Classical Gas
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Classic Touring Car Racing Club, CTCRC, meeting at Snetterton on 27 April 2008, organised by the BARCTwo Jags Stevens Dominates
Pole sitter Brian Stevens had a narrow win in a closely fought PHTC race, coming over the line just in front of Nigel Garrett. David Howard had dominated the early stages of the race, despite a poor start. However, Brian slowly closed the gap until they had a coming together at the chicane, resulting in David spinning off. Neil finished seventh, dropping back a couple of places after he to spun at the chicane.
Brian Stevens won a rain influenced Group 1 race from Roger Stanford’s BMW
after challengers Jim McLouglin, Mark Fowler and David Howard fell out or
fell back. Neil was the only starter in his class, finishing seventh
overall after overtaking faster cars when the rain came down.
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| Gentlemen racers. William Jenkins and Roger Stanford in the assembly area. | Great to see Jason Christie back. His new car looked super in its new livery. |
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| David Howard heads Brian Stevens, Nigel Garrett and Tony Crudgington into The Esses on the first lap. (Picture by Marc Lawrence). | Neil made a good start but had to give way too Steve Primett who had to change his gearbox after qualifying. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) |
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| Nigel Garrett was very close to Brian Stevens at the flag, seen here demonstrating his smooth driving style (Picture by Marc Lawrence). | Len Allgood was delighted to have a day free of mechanical problems and had a good run in his immaculate Escort. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) |
David Howard didn’t get away from the grid very well, but still took the lead during the first lap. David’s XJ12 was going much better, after he found a rag that he had put into the carbs to keep the water out at the Jet Wash! At the end of the first lap the order was David Howard (Jaguar XJ12), Brian Stevens (Jaguar XJ12), Nigel Garrett (Dolomite Sprint), Tony Crudgington (Dolomite Sprint), Steve Primett (Escort RS2000), Neil Bray (Ford Capri), Mark Lucock (RS 2000), Roger Stanford (Lotus Cortina), Len Allgood (Escort RS2000), Mark Osborne (Dolomote Sprint).
Steve Primett was fortunate to be there, as he had lost 3rd and 4th gear in practice. Steve was pretty annoyed about this as he had just paid for an expensive rebuild to the box after Lydden. However, Jason Christie lent him his spare so Steve could take his place on the grid. It was nice to see Jason back on the circuit, debuting his very smart silver and blue RS2000, more or less a new car after his accident at Donnington back in 2006. Brother James wasn’t so lucky, as his Avengers head gasket went in qualifying. The same fate befell Tony Crates’ Lotus Cortina and neither started.
By lap five Brian Stevens was right on David Howards tail. Coming into the chicane they were side by side. They touched and David ended up sideways across the track, restarting behind Roger Stanford.
The order was now Stevens, Garrett, Primett (who had passed Tony Crudgington on lap 4), Crudgington, Bray, Lucock, Stanford, Howard, Allgood, Jenkins. Things didn’t stay that way for long, as the next lap Neil went wide at the chicane and went on the grass. This allowed Mark Lucock past but suddenly he was out when a new clutch cable parted.
David Howard was wound up again, passing Roger Stanford and then catching
both Neil and Jason Christie to finish fifth. Up front Brian Stevens won,
but only just, as the neat and tidy Nigel Garrett had started to pull
alongside as they crossed the line. Steve Primett was third, happy his
borrowed box had stayed together. Steve was only just ahead of Tony
Crudgington, another whose mechanical luck hasn't been good lately. Then
came David Howard in 5th, Jason Christie 6th, Neil 7th Roger Stanford 8th,
Len Allgood 9th, William Jenkins 10th.
Full Results
Brian makes it Two
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| Brian Stevens led away from the start. Here David Hickton is in sixth place. Neil is next, about to be overtaken by David Margalies who started at the back of the grid after problems in qualifying. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) | Four laps into the race and David Howard is leading with Mark Fowler in close attendance. Here we see Brian Stevens in third with Roger Stanford and Adrian Fuller in close attendance. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) |
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| As the race went on Neil was overtaken by some of the faster cars and fell back to tenth place and is seen here behind William Jenkins BMW. When the rain came he made up places and finished seventh overall. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) | The rain caused all sorts of problems and it was very hard to keep on the island, demonstrated here by none other than David Howard who spun away his lead but recovered to finish fourth. (Picture by Marc Lawrence) |
There was rain in the air as Group 1 gathered in the assembly area. Neverless it was still dry when the lights went out and Jim McLoughlin stormed into the lead from his second row slot. It wasn’t too last as Jim’s Capri first slowed, then pulled off, at The Esses. So it was the two mighty Jaguar XJ12’s of Brian Stevens and David Howard that thundered past the line at the end of the first lap. Doubtless both hoping they could avoid contact this time! They were followed by Mark Fowler, his Capri flying as usual; Roger Stanford, back in his 2 litre BMW and Adrian Fuller, returning to the circuits after a break with a real tiger in his Capri’s tank.
The Capri’s of David’s Weir and Margalies had both started at the back of the grid. David Margalies after problems during qualifying and David Weir as he had too work on Saturday. They were both flying and carving their way through the field, David Margalies getting up to seventh at the end of the first lap, just in front of Neil.
It was clear that Brian Stevens’ XJ12 was faster in a straight line than David Howard’s, but the man from Newbury managed to get by under braking and take the lead on the second lap. This made the order Howard (XJ12) - Stevens (XJ12) - Fowler (Capri) - Stanford (BMW 2002) - Fuller (Capri) - Hickton (Opel Asona) - Margalies (Capri) - Roper (Rover Vitesse) - Weir (Capri) - Bray (Fiesta) - Jenkins (BMW CSL).
Neil had slipped further back and was now in tenth as first David Weir’s Capri, then Alan Ropers Rover Vitessse powered past the Fiesta. By lap five David Margalies had pulled into the pits to retire and William Jenkins had slipped his BMW CSL by Neil. Up at the front Mark Fowler had briefly taken over in second place, but only for a lap before Brian Stevens retook the place.
Then half way trough the race it started
to spit with rain and lap times started to slow. The slippery conditions
allowed Neil to pass both Alan Roper and David Weir and he gained another
place when William spun his beautiful BMW. He wasn’t the only one who
couldn’t keep it on the island. David Howard gave way to Brian Stevens
pressure and spun at the Russell chicane. The slippery conditions also
played into the hands of Roger Stanford who passed Mark Folwer to take
second place. David Howard regained the circuit to cross the line in
fourth place. Then came Adrian Fuller, who had dropped back when the rain
came. David Hickton bought his Opel Ascona home on sixth after a lonely
race. Neil ended up in seventh. If only it had rained sooner as he was the
second fastest car on the track once the rain came down!
Full Results
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| Chris Randall delighted everyone with his BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile which finished second behind Neil Philpotts (Picture by Alistair Bray) | Pre 93 winner Andy Davies in his battle with David Knight's CMS Escort (Picture by Alistair Bray) |
Neil Philpotts won this combined race in his Mitsubishi Starion. The challenge from Joss Ronchetti didn't materialise when the prop-shaft broke on the Sunbeam Lotus during the first lap. Andy Davies was the best pre-93 car.
There were only 15 starters in this combined race. They are both free standing events for their next races so the pressure will be on entries. Rival series are filling their grids and some in the paddock question if CTCRC chairman Richard Langeveld can keep these races alive in their present form.
Page added 29 April 2008
