Race Calendar & Results

The fourth round of the AMOC series looked to be as challenging as the first three with all the usual suspects plus Darren McWirter in his very good DB4.

 

 

The forecast was mixed, but as qualifying started it was dry.  First qualifying was for the AMOC UBS Championship Race and after an energetic 15 minutes McWhirter was on pole with 1.18.731 followed by Kemp in 1.18.849 and I was in third in 1.19.062. 

 

 

A few adjustments and out again for qualifying for the Intermarque Race.  My first flying lap produced a time of 1.17.450 which was not bettered.  Kemp was next on 1.18.695. 

 

 

Some thought that a timing error (!) had occurred but 3rd qualifying for the endurance race produced a 1.17.945 ahead of Stamp's Exige in 1.18.247 so another pole position.

 

 

It was all looking very good at this stage.  I had never had such a gap over Charlie Kemp, my main rival in the championship.

 

 

Soon it was all to change!

 

 

Just before our first race at 1.15 p.m. the rain began.  Everyone changed to wet tyres.  From the start it was immediately obvious I had little grip from my hoosiers with wheelsphin in 2nd and 3rd out of each corner together with some lurid slides. 

 

 

Kemp and McWhirter pulled away and I spent most of the race trying to keep straight enough and to keep enough speed to keep Peter Foster behind me, but with a few laps to go my car develooped a horrible noise (3rd gear had started to lose teeth on the gearbox) and on the last lap Foster got past me for 3rd.

 

 

Altogether a very frustrating race and one which allowed Charlie Kemp to move ahead of me in the championship.

 

 

My mechanics Paul and Kevin immediately started delving in the gearbox and retrieved a number of broken teeth!  Would it hold up for the Intermarque Race? Unlikely but worth a try.

 

 

By now it was dry again so back on Toya tyres.  A rolling start and I maintained first place into the first corner.  Even better I began to pull away from Charlie Kemp in second place, even though I was short shifting in 3rd to try and be gentle on that gear. 

 

 

In lap 4 I did 1.18.668 which remained fastest lap of the race, but on lap 6 I lost 3rd gear completely and wary of doing any more damage I retired.  It subsequently emerged that the gearbox was very poorly!!  The gap between myself and Charlie was:

 

 

0.367 on lap 1

0.857 on lap 2

1.686 on lap 3

2.425 on lap 4

3.910 on lap 5

4.566 on lap 6

 

 

At that rate it could have been a significant gap after 20 minutes.

 

 

So a day that began with such promise and a definite chance of at least 2 race wins came to not a lot!!  But that, so they say, is motor racing.

 

Race 1

AMOC UBS Classic Race

Qualified 3rd in 1.19.062

Result (wet): 4th in 15.34.581

Best lap: 1.31.783

Class D Win and fastest lap in Class D

 

 

Race 2

AMOC Intermarque

Qualified on pole in 1.17.450

Results: Retired on lap 6 due to gearbox failure.

Best lap (and fastest lap of the race): 1.18.668

 

Race 3

AMOC 1 Hour Invitation Race

Qualified on pole in 1.17.945
Race: did not complete due to gear box failure