Our second event of 2021 produced memorable racing in (mostly) dry conditions, at the UK's fastest circuit.
Marc Peters manages to capture the atmosphere beautifully in this highlights video, we think this is his best yet, do you agree?
CSCC official photographer, David Stallard captured every qualifying and race session in time order, please view and buy his photos (you have 4000 to choose from!). All the photos used in this report are of course courtesy of David.
Saturday 1st (Modern Series): https://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2021/CSCC-Thruxton-01-May-21/
Sunday 2nd (mostly Classic Series):
https://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2021/CSCC-Thruxton-02-May-21/
Marcus Pye has described the action he saw from the control tower, producing this meeting report for your interest, together with a number of reports from your respective Series Representative and finally a few comments by the CSCC office team in italics.
Scroll down to find your series report.
Marcus Pye: Three weeks after Oulton Park’s season-opener, our sixth straight visit to Britain’s fastest circuit did not attract competitors in previous years’ numbers. Doubtless running behind closed doors and without families in attendance, for the full social experience, as the COVID19 situation appears to improve, spoils it for many. Nonetheless, the variety of cars, renowned camaraderie and quality of racing, remained across the Thruxton Thriller’s 13-race programme, making it a Bank Holiday weekend to savour.
A brisk wind greeted the multitude, as the paddock began to fill on Friday. An extraordinary spectacle on Saturday was the arrival of Martin Reynolds’ artic, from which was craned a portable workshop, garaging one of his #27 Fords and serviced accommodation to onlookers’ amazement. A fine showcase for Martin’s MRC Modular construction business. Superb yes, but there will be no space for this in future paddocks, sorry Martin!
Despite the ever-moving threat of rain on the aerodrome west of Andover, Saturday dawned bright and sunny. The 2.356-mile perimeter track, unchanged since it first hosted champion drivers in 1968, looked a picture, with grass now colouring the vast earth banks formed round the outside of the revered Church corner during lockdown last year.
Saturday’s racing commenced with the first of two Verum Builders Open Series races. Unfortunately contact in the initial scramble to Allard corner rendered fast starter Adam Howarth’s BMW M3 immobile and brought out red flags. Series sponsor Rob Hardy watched this unfold from the pit exit, having elected to start his Porsche Boxster there with a clutch problem.
Jack Layton (E46 M3) - who started from pole, his 1:23.050s best lap 0.152s quicker than local ace Jamie Sturges in his SEAT Leon TCR, with Dominic Malone’s ex-Andy Priaulx E90 M3 WTCC on their heels - won it from Sturges and David Gardner’s E46 M3. Max Petch (Ginetta G50) and David Trigg (3.5-litre Toyota-powered Lotus Exige V6 Cup) emerged from a busy train to finish next. David Harvey’s unusual high-winged Lotus 340R ran fourth before conking out at the chicane.
Sturges beat Chris Wills in the Gardner BMW when the Verum Builders Open contenders re-emerged for race 2, but Bryan Bransom slipped his orange E36 M3 past Malone’s monster on the final lap to claim third in Gardner’s wake. Trigg and Dave Griffin (Coca-Cola E36 M3) completed the top six.
Ramair Filters boss, Sturges, from the neighbouring village of Kimpton, a four-time Thruxton winner over the past two seasons, had another great day, increasing his tally to seven during the course of the afternoon. He won the attrition-riven Liqui Moly Slicks Series race in his VW Golf TCR, then added the second Open and New Millennium spoils back in the hot SEAT.
Jamie’s victories reminded seasoned circuit goers of late bakery boss John Burbidge - from the hamlet of Fox, near Amport, with a distant view over the circuit - whose Modsports exploits in a hairy Jaguar E-type made him one of Thruxton’s first local heroes in the ’70s.
Back to the Liqui Moly Slicks Series, the mighty turbocharged two-wheel-drive Nissan Skyline GT-R GT3 of Richard Wheeler/Danny Harrison sat on pole with a staggering 1:14.268 (114.20mph) lap, barely four seconds outside Formula 2 and F5000 single-seater records of yore. A languid 180 degree spin into the pit entrance during qualifying ended in a Russ Swift-like parallel park! Having sizzled to the front after warming its tyres Wheeler retired with transmission problems, as did four others (some out of fuel), leaving only Sturges, Chris Everill’s gruff Chevrolet V8-engined Ginetta G55 and Bransom running.
The forecast monsoon arrived during the Liqui Moly New Millennium race, in which Sturges sploshed ever further clear of the Beemers of Matthew Sanders/Layton and Gardner/Mills. Andrew Rath’s Lotus Europa - which had been caught up in the opener’s start melée - Paul Boulton’s Nissan 370Z and Dylan Popovic’s Ginetta G50 chased the saloons home.
A 30 second pit-stop penalty for winning at Oulton Park focussed BMW Mini Cooper S R53 driver Charlie Newton-Darby in the Motorsport School Turbo Tin Tops set, but he negated it and still won by 20 seconds from Will Powell’s Motus One Renault Clio. CND’s reward will be a minute’s deficit at Donington! Keith Issatt (BMW Mini Clubman) survived a couple of splutters out of the chicane to finish third, pursued by the Ford Fiesta ST of Lisa Selby/Toby Harris. Best of the Mr Tyre Motorsport Puma quartet was Gary Jones in fifth, ahead of Simon Evans who topped the Mazda RX-8 rotary class.
The first seven or 8 minutes of Gary Jones onboard video are worth watching, showing that you don't need a large budget to have fun. His Mr Tyre Motorsport Puma Cup car mixes with and overtakes other Pumas, RX-8 Trophies and the odd Motorsports School Turbo Tin Tops car too, going on to win his series.
Quickest in Gold Arts Magnificent Sevens qualifying, Stephen Nuttall took a five place drop for his Oulton victory. When early leader Stephen James spun at Campbell and was collected by Rich Webb the ochre-hued CSCC Ford Focus safety car was deployed. That Nuttall - penalised for jumping the start - and pursuer Ben Simonds didn’t stop with the vast majority, did not pay off, but Nuttall subsequently retired. Second qualifier Tim Davis beat Jonny and Christian Pittard to the chequer, with last year’s surprise winner John Cutmore (Spire-Suzuki RB-7) fourth, breaking the Caterham stranglehold.
Group 1 victory was taken by Alan Cooper, by just 0.179 seconds, from brother Kevin Cooper, not bad after 40 minutes of racing! Both drove Caterham 310R.
Wow, you'll need to be sitting down to watch the first two laps of action with Christian Pittard.
Undeterred by his door - savaged in a first corner knock with Doug Simmen’s E36 M3 which spun - flying 50 feet into the air on Woodham Hill, Dave Griffin left Cartek Motorsport Modern Classics rivals standing. A superb battle raged in his wake however. In the drive of the afternoon, Alan Thompson overtook the TVR Tuscan Challenge cars of Stuart Daburn (carrying a 15 second success penalty from Oulton) and Matt Holben on the final lap to land a brilliantly opportunistic second in the iridescent green E36 M3. Back in the pack Ben Sharich and his smart Ford SVT Mustang Cobra both appeared to enjoy their CSCC taster, lapping three seconds quicker than in qualifying.
Cartek Motorsport Modern Classics Driver Representative, John Baker continues the story:
Well, for our second race of the season you certainly provided a cracking race.
Dave Griffin put his E36 M3 on pole, followed by Daburn in his Tuscan, Simmen/Jones in 3rd, with Alan Thompson 4th in respective BMWs. Alex Taylor, in his RX-7 was 5th, with Holben in his Tuscan rounding out the top six.
The Hamilton’s in their Ginetta's were the only two car team and the Ford Mustang Cobra had its first outing this year, driven by the experienced but 'new to the CSCC' Ben Sharich. Yes, this really is it's factory, road-going silhouette!
We were blessed with brilliant sunshine as the race got underway but unfortunately contact was made between Dave Griffin and Simmen/Jones BMW, as they entered Allards for the first time. The damage appearing to be a dent at first, but unusual angle of contact damaged Griffins drivers door, with a damaged rear end to the Simmen/Jones car.
The cars crossed the line with Griffin leading, Daburn in 2nd and Thompson in third place. This set the tone for the first six laps, up until the pit stop.
The Mustang was purring round, compared to the front runner’s roar. It is a welcome addition to the series.
The Ginetta pairing of Roger and Nick Hamilton started well but Roger ran in to problems on lap 6 and pulled out, so Nick took over on Lap 8, but was 2 laps down by the time the radio call came in and the Clerks kindly allowed him to continue.
The pit stops did little to alter the race running order with Griffin pulling away in his battered BMW. Halfway through the race Griffins car became lighter when the door tore itself away from the bodywork! Not the mod we would recommend.
The race settled down and then the TVR’s of Holben and Daburn battled with Thompson's BMW for the last few laps, with it looking like a TVR was a cert for second.
Alex Taylor was forced to retire with fuel problems and the 122 Porsche 968 of James Alexander also retired.
Griffin won the race, perhaps slightly cooler than usual in the lightweight M3, overcoming his success penalty from Oulton. The fight for second third and fourth went down to the last lap with Alan Thompson bringing his BMW home second, 56 thousandths ahead of Daburn in 3rd who was only .39 second ahead of Holben, a real photo finish.
We now move on to Donington Park at the end of May to hopefully warmer days and nights.
JMC Racing Special Saloons & Modsports, BARC Thruxton staples in the 1970s and ’80s, continue to attract attention for their inventiveness in retrospective form, with Donington GT-type cars and others with modern engines in the mix too. It was great to welcome newcomers to the CSCC throng. Father-and-son David and Jack Gadd’s pristine Millington-powered Ford Escort Mk1s attracted much attention, as did Cornishman Neil Vaughan whose vivid yellow Chevrolet Corvette C3 was previously raced by Tony Browne of Black Cat Engineering in Australia.
Previous quintuple winners Andy Southcott and Ian Hall started favourites, but both hit trouble. Southcott’s Midget-Vauxhall challenge was ended by diff failure in race one, after which evergreen Darrian Wildcat GTR pilot Hall looked to have it sewn up. But Thomas Carey, quick here before, charged his Honda CRX-BDG from the back to beat the septuagenarian. Wayne Crabtree’s Abespeed Ford RS200 clone was third, ahead of Rod Birley (BMW E36 M3), but the Volvo turbo engine in Mike Scott’s ex-Eurocar V6 ‘Vauxhall Cavalier’ popped its head gasket.
Hall’s stretched Rover V8-derived engine “made an awful noise” when he fired it up for the sequel, thus the car was trailered with suspected piston damage. Nonetheless, Ian (a racer since the 1960s) was presented with the Brian Tarrant Trophy, in memory of the local driver who died at Thruxton when he crashed his Austin A40-Chevrolet 50 years ago, in June ’71.
Worried by low oil pressure on the fast sweeps, Carey also withdrew before race two. Southcott, despite a longer spare diff, made light work of catching Crabtree and briefly led, but Wayne harnessed just enough grunt from the Subaru turbo-engined RS200 to claim its maiden victory by 0.369s. Birley was a solid third, ahead of a tremendous tussle in which Malcolm Harding (Escort Mk2) staved off young Jack Gadd, who recorded his first 100mph lap. Behind them Martin Reynolds (Castrol Escort Mk2), Tony Paxman (Escort Mk1), Neil Duke (Anglia 105E-BDG) and Alan Cooper (Nike Imp-Abarth) had a whale of a time scrapping.
The Advantage Motorsport Future Classics grunt-fest saw Bill Lancashire’s deceptively fearsome Morgan Plus 8 fend off his previous TVR Tuscan Challenge car, which Tony Blake finished impressively, having taken over from son Aston at the pit stops. Three-time Thruxton winner Daburn, in his grey TVR, was ousted brilliantly from third, by Matthew Lewis in the family Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, on the final lap.
Driver Representative Richard Thurbin:
After a few nervous glances towards the sky, a superb grid of cars from the seventies and eighties took to the track for the start of the CSCC Future Classics series, sponsored by Advantage Motorsport.
Lap times quickly fell and top honours for the eighties race went to #76 Mark Chilton in his Nissan Skyline GTR 32, with a lap of 1:24.244 midway through the session. The ever fast pairing of Tony and Aston Blake in the #1 TVR Tuscan Challenge was close behind, and they, in turn, were closely followed by another TVR driven by #70 Stuart Daburn. #45 Stephen Scott-Dunwoodie's dark grey Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth had gearbox issues and had to pit early during qualifying, but a sterling effort from the crew saw him able to make the grid in 6th.
Our seventies contingent was led by #4 Martyn and Matthew Ellis in their newly rebuilt Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, with a 1:27.394, with Jake Severs and Matthew Irons in the #37 BMW E21 318i and the wonderful Aston Martin DB4 #591 driven by Nicholas King starting third.
The #1 TVR took an early lead, but by the end of lap one the #76 Nissan had regained the lead and held it until the pit stops, mid-way through the race. Chilton's lead never looked comfortable and a two-car contingent followed close behind, any of which could have challenged for the top step. Behind the lead pack, consisting of #76 Chilton, #1 Blake and #22 Lancashire was a 5-car gaggle, all fighting nip and tuck to sort out top honours for other classes within the series. #66 Taylor lead this chasing pack with #70 Daburn, #45 Scott-Dunwoodie, #56 Maryon, and #4 Ellis.
After the pit stops shook out, #76 Chilton dropped to third after a timing error and handed the lead to #1 car Blake with #22 Lancashire catching fast. Despite #1 Tony Blake's best efforts in the TVR Tuscan, #22 Bill Lancashire was able to overtake in the dying moments of the race and take victory overall on the road and for the 80's Group. An oil leak got the better of #76 Mark Chilton who returned on the last lap resulting in second secured by #1 Aston and Tony Blake, with third place going to #70 Stuart Daburn in his grey TVR Tuscan Challenge car. Sadly, after running at the sharp end, the new gearbox in #45 Scott-Dunwoodie's car didn't last the session and he had to retire the car out on track.
Finishing first overall in the 70's race, #4 Matthew and Martyn Ellis secured a dominant victory after a great battle with #70 Stuart Daburn for third on the road. The qualifying order continued through the race with Jake Severs and Matthew Irons next in the #37 BMW E21 323i and King's Aston Martin DB4 #591 rounding off the podium in third.
Finally, in our hotly-contested B80 class, #56 Tony Maryon took the class win from Ryan Mone with #39 Rob Hardy finishing third, all in their Porsche 944s. A special mention goes to Tony Maryon, who kindly loaned 10 litres of fuel to class rival Ryan Mone, the latter having used more than expected in qualifying and with no time to source any Super Unleaded outside the circuit, before the race.
Who doesn't like a bit of induction noise on a Friday? It's not often you see BMW E30's mixing it with an Aston Martin DB4 and Golf GTi mk2, but here it is. Well done Graham Bahr.
Marcus Pye continues: Oliver Reuben dominated the Adams & Page Swinging Sixties race in dad Nigel’s TVR Griffith. Only previous victors Jamie Keevil (Lotus Elan) and Ray Barrow (Chevrolet Camaro) remained on the same lap. The sight of Shaun Haddrell’s diminutive 1216cc Turner-Climax Mk1 finishing just ahead of Matt Snowball’s 6.7-litre Plymouth Hemicuda was memorable.
CSCC Committee Member Vicki Cairns:
Not having seen the Adams & Page Swinging Sixties race live at the circuit, once again, I have had to rely on an “informant” to tell me what happened! Many thanks to Ian Everett, for giving me a lot of detail about the race. Unlike Oulton Park, the weather was dry, although not very warm, for this full to capacity, combined Group 1 & 2 race. Although qualifying did not start until 10:45am, the competing cars needed to be in the assembly area at 9am, before the Church break; so, no lay-in for anyone. The club paid for a second noise meter so that two Scrutineers could get as many of you tested before the Church break.
Qualifying
Thruxton is the fastest circuit in the UK, so in dry weather some of the Group 2 cars have an advantage over the smaller-engined Group 1 cars. This proved to be the case, with 5 of the first 6 grid places being occupied by the larger-engined cars. The exception was Richard Merrell in his Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, who took a very creditable 3rd position overall. He was only 2.5 seconds off the pole position time of Jamie Keevill (Lotus Elan S2). The other top places were taken by the always-fast TVR Griffith of Oliver Reuben, Jon Crayston in his Lotus Elan S4, Malcolm Johnson (Lotus Europa) and Ray Barrow (Chevrolet Camaro).
The next cars in Group 1 were: the two minis of Chris Watkinson and Clive Tonge & Vaughan Winter respectively. The MGA of father-and-son team of Steve & Jack Smith was next. It is great to see several family teams racing with the younger generation, taking an interest in some of the iconic cars, which were manufactured well before they were born! Great fun and good lap times were had by Francesca Roodhouse, in only her second race, who was sharing the Mini Cooper S with her father Rob.
The Race
The race was not without incidents and various penalties were incurred, but, neither the Safety Car nor red flags were required. The TVR of Oliver Reuben (Nigel was unable to race because of a injured shoulder) took the lead from the “off” and retained it for 21 of the 26-lap race, winning by 47 seconds, despite a 30-second penalty for a pitlane infringement. Further down the grid, there was drama on the first lap when Trevor Peters (Austin Healey Sprite) spun at Cobb corner and urgent avoiding action had to be taken by Kym Bradshaw (MG Midget) among others. Luckily no contact between cars occurred and Peters managed to get going again and re-joined 1 lap down. There were good scraps taking place all the way down the field.
Amongst them were :-
Keevill and Barrow swapping places for 2nd place time and again, take a look at the in car video here:
Sam Polley’s Mini Marcos fighting with the XJ6 of Simon Lewis & Tim Morrant – certainly “little and large”!
Dean Halsey (Datsun 240Z) and the Mini Cooper of Tonge & Winter nearly had “a coming-together” at Seagrove corner.
There were only 4 minutes to go when the dreaded word “rain” was mentioned. Luckily, any rain that did fall proved to be only short-lived and caused no disruption to the race.
The final result of the Group 2 race was: Reuben 1st , Keevill 2nd & Barrow 3rd . However, whilst Barrow took the chequered flag in 2nd place on the road, both these two cars were penalised – Keevill by 10 seconds for a false start (slight creeping then a stop before the red lights went out) and Barrow by 30 seconds for a short pit-stop (by just 0.081 second !). When these penalties were applied, the positions were reversed in the final results.
The Group 1 race was won by Richard Merrell – this was Richard’s first Group 1 win, proving what a quick combination of driver and car the Alfa has become. Merrell’s lap times were very consistent throughout the race – most drivers slowed by approx 3 to 4 seconds per lap by the end of the race. Merrell was overtaken by the Mini of Tonge & Winter on lap 3, a situation which remained until the latter stages, when Merrell passed the Mini on lap 17 and remained in front until the chequered flag.
Reuben & Merrell have now each earned 30-second penalties for the remaining races of 2021.
There were 39 starters; but, unfortunately, there were 11 retirements. Johnson in the Lotus Europa had to retire due to a puncture. Tony Harman (Austin Healey Sprite) retired in the pits after 18 laps. Possibly the crankshaft bolt, that he had trouble with in practice, caused more issues. Polley had an engine problem and Nick Jesty’s Mini Cooper S had brake problems, as could be seen from the smoke coming from the brakes each time he went into the chicane!
We hope everyone has a good time at Donington and safe races, where both Groups are in separate races.
Andrew Windmill repeated 2020’s Co-ordSport Tin Tops victory in his rapid Honda Civic Type R. Oulton winner Colin Simpson’s lairy excursion at Church saw his Peugeot 206 spin wildly on both sides of the track! Eric Boulton deserved second in his modern Honda Civic, outrunning Nigel Tongue (Airconstruct Peugeot 306) and the cheeky Renault Clio 172 Cup of Robert Jarman/Jonathan Hunter.
Ride onboard with Jon Lannon (Saxo), as he enjoys a good, fair tussle for 8th and 9th place with Jonathan Dee (Integra DC2) and later on Richard Field (Proton). Sadly all three went on to retire at different stages, with issues after the pit stop phase, it was fun whilst it lasted though.
Paul Tooms drove his Lotus Elan with his customary verve to win the one-hour Mintex Classic K finale, his big eye-opener en route being finding Chris Blewett’s Ginetta G12 stationary mid-track at Church, following a spin. Marcos 1800GT veteran Allen Tice shadowed 2018 winner Tooms before the stops, but the Volvo-powered aerodyne wilted under engine builder Chris Conoley. He nursed it home second, ahead of Peter Thompson/Charlie Allison, first time out in their new-build Shelby Cobra. Another promising debut was that of sixth-placed Alex Thistlethwayte’s magnificent Aston Martin DB4 GT, fresh from an eight-year restoration.
Two fabulous scraps raged between seasoned Mini Cooper S sorcerer Nick Swift and young Ollie Streek, who drifted round with Lyndon Griffin (Elan), and the one-litre Ginetta-Ford G4s of Nigel Winchester and Brian Lambert, an early Modsports contemporary of Ian Hall’s. Soloist Streek earned a fine class win ahead of Swift’s car owner Giles Page. Despite both Ginettas’ transmissions breaking in sympathy after 10 frantic laps and several place changes, Winchester was bubbling afterwards. “Even though Brian and I both retired that was one of the best races I’ve ever had. I love competing with the CSCC,” enthused the 1970s’ Clubmans racer.
Mention must be made of Nigel Edwards, whose Marcos 1800GT expired three times at different points on Woodham Hill with fuel pump issues. Each time he coaxed it back into life and crawled back to the pits before eventually calling it a day.
We now move on to two, packed events. The Co-ordsport Tin Tops have a sold out race at the British GT meeting on 22nd May on the Grand Prix layout at Brands Hatch. A week after we move on to Donington, on 29th and 30th May. This event in 2020 was an all time record entry for the CSCC, possibly for any club-level two day meeting, with 492 entries. We have 489 entries and rising at the time of writing, with a small amount of space in just 4 races: JMC Racing Special Saloons and Modsports with Bernies V8s (16 places free), Liqui Moly Slicks (14 places left), Adams & Page Swinging Sixties Group 2 (9 places left) and Motorsports School Turbo Tin Tops (just 5 places remaining). We'd love to see these grids full too, please spread the word.
We will open entries to Knockhill on Tuesday 11th May at 16:00. Our first ever visit to Knockhill, with two races, in two directions and Saturday dinner included for drivers, for just £450. Be there on 3rd and 4th July and perhaps make it a staycation?
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