AMOC Snetterton 30th June

[24_heures]

I think Bowman's car was a left hooker but I don't know the chassis no.

As far as the AMOC is concerned, I think the series just needs to pay the bills. Track time is very expensive these days and they need to balance the books. Their other grids are struggling this season, so if this series could prove its potential to make a bit of money to subsidise the others, it should be a goer.

You're right about the V8s, but I think Geoffrey Marsh's DB7 even with the V12 will find it tough against things like Chamberlain's 935 replica or even the stock Porsche race cars. He needs a DBR9 to be competitive with that sort of kit.

[John Turner]

Interesting discussion. Certainly the Chamberlain car sets the standard in terms of outright pace and was 5 seconds a lap quicker than anything else at Snet. Autosport pointed out that his pole lap was 2 seconds quicker than Johnny Cockers GT3 pole time in the DBRS9 a few weeks earlier. Might not need a DBR9, though, since a no holds barred, no restrictors DBRS9 might do the job. It will still be interesting to see what a stripped out, modified DB7 with an uprated V12 might do. Yes, the old V8 technology probably precludes the old Astons, even David Ellis's 'new' Virage, from being on the ultimate pace but it would be great to see them out. I agree that AMOC shouldn't be too concerned about seeing an Aston right at the sharp end, desirable though that might be, and that they do give Stephen Archer as much support as possible. This is potentially a major attraction for the AMOC race events and they certainly need to inject some new life into their season's racing.

I'll continue with the pictorial review asap!

[GBRM]

What has Camberlain done to the 935?
When Dad raced the "ground effect" Aston I'm sure he was quicker, certainly on the less powerful circuits.
Not meant as a "my Dad's quicker than yours", just interested to know what has been done to the Porsche since then. Some of it might just be driver and car getting to know each other more in the subsequent years and some good development but as I've not been on that scene for a while I've probably missed out on the "news".
I would assume a lot of work was probably done to the Porsche after the accident at Donington, which to be honest was probably the last Intermarge race I saw!!

[John Turner]

Gregor, I think that the Chamberlain 935 Rep. has been developed quite a lot since your Dad raced against it, although I don't know precisely what has been done. I know that for a while it became mechanically fragile and on at least one occasion caught fire in front of the main stands at Silverstone a few years back!

A reasonable grid for this race with 21 starters, 18 of which finished.

After Christopher Scragg retired his big V8 Aston, Charlie Kemp had it pretty much his own way the DB4 and led another DB4, that of Nicholas King over the line by just over 5 seconds:-


First Ferrari home was the 355 Challenge of Tim Mogridge, in 7th place. The only other Ferrari, Alan Cosby's 512M retired, following a spin in the chicane (although I don't cite that as the cause of his retirement!):-


There were several good dices down the field but this was proably the best one. A real ding dong this, and pretty much race long between Jeremy Cooke (DB4) and Dave Stockton (944 Turbo). Cooke (10th) won this, and the gap of 2.8 seconds at the end was the biggest the gap had been and certainly the picture is more indicative of the closeness of the struggle!:-


Behind the two DB4s, Robin North brought the Mustang home a good 3rd having been harried much of the way by Simon James in his Sunbeam Tiger:-

[GBRM]

Thanks John, just being nosey really!!

[John Turner]

Nothing wrong with being inquisitive, Gregor; actually, I'd like to know the answer, too!

In a way this seems to have stalled slightly with only 15 cars in this race. Potentially a very good series with the possibility of seeing some very interesting sportscars from the 1950s which are not catered for much elsewhere, it must be a bit disheartening to the AMOC that they haven't so far been able to encourage more out. Still what was there, was good!

A new viewing place for me, these were taken from a legitimate spectator viewing point on the outside of Coram Curve, balanced on a small boulder that was already there, to give a few inches extra height!

David Smithies, in what must be an extremely early Healey 3000 (1957) clearly had the legs of the grid by some margin as he qualified on pole by over 6.5 seconds. It was no surprise that he drove away from the off quickly building a healthy lead. However, at the end of (I think)the second lap, he peeled off into the pits, pulled up, lifted the bonnet and, apparently checked the plug and coil leads since he felt a slight misfire, closed the bonnet, and rushed back out again. Of course, it may have been a ploy to make a race of it, but if so, it failed miserably, since he sailed back through the pack to win by 17 seconds, in a 10 lap race!

While all this was going on, the lead was taken up by Nicholas Ruddell in the DB MkIII but he soon came under attack and passed by the AC Ace Bristol of Tim Pearce. They were, of course both overtaken by Smithies and finished 2nd and 3rd. In the background is the DB2/4 MkII of Douglas Barker who finished 4th, and also appears in the second shot below:-




3 of the 4 Alfas entered appear in this picture and it was these 3 that represented Scuderia (not Ecurie as James has already informed us) Guiliettisti. At the front here is the Sprint version of Peter Shaw who finished 6th, the Sprint Zagato of Nick Savage who finished 8th, and in the background the Sprint Zagato of James Wiseman who finished 11th. The Frogeye Sprite came 7th in the hands of David Jenkins:-


The 'tailpiece' for this post, or perhaps 'tailgating is a grey area'. Ok, so they are more sort of silver, but here we have Andy Shepherd's AC Ace Bristol making up lost ground and about to lap Mark Cambell's DB2/4 Mk1 (12th). The AC finished 9th:-

[John Turner]

I haven't checked but presumably Part 2 will take place later on in he season!

16 cars started, and they all finished, so a smallish, but reliable, grid! Jim Campbell was on pole in the Aston MkII, and it was he and Clive Morley (Bentley 4.5 Litre) who were, by far and away, the quickest of the field. Here they are exiting the Esses on the first lap, already with a sizeable gap over the rest. Campbell eased away from Morley to win by 15 seconds. Morley was a further 1 min 11 secs clear of 3rd place man, John Boyes in his Lagonda Rapier. In case you think these cars are slow, I think the race average of 70mph achieved by Campbell is pretty fair!:-


A real and pleasant surprise was to find this in the paddock in the morning. Trevor Swete's 1931 Invicta 4.5 litre High Chassiswas driven to 5th place:-


Great campaigners, both driver and car! Keith Piper's 1932 Aston International 1.5litre finished 8th:-


Another delightful surprise was the Lagonda Rapier Tourer of Victoria Gate. It was by far the slowest car in the race and finished inevitably last at an average speed of 51.37 mph. Very slow when you think of the phenomenal acceleration, top speeds and roadholding of the modern equivalents, but now remember that this is a car built 71 years ago as tourer. It must have been hitting a good 70 mph on the Revett straight to achieve that average on skinny tyres, negligible road holding and an engine of just 1100cc. It puts it into perspective, doesn't it? In fact, not half bad!:-

[CUT 7]

Originally Posted by 24_heures

Don Law's white XJ220 was converted back to road spec a couple of years ago. I believe Roger Bowman still has his red car and Larry Kinch still owns the Martini car. Don't know what Larry's plans are racing-wise now Nathan has "retired" from FIA GTs. I understand an XJ220 was advertised in 'the comic' recently as "suitable for the new AMOC Championship". Perhaps it was one of these three?

Yep, 2 in there this week...

[John Turner]

Last race of the meeting. 17 entries but only 12 got to the grid, therefore a particularly small field especially as this was an hour loing race with compulsory pit stops (all but one car had 2 drivers). I think the drive of the race for me, and one ofthe best of the meeting was by Nicholas King in his DB4. He doggedly held onto the Rex Stamp Lotus Elise (fitted with supercharged Honda 2 litre) for lap after lap. The pair of them left the rest of the field for dead, since the other quick Elise of Andrew Bird and Ian Bolton got bogged down in a 3 car battle for 3rd before finally getting to the front of that group and pulling clear. By the time the pit stops became due King had dropped maybe 3 seconds or so on Stamp (who drove solo) but he had done enough, as he then handed over to his not so secret weapon, ex BTCC driver, Phil Bennett (getting more and more involved in historic racing - good man!), and that coupled with what seemed a long stop by Stamp, pretty much made it game over, and the Aston came home to win by 22 seconds from Stamp who was in turn 47 seconds ahead of the Bolton Bird Elise. The consistency of the fast lappery of both Aston drivers is empahasised by the fact that both the Elises posted (marginally) faster best laps:-


Last by some margin was the Sunbeam Alpine of Steve Beighton and Douglas Barker but that is no discredit to them since they were giving away masses of power to the rest of the field:-


The two Healeys circulated together for some time but it was the Robert Rawe/James Wenyon car (RAS 298), that finished 8th ahead of the Cooke/Guess car by over 30 seconds. In the Bomb Hole:-


Exiting the Esses, the Tim Mogridge/Peter Foster Ferrari 355 Challenge which finished 4th; in the Esses, the winning Aston; and entering the Esses the 8th placed Healey mentioned above!:-

[cydna]

Sorry to drag this one up again but what is "the comic" mentioned a few posts back

[John Turner]

Probably Autosport, but it was nearly 2 years ago!

[simon drabble]

and comic delivery is all about timing....

[John Turner]

You just couldn't resist that one, could you?

[simon drabble]

Originally Posted by John Turner

You just couldn't resist that one, could you?

guilty as charged!

[Andrew Kitson]

Anyway...good to see AMOC coming back to Snett for a two-day meeting on July 18/19 this year.