CSCC Classic & Jaguar Weekend - Snetterton, 5/6 April

[John Turner]

I think Carrera may have had his tongue firmly in cheek when he used the term 'historic' in an attempt to get the picture posted here, and he succeeded. Sorry we didn't meet, Sarah; got a feeling I may have (unknowingly) seen you the 'official' side of the Timing/results etc desk!

[TorqueWench]

Possibly - I was only there Saturday, but Ros (lovely Ros, she's sucha brilliant Race Secretary) and the gorgeous Angela Gibbins were also behind the desk!

[John Turner]

I was a reasonably happy with my on track shots, but these P&P images are not as sharp as I would hope because I forgot to set my camera on its highest resolution setting! In fact it was on the lowest setting - sorry! Just a few from Saturday morning:-

[Bishop Ranter]

I stated 108db. I should have noted I was measured at 113db if my memory serves me correctly. Apologies for any confusion.

[John Turner]

A few shots from Saturday morning qualifying:-

[terence]

Lovely shots John,the MGB looks like an ad for knackered springs.

[DaveGT6]

Originally Posted by terence bower

Lovely shots John,the MGB looks like an ad for knackered springs.

It was the subject of much discussion and amusement on the banking at Russell but it was nonetheless quick. All the MGBs were lifting the inside front wheel but this was by far the most pronounced example - very entertaining as it didn't drop back to all four until well past the rumble strips - looks bizarre but seems to work for these guys. The TVRs looked much stiffer - and were quicker.

[terence]

More than likely the car was using Parabolic Rear Springs!,Each to thier own.
The Begby TVR showed great speed,Rod has obviously got his head around now,I understand he put in a 24 on Sunday,I dont recall a time that quick before but it was good to see him chasing Niel on Saturday.Perhaps next time out,he will claim the top spot!

[andrewc]

Quite a nice write up in Autosport today, with 2 photos from Richard Styles (you know my father from the Lotus days). Local newpaper has a piece as well with a couple of my shots in.

[John Turner]

Well, I have managed to accidentally delete a complete file of pics covering the first 3 races, so I'm really miffed, and probably will not be starting this event today, as intended.

[TorqueWench]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Well, I have managed to accidently delete a complete file of pics covering the first 3 races, so I'm really miffed, and probably will not be starting this event today, as intended.

Oh that's such a shame - as said before lovely piece in Autosport - haven't seen MSN yet.

Could you possibly copy the local piece and post to the Club office Andrew - we do like to have them on record, and if you want to send pics I could put them up on the website with a tagline!

[andrewc]

Sure, I'll copy the article and post it to the CSCC office. Can send some pics as well.

I'll be following the Monoposto club around the country this year, and am partial to the Lancias racing in the Swinging Sixties (day job) plus Ginettas and TVRs (family genetic weakness!)

[NiG_21]

Originally Posted by TorqueWench

Possibly - I was only there Saturday, but Ros (lovely Ros, she's sucha brilliant Race Secretary) and the gorgeous Angela Gibbins were also behind the desk!

You see, I do bring something to the party... Ang will be embarressed tho'

Really enjoyed the meeting and the first chance to talk with all the new FC guys... the racing I saw* was great entertainment...

*was sat in the safety car for much of them.

[TorqueWench]

Originally Posted by andrewc

Sure, I'll copy the article and post it to the CSCC office. Can send some pics as well.

I'll be following the Monoposto club around the country this year, and am partial to the Lancias racing in the Swinging Sixties (day job) plus Ginettas and TVRs (family genetic weakness!)

You can shoot my Lancia anytime!

Thanks Andrew - of course you can bring prints to the next meeting - you won't be the only one selling prints at the circuits. We tend to favour Mary Harvey, due to long-term connections, but it's not a closed shop!

[andy97]

More photos of the event (sat only) can be found here:

http://rides.webshots.com/album/563044292IkqOna

Taken by my dad...only his second ever race meeting.

[Stuart J]

Has any one put any shots from Sunday's Future Classics race onto one of the photo sites, please?

[John Turner]

Stuart, I will be covering that race later, and will make a point of including a pic of the Porsche!

I had not intended to cover races 2 & 3 anyway but unfortunately, cannot do so for Race 1 - The Toyo Tyres XJS race, either, due to my stupid deletion of about 500 shots from the first 3 races - anyone know if any of the digital image recovery applications on the market are safe and effective?

Stewart Liddle won Race 1 by 5.6 seconds from Derek Pearce with Chris Palmer a further 23 seconds behind in 3rd. Race 2 was for Monoposto cars, mainly modern, but with some earlier cars involved. It was won by Ben Anderson, who just happens to work with my son at Autosport, in the Jedi Mk6, and Race 3 for mainly recent tin tops, was won by the Ainge/Broad (40 mins) Honda Integra.

So to Race 4 - The John Cooper Memorial Trophy for the old F500 cars. The grid, naturally enough was mainly made up of Coopers, but with a few interesting interlopers. Neil Hodges was on pole with his Cooper Mk8, but it was Nigel Ashman who made the best start in his Cooper Mk11, coming through at the end of lap 1 with a few lengths in hand. However, it was neither Hodges nor Ashman that won the race. Here, winner, Simon Frost in his Cooper MK11 comes through Coram. His fastest lap was fully 1.7 seconds faster than anyone else although ultimately he won only by 1.5 seconds from Hodges:-


Here, Shirley Monro (89 - Cooper Mk4) goes round the already ailing Mk8 of Paul Hewes. Hewes was to complete his one and only lap in the pitlane. Monro went onto finish 11th:-


Another non finisher was David Whiteside in his Mk7:-


Mike Fowler working the wheel, through the Bombhole, on his way to 5th, in Mk5:-


Neil Hodges closes on Ashman, eventually to take 2nd. Just 3 seconds covered the first 3 at the end:-


Best non Cooper finisher was David Lecoq, who was 4th in his Petty, although here he seems to be more interested in something on the track!:-

[Stuart J]

Many thanks, John.

[andrewc]

Sandisk image recovery software works pretty well - worth a try. Some of the other ones work well as well.

[Colin McKay]

Had a good weekend, if somewhat cold, and managed more than one first: first ever spin in a race, first ever race in a hailstorm, first visit to marriage counselling after running out of gas in the rv at 2am.....

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by andrewc

Sandisk image recovery software works pretty well - worth a try. Some of the other ones work well as well.

Thanks, Andrew.

Fantastic field of 37 cars of which 32 finished. A feast of British sports cars from the mid 50s through to mid 60s, split into 5 classes with the largest class having a max engine capacity of 2700cc. Thus the Astons, E types and later Healeys are excluded and gives the smaller cars a chance at outright victories. Noting that both an Elva Courier and Gilbern GT ran, would early Lotus Elans, Rochdale Olympics, Reliant Sabre Fours and Sixes etc, be allowed?

Although the MGB had by far the biggest representation, their best could not quite match the lighter TVRs and more powerful TR4s. Here on lap two the race outcome is established although we may not have realised it at the time. Neil Howes and John Andon's TR4s sandwich the TVR of Rod Begbie. They were to gradually ease away from the chasing group, with Andon slowly dropping off the back of the two leaders:-


Brian Arculus in the TR3A briefly holds the Healey 100M (oldest car in the race) of Neil Hardy at bay. Hardy went on to finish 9th, but Arculus only completed 2 laps. In fact it was not a good race for the Arculus family as wife, Pat, in the Lotus Elite also failed to finish; particularly disappointing because had she gone one more lap would probably have been classified a finisher and not in last place either:-


Of the two WSM sprites entered, only that of Clive Cocks started. He finished 26th:-


Having pulled ahead of Andon, the leaders slugged it out for several laps, with Howe always having the edge. Begbie was regularly locking up into the braking area, and I think this must have told in the end, for despite putting up the fastest lap he finished nearly 13.5 seconds adrift at the finish:-


Alistair Pugh's Triumph Spitfire pulled off at the end of the Revett Straight on lap fire with steam coming from under the bonnet. Is this a genuine Le Mans car?:-


Jeremy Cottingham (12) may have got closer to the Andon TR4 had he not had such a struggle to get passed Stephen Radcliffe (26) who put up a mighty defence of 4th position for many laps. Here Cottingham is still behind, as both cars exit the Esses and are about to lap the two MGAs ahead. You can see Andon heading through the Bombhole. When finally clear of Radcliffe, Cottingham pulled away to finish over 19 seconds ahead, and only 3.8 seconds behind Andon.


Here's an interesting one. The programme would have you believe that this is Mike Ball in a Lotus 18, built in 997(!!!) an error perpetuated on both the qualifying and results sheets. In fact, it is Mike Bell in a 1965 Gilbern 1800GT. He overcame the challenge of Chris O'Neill (92 - MGB - 18th) to finish in 17th:-

[Al Weyman]

That B really looked like an accident waiting to happen!

[John Turner]

I take it that you are talking about the 98 (Jan Boyes) car, Al. In the race he was braking deeper and deeper into the Esses until on one lap he couldn't make it and bypassed the Esses altogether! However, he went on to finish, and in fact, was the third 'B' home and 6th overall, so well up in this big field!

[IAN #51]

Hi John

The Le Mans Spitfire driven by Alistair Pugh is a replica of the ADU 1B (The owner Mark Field refers to her as a replica) BUT the car has been built with so many original parts from the Le Mans Spitfires (and 1B in particular) that the classic Le Mans organisers have granted her original status.

The car is as the Le Mans Spitfires should be and i know it took years of research and parts hunting to get this car as original as it is.Mark enlisted the help from various people who worked in the Triumph Competions Department and these people also managed to put him in touch with people who still had works parts from 1B.

Incidently this is the car that DaveGT6 and Alistair will be driving at the Le Mans classic this year.

Ian

[carrera]

Originally Posted by John Turner

I think I might have, although stretching it to call it historic especially as the programme suggests it's 9 years old. I wasn't going to include that race in my review but when I get around to this meeting, I'll include one of this car, because I'm nice like that!

I'll make it older for the next race!


Thanks for the pic "restyles". PM for you.

Anyone else have pics of my aged Citroen?