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Classic Touring Car Racing Club, CTCRC, meeting at Croft on 19 July 2008, organised by the BARCJim McLouglin wins wet Group 1 race. Neil third after going off.
When the rain came down just before the Group 1 race Neil and the team were hoping for a laurel wreath as an extra birthday present! It wasn't to be. Neil did hold the lead during the middle of the race but a mistake at the complex dropped him back to third behind Jim McLoughlin and Mark Fowler and thats how it finished. Both Jim and Post Historic winner Steve Primett drove inch perfect while most around them went spinning on the slippery surface.
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| Post Historic winner Steve Primett being interviewed after the race. | Roger Stanford looks on from the infield after his spin as David Howard flashes past. (Picture by Alistair Bray) |
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| Dave Nixon heads the Post Historic train in his Mazda RX3 as it exits Sunny Out. Dave is followed by Jason Christie, brother Chris, Mark Lucock and Neil (Picture by Alistair Bray) | John Wright heading another train through the complex, followed by Len Allgood, James Christie, Phil Waller and Martin Doherty. The last two still sporting the damage after they came together in the Group 1 race. (Picture by Alistair Bray) |
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| The battling Nixon brothers. If you look carefully you will see the D on Chris's car as he only has one leg and has a hand throttle. This was only the second race for Chris after a five year lay off. (Picture by Alistair Bray) | Neil also has a D on the door. As he puts it "same problem, different department". (Picture by Alistair Bray). |
David Howard made a great start from pole in his Jaguar XJ12 but Steve Primett was soon past, quickly making a two second gap which he built to four seconds by the end of the race. Steve had been worried that he was loosing water but the car ran well in the race and Steve drove wheel perfect.
The big action was behind. Roger Stanford spun his Lotus Cortina out of a safe third place on lap four. Roger had been worried about a leak from the water pump and was driving with an eye to the gauges! Dave Nixon took his place in his Mazda RX3, heading a close coupled train. Following him were Jason Christie, Mark Lucock and brother Chris, all in their Escort RS2000's, with Neil just behind in his Mk1 Capri.
These five had a close battle to the end of the race. Jason got past Dave to take third overall while Dave was busy fending off brother Chris. Mark's times slowed as the race went on and he slipped slowly back and Neil managed to pass him on the last lap.
James Christie and Phil Waller were side by side for the first half of the race before James had to retire with an ignition fault.
1. Stephen Primett (Escort
RS2000) Class C
2. David Howard (Jaguar XJ12) A
3. Jason Christie (Escort) C
4. Dave Nixon (Mazda RX3) C
5. Chris Nixon (Escort) C
6. Neil Bray (Capri) B
7. Mark Lucock (Escort) C
8. Len Allgood (Escort) C
9. John Wright (Escort) C
10. Phil Waller (Avenger) D
11. Martin Doherty (Cortina) B
DNF
Roger Stanford (Lotus Cortina)
Spin Off
James Christie (Avenger) Mechanical (HT lead came off)
Jim McLoughlin won a wet race. Neil led mid race but dropped to third after an off.
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| Matt Irons, seen here exiting The Jim Clark Esses, was one of the many spinners in this wet race. (Picture by Alistair Bray) | It was close at the front. Jim McLoughlin has Neil Bray and Mark Fowler in attendance in the early part of the race. (Picture by Alistair Bray) |
Qualifying was dry and Jim McLoughlin in his Capri laid down his marker with a time 1.2 seconds quicker than second man Roger Stanford's BMW 2002. The rain started to come down just before the race. Neil used this to his advantage, passing Roger who was bogged down with wheel spin on the grid and setting off after David Howard and Mark Fowler. The 1600 Fiesta was much better suited to the conditions than the more powerful rwd cars in front and by the second lap Neil was past David and Mark and setting off after leader Jim McLoughlin.
Jim proved a different proposition, not putting a foot wrong on the slippery surface. Neil was persistent however, taking the lead on lap four and slowly pulling away from the Capri. It didn't last long though, when Neil went straight on approaching The Complex and dropping back to third, behind the two Capri's of Jim McLoughlin and Mark Fowler.
By mid race Neil was closing on Mark, who in return was closing on Jim. Then on lap eight Neil started to pull alongside Mark in The Complex, they touched sending Neil spinning off. Mark kept going and Neil regained the circuit just in front of David Howard and that's how it finished.
The wet conditions were a problem for almost everyone apart from Jim McLoughlin. Chris Nixon, Matt Irons, Tim Scott-Andrews, Phil Waller and Martin Doherty all had off course excursions, the latter two too the detriment of their bodywork.
1.
Jim McLoughlin (Capri) Class B
2. Mark Fowler (Capri) B
3. Neil Bray (Fiesta) D
4. David Howard (Jaguar XJ12) A
5. Roger Stanford (BMW 2002) C
6. Chris Nixon (Escort Mk1 RS2000) C
7. Brian Goodwin (Fiesta) E
8. Martin Doherty (Cortina Mk3) B
9. Robert Wheeler (Renault 5 TS)
10. Tim Scott-Andrews (Rover Vitesse) B
11. Phill Waller (Avenger) D
12. Matt Irons (BMW 323i)
Pre 93
A Masterclass from Andy Davies.
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| The immaculate Andy Davies won both pre-93 races in his BMW M3. He was followed home in both by Tony Ellis in his Mazda RX7 | Glynn Allen's fighting under-steer in his BMW M3 while Evan Morris tucks his Fiesta into the corner. |
Video by Al Weyman taken from his Camaro
Page added 22 July 2008 and updated 24 July 2008
