Spa Summer Classics 2014
Discussion
Great saturday out, although a bit wet:
John Faux and Richard Evans inspecting the Marcos 1800 before running the NK HTGT race.
Welcome! at the Dutch hide out: tidy Falcon - one of many in the NK HTGT race, all within 1 sec! - and the first of a handfull friendly invitations to chat classic cars. We loved the race, from the Brasserie roof
Just before I was swept from the pit box area: Anthony van den Oetelaar E-type.
The Michiel Campagne tent: Michiel Oprey takes his 350GT Mustang out for a quick run.
Winner in the soundbyte catagory: Michiel Campagne (2nd in NK HTGT race).
More.
John Faux and Richard Evans inspecting the Marcos 1800 before running the NK HTGT race.
Welcome! at the Dutch hide out: tidy Falcon - one of many in the NK HTGT race, all within 1 sec! - and the first of a handfull friendly invitations to chat classic cars. We loved the race, from the Brasserie roof
Just before I was swept from the pit box area: Anthony van den Oetelaar E-type.
The Michiel Campagne tent: Michiel Oprey takes his 350GT Mustang out for a quick run.
Winner in the soundbyte catagory: Michiel Campagne (2nd in NK HTGT race).
More.
More on the Ceng Lim / Phil James RAM Cobra:
Cheng checking the car. P7 on a mega quick grid: light 'n agile Caterhams, Escorts and Crossles.
Ready to rumble.
Stiff competition.
Massive V8 in there.
In the dry the light 'n powerfull Caterhams outran the V8 cars by 4 secs.
Yellow Crossle gave up before the warm up.
What these Escorts had 'in there' is beyond me. In the rain they proved serious opponents and this bugger had the lead for a few laps. Screaming!
More ...
Cheng checking the car. P7 on a mega quick grid: light 'n agile Caterhams, Escorts and Crossles.
Ready to rumble.
Stiff competition.
Massive V8 in there.
In the dry the light 'n powerfull Caterhams outran the V8 cars by 4 secs.
Yellow Crossle gave up before the warm up.
What these Escorts had 'in there' is beyond me. In the rain they proved serious opponents and this bugger had the lead for a few laps. Screaming!
More ...
Starting the motor.
To get an idea about the pace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKFocTELa-Q
The first lap was dry with a nod to a slight drizzle. But soon a typical Ardens monsoon turned the race in a slow motion event.
Always a crowd pleaser, this TWR Bastos Rover SD1. More here: http://www.roversd1.nl/sd1web/team1b.html
First car to pit: driver change, check tires, wipers.
Another red Escort attracted when we arrived, in the dry:
Holbay steel Escort madness. A 2.4-litre tarmac race engine on management – current price £17,750 – develops over 300 bhp.
Silly Escorts weigh next to nothing and lap Spa at 2:54 which is ... silly.
More.
Pitting:
Caterhams were blistering quick in the dry but lost pace in the (very) wet.
Big TVR Griffith comes in for a driver change en quick check up.
Driver change Lotus Elan style: there's not much space!
Once out there's time for a brief status update.
A Mark Dols whizz by.
A Mk1 Escort comes in. Slightly bigger than standard arches there ...
Running down the hill again, towards the slope after Eau Rouge.
Ah, there comes Cheng:
Let's have a closer look.
Caterhams were blistering quick in the dry but lost pace in the (very) wet.
Big TVR Griffith comes in for a driver change en quick check up.
Driver change Lotus Elan style: there's not much space!
Once out there's time for a brief status update.
A Mark Dols whizz by.
A Mk1 Escort comes in. Slightly bigger than standard arches there ...
Running down the hill again, towards the slope after Eau Rouge.
Ah, there comes Cheng:
Let's have a closer look.
The 6.6 coming in for a quick run around and driver change:
Mech hears something ...
Cobra did well and Cheng did not fear either the quick Escorts and the rain. Note the red Elan. I briefly spoke to the team captain. This race was a test bed for the forthcoming Spa 6 Hours race. Mwah ... the Lotus wasn't entirely trouble free. Nice BRM four though.
Phil had some quick laps in mind.
"Don't you lap faster than me matey."
Kate got a brand new cam.
Off you go, and yes: quickest lap in a minute.
Next: 330 GTO rep.
Mech hears something ...
Cobra did well and Cheng did not fear either the quick Escorts and the rain. Note the red Elan. I briefly spoke to the team captain. This race was a test bed for the forthcoming Spa 6 Hours race. Mwah ... the Lotus wasn't entirely trouble free. Nice BRM four though.
Phil had some quick laps in mind.
"Don't you lap faster than me matey."
Kate got a brand new cam.
Off you go, and yes: quickest lap in a minute.
Next: 330 GTO rep.
Yes. It was wet. BossCerbera Espada S3. Blistering.
When I turned around ...
... I saw the Boss. Agreed. Hardly as elegant.
A few years earlier ...
... Ford made these.
Which is more to my liking.
Frits Campagne crawls up the grid.
Which is in this direction.
Fancy a hipo 289 cab? 3:04 sec laptimes guaranteed!
The quick Glasel Ford had to retire after 6 laps. 2:57 Low Drag E-type won this race. Michiel Campagne came in 2nd in his mighty C2: best sound of the race! Some Falcons were over 3 secs 'too quick' to be AppK.
Mmmmh. Let's drool over a 330 GTO rep.
In 1962 Ferrari began working on a 4-liter version of the 250 GTO: revised chassis and body with the 4-liter Super America engine. The car pictured here is a rep.
Apparently only the connaisseurs noticed this one was not a genuine article. Lots of shock and awe in the pitlane!
Mighty 4 litre V12 was also used in the LM-winning 330 TRI/LM and mated to a bespoke 4-Speed transmission with no synchromesh gears.
The sound ... quite something!
Compared to the 250 GTO the chassis is lengthened to 2420 mm. I like the 330 over the 250 and love the more stretched look on 60s Ferrari's like the 275 and later the Daytona.
Monsoon rains made outdoor pitbox antics adventurous. It compromized laptimes only slightly.
Yes, it does look different compared to an original and yes, I'd not hesitate to drive one anytime and anywhere. Stunning.
Only 3 orignal cars: where are they today?
Dunno which P or laptimes. I'll ask the racers
More.
Alpine Renault A110:
Tiny wheels, mini engine, compact size: quick!
Compact Michelotti gem made from 1961 to 1977. With 125 brake in a 620 kgs shell these things go. 1973 was a good WRC year with Monte Carlo, Acropolis and Corsica wins.
I'm a sucker for 70s Beemers.
... and 70s Ferrari's. Although this looks like an early 80s 328.
No match for the period Porker as it seems.
Not sure about these wheels.
Next: last batch of the four pots
Tiny wheels, mini engine, compact size: quick!
Compact Michelotti gem made from 1961 to 1977. With 125 brake in a 620 kgs shell these things go. 1973 was a good WRC year with Monte Carlo, Acropolis and Corsica wins.
I'm a sucker for 70s Beemers.
... and 70s Ferrari's. Although this looks like an early 80s 328.
No match for the period Porker as it seems.
Not sure about these wheels.
Next: last batch of the four pots
GTRene said:
great pictures, also not seen this Griffith before me thinks...
do you have more of that Griffith?
Renedo you have more of that Griffith?
Its the Dodd Griffith, now sporting an orange stripe. Ran unsuccessfully in the 6 Hours in 2012. Father and son run the Spedecrete Tiger and a 390SE with an LS engine in it.
Fiscracer said:
GTRene said:
great pictures, also not seen this Griffith before me thinks...
do you have more of that Griffith?
Renedo you have more of that Griffith?
Its the Dodd Griffith, now sporting an orange stripe. Ran unsuccessfully in the 6 Hours in 2012. Father and son run the Spedecrete Tiger and a 390SE with an LS engine in it.
looks lovely.
and a 390se with LS engine? must be a great/scary drive too
did a quick search for the Dodd tvr Griffith, but could not find more pictures.
LM fastback, right?
Eckford & Beighton's Sunbeam Tiger LeMans (Spa 2006 - 3:04) is a pretty thing. And fast too.
A little bit of history: "Back in the days the Sunbeam Tiger was the cheapest way to have a Shelby engineered, small block Ford powered two seat British sports. Just as the Cobra was born from the lesser AC Ace, so was the Tiger born from the lesser Sunbeam Alpine.
An agreement with Ford Motors was reached to supply 260 cid V8 motors, with the first order for 3,000 units. Rootes then started their own development of the prototype into a certified, mass produced sports car.
The resulting Sunbeam Tiger was a huge success. Sunbeam was no longer competing with MGs and Triumphs, but rather Jaguars and Corvettes, and for a lot less money, retailing for under $3,500. Tigers came with a two-barrel 260 as standard equipment, but high performance options were screened by Shelby American, then offered for sale through Sunbeam dealerships just as Cobra hop-up kits were available through Ford dealers for Mustang owners.
July of 1964 saw coupe bodied Tigers competing at Le Mans. Though limited by short development time, these Lister bodied cars were timed at over 160 mph at Le Mans. Unfortunately, the motors in both team cars expired. Fortunately though, road racing in the U.S. was where Tigers had some of their greatest victories."
Eckford & Beighton's Sunbeam Tiger LeMans (Spa 2006 - 3:04) is a pretty thing. And fast too.
A little bit of history: "Back in the days the Sunbeam Tiger was the cheapest way to have a Shelby engineered, small block Ford powered two seat British sports. Just as the Cobra was born from the lesser AC Ace, so was the Tiger born from the lesser Sunbeam Alpine.
An agreement with Ford Motors was reached to supply 260 cid V8 motors, with the first order for 3,000 units. Rootes then started their own development of the prototype into a certified, mass produced sports car.
The resulting Sunbeam Tiger was a huge success. Sunbeam was no longer competing with MGs and Triumphs, but rather Jaguars and Corvettes, and for a lot less money, retailing for under $3,500. Tigers came with a two-barrel 260 as standard equipment, but high performance options were screened by Shelby American, then offered for sale through Sunbeam dealerships just as Cobra hop-up kits were available through Ford dealers for Mustang owners.
July of 1964 saw coupe bodied Tigers competing at Le Mans. Though limited by short development time, these Lister bodied cars were timed at over 160 mph at Le Mans. Unfortunately, the motors in both team cars expired. Fortunately though, road racing in the U.S. was where Tigers had some of their greatest victories."
Old paddock peek through.
Cheng & Phil win.
Jane and Kate praising the Cobra.
Big 6.6 was a riot in the rains. Phil went faster and faster ... without spinning the 600 brake snake.
Resting.
Happy racers: glad this one's over. Either 300 brake Escort or 600 brake Cobra were more than a handfull on a mega slippery track.
Next: very big C3 Corvette.
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