HSCC Brands Hatch Super Prix

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I blew three oil coolers in the Capri in one weekend at Snet in 2009. I changed to a heat exchanger and solved the problem. Can't do that in App K though.

this one failed bacause after 5 seconds of engine running the oil pressure went off the scale

I could write a book on oil feed after this last year or so.

[davyboy]

Ya the E Type race was excellent... so too was the Classic F3 race with almost 40 cars on the grid.

Highlight of yesterday was Hideki Yamauchi absolutely wringing the neck out of Katsu Kubota's March 761 to set a qualifying time of 1:19 seconds on his first time I. An F1 car and his first time at Brands. Watching the car was reminiscent of the great Ronnie Peterson who used to drive his 761 like a kart... probably because Ronnie was such a great kartist.

[HFJ Drifter]

Just back from Brands after racing in the FJ Lurani Trophy races. Managed to qualify 2nd to James Murray in his Lola. 1st race was a cracker, managed to get into the first corner in front of James and lead almost all of the race with Tonetti getting past me briefly before he ran wide at Surtees. We crossed the line with me in the Alexis 0.039sec in front of Tonetti in his Brabham with James just 0.34 behind.
Second race was not so good, still managed to lead away from the start but then decided to liven up proceedings by going through the gravel at Paddock Hill bend on the 2nd lap. This dropped me back to 7th or 8th ish so then had a bit of work to do. Got back up to 2nd several times, but when it mattered Tonetti managed to get down the inside at Clearways and out drag me to the line, so that ended with a 3rd.
All in all a pretty good weekend.

Stuart

[compte deGraves]

Originally Posted by HFJ Drifter

Just back from Brands after racing in the FJ Lurani Trophy races. Managed to qualify 2nd to James Murray in his Lola. 1st race was a cracker, managed to get into the first corner in front of James and lead almost all of the race with Tonetti getting past me briefly before he ran wide at Surtees. We crossed the line with me in the Alexis 0.039sec in front of Tonetti in his Brabham with James just 0.34 behind.
Second race was not so good, still managed to lead away from the start but then decided to liven up proceedings by going through the gravel at Paddock Hill bend on the 2nd lap. This dropped me back to 7th or 8th ish so then had a bit of work to do. Got back up to 2nd several times, but when it mattered Tonetti managed to get down the inside at Clearways and out drag me to the line, so that ended with a 3rd.
All in all a pretty good weekend.

Stuart

Congratulations Stuart. Did your Dad have a drive?

[Andrew Kitson]

A brilliant day yesterday. Some of my snaps:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=ad8645da5d

[petestenning]

Have to agree about the HF3 race on Saturday was very heart warming to see all those cars .The later Ralts and Martini's did not run away with the race.

Nice drive by Richard Trott from the back of a huge grid to 5 th place awesome stuff.

Pity yet another digital camera decided to pack up i have a stack of useless camera's now.

Pete

[RICHARD.T]

Thank's for the nice words.
I had a great race!

[petestenning]

Youre welcome Richard i can imagine how satifying it was.

I am of an age that i would have seen you race in period and that race gave me goosbumps.

Pete

[Thundersports]

What a great days racing, highlight for me was the Group C race and in particular the speed that Meyrick got out of his 1989 C2 Spice; to be quicker than Berridge/Jap chap in the Nissan/Mercedes is astounding he got into the 1.17s!!!!!

[RICHARD.T]

I keep thinking 'the old boy still has it in him'.

[brands]

Only managed Saturday as we did the other two days at the FoS but it was the best days racing I've seen in several years.

The overtake move for the lead in the E-Type race, from third to first at Paddock Hill bend, was amazing

[one-two]

Tremendous weekend - super-full paddock, great weather and tremendous racing. Lurani a highlight for me. Well done HSCC

[Andrew Kitson]

JT, I think the Guards was stopped early because they hit the 6.30pm curfew. OK the race finished at 6.27pm according to the results but the PA has to be switched off too to allow time for Titch to round things up. A bit optimistic I thought scheduling a 40 min race to start at 5.45..some of the backmarkers were in no rush, so slow forming up on the grid with time running out as it was nearly 10 mins late. As Titch pointed out..'eating into their racing time'.

[Teddington Ted]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

JT, I think the Guards was stopped early because they hit the 6.30pm curfew. OK the race finished at 6.27pm according to the results but the PA has to be switched off too to allow time for Titch to round things up. A bit optimistic I thought scheduling a 40 min race to start at 5.45..some of the backmarkers were in no rush, so slow forming up on the grid with time running out as it was nearly 10 mins late. As Titch pointed out..'eating into their racing time'.

Not sure about the curfew or slow back markers on the grid (it didn't seem to me to be any slower a grid-up than usual) but I was very glad they threw the chequered flag when they did given the oil on the circuit and machinery in dangerous parts of the kitty litter.

A race of attrition but great fun.

A fantastic meeting.

Mark

[HRSTR5]

I'm another who had a great weekend. Finally getting a bit more confident in the reliability of the Elva - Delta and Martin seem to be getting most of the niggles sorted - all of which is giving me a bit more seat time to learn to drive it.

Got quicker and quicker through the weekend. Had some great dicing in both the Lurani races, on Saturday i held off a pack i was running with, whereas today i spent the last half of the race struggling to find 2nd gear and lost a few places due to that which was a shame, but doesn't take the gloss off the weekend. Still 3rd overall in Class C and a small trophy to on my daughter Emily's shelf!

Stuart and the other guys at the front sure are quick ... awesome to watch but a bit daunting when being lapped. And well done Robert for winning Class C.

Shame that it's going to be Oulton Park Gold Cup before i get in the car again.

Nice to meet a few more 10thers.

James

[Colin McKay]

Also had a great time, many thanks to Delta for getting me through with encouragement and fettling. Lots of door banging in the touring car race but I was one of the lucky ones and came away unscathed (well, almost). Several very unhappy drivers at the end, not least Jimmy Fuller whose Alfa looks wrecked so much so that he's said he's had enough. I hope not, he's one of the real characters in the series and too good to lose.

We qualified the E-type 29/35 with no brakes. Need to get lots more air to the front pads which were destroyed. Jon Minshaw helped out with a set of part worn (thanks to Jon, expensive pads which he wouldn't take payment for) which were much better than the Mintex we were on and kept me out of trouble. In race 1 we had a poor start when the car in front either stalled or wasn't paying attention, he didn't even flinch when the lights went out. Alan Minshaw's beautiful class B car was coming through by the time I realised what was happening so I got boxed in. An uneventful race ensued (for me at least, although I understand the Minshaw/Dodd scrap at the front was nail biting stuff). Mark Russell was unlucky to spin on fluid at Surtees and bent front & rear badly enough to stop him coming out on Sunday. We finished this one in 18th which is not as good as it sounds as there were 9 DNF's including an unlucky Paul Castaldini who suffered a puncture on the formation lap.

Race 2 and another poor start when I nearly stalled but then had some excellent scraps firstly with Martin Melling's low drag whom I passed, but once he got back in front I couldn't catch. Next up was the white car (Rod Smith, I think), again I got past but he came back through and although I hung on for a while my focus was on keeping the silver 67 car of Bernhard Wilhelm behind me which I achieved (although there was a moment when I thought he was through) crossing the line 17th out of 22 finishers. This was one of my most enjoyable races so far and each time I went out I found another second so there's a lot of potential. Iain's convinced we're down on power, certainly there's nothing below 4000, and judging by the speed the leaders passed on the straights I would have to agree. So apart from that, a wheel that won't stay tight and cooked brakes & driver, the car felt good and I can't wait till the next one.

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by morninggents

A great weekend with fantastic weather
Met up with Delta again and Gordon Streeter (fully clothed)

Me too brief chat with both, weather the best, and fairly successful too, particularlly from a team point of veiw, with a class act from JB, E type race brilliant, tho talk of engines being investigated....were they? then Sunday night and the M25 least said on that score.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by p261brm

Me too brief chat with both, weather the best, and fairly successful too, particularlly from a team point of veiw, with a class act from JB, E type race brilliant, tho talk of engines being investigated....were they? then Sunday night and the M25 least said on that score.

Don't know wat time you got away but I left around 8pm iirc and the Dartford Tunnel was a bit busy (why does all the traffic use the 3 lanes on the right and cause tailbacks?) but otherwise not too bad.

The young person riding his bicycle on the M25 through through the narrow laned roadworks section was a surprise - at least for a few truckies. Why would anyone do that I wonder? I also wonder if he is still alive ...

[p261brm]

Sevenish, all bucket n' spade traffic entering from the south coast A3, M3 etc, plus the usual fender-bender's, joy, did not over spoil W/E for all that. Should use the G/Wood principal stay till early Monday.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Ya the E Type race was excellent... so too was the Classic F3 race with almost 40 cars on the grid.

Highlight of yesterday was Hideki Yamauchi absolutely wringing the neck out of Katsu Kubota's March 761 to set a qualifying time of 1:19 seconds on his first time I. An F1 car and his first time at Brands. Watching the car was reminiscent of the great Ronnie Peterson who used to drive his 761 like a kart... probably because Ronnie was such a great kartist.

Had the pleasure of meeting young Mr Yamauchi, when he ended up in the gravel, at Sheene curve, at the end of the HFO practice session on Friday.
Tried asking him whether he would be able to drive the car back to the pits (once we lifted it out of the gravel), but he just looked at me and smiled. When I explained this to the recovery driver, he said "that's great, just wait until he hears my Japanese!".
Two great drives, HFO and Group C and seemed love every minute.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

A brilliant day yesterday. Some of my snaps:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=ad8645da5d

Great photos Andrew,
especially as the first one has yours truly standing in the background, on the right, in his orange romper suit.

[The Flagman]

And just to steal White Flag Man's glory thats me dead centre!

[dikko]

HFF Well done Ben (& Simon T & Ben M).

Racing at 9am meant we could watch the fun.
FJ's were cracking! I felt for you James in the first race - close? Jeeze, very close, terrific - determined for 2nd race?... HFJ Drifter and Tonetti, thanks, total control (except for one tiny moment at Paddock!) really great driving.

F3's.....luvly sight

Flat caps at Croft. Thanks White & Flag Men. A lot.

[Rudernst]

Originally Posted by dikko

HFF Well done Ben (& Simon T & Ben M).

Racing at 9am meant we could watch the fun.
FJ's were cracking! I felt for you James in the first race - close? Jeeze, very close, terrific - determined for 2nd race?... HFJ Drifter and Tonetti, thanks, total control (except for one tiny moment at Paddock!) really great driving.

F3's.....luvly sight

Flat caps at Croft. Thanks White & Flag Men. A lot.

Yes,
the Junior race was great, and so was CF3
loved every minute...
Rudolf

[James Murray]

It was all good but must learn how to start better! Made life difficult in all 3 races but enjoyed them all particularly the 1st FJ which was great and Stuart was a deserving winner after an entertaining tussle with Mr Tonetti. Must have been the closest finish in a historic race for a while with 0.3 covering the three of us. Winning for the first time in ages in the second race was also great but I was beginning to hang on at the end and was glad to see the flag! DicK I'm suprised you can remember but I'm sure you enjoyed your birthday - I won't ask how old you were or how many bottles of Chardonnay you had drunk!