First 24-hr Britcar race this weekend
Go to Silverstone, or get your updates here on PH
Moore Racing's M3 leads
But you don't have to go there to find out what's happening on the race-track. Our own Graham Walden, star of the TVRCC Tuscan Challenge, will be providing hourly updates throughout the race, together with an introduction before the start plus emergency bulletins as events happen. He'll also be helping out as pit crew for Moore Racing, which is racing a team-prepared M3, which means you'll read it as it happens, from the pitlane.
PHer Graham will be using specially developed wet-string technology, and updating to a forum right here on PistonHeads (see Comments link below). Meanwhile, Moore Racing's Paul Fenton provides a background to the race.
Richard Moore reports
An obsession with the 24 Heures Du Mans eventually resulted in my introduction to racing five years ago in a TVR and the co-founding of Moore Racing. It finally seems as if some progress is being made in the right direction, as after a year's interlude with a Radical, and another year in a production saloon, our first 24-hour race looms large.
Two years ago, Britcar definitely seemed to be the place to race in the UK. It offers long races for your money, a very eclectic mix of cars and already had a few familiar names on the entry list of the Rouse, Reid, Lockie and Leslie category which marked the series out as a bit different from the average club competition. At the time, a BMW M3 seemed the obvious choice of car for the series and it still holds its own, given a long enough race, against newer arrivals in the shape of Porsche 911 Cups, Ferrari 360 Challenge/GTs, Nobles and Aussie V8s.
In our two years of Britcar racing in our Moore Racing-prepared M3, we have won our class and run in the race top five. Now, after a long wait, the Willhire has been returned to its 24-hour format, necessitating a move to the Silverstone GP circuit and forming the highlight of the Britcar calendar.
Additionally Britcar competition has been turned up to 11 with the arrival of Le Mans style Porsche 911 RSs, a Mosler and some serious German-run endurance machinery in the shape of BMW M3 GTRs. Looking down the list of drivers, along with the usual collection of ex-touring car drivers, a few other familiar names stand out: Guy Smith (Bentley '03 at Le Mans), Martin Short (Rollcentre TVRs/Moslers/Dallaras), Dietor Questor (F1 and European touring cars), Robin Liddell and Marino Franchitti (Panoz works driver). The support package is also impressive with, amongst others, the Ferrari 360 Challenge series and the Dutch Supercup.
It's when you start to plan your participation at an event like this that the enormity of what you have taken on hits you. The never-ending driving rota, the amount of fuel required (nearly 1,500 litres), eight sets of tyres, a crew of 20 (the normal Moore Racing crew plus valued reinforcements), feeding and watering all of these people, and pretty much a spare car standing by in pieces ready to go. The Moore Racing team transporter seems too small for everyone and everything that we need, even though it's as large an artic as European law allows.
All this to drive for 24 hours and ending up where you started.
Coda
At the start of the planning I envisioned the target of a glorious finish on the podium, with many much more expensive cars parked up prematurely, clearing our way to the front. With a few days to go we realise that just getting to the finish without any serious problems will be an achievement, both for the team and the drivers. It's best put by one of the American ALMS/Le Mans Porsche teams who claim to say a team prayer before each 24 hour race and which seems very apt at this point: "God, if you are going to take us, take us in the first hour and then we can go to the bar".
I'm going up tonight to watch the night practice with my 12 yr old s/daughter. Can't wait!
>> Edited by Trackside on Friday 9th September 17:36
Our car the Moore racing E36 car as opposed to the Moore International racing E46 car looks handily placed in 21st overall and 4th in class.
Pistol Pete's MG ZT ( complete with supercharged mustang engine) was in 45th after first qualifying. As they are in the garage next to us I'll try and post some info from them as well.
I think the first 6 hours will probably be the hardest, for all the teams, with reliability and lots of teams with no 24h experience.
I'd expect The rollcenter team to be well placed with their experience.
Moore racing havent run a 24h race before but a few of the team have helped out at the Nring 24 and Tom Cloet Has entered quite a few 24h races, I dont know If Mike Gardiner has I'll check and Its Pauls First.
Interestingly Both Mike and Paul have competed in the TVRCC Tasmin Challenge. So their's hope for me yet
Trackside said:
Everyone knows that the E30 M3 is gonna walk it
Now that would be a turn up; a Proddie S1 car winning! My money's on the Handkammer/Leslie GTS Motorsport BMW. Or maybe one of the Porsches (Parr Motorsport, Chad Racing etc).
14th in first qualifying, not bad for a proddie S1 car
Looks like this could play a big part. Apparently the night qualifying was cut short due to torrential rain.
At one point Moore racing had over an inch of water flowing through the pit garage!!!
The weather for Saturday sounds like much of the same. On the plus pint though that should limit the number of tyres required
Couldn't really ascertain much from what I did see other than the GTS BMW and the fancied Porsches looked quick, the Falcon was obviously just bimbling through night practice getting drivers quallied, the Torquespeed M3 looked like a 'Fast and Furious' street racer with it's under-car neons and Simon's Elise looked and sounded pretty good. Oh, and the Mercedes was hilariously slow.
If you are going this weekend, just be aware that the Silverstone Gestapo are not letting any paying public in with their cars unless you've got a special pass. Obviously wanting to pay to come in and watch this unique event in it's entirity isn't good enough
. So if any kindly teams or PH persons have one of these holy grail passes going spare, this diehard fan would be eternally grateful! Thanks. 
>> Edited by Trackside on Tuesday 13th September 14:20
jamesrose said:
jamesrose said:
Everyone knows that the E30 M3 is gonna walk it
Now that would be a turn up; a Proddie S1 car winning! My money's on the Handkammer/Leslie GTS Motorsport BMW. Or maybe one of the Porsches (Parr Motorsport, Chad Racing etc).
14th in first qualifying, not bad for a proddie S1 car
Yes, James, especially after hearing from Michael Caine over the PA what they've been through this week. Tuesday, had their trailer stolen containing all their spares (engine, gearboxes, diffs etc) and then to make matters worse, the next day the engine in the car blew whilst on the rolling road! So really, a sterling effort to get the car on the track at all, let alone going quickly! Hats off to them.
Trackside said:
If you are going this weekend, just be aware that the Silverstone Gestapo are not letting any paying public in with their cars unless you've got a special pass. Obviously wanting to pay to come in and watch this unique event in it's entirity isn't good enough
Would you mind clarifying that a little?
Is that no cars into Silverstone at all or just into the actual circuit ?
Cheers
>> Edited by monkeyhanger on Tuesday 13th September 18:39
monkeyhanger said:
Trackside said:
If you are going this weekend, just be aware that the Silverstone Gestapo are not letting any paying public in with their cars unless you've got a special pass. Obviously wanting to pay to come in and watch this unique event in it's entirity isn't good enough
Would you mind clarifying that a little?
Is that no cars into Silverstone at all or just into the actual circuit ?
Cheers
That's no public are allowed to take their cars into the circuit. You have to park in the car park outside the main gate and walk in, carrying all the stuff you may want with you (camera, food, chair, waterproofs, brolly etc). Thanks, Silverstone. Thought that one through didn't you
>> Edited by Trackside on Tuesday 13th September 14:21
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