Castle Combe

[grantp]

Esper mentioned the HFF2000 race on Saturday a few posts back - so I thought a few pics form the day might be appropriate.

The day was a complete mix of conditions.

The morning qualifying was very wet with persistent rain. (Image 1)

The first race was run when the rain had stopped but the track was very slippery and conditions extremely overcast.

The second race was dry and pleasantly sunny. Shot 2 shows Ben Tusting from Pole losing it at Quarry on the first lap as he battled with a fast starting Andrew Park who went on to win. Ben spun off on the grass but somehow avoided the barriers, regained the track dead last and drove back though the field to 6th. Pic 3 shows him chasing Andrew Storer for that position.

Pic 4 is Mr. Delta in a battling mid-field group that includes Tom White who had lost his rear wing by that point.

Pic 5 shows raltracer in race 2 leading Andrew Park and eventual winner Nelson Rowe. Ben Tusting is running 4th with Tom Smith in 5th passing a backmarker.

The final 2 shots show the battle for the lead in the second race. Although positions changed the dice was pretty much like that for the entire distance with the first 6 cars close to each other on most laps.

The final shot shows the marshal team at the pit entry road showing their appreciation for the race just finished.

A great way to end the championship season.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by delta

So. Is there a real life John Turner ??? Were you at Combe John

Yes, Iain, I was but it was a manic day and I didn't manage to catch up with a lot of people! Didn't even know you were there, mate, sorry!

[retrognome]

Originally Posted by esper

We travelled - de Sinke Family (Yellow Healey in the Healey race) and me (my first time at Castle Combe) from Holland (left 8 o clock) and we got at Castle Combe in time to see the 2nd Formula Ford 2000 race which was an absolute cracker! Saturday evening we had a splendid Healey evening at the Cross Hands Old Sodbury. Sunday was great, terrific ambiance , nice people, nice races ! It was very much worth the trip from Holland !

Lots of sideways action in the Healey race. Images www.retro-speed.co.uk.

[John Turner]

Well, for those of you who recall my (too time consuming) pictorial race reviews from a few years back, here are a couple of expanded versions from our two FISCAR races at Combe. Loads of photos and captions but with a bit of race reporting text betwixt and between.

http://fiscar.org/the-jon-gross-memorial-trophy/

http://fiscar.org/castle-combe-inter-marque/

[Colin McKay]

Great reports John, helped fill a quiet hour in the office this morning

[John Turner]

Thanks, Colin. I do have a few shots from some of the other races and will try and get around to putting some up on here, eventually.

[Colin McKay]

Motors TV 2 hour Autumn Classic feature scheduled for 17.30 on Sat 1st Nov + numerous repeats. No indication which events will be included.

[John Turner]

A few pics:-

[Mike Bell]

I do like the simplicity of form that a 100 with aeroscreen shows so well.

[brands]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Motors TV 2 hour Autumn Classic feature scheduled for 17.30 on Sat 1st Nov + numerous repeats. No indication which events will be included.

Maybe it was the very choppy editing and commentary but that programme bore little resemblance to the meeting I watched and enjoyed.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I do like the simplicity of form that a 100 with aeroscreen shows so well.

Yep truly lovely lines. The Healey is on of those cars you take for granted but the purity of line and proportion takes a bit of beating.

Originally Posted by brands

Maybe it was the very choppy editing and commentary but that programme bore little resemblance to the meeting I watched and enjoyed.

I wouldn't personally be quite so hard on it but certainly it was chopped about a bit and in fact I'm sure that at one stage the shots were out of sequence. I was particularly annoyed that they put an 'h' in into The Jon Gross Memorial Trophy when we had been very careful in all the printed matter and internet references to ensure it was Jon.

A few pics from Race 4 - Jaguars (Norman Dewis Trophy)

[Colin McKay]

Nice pics of the Jags John, doesn't Les Ely's Mk1 look good? Same colour as my Mk2 so a bit biased.....

Watched the programme yesterday and thought the camerawork rather uninspired and the commentary stating the bleeding obvious, over and over again. But on the whole not bad, a bit more time spent around the paddock would have been more interesting than all the post-race interviews with drivers though.

One thing I wasn't aware of at the time was the huge lead gifted to eventual race winner Martin Hunt by mid fielder Grant Williams when the safety car pulled off, what was that all about?

[John Turner]

Yep, even the commentator stated that Grant Williams had spoilt the race. Have no idea why he dropped so far behind Martin Hunt. No-one was going to beat Martin but it would have been good to see him being chased hard.

The Les Ely car does indeed look great.

[John Turner]

Race 3 - Jon Gross Memorial Trophy (postwar Astons)

[John Turner]

Race 3(2) - JGMR (Pre War Astons competing for Mort Goodall Cup)

[John Turner]

Race 3 (3) - JGMR (Post war Invitation cars)

[John Turner]

Demonstration cars

[John Turner]

Race 5 - VSCC Pre War