HSCC at Croft 7/8th Aug 2010

[TorqueWench]

Originally Posted by rogerwills

Priceless!

This is remarkably similar to the first time I raced there in the Seven on the original/new track using the hanger straight - only my roll bar s visible and the corn was popping on the exhaust!

[TorqueWench]

Originally Posted by gary396

Lots - working through the races from 'start to finish' at the moment but is there anything in particular that you would like to see from the Guards Trophy? Gary

Hi Gary - how about car 23 - a pale blue Lotus 23? Any pics would be lovely, thanks

[JFW]

you should find the 23b pics in sequence just AFTER mine, if that helps.





JW

[gary396]

Originally Posted by TorqueWench

Hi Gary - how about car 23 - a pale blue Lotus 23? Any pics would be lovely, thanks

Got a few - sorry they're not the sharpest - I was trying to be all 'arty' and blur the backgrounds by using a slow speed which wasn't always successful. I think the last one (from the rear!) is your car isn't it?

[gary396]

The final race on the first day was also the one having the biggest grid of the weekend with 27 starters and only four of those failed to last the distance. The race was led from start to finish by Nick Fleming (car 42, Chevron B8) with Graeme Dodd (car 45, Ginetta G16) taking second place and also setting the fastest lap. The pair of them were rarely a few seconds apart. In third place was Ross Maxwell in another Chevron B8 (car 12). The Croft crowd were treated to a number of duels up and down the field and the race proved to be a very enjoyable end to the day.

[gary396]

A few more photos:

[gary396]

Final few:

[Metroman]

A few more photos from Croft with a few of the competitors from the 60s & 70s and a very flamboyant A40 - lap after lap and spot on on the apex.

[gary396]

This was the first race of the day and the overcast conditions of Saturday had given way to much brighter and dryer conditions. Oliver Thorpe (car 48, Royale RP27) led from start to finish. Behind him it was a close fought battle of the two Reynard SF79s of Tom Pope (car 26) and Colin Wright (car 75). Although Wright was in second for the first few laps, Pope managed to get through to take second place. A few photos:

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by JFW;2742974

It took me 7 hours to get up there [traffic was poor

and 6 to get back. in comparison Oulton Park is 4.5 - 5.5. [from Calais Spa is only 5]

In short a nice event and credit to the HSCC and the Croft promotors. I would attend again, but I suspect along with a number of others not till it returns to the - oh yes, Croft that was fun - I ought to go back there - status of a couple of years gap.

JFW

Again the timing of the event was a bit off, the M1/A1 is dreadful at this time of year with the number of people going on their hols with the schools being off. Having spent of this afternoon behind caravans on the A1 I can sympathise. M1 is always bad on Fri pm, avoid like the plague and travel am or in the evening. Journey time is a problem but it could be worse you could be based in the North and have to make this kind of journey in the opposite direction for the majority of events!

As to rotating the event, I'd prefer to see it every year for obvious reasons but it makes sense if it gets the numbers up. Croft needs another big event with the Rallycross Superprix gone. They get BTCC and BSB and I think the two single stage rallies in Dec and Feb are pretty well attended. GT and F3 aren't interested and MSVR and BRSCC don't hold events, I don't know whether this is down to lack of dates or lack of interest. Some of their individual series do visit from time to time. Britcar came this year but I suspect that was down to Donington not being available, grid was poor though so I don't expect they'll be back in a hurry. If the BARC could rotate the HSCC with Great and British and a really strong line up of BARC events, Classic Touring Car Club maybe, that may work. Have it 3 yearly maybe or better still every other.

[capriman]

Here are a few shots of the drivers from years gone past. How many can you name??
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9/
10/
11.
12.
13.
14.

13.

[John Turner]

This is really good stuff, folk. This event at Croft has really struck a chord. A lovely pictorial record and an incentive for HSCC to repeat this next year.

[Metroman]

1.John Simpson with Joe Lanny in front
2.Brian Morris
3.Jim Adamson
4.John Absalom
5.Johny Blades
6.Keith Bowmaker
7.Alex Clacher
8.Roy Snuggs who was with Ken Walker as a guest
9.Ron Harper with Ken Walker behind
10.Ronnie Whitaker
11. & 12. Guests of the drivers
13.Jeff Wilson on the bus & Tony Sugden in front
14 Andy Barton with his brother Phil

[gary396]

This race took place in bright and dry conditions and saw another very healthy grid of 25 with only four non-finishers. Jon Milicevic (car 63, Cooper T59) led from start to finish, setting fastest lap on Lap 2 before easing off to finish a comfortable 21 seconds ahead of Mark Woodhouse (car 84, Lotus 20/22). In third place, from fifth on the grid was John Chisholm (car 85, Gemini Mk 3A).

[gary396]

Another slightly disappointing grid for the 70s Road Sports with even less starters than on the Saturday so, with one DNF, only nine cars took the flag. A quick glance at the top three might make you think that it was the same result as in Race 3 but this time the top two were reversed - Charles Barter (car 24, Datsun 240Z) won by only 0.5 seconds from son Julian (car 1, TVR 3000M) with the latter, who had led for the first six laps, setting the fastest lap. In third place was Howard Bentham (car 41, Lotus Elan).

[gary396]

Another win for Darren Burke (car 64, Macon MR8). Ian Ashley (car 62) and David Wild (car 57) each improved by one position from Saturday's Race 4 in their Lola T200's. Those two, together with Benn Simms who finished fourth (car 5, Alexis Mk 14), had a great battle rarely being more than a couple of seconds apart.

[gary396]

Another good grid of 22 starters and an entralling race. By the end of lap one the two front-row sitters - Roger Godfrey (car 85, Austin Mini Cooper) and Mike Smith (car 80, Morris Mini Cooper) had dropped to seventh and fifth respectively. In contrast, Dean Forward (car 13, Ford Mustang) who had started in seventh was up to fourth place by the end of the first lap and set fastest lap on the second before taking the lead on the next lap. He was soon joined by Godfrey and Smith who worked their way up the placings to finish second and third respectively.

[gary396]

Final few from this race:

[Colin McKay]

I was loving it until the clutch developed a mind of its own, disengaging on request but re-engaging in its own time, usually as I freewheeled at speed round a bend and provoking a couple of impressive spins. After nearly collecting Robyn Slater head on I decided discretion was the better part etc and pootled round in 3rd till the chequered flag came out. Finished last but still got my points!

[gary396]

The same field of 10 was again led all the way by Darwin Smith (car 10, March 722) although this time Richard Evans, who had failed to finish on the Saturday, came second (car 9, Chevron B40). He had gradually reduced the gap from around 10 seconds in the early laps to just one second by the end. Frank Lyons (car 74, Gurney Eagle) was third.

Note the pace car attempting to keep a good speed on the rolling start lap!

[gary396]

Last few from this race:

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

I was loving it until the clutch developed a mind of its own, disengaging on request but re-engaging in its own time, usually as I freewheeled at speed round a bend and provoking a couple of impressive spins. After nearly collecting Robyn Slater head on I decided discretion was the better part etc and pootled round in 3rd till the chequered flag came out. Finished last but still got my points!

Looked impressive from where I was standing.

[gary396]

The podium positions in this race were the same as for Race 7 which took place the previous day - 1. Ian Gray (car 2, Brabham BT16), 2. Tony Keele (car 36, Palliser WDB3) and 3. Jon Waggitt (car 74, Brabham BT18). However, the racing was even closer as Tony Keele took the lead on Lap 1 and held it until Ian Gray passed him on Lap 7 but the pair were then never more than half a second apart.

There were similar close battles further down the field between Ronnie Haines (car 45, Cooper T82), Leif Bosson (car 6, Brabham BT28) and Stephen Wilkinson (car 81, Brabham BT21).

Also between Westie Mitchell (car 21, Merlyn Mk20) and David Coplowe (car 92, McLaren M4A) until the latter dropped out on the last lap.

[gary396]

Final few from this race:

[gary396]

Normally one of the more entertaining races (at least for me!) this one was somewhat hampered by the relatively small grid of 11 starters which was soon reduced to eight runners after a first corner incident.

Nigel Ashman (car 2, Kieft CK52) was unable to make the first bend - the right-hander at Clervaux - and ended up in the gravel trap (having to be 'snatched out'). Whether or not this caused Darrell Woods to take avoiding action wasn't clear but his car (6, Cooper Mk8) appeared to clip a kerb on exit from the bend and spun. In turn he was hit by JB Jones (car 19, Cousy No.2). They helped each other to push their cars out of the way onto the infield from where they watched the rest of the race (see photo).

After these two incidents (or was it one) the race became a bit processional but nonetheless entertaining by the very nature of the vehicles and the manner in which they were driven. The winner was Richard Ellingworth (car12, Kieft) followed by Mike Fowler (car 31, Cooper MkXI) and Neil Hodges (car 92, Cooper MkVIII).