PistonHeaders Den Lyon and Sean Hayes secured a memorable victory in the BARC/CSCC
Classic & Historic/Post Historic Group One 1 hour/2 driver race at
Snetterton last weekend in their Rover Vitesse, with Raven Motorsport team mates
Stephen Keating and Kingsley Martin finishing a highly credible fifth. Den and
Sean's 4.3 litre V8 Rover, sporting a unique blue, red, yellow and marker pen
livery, proved that performance and reliability count more than looks in a one
hour race.
Den had qualified the car in second place on the grid, behind their fellow
Classic Thunder Championship rival Colin Stott's immaculately prepared and very
fast 3.4 litre Ford Capri. The Capri was some four seconds a lap quicker than
the Rover, so Raven's hopes rested on being able to run more reliably for the
endurance race. The yellow Stephen Keating/Kingsley Martin Raven Motorsport V8
Rover also qualified well, but the drivers had some concern as to whether the
car could hold sufficient fuel for the full race distance.
Running a similar format to the British GT championship with a driver change
beween 20 and 40 minutes, the race provided a fantastic array of entrants that
evoked many memories of saloon car racing in the 70's and 80's. Being open to
competitors from the all of the classic saloon car championships meant that
there were Ford Mustangs shooting it out with the likes of a Triumph Dolomite
Sprint, Lotus Cortinas, Sierra Cosworths, a Toyota Supra and even an Alfa Romeo
Guilia, as well as classic Rovers and Capris.
At the start Stott's number 88 Capri stormed off into a lead, although not
pulling out as much of a gap to Den in second place as might have been expected.
Stephen Keating in the number 96 Rover enjoyed ding-dong battles with the Toyota
and Sierra Cosworth a little way down the field, with the cracked rear axle of
the Mustang ensuring that there was plenty of action on the exit from Russell
due to oil on the racing line.
With the driver change window approaching, the Lyons/Hayes car seemed
comfortable in second place behind the Capri, albeit with a bonnet that was
doing its best to part company. However, the "fast but fragile"
profecy came true, with the Capri having to retire just before the half way
stage with a broken throttle linkage.
Sean was able to take over the Rover in first place to drive the second half
of the race, following a rapid pit stop which included taking on additional tie
wraps for the bodywork. Kinsgley had to wait a little longer to get into the
second Raven Rover as the car had to be pushed into a pit lane garage for
refuelling. This pushed the pairing further down the field, but Marten set off
determined to make up places.
A series of retirements as the race neared its end, together with laps right
up there with the fastest runners, meant the exhilirated Keating and Marten
finished fifth in the super-reliable Rover.
Hayes
built up a comfortable lead from the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Kevin Williams in
second place, and appeared to be running reliably. Five minutes from the
chequered flag and the Rover was circulating noticably slower, with the
hard-charging Cosworth taking up to five seconds a lap from him; was this simply
to look after the car and conserve fuel, or was there a problem?
Into the last lap the Rover seemed to be safe, but Williams was putting
everything into the chase. The Lyons/Hayes car crossed the line just as the
Sierra exited Russell, much to the jubilation of the Raven pit crew who were
noted as easily being the noisiest and most enthusiastic of the day.
So, a great race and a fantastic result for the smiling Den Lyons and Sean
Hayes.
Den, Sean, Kingsley and Stephen can be seen campaigning the four Raven
Motorsport Rovers in the BARC/CSCC Classic Thunder, Classic Group 1 Touring Car
and Pre 90 Touring Car championships: a heartily recommended feast of racing.
The team will next be out at Lydden on 27/28th July, and at Silverstone on
17/18th August.
PH Members: Den,
shayes,
jeremyc
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