360 MRC 6hrs of Snetterton and HRDC races

[zefarelly]

It helps keep the pressure on John to perform with his box brownie

[gary396]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Well, I still haven't seen the official results for the main race - TSI seem to stop at the 5 hour mark, as I type this.

John (et al), results should be sorted now. I understand that there were some internet connection / updating issues on the day which may have caused the problem?

http://www.tsl-timing.com/special/2012/1218916hr.pdf

[bjw970s]

A big thank you from the RAF Motorsports RAF Benevolent Fund Team to Claire for the opportunity to run in the event and for the very generous donations from all of you at the circuit over the weekend.

Having done the Birkett 6 hr since 2005 we really like endurance formats as they take the team ethos aspect of clubman racing to the max; an important factor to our aim to show motorsport as a true team effort.

We had 5 support crew (glad you liked the hats Claire - I can sort out one for you if you want!!) whom were fellow drivers from our racing series which speaks volumes. 2 of us who were drivers on the day were Team managers and support crew in the Birkett team last year so we really enjoy the format!!

It was my first race outing on the 300 and what a circuit. The racing was fair and I was relaxed by the Caterhams who raced sensibly all day (loved the formation driving early on). I would add that I find the quantity of LOTUS sevenesque cars at the BIRKETT to be too many and whilst we would welcome the opportunity to race in a race within a race in our cars increased complexity can be a risk.

We were very pleased with the cars performance and I was very pleased not to break a good friends MINI!

We would love to come back and such was the friendliness of the format and the paddock, we would also love the opportunity to bring our race series to run a couple of rounds over the weekend (interested Claire?)

Excellent weekend and thanks again for the opportunity and the support.

Brian

To just to re-emphasise what the charity is all about I will leave you with a snap shot of the good work of the RAF Benevolent fund:


Since its foundation in 1919, the RAF Benevolent Fund has been there, through thick and thin, supporting the RAF family. It is there for all serving and former members of the RAF as well as their partners and dependent children.

There are 3 main goals:

To maintain and preserve the RAF Memorial in London on behalf of the nation.

To provide assistance to the RAF family, when they are in need.

To support the morale and wellbeing of the serving RAF.

They provide a spectrum of care, supporting everyone from children growing up on RAF stations, to those serving today to keep our skies safe, to the veterans who fought for our freedom.

It could be supplying an electric wheelchair for a Polish pilot who fought in the Second World War, supporting the widow and children of an RAF sergeant killed in action, or providing practical help to a young airman injured in Afghanistan.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by gary396

John (et al), results should be sorted now. I understand that there were some internet connection / updating issues on the day which may have caused the problem?

http://www.tsl-timing.com/special/2012/1218916hr.pdf

Thanks Gary for sorting TSL out! I assumed it was late in the day when the race finished and they had a train to catch.....

All the truth is there in them lap charts! No hiding now.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by bjw970s

.


We had 5 support crew (glad you liked the hats Claire - I can sort out one for you if you want!!)

I want a hat for Claire (in return for a further donation). It could say "Race Director" or it could say "I'm nobody's b*t*ch" What do you think?

I'm glad you had such a good time - it was a pleasure to have you there and to be able to support the RAF Benevolent Fund. Please come back next year.

[bjw970s]

Originally Posted by johngee

I want a hat for Claire (in return for a further donation). It could say "Race Director" or it could say "I'm nobody's b*t*ch" What do you think?

I'm glad you had such a good time - it was a pleasure to have you there and to be able to support the RAF Benevolent Fund. Please come back next year.

Let me see what I can do John

PS, in 22 years service in the Royal air Force Claire's drivers brief was one of the best briefs I have every been on the end of!!!

[terence]

Seconded!! Even the "I'm no bodys" etc.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by bjw970s

Let me see what I can do John

PS, in 22 years service in the Royal air Force Claire's drivers brief was one of the best briefs I have every been on the end of!!!

That's VERY gratifying to hear since I was her mentor when she started. A case of the pupil becoming better than the master, I'm sure.
But then I'm ex RAF so perhaps the training shows!

[MartinSmith]

Originally Posted by bjw970s

Let me see what I can do John

PS, in 22 years service in the Royal air Force Claire's drivers brief was one of the best briefs I have every been on the end of!!!

If anyone does a stand to attention joke you will be beasted!

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding the briefing....you can waffle on for hours...I probably do, but I am proud of the briefings that I do...I had a very good teacher

We are so glad you enjoyed coming and you are most welcome and please drop me an e mail re your proposal with regards to your series

ta
Claire


PS, I think I tell my son too much, we were just playing the playstation, and we are both driving GT40s at Circuit De Catalunya, when all of a sudden he says "That was four wheels off...Black and white flag and one more of them and you are up to Race Control!" (he is EIGHT!!!)

[terence]

Wonder what he'll do when he gets older!

[terence]

Wonder what he'll do when he gets older!

Can't think of any stand to attention joke's at the moment.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by midgetman

I saw some small cars that kept blatting past me, dicing furiously with each other, entertaining those watching but nothing that caused anyone any concern. I think it proved that multi class endurance racing can work, but that's easy to say when there's only 17 cars and acres to play on. But what the hell, we are racing drivers and we just have to keep an eye out.

One of the plus points of the Caterhams is that they don't look modern, so IMO look fine among 60s, 70s & 80s cars.

And talking of them blatting past, one of my two 'whoops, that was close' moments was when 3 of them closed in at end Bentley straight. Think I let two though after esses, but third was lagging a bit so decided to get into Murrays before him. As usual in those circumstances almost outbraked myself and finished up running off onto the dirt with much opposite lock applied. Thought I was rallying again so kept foot in and shot out after kerb and he still wasn't past! Soon powered away on the straight, though....

The other close call was when caught the Starion too quickly going into Coram. No room inside so decided to drive round him, which was fine except for fact that track was filthy and had no grip whatsoever! Much arm twirling......

BTW Don't tell Cliff as don't think he saw either incident......

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by johngee

Great pictures and capture the spirit of the event. Amazing quality...... especially with a Instamatic

You may not be far wrong as we nicked one of his camera bodies saying that it was going to be repaired, but I've already flogged it and flown out to the "Costa Crime" with the proceeds

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The other close call was when caught the Starion too quickly going into Coram. No room inside so decided to drive round him, which was fine except for fact that track was filthy and had no grip whatsoever! Much arm twirling......

Was that the same Starion the spun and clouted my drivers door ?

[garcon]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Was that the same Starion the spun and clouted my drivers door ?

Well there was only one Starion there...

[Cliff Ryan]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

BTW Don't tell Cliff as don't think he saw either incident......

No, but I did see the tell tale dirt on the side of the tyre-wall and knew it wasn't me

Generally chuffed feeling still pervades, so if anyone is thinking of entering next year or Claire's proposed mini enduro in the autumn - go for it

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by garcon

Well there was only one Starion there...

I was having a good chat to the two Spanish drivers in the collecting area in my best Spanish, maybe I made a "faux pas"

[Cliff Ryan]

I heard that the Spanish Starion span as it was right hand drive and the driver had never driven a rhd car before, so tried to change gear with the door handle, which didn't work for some strange reason

He lost control, span and kissed an Anglia

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Cliff Ryan

I heard that the Spanish Starion span as it was right hand drive and the driver had never driven a rhd car before, so tried to change gear with the door handle, which didn't work for some strange reason

He lost control, span and kissed an Anglia

I haven't tried that in the 40 plus years of driving left hookers, however I do drive one in the UK and I have been known to turn out of my house and drive down the right hand side of the road

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

....... one of my two 'whoops, that was close' moments was when 3 of them closed in at end Bentley straight. Think I let two though after esses, but third was lagging a bit so decided to get into Murrays before him. As usual in those circumstances almost outbraked myself and finished up running off onto the dirt with much opposite lock applied. ......

most gratifying that somebody else does that sort of thing. I let one through in the first part of the Esses, compromised my exit line and ended up running wide onto the grass for 50 metres; unfortunately I was spotted by 'upstairs' and received a halved black-and-white for my pains

[Rikki Cann]

Has anyone got any incar footage of what happened to our Aston when Joe came off at Agostinis during the first Qualifying session? only we still cannot work out why this happened.

chars
Rikki

[GORDON STREETER]

Perhaps the satnav needs updating, I had to do that to mine !

[EvilPumpkin]

Fab weekend, thanks to everyone!

Did anyone get any pics of the BBQ by the way? Thanks to everyone who donated - don't know how much we got for the RAF (sealed bucket! ) but I know we got just over £60 for Les' niece, so well done everyone!

Mike, I hope you know that I'm liable to get excluded the next time I go to post as my jacket absolutely reeks of booze!

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

most gratifying that somebody else does that sort of thing. I let one through in the first part of the Esses, compromised my exit line and ended up running wide onto the grass for 50 metres; unfortunately I was spotted by 'upstairs' and received a halved black-and-white for my pains

Ah that old chestnut, you don't usually need a car behind you to do that.

I can think of a certain ZS180 and a couple of ZR105s that would be great additions to the field and are effectively raring to go. So updating the entry criteria would be great, make it a clubman race rather than a historic clubman race.

The problem with inviting the Academy or something like that, is the type of driving it invites. There is nothing wrong with Caterhams per se, as last weekend proved, as long as they are driven in sympathy with the event. However, get lots of them together and that's when problems occur. IMHO of course...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by midgetman

....... get lots of them together and that's when problems occur. IMHO of course...