Race Calendar & Results

The big weekend of the year.  Three cars for 4 races around this tremendous track.  In the six hour race in my E Type I was going to be joined by Charlie Kemp and John Bussell.  Charlie was also going to share the E Type in the Masters 24 GT and Sports Car race on Sunday afternoon.  

 

In the Top Hat race I was sharing the MK2 with Roger Bennington and finally I would be trying to repeat last years win in the V8 in the British Sports and Saloon Car 1 Hour Race.

 

Thursday afternoon was free practice and all 3 cars were given a run around the track and all seemed OK.  We signed in and were engulfed with paperwork and passes.  Next was scrutineering - no problems there so we were all ready for qualifying. 

 

Qualifying 

 

6 Hour Race - E Type

With 3 of us to get in a minimum of 3 laps there is not a lot of spare time.  As with all qualifying sessions, with up to 80 cars on track it can be difficult, to say the least, to get a good clear lap. 

 

However John found a reasonably clear lap to get us up to 18th so that was OK. 

 

2 Hour GT and Sports - E Type

I went out and did my 3 laps then in, to give Charlie a bit more time to get used to the car - he soon did and got us 16th on the grid.

 

Top Hat 1 Hour

The MK2 is not that competitive (unfortunately) but good fun - i was not surprised to qualify 56th.

 

BSSC 1 Hour

Another busy session but I found a reasonably clear lap and was happy to find I had been quicker than last year and got 3rd on the grid.

 

The Races 

 

The 6 Hour Classic

As 3.30 approached we were called to assemble, with 80 cars in the race it takes a while to get everyone in the right place.   However it was achieved on time and so at 4.00 p.m. we set off.  No problems at the start, a couple of cars passed and then I settled into a steady rhythm, indeed my lap times were within a couple of thousandths per lap at a speed that should bring a top 5 place. 

 

After just 35 minutes however it all went pearshaped when exiting the fastest complex changing into top I lost all drive - whichever gear I tried we went nowhere! 

 

Unbelievable.  When we returned home and stripped the diff it turned out that the cause of the problem was the 'diff' builder didn't lock tight some bolts - I hope he feels very guilty!!

 

Perhaps 3rd time lucky next year.

 

With the car broken it meant we couldn't compete in the 2 hour Masters GT and Sports Race on the Sunday afternoon. 

 

Masters Top Hat Race - Sunday at 9.00 a.m.

An early start and a place well down the grid.  A good start and some early gains before settling in to a steady run.  A safety car held racing up for a while, but when I came in for our driver change we were up to 20th, albeit not 'on the track' as others had pitted earlier.  Roger took over and despite little time in the car put in some steady laps eventually bringing the car home in one piece at the end of the hour.  He claimed afterwards to need more time "to get used to the MK2's individual handling characteristics!"

 

British Sports and Saloon Car Race - 1 Hour AM V8

Qualifying had got me to 3rd on the grid, behind 2 very quick, very light Cobras, the quickest of which had qualified an extraordinary 7 seconds quicker than my best ever lap here!!

 

As I sat on the grid I wondered if I would see them again after the first corner!

 

The safety car led us off and as the lights went out thousands of horsepower were unleashed. 

 

The lead Cobra roared up to La Source for the first time but outbraked himself, allowing me to sneak inside him, but 40 yards later he powered his way past me down hill towards Eau Rouge.   I was however in second place and holding onto his exhaust pipes for all I was worth.  Within a couple of laps we were 'out front' then a safety car pulled out in front of me - would this play into my hands? 

 

After 2 or 3 laps with most of the cars queued up behind me and no sight of the leading Cobra we were all waved by - they had realised the leader was not at the front (damn nuisance that!) so I led the train around at a fair lick until after another 2 or 3 laps we came upon a queue of just 5 cars behind the safety car. 

 

A Morris Minor was up front!!  Then it was waived through before we all got to the bus stop.  The safety car pulled into the pits and the leading Cobra blasted away - with a no overtaking until you cross the start line I was stuck behind 4 or 5 slower cars with some quick cars right behind me. 

 

As soon as we crossed the line it was all go, free to overtake again but the leader had gained precious yards.  As we went through Eau Rouge I came across the Morris Minor and had to lift off, that was enough for Chris Williams to nip past me.   It took a couple of laps to regain my position by which time we were into the pit stop window.

 

As 35 minutes passed I pitted for the mandatory 1 minute stop.  Not changing drivers I had plenty of time to have a drink before returning to the fray.  Unbeknown to me at the time the way the pitstops unfolded left me in the lead, but with 7 or 8 laps to go I saw the fastest of the Cobras coming up behind me.

 

For 4 laps that was where I managed to keep him, but eventually his lighter weight and more grunt enabled him to outdrop me from the bus stop to La Source and so with 3 laps to go it was just a question of making no mistakes. 

 

All in all a great race and not a bad result to end my 2008 Spa 6 Hour weekend.

 

6 Hour - E Type (85 entries)

Q: 18th, 2.58.123

R: 30 minutes - classified 80th, best lap 3.02.572

 

2 Hour E Type

Q: 16th, 3.04.588

R: DNS - but would have expected top 7 or 8

 

1 Hour MK2 (75 entries)

Q: 57th, 3.23.639

R: 50th in 1 hour, 05.04.146, Best Lap: 3.22.386

 

1 Hour V8

Q:3rd, 2.51.659

R:2nd in 1.03.17.818, Best Lap 2.53.377