AMOC, Thruxton (not Snetterton), 12 September 2009

[M Greenslade]

'6 Super GTs ....at least their 30 minute race is the last on the card'

Just think about us poor marshals who will be wanting to get home, still at least the crowds with have dispersed!!!!

Take care I am observing on Post 6..................


Bladders......................

[midgetman]

Will that mean that those of us trying to blag our way in as spectators without tickets should have a fair-to-middling chance? I'm comnig down to deliver some "stuff" to Redneck Rocket, but there may *perhaps* be some others in the car with me.

[Redneck Rocket]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Will that mean that those of us trying to blag our way in as spectators without tickets should have a fair-to-middling chance? I'm comnig down to deliver some "stuff" to Redneck Rocket, but there may *perhaps* be some others in the car with me.

Based on personal experience if you show up with a car full of drunks, one wearing a Borat Mankini and an inflatable sheep, they probably won't let you into the circuit...

[Chris Acklam]

Originally Posted by Redneck Rocket

Based on personal experience if you show up with a car full of drunks, one wearing a Borat Mankini and an inflatable sheep, they probably won't let you into the circuit...

So THAT's why Colin was late for the last Thruxton race - and to think I believed the 'broke down on the M26' excuse ....

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Redneck Rocket

Based on personal experience if you show up with a car full of drunks, one wearing a Borat Mankini and an inflatable sheep, they probably won't let you into the circuit...

In case I ever get to race at Thruxton, can you advise which of the 3 is likely to cause the most difficulty?

Good racing, guys and girls!

[brands]

A very odd event. Listed as an AMOC meeting there were more Astons in the car park than on track (9). Having said that the racing was some of the best I've seen all season and the Thoroughbred sports car race was a cracker.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by brands

Having said that the racing was some of the best I've seen all season and the Thoroughbred sports car race was a cracker.

Thanks for that, I had an excellent time, I started 12th, got up to 4th, dropped to ninth, back to 7th, finished 5th and won class c.
I think the most surreal part from me was running off the track at Church, doing quite a bit of grass cutting and once I'd collected it all up thinking bugger I've lost all that ground I made up only to see the 2 or 3 other cars I was racing following me on there. Afterwards they said they saw me drive off and followed in sympathy.

[Jamie P-E]

I thoroughly enjoyed the day however the Super GT race should have been Scrapped or put in with the Intermarques. 4 Starters and 3 Finishers with the Ginetta in 3rd getting lapped 9 times!!!!!!

I loved the different cars and being a youngun (28) it makes a nice change from modern stuff. As usual i took lots of photos

[EastonNeston]

a throughly enjoyable event, It's good that the AMOC were able to make good use of their day at Thruxton. there was an interesting mix of events, including an excellent Classic F3 race with 25 cars. The Monoposto race also have a full and varied grid.

It was the first AMOC event I had attended, but if yesterday is tyical of how well they run meetings I'm sure I'll be attending many more.

[Al Weyman]

With referennce to that Super GT none event and I have thought this as its happened so many times and know of one or two other championships a couple I have entered that may be going the same way, you get someone piles a shed load of money in to build an ultimate machine and no one can live with it so what happens no one bothers entering result end of championship. I will name one that was successful as the others in mind are still running but take Formula Saloons, killed off when guys with cars that were sensible could not live with a couple of the super cars.

Dunno what you do about it if guys want to spend the money and go scamping off into the distance but I have to ask them is this really the racing you wanted when you started out and maybe you should cut back abit. I mean I am not being funny but that yellow car looks an out and out missile what would be the point in entering something like my IROC up against that just to be lapped and lapped again.

[Sparton]

Well I'm over the moon. Raced in the Formula Junior event in the ex 'Wreck Rescue' car bought this season, (Green Elva 100 no 99). Only has a 978cc long stroke engine with cast iron crank & 82bhp but was quickest in class in practice, even beating 3x Lotus 22's plus Lotus 18's with Richardson fords + other Elva's with Swiftune 1071 short stroke 115 bhp steel engines. However in race hot weather(!), hot driver & engine so short shifted to save engine for Algarve & Stuart Tizzard beat me for class in his Lola.
But now I remember why we race for pleasure-what a fantastic UNMOLESTED circuit Thruxton still is, long may it continue, having raced this year at Brands GP, Silverstone GP & International circuits + Oulton Gold Cup I firmly believe THRUXTON to be the only circuit to give the driver FULL SATISFACTION & BUZZ for his/her ability!!

ps Peter Mallett, remember me at Thruxton in the A35?

[ralt-racer]

Having bot been to Thruxton for 8 years I was more than happy with my race day Cf3 race was good fun managed 3rd on the grid behind Bill coombs who runs Thruxton race school and Richard Trott who also works there as an instructor. Got a great start and was following Bill. His track knoledge really gave me a lesson on a track that is very technical we had a little battle but bill had the advantage and after a few backmarkers got involved he was uncatchable. Still I was really pleased to set a time only two tenths off of Bills fastest.
The FJ race was a laugh as always qualified third but first in class (c) Mike Hibberd who was nursing a sick engine gave a great fight backmarkers dealing him a bad hand letting me through with 7 laps to go I knew I had some work to do to keep him there back markers got involved again and soon the order was reversed finished third overall first in class c more than happy with the result in a drum braked car amongst the disk cars. Well done to Jon m another fine victory in the FJ race I think he is unbeaten all year?

It was really nice to finally meet John Turner and his son Kevin I hope I gave you both something to write about in your race reports.

Cheers Benn

[AGD A105/6]

Great day for the Sunbeam team in the Intermarque race; Class A ("mildly modified / pre 1970" ) Tigers of Tristan Bradfield, Andrew Yates and Paul Clayson ran superbly to score a huge points haul, enabling the team to take the championship lead. Chris Scragg won both races in his fabulous AMV8 but the AMV8 team has not been so well supported this year, and as the class points multiplier was worked out assuming higher grid numbers, the Sunbeam team with its high proportion of Class A cars has benefited.

Horrible to see the burning DB4 of Nicholas King just before the chicane in IM race 1, thankfully the driver is OK and I'm told the car looked repairable, hope so as we have a reduced AM6 contingent this year. The resultant red flag left us standing on the grid quite a while which caused Nathan Dod's Tiger (Class C "heavily modified / pre 70" ) some heat problems, so he pulled off after a few laps as a precaution despite running well, and I suffered fuel surge around the back of the circuit which made continuing pointless.

In IM race 2 all 4 Tigers finished without drama despite some oil through Church and the Chicane, which I believe came from Alan Hudd's DB4, whose oil cooler had been replaced in the morning. When the leaders lapped me the first time, Chris Scragg was being closely harried by Graham Reeder's Ferrari F355 and Bob Searles' DBS V8, it was good to see Chris having to work at it! From the chat in parc freme afterwards it sounds like Lawrence Coppock's XJS also had a good battle with Alex Mansfield's 944 Turbo.

The Super GT grid size was a real shame, but it sounds like there are a host of cars in build which could make this series viable in future rounds.

Thanks to AMOC for all the organisation and to Thruxton and to all the folks in orange for their support on a long, hot day!

[Chris Acklam]

Yes, it was a highly entertaining meeting with some really interesting races and cars. Not been at an AMOC meeting for some time, so it was good to see it so well organised and to get through all the preliminaries quickly and easily. (Though Thruxton's habit of keeping everyone in park fermé for 15 minutes or so after the race does seem excessive.)

That DB4 fire was awful (such a good looking car) and rather spoilt the Chris Scragg/Ferrari battle in the Intermarque, which was shaping up well. The race after the restart seemed to lose a bit of the spark somehow (so to speak).

Shame about the Super GTs grid. The power of those cars is immense and it's great that they have somewhere to compete. The Chamberlain Porsche seemed to be worked on in the paddock for most of the day, and looked really brutal with all the workings exposed. A 1:19 lap round Thruxton is v quick....

A good day, and, being a Saturday, an easy drive home afterwards. My thanks also to AMOC and the stewards.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Sparton

ps Peter Mallett, remember me at Thruxton in the A35?

Yup, and Silverstone, Snet (n a Mk1 Cortina GT) etc.

[Tuscan 6]

We enjoyed the day - I was driving the white TVR Sagaris in Super GT. This was the race debut for our car, having had engine issues in qualifying at Silverstone. It was a disappointing grid to say the least, but it was a good 30 min work out for me and the car. It was a shame the 935 had issues as the two of us were shaping up to have a good race but I was chuffed to come away with fastest lap from our first race with the car. With development there is more speed to come from it. Apart from a plug lead which came adrift in both qually and the last three laps of the race, all we did to the car all day was bleed the brakes and put fuel in it.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by Jamie P-E

I thoroughly enjoyed the day however the Super GT race should have been Scrapped or put in with the Intermarques. 4 Starters and 3 Finishers with the Ginetta in 3rd getting lapped 9 times!!!!!!

In fact, there were really only two finishers, and we still don't know why the Ginetta was classified, or indeed why it was placed ahead of the Porsche. It came into the pits just after the Porsche which had already lapped it.

This race was the only grid size disater of the day, and you could hardly blame AMOC if they decided to can it for next year, since none of the races have been adequately supported all year.

Originally Posted by ralt-racer

It was really nice to finally meet John Turner and his son Kevin I hope I gave you both something to write about in your race reports.

Cheers Benn

Good to meet you, too, Benn, and yes you entertained us royally. Two excellent drives.

Originally Posted by Andrew Davenall

Great day for the Sunbeam team in the Intermarque race; Class A ("mildly modified / pre 1970" ) Tigers of Tristan Bradfield, Andrew Yates and Paul Clayson ran superbly to score a huge points haul, enabling the team to take the championship lead.

Well done to the Tiger Team, Andrew, and sorry that we didn't get to meet.

Originally Posted by Tuscan 6

We enjoyed the day - I was driving the white TVR Sagaris in Super GT. This was the race debut for our car, having had engine issues in qualifying at Silverstone. It was a disappointing grid to say the least, but it was a good 30 min work out for me and the car. It was a shame the 935 had issues as the two of us were shaping up to have a good race but I was chuffed to come away with fastest lap from our first race with the car. With development there is more speed to come from it. Apart from a plug lead which came adrift in both qually and the last three laps of the race, all we did to the car all day was bleed the brakes and put fuel in it.

Good to meet you, Andy, and it's a pity that you had no opposition after Richard Chamberlain's Porsche suffered fuel pressure problems. The Sagaris is a stunning piece of kit, even though it's not yet 'historic'.

It was great to meet some new faces and chat with some old ones but disappointing not to catch up with others like Tim Falce, James Wiseman and brands.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent days racing, although I can see why brands, amongst others, was surprised by the unusually low number of Aston races. I will do my pictorial review eventually.

[Tuscan 6]

Nice to meet you too John (and Kevin) and thanks for your kind words about the car. The Sagaris as a whole may not yet be historic, but the chassis was 20 years old this year! Its not quite old enough to buy a beer in the USA though

We are up against 61 other cars on the grid when we go Dutch at Spa in three weeks, so I don't think we'll be short of competition for that one.

[Tim Falce]

Slightly off tack I saw that the purists were alive and kicking on Saturday. One guy stood looking at my car for quite a while, he then asked what year it was. I told him it's a loose copy of a 1956 car. He looked down at it and said "Oh, it's a copy?" and walked off.

[Tim the Grey]

Just tell him it's a GENUINE replica?

[Tim Falce]

It always amazes me why the people who walk off chanting "fake" have to ask anyway, if they were that much of an aficionado then they should be able to tell the difference.

[John Turner]

Yes, I agree; obviously wasn't much of an enthusiast if he could not tell the difference, which is why, I suggest, he is not a purist either. Just a part timer!

[Peter Mallett]

Off topic comment alert I have to type this or my brain will explode! Lol, I recall one very wet TT race a Silverstone, we were wandering around the car park at the back of the stands when we came across a chap with his wife/girlfriend leaning against a D Type. I wasn't sure if it was genuine or not so I asked him. I saw his shoulders stiffen before he replied that it was a replica, Lynx I think). I thought it was a great car but then that shape is timeless really. Thanks for reading, you've been a wonderful audience. Don't forget to try the veal and tip your waitress. We now return you to the topic

[brands]

Here are a few images from the day. Sorry about the lack of angles but the public side of Thruxton is limited besides which the light was so gorgeous I dare not move far.


Highly entertaining days motorsport

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

With a Lynx, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference until you looked under the skin so to speak but then if your spending £100K+ plus an Etype donor you'd want something special wouldn't you.