Brands Hatch night race report
Discussion
Possibly my most enjoyable race to date:
Going into the final lap we were running 3rd in class, the lead BMW was way out in front and out of contention, the Ruhan/Scott Ferrari was 40 seconds ahead when I got into the car but I`d managed to chip away over the past 40 minutes or so. The Top Cats TVR Tuscan was just in front of me several laps down but more importanty the Harrison/Beaumont Marcos was attached to my back bumper looking to take 3rd sport. I`d done all I could to keep it a steady 10 seconds behind for the whole of my stint but a few laps earlier one the the BMWs had put some oil down at Graham Hill, the car slid out, I held onto the slide but it had un-nerved me enough to drop a little time over a couple of laps allowing the Marcos to catch up. I was the Porsche meat in a Top Cats plastic sandwich
I`d had 2 or 3 laps trying to make the Porsche as wide as possible whilst at the same time getting past slower cars so as not to give any opportunities away. I was having to do all the work with traffic, the Marcos just had to stick with me as we cut through traffic. Out of Clearways, down the start finish straight and the Marcos was drawing along side but I`d stayed low against the pit wall and he wasn`t going to take me on the outside at Paddock. 3/4 of a lap, that`s all I had to do to keep hold of a very respecable 3rd place. In the distance going up paddock hill towards Druids I could see the Ruhan/Scott Ferrari, that`s thrown a little extra into the mix I though (or words to that effect!).
On the one hand this meant 2nd place was a possibility, on the other hand it was another chance to make a mistake that the Marcos could capitalise on. In the end I didn`t spend too long over introductions and managed to sneak past. Unfortunately my Porsche had grown by the length a Marcos and so the Ferrari was demoted from 2nd to 4th place in an instance. Graham Hill is easy to defend, Surtees not so. I could see the Marcos coming up the inside so turned a little early and slowly closed the door looking in my side mirror to see how he reacted. I was preparing myself for a tap and getting ready to catch the car. In the end, like a true gent the Marcos backed off, just! Clearways it was then.
Keeping to the right of the track it was going to be round the outside if he wanted to have a go. Hard accelerating out of the corner I closed the door on the exit of the corner as the car drifted left, then it was a couple of hundred yards and a change from 3rd to 4th until the line.
We finished 2nd in class with the Marcos less than half a second behind.
That was the last minute of a 90 minute race that had seen action all the way. Hand shakes in Parc Ferme rounded off the race. Pete & I had enjoyed a race which was taken right to the wire and luckily the toast landed marmalade side up on the floor for us this time.
Great driving throughout the field, (would you pick a night race round the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in a TVR Tuscan for your first ever race!), sorry if I was at all rude when overtaking anyone - it was the bloody Top Cat boys making me
A great meal down the curry house the night before with all the gang, a slight question mark over Jon`s mode of transport to the circuit (at least he hid the flower), unlucky for the Jemco boys - thanks for the insurance cover this year in the Porsche series & the 24 hour. A few beers in the Pentagon with the EERC staff afterwards - we may not see eye to eye on everything but you`ve got to break bread and have a giggle, finally a surprisingly good T bone steak dinner with Pete in the Thistle before retiring for some beauty sleep in readiness for next year.
The boys are back in business..... and they`re felling ebullient
Henry
Going into the final lap we were running 3rd in class, the lead BMW was way out in front and out of contention, the Ruhan/Scott Ferrari was 40 seconds ahead when I got into the car but I`d managed to chip away over the past 40 minutes or so. The Top Cats TVR Tuscan was just in front of me several laps down but more importanty the Harrison/Beaumont Marcos was attached to my back bumper looking to take 3rd sport. I`d done all I could to keep it a steady 10 seconds behind for the whole of my stint but a few laps earlier one the the BMWs had put some oil down at Graham Hill, the car slid out, I held onto the slide but it had un-nerved me enough to drop a little time over a couple of laps allowing the Marcos to catch up. I was the Porsche meat in a Top Cats plastic sandwich
I`d had 2 or 3 laps trying to make the Porsche as wide as possible whilst at the same time getting past slower cars so as not to give any opportunities away. I was having to do all the work with traffic, the Marcos just had to stick with me as we cut through traffic. Out of Clearways, down the start finish straight and the Marcos was drawing along side but I`d stayed low against the pit wall and he wasn`t going to take me on the outside at Paddock. 3/4 of a lap, that`s all I had to do to keep hold of a very respecable 3rd place. In the distance going up paddock hill towards Druids I could see the Ruhan/Scott Ferrari, that`s thrown a little extra into the mix I though (or words to that effect!).
On the one hand this meant 2nd place was a possibility, on the other hand it was another chance to make a mistake that the Marcos could capitalise on. In the end I didn`t spend too long over introductions and managed to sneak past. Unfortunately my Porsche had grown by the length a Marcos and so the Ferrari was demoted from 2nd to 4th place in an instance. Graham Hill is easy to defend, Surtees not so. I could see the Marcos coming up the inside so turned a little early and slowly closed the door looking in my side mirror to see how he reacted. I was preparing myself for a tap and getting ready to catch the car. In the end, like a true gent the Marcos backed off, just! Clearways it was then.
Keeping to the right of the track it was going to be round the outside if he wanted to have a go. Hard accelerating out of the corner I closed the door on the exit of the corner as the car drifted left, then it was a couple of hundred yards and a change from 3rd to 4th until the line.
We finished 2nd in class with the Marcos less than half a second behind.
That was the last minute of a 90 minute race that had seen action all the way. Hand shakes in Parc Ferme rounded off the race. Pete & I had enjoyed a race which was taken right to the wire and luckily the toast landed marmalade side up on the floor for us this time.
Great driving throughout the field, (would you pick a night race round the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in a TVR Tuscan for your first ever race!), sorry if I was at all rude when overtaking anyone - it was the bloody Top Cat boys making me
A great meal down the curry house the night before with all the gang, a slight question mark over Jon`s mode of transport to the circuit (at least he hid the flower), unlucky for the Jemco boys - thanks for the insurance cover this year in the Porsche series & the 24 hour. A few beers in the Pentagon with the EERC staff afterwards - we may not see eye to eye on everything but you`ve got to break bread and have a giggle, finally a surprisingly good T bone steak dinner with Pete in the Thistle before retiring for some beauty sleep in readiness for next year. The boys are back in business..... and they`re felling ebullient
Henry
Edited by Henry-F on Monday 12th November 01:31
Steve Britcar said:
I've asked for the Dailysportscar report to be amended to allude to Henry's situation above.
I understand that, since the publication of Paul's picture, a major advertising agency is interested; Henry will feature in the Next clothing catalogue (cool weekend casuals for young professionals), and Pete will be the Face of Ginsters, seen on Motorway service area hoardings countrywide.
Henry, sorry to be so sesquipadaliant with my prose (I think that's the right spelling!).
You are indeed a true Sesquipadalian. I am but a verbal monkey in your esteemed presence.I understand that, since the publication of Paul's picture, a major advertising agency is interested; Henry will feature in the Next clothing catalogue (cool weekend casuals for young professionals), and Pete will be the Face of Ginsters, seen on Motorway service area hoardings countrywide.
Henry, sorry to be so sesquipadaliant with my prose (I think that's the right spelling!).
Henry
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff