Race Calendar & Results

At last - the first meeting of the year.  The 40th Anniversary meeting of racing at Thruxton.  Being Easter it had, of course, to be freezing cold.

Saturday morning qualifying for theTop Hat Race in the MK2  was wet.   First time at Thruxton, first serious go in the car.  The circuit needs attacking so a wet qualifying was not good.  However I got a bit used to the track and car and managed a 2.00.339 (70.48mph) for 12th, which wasn't too bad.

The E Type was entered into the GT class added to a Sports Racing Masters Race (to make up numbers!) so a bit out gunned, but a good experience!  Qualifying again in the wet was interesting and resulted in 10th in 1.51.425 (76.11mph).

Race 1

Race 1 for Top Hat took place with a little sunshine!  The green flag lap was the first lap at Thruxton in the dry and how different it felt, much faster! 

A reasonable start and then the realisation that I hadn't driven the car this fast before!  More roll, more drift and still leaving the track.  At the end of the race I was just beginning to get it all worked out, indeed my best lap was on my last lap (1.42.788). 

Race 2

Into Park Ferme and a jump over the fence to assembly to get into the waiting E Type for Race 2 (Sports Racing Masters).  Hardly time to grab a mouthful of water!

A rolling start for this one.  Around the first corner and there were cars spinning all over the place.  A little lift off and negotiate a way past them and off in pursuit of the car in front. 

After a little 'missing' on the first couple of laps the car ran well and I concentrated on trying to catch Leo Voyazides in his GT Class Cobra.  About half way through I got within 6" of his door going into the chicane (bit too close!).  Thereafter we closed up and stretched out to about 5 seconds as we were affected by other cars. 

As the race drew to its conclusion at 6.00 p.m. the sky had become very dark and a few spots of rain fell, but luckily no more.  All too soon this 30 minute race was over.  We came 6th, 2nd in class and with the class fastest lap.

So all in all not a bad first day at Thruxton in the 2 Jags. 

Monday

Monday dawned dry but still cold with the threat of snow in the air.  The Top Hat race was first, but on the warm up lap the engine in the MK2 started to misfire.  Too late to do anything now - would it clear itself?  The start was OK but no, the misfire was getting worse.  After 2 laps it was necessary to pit.  Regretfully the problem could not be quickly identified so we did not finish, very disappointing. 

The Sports Racing Masters Race had a small grid (I was 7th in grid) and it got smaller right at the start when 3 cars collided including 2 GT40s.  For a moment as the rest of the field avoided the carnage I was up to 4th place.  That was as good as it got though!  After the restart speed and horsepower brought a natural order to the event and I had a pretty lonely race in 7th place, just not quite able to match Leo Voyazides' Cobra.

Results:

Top Hat - MK 2 Jaguar

Qualifying: 12th in 2.00.339

Result Race 1: 16th in 26.42.954

Best Lap: 1.42.788 (79.36mph)

Result Race 7: DNF (electrical problem on lap 2)

Sports Racing Master - E Type

Qualifying: 10th in 1.51.425 (76.11mph)

Result Race 2: 6th in 31.15.354 (2nd in class)

Best Lap (& fastest in class): 1.31.755 (92.43mph)

Result Race 9: 7th in 17.33.356 (2nd in class)

Best Lap: 1.33.887