8/9 Sept Britcar 24 Hours of Silverstone

[Malcolm]

Here I go again!

I can confim I have a place in the same team as last year with a view of COMPLETING the 24 hours of Silverstone this September. Last year we were just plagued by engine problems traced back to the cam shaft supplier. All engines have been rebuilt and tested and we are go!

The car is just being sent to Germany for its race engine and box install before coming back here to be final prepped for the race. This year we should have the car back early enough to do two test days prior to the race to iron out problems, something we did not get time to do last year.

John Clonis (team owner) is driving again but our other drivers are expected to be two full time race instructors and/or a friend of mine, Matthew, who has five 24 hour races under his belt and claims to have lapped the Nurburgring roughly 3500 times (a mere 50,000 miles!). So again, I have pretty good team mates with more experience than me. Hopefully with reliability sorted I can learn a lot from them.

The car is the same spec as before namely a 993 Cup Car, 350 bhp and 350 lbs of torque. No Ross, it is not a VW!!!!!

The picture below is taken from last years race (early on!) as I exit Bridge.

This year my sponsors are Menzies accountants, Brackenwood Windows, Fairweathers chartered surveyors, J Shepherd Ltd construction company and Allsigns sign writers extraordinaire! I am very pleased to have their support, some for the second year running!

I can supply entry tickets to those who wish to come and watch/support and I have started a thread elsewhere to see if we can drum up enough interest to put on a show of 40's for the race organisers.

[Malcolm]

Just a quick update to say that the Porsche is on its way back from Germany now with a test date booked at Silverstone for Tuesday 17th July. I have been asked to be there to do some laps as we need 1000km on the engine prior to the race. Unfortunately I can only do the morning as I have real work to do in the afternoon.

It is unlikely that Matthew will be able to drive now as his broken arm has not healed up as expected.

[Ron Earp]

Didn't you learn to not race a P-car last year.......

[Malcolm]

Cheers Ron! :-)

At the time that seemed almost the decision for me too. However the team fully knows what happened and it was outside their immediate control, ie cam shaft grind wrong. The team didn't stitch me up financially and I like the guys and they seem happy with me.

What other types of car are there to drive in this race? BMW M3 E36 or E46 would be the next best choice for me. Costs are similar too. After that you have to go to a Marcos and looking at the cars in those teams last year, well, there seemed an awful lot of crash damage. Then you are into front wheel drive cars and basically I don't have a clue on how to race a front wheel drive car. I did talk to one team last year that was running a hot hatch type car and they won their class and came 7th overall. Most likely because they didn't have me!

I did ask a few mates which car they would prefer to drive and all said Porsche.

The expensive cars in this race are the Porsche GT3s, Moslers and Saleens. About 3 times plus the cost of my drive. The winning car from last year was the BMW new Z4 coupe. Full on factory team full of ex F1 and DTM drivers. Next to us in the pit lane and very interesting to watch a pro team at work.

At my level of funding the teams would be a similar kind of outfit so the risks of failure would be equal.

As you know from the Z car you have run Ron, sh*t happens but you stick with it beyond the first hiccup. This year I think we will get much further than last year if you take out driver error. Then its up to me and the other
drivers to take out the driver errors. Then we will get to the flag....

[Keith Hardy]

Would have come again this year to show support but working on the 8th...

Good luck anyway mate - bring home some silver

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Go Malc Go.
993 GT2 with good setup is a really good car.
Just have seen one last month in Misano winning vs. 430s and 360s, the car was an ex Le mans one, owned by Ferretti Craft yacht boss.

[Malcolm]

Thanks guys. Keith , you never know, might still be running on the Sunday (9th)!

[Malcolm]

Just pulled down the list of entries so far. Our team are Car#35. Time for some name spotting!

Class GT3
2 Martin Short Mosler GT3 RS
3 Ian Stinton/N Clark/S Hepworth/RHorsfield LM3000
4 DHeer W.J /R.K Snel En Viper GT3
5 Paul Livesey/B Robinson/P Cook Porsche 996 GT3 RS
6 Paul Hogarth / Darren Knutton Porsche 996 GT3 RS
7 Mike Newton / TBA / TBA / TBA Ford Falcon GT3
8 TBA Mosler GT3 RS
9 Mirco Schultis Panoz
10 Kevin Clarke BMW GTR
11 Stuart Scott / Harry Handkammer Jaguar
12 Emotional Engineering Vauxhal Monaro
14
15 Adam Sharpe / George Haynes Ford Falcon
16 Richard Stanton/M Caine/R Hay/M Forsten TVR Sagaris

Class GT Cup
1 D Quester/D Werner/JCampbell-Walter/J Stuck BMW Z4
19 M Schelp/MTischner/M Tischner/UBecker BMW M3 E46
20 H Firman/C Wilkins/P Morris Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
21 Tischner Tischner Motorsport BMW M3 E46 GTR
22 Peter Hardman / Nick Leventis BMW M3 E46 GTR
23 Ian Dockerill Porsche 996 Cup
24 Jon Harrison / TBA / TBA / TBA Marcos Mantis
25 Keith Ahlers Morgan
26 Stuart Wright BMW M3 E36
27 Cor Euser/Jan De Wit/Peter v/d Kock Marcos Mantis
28 Richard Thorne / TBA / TBA / TBA Morgan Aero 8 V8
29 Michael McInerney / Sean McInerney Porsche GT3
30 Jan Kalmar Buddha msp Aston Martin N24V8 gtcup
31 Alun Edwards Marcos Mantis V8
32 Luca Cappellari / Fabrizio Gollin BMW M3 E46 GTR
33 Graham Bryant Marcos Mantis
34 Willie Moore BMW M3 E36r
35 John Clonis Porsche GTCup
36 Kevin Hancock Marcos Mantis
37 Alistair Mackinnon/D Lanzanti/A Newey Lotus Exige
38 Ian Mitchell BMW MZ4 Coupe
39 Mark Sumpter / Adrian Slater Porsche 996 Cup

CLASS - 1
40 Simon Scuffham / Chris Randall Lotus Exige 2
41 Martin Roos/W Schawohl/N Starke/MSchultis Lotus Exige 2
42 Martin Roos/W Schawohl/N Starke/MSchultis Lotus Exige 2
43 Cor Euser BMW Compact
44 Colin White BMW M3 E46
45 Simon Scuffham / Chris Randalll Lotus Exige 2
46 Peter Duke / Chris Wilson BMW M3 E36
47 Ian Dockerill Porsche 997 Cup
48 Guy Povey BMW E36 M3
49 Mark Smith/D Cuff/N Stephens/S Reading BMW Compact
50 Bob Stockley / Alan Wilshire / Rupert Laslett Lotus Exige 2
51 Raun Austin / Luther Blisset / Les Ferdinand, George Agyeton / Winston Graham / Tony Chambers Windrush Motorsport BMW M3 E36
52 Steve Bell/S Leith/M Symons BMW M3 E36
53 Andrew Elliott BMW M3 E36
54 Dominic Jackson/R Barff/S Warburton BMW M3 E36
55 Rob Myers / John Dawson-Ellis BMW M3 E36
56 Robert Neville / TBA / TBA / TBA Nissan
57 TBA / TBA / TBA M Hulford Mspt Renault Spyder

CLASS 2


58 Andreas Demeitriou / Chris Nicolas Honda Integra R
59 John Ballentyne / Tom Ballentyne / Ian Gibson / Stuart Brooks Team BBG Racing Porsche 944
60 Paul Kneeshaw MG ZS 180
61 Peter Venn / Mark Hein / Dave Allan Honda Civic Type
62 Gary Coulson / TBA / TBA / TBA Honda Civic Type 63 Tony Lees Driver BMW M3
64 Paul Collis / Simon Mason Honda Civic Type
65 Ian Bankhurst / Austin Reynolds / Richard Ince Honda
66 Ian Bankhurst - 2nd car Honda
67 Peter Cate / TBA / TBA / TBA Hyundai Coupe


CLASS 3
69 Alex Frick/T Flatt/N Beaumount/D Turner VW Beetle
70 Doug Newman Honda Integra Type R
71 Steve Guiliarmi Mazda RX7
72 Kevin Hancock / Leigh Smart Honda Integra Type R
73 Robin Walker/D Cole/M Wahlgren MG ZR
74 Fiona Leggate MG ZR
75 Ian Gow Honda Integra
76 K Cock Honda Integra
77 Desmond Smail Honda Integra
78 Matt Perkins / Steve Griffiths / Mike Nippers / TBA / TBA / TBA OJP Racing Honda Civic Vti


Diesel Class to be confirmed

79 TV Company BMW 330
80 Ken Lark/A Sawyer/J Quatermaine/A Quatermaine VW Golf Diesel
81 Paul Waldron/N Barrow/C Bardwell/RCorbett/D Mountain BMW 330 DTi Sport

[Malcolm]

Test day went well, no engine or gearbox problems. Doing better than last year already!

I haven't driven the car since last year so it was a bit of a refresher course to learn the new dash layout. The wiring loom seems to have grown since last year with many more warning lights and trip fuses. I hope the data logging system has grown as that would be useful to me.

When I drove I had to keep to a low rpm red line as the engine was brand new. This was quite tricky as the power band wanted to spin the engine just as I was getting to the red line. However the tell tale said I behaved.

Handling seemed a little off and this was tracked to a rear wheel suspension issue but sorted in 5 minutes. No idea what it was, they won't let me near the car with a spanner!

My second session was cancelled as the circuit was closed due to excessive rain causing standing water. As I left for real work, the circuit re-opened. I have been told all went well so we are now on to the next test session which is the track day mentioned in another thread on 21st August. Two GTD40s and Bjorns monster Viper will be there that day so anyone who wants to come and watch is most wlecome.

For those who follow GT and Britcar racing or do Gold Track track days, you may wish to spare a thought for Calum Lockie as he is in hospital with bust up legs. He got crushed by a car rolling off a transporter by being between it and the car it hit. Don't know how long he will be out of action for but lets hope he is back soon.

[ChrisL]

Interesting that there is a Vauxhal Monaro and two Ford Falcons entered, both models are Australian built. I can understand how the Monaro got in there (it's available in the UK) but how/why are the Falcons in there? If I understand correctly, they're only available in the Aus market. I'll be interested to see how they size up against the super-exotics though.

[Malcolm]

Sorry Chris I don't know the answer to your question on the Falcons. A Minaro ran last year I think but from what I remember it wasn't that quick. But you could hear it coming! Whether it is the same as this years Minaro I do not know. Calum was down to drive it but with his bust up legs, who knows now. However as they are all GT3 cars they have to be quicker than us but they get less capacity in the fuel tank so have to stop more. This year we only get 110 litres per tank, last year we had 120 litres. Still with a rate of consumption at 48 litres per hour, I guess we shall be driving over 2 hour stints!

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Originally Posted by Malcolm

Still with a rate of consumption at 48 litres per hour, I guess we shall be driving over 2 hour stints!

Fingers crossed Malc!!

Also - It's 'Monaro' - don't want to upset the natives....

Just picking holes as I'm not doing anything else at the moment

[Keith Hardy]

Originally Posted by chrisl

Interesting that there is a Vauxhal Monaro and two Ford Falcons entered, both models are Australian built. I can understand how the Monaro got in there (it's available in the UK) but how/why are the Falcons in there? If I understand correctly, they're only available in the Aus market. I'll be interested to see how they size up against the super-exotics though.

I've seen several XR8's here....

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Originally Posted by Keith1

I've seen several XR8's here....

That's a blast from the past Keith.... I remember seing one up at Redline Tuning (nr Heathrow) when I had an Escort Mexico Mk1 on the rollers being tweeked..

Nice looking concept.. South African I thought....

(sorry for slight thread drift Malc...)

[Malcolm]

Huh? Well, I may not know how to spoll, so I will continue concentrating on what I need to do. :-)

The car that I would like to beat, and to me on paper we should, is Alistair McKinnons Lotus Exige. Alistair was a team mate last year and is a good driver although he did not get much opportunity to show it at the time. He is an ex-works Noble driver and Lotus Elise specialist. He is setting up his own team this year as he was fed up with cars going wrong when other people were in charge. Some logic there. His team mates are Dean Lazante and Adrian Newey. That should be some team as Dean is one of the Lazante family that prepare a lot of top cars including Neweys and Ray Bellm's GT40s and his dad Paul Lazante ran the McLaren F1 to victory at Le Mans first try out. Dean also races a lot of differing cars right up to F1! Adrian did Le Mans this year as well as all his other experience. They should know what they are doing.

So, reliability being equal, should our Porsche 993 Cup Car beat a Lotus Exige over 24 hours? We are in the same class. They have a top driver line up, great resources and maybe Adrian will suggest some aero tweaks? Our team has little old me, a pony tailed Greek, and three race instructors, one being Brazilian if that means anything extra! And a 10 year old pure race Porsche.....

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

I'm really looking forward to this Malc - although won't be up till late again... Might bring my two nephews too if they can stay awake...

Perhaps Bjorn/Nads might like to come up too, their Vipers would certainly look good in the proposed car display, although it's a flipping long way and then back to Bath....

Actually - Now I think of it they might be at Santa-Pod on the Sunday..