Classic Touring Car Racing Club, CTCRC, meeting at  Donington Park on 3 August  2008, organised by the BARC

Neil takes class win with 3 Wheels on his Wagon

It was an excellent Donington meeting, with exciting, good, clean, racing, despite small grids. Steve Primett had a straightforward win in Post Historic when Neil slipped down the field after his first lap lead and David Howard retired with gearbox problem. Jim McLoughlin won the Group 1 race after a race long door handle to door handle with Roger Stanford. This was a really exciting race with battles all the way through the field.

Neil led for most of the first lap before being overtaken by David Howard.  Here eventual winner Steve Primett slips past at Redgate at the start of the third lap. Mark Osborne and Jason Christie are just behind, waiting to pounce. (Picture by Alistair Bray)

Post Historic

Resounding win for Steve Primett.

Qualifying - David Howard made it a double pole, placing his Jaguar XJ12 in the prime position for the race. Neil was fifth fastest after a dramatic qualifying session. Tony Crates had a top hose blow on his Mk2 Lotus Cortina and spun on his own water at Redgate. Neil was just behind and took to the gravel whilst avoiding Tony and couldn't regain the circuit under his own power. The marshals let him clear the gravel from the radiator under waved yellows and, with permission from the Clerk of the Course, helped him regain the circuit to complete his qualifying session. There appeared to be no damage apart from the tracking being a bit out and this was soon adjusted

Race - Neil made a great start from the third row, was up beside pole sitter David Howard entering Redgate and took the lead on the exit from the corner. David was having issues with his gearbox, but nerveless powered past Neil round the back of the circuit, to lead at the end of the first lap. Steve Primett had recovered from a slow start and was right up behind Neil, followed by Mark Osborne (Triumph Dolomite) and Jason Christie (Ford Escort RS2000).

It didn't take Steve long to pass Neil and set off after David Howard. Mark was soon past too, leaving Jason to battle with Neil, resolved in favour of the Escort when Jason slipped it on braking for Redgate on the start of lap four. Up at the front there was a new leader. David Howard had given up the unequal fight with his gearbox and pulled into the pitlane to join Les Nash who had retired his Lotus Cortina on the first lap.

While Steve steadily increased his lead Jason and Mark battled for second place throughout the race. While the position was changing all around the circuit it was always Mark (rumoured to have a demon fresh engine) who had his nose ahead as they crossed the line. That was until the all important last lap when Jason just managed to get his nose ahead to take second overall, here at the circuit where he had his bad accident two years ago.

Brother James was involved in another tight race in his Avenger, fighting Nick Jones (Anglia) for the honours in class D but having to give best to the Ford on this occasion. Phil Waller, in the other Avenger, had a gearbox failure during Saturday qualifying, but James knew a source in Nottingham and Phil managed to get two spares and made a change overnight. The box is the Avengers Achilles Heel and James runs a Ford unit under dispensation from the club.

Compared to what was happening all around them Len Allgood (Escort RS2000) and William Jenkins (BMW 3.0 CSL) had uneventful races. Len finished around seven seconds behind Neil. William was getting faster as the race went on and was only a second behind at the flag.

Results (11 laps)

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Group 1

Jim McLoughlin wins hard fought Donington Group 1 Race. Neil takes class win with Three Wheels on his Wagon

This was a really thrilling race. Jim McLoughlin (Ford Capri) was alone on the front row as David Howard's gearbox problems made him a non-starter. After a good getaway it looked as if he would run away with the race, but once a slow starting Roger Stanford got his BMW 2002 wound up, the pair had a race long dice, swapping the lead all round the circuit. These two are both very determined drivers but it was good clean racing and in a way it was a shame one of them had to loose. However, it was Jim that had his nose in front when the chequered flag came out.

Behind them Mark Fowler, David Hickton and William Jenkins all had lonely races in font of a great scrap between Tim and Tony Scott Andrews in their Rover Vitesse's and Neil Bray's Ford Fiesta. Father and son took it in turns to lead this dice with Neil getting in between them on occasions until his rear nearside stub axle broke at The Esses on the penultimate lap. While Tim won the family battle Neil regained the circuit to complete the final lap on three wheels to win his class. This earned him a roasting from the Clerk of the Course but he let the results stand.

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Pre 93

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