Brands Hatch Race Report by Steve Wood
Discussion
http://www.britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.723...
Well written Steve.....
Thanks for all your support over the last 2 seasons!
May see you in some form in 2009!
Steve
Well written Steve.....
Thanks for all your support over the last 2 seasons!
May see you in some form in 2009!
Steve
Thanks Steve, you are the only one who has written about us, Jan keeps asking if we won it or was he dreaming, sod all reported elsewhere, no one seems that bothered anyway.
Jan and I were talking about next year, I said we could have a crack at winning the championship again, but as he said, who would know if we won it again and who cares anyway, certainly no one outside of Britcar, and not that many within, based on this seasons reactions. I don't suppose the Kentagon evening was all it could have been, the presenter wanted to go home and rushed all of us along, couldn't even thank our team, but no one was that fussed as most of those in attendance were understandably tired and no doubt uninspired by sausage egg and chips for dinner served by three women from the same family, probably triplets, who again desperately wanted to get home to watch the latest edition of X Factor
Funny thing though, I thought it would feel a bit more special then it does. Based on the general reactions, if Henry had offered us £100 M&S voucher, we would have taken it and buggered off home ourselves.
Jan and I were talking about next year, I said we could have a crack at winning the championship again, but as he said, who would know if we won it again and who cares anyway, certainly no one outside of Britcar, and not that many within, based on this seasons reactions. I don't suppose the Kentagon evening was all it could have been, the presenter wanted to go home and rushed all of us along, couldn't even thank our team, but no one was that fussed as most of those in attendance were understandably tired and no doubt uninspired by sausage egg and chips for dinner served by three women from the same family, probably triplets, who again desperately wanted to get home to watch the latest edition of X Factor
Funny thing though, I thought it would feel a bit more special then it does. Based on the general reactions, if Henry had offered us £100 M&S voucher, we would have taken it and buggered off home ourselves.
Edited by Racing Rod on Monday 24th November 20:42
Rod,the Autosport review (this week) should ameliorate the situation, provided the bulk of the readership gets beyond the F1 stuff at the front of the magazine.
BMW runners can look forward to a 24-hours review with a BMW bias in the next issue of Performance BMW too, with Paul Cherry's evocative images.
BMW runners can look forward to a 24-hours review with a BMW bias in the next issue of Performance BMW too, with Paul Cherry's evocative images.
Never mind them ugly buggers Steve. It`s those dashing chaps in the grey 911 that all the female readership want to know about. Phone numbers, where we live, how the totty can get hold of us if they want to have a night out on the tiles.....
Steve`s already had some feedback from the press releases we sent out. Some guys with moustaches took him out for the day last week, they visited a load of bars, got him absolutely legless, took some photos of him that will apparently be appearing in "Attitude" magazine in the early part of the new year. Not heard of the publication myself, he tells me it`s a specialist lifestyle publication. Whoever they are he earned a couple of rear tyres out of it all so it can only be a good thing. I mean how hard can it be to have your photo taken. I can`t wait to see them.
As Emily said. First is worst, second is best, third is the one with the hairy chest.
She knows some stuff, all that money on education is clearly starting to pay dividends.
Keep smiling boys.
Henry
Steve`s already had some feedback from the press releases we sent out. Some guys with moustaches took him out for the day last week, they visited a load of bars, got him absolutely legless, took some photos of him that will apparently be appearing in "Attitude" magazine in the early part of the new year. Not heard of the publication myself, he tells me it`s a specialist lifestyle publication. Whoever they are he earned a couple of rear tyres out of it all so it can only be a good thing. I mean how hard can it be to have your photo taken. I can`t wait to see them.
As Emily said. First is worst, second is best, third is the one with the hairy chest.
She knows some stuff, all that money on education is clearly starting to pay dividends.
Keep smiling boys.
Henry
Britcar Champions 2008
Pictures by Peter May here http://www.pmimages.net/
Edited by ngr on Tuesday 25th November 19:31
Steve Britcar said:
Thanks Angus.
How did it go in Vallelunga for you and the rest of the Torquespeed cars?
What an absolutely superb circuit. Top staff and a real bunch of enthusiasts running the place. You really feel they want to put on a show and made us feel very welcome. How did it go in Vallelunga for you and the rest of the Torquespeed cars?
The race is an end of season jamboree with ex world touring cars, Nurburgring tackle and ETCS cars together with any tin top that fancies a chance for 6 hours against a phalanx of BMWs...
One of which is yet another astounding car engineered by Duller. The E92 with Flossman kit and BMW Motorsport Z4 kit running gear (a six cylinder screamer). That car really is a dish to behold.
So we turned up after the crash at Brands with our heads a bit low, as the car was pristine before the biff on the cooper straight. Happily Torquespeed had straightened it out and made it look as nice as it could, but it was a bit scruffy. All the better to frighten the Italians with!
Torquespeed teammates were Wayne Gibson and Kevin Clarke (PS1 champions this year) in their mega CSL (running a pretty standard engine though as the big horsepower Toovey prepped lump had noshed at Brands) and stalwart Guy Povey with John and Hamish Irvine in their neat E46 racer. I was surrounded by Brummie pissheads! 17 of us in Rome looking for 'anything as long as it is Spaghetti Bolognese and chips...' Gawd! They are a great crowd
Anyway, after establishing that only cash would do for testing (Italy!) and robbing us blind, Roger and I went on a Vallelunga discovery. Roger discovered more than most as he managed to bin it early on...
Then I went out and was totally blown away by the speed and excellence of one of the best race circuit sections ever - from a hairpin then through 3 very fast corners then into a mid speed double apex right uphill corner. The rest is quite technical and rewards tidiness and punishes over-driving. I loved it, and came in beaming, particularly as I was faster than old hands Gibson and Clarke! He-hey!
The car was going so well. Then it crapped a wheelbearing. That changed we then qualified and we just got pipped by Kevin on a banzai lap and lined up 10th on the grid.
Come the race and I had a blinder of a start and was up to about 7th I think, but then had a bloody coughing fit (air con in hotel seems to have given all of us something a bit iffy). I was finding it hard to concentrate between coughs and my eyes were watering up horribly as I had wiped them with petrol tainted gloves... Managed to sort myself out and got head down and was happy I was my laps never more than a second apart and within a second and half of qually pace but not clouting kerbs etc. Got up to 5th overall and 2nd in class (the Duller car was in our class too, so really no chance unless that broke) when the petrol light blinks on. 95 litres gone in 92 minutes. Perfect! Clarke / Gibson car has problems with steering arm, and I had lapped Hamish twice, so I was the leading Torquespeeder! Get in!
Then I gave it to Roger. Hmmmmm. I had obviously driven it hard enough to nosh the front left, but poor Roger's inexperience in the car meant he kept trying with a car that really needed a new tyre... Anyway, after two offs and circulating at 12 seconds off the pace he finally managed to park it in the kitty litter. s
t! When he is eventually recovered we have lost 2nd in class to Povey's car and discovered that the front left was down to the canvass across the entire tyre... D'oh! Anyway, we are still 3rd in class and I go off and chase John Irvine who now has a 2 lap lead. In the 90 minute session I was lit and managed to get by him back to second in class.
The final pitstops finished, Roger leaves the pits (SIDEWAYS!!!!) and nearly collects Guy (the quickest of the drivers in that car and pedals well for an old bloke...) and he slips by to lead us. Roger tried his heart out, but by the end Guy had half a lap and that is how it finished. Nice big pot for third in class and 10th overall. Best we could have achieved was a possible 4th overall and 2nd in class.
Great race, lots of dices including a 15 lap tussle with Brummie Kev that was great fun. Much celebration on race night and some pisstaking including tying a bin to my hire car and watching me drive up the road with the fooker in tow. Sounded vile.
We have awarded the E36 the 'Hard as fookin nails' award as it screams its heart out and now looks like a menacing thing when it appears in your mirror with its face all twisted! I love the thing. It just keeps getting better. Will have a pile of TLC over the winter to make it pretty again. They really are the best M cars to race. Small, but hard!
Astrid from Duller tells me that Dieter Quester has been gifted a car from BMW and he has asked them to build him a Group A E36 as that was his favourite car. Top chap!
We ought to get more Britcar guys out there next year. A fantastic end to the season and a great circuit.
Fantastic report Angus - makes me wish I'd gone!
You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
Steve Britcar said:
Fantastic report Angus - makes me wish I'd gone!
You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
Hamish is a smashing chap. He looks like a friendly old santa type, but grows a set of horns when he gets aboard a racing car....You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
ngr said:
Blimey, Steve, Phil owes you a beer! Stevie Britcar Scribbler said:
Phil Cutts and his Torquespeed team have really made their mark this year, carrying off the ProductionS1 Championship as well, running the Intersport BMW M3 for Kevin Clarke and Wayne Gibson, and, with cars for Angus Dawe and Guy Poyey also under Phil’s supervision, Torquespeed are fast becoming one of the premier BMW race preparation businesses.
Been in meetings all day and just returned from a working dinner, food was crap so just fixing up some cheese on toast whilst checking out the latest comments on PH.
Thanks for the great write up Steve, and I'm not just saying this because you wrote about us, But thanks mate for all the time effort and skill that you have put into all your race reports throughout the season. I believe we all like reading through them as it's one of the few chances we get to see the race from an unbiased point of view, so long may you continue.
I bet you don't get paid or even have your expenses covered for it's committed, enthusiastic and dedicated people like you in our sport that rarely get the credit they deserve.
Thanks again Steve for making our Britcar season just that little bit special.
Merry Christmas
Thanks for the great write up Steve, and I'm not just saying this because you wrote about us, But thanks mate for all the time effort and skill that you have put into all your race reports throughout the season. I believe we all like reading through them as it's one of the few chances we get to see the race from an unbiased point of view, so long may you continue.
I bet you don't get paid or even have your expenses covered for it's committed, enthusiastic and dedicated people like you in our sport that rarely get the credit they deserve.
Thanks again Steve for making our Britcar season just that little bit special.
Merry Christmas
Steve Britcar said:
Rod,the Autosport review (this week) should ameliorate the situation, provided the bulk of the readership gets beyond the F1 stuff at the front of the magazine.
Now then Mr Wood. I have a bone to pick with you.I've read some of the 700 words that you've written and noticed that only a very small proportion of those words were directed at the very popular (in my household) Jemco team.
You appear to have concentrated on some people that won some races - rather than those teams that had the blackest car with the greenest stripes. I think that you made a serious error of judgement in the balance of your report.
Furthermore, and most importantly, you make a serious allegation against us, which I must take issue with. And I quote... the "Jemco team got serious this year...". That is a scurrilous accusation and one that we at Jemco must take issue with. We had more fun this year than you can shake a stick at. From time to time, the occasional other car got in our way and spoiled our weekend - but we still had a riot. And one thing's for sure. We'll have riot again next year and look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Those that are interested in a beer and a bit of a laugh on the Friday evening of the Autosport Show should drop us a line. We'd be delighted to be involved with organising a night out.
And we're also staying fairly quiet on the regs and issues around next year. Yes, we'd like to have a 24 hour race and we'd like to have longer races generally. However, JT is continuing to work hard to organise a playground for us - and for that we're grateful. And, on balance, the regs are moving in a positive and more transparent direction.
So, Wooders, Woody, Woodman, whatever you're name is, just make sure that you recognise when someone is enjoying themselves.
Oh, and by the way, thank you for working so hard this year.
Cheers.
Kevin
Blimey Rod, you got me reaching for the wife's tissue box when I read that!
And Kevin, I think I should write under a pseudnym in future - R.Swipe has been suggested.
The Autosport article ended up as an edit of what I actually submitted. Kevin Turner did the 24 hours bit, but also sacrificed two paragraphs which detailed the fortunes of the Class 3/4 top finishers, and added a leading paragraph.
It also appeared the same week as the British GT review, had less page coverage, and was behind it in the magazine. A subliminal statement of perceived status, or am I too sensitive?
And Kevin, I think I should write under a pseudnym in future - R.Swipe has been suggested.
The Autosport article ended up as an edit of what I actually submitted. Kevin Turner did the 24 hours bit, but also sacrificed two paragraphs which detailed the fortunes of the Class 3/4 top finishers, and added a leading paragraph.
It also appeared the same week as the British GT review, had less page coverage, and was behind it in the magazine. A subliminal statement of perceived status, or am I too sensitive?
phatgixer said:
Steve Britcar said:
Fantastic report Angus - makes me wish I'd gone!
You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
Hamish is a smashing chap. He looks like a friendly old santa type, but grows a set of horns when he gets aboard a racing car....You really are on top form at the moment mate - and you're not bad in the car either!!!!
I wouldn't claim that Hamish is a close friend, but he was one of the first drivers I struck up a dialogue with when I was a spectator, about 15 years ago - great bloke.
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