Topcats Racing break record as 3 cars start/finish 24hr race
Discussion
Topcats Racing would like to say a very big 'Thank You' to all our team and drivers for a truly fantastic performance in the Britcar 24hr Race at the weekend. Topcat Racing was only team to enter 3 cars and all three cars crossed the finish line inside the top 16. We're pretty certain that breaks records. We did not take the bonnets off any one of the cars for the whole race except to repair suspension damage from a collision on one of the Marcos'. We had one mechanical failure on the Mosler....the wiper blade broke!
Just to give you an idea as to the scale of the work done during the race alone, the team did 51 scheduled pitstops including refuel and driver changes, 96 tyre changes, dispensed 4,236 litres of fuel and served 180 dinners!
To add to the challenge, the team ran an all-Japanese driver squad of which 3 drivers did not speak any English at all! For us, they were the heroes of the weekend. Please visit our website and read our race report to find out why. www.topcatsracing.com.
Ultimately, we finished 4th with the Mosler. The Japanese squad crossed the line in 15th, closely followed by the sister Marcos in 16th.
Perhaps the most memorable moment for the team was the carefully co-ordinated formation finish as the 3 cars crossed the line.
We MUST mention the names of all our team members: Brian, Geoff, Tom, Darren, Big Paul, Hideki, Little Paul, Dave, Big Rob, Little Rob, Nick, Wilf, Gareth, Mat, Andreas, Dan, Jack, Matt, Rachel, Ian, David, Bluey, Anne, Lloyd and his wheel cleaning crew. Our sponsor; sales-i. Our Drivers; (Car 59) Ryu Seya, Yosuke Shimojima, Masashi Kakiuchi, Toru Nakano, (Car 1)Andrew Beaumont, Pat Gormley, Henry Fletcher, Ben Clucas, (Car 21) Raphael Fiorentino, Owen O-Neill, Jon Harrison and Steve Hyde.
We are very proud of you all.
We would also like to thank James, Claire, Rebekah, David and all the Britcar team for providing a magnificent platform for all the teams to compete. Not forgetting all the marshals who stood outside in the most atrocious weather conditions and had to work so hard recovering so many cars over the weekend!
Thanks also to 3 superb photographers, Gary Harman, Gary Harvey and Paul Cherry who have given us a fantastic collection of pictures.
Charlotte & Warren Gilbert.
Just to give you an idea as to the scale of the work done during the race alone, the team did 51 scheduled pitstops including refuel and driver changes, 96 tyre changes, dispensed 4,236 litres of fuel and served 180 dinners!
To add to the challenge, the team ran an all-Japanese driver squad of which 3 drivers did not speak any English at all! For us, they were the heroes of the weekend. Please visit our website and read our race report to find out why. www.topcatsracing.com.
Ultimately, we finished 4th with the Mosler. The Japanese squad crossed the line in 15th, closely followed by the sister Marcos in 16th.
Perhaps the most memorable moment for the team was the carefully co-ordinated formation finish as the 3 cars crossed the line.
We MUST mention the names of all our team members: Brian, Geoff, Tom, Darren, Big Paul, Hideki, Little Paul, Dave, Big Rob, Little Rob, Nick, Wilf, Gareth, Mat, Andreas, Dan, Jack, Matt, Rachel, Ian, David, Bluey, Anne, Lloyd and his wheel cleaning crew. Our sponsor; sales-i. Our Drivers; (Car 59) Ryu Seya, Yosuke Shimojima, Masashi Kakiuchi, Toru Nakano, (Car 1)Andrew Beaumont, Pat Gormley, Henry Fletcher, Ben Clucas, (Car 21) Raphael Fiorentino, Owen O-Neill, Jon Harrison and Steve Hyde.
We are very proud of you all.
We would also like to thank James, Claire, Rebekah, David and all the Britcar team for providing a magnificent platform for all the teams to compete. Not forgetting all the marshals who stood outside in the most atrocious weather conditions and had to work so hard recovering so many cars over the weekend!
Thanks also to 3 superb photographers, Gary Harman, Gary Harvey and Paul Cherry who have given us a fantastic collection of pictures.
Charlotte & Warren Gilbert.
Edited by Charlotte G on Tuesday 5th October 15:52
Well done to you all at Topcats. How you do that with three cars I don't know. It is amazingly difficult with one.
I would like to thank you Warren and all the team at Topcats. The loan of the Tig and the aluminium rods enabled us to get out again despite heavy damage to the 43 Porsche so perhaps you can add a fourth finisher to your list because without this very generous help we would have had to retire to the bar for the remaining 23 hours!!!
I would like to thank you Warren and all the team at Topcats. The loan of the Tig and the aluminium rods enabled us to get out again despite heavy damage to the 43 Porsche so perhaps you can add a fourth finisher to your list because without this very generous help we would have had to retire to the bar for the remaining 23 hours!!!
Edited by HUI on Tuesday 5th October 16:25
Well, I'll second that Charlotte- a fantastic weekend and thoroughly enjoyed-shame about the diff but otherwise a faultess weekend-am thinking of signing up for the next 4 years! (who needs retirement anyway??) The biggest 'thank you' to the boys though-headed by Geoff and Darren-even with the rain we drivers have still got the easiest job and we're in the warm of the car and get to sleep for an hour or so! There is nothing quite like the atmosphere in the Topcats garage-well done to all-J
Jon - Have you ever really retired ? 
Well done guys - dispite all the banter over the weekend between us, there is no doubt that you had a great garage with a good atmospher and delivered an impressive result bringing all 3 cars home.
I look forward to rejoining you for the next Britcar Round at Donnington.
Well done guys - dispite all the banter over the weekend between us, there is no doubt that you had a great garage with a good atmospher and delivered an impressive result bringing all 3 cars home.
I look forward to rejoining you for the next Britcar Round at Donnington.
Yes congratulations to you all, it really was quite an achievement even when you look at the curve balls that were thrown at you; not having a 100% English speaking team is just something else that you all handled and managed well – the Japanese were great to be with and added to the event didn’t they!?
You are very fortunate to have such a great united team, all working for the same cause and none of them wanting any individual victory’s - I am sure though this is not just by luck but hard work and respect.
You should and deserve to be proud.
Paul..........
You are very fortunate to have such a great united team, all working for the same cause and none of them wanting any individual victory’s - I am sure though this is not just by luck but hard work and respect.
You should and deserve to be proud.
Paul..........
Charlotte G said:
Topcat Racing was only team to enter 3 cars and all three cars crossed the finish line inside the top 16. We're pretty certain that breaks records.
Well done to the magnificant Topcat team for another outstanding weekend - but I must mention that Brunswick Automotive also entered 3 cars at the weekend; and whilst all finished in the "30's", they did all finish, and so we must be joint record holders!Edited by Charlotte G on Tuesday 5th October 15:52
That said, the results your cars achieved makes yours the truely outstanding achievement - well done to you all, and it was good to catch up with old friends from the team.
Andy
NeilH said:
Jon - Have you ever really retired ?
Well done guys - dispite all the banter over the weekend between us, there is no doubt that you had a great garage with a good atmospher and delivered an impressive result bringing all 3 cars home.
I look forward to rejoining you for the next Britcar Round at Donnington.
Be good to have you back in the car for the race sir Well done guys - dispite all the banter over the weekend between us, there is no doubt that you had a great garage with a good atmospher and delivered an impressive result bringing all 3 cars home.
I look forward to rejoining you for the next Britcar Round at Donnington.
Though i think i saw more of you in the garage this weekend than normal, must be the unique taste to the coffee we have 
We were in the Brunswick BMW 130i with REDR graphics and after coming 39th were left wondering what we have might have won - if anything!!
Lots of intense thought later it is clear that we have won 'The 2010 Britcar 24hr Race Old Gits Award'.
We had 3 of our 4 drivers over the age of 50 and our average age was almost exactly 53 - can anyone else top that ?? (I can visaulise JT reaching for his phone right now to arrange the press conference!!)
ps lots of teams out there had some really young drivers, so there is an equivalent award for the team with the youngest average age -- nominations?
Lots of intense thought later it is clear that we have won 'The 2010 Britcar 24hr Race Old Gits Award'.
We had 3 of our 4 drivers over the age of 50 and our average age was almost exactly 53 - can anyone else top that ?? (I can visaulise JT reaching for his phone right now to arrange the press conference!!)
ps lots of teams out there had some really young drivers, so there is an equivalent award for the team with the youngest average age -- nominations?
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