MP4 12C
supercar.
Bottom : TVR line up in the
paddock garages. Citroen
utility truck.
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
models with a very curved front end from the Carrozzeria
inspired body design which featured no door handles. This
gave the car an incredibly low drag coefficient of just cd 0.36
comparable with todays modern designs developed in the
wind tunnel, and most impressive for a car of this period. To
open the doors, there was a button located in the groove of
the door.
The 2 litre six cylinder BMW engine was fitted with Solex
carburettors, producing 85 bhp. This gave the car a top speed
of 97.3 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 15.1 seconds, resulting in
a fuel consumption of just over 20 miles to the gallon.
Independent front suspension consists of transverse leaf
springs and wishbones, with a solid rear axle attached by
torsion bars. Rack and pinion steering and drum brakes all
round gave the car a comfortable handling and performance
for its original list price of £3532 including taxes.
1952 Bristol 401 Saloon.
The 401 was built by the Bristol Aeroplane Co. between 1948 and
1953 during which 611 were built. The car was also produced in a
cabriolet open top version, the 402 on which just 23 were built.
The 401 was the successor to the original 400 series, which was
the first car built by the British Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1947.
Production on the 400 series lasted until 1950 and 487 were built in
saloon form. These early Bristol cars were based on the Frazer
Nash BMW which the company had built under license after the
second world war.
The 401 used an improved version of the 1971cc straight 6 BMW
engine. The car sported a twin radiator grill very similar to the BMW
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Janet Wright
© Janet Wright
The Filling Station Drive in Breakfast
Meeting. 16th March 2014.
By Simon & Janet Wright.
This Malvern Cafe hosts regular breakfast
meetings on certain Sunday mornings each
month, aimed at American Hot rods and classic
cars, vans and bikes. The cafe is located on an
industrial estate behind the main retail area in
Malvern, which allows for plenty of street
parking space for people to attend. The March
meeting was held on a beautiful sunny Sunday
morning and drew a good attendance. There
were several hot rods parked along the
roadside, along with various American ‘muscle
cars’, camper van and motorcycles. Right
© Simon Wright outside the ‘Filling Station’
were several of the Hot Rodders favourite British
vehicle, the sit up Ford Anglia, some in original
layout but all immaculate.
It was not just American Classic cars on display,
Ford Anglia
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition car
1953 Pontiac Chieftain
April 2014
1953 Pontiac Chieftain
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© Simon Wright
1953 Pontiac Chieftain
there were several old Alfa Romeo models parked together, along with various Triumph and Ford of Europe cars and a most unusual
former Eastern Bloc Trabbant in a lurid bright green colour.
© Janet Wright
© Janet Wright
1940s Willys Coupe
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
Pontiac Firehawk
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Top left: Buick Roadmaster Estate wagon.
Top Right Ford Model A pickup hotrod
Bottom Left : 1951 Ford Model A Pickup truck hotrod.
Middle right: Ford Mustang
Bottom right: 1972 Buick Skylark
Classic and Competition car
© Simon Wright
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
Classic Alfa Romeo cars
Bentley
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Humber
Classic and Competition car
© Simon Wright
Trabant
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
BTCC Media day - The return of the Magnificent Seven
Fabrizio Giovanardi (2007 & 2008), Jason Plato (2001 & 2010), Gordon Shedden (2012), Matt Neal (2005, 2006 & 2011), Colin Turkington (2009), Alain Menu (1997 & 2000) and reigning
Champion Andrew Jordan (2013)
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
BTCC Media day Donington Park. By Simon and Janet Wright.
The annual British Touring Car Championship media day drew a large
crowd to the midlands circuit on a bright Tuesday in March. After the
morning press call where most of the teams and drivers were introduced to
the media, the circuit gave free access to the public for the afternoon test
session.
This year there are 7 former BTCC Champions taking part in the series,
with current champion Andrew Jordan leading the way again in his Pirtek
The field of 2014. Left to right, top row: Martin Depper, Aiden Moffat, Warren Scott, Ollie
Jackson, Dan Welch, Hunter Abbott, Tom Ingram, Simon Belcher, Chris Stockton, Glynn
Geddie. Middle Row: James Cole, Nick Foster, Lea Wood, Robert Collard, Jack Goff,
Dave Newsham, Adam Morgan, Jack Clarke, Robb Holland, Marc Hynes. Front row: Rob
Austin, Sam Tordoff, Gorden Shedden, Jason Plato, Andrew Jordan, Matt Neal, Alain
Menu, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Colin Turkington and Aron Smith
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Racing Honda Civic hatchback. Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden unveiled their new Yuasa Honda
Civic Tourer (Estate) cars in which they will be competing this year, while Jason Plato continues
with the MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save Team driving the MG6. Colin Turkington remains with the
Ebay Motors BMW team in the BMW 125i M Sport NGTC car, while the other two returning
champions are Alain Menu driving a
© Janet Wright
Chrome Edition Restart Racing VW
Scirocco CC and Fabrizio Giovanardi
who lines up at the wheel of the
Airwaves Racing Ford Focus.
Their were several new teams
announced at the media day along
side various new drivers taking part in
the 2014 series. One of the better
known teams joining the BTCC this
year is United Autosports from the
British GT championship, fielding a
pair of Toyota Avensis cars for Glynn
April 2014
Classic and Competition car
© Simon Wright
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© Janet Wright
© Mick Herring
© Simon Wright
ITV 4 confirmed
continued live coverage
of the BTCC.
Left: 20 years old Tom
Ingram with his Toyota
Avensis.
Bottom left Adam
Morgan showed his new
Mercedes Benz A Class
at Donington.
Below: Fabrizio
Giovanardi spits flame
from his Ford Focus at
Redgate during the test
session.
© Simon Wright
© Mick Herring
© Janet Wright
Geddie and James Cole. The AngloAmerican team have achieved great
success in various GT
Championships, including the British
GT Championship, the FIA GT3
European Championship, Blancpain
Endurance Championship, 24 Hours
of Spa, Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona,
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and
the Macau Grand Prix.
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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Archive Photo Gallery of the month.
By Pete Austin.
With the new Historic motorsport season about to begin, this month we feature a
photo gallery of 1 litre Formula 3 ‘screamers’ cars racing at Brands Hatch in 1969
© Pete Austin
Classic and Competition car
Roy Pike - Lotus 59
MarchApril
2014
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© Pete Austin
© Pete Austin
Yves Carbonatto - Pygmee
Howden Ganley leads Roy Pike and a packed field at Paddock Bend
© Pete Austin
© Pete Austin
Ronnie Peterson - Lotus 59
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
Tim Schenken leads Reine Wisell
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© Pete Austin
Classic and Competition car
The Lotus 59 of Sten Axelsson leaves the assembly area
April 2014
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Bromsgrove Motor Club monthly meet. Bowling Green Inn, Stoke Prior. By Simon and Janet Wright.
The March meeting was another unseasonable warm and bright spring day, which brought out a large selection of classic and
vintage cars which filled the pub car park and overspilled on to the field at the rear of the pub. These types of local meetings
always bring out an interesting selection of vehicles, and this was no exception. In the Midlands, there always seems to be a large
local influence, which is not surprising when the majority of different manufacturers used to be based around the middle of the
country. The warm weather also allowed many of the convertible sports car owners the chance to go topless and enjoy the wind in
their hair. There were several interesting contrasts with cars from the same manufacturer, but different generations, to show how
motoring designs have changed over the years. Below you can see a 1972 Austin Mini 850 small family car next to a 1955 2.2 litre
Austin Healey sports car and a 1937 MG SA saloon next to a 1974 MG B roadster.
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
Various generations of Austin cars were on show
including an original Austin A40 Dorset and the
later Austin A40 Farina. The two door Austin A40
Dorset was built at Longbridge between 1947 and
1950, with total production reaching around
16,000. It was powered by a straight 4 1200cc
engine which produced 40 bhp. It had
independent coil spring front suspension and a
rigid rear axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs on the
rear. The Austin A40 Farina, designed by
Pininfarina of Italy, was a much later model, built
between 1958 and 1967 and badged just as the
Austin A40. It was one model that was never
badge engineered by BMC, it was only ever an
Austin. It was also the front runner to the now
popular hatchback design. Although the rear
window was fixed, the boot lid dropped down flat
and the rear seats could be folded down to
increase the storage space behind the front seats.
It was powered by the A series 948cc straight 4
Austin A40 Dorset next to an Austin A40 Farina
engine and independent coil spring suspension on
the front with a live axle and semi elliptic leaf springs on the rear. The Mark 1
saw a total of 169,612 built between 1958 and 1961 while the Mark 2 saw a
further 172,550 built between 1961 and 1967.
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
© Simon Wright
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Another impressive pair of vehicles were a couple of MG SA Saloons
from the 1930s, one in two tone green and the other in red and grey.
This was a fast, comfortable touring car, powered by six cylinder 2.3 litre
engine with twin SU carburettors, modified with horizontal dashpots to
allow for a lower bonnet line. This gave the SA a top speed of 80 mph.
The four speed manual gearbox has synchromesh on the top two gears.
Between 1936 and 1939 a total of 2,739 were built.
© Simon Wright
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April 2014
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© Simon Wright
Staying with the BMC theme, there was an immaculate 1952 Triumph
Renown Limousine TDC The limousine was first introduced in 1951,
based on the earlier Triumph 1800 Town & Country Saloon but with a 3
inch longer wheelbase. A glass partition was placed behind the driver
to separate the front and rear. The car came equipped with a heater
and radio as standard. With an overdrive gearbox, the limousine was
capable of 77.5 mph and could accelerate from 0 - 60 mph in 25
seconds. It achieved 21.6 miles per gallon and the original cost was
£1440. A total of 191 were built between 1951 and 1954.
Ford was well represented with everything from a bright green 2011
Ford Focus through to a bright orange 1972 Ford Escort 1600 GT.
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
One of the more unusual cars was a 1963 Ford Consul
Capri GT. Only 2002 were produced of the GT version
between February 1963 and July 1964 when the entire
© Simon Wright
Consul Capri range was shelved due to it being
expensive to build. The Capri was the 2 door coupe
version of the Ford Classic saloon and was built by
Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The up
market Capri GT used a 1498cc Cosworth developed
engine which featured a raised compression ratio of
9:1, a modified cylinder head with larger exhaust
valves and a twin choke Weber carburettor. With an
added aluminium inlet manifold and four branch
exhaust manifold, the engine produced 78 bhp and
had a maximum speed of 95 mph.
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
Austin A35
© Simon Wright
Lotus Elite
© Simon Wright
Salmson
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition car
Lotus 7
March2014
April
2014
Atkinson recovery truck
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© Mick Herring
MSVR Media Day and Press Conference. By Mick Herring.
On Wednesday March 3rd Dr Jonathan Palmer hosted the annual
press conference at Brands Hatch to introduce and showcase the
championships, the thirty four race meetings and special events that
will be organised under the MSV Racing banner this season, not only
at the four MSV circuits but also encompassing Silverstone,
Donington, Rockingham and Castle Combe.
Jonathan was particularly happy and exchanged light-hearted banter
with the championship co-ordinators who took the stage.
© Mick Herring
Jonathan Palmer with Mathias Lauda, Jerome Galpin and Paul Garner (Whelen
Engineering)
Oulton Park in July, the Brands Hatch Masters Historic
Festival in May, the Lotus Festival in August, the Aston
© Mick Herring
New to GT Cup Mark Litherland BMW
Alongside the cost-effective mix of saloon, sports and single-seater
championships that have formed the core of MSV Racing since 2006
providing competitive F3 racing for 10% of the budget required at
international level will be the special events and celebrations.
This year there will be two Mini Festivals, Brands Hatch in May and
April 2014
Classic and Competition car
Jonathan Palmer welcomes Nascar back with Bouchut and Mathias Lauda
Page
34
458 Radical Days of Thunder and The Son of a World
Champion. By Mick Herring.
© Mick Herring
James Abbott Radical SR8
Martin Celebration (Brands June) and the Brands Hatch
Festival of Porsche in September. The popular American
SpeedFest II returns to Brands on June 8th was
represented by Jerome Galpin, once again featuring the
thunderous NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. These cars
differ from their American brothers only in the detailed
changes mandated by the FIA. Two notable full-season
combatants are 1993 Le Mans winner Christophe Bouchut
and the son of an F1 world champion (the clue's in the
name) Mathias Lauda.
Completing the "Thunder" theme will be races for CanAm
cars, what's not to like about an 800bhp, 8.8 litre
Chevrolet V8 in the back of short and wide sportscar?
August's Lotus Festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of
the first British Grand Prix to be held at Brands, won by
Jim Clark and who has not seen the famous photo of
Clark's 3-wheeling Lotus Cortina?
The media day was a window on what promises to be
another great year.
Classic and Competition car
The quiet young race-suited driver wearing a
"Beany hat" who sat close by in the press
room gave no clues as to his identity.
Jonathan Palmer's subsequent introduction of
him as Mathias Lauda made many present do
instant comparisons to his illustrious father.
I was fortunate enough to be offered a ride in
the passenger seat of the European NASCAR
car he will drive throughout this season.
These silhouette bodied cars cover a
substantial spaceframe and powered by large
capacity American V8 engines.
© Mick Herring
© Mick Herring
April 2014
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© Mick Herring
Their live rear axles and tall Michelin slicks will always ensure a surfeit of power
over grip, a lesson other formulas could learn from to ensure close racing and
overtaking. The cars differ only from their American cousins in respect of the
changes mandated by the FIA for racing in Europe. Even at my age I'm still supple
enough to do the "Days of Thunder" climb into the cockpit through the small
opening that is the window on these doorless cars.
My first ride came immediately after lunch and the combination of those tall slicks
being stone-cold saw us sliding even before we left Brands' sloping pit lane.
What an experience it was on the first lap as the car darted in every direction under
braking and acceleration, huge power slides soon putting what heat there was into
the tyres. After that the handling settled down and became more predictable, the
(still) low revs of the engine rose to that familiar growl we love so much, rising
and falling with each change across the slow "H" pattern gearbox. The smiles
induced by these incredibly basic cars is one to be savoured should you see them race or be lucky enough to ride in one.
The sight and sound of the NASCARs later circulating together, the sister car driven by 1993 Le mans winner Christophe Bouchut gave sound
indication of what will be expected at American SpeedFest II on Sunday 8th June forming round 2 of the 6 round/24 race series which visits
most of Europe's greatest circuits including Monza, Nurburgring and Le Mans.
© Mick Herring
By way of immediate contrast I was then strapped into a Radical SR8 by
Will Brown just a few minutes later.
My driver, James Abbott (son of Radical boss Phil) is well used to the
prodigious 430 bhp produced by the 2.7 litre motor-bike V8 engine
from Radical's in-house engine builder.
With so much aerodynamic grip available the car is incredibly fast in a
straight line and round corners too. It is again the brakes, that are the revelation with the ability to brake so late
into any corner, the middle of the track approach to Paddock Hill Bend, that
gives you the turn-in point on the extreme left of the curved track allows
you to carry so much speed down that virtual cliff-face and then accelerate
hard up the hill to Druids.
The only slow corner on the circuit is Graham Hill Bend where the braking
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Mick Herring
unsettles the aero and prompts a slide at the exit.
The next corner, Surtees, on the Indy circuit requires little or no braking and consequent
loss of downforce so allows much more speed to be carried into the corner.
My last ride of the day was courtesy of Peter Jennings and his Ferrari 458, which runs in
the GT Cup alongside his father's identical spec car. The two cars have been rebuilt over
the winter and were both resplendent in their new and corresponding colour schemes of
metallic grey, Peter's detailed in yellow and his father's in green.
The colour scheme is apparently modelled on that of the company plane in which they fly
over from Ireland in.
The glorious Ferrari and its V8 are so much more hi-tech than the NASCAR and the
© Mick Herring
difference is clear to see, hear and feel.
Like the Radical, the paddle gearchange
responds immediately on changes in either
direction and the speed carried into corners
can't be that far behind the Radical either.
Similar power to the Radical too but rather
more weight.
An interesting observation was that the
Pirelli tyres that Peter had been using
hard all day were now well past their best and
the grip dropped off markedly all of a
sudden.
Thankfully they remained predictable for the
remaining laps, if slower, a useful feature at
the end of a long race. Peter called it a day at that and so did I, just
reflecting on these three exciting
experiences. Classic and Competition car
April 2014
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© Simon Wright
MG Car Club race meeting, Silverstone national circuit.
29th March 2014. By Simon & Janet Wright.
The MG car club started the club racing season for 2014 at Silverstone at the
end of March. The MG Car Club was founded in 1930, based in Abingdon and
is the oldest car club for owners of MGs. They drew a large entry for its first
race meeting of the year using the Silverstone National circuit.
With a nine race programme, the first out were the Drayton Manor Park MG
Metro Cup field. Newcomer Ben Rushworth grabbed Pole position in his first
MG Metro Cup race driving his Rover Metro, just ahead of Tom Sanderson in
his Rover Metro GTi by just 0.136 of a second. Rushworth was first away from
the grid but was passed by Sanderson and then got involved in battling with
Mike Williams and Jack Ashton. Unfortunately after just 3 laps his Metro
expired with a mechanical failure. Williams soon caught Sanderson but was
unable to pass the leader and finished 6.680 seconds behind. Tony Howe
finished 3rd in his MG Metro Turbo. The other class winners were Jonathan
Woodcock who finished 6th in his Rover Metro GTi and Les Tyler whose MG Winner MG Metro Cup races Tom Sanderson Rover Metro GTi battles with
Mike Williams Rover Metro
ZR finished 12th overall.
© Janet Wright
The second race was the first Peter Best Insurance MG
Cup race of the meeting. This was a small entry which
saw Andrew Young get Pole in his MG C GT from the
similar car of Robert Campbell. Young shot away in his
yellow peril to win by 12.549 seconds after the 20 minute
race. Campbell finished 2nd after an initial battle with Alan
Brooke in a Rover Metro GTi who eventually finished 6th.
Tom Diment took the last podium place at the wheel of his
MG ZR 190. The other class winners were Paul Eales
who finished 4th in his MG B GT and Niall Campbell who
was in 12th place in his MG B.
Third race was a non championship race for the MG
Trophy which saw a small field of just 9 cars take the
start. In racing, it is not the number racing, it is the quality
of the race, as this race proved a very close an exciting
battle for the lead. Jake Fraser-Burns took Pole position
Peter Best Insurance MG Cup 1-2-3 Andrew Young MG C GT leads Robert Campbell MG C GT and
in his MG ZR 190 from the similar car of Richard Buckley.
Tom Diment MG ZR 190
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April 2014
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© Simon Wright
winner Jake Fraser-Burns (17) dives up the inside of Richard Buckley (20) in their MG ZR 190s in the
MG Trophy race
place went to Paul Clackett in another MG ZS. The other
class winners were Ian Winstanley driving an MG ZR 160,
Jeremy Toes in an MG Midget, and Adam Key in an MG F
WC.
The fifth race was Ecurie GTS, a series for pre 1966 FIA
type sports cars with smaller engines and spread across 5
classes from under 1150cc to 2700cc. The series is run by
the MG Car Club as a series of seperate races, it is not a
championship. Pole position for the 45 minute race went to
the Turner Mk II of Mark Halstead/ Stuart McPherson from
Brian Lambert in an MG B. The Turner led until its pitstop,
briefly handing the lead to the Pearson/Crewdson MG B
FIA Roadster for 1 lap before they also pitted. The Turner
then remained in the lead until the flag, winning by just
over 17 seconds. Lambert had held 2nd place for the first
half the race until his pitstop which handed 2nd place to
Robi Bernberg in his TVR Grantura Mk III. Lambert and
Bernberg had a fantastic dice for 2nd place, often side by
As the pair entered Brooklands on the first lap it was Buckley
in the lead, with Fraser-Burns right behind him. They were like
this for lap after lap, almost appearing as an eight wheeled
MG. They swapped the lead a couple of times but FraserBurns waited until the last couple of laps when he got his
nose in front. they crossed the line side by side with FraserBurns winning by just 0.006 or 6 thousandth of a second for
his first race win. Richard Marsh took 3rd place in his MG ZR
170 to win his class and the other class winner was Ian
Boulton in 8th place in an MG ZR 160.
Next out was the MGCC Cookshoot Cup. In only his second
race, Jason Simm took pole position in his MG ZS from David
Coulthard in an MG F Cup car. From the start of the 20
minute race Coulthard grabbed the initial lead but Simm took
the lead and led from start to finish opening out a gap of
19.665 seconds by the end of 18 laps from Coulthard. Third
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
© Janet Wright
Jason Simm MG ZS leads David Coulthard MG F
Cup in the Cockshoot Cup
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© Simon Wright
side out out of Luffield, but Lambert ran wide on to the grass and
that slight slip ensured that the TVR of Bernberg took 2nd place with
Lambert 3rd overall. This also gave the class win to Bernberg. while
the other class winner was 7th placed John Hilbery in a Lotus Elite
S2. Craig Taylor in his MG B Roadster FIA received a 3 minute
penalty for taking an early pitstop, and he finished 9th overall at the
end. Another driver penalised in this race was John Andon who had
to take a drive through penalty after speeding in the pit lane. This
dropped him to 5th place overall, a lap down on the winner.
Race 6 was the MMM cars with T-Types and invited VSCC cars.
John Bussey in a MG TC took Pole position from Stuart Dean in the
MMM class MG Dick Jacobs Special. After just 4 laps, the race was
red flagged after an accident for Hamish McNinch. As he rounded
Maggots he noticed a puncture on his MG C-Type and raised his
hand to indicate a problem. The car lost control and Hamish was
thrown from the car. After checks at the circuit medical centre, he
was airlifted by helicopter to hospital for further checks on his back.
The order at the red flag was Bussey leading from Dean and Nick
Ashman in another MG TC. The race was restarted as a shortened
12 minute event which saw Bussey take the victory from Dean with
Jonathan Harmer 3rd in an MG TF Sports. The MMM class was won
by Thijs de Groot from Holland, who finished 7th in his orange MG
PA Special.
Race 7 saw the second MGCC Drayton Manor Park MG Metro
encounter. Tom Sanderson again was the class of the field with Mike
Williams chasing hard in second place and it looked like it was going
to be a repeat of race one. However with just one lap to go
Sanderson hit problems and retired, leaving victory to Mike Williams
in his Rover Metro, from David Javes in his MG Metro turbo with
Philip Gough 3rd in his Rover 114 GTi. Woodcock and Tyler again
both won their respective classes.
The eighth race of the day was the second Peter Best Insurance
MG Cup race, which proved to be a re-run of the first race earlier in
the day. Andrew Young took another easy victory in his MG C GT
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
Graham Bates MG B Roadster fights with Ben Wyldes Triumph Spitfire Le Mans during
the Ecurie GTS race
© Simon Wright
Robi Bernberg TVR Grantura Mk III finished 2nd in the Ecurie GTS race
© Janet Wright
40 40
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April 2014
Winner John Bussey MG TC fights with Stuart Dean MG Dick Jacob
Special
© Simon Wright
from the similar car of Robert
Campbell, this time with a bigger
winning margin of 17.867 seconds.
Tom Diment took his MG ZR 190 to
another podium finish in third after a
very close battle with Alan Brooke in a
Rover Metro GTi who was only 1.81
seconds behind Diment at the flag.
Paul Eales in his MG B GT took
another class win in 5th place and Niall
Campbell finished last, in 12th place, to
win his class again.
The final race of the meeting was
another showdown between Jake
Fraser-Burns and Richard Buckley in
the second MG Trophy non
championship race. The pair had the
closest finish possible in their first race,
separated by just 0.006 of a second.
Buckley chased hard for the first few
laps, then had to pull off and retire on
lap 11. This left Fraser-Burns with a
massive 34.5 second lead from the
battling pair of Toby Sowery, MG ZR
170 and Richard Marsh in another MG
ZR 170. It was Fraser-Burns race to
loose, and he nearly did as he began to
slow dramatically in the closing stages,
allowing Richard Marsh to close to
within just 3.948 seconds by the
chequered flag and take a class win in
2nd overall. Sowery finished 3rd, while
Ian Boulton made it another 2 out of 2
class wins.
Classic and Competition car
Andrew Wolf and Ian Wright battle it out in their MG Midgets
© Janet Wright
Tim Patchett MG TC spun off at Luffield in the MMM cars
with MG T-Types race
Ecurie GTS winner Halstead/McPherson Turner Mk II
© Simon Wright
Dutch driver Thijs De Groot won the MMM class in his MG PA
© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
April 2014
Robert Campbell MG C GT fights for 2nd with Alan Brooke Rover Metro
GTi
Page 41
The point of impact between the MG ZR of Thomas Halliwell and the MG Midget of Andrew Speight which retired on the spot.
Halliwell finished 8th in the MGCC Cockshoot Cup race.
Classic and Competition car
April 2014
© Janet Wright
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