The 21st Century magazine about cars and motorsport of the past and present
Issue 114 March 2020
Classic and Competition Car Founded 2010
Pomeroy Trophy
Tasman Revival Race Retro
Contents
Page 5
News.
Page 21 Bathurst 12 Hours
Page 4 Photo of the Month.
Page 30 Tasman Revival Rd 3
Page 25 Cambrian Rally. Page 29 Book Review Shelby Cobra Page 38 New Zealand Historic Touring cars Rd 2
Page 45 Archive Photo of the month.
Page 46 Monte Carlo rallye Historique Banbury Passage Control. Jenson Button’s BAR006 Grand Prix car at Race Retro. See page 65 for more information about the show
Front Cover: David Halford Group B Audi Quattro S1 E2 in action on the Race Retro live Rally Satge. © Simon Wright. Andrew Howe-Davies (1911 SCAT Racer) about to be lapped by Patrick Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash Saloon © Peter McFadyen Leda LT27 driver Michael Collins leads the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series field into the first corner at Teretonga Park © Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
Classic and Competition Car
Our Team Simon Wright-Editor. Janet Wright-Staff Photographer. Independent Freelance contributors in this issue. Pete Austin, Peter McFadyen, Syd Wall, Plus David Goose & Stuart Yates of Motorsport-Imagery.
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Page 56 Nissan Leaf Nismo RC
Page 59 VSCC Pomeroy Trophy Page 65 Reis Race Retro
Page78 Race Retro Live rally Stage.
Page 87 Ford Mustang Mach-E Page 92 Tasman Revival Rd 4
Page 97 New Zealand Historic Touring Cars Rd 3
Page 102 Closing Shot
For future motoring events check out The motoring Diary web site www.themotoringdiary.com We do not organise any events which are mentioned and we are not responsible if the event does not take place or is cancelled. Please contact the event organiser before making a long trip.
Classic and Competition Car
March 2020
All content is copyright classicandcompetitioncar.com unless otherwise stated. All photographs are copyright and cannot be used for commercial purposes unless by prior approval of the original copyright holder. We try to ensure accurate and truthful reporting but if you spot an error, please contact us and will we verify and correct accordingly. We do not organise any events which are mentioned and we are not responsible if the event does not take place or is cancelled. Please contact the event organiser before making a long trip Classic and Competition Car is published by simonwrightphotos.com High View Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8HT E-mail simonwright57@hotmail.com As well as this magazine, you can follow us on Twitter @classcompcarand join our Facebook Group : Classic and competition car Instagram : Classcompcar Flickr: Classcomp
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Photo of the month
The Kit Car era at its most outrageous - the Peugeot 206 Maxi of Ryan Ennion lifts a wheel at Race Retro.
By Syd Wall.
Classic and Competition Car
March 2020
© Syd Wall
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Š Simon Wright
News
Stop Press: Rebellion win the 2020 Lone Star Le Mans race at the Circuit of the Americas with Bruno Senna, Gustavo Menezes and Norman Nato beating the Gazoo Racing Toyota of Buemi/Nakajima/Hartley by nearly a minute after 6 hours of racing. For the opening round of 2019/20 they entered a second car for Berthon/Derani/Duval
Rebellion Racing to quit after Le Mans.
The #1 Oreca Rebellion R-13 of Senna/Menezes/Nato won the 4 Hours of Shanghai this season. Š Simon Wright
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March 2020
After 13 years Rebellion Corporation has decided to reorient its investment policy and will cease all sportbusiness activities at the end of the current WEC 2019-2020 season. Rebellion Racing has been a major part of the World Endurance Championship since the creation of the FIA Championship in 2012. It is one of the private teams to have challenged the manufacturer teams. The team has achieved some success in races in America. The team will stop all racing activities after the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. In 2018, the team won the 6 Hours of Silverstone and this season Bruno Senna, Gustavo Menezes and Norman Nato won the 4 Hours of Shanghai in November 2019. 5
Gordon Murray Autonomous mobility vehicle. Gordon Murray Design (GMD) with consortium partners Delta Motorsport and itMoves have produced ‘MOTIV’ autonomous vehicle platform. It uses GMD’s patented iStream Superlight technology to produce a safe and costeffective autonomous vehicle. Part-funded by the UK Government’s ‘IDP14’ programme, it creates a cost effective, ultra-lightweight quadricycle designed to meet full passenger car crash safety requirements. The electric powered single seater pod is designed to provide a private mobility experience for people moving through busy cities. It is powered by a 20kW electric motor and a liquid cooled 17.3kWh battery pack, providing a potential range of up to 100 kms and speeds up to 40 mph.
Classic and Competition Car
Aston Martin assault on Japanese Super GT Championship. Aston Martin have joined forces with Pacific D’Station Racing to renew their attack on the premier Japanese series, the Autobacs Super GT Championship in the GT300 class using the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Returning for a second season with Aston Martin is local driver Tomonobu Fujii, who is a multiple Super GT class race winner. He will be joined by Factory works driver Nicki Thiim from Denmark, who is set to make his Super GT debut at Okayama on the 11th-12th April 2020.
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Jenson Team Rocket RJN switch to McLaren. The British team, founded by former World Champion Jenson Button, have confirmed their entry in the 2020 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, formerly the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. This year they are switching to the McLaren 720S GT3, which is entering its second competitive season in 2020, contesting the GT World Challenge Europe for the first time. The team will contest the full five race Endurance Cup calendar including the Intercontinental GT Challenge Total 24 Hours of Spa, where the McLaren 720 GT3 will make its debut at the event. The first round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup takes place in Monza, Italy over the weekend of the 17th-19th April 2020.
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Volkswagen T-ROC Cabriolet. With summer on the way, Volkswagen have opened up orders for the new SUV convertible T-ROC with prices starting at ÂŁ26,750 for the Design model. The sportier RLine model starts at ÂŁ31,920 OTR. Both levels offer a choice of 1 litre TSI 115 PS or 1.5 litre 150 PS petrol engines, with a 7 speed DSG automatic transmission option on the 1.5 litre engine. Available in a range of colours, the cabriolet also has two unique paint options, Ivy Green and Smokey Grey metallic, the cabriolet version differs from the normal T-ROC with an extended wheelbase, 40 mm longer, and a two door body style. The fabric folding roof can be lowered in just 9 seconds and raised in 11 seconds.
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Lotus Elise Cup 250 Bathurst Edition. Lotus has a long history in Australia, starting with the Tasman Series of the 1960s and Australia is the sixth largest market globally for Lotus in 2019. To mark this success, Lotus has produced an exclusive limited edition lotus Elise Cup 250 Bathurst edition. This Australia only car pays homage to the Mount Panorama Bathurst circuit, home of the legendary Bathurst 12 Hours race. The car has a host of upgrades, including black forged alloy wheels, a special numbered build plate and bespoke ‘Bathurst Cup 250’ decals.
Classic and Competition Car
Malcolm Campbell in the Sunbeam on Pendine Sands
New gearbox for record breaking Sunbeam. The National Motor Museum have an on-going restoration project to restore and preserve the Land Speed Record breaking 1920 Sunbeam 350hp as driven by Sir Malcolm Campbell to a World Land Speed record of 150 mph. The 18 litre V12 engine has been rebuilt, but it had a temporary gearbox fitted after the original was removed some time after World Wr 2. The Albion 35 hp gearbox was only designed for 1/10th of the engines power and had no transmission brake. The museum have now modified a sturdy Bentley C-type gearbox to fit the Sunbeam, which has also enabled the engineers to install a historically correct transmission brake and propshaft.
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New Citroën C3. The recently launched Citroën C3 will arrive in the UK in June 2020. It is an evolution of the brand’s worldwide best-seller, with over 750,000 sales achieved with the previous 3rd generation model since the end of 2016. The new model has a new front end design with LED headlights and increased customisation potential with 97 exterior combinations possible from four colour packs, four roof colours, two interior ambiences and a new 17 inch alloy wheel design. The exterior also features a new Airbump® design. The interior features new advanced comfort seats and 11 driving aids to make driving easier. These include front parking sensors, active safety braking, road sign recognition and connected services such as Connected Nav, Connected Play and Connect Assist. It has a choice of a 3 cylinder PureTech 83 and 110 petrol engines or a Diesel BlueHDi 100 engine. The New Citroën C3 will open for order in the UK in April 2020, with deliveries commencing in June.
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Dacia Bi-Fuel to lower running costs.
Alex Albon
The latest technology could save drivers an average of £594 a year, based on 12,000 miles per year, thanks to the new 1 litre turbo dual-fuel powertrain which combines petrol and LPG. The Dacia Duster, Sandero and Logan MCV now offer a factory fitted dual fuel solution of petrol and LPG, with a combined range of 620 miles. The advanced powertrain also delivers reduced emissions of up to 11% on the Duster and 9% on the Sandero hatchback in LPG mode. Despite the extra fuel tank, boot space remains the same for all models. LPG fuel is an affordable and proven technology which is easily available from more than 1,400 LPG stations across the UK. With the new powertrain, the Sandero can do up to 39.8 mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 116g/km when in LPG mode. The Duster can return up to 35.3 mpg and CO2 emissions on 129g/km when using LPG. Currently LPG is about half the price of unleaded petrol.
AMR Drivers’ Club events 2020. Aston Martin have announced three headline events for the AMR Drivers’ Club in 2020. Iconic racing circuits Hockenheim in Germany, Dijon in France and Zandvoort in the Netherlands will host bespoke track experiences. These range from half-day Discovery Course right through to the AMR Academy, which is a day and a half experience with one-to-one driver coaching, hospitality and accommodation. Aston Martin Red Bull racing drivers Max Verstappen and Alex Albon will make guest appearances, one at each venue. The AMR Drivers’ Club is open to everybody and is a great opportunity for anyone to discover the Aston Martin brand, either using their own Aston Martin or using one of the fleet cars available. The programme starts at Hockenheim on the 27th-28th May 2020, then Dijon on the 29th-30th July 2020. The third event at Zandvoort will take place on 29th-30th September. See www.astonmartin.com/amrdriversclub
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Battista Electric Hypercar. th
Automobili Pininfarina has made a fast start to 2020, the 90 anniversary of Pininfarina SpA by starting the testing and development phase for the ground-breaking Battista, the World’s first fully electric luxury hypercar. The technical development schedule is headed by former Mercedes-AMG man Rene Wollman, while testing will be undertaken by former Formula 1 and Formula E driver Nick Heidfeld. The test cars have already reached 80% of their performance capabilities
Classic and Competition Car
without any problems, equalling the most powerful combustion engined hypercar currently in existence. Simulations and wind tunnel testing have already seen a significant increase in the potential range of Ballista compared to original predictions. The next six months will see progress to develop a pure electric hypercar producing 1900 hp and 2300 Nm torque across a range of driving modes to suit varying environments. The hand crafted car is scheduled to reach first customers in late 2020 in Cambiano, Italy.
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stages had to be cancelled to protect the roads due tot the lack of snow, which turned the shortened event into a highspeed sprint. Third place in the rally went to 19 year old Finn Kalle Rovanperrä in a second Toyota Yaris WRC ahead of team mate Sébastien Ogier in the third Toyota Yaris WRC. This was the second WRC rally victory for Evans, his first being the 2017 Rally Wales GB on home soil. He is equal on points with Monte Carlo rally winner Thierry Neuville, but is ahead of the Belgian on countback.
Evans makes history with Swedish victory. Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, made history to be the first ever British winners of Rally Sweden in their Toyota Yaris WRC. In only his second rally for Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team, the Welshman also now leads the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship, the first Briton to top the WRC points table for almost 20 years, since the glory days of Colin McRae and Richard Burns. Evans overcame tricky conditions, and a lack of snow in some stages, to take five stage wins out of the nine stages, beating defending champion Ott Tänak in the Hyundai by just 12.7 seconds. Several
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BAC MONO ONE final edition. Liverpool based Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) have launched the last of the line ‘Mono One’ iconic British Supercar. The company will manufacture just three final Monos with a unique specification to celebrate the end of a remarkable generation. Mono One represents a true collector’s item and the rarest model ever manufactured by BAC, with iconic white, carbon black and neon red editions are available. The super limited trio feature visible carbon lower bodies, special edition carbon hybrid wheels, unique logos paying homage to the car’s original design inspiration, commemorative plaques, coloured decals and a striking helmet scheme as standard. The BAC Mono has a maximum speed of 170 mph, does 0-60 mph in just 2.7 seconds
Classic and Competition Car
Enhanced VW E-UP! charged up and ready to go. Volkswagen’s electric city car has been upgraded with a real world range that is doubled over the previous version, at 159 miles. The original E-UP! Was unveiled in 2013 as Volkswagen’s first fully electric production car with a range of just 83 miles. The improved range is thanks to the larger lithium-ion battery pack of 32.3 kWh up from 18.7 kWh. The zeroemissions E-UP! Is identifiable by its 15 inch ‘Tezzi’ wheels, bespoke bumpers and C-shaped daylight running lights with blue strips in the front grill and across the boot lid. On the top of the range it also includes heated front seats, heated windscreen, climate control , heated mirrors, cruise control and rain sensing wipers. Prices start at £19,695 OTR March 2020
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London to Mexico * World Cup Rally
WCR50 50th Anniversary
British Motor Museum, Gaydon
19th April 2020 9.30am - 4.00pm
The Daily Mirror World Cup Rally WCR50 celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Daily Mirror LondonMexico City World Cup Rally. This was the longest and most ambitious event of its kind to date. The World Cup Rally left Wembley Stadium on 19th April 1970 for the 16,179 mile, 6-week trip to the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City . Nearly 100 cars, with a wide variety of works teams and private entries from all round the world flagged away by Sir Alf Ramsay, would first follow a demanding route of road sections and special stages from London to Lisbon. Only 71 cars would arrive in Lisbon ready to embark on the sea passage to South America and then re-join the battle from Rio de Janeiro on the very hard and challenging route to Mexico City. The pace of the rally was relentless and with the punishing terrain raced over, only 23 cars would make it to the finishing line at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City.
Organised by HMRG
WCR50 plans to stage a reunion of all the surviving cars, and as many of the original surviving cars, together with true replicas where available. In addition, surviving cars from other marathon rally events of the 1960’s and 70’s including the East African Safari, the London -Sydney Marathon, 1974 World Cup Rally and other similar events, up to 1995, are being invited to attend. This should help to make a memorable event for those interested in long -distance rallying. Inside the Museum there will be film shows, displays of World Cup memorabilia and a chance to see all the rally personalities in conversation with the noted historian, Graham Robson who has written the
The 1970 World Cup Rally remains one of the most significant events in the history of international motorsport.
Sponsored by British Motor Heritage Limited,
About WCR50
On the fiftieth anniversary, to the day, of the Wembley Stadium start, WCR50 celebrates this monumental marathon rally and the achievements of its participants, including the cars, the competitors and their support crews.
definitive book on the World Cup Rally. This will be on sale with other items at WCR50
Any classic motorsportthemed clubs interested in having display facilities at WCR50 are asked to contact the organisers as early as possible at:info@historicmarathonrallygroup.co.uk fb: @HistoricMarathonRallyGroup
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Cars An event of this calibre was bound to have a top class entry and WCR50 wants to show as many cars as are available in its display. Ford Escort .. 7 works cars were prepped. The winning car, FEV 1H, will be on display with a sister works car. 1st,3rd & 5th o/a
Personalities
The Venue
The 1970 Daily Mirror World Cup Rally attracted some of the best known international rally teams. Names such as Rauno Aaltonen, Roger Clark, Andrew Cowan, Brian Culcheth, Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen, Hannu Mikkola, Bob Neyret, Rosemary Smith, Claudine & Rene Trautmann and Patrick Vanson were joined by many enthusiastic privateers and some celebrities including footballer, Jimmy Greaves.
WCR50 will be held at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon. Entry to the outside show will be free with dedicated parking for classic cars. Tickets for entry to the
British Motor Museum will be at the usual rate of £14.50 (OAPs £12.50 and children 5-16 £9)
Triumph 2.5PI .. BL’s team effort was spearheaded by 4
of these fast and rugged saloons with 2 more as private entries. 2nd and 4th o/a. Austin/Morris 1800 ..
Having competed on the London-Sydney Marathon, these well tested cars were popular with privateers. 9th, 11th &
WCR50 aims to reunite as many of the original cars and crew as possible, together with team managers, rally officials, mechanics and all related personnel
18th o/a Austin Maxi ..
First
built in 1969, and quite
For further information, please contact
new to international ral-
General Enquiries: Andrew Bradbury Tel: 01246 415 033
lying, there were 2 works
Email: andrewjbradbury@aol.com
cars (one winning the Ladies Prize) and 2 privateers. 10th & 22nd o/a
Other entries included cars from BMW,
Cars & Competitors: Ken Green Tel: 01922 452 608 Email: info@historicmarathonrallygroup.co.uk
British Motor Museum, Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwick. CV35 0BJ
Souvenir Programme, only £5, is available on the day, or can be pre-ordered from info@historicmarathonrallygroup.co.uk
London to Mexico - World Cup Rally
WCR50
Citroen, Datsun, Ford, Hillman, MercedesBenz, Moskvitch, Peugeot, Rolls Royce and Vauxhall.
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50th Anniversary The WCR50 organisers gratefully acknowledge the kind co-operation of the British Motor Museum and other sponsors for the use of images and logos used in this brochure
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www.historicmarathonrallygroup.co.uk
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Global demand for Electric Classics grows. Founded in 2018, Lunaz has become a leader in the creation of hand-made electric classic cars. The firm, based at Silverstone, are doubling their current workforce of 35 engineers, craftspeople, designers and electric powertrain specialists, gathered from F1, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, VW and McLaren. Lunaz is electrifying the most beautiful classic cars in the world, so they can be driven and enjoyed by future generations. Its debut car was a 1953 Jaguar XK120 which is now ready to go into limited production, following successful completion of an exhaustive period of testing. In addition to the Jaguar, a 1961 eight seat Rolls Royce Phantom V and a 1956 Rolls Royce Cloud are nearing completion before opening the order books on a limited
Rolls Royce Phantom V in build
production run. The latest addition is a 1961 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur, adding a third iconic British marque to the companies stable of electrified classics. Every electric classic by Lunaz is totally restored before it is converted to the companies proprietary electric powertrain. Certain modern features are also added, including satellite navigation, smartphone connectivity, full climate control and power steering will be sensitively integrated. Each car also benefits from fast charging capabilities and regenerative braking. The electric Jaguar XK120 features the firm’s proprietary electric powertrain with an 80kWh battery. This delivers the equivalent to 700NM of torque and 375 bhp. The twin motors can propel the car from 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. Range is expected to match modern electric cars. Prices start at £350,000 plus local taxes and import duties. The Rolls Royce Phantom V is specified with a 120 kWh power unit. See www.lunaz.design for more details.
Bentley S3 and Jaguar XK120 by Lunaz
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Small Hatch of the Year Mazda 3
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The ‘Small Hatch of the Year’ title went to the Mazda 3 in the 2020 UK Car of the Year awards, and goes forward to the shortlist for overall UK Car of the year. The award is judged by an independent group of British automotive journalists. The Mazda 3 comes with clever engine technology which makes it both fun and frugal to drive. The 27 model Mazda 3 range features hatchback and saloon body styles with a choice of two mildhybrid equipped petrol
Classic and Competition Car
engines. Matched exclusively to the front wheel drive hatchbacks, the 122 PS Skyactiv-G petrol engine features both Mazda M Hybrid and cylinder deactivation, while the award winning 181 PS SkyactivX Spark Controlled
Combustion Ignition (SPCCI) petrol engine is offered in both front and rear wheel drive hatchbacks. The Mazda 3 was the first car powered by the Skyactiv-X 2 litre four cylinder engine, which features the highest compression ratio of any production petrol engine in the World. It is also the first production petrol engine to exploit the benefits of compression ignition to produces 180 PS (177 bhp). The lean burn capabilities combined with the Mazda M Hybrid system ensures outstanding fuel economy and low emissions.The Mazda 3 is also offered as premium compact saloon with the Skyactiv-X engine and front wheel drive. March 2020
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First Pole for Porsche in Formula E. The fourth race of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship took place in Mexico City and saw the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team take their first Pole Position in the series. German star driver André Lotterer driving the Porsche 99X Electric, recorded the fastest lap time in the Super Pole to secure pole position. He also scored 3 points in the championship. Unfortunately he did not have such a good race. He suffered wheelspin at the start, then lost three places after colliding with eventually winner Mitch Evans from New Zealand in the Jaguar Racing entry in the first corner. Other battles caused severe damage to the bodywork, and Lotterer was forced to retire from the race. The other Porsche, driven by Swiss driver Neel Jani, who finished the race in 14th place
Classic and Competition Car
Subaru XV e-BOXER. The popular compact crossover XV from Subaru now has a new powertrain, the e-BOXER, which combines an electric motor with Subaru’s horizontally opposed 2 litre direct injection petrol Boxer engine and Symmetrical AllWheel Drive. Built on the Subaru global platform, the XV offers advanced safety performance and a dynamic driving experience. A lithium-ion battery is mounted within the boot floor, above the rear axle, with the electric motor mounted near the cars centre of gravity, and allows for pure electric drive at speeds up to 25 mph. With 220mm ground clearance, permanent Symmetrical All Wheel Drive and X-Mode to tackle extreme weather and road conditions, giving impressive traction and a 1270 kg towing capacity. EyeSight driver assisted technology has two stereo cameras which are mounted either side of the rear view mirror and monitors for hazards up to 110 metres ahead and includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-collision braking, Pre-collision throttle management, Lane departure warning and Lane keep assist. Prices start at £30,995 OTR.
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PRACTICAL CLASSICS CLASSIC CAR AND RESTORATION SHOW. The organisers of the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, with Discovery, have unveiled ‘Classic World’, a new interactive feature that will debut at the three-day event held 27-29 March at Birmingham’s NEC. Classic World brings together all the elements of owning a classic vehicle including the actual driving, and allows the audience to take a journey of discovery across four key areas – Work in Progress, Staff Car Sagas, Barn Finds Revisited, and the Classic World Stage (all you need to know about everything important). “The audience will be at the centre of the Classic World. Surrounding them will be project cars currently being worked on with live demonstrations of some of the key tasks and a chance for the audience to get the advice they need for their own restoration. “There’s also freshly restored cars previously seen on the Barn Find display, and those classics that need regular care and maintenance to keep them going. None of these exhibits are static and are best seen when driving, so they will take to the Classic World roadway so the audience can see and hear them brought back to life. “Bringing this altogether, is the Classic World stage where you can find all you need to know about everything important about owning a classic vehicle. Rather than just have a live stage with interviews and guests, we want to encourage two-way conversation and some healthy debate about the classic motoring community. The audience will have the opportunity to give their opinions both visually and vocally. It will bring a really different element to the show.”
Classic and Competition Car
The stage will also welcome interviews and insightful seminars with special guests such as TV motoring restorers Ant Anstead from Wheeler Dealers, Car SOS’ Fuzz Townshend, and Jimmy De Ville from Goblin Works Garage and Fifth Gear. There will also be the opportunity for the public to get involved as each day will see six classic car owners invited to show off their car and drive it on the Classic World roadway. The show also boasts the UK’s biggest display of barn finds in the Carole Nash Barn Find display, over 150 classic motoring clubs, live restorations, The Workshop demonstration theatre, over 250 specialist traders and spring’s biggest indoor auto-jumble. The Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show, with Discovery, is held 27-29 March 2020 at Birmingham’s NEC with tickets now on sale. For more information as well as the ticket prices and booking details, visit www.necrestorationshow.com
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Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hours Mount Panorama circuit, Australia 2nd February 2020.
Classic and Competition Car
The winning Bentley Continental GT3 of Soulet/Pepper/Gounon at Bathurst.
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The Pole setting Porsche 911 GT3 R of Campbell/Jaminet/Pilet
The opening round of the 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli took place at the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst at the beginning of February in front of a record breaking crowd of over 40,000 spectators. The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hours is a unique race, starting
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in the dark, just before dawn, and finishing in late afternoon. With any entry of over thirty cars from many of the Worlds major GT manufacturers contesting the series, it was Porsche that took the early honours. Pole position, and the Allan Simonsen trophy went to Australian Matt
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Campbell in the Porsche customer team Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, at Porsche’s first attempt at the event. He was joined in the car by French drivers Mathieu Jaminet and Patrick Pilet During the opening laps it was the McLaren 720S GT3 of Barnicoat who grabbed the early lead after a bold move as the sun rose Although they started back in 11th position, it was Bentley that took the victory after a brilliant final reactionary pit stop due to a puncture with an hour still to run. As the race entered the final stages, rain began to fall and Frenchman Jules Gounon took the Bentley Continental GT3 to the win along with team mates Maxime Soulet from Belgium and Jordan Pepper from South Africa. They also set a new record distance for the event at 314 laps, after leading for seven out of the twelve hours.
2nd overall and class winners Blomqvist/Parente/Barnicoat McLaren 720S GT3
Local Australian customer team 59Racing took 2nd overall and a class win with the McLaren 720S GT3 of Spa 24 hours winner Tom Blomqvist, former event winner Alvaro Parente and factory driver Ben Barnicoat. The McLaren, making its Bathurst 12 hour debut, had fought a race long
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7th place for the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Thomas Preining, Dirk Werner and Matteo Cairoli
battle for the podium positions after starting from the front row of the grid, thanks to a fast lap by Parente. Ahead of the Mercedes AMG GT3 of New Zealand's Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup from Australia and Maximillian Goetz from Germany in 3rd. In 4th place was the pole position winning Porsche 911 GT3 R of Jaminet, Pilet and Campbell, who had been in contention until tyre damage on lap 117 dropped the car down a lap. They managed to regain the lap thanks to clever pit stop strategy during a safety car phase and at the finish they were only 1.529 seconds off a podium p[position. Local team 59Racing also enjoyed success in the Silver Class, after their second McLaren 720S GT3 driven by Australian GT Endurance champion Dominic Storey had claimed the class pole position on the grid in qualifying. He was joined in the car by McLaren professional driver Martin Kodrić and Australian GT race winner Fraser Ross. In the race they showed impressive pace and finished 8th overall and took victory in the hotly contested Silver Class. Porsche achieved a 1-2 in the Pro-Am class with the 10th
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Silver Class winners Storey/Kodrić/Ross in the McLaren 720S GT3 finished 8th overall.
Pro-Am class winners Stephen & Brento Grove and Ben Barker Porsche 911 GT3 R.
placed Grove Racing Porsche of Australians Stephen and Brenton Grove and Britain Ben Barker taking the win ahead of the 11th placed NED Racing Team Porsche of Romain Dumas from France, Jaxon Evans from New Zealand and David Calvert-Jones from Australia.
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The winning Bentley crew celebrate on the podium
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Cambrian Rally
Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod win the Cambrian Rally2
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famous ribbon of Tarmac, that is the Great Orme. The Pirelli-supported driver would eventually return to Llandudno for the Ceremonial Finish to a homecoming welcome, with a large crowd consisting of friends and family there to celebrate the success of one of their own. The event was extra special for co-driver Garrod, who for the first time in his illustrious career finished the Cambrian Rally. “You spend all Christmas waiting for the new season, and once you get into it, it’s like an out of body experience. Massive credit to M-Sport who have worked so hard to get the car right for this event, it felt so comfortable and felt so right. It’s great to have Darren back and the support has been brilliant all through the route with people waving and cheering me on. It was a great rally and the stages are just something else to drive and when it is all hooked-up, it is such an amazing feeling, it’s a perfect start to the season.” After a two-year absence, Osian Pryce returned to Britain’s
William Creighton and Liam Regan lead the JBRC series after round one win
Edwards storms to Cambrian Rally win. Local star Matt Edwards opened his 2020 British Rally Championship account in fine style last weekend (8 February) as the Llandudno star claimed the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally win – repeating his 2019 success. The Welshman along with co-driver Darren Garrod won the season opener by 38.4 seconds from Osian Pryce/Noel O’Sullivan in second and Rhys Yates/James Morgan in third. Double British Champion Matt Edwards would face a new season in a new car. Edwards was tasked by M-Sport to showcase the latest Mk2 Ford Fiesta R5 and as well as a new machine, the North Walian was striving to make BRC history, as he sets himself the target of a third straight title. Despite stalling on the start line of the first stage, Edwards was a man on a mission and was quickest over five of the seven stages – including a jaw-dropping run around the Rhys Yates takes third
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premier rallying series in fine style. The man from Machynlleth was driving a Hyundai i20 R5 with Irish codriver Noel O’Sullivan on the pace notes. The pair gelled and Pryce instantly knocked off the rust and took the fight to the BRC regulars. Gaining momentum with every stage, the pairing took a fine second place to get their season off to a strong start. Rounding out the rostrum was WRC2 star Rhys Yates in his Michelin-shod Ford Fiesta R5. The M-Sport driver enjoyed his return to his domestic championship and along with navigator James Morgan ,the pair can be happy with their weekend work as they sprayed the champagne – walking away with a good haul of points ahead of the next round in West Cork. 2020 sees the return of Malaysian brand Proton into the British Rally Championship. The brand-new Iriz R5 would have Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress at the controls. The third manufacturer in the series was giving the hatchback
Ollie Mellors debut the Proton Iriz R5 in the BRC with fourth.
its toughest test yet and Mellors did not disappoint, as he got stuck in with some of the best drivers in the country – eventually finishing fourth overall. James Williams and Dai Roberts in the sister Iriz were making their four-wheel-drive BRC debut together. Williams, a star in the Junior series last season graduated to the top-flight and impressed many with his mature approach, as he finished fifth overall. Tom Cave and Dale Furniss were the early leaders, but on stage three dropped down the leaderboard after clouting a rock face – breaking a wheel in the process. Changing the wheel, the Welsh team, gritted their teeth and got their head down to drag themselves back up to sixth – bagging themselves vital championship points. In the Junior BRC, for the €60,000 prize from M-Sport and Pirelli, William Creighton and Liam Regan took to their new Ford Fiesta R2T like a duck to a water. In the onemake Ford Fiesta series, the Irish crew, despite a shaky
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Osian Pryce charges to second
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and first Motorsport UK National Rally Championship crew home. The next round of the British Rally Championship will take place in the Republic of Ireland as the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally will host the exciting series. 1 - Matt Edwards / Darren Garrod - 25 2 - Osian Pryce / Noel O’Sullivan - 18 3 - Rhys Yates / James Morgan - 15 4 - Ollie Mellors / Ian Windress - 14 5 - James Williams / Dai Roberts - 10 6 - Tom Cave / Dale Furniss - 8 7 - Tom Williams / Jamie Edwards - 6 8 - William Creighton / Liam Regan - 4 9 Finlay Retson / Rhys Stoneman - 2 10 - David Kelly / Darragh Kelly - 1 st
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Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod win the Cambrian Rally.
start, showed why they are an established name in the championship as they drew first blood in the sixround contest. Finlay Retson suffered a torrid 2019, but he put that to the back of his mind as the Scottish driver with new Welsh co-driver Rhys Stoneman showed a step forward in pace to finish a fine second. With the top two racing away, there was a fight between the new BRC recruits. David Kelly and Darragh Kelly locked horns with Eddie Lewis and Dom Adams. The Irish and English crews traded stages times throughout the day with the Kelly’s pipping Lewis to the champagne by 0.7 seconds. Alan Carmichael and Claire Williams enjoyed their Cambrian adventure to finish the seven-stage event in their right-hand-drive Ford Fiesta R5 eighth overall
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Welshman James Williams debut the Proton Iriz R5 in the BRC with 5th.
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period in sports and GT racing, when Carroll Shelby developed the AC Cobra to take on Ferrari and Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé – The win the large capacity class of the autobiography of CSX2300 GT championship, before going on Author: Rinsey Mills to detail the part played by Publisher: Porter Press International. CSX2300 in five of the races. (Number 14 in the Great Cars series) The author, Rinsey Mills, draws on Price: £60. Hardback (11¼ x 9in). 334 a long association with AC cars pages, copiously illustrated throughout having written three previous ISBN: 978-1-907085-42-0 books on the Cobra as well as being Carroll Shelby’s authorised I well remember the first time I saw a biographer. This shows in the Cobra Daytona Coupé racing, two of amount of detail he brings to the them in fact, in the 1965 RAC Tourist story and is well complemented by Trophy race at Oulton Park. I a truly excellent selection of especially remember the blue and photographs from such notable white one driven by Jack Sears which, sources as the Bernard Cahier after being badly delayed at the start of Archive, the Revs Institute and the the first half of this two-part race, Henry Ford/Dave Friedman stormed to the GT category win in the Collection. Moreover, it is written in second. And that was in a field which a style which makes it a pleasure included John Surtees, Jim Clark, to read. As well as CSX2300 itself, Bruce McLaren and others in bigits drivers are profiled. As they engined sports racers of the day included Jack Sears, John although, after a canny drive, it was Whitmore, Bob Bondurant, Jochen Denny Hulme who ran out the overall Neerpasch, Jo Schlesser and winner in Sid Taylor’s 2-litre BrabhamAndré Simon this also makes for Climax. very interesting reading. Compared with Le Mans, Daytona, Finally, the car’s later life story is Spa and Nürburgring and other rounds told, followed by its current semiof that year’s International GT championship, the Oulton retirement in the ownership of Daniela and Olivier Ellerbrock Park race was a relatively minor affair but it illustrates the during which it has appeared at Goodwood - where it won thoroughness with which this book covers its subject that it the TT Celebration race at the 2011 Revival – and has a chapter devoted to it and even though the book’s occasionally elsewhere. main subject, chassis CSX2300, was not in the race. In Overall, the autobiography of CSX2300, the Shelby Cobra keeping with other books in the Great Cars series, of which Daytona Coupé, is a very worthy addition to the Great Cars this is number 14, it starts with a vivid picture of an exciting series and, for such a fine book, excellent value. 29 March 2020 Classic and Competition Car Book Review by Peter McFadyen.
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2019/20 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Round 3 30th Skope Classic meeting, Mike Pero Motorsport Park @ Ruapuna, Christchurch 31st Jan - 02 Feb 2020
Michael Collins (#94 Leda LT27) leading Steve Ross (#5 McRae GM1), Michael Lyons (#64 Lola T400) and Kevin Ingram (Lola T332) into the first turn.
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Former series champ Steve Ross (#5 McRae GM1) won the first SAS Autoparts MSC Series race of the weekend on Saturday.
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F5000 TRIO DRIVES HOME FELLOW KIWI GRAHAM MCRAE’S CATEGORY LEGACY AT SKOPE CLASSIC Three-time series champion Steve Ross (McRae GM1) emerged the winner of the first SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series race at the third round of the 2019/20 series at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park. Though he was competing in his first round of the popular New Zealand-based historic stock-block V8 wings-and-
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slicks single seater category race in almost a year, the Dunedin ace looked like he had never been away. While 23-year-old local driver Michael Collins (McRae GM1) was quicker by over a half a second in qualifying in the morning, Ross got the better of the rolling start and frantic first lap to grab a lead which he then stoutly defended until the chequered flag came out. Both Michael Collins, who won all three races at the opening series round at Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild in November last year, and visiting UK driver Michal Lyons (Lola T400) who did the same at the second round at Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park late last month, got close; but neither could find a way past the determined Ross. “I was just sitting there thinking, keep it straight, don’t do anything silly,” said a relieved Ross
afterwards, Behind Ross, Collins – who had the consolation of setting the fastest race lap – and Lyons came Aucklander Grant Martin (Talon MR1A) then the Lola T332s of Kevin Ingram, Brett Willis and Australian driver Paul Zazryn. Both LeRoy Stevenson (driving fellow Queenstown resident Alistair Hay’s ex Graham McRae’s Leda LT27) and expat Kiwi Warren Briggs (Stu Lush Lola T332) qualified higher (Stevenson third and Briggs sixth) but both spun and though each was able to continue it was further
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down the field. McLaren M10B driver Frank Karl, meanwhile, was unchallenged on his way to 15 place and first Class A (for earlier model cars) entrant home after usual rival Tony Roberts was a late scratching thanks to an engine mount issue discovered after this morning’s qualifying session. th
Series regular Aaron Burson finished a weekend-best 5th in the second series race on Sunday morning
SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series trio Michael Collins, Steve Ross and LeRoy Stevenson drove home the legacy of fellow Kiwi Graham McRae at the third round of the 2019/20 season’s series at the Skope Classic motor racing meeting in Christchurch over the weekend. All three were driving cars designed by Wellington-born McRae, who as well as being a talented engineer was also one of the greatest drivers of the original F5000 era. McRae won the Tasman Series (after which the current SAS Autoparts MSC Revival Series is named) three-times (1971,
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72 & 73) and went on to win the Rookie of the year title at the Indianapolis 500 in 1973. Cars of his design have won races as well as the Revival Series title before, but this year’s Skope Classic was the first in which there were 1) so many entered - four – and 2) their drivers effectively dominated the meeting, culminating in a history-making podium lock-out (one-twothree) in the feature Stan Redmond Memorial feature race on Sunday afternoon. Making the occasion even more special was the fact that all three cars, the Leda LT27 004 driven to victory in the second and third races by category young gun Michael Collins, the very first ‘McRae’ F5000, Leda LT27 001 driven by LeRoy Stevenson, and the Trojan-built ‘production’’ McRae GM1 of Steve Ross have strong ties now to the Christchurch circuit Both the Leda models have been owned by Queenstownbased enthusiast Alistair Hey, and both were effectively
Class A for earlier cars was won by Frank Karl driving a McLaren M10B
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rebuilt from the ground up by category specialist John Crawford’s Motorsport Solutions business based at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park track west of Christchurch. All three continue to be maintained and run by Crawford and a dedicated group of specialists as well. The annual Skope Classic, now in its 30 year, is New Zealand’s biggest ‘classic’ motor racing meeting and a round of the SAS Autoparts MSC F5000 series has been a popular drawcard for the organisers, the Canterbury Car Club, for over 15 years now. Australian Paul Zazryn This season the finished 7th in his Lola T332 meeting hosted the third (of five) round with a (so-far) season high entry of 20 cars. While 23-year-old local ace Michael Collins (Leda LT27) was quicker by over a half a second in qualifying on Saturday morning, three-time former SAS Autoparts MSC Series title-holder Steve Ross got the better of the rolling start and frantic first lap of the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon in his ex-Quicksilver Racing McRae GM1 009 to grab a lead which he then stoutly defended until the chequered flag came out. Though he was competing in his first round of the popular New Zealand-based historic stock-block V8 wings-andslicks single seater category race in almost a year, the th
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Dunedin ace looked like he had never been away. Both Collins, and Michal Lyons (Lola T400), got close; but neither could find a way past the determined Ross. Behind Ross, Collins – who had the consolation of setting the fastest race lap – and Lyons came Aucklander Grant Martin (Talon MR1A) then a Lola T332 ‘train’ of Kevin Ingram, Brett Willis and Australian driver Paul Zazryn. LeRoy Stevenson and expat Kiwi Warren Briggs (Stu Lush Lola T332) both qualified higher (Stevenson third and Briggs sixth) but both spun and though each was able to continue it was further down the field. McLaren M10B driver Frank Karl, meanwhile, was unchallenged on his way to 15 place and first Class A (for earlier model cars) entrant home, after usual rival Tony Roberts was a late scratching thanks to an engine mount issue discovered after the qualifying session. A cool nor-easter kept © Fast Company/Euan Cameron the ambient temperature under 20 degrees C on Saturday but it was a case of ‘all-change’ on Sunday as a classic hot, dry Canterbury nor-wester blew in overnight, elevating the day-time temps to a furnace-like 30+ degrees C, and the track temperature higher still. The result in the second SAS Autoparts MSC MZ F5000 of
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LeRoy Stevenson finished a weekend best third in the final race driving the Alistair Heyowned Leda LT27 001 car originally raced by Graham McRae
As he was doing that Grant Martin also went off, this time at Turn 8. Both were able to continue, Ross only losing two places - to eventual race winner Michael Collins and fellow young gun Michael Lyons, and Martin able to work his way back up to 7 place by the time the chequered flag came out. Behind the leading trio Brett Willis was next to lose control again - between Turns 7 and 8. LeRoy Stevenson was quickly working his way up through the field before he too, spun; then two laps later Glenn Richards and Warren Briggs pirouetted off in th
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the meeting on Sunday morning was a real spin-fest, albeit one which – incredibly - didn't result in any contact. First to be affected by the change in track heat - and thus grip levels - was Race 1 winner Steve Ross who lost his opening lap lead when he speared off the track exiting the last infield right-hander (Turn 7) and chose a cross-country route to return to the track between Turns 8 and 9.
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unison exiting Turn 7. Up front Michael Collins was stroking away, however, setting the quickest race lap on his way to his first race win of the weekend by a margin of 7.6468 seconds to Michael Lyons who in turn had a fast closing Steve Ross filling his mirrors. Kevin Ingram was next in fourth with Aaron Burson
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(driving his ex Cuddy Racing/Jon Woodner McRae GM1 008) enjoying his best finish of the weekend in fifth. Michael Collins then went on to complete a memorable weekend ‘McRae’ hattrick with a close (1.199 seconds was the margin at the flag) final 12-lap feature race win over Steve Ross and LeRoy Stevenson. This time Stevenson quickly worked his way forward from his 7 place starting spot to get to third by the fourth lap and set the fastest race lap as he chased down Collins and Ross. His mission was aided, early on when the Safety Car was called out to hold the field while Brett Willis’ new Lola T332 was retrieved (after Willis stopped when ‘something went bang’ in the engine). Aaron Burson also paid a quick visit to his pit early on to see if anything was amiss with his car’s front left corner after contact at Turn 1 with Grant Martin. The resulting flat right rear tyre put Martin out on the spot but Burson was able to continue and finish 12 . After issues with his car’s crown wheel and pinion (which were sorted out when competitor Peter Burson shipped a replacement part form Auckland to Christchurch overnight) saw him miss qualifying and the Saturday race David Banks (Talon MR1) finally got to finish a race in the feature final, making maximum use of all 12 laps to work his way from the back of the grid to an impressive fifth place at the flag. For much of the distance he was shadowed by the similarly-liveried Stu Lush-owned Interstate Lola T332 of Ashburton-born, UKbased expat Warren Briggs, the pair crossing the finish line just over 2 seconds apart. th
Visiting Australian driver Paul Zazryn was next, followed by the closely-matched Lola T400s of Auckland pair Glenn Richards and Shayne Windelburn. Each year at the annual Skope Classic meeting in Christchurch the Stan Redmond Memorial Trophy is awarded to a member of the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival series fraternity who displays the same ‘all-round good guy’ qualities those who knew him recognised and admired in Redmond. The trophy was put up by regular series visitors from the UK and after the final feature race, one if those visiting drivers, Frank Lyons, presented it to this season's
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Judy Lyons drove the NZ-built Begg FM5
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Frank Lyons (#55 Lola T330) returned with wife Judy and son Michael to contest the Taupo and Christchurch rounds of the 2019/20 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 series
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recipient, Aucklander Grant Martin. “It was an honour for me to present the trophy to a welldeserved winner in the true spirit of our sport,’ Lyons said. Also at the meeting one of the SAS Autoparts MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series’ family of sponsors, RAMCAR Australia & New Zealand, confirmed its on-
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going involvement under a new brand, Supercharge Batteries. “Supercharge Batteries are proud to announce their support for the NZ F5000 Association,” said company National Account Manager, Grant Withers. “Supercharge Batteries have been sold in this part of the world for over 35 years and have a great reputation for their innovative technology, high specifications and robust product design, backed by industry-leading nationwide warranties. “It’s a pleasure to continue our association with this
wonderful category of motor sport.” The series now heads south for another feature spot on the programme of one of New Zealand’s other major classic motor racing meetings, the new-look George Begg Classic Speedfest at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park Raceway from Friday Feb 13 to Sunday Feb 15.
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RESULTS Race 1 8 laps 1. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 10:5.926 2. Michael Collins (McRae GM1) +0.138 3. Michael Lyons (Lola T400) +0.871 4. Grant Martin (Talon MR1A) +12.922 5. Kevin Ingram (Lola T332) +27.185 6. Brett Willis (Lola T332) +27.925 7. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) +30.690 8. Glenn Richards (Lola T400) +31.283 9. Aaron Burson (McRae GM1) +35.015 10. LeRoy Stevenson (Leda LT27) +41.348 11. Codie Banks (Lola T332) +49.692 12. Warren Briggs (Lola T332) +1.03.115 13. Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) +1.04.706 14. Frank Lyons (Lola T332) + 1 lap 15. Frank Karl (McLaren M10B) +1 lap 16. Judy Lyons (Begg FM5) + 2 laps DNF: Tim Rush DNS Mark Dwyer, Tony Roberts.
Race 2 (8 laps) 1. Michael Collins 10:55.073 2. Michael Lyons +7.468 3. Steve Ross +9.202 4. Kevin Ingram +32.080 5. Aaron Burson +34.813 6. Paul Zazryn +40.317 7. Grant Martin +40.320 8. LeRoy Stevenson +44.580 9. Brett Willis +46.965 10. Codie Banks +48.209 11. Glenn Richards +54.092 12. Warren Briggs + 55.630 13. Shayne Windelburn +55.692 14. Frank Lyons +1:23.698 15. Frank Karl 1:34.274 16. Judith Lyons + 2 laps DNF: David Banks Tim Rush
Race 3 (12 lap feature) 1. Michael Collins 16:19.771 2. Steve Ross +1.191 3. LeRoy Stevenson +2.159 4. Michael Lyons +16.658 5. David Banks +50.944 6. Warren Briggs +53.191 7. Paul Zazryn +1:03.623 8. Glenn Richards +1:19.828 9. Shayne Windelburn +1:20.181 10. Frank Lyons +1 lap 11. Frank Karl +1 lap 12. Aaron Burson +1 lap 13. Judith Lyons +3 laps DNF: Codie Banks, Kevin Ingram. Brett Willis, Grant Martin
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Three-time former series champion Steve Ross (#5 McRae GM1) won the first SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 series race of the weekend at the Skope Classic meeting in Christchurch.
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2020 Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series
Round 2. 30th Skope Classic meeting Mike Pero Motorsport Park @ Ruapuna Christchurch 31st Jan - 02 Feb 2020 Produced by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the Historic Touring Car (NZ) Association.
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Race win for Stu Rogers (Gp A Nissan Skyline BNR 32 4WD rep)
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Steven Richards driving Lindsay O’Donnell’s Volvo S40 was the quickest of the guest drivers who competed in the Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series races at this year’s Skope Classic meeting, winning 2 of the 4 races
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driving the very cars that helped them establish their reputations, were Paul Radisich in the Ford Mondeo ST he won the Touring Car World Cup race at Donington Park in the UK in 1994, and Jim Richards in the Group C BMW 635 CSi he raced across the Tasman in period. All up the 25-strong field was one of the biggest and best yet assembled by the Historic Touring Car (NZ) Association, The mix of types and era of cars helped contribute to the spectacle, as local ace Stu Rogers proved in both races his Gp A Nissan Skyline BN-R32 4WD replica. After qualifying fourth quickest Rogers used the sheer straight line speed of the twin turbocharged Nissan to blast his way into an early lead in the first race until he out-braked himself after four heady laps in the lead, allowing both Phil Mauger and Steve Richards through. Behind Rogers, who recovered quickly to cross the line in third place in the first race, came top local driver Bruce Miles (BMW E36 320i ST), Greg Murphy (driving local car owner
HISTORIC TOURING CARS ENTERTAIN AT SKOPE CLASSIC MEETING. With a unique mix of cars and stars assembled specifically for this meeting, the Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series provided some of the best - and definitely most entertaining – racing on the first day of competition at the 30 Skope Classic at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park. Though it was multi-time Bathurst 1000 race winner Steven Richards (Volvo S40 ST) who set the competitive tone with an impressive 1:29.013 lap to claim pole position in the qualifying session in the morning, come the first two series’ races of the meeting he was beaten to the finishing line in both. In the first it was by second quickest qualifier and fellow front row starter Phil Mauger (Nissan Primera ST) after a thrilling three-way battle with Stu Rogers (Nissan Skyline BN-R32 4WD). In the second it was by Rogers and one of the other guest drivers, Greg Murphy (BMW E30 M3 Gp A). The two other distinguished Kiwi pro drivers in the field, both
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Austin McKinley driving his ex-Neville Crichton/Wayne Wilkinson NZ Touring Car Championship Holden Commodore V8.
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A race win went to Michael Lyons in Phil Mauger’s ex-BTCC Nissan Primera Super Tourer
his brother built and raced in period and never sold) was again the best of those running NZTC-spec cars in 13 with Jim Richards in the Peter Sturgeon-owned GP C BMW635 CSi 14 . The entertainment continued in the second race later in the day with Steven Richards, Greg Murphy and Stu Rogers this time disputing the lead until the last alp when Rogers threaded the needle in a daring move to take the lead down the circuit’s long start/finish straight. This time it was Murphy who managed to fend off Steven Richards to take second place with Bruce Miles 4 , Arron Black 5 , Graeme Cameron 6 , Murray Cleland 7th and Nigel Arkell up to 8 this time, with Phil Mauger credited with 13 after copping a 20-second time penalty for a breaching a start rule. Archibald’s Historic Touring Car action at the Skope Classic meeting continued on Sunday with two more races, a 6-lapper in the morning and a final 8-lap feature in the afternoon. th
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Peter Sturgeon’s ex Brancatelli Gp A BMW E30 M3) and Arran Black in fellow Dunedinite Warren Good’s similar era BMW E30 M3. Scott O’Donnell worked his way up to 7 place in his late model ProDrive-built Ford Mondeo ST ahead of Aucklander Graeme Cameron in his BMW E30 M3 followed by Paul Radisich (in the earlier model Ford Mondeo ST also owed by Scott O’Donnell), and a close-finishing Nigel Arkell in his exNorth American Super Touring Car Championship Honda Accord Super Tourer in 10 place. Timaru racer Kevin Pateman (driving the Ford Telstar he and th
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“The mix of cars in the class over here is one of the reasons - some of those older Group A cars are still really fast in a straight line - but I think another (reason),’ said Richards, “is that the standard of driving has got better as the guys here do more driving and get more familiar with their cars.” Any thoughts the man Aussie fans refer to simply as ‘Richo’ might have had, in fact, of taking it easy would
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Invercargill man Scott O’Donnell, meanwhile, was the big mover, making up 17 places as he worked his way from the back of the grid (after issues in qualifying) to 7 place at the flag in his late-model (2000) Prodrive-built Ford Mondeo ST. Just behind him came Aucklander Graeme Cameron in his ex-DTM BMW E30 M3 followed by one of the four other guest drivers, Kiwi touring car great, Paul Radisich (in his 1994 Touring Car World Cup-winning Ford Mondeo ST also owed by Scott O’Donnell), and a close-finishing Nigel Arkell in his ex-North American Super Touring Car Championship Honda Accord Super Tourer in 10 place. Like O’Donnell, Arkell also started the race from the back of the grid and in his case made up 15 places. Timaru racer Kevin Pateman (driving the Ford Telstar he and his brother built and raced in period and never sold) was the best of those running NZTC-spec cars in 13 with Steven Richards’ Dad Jim Richards, back behind the wheel
Paul Radisich in his 1994 Touring Car World Cup-winning Ford Mondeo ST
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have been well and truly dashed early on the opening lap of the first Archibald’s series race on Saturday as he came under immediate attack from first Stu Rogers then eventual winner Michael Lyons, who for the first race was subbing for car owner Phil Mauger. Rogers was in swash-buckling form, storming into an early lead on the first lap. Richards managed to wrestle it back off him to lead the second lap but Rogers had it back on the third and fourth laps until a small mistake saw him run wide and onto the grass momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Michael Lyons, who had also briefly got past Richards earlier in the race, passed both and held the lead to the flag, with Richards second and Rogers third. Behind Rogers came top local driver Bruce Miles (BMW E36 320i ST), four-time Bathurst winner and now TV pundit Greg Murphy (driving local car owner Peter Sturgeon’s ex Brancatelli Gp A BMW E30 M3), and Arron Black in the similar era BMW E30 M3 owned by fellow Dunedinite Warren Good.
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Stu Rogers (Gp A Nissan Skyline BNR 32) leads the Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series field into the first turn at the Skope Classic meeting
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of the Peter Sturgeon-owned Gp C-spec BMW 635 CSi he ran in period, 14 . The entertainment continued in the second race later in the day with Steven Richards, Greg Murphy and Stu Rogers this time disputing the lead until the last lap when Rogers threaded the needle in a daring move to take the lead down the circuit’s long start/finish straight and make it two different winners from two starts. This time it was Murphy who managed to fend off Steven Richards to take second place with Bruce Miles 4 , Arron Black 5 , Graeme Cameron 6 and Murray Cleland (BMW E36 320i ST) 7th . After the relative cool of the first day of competition on Saturday, one of the Canterbury region’s infamous hot, dry nor-westers blew in overnight, turning Mike Pero Motorsport Park into a 30 degree C+ cauldron on Sunday. th
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The action on track turned out to be just as hot with a large crowd again flocking to the fences whenever the Archibald’s Historic Touring Cars were called up. With Stu Rogers’s Gp A Skyline side-lined for the day with a blown head gasket, and Phil Mauger back in his Primera an early DNF it was Scott O’Donnell this time who took the battle to pole man Steven Richards in the first Archibald’s series race of the day. The car O’Donnell drove at the meeting, the ex-Rickard Rydell BTCC Ford Mondeo built and run in period by the Prodrive team is one of the last – and definitely most sophisticated – Super Tourers built, and O’Donnell capitalised on a canny start and clean run up to and through Turn 1 to catapult from fourth to first place on the first lap. Richards was never more than a second or two behind, however O’Donnell held the lead until half way thru the third lap when Richards found a way past then held onto the lead - albeit by a margin over a fast-closing O’Donnell of just 0.254 of a second at the flag - for his first race win of the weekend. After another typically hard-charging race Greg Murphy crossed the finish line in 3 place, just a second further back, with Bruce Miles enjoying another typically strong run to 4 place ahead of Graeme Cameron then a gap back to Arron Black in his similar era and spec BMW E30 M3, and the later-model Super Tourers of Nigel Arkell and Murray Sinclair, then the crowd-pleasing ex-Kevin Waldock Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth of Motueka man Brett Stevens. Give Stevens a long enough straight, and a car finally freed of the misfire which had frustrated him in both races on Saturday, and the result was there for all to see in the final Archibald’s series race - over 8 laps – on Sunday afternoon. The field ran four-wide off the rolling start with the distinctive yellow Sierra a blur as Stevens steamed up the inside from P6 on the grid to P1 as the field accelerated away from the first turn and headed off to Turn 2. rd
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Greg Murphy driving the Peter Sturgeon’s Gp A E30 BMW M3.
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fast-closing Murray Sinclair in his ex-Eric van der Poel Nissan Primera Super Tourer. Kevin Pateman topped off another giant-killing weekend in his NZTC-spec Ford Telstar with 9 place, while Austin McKinlay ended up a meeting-high 12 in his freshly rebuilt/painted and decaled ex-Neville Crichton/Wayne Wilkinson NZ Touring Car championship Holden Commodore V8. “That, in a word,” said Greg Murphy, as he was surrounded by fans and well-wishers in the Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series marquee on Saturday afternoon, “was entertaining.” And no one in the large crowd that gathered at the track on either day could disagree! The 2020 Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series now concludes with a final round at the George Begg Classic Speedfest at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park over the Feb 1516 weekend. th
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Scott O’Donnell was quick in his exotic Prodrive-built ex BTCC 2000 Ford Mondeo
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Richards was able to close the gap under braking for the Euromarque Hairpin and through the infield complex, and was back in the lead by the second lap. But Stevens was not finished, and spent another heady lap in the lead before finally succumbing to the superior braking and handling of the Richard’s Volvo S40 but hanging on all the same to finish a weekend best 2 , a final blast up the start/finish straight reducing the margin to Richards to just over half a second. Scott O’Donnell held third until pitting when he decided his exotic Mondeo’s engine temp was getting a little high, elevated the meeting’s ‘Mr Consistent,’ Bruce Miles in his distinctive orange Jagermeister-liveried, ex Prince Leopold van Bayern BMW E36 320i Super Tourer to 3rd. Greg Murphy also elected to initially slow down and eventually pit when his Peter Sturgeon-owned Gp A BMW E30 M3 started to run a little too hot for comfort, handing 4th place on a plate to series’ regular Arron Black and a nd
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Kevin Pateman was again the winner of the NZTCspec race-within-a-race in his Ford Telstar.
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RESULTS Race 1 (Sat am 6 laps) 1. Michael Lyons (Nissan Primera ST) 9:22.949 2. Steven Richards (Volvo S40 ST) +1.322 3. Stu Rogers (Gp A Nissan Skyline BN-R32 rep) +1.792 4. Bruce Miles (BMW E36 320i ST) +2.678 5. Greg Murphy (GpA BMW E30 318i) +3.170 6. Arron Black (Gp A BMW E30 318i) +7.356 7. Scott O'Donnell (Ford Mondeo 5-dr ST) +12.120 8. Graeme Cameron (DTM BMW E30 318i) +12.585 9. Paul Radisich (Ford Mondeo ST) +16.747 10. Nigel Arkell (Honda Accord ST) +16.969 11. Murray Cleland (BMW E36 320i ST) +17.190 12. Brett Stevens (Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth) 26.539 13. Kevin Pateman (NZTC Ford Telstar) +28.235 14. Jim Richards (Gp C BMW 635i) +32.98 15. Steven Kelly (BMW E36 320i ST) +33.607 16. Stephen Grellet (Peugeot 406 ST) +34.761 17. Allan Dippie (Gp A Rover Vitesse 3500) +42.152 18. Dennis Chapman (BMW E36 320i ST) +50.011 19. Liam MacDonald (NZTC Nissan Primera) +50.622 20. Trevor Crowe (Gp A BMW 635 CSi) +59.094 21. Warren Good (BMW E36 318i coupe ST) +1:00.448 22. Tony Forde (GpA Walinshaw Holden Commodore rep) +1:08.739 23. Austin McKinley (NZGpA Holden Commmodore) +1:24.263 24. David Beattie (NZTC Toyota Corona) +1:24.344 DNF Michael Buist (BMW), Dennis Ham
Classic and Competition Car
DNS. Murray Sinclair (Nissan Primera ST) Race 2 (Sat pm) 1. Stu Rogers 13:54.782 2. Greg Murphy +0.864 3. Steven Richards +0.895 4. Bruce Miles +1.767 5. Arron Black +6.949 6. Graeme Cameron +9.702 7. Murray Cleland +12.562 8. Nigel Arkell +21.190 9. Murray Sinclair +22.164 10. Paul Radisich +23.197 11. Stephen Grellet +25.197 12. Kevin Pateman +31.062 13. Phil Mauger +32.348 14. Brett Stevens +34.906 15. Jim Richards +42.073 16. Allan Dippie +42.104 17. Steven Kelly +43.448 18. Trevor Crowe 1:00.017 19. Warren Good +1:01.646 20. Dennis Chapman +1:08.070 21. Tony Forde +1:09.465 22. David Beattie +1:30.789 23. Austin McKinley +1:31.076 DNF. Liam MacDonald Race 3 (Sun am 6 laps) 1. Steven Richards 9:27.490 2. Scott O'Donnell +0.254 3. Greg Murphy +1.021 4. Bruce Miles +1.188 5. Graeme Cameron +2.185 6. Arron Black +10.427 7. Nigel Arkell +13.978 March 2020
8. Murray Sinclair +15.275 9. Brett Stevens +17.203 10. Murray Cleland +22.810 11. Stephen Grellet +25.922 12. Kevin Pateman +33.096 13. Jim Richards +33.592 14. Allan Dippie +35.332 15. Steven Kelly +36.642 16. Warren Good +55.271 17. Dennis Chapman +56.104 18. Trevor Crowe +56.133 19. Tony Forde +1:09.232 20. Michael Buist +1:10.451 21. David Beattie +1:19.000 22. Austin McKinley +1:47.865 DNF: Phil Mauger, Paul Radisich Race 4 (8 laps Sun pm) 1. Steven Richards 12:41.614 2. Brett Stevens +0.572 3. Bruce Miles +4.657 4. Arron Black +13.117 5. Murray Sinclair +14.270 6. Murray Cleland +20.286 7. Steven Kelly +25.087 8. Paul Radisich +33.816 9. Kevin Pateman +35.017 10. Allan Dippie +1:06.462 11. Dennis Chapman +1:06.83 12. Austin McKinley +1 lap 13. Michael Buist +1 lap DNF: Greg Murphy, Tony Forde, Scott O'Donnell; Trevor Crowe, Phil Mauger, Jim Richards, Warren Good
44
Archive Photo of the Month.
Š Pete Austin
By Pete Austin.
'Two of the stars appearing at this years Race Retro were Andy Wallace and Martin Donnelly. This photographs shows them in their FF2000 years at Brands Hatch in 1984. Wallace is in car 114 on the left and Donnelly in no. 24 on the right. Both are driving Reynards. Tucked in behind Andy Wallace is Anthony Reid in an Argo. 45 March 2020 Classic and Competition Car
Š Simon Wright
Banbury Passage Control, Monte-Carlo Rallye Historique. Banbury Town Centre. 30th January 2020. By Simon & Janet Wright.
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March 2020
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Swiss driver Henrik Bjerregaard and Jaromir Vec from the Czech Republic driving a Ford Escort RS2000 Mk 2 ahead of the Spanish crew of Rafael Fernandez Cosin and Julen © Janet Wright
1967 Triumph Spitfire driven by Nuala Dowie
© Janet Wright
The 23rd running of the Monte-Carlo Rallye Historique started at various point across Europe and ran from the 29th January to the 5th February 2020. With starting points at Athens, Bad Homberg, Milano, Reims, Barcelona, Monaco and Glasgow, competitors could decide their own starting point to head to © Simon Wright Monte-Carlo. Only two competitive crews decided to start in Glasgow, David Glen and Andrew Sturgess in a Ford Escort RS2000 plus Malcolm and Tracy Johnstone in a Morris Mini 1100. They joined up with other northern European starters at Reims for the run through France to MonteCarlo where other stages were run through the alps before finishing in MonteCarlo. The event was won by
Douglas Anderson MG Midget
Martinez-Huarte in a Lancia Fulvia HF 1.6. In 3rd place was the Volkswagen Golf GTi of Juan Carlos Zorrilla-Hierro and Marcos Gutierrez-Dominguez from Spain. The British starting Ford Escort of David Glen and Andrew Sturgess finished the event in 216th position out of the 250 classified entrants. Unfortunately the Mini didn’t make it to Banbury and was officially classified as a retirement. Running the same route, at the same time, was the 5th running of the Monte-Carlo Rallye Classique, a noncompetitive road tour,
David Glen Ford Escort was the Only Historique entry at Banbury
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1953 Ford 103 Popular driven by Ian Glass
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
1958 Triumph TR3 of Michael Helm
1964 Fiat 2300 S Coupe of John Martin © Janet Wright
1952 MG YB saloon driven by Marc Hanson © Simon Wright
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© Simon Wright
1936 Riley Sprite of John Lomas
March 2020
© Janet Wright
Robert Ormond 1958 Wolseley 1500
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© Simon Wright
Peter Baker Daimler Conquest.
following the same route to Monte Carlo but not timed. There were eleven cars starting this event from Glasgow, with a 1977 MG Midget leading the way, driven by Douglas Anderson and Craig McGibbon. Next off was a 1954 Daimler Conquest driven by Peter Baker, Guy Loveridge and Robert Grounds. Switching back to sports cars, a 1967 Triumph Spitfire driven by Nuala Dowie and Aleksander Krstenic. This was followed by a trio of fifties cars, starting with a 1953 Ford 103 Popular driven by Ian Glass and Ray Jones, a classic 1952 MG YB saloon driven by Marc Hanson and Australian Brian Mackrill plus a 1958 Triumph TR3 of Michael Helm and Andrew Flexney. Continuing the variety of entries was a 1961 Austin A40 Farina of Colin Levin and Fergus Millar, while a little foreign interest was added with a 1964 Fiat 2300 S Coupe of John and Ruth Martin. Robert Ormond and Alison Creamer had a slightly more luxurious ride with their 1958 Wolseley 1500. The oldest car starting
Classic and Competition Car
© Janet Wright
Colin Levin Austin A40 Farina
from Glasgow was the stunning 1936 Riley Sprite of John Lomas and Martin Greaves who are actually based at nearby Bicester Heritage. Finally there were 2 cars for the Monte Heritage run, which is just a two day event running from John O’Groats to Aberdeen, then down to Glasgow. Thirteen cars had started at John O’Groats but only the MG Midget and the Mercedes decided to continue down to Banbury. Cherwell District Council © Janet Wright have a passage control for 49 March 2020
version, costing £351 compared to the standard VA tourer costing £280. Just under 600 coupes were built. Lined up outside the town Hall were four examples of modern classics. Prodrive, who are based at Banbury, had an iconic Colin McRae blue and gold Subaru Impreza parked next to a 2002 Porsche. Bonhams had a road going 1988 Audi Quattro UR Turbo 10V, which is entered in Bonhams March Auction held at Bicester Heritage, on display. The expected price is between £20,000 and £30,000. The final car of the quartet was an unusual 1976 Jensen GT. This was a shooting-brake version of the Jensen Healey which was built between September 1975 and May 1976, before the company went into receivership. During this short production run, only 511 were built. Powered by the 1973cc Lotus 907 four cylinder dual overhead cam 16 valve alloy engine and matched to a Getrag 235 manual 5 speed gearbox, performance was slightly worse than the Jensen Healey, due to the extra weight and extra emissions equipment fitted to the engine. The Jensen Healey could top 119 mph and accelerate from © Simon Wright
1938 MG VA
the rally in the centre of Banbury and have for the last few years closed Bridge Street and Market place and arranged a vintage, classic and supercar display in the town centre. The rally crews have a lunch break in the town and then have a ceremonial re-start from a starting ramp. A good size crowd filled the town and were rewarded with a good selection of cars on display. Near the start line was a nice display of classic MG cars built in nearby Abingdon. The outstanding car here was a 1938 MG VA 1 1/2 litre Tickford Drop Head Coupe. The VA was produced by MG between February 1937 and September 1939 and was the smallest of the three sports saloons that they produced in the late 1930s. It used a tuned version of the four cylinder Morris TPBG engine with twin SU carburettors which produced 54 bhp. It could reach a top speed of 76 mph and did a 0-50 mph in 15.8 seconds. The Tickford drophead coupe was the most expensive
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March 2020
© Simon Wright
Town centre line-up
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© Simon Wright
Litre Speed Model. It was a lighter car with a tuned engine to develop 70 bhp which gave the car a top speed of 80 mph. The chassis was modified to allow the engine to be © Janet Wright mounted 9 inches Lagonda 2 litre Speed further back. The model was built until 1933. A bit further along the road was a much more modern 1954 Lagonda 3-Litre 2 door sports saloon, produced by Aston Martin Lagonda between 1953 and 1958. This was the second model of the David Brown era. It was powered by the 2.9 litre twin overhead camshaft Lagonda straight 6 engine designed by W O Bentley, developing 140 bhp.
1936 Bentley 4 ¼ Sports saloon.
0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, but the GT had a top speed of 114 mph and 0-60 mph in 9.7 seconds. Another iconic British saloon was a 1936 Bentley 4 1/4 Pillerless sports saloon. The Derby Bentley gained the 4257cc engine in 1936, having previously using the smaller 3669 cc straight six engine. The new engine had a cross-flow overhead valve cylinder head with dual SU carburettors. It also featured adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers on the live axles. The lightweight, rigid 126 inch wheelbase chassis was bodied by companies including Vanden Plas, H.J. Mulliner, Gurney Nutting and Park Ward, plus a few went overseas and some had bodies produced by French coach-builders VanVooren. Confused by many as it looks like a Bentley, the 1929 Lagonda 2-litre Speed Model High Chassis Tourer was actually a rival for the Bentley. Lagonda launched its first sports model, the 14/60, in 1925. It was powered by the 1954cc 4 cylinder twin-cam engine that developed 60 hp. In 1927 the 14/60 was improved and relaunched as the 2-
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© Simon Wright
March 2020
1954 Lagonda 3 litre sports saloon
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© Simon Wright
1964 VW Karmann Ghia
Clan Crusader and 1921 Darracq
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
Line-up of MG cars in the centre of Banbury © Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
Tatra 603
1968 Cadilac Coupe de Ville
© Janet Wright
Impressive line-up of Subaru cars
© Simon Wright
Singer Imp rally car and Riley Elf Rally car
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March 2020
© Janet Wright
Standard Car Club display of Standard 8 and 10 models
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The car was built by David Brown subsidiary engineering company Tickford with a separate cruciform braced chassis with independent suspension all round, which was unusual at the time. The front suspension was coil spring and the rear used torsion bars and a swing axle. It had servo assisted front drum brakes and rack and pinion steering. The luxurious interior had a polished walnut dashboard and door trims to go with the leather seats. To confirm the status of the model, it included a heater, radio and built in hydraulic jacks were all standard equipment. It was more expensive than its rivals and so only 270 were sold when production finished in 1957. One car which represented a bit of Monte Carlo rally history was a 1929 Chrysler De Soto Model K Roadster, similar to the car that finished 2nd in 1930. DeSoto was an American automobile marque that was © Janet Wright manufactured
and marketed by the DeSoto Division of Chrysler Corporation between 1928 and 1961. The make was founded by Walter Chrysler in 1928 and named after the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who led the first European expedition deep into America, from Florida through Georgia into Alabama and is the first European to have crossed the Mississippi river. DeSoto was used as the lower priced version of Chrysler products. In the 1930 Monte Carlo rally, Alexandru C. Berlescu from Romania finished 2nd driving a DeSoto Model K Roadster. This 3 litre, six cylinder car produced 55 bhp and was fitted with four wheel hydraulic drum brakes. It was lighter and more agile and faster than most of its opposition. Lined up on the edge of the market square were five
Berkeley line-up
© Simon Wright
Berkeley microcars. Between 1956 and 1960 Berkeley Cars Ltd from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire produced economical sporting microcars. Powered by motorcycle derived engines of between 322cc and 692cc, driving the front wheels. The first production car was the ‘Sports’
1929 Chrysler De Soto Model K Roadster
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(type SA322) in 1956, a 2 door roadster with a fibreglass monocoque construction, with no separate chassis. It was fitted with a Anzani 322cc transverse two stroke twin cylinder air-cooled engine which produced 15 bhp. It drove the front wheels through a chain and three speed Albion HJR5 gearbox using a column gear-change. It also had all-round independent coil spring suspension and hydraulic drum brakes. Only 163 were built. A change was made to produce the Sports (SE328) which was to fit the 328cc Excelsior engine which produced 18 bhp and could reach 62 mph and had an average fuel consumption of 58 mpg. Many of this model were exported to America. In 1957 a new model was introduced with a 30 bhp Excelsior engine which was named the Twosome (SE492). In October 1958 the Berkeley Foursome (B. 100) was announced, which was wider and longer than all the previous models. The rear swinging arms were lower and external to the body and the spare wheel was mounted at the rear of the car. It had a transverse mounted 492 cc two stroke three cylinder air cooled engine. Only 20 were Š Simon Wright
produced. There was a display of World Cup and historic Rally cars on the edge of the market square which featured the Jean Denton and Tom Boyce MG B Roadster from the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon. It was the first sports car to finish and was in 41st position overall. Š Simon Wright Even Jean Denton MG B Roadster though it was a working day, the event still drew in large crowds to admire the fantastic collection of vehicles, and is a great advert for Banbury.
Listerbell STR Lancia Stratos replica
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1962 Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans © Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
Factory Five Racing Shelby Daytona Coupe replica
© Janet Wright
Sunbeam Alpine
Classic and Competition Car
© Janet Wright
Lancia Fulvia
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Nissan Leaf Nismo RC.
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Leaf Nismo RC. The all-electric Nissan Leaf Nismo RC made its European debut in Spain at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. Brining together Nissan’s World-leading expertise in electric vehicles and its 60 years top-class motorsport experience and innovation, the Leaf Nismo RC highlights the exciting side of electric vehicles - Instant acceleration, which brings the fun aspect to the all-electirc driving experience. The all-wheel-drive Leaf Nismo RC has double the maximum power and torque of its predecessor, which was based on the first generation Leaf and revealed in 2011. The new car develops 322 hp and 640 Nm of instantly available torque, going from 0-100 km/h in just 3.4
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March 2020
seconds. The car acts as a testbed for future technological evolution as well as showcasing the limitless potential of Nissan electric vehicles. It also explores what can be done with an all-electric twin-motor and all wheel drive drivetrain. The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC shares its advanced technology with the Leaf road car, which is the Worlds most popular electric vehicle, with 450,000 sold since 2010. The powertrain in the 215 HP Nissan Leaf e+ increases range by approximately 40%, ensuring the requirements of a wider range of customers are met. Equipped with Nissan’s ProPilot technology and e-Pedal mode, for one pedal driving, the Leaf e+ allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop just using the accelerator pedal. This delivers a smooth drive giving 57
maximum control to the driver through enhanced pedal feedback. For more information see www.nismo.com/
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VSCC Pomeroy Trophy.
© Peter McFadyen
Silverstone, 15th February 2020. By Peter McFadyen
Alex Hurst (Triumph TR4) leads Geoffrey Turral (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint), Christopher Mann (Alfa Romeo Coupé) and Tom Waterfield’s Austin Healey 3000
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© Peter McFadyen
Winner of the 2020 Pomeroy Trophy, John Felstead’s Subaru Impreza
VSCC Pomeroy Trophy. The Vintage Sports Car Club’s first circuit-based event of the year unfortunately coincided with the arrival of ‘Storm Dennis’ but vintage people are not easily deterred and so, despite increasingly heavy rain and gale force winds, the 65 Pomeroy Trophy competition went ahead as planned on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Over a hundred cars took part ranging in age from Andrew Howe-Davies’s SCAT Racer built in 1911 to a 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spyder driven by Alexander Jones. The ‘Pom’ as it is affectionately known is probably unique in enabling cars of such a diverse age range and specification to compete together in a single event thanks to the handicap system devised in 1949 by Harry Bowler in an attempt to find the ideal touring car of all time. This followed th
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Laurence Pomeroy’s similar idea to compare grand prix racing cars of different eras with one another. It takes into account, among other factors, the car’s age and physical dimensions as © Peter McFadyen well as its engine capacity and whether it has brakes on all four wheels or just two. Its suitability as a touring vehicle is tested by its ability to accommodate two standard size suitcases and open cars have to complete some of the tests with their hoods in position to prove their allweather capability. An unusual competition car but a touring The tests of the highest order, Brian Fidler’s 1924 themselves are car Rolls Royce Ghost tackles the slalom test designed to evaluate steering, braking and acceleration all of which come into play together in a 40-minute high speed ‘reliability’ trial in which the cars have to complete a target number of laps of the circuit to qualify. Last year’s winner was a 1976 Ford Escort RS200, until then the most recently made car to win the trophy but this 60
The ex-Jo Bonnier Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Zagato coupé of Christopher Mann was fourteenth of over a hundred starters and moreover was driven from his Greenwich home to Silverstone and back again the same day
© Peter McFadyen
Richard Iliffe’s Rile Elf was a little smokey during the first test
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March 2020
© Peter McFadyen
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© Peter McFadyen
© Peter McFadyen
Andrew Howe-Davies was very exposed to the elements on his 1911 SCAT Racer
the other major trophy, the Pomeroy Edwardian Trophy in, or rather on, his SCAT Racer.
Among those taking part were a group of BMW saloons each unofficially representing an English county Jakob Ebrey’s Porsche 944 recalling the very successful series of races held in 1979/80 as the BMW County Championship. They enjoyed their own ‘ year’s winner, a 2005 Subaru Impreza driven by John race within a race’ while another interesting entry was Felstead, went one further to become the first 20 century Peter Batty’s VW Polo in which © Peter McFadyen car to win the Pomeroy he and two friends recently Trophy. A trophy also goes to ‘Regenmeisters’ James Hubbard and Christopher completed 13,000 miles to the first car meeting all the Crook in their BMW 330Ci ‘county’ cars are followed Mongolia competing in the through Vale by an Audi criteria for entry into the Mongol Rally. VSCC’s other competitions A car which drew the and which must therefore admiration of many was have been built before 1941; Christopher Mann’s 1954 Alfa this year, the Densham Romeo 1900C SS Zagato Trophy was won by Patrick Coupé which was first owned Blakeney-Edwards in his by Grand Prix driver Joakim very rapid Frazer Nash Bonnier who drove it to victory Saloon, nicknamed ‘Owlet’ in the 1955 Swedish Grand thanks to its two eye-like Prix (for sports cars). circular rear windows. Andrew Howe-Davies won th
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© Peter McFadyen
Another VERY desirable car, Edward Bradley’s Aston Martin DB6
The 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spyder of Alexander Jones leads the Audi TT of KlausPeter Mutschler.
© Peter McFadyen
© Peter McFadyen
The ‘Oxfordshire’ BMW 330Ci of James Hubbard speeds through Vale while Gillian Carr’s Gloucestershire car spins off.
Classic and Competition Car
© Peter McFadyen
Annabel Jones’s Frazer Nash / BMW 319 Saloon in close company with the Derby Bentley
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© Peter McFadyen
© Peter McFadyen
Alistair Littlewood (Audi S3) finished 16th overall and won a 3rd Class
Jason Wright’s Ford GT40 went well in the preliminary tests but retired early from the high speed trial after spinning three times on the wet track.
© Peter McFadyen
Joe Wilmott’s AC Cobra naturally did well in the acceleration test The owl-like rear end of Patrick Blakeney-Edwards’s Frazer Nash ‘Owlet’ Saloon
© Peter McFadyen
Classic and Competition Car
© Peter McFadyen
© Peter McFadyen
Richard Wilmott’s 1955 Jaguar XK140based Gomm Special
March 2020
Robb Hubbard’s BMW 320 leads Christopher Crook’s 330C1 in the inter-county BMW battle
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Reis Race Retro,
Stoneleigh Park, Near Coventry. By Simon & Janet Wright. With additional photos from Syd Wall.
Tolman TG183 Grand Prix car as driven by Ayrton Senna
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Š janet Wright
65
Hero Classic car display outside the main entrance © Simon Wright
Europe’s number one historic motorsport show, Reis Race Retro 2020, was hailed as ‘The best ever’ by enthusiasts. Over 24,200 people visited the three day show at Warwickshire’s Stoneleigh Park for the annual start to the Historic motorsport season. As well as four halls to explore, over Saturday and Sunday there were over 140 rally cars in action on two live Rally Stages. Entering the show, visitors were greeted with the 2019 HSCC Historic Road Sports championship winning AC Cobra of Kevin “keKi’ Kivlochan. After starting the seasons first race in a Morgan, the Cobra was © Simon Wright ready for the second round at Snetterton and Kivlochan won all 14 races entered with 12 pole positions and 14 fastest laps.
Classic and Competition Car
Inside the Exhibition, there was a fantastic lineup of celebrity drivers and guests who appeared on the Reis Live Stage, hosted by Gemma Scott. These © Simon Wright included French former World Rally Champion Didier Auriol, making his show debut, plus European Rally Champion Chris Ingram, Formula 1 driver Martin Donnelly, Le Mans racer Andy Wallace and head of Motorsport UK Dave Richards (seen above) and many others. © Janet Wright
Flanking the stage were two major displays. To the right of the stage was a tribute to Norman Dewis, Jaguar test driver and long time friend to Race Retro. This display had a life size cardboard cutout of Norman next to the Jaguar XJ13, E-Type and C-Type Jaguar.
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© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
1960 BRM P48
Lotus Elan Plus 2
To the left of the stage was the Reis Pride of the Paddock competition. Visitors could vote for their favourite car on display and it was won by Paul Boscott’s 1967 Lotus Elan Plus 2. The 1988 Ford RS200 of Brian Betteridge took 2nd place and in 3rd was the modified 1967 Ford Anglia 105E of Jim Angliss. © Janet Wright
‘The Greatest Grid’ to celebrate 70 years of Formula One. This featured classic Formula 1 cars, starting with a 1960 BRM P48 driven by Graham Hill and Dan Gurney. It made its debut at the in April 1960 International ‘100’ at Aintree driven by Graham Hill. After 3rd place at the International Trophy in May at Silverstone, it took part in the Monaco, Belgium and Reims-Gueux Grand Prix driven by Dan Gurney.
© Janet Wright
© Janet Wright
Ford RS200
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Ford Anglia 105E
March 2020
Lotus 24
Next in line was a 1962 Lotus 24 which was driven by Jack Brabham in nine Grand Prix events, including a win at the Danish Grand Prix. 67
© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
World Championship titles in 1980 with Australian Alan Jones at the wheel. The 1994 Jordan 194/05 was originally driven by Rubens Barrichello. The car is now painted bright yellow and is
1973 Shadow DN1 © Janet Wright
Williams FW07
Classic and Competition Car
The 1973 Shadow DN1 was the first Grand Prix car for Don Nichol’s American CanAm team. The car was driven by Jackie Oliver and George Follmer who both achieved a 3rd place during the season. The Williams FW07B secured the Williams team its first Drivers and Constructors
Jordan 194
used by Tony Worswick to compete in the European BOSS Formula Championship, taking the title in 1999 and 2001. No line-up of Formula 1 cars would be complete without a Ferrari and this Ferrari F310 was driven in the 1996/97 seasons by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine. The car won 8 Grand Prix races, secured 22 podiums, 7 pole positions and scored 172 points. In 2002 Prodrive took over the management of BAR with Dave Richards becoming Team Principle.
© Simon Wright
Ferrari F310
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Historic 750 Formula Austin 7
BAR 006
Grand Prix on his way to taking the World Championship title at the end of the year.
The car on display, BAR 006, was driven by Jenson Button to 3rd place in the 2004 Championship. The Toleman TG183B using the Hart 415T turbocharged engine was driven during the 1983 season by Derek Warwick who scored several 4th placed finishes. In 1984 it was driven by rookie driver Ayrton Senna alongside former motorcycle champion Johnny Cecotto. Senna took a famous 2nd place at Monaco in 1984 in the Toleman. The final car was the Williams FW08 as driven by Keke Rosberg to win the 1982 Swiss
The main avenue in Hall 2 housed a lot of the large Historic Motor Sport clubs and event organisers. One notable club that was missing was the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC). The 750 Motor Club had various cars from their racing categories on their stand, including an Austin 7 single seater, home built in 1999 from 1934 Austin running gear, representing the Historic 750 Formula category. © Simon Wright
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Williams FW08
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a brand new historic racing series for 2020, Equipe ‘50s, for production sports cars up to 3.8 litres and for sports racing cars under 2 litres. The Sports Racing Cars will be split into two separate classes for pre-1955 and pre-1960 racers. All competing cars will run Dunlop Historic tyres and must conform to the FIA’s Appendix K regulations. On their stand was a Cooper-Bristol raced by Formula 1 World Champion Mike Hawthorn during 1952 and 1953. It originally started out as a single seater and was later converted to a two seater whist retaining the original chassis. The new series features seven races, starting and ending at Silverstone, and will also visit Brands Hatch and Spa. There will also be a special round running at MGLive at Silverstone on the 13th-14th June 2020. © Simon Wright
Historic Formula 2 Martini Mk19/22 of Matthew Watts. © Simon Wright
The Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) had their usual large stand with an unusual Formula 2 Martini BMW Mk 19/22 on the corner of the display, which was originally driven by Xavier Lapeyre in 1977 in the European Formula 2 Championship. At the rear of the stand was a trials car to show that the HSCC organise historic trials as well as circuit races.
Historic Sporting Trials on the HSCC Stand were represented by the Stuart Roach Alexis
Classic and Competition Car
© Janet Wright
Equipe Classic Racing announced
Cooper Bristol
Historic Formula 3 featured a couple of 1 litre screamers on their stand including the unique Ginetta G8, the first and only single seater built by Ginetta. It finished 4th in the new F3 series at Snetterton in 1964, driven by Chris Meeks. The car was revolutionary at the time, as it was built with a fibreglass monocoque shell instead of the multi tubed
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© Janet Wright
Ginetta G8 © Simon Wright
Merlyn Mk10/14
© Simon Wright
Classic and Competition Car
space frame used by other manufacturers of the period. It also featured inboard front suspension unlike its competitors. The other car was a Merlyn Mk 10/14 which was restored after being found in Sweden in a sorry state. The car had been raced in Sweden between 1967 and 1970 by Jonas Quanstrom. It was then dismantled by its subsequent owner and never rebuilt. It was bought by Ewen Serison in 2018 and rebuilt, including adding a roll hoop was added to the chassis by the Merlyn factory.
Hill climbing was well represented with large stands for both Shelsley Walsh via the Midland Automobile Club (MAC) and Prescott via the Bugatti Owners Club. Both had three different cars on their stands, representing that hill climbing can be racing with almost any class of vehicle. Shelsley were promoting the Classic Nostalgia meeting, while Prescott were promoting La Vie en Bleu weekend.
© Simon Wright
March 2020
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
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© Syd Wall
Another Race Retro favourite was two times British Rally Champion Russell Brookes, who died in October 2019. Rallying with Group B paid tribute to Russell Brookes with a fantastic line up of his former rally cars, in the iconic Andrews Heat for Hire colour scheme. They included the Opel Manta, Ford Escort Mk 2, Vauxhall Chevette HSR, Vauxhall Astra, and Ford Sierra Cosworth. Also included was the AC Delco Manta driven by his rival Jimmy McRae. The British Historic Kart Club had a stand in the show, but were also running demo © Simon Wright laps round parts of the live rally stage prior to the rally car sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
Classic and Competition Car
Rallying History had a small stand packed with stunning rally cars, including an Audi Quattro, a Lancia © Janet Wright Stratos and a Toyota Celica to advertise The Historic Rally Festival 2020. For more information on the event see www.historicrallyfestival.com.
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© Simon Wright
Chevron B19 on the Chevron Heritage stand with Ed McDonough. Rallycross Ford Escort Mk2
© Janet Wright
© Janet Wright
Classic and Competition Car
© Simon Wright
Volkswagen Notchback of Bob Beales
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Evocative Lola T212 sportscar, originally owned and raced by the head of Red Bull Racing’s driver development programme, Doctor Helmut Marko
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© Simon Wright © Simon Wright
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 in the famous Roger Penske colour scheme.
© Simon Wright
1962 Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans of Glenn Brackenridge in the Pride of the Paddock display
© Simon Wright
© Simon Wright
Mini Marcos
RS Retro’s outlandish twin turbo RS200 Black Edition track day car
© Syd Wall
© Janet Wright
Oxford Universities Motorsport
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© Simon Wright
Lola T300 Formula 5000
The Classic Touring Car Racing Club stand featured the Sheraton Laser Racing BMW M3
© Janet Wright © Simon Wright
2006 Piper GTR Replica of Tony Claydon in the Pride of the Paddock display.
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Equipe Classic Racing stand featured a Volvo P1800 © Janet Wright
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© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Plenty of Art at Race Retro
© Simon Wright
Chris Watkiss American Cup Car UK Chevrolet
© Simon Wright
Formula Junior Lotus 18 on the HSCC stand.
The unique Group B Vauxhall Astra 4S that Russell Brookes helped develop before the category was banned. © Simon Wright
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1982 Nissan 240RS Rally replica of Charlie Gabb in the Pride of the Paddock 76
The MG Car Club stand featured an Austin A40 to promote a new 58 car race at MG Live for Pre66 saloons
© Simon Wright
© Janet Wright
CBC Motorsport were promoting a £25 ticket draw to win a ride in an MG Metro 6R4 in aid of charity
© Janet Wright
© Simon Wright
Hawk kit cars featured their Cobra and Stratos models.
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The Reis Motor Sport Insurance stand featured a rally Porsche 911
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Race Retro Live Rally Stage.
22nd-23rd February 2020. Stoneleigh Park. By Simon Wright with additional photos by Syd Wall plus David Goose & Stuart Yates of Motorsport Imagery.
1994 World Champion Didier Auriol enjoying himself in a Group A Ford Sierra Cosworth RS similar to the car in which he won his first World Championship Rally, the 1988 Tour de Corse. Š Motorsport-Imagery
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© Syd Wall
© Simon Wright
© Syd Wall
John Marshall in one of the four Skodaru Fabia cars in action on the rally stage
Clayton Parmenter’s Ford Puma
Unusual to see a Mazda MX5 on the rally stage, well driven by Paul Sheard
© Motorsport-Imagery
Dave Higgs in the Group B MG Metro 6R4
Adam Houston in the Junior Chevrolet Spark
© Simon Wright © Simon Wright
James Hancock in the Junior Citroen C1 throws up the mud.
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© Simon Wright
David Vardy in the Group 4 Volkswagen Golf GTi
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© Simon Wright
Dave Corlett in a Group B Opel Manta 400
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Ross Clements in his 1400 class MG ZR
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Simon Powell gets sideways in his Opel Manta 400.
Historic rally car line-up waiting to start the stage. © Simon Wright
At the Reis Race Retro Show, held at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, Rallying with Group B ran two live rally stages over the weekend. With over 140 cars taking part, including Group B, WRC and historic rally cars, covering more than 50 years of motorsport, there was plenty of variety for the spectators to enjoy. The cars included classic Mini Coopers from the 1960s
© Motorsport-Imagery
to the latest Volkswagen Polo R5, plus the iconic Audi Quattro and Peugeot 205 T16 from the Group B era. Making his Race Retro debut was former 1994 World Rally Champion Didier Auriol from France, who opened the stage driving a Group a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth similar to the car he drove to win his first World Championship rally on © Simon Wright
© Syd Wall
No historic rally event is complete without Mick Strafford’s Firenza CanAm
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My other car is an F235 Lightning fighter jet. Chris Daykin Subaru Impreza.
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© Simon Wright
Arron Newby demonstrated one of four Tegsport Skodarus, their Skoda Fabia-Impreza hybrid
Rob Dennis in his Historic Ford Escort Mk2 © Syd Wall © Motorsport-Imagery
Corry Motorsport’s MG Midget has a very special A Series engine targeted at the rally community.
© Syd Wall
Ian Houston in his unusual Group 4 Vauxhall Victor VX490
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Rain encouraged some exciting lines through this corner - Christian Prynne in the Peugeot 205 GTi obliges
© Motorsport-Imagery
Terry Cree throws up the dirt in his Group 2 BMW 2002ti
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the Tour de Corse in 1988. Another top driver taking part on the rally stage was the reigning European Rally Champion Chris Ingram, who got to drive the Skodaru, a Peugeot 306 and a Nissan Sunny to name just a few. Various Formula 2 cars from the 1990s were popular, including ex-works Vauxhall Astra kit car, the Peugeot 306 Maxi, Nissan Sunny Gti and Vauxhall Corsa kit car. Rising British rally star George Lepley was driving an ex-
works Peugeot 205 Gti. An interesting entry was the Teg Sport designed and built Skodaru Fabia. This is a Skoda R5 body shell with the running gear from a Subaru WRC, driven by Arron Newby, Paul Wedgbury , John Marshall and Drew Gallagher. For spectators who wanted to be closer to the action, there was the opportunity to book a passenger ride with various of the experienced rally drivers for just £25 on © Simon Wright the second rally stage.
Grafton Beddoes gets the tail on in his Group N Toyota Celica
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© Syd Wall
Kevin Furber’s ex-Jon Woodner Peugeot 205 T16
Andrew Cooper Group B Renault 5 Turbo
© Simon Wright
© Motorsport-Imagery
© Simon Wright
Lee Sellars cuts the corner in a Group 2 Triumph 2500 PI Mk2
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Dave Kedwood in the spectacular Group B Audi Quattro S1 E2
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© Syd Wall
© Simon Wright
Trevor Hancock tries to improve the aerodynamics of his Triumph TR7 V8
Andy Ace Harrison in the Morris 1800S Landcrab
© Simon Wright
Jarmo Kytölehto then Neil Wearden campaigned this Astra Kit Car in 1998, now driven by Guy Wigley. © Simon Wright
a 1995 Renault 5 Turbo Tour de Course French championship car now driven by Jess Watts
© Simon Wright
© Syd Wall
Steve Magson in the unusual Mercedes 190e
© Syd Wall
Ben Cree in a Mini Cooper S © Motorsport-Imagery
Lee Edward reckoned his Lancer Evo3 would go quicker with less weight
Mark Barnes in the Group A Fiat Abarth Cinquecento
© Simon Wright
John Taylor Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
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© Motorsport-Imagery
© Simon Wright
Bron Burrell in her Austin Maxi 1750 Marathon rally car
Mike Lester in the Group B Ferrari 308 GTB
© Syd Wall
© Simon Wright
Nicholas Gill in his Historic Datsun 240Z
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John Petrie lost his 205 in the wet but got away with light contact
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Mark Tabor in the Marathon Volvo 123GT
John Peck’s Escort RS Cosworth looked and sounded superb
© Syd Wall
© Simon Wright © Syd Wall
Stuart Anderson in the Group 2 Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
Ian Gwynne drove BGM Motorsport’s Fiesta R5
© Simon Wright
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Ford Mustang Mach-E All Electric Pony Car.
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Ford Mustang Mach-E is part of Ford’s accelerated electrification programme and it made its European public depot in London at the Ford ‘Go Electric’ experience. This is designed to help consumers make an informed choice on electrified vehicles. It is hoped to reach 4 million consumers during a 200 day UK tour. The all-electric Mustang Mach-E has a targeted pure electric driving range of more than 370 miles under WLTP regulations. Ford’s electrified vehicles utilise a range of powertrain technologies including 48-volt mild hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric, delivering innovative solutions to suit every lifestyle. The Mustang Mach-E rear wheel drive reach 60 mph in under 5 seconds, while the AWD should achieve 60 mph in under 7 seconds and have
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an estimated range of around 335 miles. Ford of Europe engineering teams were involved in the Mustang Mach-E development process from the beginning to support the needs of European customers. Spring and damper specifications, electric powerassisted steering, electronic stability control and Mach-E 4 all-wheel drive settings are tuned specifically for European roads and driving styles. The Mustang MachE equipped with an extended range battery and rear wheel drive can deliver more than 370 miles range. Over 85% of customers placing pre-orders have opted for the extended range battery. Charging with up to 150 kW at an IONITY charging station, the Mustang Mach-E will reach a driving range of up to 57 miles within 10 minutes
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connect on-board modem. This can deliver secure over-theair updates capable of enhancing vehicle performance. Next generation SYNCŽ communications and entertainment system uses machine learning to adapt to the drivers preferences. The 15 ½ inch screen uses touch, swipe and pinch controls plus conversational voice recognition. It also features wireless compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and AppLink apps from smartphones and mobile
of charging. The standard range Mustang Mach-E is estimated to charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 38 minutes while charging on a DC fast charging station. A Ford Connected Wall-box charger will deliver up to five times the charging power of a typical domestic socket. Using this, customers can add 38 miles range per charging hour with the extended range battery and rear wheel drive configuration. The Mustang Mech-E can continually improve through connectivity delivered by the FordPass
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devices. The Mustang Mach-E also features three unique drive modes; Whisper, Engage and Unbridled. Each drive mode fine-tunes driving dynamics, ambient lighting and dynamic cluster animations to match the desired character. Even vehicle sounds are adjusted for an authentic all-electric
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experience. In line with the 21st century car, buyers can now order, configure, customise and even arrange delivery of their Ford Mustang Mach-E all online. Mustang Mach-E customers placing a reservation in 2020 will also receive a free one year subscription to the FordPass app, which enables users to effortlessly utilise FordPass Charging Network locations and pay for charging services from a single account. Ford are also investing in 1,000 Ford-site charging points, IONITY and FordPass charging Network to support electrification growth. Prices are currently listed from ÂŁ40,270 for the Mach-E and from ÂŁ46,570 for the Mustang Mach-E AWD.
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2019/20 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Round 4 George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting, Teretonga Park, Invercargill 14-16th February 2020 Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the New Zealand Formula 5000 Association www.F5000.co.nz
Glenn Richards drove a great race to finish second
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Š Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
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© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
LT27 – parlayed pole position in qualifying to a lights-to-flag win in the first class race of the weekend. In second place, some 6.006 seconds behind after six laps of the 6.620km Southland circuit was threetime former series title-holder, Steve Ross in his visually-identical but later model McRae GM1, while third and enjoying one of his best and certainly most competitive showings to date, was Glenn Richards, from Auckland, behind the wheel of the ex Eppie Weitzes’ Lola T400. Early on former Southlander LeRoy Stevenson, who had qualified Queenstown car owner Alistair Hey’s other Leda LT27 (the fluro-pink ex Graham McRae 001 car) third, held third place but pitted on the second lap feeling unwell thanks to a bout of the flu. David Banks, ,who had qualified his Michael Collins won two then led the race until the last lap when ex-Jon Woodner Talon MR1 sixth he was forced to pull over and stop by a broken half (drive) shaft pitted not long after with a gear selection issue, a problem which also COLLINS LEADS AS F5000 FIELD ENTERTAINS saw Australian visitor Pual Zazryn pit and also pull out. LARGE GEOEGE BEGG SPEEDFEST CROWD AT That left fifth place to Grant Martin in the ex-Chris Amon TERETONGA Talon MR1A, then a gap back to Shayne Windleburn (Lola T400) then Tony Roberts in the high-wing McLaren Runaway series’ points leader Michael Collins continued M10A, Class A rival Frank Karl in his MclArne M10B and on his winning way on the first day of competition at the Tim Rush in the Begg FM4. fourth round of the 2019//20 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series at Invercargill’s They say that all good things come to those who wait. Tereotonga Park. But by the 11 lap of the feature 12-lap SAS Autoparts In front of a large and appreciative crowd gathered to MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series final at celebrate the achievements of local car constructor Invercargill’s Teretonga Park Raceway, even three-times George Begg, Collins - driving the Alistair Hey-owned Leda th
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McRae GM1 driver Steve Ross was the surprise winner of the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series feature race at the first annual George Begg Classic Superfest meeting at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park
© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
and addressed. So the record at the new-look George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting will note that though series young gun and runaway 2019/20 points leader Michael Collins qualified his Alistair Hey-owned Leda LT27 quickest and set the fastest race laps on his way to winning the first two SAS Autoparts MSC Series races of the weekend, the third was won by Steve Ross. It wasn’t as if Ross didn’t deserve the win. Though as he said afterwards; ‘you have to commiserate with the guy (Collins) because he was absolutely on fire all weekend.” Despite that with fellow young gun LeRoy Stevenson (who was down to drive Alistair Hey’s other Leda LT27) side-lined by a flu bug after qualifying third quickest behind Collins and Ross on Saturday, Ross was the only other driver able to match the pace of the 23-year© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
former series champion Steve Ross (McRae GM1) had accepted the fact he was going to cross the finish line in second place. Yet, just as the flagman put out the last lap board for his benefit, the weekend’s fastest qualifier and runaway winner of the first two SAS Autoparts MSC Series races, Michael Collins, slowed dramatically and pulled off the circuit just after the start/finish line; his race run thanks to a broken half (drive) shaft. To say that Steve Ross couldn’t quite believe his eyes as he scythed past at what is the fastest point of the storied Invercargill track is perfectly understandable too. So sure was the flagman that it was Collins’ white Leda LT27 that was going to win the race he ignored Ross’s dark blue McRae GM1 the first time it crossed the finish line, obliging Ross to do an extra lap before the mistake was identified Driving the Begg FM4 this weekend is Tim Rush
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old Collins in any of the races. Collins had built up a healthy lead of just over 10 seconds in the longer feature final feature this afternoon, too, albeit only after Ross spun off the track early on in the race, losing time but impressively, not his hard-won second place. Behind Collins and Ross the big story of the meeting was the assured performance of Aucklander Glenn Richards driving the ex Eppie Weitz Lola T400. Though it was his first visit to the track, Richards qualified fourth quickest with a lap time of 56.802 then ran a smooth, quick and confident third in the first two races and a career-best second in the final. He had plenty of competition too, in the form of fellow Aucklander Grant Martin (Talon MR1A), former NZ Formula Ford champion Kevin Ingram (Lola T332), visiting Australian driver Paul Zazryn and fellow Lola T332 driver © Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
Codie Banks, Yet no matter who was (often very) close behind him Richards never lost his cool. It was just as close meanwhile in the Class A category for earlier F5000 cars, with Tony Roberts back in top in his high-wing McLaren M10A but never quite able to completely shake off season-long rival Frank Karl (McLaren M10B). With its special guest appearance at the new George Begg-themed Classic Speedfest meeting at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park now done and dusted, the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5050 Tasman Cup Revival Series returns to the North Island for the final 2019/20 round at the big HRC Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs over the March 21/22 weekend. The regular ‘travelling’ members of the NZ F5000 Association then have a couple of months to prepare their cars for their next ‘trip away;' in this case to Ireland and Great Britain for major Historic motor racing meetings at Mondello Park on Aug 15 and 16 and at Oulton Park from Saturday August 29 to Monday August 31. Race 1 (Sat pm 6 laps) 1. Michael Collins (McRae GM1) 5:38.766 2. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) +6.006 3. Glenn Richards (Lola T400) +14.982 4. Grant Martin (Talon MR1A) +17.090 5. Kevin Ingram (Lola T332) +19.750 6. Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) +39.319 7. Tony Roberts (McLaren M10A) +48.687 8. Frank Karl (McLaren M10B) +52.011 9. Tim Rush (Begg FM4) + 1 lap DNF. LeRoy Stevenson (Leda LT27), David Banks (Talon MR1), Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) DNS. Codie Banks (Lola T332)
Glenn Richards drove a great race to finish third.
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+34.251 7. Tony Roberts + 1 lap 8. Frank Karl +1 lap DNF: Michael Collins, Grant Martin
Race 2 (Sun am 8 laps) 1. Michael Collins 7:55.644 2. Steve Ross +0.809 3. Glenn Richards +20.661 4. Grant Martin Š Fast Company/Richard Dimmock +20.993 5. Kevin Ingram +21.688 6. Paul Zazryn +22.152 7. Shayne Windelburn +24.439 8. Codie Banks + 25.586 9. Tony Roberts +42.267 10. Frank Karl +1 lap 11. Tim Rush +1 lap Race 3 (Sun pm 12 laps) 1. Steve Ross 11:34.261 2. Glenn Richards 10.348 3. Kevin Ingram +14.871 4. Paul Zazryn +16.477 5. Codie Banks +19.937 6. Shayne Windelburn
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Class A (for earlier model cars) was back in the hands or Tony Roberts in his high-wing McLaren M10A
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2020 Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series
Round 3 (Final) George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting, Teretonga Park, Invercargill 14-16th Feb 2020 Produced by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the Historic Touring Car (NZ) Association.
Scott O’Donnell leads the field into the first turn
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to the back, eventually crossing the finish line in fourth place. “These cars really are on knife edge,” O’Donnell said afterwards,” And I think that Phil and obviously now Nigel have learned how to stay on it for longer before losing their balance than I have! “Still the crowd seemed to like it and as we keep telling each other we are racing these cars for the pleasure of seeing them being used as they were intended not for sheep stations.” The result was that Mauger not only managed to get to the front of the pack, he also – somehow – managed to stay there, crossing the finish line just over a second in front of the always impressive Arron Black with series newcomer Nigel Arkell third, in front of Scott O‘Donnell who in turn was just in front of his uncle, Lindsay O’Donnell (Volvo S40) who was 5 .
Phil Mauger in his way to winning the first Archibald’s Historic Touring Car race of the weekend
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© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
© Fast Company/Euan Cameron
MAUGER MAKES HIS MARK IN WEEKEND’S FIRST HISTORIC TOURING CAR SERIES RACE AT TERETONGA It was like a round of the British Touring Car Championship from its heyday in the late 1990s/early 2000s all over again on the first day of competition at the final round of this season’s Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series at the new-look George Begg Classic Speedfest at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park. Event host Scott O’Donnell, (Prodrive Ford Mondeo) qualified quickest and stroked away to an early lead only be reeled back in by a chasing pack of Phil Mauger (exTeam Dynamics Nissan Primera), Nigel Arkell (ex-North American Touring Car Championship Honda Accord) and Arron Black (GP A BMW E30 M3). One minute O’Donnell looked like a shoe-in to win the race on home soil, the next he was being chewed up and spat
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Allan Dippie returns to the Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series this weekend with his ex BTCC Rover 35000
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Sixth was another strong result for Steven Kelly in his newly-acquired ex-Australia BMW E36 Supetourer while 7 was local lad Liam McDonald (ex-Team Kiwi Nissan Primera) finally beating fellow NZTC-Spec pace-man Kevin Pateman (Ford Telstar V6) to the line. Fans of the classic blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ school of close quarters touring car racing would have left the first George Begg Classic Speedfest at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park satisfied they has got their money’s worth after three very different Archibald’s Historic Touring Car Series’ races. The first, held on a wet, cold track first thing in the morning and won by Dunedin's Arron Black driving his Warren Good-owned Gp A E30 BMW M3 turned into a real battle of attrition. Event host (and fastest qualifier) Scott O'Donnell was an early dnf with a broken driveshaft in his Prodrive Ford Mondeo Supertourer, then Saturday race winner Phil Mauger speared off the track and got his Nissan Primera Supertourer stuck fast. th
Kiwi great Jim Richards driving the Peter Sturgeon-owned Gp C-spec BMW 635 CSi
© Fast Company/Euan Cameron
Nigel Arkell in his Honda Accord Supertourer was part of the leading bunch until he was forced to pit with a fogged up windscreen, leaving Kevin Pateman to inherit second place in his NZTC-spec Ford Telstar from the BTCCwinning BMW E36 318-iS of Warren Good, the Gp A Rover Vitesse of Allan Dippie and Dennis Chapman in his BMW E36 Supertourer. The second race also turned out to be an Arron Black benefit, though this time, with the track dry and humidity nowhere as bad as in the early morning race Nigel Arkell stormed through the field to catch and pass all but accomplished kart and historic touring car racer Black by the time the chequered flag came out to claim a strong second place. Kevin Pateman in his NZTC-spec Ford Telstar was again able to stay in touch with the other frontrunners and cross the line in third place. In fourth, meanwhile was Scott O'Donnell driving his Uncle Lindsay O’Donnell’s Volvo
Greg Murphy is also due to suit up again for some laps in Peter Sturgeon’s Gp A E30 BMW M3
© Fast Company/Euan Cameron
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rear of the grid to be up to fifth place by the end of the first lap then third at the end of the third. At this stage Arron Black and Nigel Arkell were still disputing the lead, and another half lap O’Donnell had joined the party and was past both Arkell and Black and edging away for his first race-win of the weekend. Behind him Scott’s Uncle Lindsay O’Donnell also had a productive race, following his nephew’s example to work his way up to fourth place at the flag in his Volvo S40 Supertourer. Timaru ace Kevin Pateman again proved the worth of the car he and his brother built in period by crossing the finish line in fifth place for first NZTC-spec car home while Steven Kelly literally won a drag race against Allan Dippie and Warren Good on the finish line to claim sixth spot.
Warren Good, Steven Kelly and Liam MacDonald were this close for much of the weekend.
© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
© Fast Company/Richard Dimmock
S40, then Warren Good, Allan Dippie and Dennis Chapman. Behind Chapman came local man Tony Forde in his Group A Holden Commodore VL Walkinshaw replica, then an ever-improving Austin McKinley in his earlier NZ Touring Car championship-spec VH Commodore, and Steven Kelly in his BMW E36 320i Supertourer, all four happy to be circulating in the 1:14s. With a new drive shaft fitted in his own exotic Ford Mondeo Supertourer Scott O’Donnell had everything to play for then in the final race. Play he did to, working his way quickly and effectively through the traffic c from the
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Liam McDonald (ex TKR Nissan Primera) was first NZTC-spec driver home
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Steven Richards will drive
RESULTS Lindsay O’Donnell’s Volvo S40 by 6. Tony Forde +6.457 Euan Cameron Race 1 Sat pm 6 laps 7. Dennis Ham +8.287 1. Phil Mauger (ex-Team Dynamics 8. Austin McKinley +9.883 Nissan Primera)+6:48.078 9. Steven Kelly +13.409 2. Arron Black (Gp A BMW E30 318i) 10. Nigel Arkell +20.208 +1.207 11. Liam MacDonald +2 laps 3. Nigel Arkell (Honda Accord ST) DNF:Phil Mauger +3 laps +1.908 DNF. Scott O'Donnell + 5 laps 4. Scott O'Donnell (Ford Mondeo 5DNS. Lindsay O'Donnell dr ST) +3.019 Race 3 (6 laps Sun midday) 5. Lindsay O'Donnell (Volvo S40) 1. Arron Black 7:01.567 +3.560 2. Nigel Arkell +3.247 6. Steven Kelly (BMW E36 320i ST) 3. Kevin Pateman +12.671 +4.638 © Fast Company/Euan Cameron 4. Scott O'Donnell +19.155 7. Liam MacDonald (NZTC Nissan 5. Warren Good +22.642 Primera) +11.800 6. Allan Dippie +26.287 8. Kevin Pateman (NZTC Ford Telstar) +17.230 7. Dennis Chapman +38.095 9. Matthew O'Donnell +18.052 8. Tony Forde +43.352 10. Dennis Chapman (BMW E36 320i ST) +20.831 9. Austin McKinley +45.008 11. Tony Forde (GpA Walinshaw Holden Commodore rep) 10. Steven Kelly +45.190 + 26.790 11. Liam MacDonald +52.811 12. Warren Good (BMW E36 318i coupe ST) +30.930 DNF. Dennis Ham + 2 laps 13. Allan Dippie (Gp A Rover Vitesse Race 4 (6 laps Sun pm) 3500) +34.756 1. Scott O'Donnell 6:39.621 14. Austin McKinley (NZGpA Holden 2. Nigel Arkell +3.159 Commmodore) +36.190 3. Arron Black +4.413 15. Dennis Ham + 57.668 4. Lindsay O'Donnell +23.693 DNS: David Beattie (NZTC Toyota 5. Kevin Pateman +23.993 Corona), 6. Steven Kelly +29.693 Stephen Grellet (Peugeot 406 ST) 7. Allan Dippie +29.779 8. Warren Good +31.443 Race 2 (6 laps Sun am) 9. Liam MacDonald +32.078 1. Arron Black 7:50.059 10. Tony Forde +32.412 2. Kevin Pateman +0.754 11. Dennis Chapman +34.006 3. Warren Good +2.002 12. Matthew O'Donnell 4. Allan Dippie +3.844 +35.233 5. Dennis Chapman +3.861 13. Austin McKinley +46.480 DNF. Dennis Ham +3 laps Nigel Arkell proved a worthy adversary
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© Peter McFadyen
Closing Shot. By Peter McFadyen
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This car had probably travelled the most miles to get to the Pomeroy Trophy. Just back from Mongolia, Peter Batty’s VW Polo ahead of Matthew Collings’s Austin Healey 100M
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