Britcar 24hr - will there ever be another one?

Britcar 24hr - will there ever be another one?

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Discussion

vwfanatico

Original Poster:

42 posts

173 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
Few years ago my Dad and I attended what I think was the last Britcar 24hr. There were some big name teams and the odd celebrity (Chris Hoy), but what really caught our interest was the privateer team running a ford fiesta.

They weren't as fast but you could see the passion in that team. They had to work bloody hard to keep the car going (if i remember they went through quite a few wheel bearings) but kept working to the end and despite being knackered really seemed to be enjoying the whole experience.

Its that fight to keep the car going that I love about endurance racing.

It reminded me of my all time favourite top Gear episode when Jeremy, James and Richard drove a diesel BMW 3 series in a britcar 24hr race.

I know the 24hr race split off from the rest of Britcar, but is there any chance we'll ever have another one?

fat80b

2,242 posts

220 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
vwfanatico said:
Its that fight to keep the car going that I love about endurance racing.
Same here. It looks easy from afar - how hard can it be to keep it going for 24 hours?

I attended a few years before you did and thought it was great. For me, it was a team running a Chevron GT that I wanted to do well and a Golf (I think) that needed parts stripping off a car in the public car park to keep going that romanticised it the year I was there.

There was great access to the teams / pits etc and as such, it should have been really well attended. As it was there were fewer than a thousand spectators there...
The year I went was a bit cold but we still did the camping thing. At the time, I thought this could grow to be a huge UK event. As it was it died shortly after....

I compete in stage rallying and have now done 10 or so events but still have a desire to go endurance racing. I looked into it semi seriously at the time.

The challenge for me was cost vs the risk of not getting what you want out of it.

The cost is too high - entry fees were crazy, fuel costs were also high before you factor in all of the other bits n pieces to run the car for 24hours. Each driver needs several £K to be there. I can run my escort rally car for a whole season for that.

If you are driver #3 and the first guy bins it, you are out without having completed a single lap....


Paul Dishman

4,676 posts

236 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
vwfanatico said:
Its that fight to keep the car going that I love about endurance racing.

It reminded me of my all time favourite top Gear episode when Jeremy, James and Richard drove a diesel BMW 3 series in a britcar 24hr race.

I know the 24hr race split off from the rest of Britcar, but is there any chance we'll ever have another one?
My 5 seconds of fame was to be the safety car driver doing the start for the "Top Gear" Britcar 24 hours, seen on the vid pulling my helmet on while standing next to the Saab on the grid.

According to my brother-in-law- James Tucker, the now ex-Britcar supremo, the problem is that Silverstone want a lot of money up front and the whole thing is horrendously expensive to put on, which was why it was expensive to take part. One of the perennial problems was people saying they wanted an entry, but when push came to shove wouldn't commit by paying entry fees.

So the short answer, I'm afraid is that another Britcar 24 hours at Silverstone is highly unlikely, but the cheapest course of action for somebody fancying a go at 24 hour racing is to get a drive at one of the Citroen C1 24 hour races

indigorallye

555 posts

224 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
Creventic now run the 24 hour at Silverstone, under the banner of the Touring Car Endurance Series. Unfortunately, no GT cars due to noise restrictions.

I was one of the drivers of the aforementioned Fiesta. I think it went through about five wheel bearings before we figured the problem out. At one point, we had sourced a similar car in the car park, and it was brought in to the garage, ready for the crew to steal parts!! It wasn't needed in the end.
Fantastic experience, which has caused me great expense and many sleepless nights since. As a direct consequence I went and bought a Seat Leon Supercopa for endurance racing.

vwfanatico

Original Poster:

42 posts

173 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
indigorallye - thanks for the memories. lost count of how many alcohol fueled conversation I've had since then when all parties were convinced we could put a team together smile

absolutely no grasp on reality though.

indigorallye

555 posts

224 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
You can put a team together.
Paul Mensley put the team together for the Fiesta, most of whom were Tin Top racers. I was fortunate enough to find myself behind the wheel.

I've since put a team together for running the Seat. We've done Silverstone24 and Spa12 hour so far. Both events were very 'social' and we had a great laugh. We are not going to win so we make sure everyone enjoys it.


(ETA a little story.......in 2015, whilst in the Fiesta, during the night and biblical wet weather a safety car was called. I don't remember why. I ended up 2nd on the road behind the safety car, due to others pitting etc etc. It wasn't safe to wave cars by, so I stayed where I was. The SC led us around for about ten-fifteen minutes. We were using the old start finish, and the SC lights went out on the Wellington Straight. I maintained the gap to the car in front as we rounded Luffield & Woodcote. We crossed the line and I was 2nd (on the road), but by the time we got to Copse I had been overtaken by about 15 cars, and by the time we got to Maggots I was dead last!!
A classic case of the hare and the tortoise! We were by far the slowest, we had our trials and tribulations. But we finished, and 2nd in class too!
A fantastic experience)

Edited by indigorallye on Monday 20th November 22:35

ribiero

539 posts

165 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
fat80b said:
Same here. It looks easy from afar - how hard can it be to keep it going for 24 hours?

I attended a few years before you did and thought it was great. For me, it was a team running a Chevron GT that I wanted to do well and a Golf (I think) that needed parts stripping off a car in the public car park to keep going that romanticised it the year I was there.

There was great access to the teams / pits etc and as such, it should have been really well attended. As it was there were fewer than a thousand spectators there...
The year I went was a bit cold but we still did the camping thing. At the time, I thought this could grow to be a huge UK event. As it was it died shortly after....

I compete in stage rallying and have now done 10 or so events but still have a desire to go endurance racing. I looked into it semi seriously at the time.

The challenge for me was cost vs the risk of not getting what you want out of it.

The cost is too high - entry fees were crazy, fuel costs were also high before you factor in all of the other bits n pieces to run the car for 24hours. Each driver needs several £K to be there. I can run my escort rally car for a whole season for that.

If you are driver #3 and the first guy bins it, you are out without having completed a single lap....
Endurance racing in the UK is healthier now than it was when there was just the Britcar24 and the 2cv one.

n3il123

2,601 posts

212 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
ribiero said:
Endurance racing in the UK is healthier now than it was when there was just the Britcar24 and the 2cv one.
Isn't there a rumour of another 24 at Rockingham next year aswell?

ribiero

539 posts

165 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
n3il123 said:
Isn't there a rumour of another 24 at Rockingham next year aswell?
The C1 guys had a 24hr at Rockingham, it sold out very quick, they put another one on later in the year, that sold out too (i'm pretty sure)

I thought the C1 would be a little below the radar and be a race what you've built type thing, but looks like a lot of UK motorsports rent-a-clubbie-ride teams have booked places, so I guess loads of seats will be popping up.

n3il123

2,601 posts

212 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
I think this years one was at Snetterton with the 2cvs next years is the first at Rockingham.

https://rockingham.co.uk/c1-racing-club-hold-first...

I'm surprised that Rockingham have got permission to run 24hrs with noise etc.




ribiero

539 posts

165 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
n3il123 said:
I think this years one was at Snetterton with the 2cvs next years is the first at Rockingham.

https://rockingham.co.uk/c1-racing-club-hold-first...

I'm surprised that Rockingham have got permission to run 24hrs with noise etc.
no 2cv one this year, the uk 2cv club doesn't welcome the c1's, the french one does, hence spa + the french endurance's.

both rockingham 24's sold out : https://c1racing.club/2nd-rockingham-24hr-race-ent...

88racing

1,748 posts

155 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
As stated, James Tucker sold the Silverstone 24 hour rights to Creventic a while back.

Creventic will run the 24 hours of Silverstone again next year as part of their TCE (touring car) series, but will also host a split 12 hour race for the potentially noisier GT3s and Prototypes. Not sure if I'll race in either yet - depends on cost!

Z3MCJez

531 posts

171 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
n3il123 said:
I think this years one was at Snetterton with the 2cvs next years is the first at Rockingham.

https://rockingham.co.uk/c1-racing-club-hold-first...

I'm surprised that Rockingham have got permission to run 24hrs with noise etc.
Have you ever been to Rockingham? The C1s are only going to be disturbing the rats ...

indigorallye

555 posts

224 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
88racing said:
Not sure if I'll race in either yet - depends on cost!
You know you want to Chris. I think a Supercopa would suit you nicely......

n3il123

2,601 posts

212 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
Z3MCJez said:
Have you ever been to Rockingham? The C1s are only going to be disturbing the rats ...
I've spent plenty of time at Rockingham since the first meeting there and yes its prety grim but also not far from residential areas which have in the past complained about noise.