AMOC, Silverstone, 18th October.

[John Turner]

14 Starters; 14 finishers.

This 30 minute race includes Astons, old and new, and seems to work, allowing modern N24s to compete. However, it was two of the older cars that made the running, with Darren McWhirter's Zagato bodied DB4 (37) taking the lead from the DB5 (56) of John Bussell. The first pic shows the mix coming toward Abbey for the first time. Pic 2 has Martin Wright in his DBS V8 (73) holding off Julian Bailey Watts in his slightly later V8 (5) but the quicker car got by in the end to finish 11th. Pic 3 shows that McWhirter wasn't able to rest and although he eventually won by 3.6 seconds, Bussell was really trying, even posting fastest race lap on lap 13. It was good to see the DB4 (8) of Steve Byrne out. This had been damaged quite badly at Snetterton earlier in the year, first time out after a rebuild, which must have been a bit soul destroying. Byrne finished 9th. Clive Hipwell (99 - DBS V8 - 14th) is lapped by Bob Searles who finished 5th in his more modified version (44). Wonderful DB4GT of Dennis Singleton finished 10th. Chasssis no 137, I remember seeing Bob Fowler racing this in the late 1960s.

[John Turner]

9 starters; 9 finishers.

Run in association with Bonhams 1793 and Ecurie Bertelli Ltd this 20 minute race had a disappointingly small grid although the quality was there. Signs are that this series will be better supported next year.

Jim Campbell put his Aston Martin MkII on pole and led during the first lap. However the first pic shows the GP 2-seater, raced by Count Zborowski at the French GP at Strasbourg in 1922, and later named 'Green Pea'. Owned by the Murray family for years, it was entered here as the B & M (Bamford & Martin) Special (2) and driven by Robert Murray to 8th. Behind, is the very original 1936 Aston Martin Ulster (14), which has also been in the Hudson family for many years, which finished 7th, driven by Alan Hudson. I believe that Jim Campbell must have made a bit of an error because on the 2nd lap, it was Keith Piper who found himself in the lead, whilst Campbell was being overtaken by Christopher Scott MacKirdy, up from the back row, into Abbey, in his Aston Le Mans Special (9). However, Scott MacKirdy ran wide allowing Campbell to resume 2nd place, and then retake the lead. Next pic shows the very early 3 - litre Blower Bentley (97) of Adam Singer with Edward Bradley's Aston Le Mans (4) alongside. Bradley however, was to finish last. It was inevitable that after his moment of glory in the lead, Piper would drop behind the quicker cars, in his International (6), and here he is being challenged for 3rd by the Frazer Nash Super Sports of Hamish Monro (99). Piper nevertheless finished a good 4th. 96 is Stanley Mann in his Bentley 4.5 litre Le Mans. He finished 5th.

[John Turner]

Another pic of Edward Bradley's Aston Le Mans (4), and a better view of te Munro Frazer Nash (99). Next a close up of Adam Singer, who had a great dice with James Hudson, seen just in front here but destined to finishe behind the Bentley which finished 6th. Finally, another shot of the Scott MacKirdy car.

[R59]

Excellent reports John.

Looking forward to Race 8!!!!

[John Turner]

Will get there in due course!

16 starters; 14 finishers

Sponsored by Lackford Engineering, this was a 30 minute race, in which a fine battle between Hugo Holland-Bosworth (52) and Marc Campfield (2) was anticipated and on lap 2 (see pic 3), this looked on the cards. Unfortunately, Campfield's car threw a tyre at the end of the lap, and Holland-Bosworth romped home to a comfortable 45 second victory, and then announced his retirement from racing! First pic is of the field heading towards Abbey for the first time and pic 2 is of Stephen Fry (30, and No!) at the back. He was to retire his Frogeye after 12 laps. Pic 4 is of Tom Walker (25) who finished 10th leading Neil Cameron's Arkley Sprite (27). The latter was to make ground though and finished 8th. Xavier Sanz de Acedo finished 9th in his Frogeye (54). The three 'tiddlers' together are driven by Ian Permain (87 - 14th), Brian Bedford (26 - 12th) and Mark Lister (4 - 13th).

[John Turner]

Peter Grant's Big Healey (19) was 4th whilst Eric Woolley was 2nd in his (16). Drew Cameron brought the first of the small cars home in 3rd (12) and Patrick Harris was 9th (9). 98 is Mark Pangbourne's 100M in which he finished 11th, and the final pic shows the fine dice between Mike Thorne's 100M (44) and Robert Rawe's 3000 (18). They finished in this order, 5th & 6th.

[jellison]

Any Pic's of the SGT?

Did it run?

[R59]

Oh yes it ran alright! Tim Lewis (Alfa Sud!) led for about 4 laps or so before his gearbox linkage gave up. I made a start at moving forwards, then went sideways, almost backwards, and then lost the oil pump belt so retired. With Lewis gone, Boysie Thurtle chased after the GT700 in vain.

I was hoping for some pics, especially if my heap was in any of them. Someone said it looked good by Farm.

I learned a few things. Tyres - old and knadgered. Brakes - too much rear bias even with them wound fully front!. Suspension at front - wear where it wasn't really wanted, Engine - rear main seal weeping.

I had an entertaining few laps, and look forward to 2010.

[John Turner]

There's no pleasing some people; patience is a virtue and all that. I do my pictorial reviews in race order and the SGT was the last of the day (Race 8). It will be done I promise!

[Al Weyman]

Bare with him John, the poor lad has hardly any shots or footage of the old car racing as he has had so much bad luck with it, I think I am the only one sitting on a bit of incar or it as he came past me in a DMN race at the Brands GP, I keep promising him I will rip it off the DVD and post it on Youtube but I am too tight to buy the software to convert it!

[John Turner]

Thanks, Al. I probably should have put a smiley with my post. I wasn't having a go at Rob or Jon, honest.

[R59]

Send me the original Al, I should have a package that'll sort it.

John, I look forward to it in due course.

By Tomorrow morning?

[Al Weyman]

I should be able to burn you a copy.

[John Turner]

29 starters; 24 finishers

A good turnout for this 20 minute race, although you couldn't really see beyond Boysie Thurtle who put the Camaro (74) on pole for a win since his time was 2 seconds clear of the MGB GTV8 (27) of John Wilson. Whether Jackie Cochrane, in third place on the grid could find some time with his very quick Sunbeam Tiger and challenge Thurtle became academic when he retired it on the first lap, so it was left to Wilson to gamely try and hang on to the Camaro.

The leaders have already gone through when we see Bob Searles (44 - Aston DBS V8), Robin North (7 - Ford Mustang), and in the background David Tomlin (6 - Ferrari 355 Challenge) heading into Bridge. Simon Crompton was well placed in his AC Cobra (11) but retired after 7 laps. 13 is the Sunbeam Tiger of Nathan Dod, another to retire. 22 is the Porsche 911SC of Jonathan Woodhouse who finished 20th. Lovely pair of Astons - Ian McCallum's DB5 (56) and Steven Byrne's DB4 (8). Byrne managed to get by in the end to finish 12th, a couple of seconds clear of McCallum, but it had been a good dice. Stephen Archer (18 - Austin Healey 3000 - 21st) and Paul Clayson (35 - Sunbeam Tiger - 22nd) head under Bridge as Thurtle bears down to lap them.

[John Turner]

A good way to sneak a modern car into the review is to have an old one with it! Having passed Searles, Robin North latched his Mustang onto the back of the Aston N24 (3) of Chris Scragg and they circulated together until the end finishing 3rd and 4th with Scragg just holding onto the final podium spot. Julian Bailey Watts finished 24th in his Aston V8 (5). Tom Black (24 - N24 - 10th) heads the Porsche 944 Turbo of Alex Mansfield who retired after 11 laps. The Porsche 911 RSR of Jeremy Cooke finished 15th. Boysie Thurtle was relatively untroubled in his drive to victory in the Camaro (74) and won by 17 seconds. In the initial stages, John Wilson tried extremely hard to hold on to him but had to be content with a very secure 2nd in the MG (27).

[John Turner]

28 starters; 26 Finishers.

Definitely one of AMOC's success stories, this is just a great series, with a range of lovely cars and good racing. A 20 minute race, the first pic shows the grid stretching away around Woodcote. Note the XK120 (18) of Darren McWhirter, starting at the back. Pic 2 shows the leaders coming through Luffield on the first lap - Mike Thorne (44 - Austin Healey 100M) leads Drew Cameron's very nimble Austin Healey Speedwell Sprite (12). Pic 3 just sums it all up really - Philip Allen (45 - Aston DB2/4 Mk11 - 15th), Glenn Tollett (87 - Jaguar XK120 - 16th), James Wiseman (66 - Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint Zagato -17th) and Andrew Mitchell (8 - Bristol 401 sports special - 20th). Louise Kennedy (65 - Lancia Aurelia B20GT) was last, but I'm sure I read somewhere, maybe even on this thread that she has some sort of mechanical problem, because normally she is usually a good bit further up the field than this. Pic 5 - Allen Cameron (27 - Austin Healey 100M - 12th) leads Brian Arculus (7 - Triumph TR3A - 10th) and Kevin Zwolinski (38 - Jaguar XK140 -11th). Fabulous dice between Nicholas Ruddell (40 - Aston Martin - DB Mk111) and Tim Pearce (4 - AC Ace Bristol) went on for several laps until Ruddell spun in Brooklands. However, when recovered the track, the nearside rear wing was showing signs of an impact, so he may well have been tapped into it. He retired shortly after and Pearce went on to finish 9th.

[John Turner]

Very pretty AC Aceca Bristol coupe (88) of Charles Fripp was 23rd. Mark Pangbourne retired his Austin Healey 100M (98) on the penultimate lap. Whilst Cameron had dropped back eventually to finish 7th, Thorne was passed by the Ferrari 250TRC/TRE (2) of Stuart Anderson and the pair diced for the lead and were closely shadowed by the Austin Healey 100/4 of Richard Knight. However, they were all caught by McWhirter, who had worked his way quickly forward from the back row and eventually took the lead in the XK120 (18) - see Pic 3. Pic 4, a close up of a pair of Feltham Aston DBs. Anne Reed (53 - DB2 - 21st) being lapped by Timothy Stamper (69 - DB2/4 - 14th). Mark Campbell (33 - DB2/4 Mk1 - 18th) leads Graham Oakins (67 - Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint - 19th). I'm not clear what happened to McWhirter, whose XK120 was 2.5 secs a lap quicker than anyone else but he finished 3rd, so maybe a spin? In any event Anderson resumed the lead in the Ferrari (2) and won by 4 tenths from Mike Thorne's Healey 100M. Knight was 4th and Andy Shepherd, who, for once, I haven't pictured was 5th in the AC Ace Bristol.

[John Turner]

21 starters; 17 finishers

The last race of the meeting, over 30 minutes, the numbers are a little misleading since the grid included the Pirelli Ferrari Open cars and a couple of Aston N24s for good measure. So, the reality was that only about 6 of the cars would be on a solely Super GT grid. Pole was taken, not surprisingly, by the David Ellis Aston GT700 (54) with Boysie Thurtle alongside in the Camaro (74), and it was Ellis who took the lead from the start. However, the first pic is of Rob Compton in the Vauxhall Belmont, fitted with 6.7 litres of V8. Rob has already told us about his woes, and the car only completed 5 laps, so my choice of shot was limited, I'm afraid. I imagine that once sorted this car will be a good bit quicker. David Ellis must have been very surprised at the pace of Tim Lewis in tha Alfa Romeo Sud Sprint (21), for not only did he emerge the quickest challenger from 4th on the grid, dispensing with the Thurtle Camaro but, he took the lead, as you can see here - Boysie coming out of Bridge, with Lewis and Ellis ahead going through Brooklands. 28 is Richard Hodson in Chris Rea's Ferrari 308GT4; he came in 17th. 21 is Lewis charging out of Bridge. Unfortunately, this prodigiously quick car retired after 7 laps whilst leading. Alan Cosby's Ferrari F512M (5) is given as a 1996 car in the programme, although I though it was a good few years older than that. It finished 12th.

[Al Weyman]

Well done John you will make Rob a very happy man, nice shot as well.

[John Turner]

Boysie Thurtle presses on, and at one point was not that far behind Ellis. The Camaro was blowing out a lot of steam during the course of the race but it finished 2nd and Boysie said that the gauges had not shown anything untoward. Once Ellis had stretched the legs of the big Aston, he went away to win by over 29 seconds. 13 is Marco Pullen's Ferrari 388GTO. He had qualified the car 3rd but retired the car after 19 laps. Final pic is of Jeremy Cooke's Porsche RSR (12 - 15th) being lapped by Vance Kearney's Ferrari 355 Challenge car (8 - 10th).

[jellison]

Do we know anything about the spec of that Sud Sprint - must have some serious go from the engine to keep the "Aston! (ya right!)" back, even if faster through the corners.

I had one of these - great little cars (no torque - but terrible torque steer!).

[John Turner]

Jon, I don't think anyone, least of all David, claims that it anything other than a 'special' but the engine is an Aston, and the body shape is based on a Virage, so we have to call it something! The Alfa was a bit shy of the Aston on lap times but yes, incredibly 'trick' I would imagine, and well driven, too.

[andy97]

The Alfa Sprint has a 2 litre supercharged engine & normally appears in the Alfa race series.

[John Turner]

Thanks, Andy. I thought that I'd seen this car elsewhere, a few years back in the Alfa series. It was quick then, but seems more so now. What are we looking here - 250-300 bhp or so - in a fairly light nimble shell?

[andy97]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Thanks, Andy. I thought that I'd seen this car elsewhere, a few years back in the Alfa series. It was quick then, but seems more so now. What are we looking here - 250-300 bhp or so - in a fairly light nimble shell?

The AHM web ite quotes 320 Bhp at 9000 rpm. I guess its fairly light, no idea but it hs carbon fibre front wings.

It has only been supercharged in the last year or two, i think. n/a in 2007 when I think Tim won the ARCA chmpionship with it. The AHM website quotes 248 Bhp then.

I have taken the liberty of copying this link from the Silverstone AMOC race across from the ARCA web site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVpOwqhuWII

Hope no one minds.

I have always been an Alfa Sprint fan since my second ever car was one but I actually prefered this particular car when it was n/a - I'm not a fan of adding blowers to cars that never had them in their original designed format. A great piece of engineering, though.