Race Calendar & Results

On the Saturday I had entered the Aston GT4 in the 3 hour Martini Trophy and Charlie Kemp was coming down from Yorkshire to share the drive.  On the Sunday I was scheduled to enter the 1973 V8 in the Aston Classic Championship and Intermarque races and the GT4 for either/or Charlie/me in the Super GT.

Martini Trophy

We qualified reasonably well in 5th - Charlie was in the car for the first time.  The race - we decided Charlie would start, I would do a long middle stint and he would finish.  Our strategy was flexible and would be able to cope with safety cars, weather or whatever came our way.  Or so we thought!  On lap 7 the car lost power and dashboard lights started flashing so Charlie came into the pits.  It transpired that the air conditioning condensrr had seized - shredded the drive belt that in turn mangled a bit of crucial wiring!  Modern cars with air con!  And it wasn't even turned on!! 

That was the first time I have finished 133 laps behind the winner. 

Qualified: 5th in 1.16.818

Race: Not classified - 7 laps

Sunday was overcast with showers likely.

AMOC Classic Championship

Qualifying: The first session of the day - all fine once I managed to get the car to go into gear and a comfortable pole.

The Race: a fair start and into the lead with Les Goble and Robert Rawe squabbling with Darren McWhirter for 2nd.  Soon Les settled into the spot and as it began to spit his modern car on treaded tyres etc. had the advantage and he closed up on me through the bendy bits.  After about 10 minutes Darren's DB4  lost lots of oil and Steve Byrne found it and had a very big bump.  The race was red flagged. 

At the re-start the sun came out, the track dried, my tyres got up to heat and I was able to pull away from the rest of the field to record a race win, half a lap ahead. 

Qualifying: pole in 1.16.172 (92.25mph)

Race Result: 1st in 15.42.847* @ 89.43mph, best lap 1.17.312

*Length of second part of race

AMOC Pre 1966 GT and Appendix K Saloon Challenge

Qualifying: The E Type felt very small compared with the mighty V8 and on L section period tyres handles a bit differently!  Both Charlie and I had a go and were quickest of the cars on the correct tyres.  We were only beaten by Byrne/Snowdon in the lightweight DB4, peculiarly allowed in on modern tyres!

Race

Regretfully Byrnes car was too badly damaged in the earlier race so we were promoted to pole.   I was able to pull away and establish a comfortable lead by the time I pitted to hand over to Charlie, who completed the hour without mishap.  Win number 2, lapping every else in the race.

Qualifying: 2nd in 1.24.212 (83.4mph)

Race Result: 1st in 1.01.02.790 (78.65mph) Best lap 1.24.460

AMOC Intermarque

Qualifying: Just 5 laps to get a time and pole.

The Race

A bit of a tussle for a few laps with Zoe North's 'Tigress'.  Zoe seemed to want to get very friendly under braking!!  Unfortunately the fun stopped when she went off and subsequently returned.  By this time we were both clear of the pack so I had a lonely second half of the race, which was lucky because I hardly had any rear brakes, but another win half a lap ahead.

Qualifying: pole in 1.17.399 (90.79mph)

Race Result: 1st in 29.57.561 (86.00mph)  Best lap 1.18.362

AMOC Super GT - 2 Races

Charlie did both of these as he had come along way and had only 7 laps of race time on the Saturday.  In the firs the managed a very creditable 3rd just behind a Lotus but in the second race despite some very irritating behaviour from the Lotus Charlie took second place. 

In the end an excellent days racing, with effectively 3 poles and 3 wins, my first treble and 2 great podiums for Charlie in the GT4.  The chaps from the Heritage and Boisie all played their part in this successful day.