HSCC SuperPrix Brands Hatch (30 June - 1 July, 2007)

[Eric Falce]

Wait till I sell my C5 and I will pitch in as well Rod.

[petestenning]

After a wet but drying practice session Frank Bradley put the March 707/717 all of 8.8 litres on pole, along side was Antony Reid an extra to the programme in a Lola ? DFV engined.

Bradley along with Kent Abrahamsson's Chevron B19, Peter Schleifer's March 707 went with wet tyres most of the grid had slicks the track had a dry line appearing.

Bradley led on the rolling start but Steven Arnold Chevron B19 nipped past Reid. Bradley led as far as Westfield before he left the road leaving Arnold the lead.

John Burton Chevron B26 quickly closed on Reid and went by, Reid dropped further back before pitting with a puncture.

With the track drying further the big CanAm cars started moving in, but with 4 minutes or so left Arnald came round with a badly deranged front end.

Burton strolled to victory from Richard Piper McLaren M8F, and Ross Maxwell McLaren M8F, recovery drive of the race came from Silvio Kalb March 76S who had spun at Graham Hill on lap one to last place.
He made it up to 5th behind the John Grant McLaren M8C/D.

Reid did finish after fitting a new wheel.

Pete

[petestenning]

According to the results Reids car was a March 76s.? it did not look anything like a March i have seen, looked more like a Lola T296 to me .
wiil get a pic today.


Pete

[simon drabble]

The guards Trophy race was wet which suited me as we had a small issue with the gearbox which meant that we had the wrong ratios in it so top end speed was going to be sacrificed. The start was a little shambolic but it seemed to have sorted itself after a couple of laps.
Driving standards were as usual exemplary with the B8's overtaking us mere mortals in safe places. Marcos' were as always extraordinarily quick - surely they were never that fast in period? down in the midfield I had a great battle with a very well driven 911 by Robert Barrie, definately punching above the 911's normal weight (apparently they are good in the wet - I have to say that is not how I recall them!!!) and a well driven TR4 which I cant understand finishing ahead of me when I overtook him! I gather not all obeyed the 1 minute stationary pitstop and teh results published at 7pm last night were subject I will look on MST. All in all another great HSCC meeting and roll on next week at Silverstone!

[Tim Falce]

Simon, do you know what happened to Paul Castaldini in his blue Etype?

[RAP]

I posted this "in amother place" but on reflection more active racers are on this forum so I would welcome views -
There yesterday (Saturday). For me the racing was spoilt by too much safety car/red flagging. 3 races stopped, 2 others had safety cars so only 1 of the 6 races ran uninterrupted as I recall. Is it now assumed that any car in the gravel needs to be recovered under safety car? I think the red flag in the FJ race was for the Brabham of Bob Birrell. He was clear of the track, and as there was less than 5 minutes to go why couldn't a local wavedl yellow suffice? THis red flag actually changed the winner on the count back laps. I suppose the assumption is that drivers can't be trusted to respect flags.

Also strangely the FJ race was started when at least 5 cars had yet to reach the grid on the warm up lap!!! You could see these drivers coming round Clearways and looking over to Surtees and seeing the race under way! Similar thing happened in the 500s but we know that holding them on the grid causes mechanical problems

[Alan Morgan]

Marcos' were as always extraordinarily quick - surely they were never that fast in period?

They weren't homologated in period...

[Thundersports]

I used to love the old startline Grandstand at Brands with the cafe at the back the Lanfranchi suite and the noise of anything LOUD echoeing off the back of the stand.
When the late John Wickenden had his office/store room under the stand it was full of old racing posters from F1 to trucks piles of them...........I wonder what happend to them when it was demolished?

[phatphoto]

Photos from Saturday which accounts for the nasty weather!

500 F3 http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=183
70s Road Sports Cars http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=184
Formula Junior http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=185
Formula One http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=186
Supersports http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=187
F3 http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=188
Guards Trophy http://www.phatphoto.com/phatgallery...php?cat_id=189

Enjoy

[petestenning]

Several photos from the weekend including one you may know

I seem to have gone over the top with Loti for some reason .


http://www.gbgtr2.co.uk/8801.html?cc...&img=0#gallery



Pete

[Gary Critcher]

Pete, thank you so much!!

[Slippy Diff]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

They weren't homologated in period...

Interesting!

[John Turner]

Well, in one way I'm sorry I missed Saturday, but it does seem the weather was better at Snet, where I enjoyed the rather lower key AMOC meeting. Got to Brands really early yesterday though, to be greeted by bright sunshine. Oh, if only it had stayed that way, although to be fair, I think we only got one really good soaking, unfortunately during the first DBT race when all the cars were on slicks! Weather and accident induced stoppages meant that the 6.30 curfew was looming large, and it sadly led to a very curtailed second DBT race. Of course, and typically, it was a beautiful evening when I finally left the circuit just after 7.00.

I'm sure that Johngee will want to respond to RAPs question concerning the start of FJ race on Saturday. In fact I'm sure that I was told that at least another started like that as well, or was I imagining that? Just to get the negatives out of the way, (the weather being the main one, not for the first time this year!), so that we can concentrate on the good things, has anyone else noticed that a bit of desperation seems to have crept into Joachin Folch's driving this year. Yesterday, his race ended at the first corner ... again! How many crashes is that so far this year and how many unfortunate others have become involved? I know that he is a great enthusiast, so am I being unfair in asking the question?

[johngee]

Originally Posted by RAP

I posted this "in amother place" but on reflection more active racers are on this forum so I would welcome views -
There yesterday (Saturday). For me the racing was spoilt by too much safety car/red flagging. 3 races stopped, 2 others had safety cars so only 1 of the 6 races ran uninterrupted as I recall. Is it now assumed that any car in the gravel needs to be recovered under safety car? I think the red flag in the FJ race was for the Brabham of Bob Birrell. He was clear of the track, and as there was less than 5 minutes to go why couldn't a local wavedl yellow suffice? THis red flag actually changed the winner on the count back laps. I suppose the assumption is that drivers can't be trusted to respect flags.

Also strangely the FJ race was started when at least 5 cars had yet to reach the grid on the warm up lap!!! You could see these drivers coming round Clearways and looking over to Surtees and seeing the race under way! Similar thing happened in the 500s but we know that holding them on the grid causes mechanical problems

Some fair points here and it's good to have the opportunity to respond from an orgainiser's point of view.
I would start off by saying that my motivation and that of the HSCC is that our race meetings are run for the benefit of our customers i.e. the competitors, despite the constraints of timetable and weather conditions. However, this has to be for the MAJORITY of the competitors and we can't compromise the running of the whole meeting to accomodate a small minority of drivers who, for one reason or another, can't seem to 'play the game' or 'get their act together'.
To address the specific points RAP has raised:
The amount of safety cars and red flags is dictated purely on grounds of safety. The clerking team, over the weekend, was vastly experienced and, in each case, I can assure everybody that we never take those decisions lightly. Competitors spend a lot of money to RACE and anything we can do to avoid stopping or neutralising a race is considered - hence the use of 'live snatching' wher it is safe and available. The reduced number of volunteer marshals available to push and 'manhandle' cars to safe positions also has a bearing as does, regrettably, the lack of consideration, these days, of competitors obeying flag signals. I won't even go into the possible legal implications of the results of incidents involving leaving cars in any sort of vulnerable position.
Dealing with the starts, the majority of race prepared cars cannot remain stationary for more than a minute or so, without the danger of overheating or other mechanical damage. There are too many instances of the last few cars on the formation lap driving round at very slow speeds and potentialy compromising the start for the majority of the grid - hence the decisions to start the 500's and Formula Junior before the last few cars were in position.
I hope that this has, in some way, explained our actions.

[Belmondo]

Originally Posted by johngee

I would start off by saying that my motivation and that of the HSCC is that our race meetings are run for the benefit of our customers i.e. the competitors, despite the constraints of timetable and weather conditions.

And for the benefit of the spectators, who I suppose are also your customers? Or does our revenue go to the circuits?

I thought this was a superb meeting, excellently run, and in my view the best on the calendar. I was only disappointed by small 50s sports grid on Sunday and lack of any races for older GP cars.

[simon drabble]

we had a safety car out and to be honest even though it probably cost me 1 or 2 positions due to it being in the pitstop window and I did mine just as it was coming out I dont begrudge them doing that as the car was on the exit of the last corner (I dont know the names of the corners!).
However I was furious that one car over took me under the safety car and I was told that he was ultimately black flagged for it but I see his result still stands.....
The start of the race was Curate egg like to be honest with several cars starting ahead of where they should - there were no marshalls on the track to show where to go and because we started the green flag lap in the paddock it was not easy to know exactly where to start.
Wasn't the Nerus an F100 car? If so how has it got FIA papers and therefore the ability to race in Guards? F100 wasn't an Interenational Series....
For all that another fantastic Guards Trophy round as far as I am concerned......

[zefarelly]

the Marcos was 'retro homologated' in about 1996 I think, which might go some way to explaining how its so well developed in FiA guise ?

the volvo engine is tough and capable of producing nearly 200BHP with the right overbore etc !

shame they never homologated the Lawrencetune 1650 Ford precrossflow

Well explained John, something for racers to consider . . . actually take a little bit of notice of some flags and the authorities might not feel thhe need to safety car/ red flag races. As an example, under the yellow flags at Spa last year I was running nearly flat out to keep up with the safety car !!! ( it was an RS6) I learnt that lesson after causing a massive train with no safety car in sight in 2004 . . . . I slowed down becasue I saw yellow flags! 2004 finishd 50th, 2006 5th!

[johngee]

Originally Posted by Belmondo

And for the benefit of the spectators, who I suppose are also your customers? Or does our revenue go to the circuits?

I thought this was a superb meeting, excellently run, and in my view the best on the calendar. I was only disappointed by small 50s sports grid on Sunday and lack of any races for older GP cars.

I'm sorry if my response came over like that but, in a way, you're right. We try and put on a good race meeting but our other 'customer' in that respect, is the circuit....and the sponsor (like Autoglym yesterday). We pay huge sums in circuit hire and derive absolutely no material benefit from the spectators. I'm not saying that's right but it's a fact of life. But please read into this response that I'm a mere functionary - a bit like Sir Humphrey in 'Yes Minister'! I just run the meeting according to the MSA rules, Health and Safety and the circuit contract. I was pleased to see such a good crowd yesterday and we do try and keep the action spinning along for their benefit as well.

[simon drabble]

the number of spectators on Saturday (given the weather) was impressive

[rbm]

what a great weekend, to be in the F500 race with so many other cars. I agree that the race should have been started as soon as most of the cars had made the grid, but I hadn't got to Clearways before the first cars had been started and were going up Hailwood and into Druids - due to being behind a slow car on the out laps - what do you do? pass it and risk a black flag or be half a lap down at the start - not that in my case it would have made much diffrence, partialy lost 4th gear on lap one (wouldn't stay in gear), then got bounced pasing a car at Dingle resulting in some grass cutting, but got him on Coopers (which was apt as our's is the oldest production Cooper running). Thought the marshals did a cracking job they kept control in difficult conditions whilst the 500's were doing there best to give them plenty to do with 13? DNF's and 24 finishers.

does any one know why David Becket was black flagged? (He race our Cooper in the 50's in Kenya)

[RAP]

Thanks to Johngee for the insiders view. I think it boils down to "can't trust the competitors to slow down enough". Shame for everyone. One thing I don't get though is that starting the races before the grid is formed means that the rescue vehicle that traditionally follows the field on the opening lap was presumably still parked when the majority of the entrants were half way round the lap...

[johngee]

Originally Posted by RAP

One thing I don't get though is that starting the races before the grid is formed means that the rescue vehicle that traditionally follows the field on the opening lap was presumably still parked when the majority of the entrants were half way round the lap...

We just have to take that as a 'controlled risk'. We do have other rescue/medical reponse vehicles on standby.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

However I was furious that one car over took me under the safety car and I was told that he was ultimately black flagged for it but I see his result still stands.....

Simon - I've PM'd you

[zefarelly]

you can tell him to stop Whingeing publicly John . . .we don't mind

[johngee]

As if I would 'Most' drivers are my friends!!!!!!