Spa 6Hrs Endurance

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

According to the DVLA MOT records TES1E is a Silver Range Rover.

What were the organisers thinking?

No wonder it lost control then! It's also the number on a well know pale blue GT40.....

Yes, the race started around 45 minutes late so was never going to be 6hrs. Shortest I've done, and it does mean having to recalculate fuel strategy, same as safety car periods do, and of course spending time in the pits trying to straighten out damage inflicted by others.....

[356sc]

Well done for getting it to the end of the race Mike....you could do without being assaulted by those who should know better!

What happened to the Elva?

[Gerard C]

Well done Mike, you've been lucky not to be injured in the incident. What did they change to the track? I ask why because the best MG B's were in the region of 3'04" and a Marcos recorded a nice 3'01"3. Rather fast isn't it?

[Mike Bell]

Actually an MGB qualified quicker last year, and that time not unusual for a good Marcos! But as you say, they are amazingly quick....

[356sc]

The "little" Healey in 27th is also a good result....shows what can still be done by lapping consistently at a "relatively" slow speed.

[zefarelly]

Marcos go fast with 2.1L B20 engine

[john ruston]

GB was doing 2 55's with no trouble and about to move into top 10 when disc on front offside disintegrated in middle of Blanchimont . He managed to miss ARMCO with his one wheel steering and everything about him got a bit lose at 110 mph! He's OK and car no major damage.
With this and Alta at Goodwood he has had two character forming weekends
Will it make him a better less grumpy person , no!
The great plan for six hours seemed to be working! Wait till this time next year Rodney , we will be winners!

[356sc]

Blimey, Something letting go at Blanchimont....GB did incredibly well to keep it out of the hard stuff!!

It looked like it was going v well until then....would love to see the Elva win the 6 hour, just to annoy people!!!!

[terence]

Hi Mike great to havemet up again.
Sorry you got hit,but at least you got to the end.One would hope the Range Rover driver came to apologise?
Stood at the top of Eau Rouge,very surprised the see soooo many drivers turning in wayyyy too early at the first left,almost four off,cliping the right hand kerb about a third of the way up!!!
Lead to quite a number of "awkward" moments.
Only one GT40 outshone the rest of the owners club boys,that was Chris Ward(but then again,wouldnt expect much else from him)clipping left was simply kissing the track limit line.Ah,so it can be done!

[zefarelly]

That's a rare failure John, glad Elva and Gareth are ok.

Always nice to see something different (and original) being competitive

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

No wonder it lost control then! It's also the number on a well know pale blue GT40.....

Yes, the race started around 45 minutes late so was never going to be 6hrs. Shortest I've done, and it does mean having to recalculate fuel strategy, same as safety car periods do, and of course spending time in the pits trying to straighten out damage inflicted by others.....

If it gets any shorter it will be close to a one driver sprint .... (I may be exaggerating slightly there.)

So you either need to carry a crowbar to effect trackside repairs, make the door thinner so they can simply be pushed out or removable or have them made of carbon fibre so other cars just bounce off in those circumstances.

Plan D, I suppose, would be to get in the way in such circumstances rather than make room but that might quickly become a little controversial.

The investigation into events today elsewhere might provide some guidance on the matter.

[Mike Bell]

Now on ferry aiming home, and not in the posh restaurant, which is likely closed anyway...

First- I found the owner of the errant GT40 and he apologised. He thought I might have run into the back of his car- until I showed him pics of the +4 with all the side stove in.....

Second, it was dry today, and I had a fun race in my farmer buddy's E Type. AND we got 3rd in class, which was a result seeing as the car is lumped in with a lot of much quicker Es.

Third, after that race I legged it back to the F1 pit lane for the GD 90 minuter in the SLR. It had just started, and first thing I see is a 'car problem' warning flag being shown for our car. Car comes in sounding like a load of cans being rattled. Open the front end and find most of the oil has been blown out through the breather tank...... Car going no further!

So now the logistics of fixing it possibly for Castle Combe and definitely for Portimao. Doesn't sound difficult- except that I'm off to Hungary in a week, back day before Combe.....

Think worrying about all that can wait until tomorrow.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by 8en

Does anyone no if the driver of the number 23 Lotus 23b is ok? I was at Eau Rouge when it happened, nasty looking accident.

Unfortunately I also witnessed the 23b being buried into the tyre wall, looked awful. Luckily our friend John Rees is more or less OK. Taken to hospital for x-rays which revealed crushed vertebra so he will have to stay flat on his back for a while. He should be repatriated by air ambulance in a day or so.
Get well soon John...

[cortinalotus]

Originally Posted by 8en

Does anyone no if the driver of the number 23 Lotus 23b is ok? I was at Eau Rouge when it happened, nasty looking accident.

I have some pictures of the car.. their horrible..
Wonder what his situation is now. Complete radio silence?

[Mike Bell]

See David's post above.

Managed to bump into a couple of tenthers during the weekend that don't see at other events and have time for a chat, which was good! Our Terence who- is reasonably local, and Malcolm Smith who made the long trek from Scotland again.

Got a couple of pics of the Morgan after the 'assault'. Looks less dramatic than immediately after as we had straightened the door enough for it to open and close! Thanks goodness for door bars......

[Mike Bell]

And in daylight-

[gt917]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Third, after that race I legged it back to the F1 pit lane for the GD 90 minuter in the SLR. It had just started, and first thing I see is a 'car problem' warning flag being shown for our car. Car comes in sounding like a load of cans being rattled. Open the front end and find most of the oil has been blown out through the breather tank...... Car going no further!

Mike, so glad you are OK and I did come looking for you. Whilst talking of oil problems, I thought you and any other spectators and drivers might be interested in this picture and my report from the first practice session on Friday morning for the 0ne hour "Barrys" race. It must have had some bearing on subsequent practicing for you and other groups also.

On a very wet, cold and uninviting 9am start we all go out on the first lapto be greeted by an NSU depositing its oil at the top of Eau Rouge and onwards, thus making life rather interesting. The multi-coloured line of oil on the wet tarmac looked very artistic ...... NOT.

For me, I,m just a passenger in a totally uncontrollable 917, that has managed to pick up all his sump load on my tyres !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This picture, taken after I had survived the "ordeal" of staying on the blackstuff for 30minutes and leaving me a "nervous wreck", shows just a little of how much oil was out there. It is pure black oil and is covering all the bodywork where thrown up by the wheels. By far the worst and least enjoyable racing experience I have ever encountered.

Sadly, my friend lost his GT40 at Fagnes in a big way and "top and tailed "it and that was race weekend over for him. Big veil drawn over our week as we had come down in convoy together.

It was good to meet fellow "Tenthers" also, including Malcolm Smith for the first time.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by gt917

Sadly, my friend lost his GT40 at Fagnes in a big way and "top and tailed "it and that was race weekend over for him. Big veil drawn over our week as we had come down in convoy together.

It was good to meet fellow "Tenthers" also, including Malcolm Smith for the first time.

Was that Phil Froud? You don't appear to have started the race, what went wrong

[midgetman]

Press Release from the HSCC

HSCC member John Rees was racing his Lotus 7 at Spa over the weekend and left the circuit at Radillion and made impact with the barrier causing a red flag.
John sustained a non-serious back injury which will lay him up for a few weeks. He is expected to make a full recovery. He was kept in hospital overnight in Verviers for tests whilst suitable transport home could be arranged.
John and his family would like to thank the marshals, medics and organisers for his swift release and transfer to hospital. We would also like to thank his many racing friends for practical help at the circuit and for all the good wishes he has received and thanks to Grahame White for organising for John’s wife Janet to go to the hospital with him.

[gt917]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Was that Phil Froud? You don't appear to have started the race, what went wrong

Tim, sadly yes.

For me, because we had come down as a group (3 vehicles), I could not bring myself to race knowing that Phil was downhearted and hurting with damaged ribs, and not being able to race. Call me old fashioned, but my conscience pricked me too much to race when he could,nt, and in case anything had happened on the return journey (we returned on the Saturday having loaded up in the morning) they might have needed extra help.

[FISCracer]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Marcos go fast with 2.1L B20 engine

I'm pretty sure Robert Hamilton's car is an 1800. He's a damn good driver and very consistent. Not so sure about the Dutch one.

BTW Allan Tice did a 2.58 in his Marcos on the second or third lap a few years ago ie with 100L+ of fuel on board. All three were significantly slower than that this year.

They're fast large because of light weight excellent handling and good braking but they're fragile. I did enjoy getting ours from 112th on the grid to 13th overall by the second driver change

[terence]

Originally Posted by FISCracer

I'm pretty sure Robert Hamilton's car is an 1800. He's a damn good driver and very consistent. Not so sure about the Dutch one.

BTW Allan Tice did a 2.58 in his Marcos on the second or third lap a few years ago ie with 100L+ of fuel on board. All three were significantly slower than that this year.

And the engine is 100 percent compliant!
Ask the German scrutineers who stripped and check it after a German competitor protested the car at the Ring"It is much too fast" he said" perhaps its the drivers then?

[Mike Bell]

Was the Marcos subject to some MSA / FIA / HTP 'amendments', or are they now classified as GTP for said papers but still same spec?

I have no issue with their performance as they are extremely light, extremely low, have good suspension, and the Vovo engine is very tune-able..... As fisc says, they can be fragile, so well done to the one winning our class this year!

[Gerard C]

Mike, from experience the Volvo engine is quite bulletproof under "normal" form. But when it comes to have a B18 as powerful as an overbored B20, OK may be they become fragile. One of my ex them mate bought 2 Marcos but they must be made in Holland (Pierre Etienne Bordet and son).

[FISCracer]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Was the Marcos subject to some MSA / FIA / HTP 'amendments', or are they now classified as GTP for said papers but still same spec?

I have no issue with their performance as they are extremely light, extremely low, have good suspension, and the Vovo engine is very tune-able..... As fisc says, they can be fragile, so well done to the one winning our class this year!

It's not the engine that's fragile, it's everything else! Gearbox is always an issue along with diff, brakes and thins like the pan hard rod mounting which broke on Mark Dols' car.

I did not know Roberts engine had been stripped but that gives the lie to those who think the cars are bent. Of course none of the MGBs are 1950s, none of the TRs and Morgans 2.4L and none of the 289s, 302 or bigger.

The FIA have reclassified the 1800GT as GTP despite running in the current spec for almost 25 years. The argument continues as the decision is based on factually incorrect information such as the numbers produced. I look forward to other cars such as 26Rs, SLRs, TVRs and lightweight E types being reclassified as they were not produced in sufficient numbers.