Zandvoort HARC 2010 classic car races
Discussion
It had been well over 20 years since I last set foot on Zandvoort track. UK racer Jerry Knight invited me to come see the HARC races and share a bun or two. I brought my dad who had a superb times.
I'll post snaps in groups / themes. Let's start with some personal favourites: the Sprite-based racers.
Pieter BAKKER on Austin Healey 'Monza' Sprite 1959. The Monza bonnet was sold through Speedwell in 1963, Graham Hill being the president of the company at that time. The bonnet was developed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin, who had formerly worked on the Lotus Elite project and later joined the F1 Team Lotus of Colin Chapman. As a result the Sprites had spectacular success at Sebring.
As a sucker for little Sprites my eye fell on this little bugger which is owned by Dutchie Pieter Bakker. It carries a tuned BMC A-series.
There are a lot of variations of this car made since their first major success when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class on the 1958 Alpine Rally.
Pieter wrestling to keep the car straight after the edgy S-curve, on his way to the Kuhmo curve. Lovely screamer this.
Playing with slow shutter speeds: 1/25s here.
PhotoBucket won't co-operate tonight . . .
I'll post snaps in groups / themes. Let's start with some personal favourites: the Sprite-based racers.
Pieter BAKKER on Austin Healey 'Monza' Sprite 1959. The Monza bonnet was sold through Speedwell in 1963, Graham Hill being the president of the company at that time. The bonnet was developed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin, who had formerly worked on the Lotus Elite project and later joined the F1 Team Lotus of Colin Chapman. As a result the Sprites had spectacular success at Sebring.
As a sucker for little Sprites my eye fell on this little bugger which is owned by Dutchie Pieter Bakker. It carries a tuned BMC A-series.
There are a lot of variations of this car made since their first major success when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class on the 1958 Alpine Rally.
Pieter wrestling to keep the car straight after the edgy S-curve, on his way to the Kuhmo curve. Lovely screamer this.
Playing with slow shutter speeds: 1/25s here.
PhotoBucket won't co-operate tonight . . .
Pieter Bakkers lovely Costin Sprite:
Engine detail.
Not much to see there!
Patrice Wattinnes 1960 Turner:
Ready to qualify.
French - there were quite a few - view on the Turner.
Back on all four after the Audi S-curve.
This would be my choice as a racer.
Patrice had an extremely thin seat as he is a big guy.
Definately lower than a GT40!
Excellent car!
Engine detail.
Not much to see there!
Patrice Wattinnes 1960 Turner:
Ready to qualify.
French - there were quite a few - view on the Turner.
Back on all four after the Audi S-curve.
This would be my choice as a racer.
Patrice had an extremely thin seat as he is a big guy.
Definately lower than a GT40!
Excellent car!
I have loads on Patrices Turner, go see FaceBook:
At speed at 1/30 secs.
Oh, and this one:
The WSM is a Sprite based thingy. Awesome looker.
At speed through Hugenholz.
A match for the Elise.
I have a major soft spot for small racers like the Simca Abarths and Sprite-based kits like this one.
At speed at 1/50 secs.
At speed at 1/30 secs.
Oh, and this one:
The WSM is a Sprite based thingy. Awesome looker.
At speed through Hugenholz.
A match for the Elise.
I have a major soft spot for small racers like the Simca Abarths and Sprite-based kits like this one.
At speed at 1/50 secs.
Great turnup of little fun cars.Give me a shout when it is time. I might pop over for a chat.
More Sprite yum:
Sebring Sprite was amazingly quick! The tires had it shift a class up.
The Escort - one of a massive and noisy flock! - passed within a blink of an eye. The silver one had to carry a BDA I'm sure. Had no chance to peek under the bonnet as it was closed or there was no owner around. The others were RS 1.6s (Lotus TC) and one Mk2 RS2000. More of that later.
Mark Dols' Sebring GT Racing Sprite.
Wikipedia says: The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite was a modified version of the Austin-Healey Sprite which became accepted by FIA as a separate model in its own right. The car featured disc brakes as well as engine and chassis improvements. After its homologation on 17 September 1960, FIA regulations permitted the use of 'alternative coachwork'. Some Sebring Sprites were subsequently fitted with coupé bodywork in aluminium alloy and glassfibre, the most strikingly attractive examples being devised by well-known saloon car race driver and 1959 British Rally Champion John Sprinzel, who commissioned the renowned racing and prototype body coachbuilders Williams & Pritchard to produce it. The name 'Sebring Sprite' would become a generic term for any Sprite with disc brakes, and later for any Sprite with coupé or fastback bodywork, but its origins lay with the Sprite's designers the Donald Healey Motor Company and its manufacturer the British Motor Corporation."
Both Gram Hill and Sir Moss raced these little buggers
Whizzing by at Hugenholze corner.
I guess this is the Audi-S-curve. The mighty Sprite kept in front of the 7s easy.
More.
More Sprite yum:
Sebring Sprite was amazingly quick! The tires had it shift a class up.
The Escort - one of a massive and noisy flock! - passed within a blink of an eye. The silver one had to carry a BDA I'm sure. Had no chance to peek under the bonnet as it was closed or there was no owner around. The others were RS 1.6s (Lotus TC) and one Mk2 RS2000. More of that later.
Mark Dols' Sebring GT Racing Sprite.
Wikipedia says: The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite was a modified version of the Austin-Healey Sprite which became accepted by FIA as a separate model in its own right. The car featured disc brakes as well as engine and chassis improvements. After its homologation on 17 September 1960, FIA regulations permitted the use of 'alternative coachwork'. Some Sebring Sprites were subsequently fitted with coupé bodywork in aluminium alloy and glassfibre, the most strikingly attractive examples being devised by well-known saloon car race driver and 1959 British Rally Champion John Sprinzel, who commissioned the renowned racing and prototype body coachbuilders Williams & Pritchard to produce it. The name 'Sebring Sprite' would become a generic term for any Sprite with disc brakes, and later for any Sprite with coupé or fastback bodywork, but its origins lay with the Sprite's designers the Donald Healey Motor Company and its manufacturer the British Motor Corporation."
Both Gram Hill and Sir Moss raced these little buggers
Whizzing by at Hugenholze corner.
I guess this is the Audi-S-curve. The mighty Sprite kept in front of the 7s easy.
More.
Mark Dols Williams & Pritchard Sebring GT won class:
1/15 secs.
Quicker than a Seven!
More info here: http://www.williamsandpritchardregister.co.uk/ownw...
More tiny ones up soon.
1/15 secs.
Quicker than a Seven!
More info here: http://www.williamsandpritchardregister.co.uk/ownw...
More tiny ones up soon.
Zandvoort is the kinda track where the smaller cars can have a huge advantage over the bigger ones. I saw an Iso struggle behind an Elan: imagine! Impossible at Spa.
Jerry told me: "Not much opportunity to rest here, all bends and pretty hard work to keep the car on the floor. Unlike Spa where there are stretches to relax and have the blood flow back to the arms."
Of course the Porks would eventually catch these little buggers. But not without some serious effort.
Not much leaning on these Italian stallions. They keep straight and tight even in hard corners.
Typical classic car racing line up: Lotus Cortina, Abarth FIAT, Morgan and 2002 / 1802 Beemer.
A garage near my office has a guy working on Abarths. Hi spec will deliver well over 90 brake from a peanuts money engine.
Love the wheels.
Let's see . . . there were quite a few buzzy Escorts. One of them a mega quick BDA. Up next.
Jerry told me: "Not much opportunity to rest here, all bends and pretty hard work to keep the car on the floor. Unlike Spa where there are stretches to relax and have the blood flow back to the arms."
Of course the Porks would eventually catch these little buggers. But not without some serious effort.
Not much leaning on these Italian stallions. They keep straight and tight even in hard corners.
Typical classic car racing line up: Lotus Cortina, Abarth FIAT, Morgan and 2002 / 1802 Beemer.
A garage near my office has a guy working on Abarths. Hi spec will deliver well over 90 brake from a peanuts money engine.
Love the wheels.
Let's see . . . there were quite a few buzzy Escorts. One of them a mega quick BDA. Up next.
Some info on Mark Dols car:
"The car is a ’64 Austin Healy Sprite chassis with a rare Williams & Pritchard Sebering GT body. The rolling part is as standard but measured to exact and tight specs. So not widthend but lowered 11 cms. Fuelcell is 36 litres. Engine is a 1380cc with a 306 degrees cam, forged crank, steel rods, Omega pistonheads, steel and light fly: 140 brake @ 6900Rpm / 175Mn @ 5000Rpm. Quickest Zandvoort lap is 2:07 on Toyos and 2:10 on Bridgestoners. Mark wrote me he has huge fun with this little riot, as I can imagine!"
Thanx for the info Mark!
"The car is a ’64 Austin Healy Sprite chassis with a rare Williams & Pritchard Sebering GT body. The rolling part is as standard but measured to exact and tight specs. So not widthend but lowered 11 cms. Fuelcell is 36 litres. Engine is a 1380cc with a 306 degrees cam, forged crank, steel rods, Omega pistonheads, steel and light fly: 140 brake @ 6900Rpm / 175Mn @ 5000Rpm. Quickest Zandvoort lap is 2:07 on Toyos and 2:10 on Bridgestoners. Mark wrote me he has huge fun with this little riot, as I can imagine!"
Thanx for the info Mark!
Escort mania:
Here I was beyond the tire-wall, alightly illegal.
Marshalls looked at me if I was out of my mind . . .
. . . because I was kind of in the line of fire . . .
. . . should a driver loose it and fly straight through: no tires between me and the cars then.
I mean: what's live without hazzards? C'mon . . .
Here I was beyond the tire-wall, alightly illegal.
Marshalls looked at me if I was out of my mind . . .
. . . because I was kind of in the line of fire . . .
. . . should a driver loose it and fly straight through: no tires between me and the cars then.
I mean: what's live without hazzards? C'mon . . .
I won't post only Escort action:
Close racing.
Hugenholtz Corner, info on the man here:
http://www.racehistorie.nl/rijders/hans%20hugenhol...
And yes, he races the Spa 6 Hrs every now and then.
In my dreams . . .
1/8 sec: quick SOBs.
Next: we need to move on, so MGB.
Close racing.
Hugenholtz Corner, info on the man here:
http://www.racehistorie.nl/rijders/hans%20hugenhol...
And yes, he races the Spa 6 Hrs every now and then.
In my dreams . . .
1/8 sec: quick SOBs.
Next: we need to move on, so MGB.
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