Tag Archives: Production

Grand Finals – Castle Combe

On Saturday I popped along to Castle Combe for the Grand Finals meeting where the sun was trying in vain to dissipate the clouds, but the fine quality of the racing made up for it’s inadequacies.

Reynard/Fisher Spectrum/Moyers, FF1600, Castle Combe

The afternoons racing got off to a scintillating start with the Drive Soutwest and Empire EV Castle Combe Formula Ford 1600, Kent engines, Championship, in which Josh Fisher starting from third on the grid in his 1989 #81 Reynard engaged in a thrilling battle with pole sitter Michael Moyers driving the #125 Spectrum 11c that was twenty years younger than the Reynard.

Josh took the lead on lap six, relinquished it for the next two laps before grabbing it for good on lap 9, Josh is seen above exceeding track limits as he takes the flag after 15 thrilling laps by just 0.212 of a second from Michael, Roger Orgee clinched the championship, 41 years after his farther Roger Snr, won the same championship at he same track, with a third place finish.

BMW 320i, Swaffer, Wileman, Palmer, Davison, Castle Combe

The penultimate round of the Toyo Tyres Production BMW championship saw Gary Feakin and Harry Goodman storm away from the rest and leaving the #145 of Matthew Swaffer, #131 of Matthew Wileman, #8 of Mark Palmer and #17 driven by William Davison to squabble over the final place on the podium in another entertaining race.

When the dust settled William finished third behind Harry but ahead of Matthew Wileman, Rob Cooper and Mark while Matthew Saffer retired the #145, Gary’s win sealed the championship in his favour with one round, run later in the afternoon, to go.

Spire GT3, Tim Gray, Castle Combe

Nottingham’s Tim Gray drove his #96 Spire GT3 to set a pole time for the Castle Combe Sports Racing Series race over three and a half seconds ahead of fellow front row starter Robert Gillman in his #66 Radical Prosport.

It was hardly surprising there for that the closest anyone got to Tim was on the warm up lap when the race ended Robert was 53 seconds ahead of the #12 Radical SR4 driven by Darcey Smith who remained the only unlapped runner, hopefully next year Simon Tilling might bring his Radical out to play in what could be a competitive series.

Audi Hutchings, Volkswagen Scaramanga, Castle Combe

Dave Scaramanga, driving the #6 Volkswagen Scirocco from 9th on the grid, accepted some responsibility for killing Tony Hutchings opportunity to clinch the Class A title of the On Pole Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship after a coming together with the #33 Audi TT a couple of hundred yards after the photo above was taken, leaving Gary Prebble to win the class championship unchallenged in his SEAT Leon 20V T.

Earlier in the race Dave missed the same Bobbies chicane where he came together with Tony on the penultimate lap, after 19 years of trying Mark Wyatt secured his first championship with his class B Vauxhall Astra.

Brabham Thompson, March Armer, Castle Combe

Like Dave Scaramanga, Simon Armer also misjudged Bobbies chicane on the opening lap of the first of two HSCC Historic Formula 3 Races, Simon driving the #22 March 703 is seen making up time as he looks to deprive the #65 Brabham BT21 driven by Peter Thompson of the second place on lap 3 on his way to victory.

Legendary club motorsports journalist and racer Marcus Pye in the commentary box informed us that the Simon’s March belonged to Tom Walkinshaw, who went on to found Tom Walkinshaw Racing with which he won the 1984 European Touring Car Championship at the wheel of a TWR Jaguar before taking Jaguar back to Le Mans in 1986 which resulted in wins for the marque in 1988 and 1990.

Spectrum/Moyers, Reynard/Fisher, FF1600, Castle Combe

The Formula Ford boys made a second appearance at the meeting for the non championship Formula Ford Carnival which again saw a close battle between Michael Moyers and Josh Fisher, this time Michael did not give an inch and won the 15 lap adrenaline rush by less than a second, for his two entertaining drives in such an ancient machine Josh quite rightly won the man of the meeting award.

Ginetta Krayem, Mazda Putt, Castle Combe

Bristol’s Oliver Bull driving a Ford powered Vauxhall Tigra Silhouette in class B of the Avatar Sports Cars Castle Combe Sports and GT Championship managed to secure the overall title with an incident free drive to second overall from pole. Claimants for the win included Barry Squibb who took the lead on the opening lap only to retire his fire belching Mitsubishi Evo on lap 3 which handed the lead to the fearsome 7 litre / 427 cui V8 powered Zilla Killa Mazda RX7 driven by Steve Putt who started second on the grid.

4th place starter David Krayem, driving a 3.5 litre / 213 cui V8 powered Ginetta G50 is seen above at Quarry having just taken the lead, which he held until the end of the race, from Steve with three laps to go.

BMW 320i, Feakins, Goodman, Wileman, Davison, Castle Combe

Gary Feakin #2, Harry Goodman #4 and William Davison #17 again deprived Matthew Wileman of a podium as they finished the second Toyo Tyres Production BMW championship in the same order as the first, Matthew held third place in the #131 until lap 5 before giving way to the William in another event full of close racing through out the field.

March 703, Simon Armer, Castle Combe, Castle Combe

Simon Armer made no mistakes in the second HSCC Formula 3 race in which he smoked the field and led from start to finish to win by just over 3 seconds, although the finishing order with Peter Thompson and Michael Scott finishing second and third the battle was never certain until the checkered flag was shown.

Ginetta Kraymen, Audi Hall, Castle Combe

Finally the Castle Combe Sports and GT’s came out to play with the Castle Combe Saloons for a bit of end of term fun, Steve Hall in the #19 Audi TT starting from 5th on the grid made the move on David Kraymen seen above as they approach the The Esses stick and led the opening lap before relinquishing the lead back to David who won the race by 2.5 seconds from the Audi with Adam Prebbles steel bodied Rover Tomcat a highly entertaining 3rd ahead of the Audi TT driven by Tony Hutchings.

With another full day of motorsport planned in Wales for the following day I declined the kind invitation to all to attend a party at the Strawford Centre where no doubt a good time was had by all.

Thanks for joining me on this “Grand Finals” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Plymouth. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Okay Yah – Ford Capri 2.8i

Several years ago I related how a school friend’s #44 Ray’s Toys Ford Capri 2.8i Production Saloon car gave me my first hands on experience of motor racing at the Willhire 24 Hours run at Snetterton in June 1985.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

Wandering around the infield at Silverstone Classic last year I was pleasantly surprised to bump into the very car that won the 6th running of the Willhire 24 Hours, having seen it go past many times from the pit lane it looked amazingly familiar and it was almost as if the race had finished the day before, such is the condition of the car.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

I believe the #43 Okay Yah Capri was first registered EVU400Y on the 15th of April 1983, I am not sure exactly when former short oval track Speedworth International Superstox driver Roy Eaton decided that his company, RE Developments based in Winnersh, Berkshire, should turn the car into a Class B, up to 3 litre / 183 cui, production saloon racer, but I believe he may have run the car in the 1984 Willhire 24 Hours in which he finished 3rd.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

For 1985 Roy chose as his team mates a former short oval track Hot Rod and Super Rod ace David Oates and an oval promoter with some rally cross experience John Clark.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

Opposition at the sharp end of the race came from two brand new cars a well funded Ilford Ford Escort RS Turbo driven by Mike Smith and Lionel Abbott which got as high as 2nd before dropping back to sixth and a very controversial, because of it’s cost and 16 valve heads, Mercedes Benz 190/16 driven by ex Formula One driver Mike Wilds, Mike Knight, Gerard Sauer and the cars sponsor Martin Carroll.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

The two Class A Rover Vitesse V8s and two Class A turbo charged Mitsubishi Starions might have edged the multitude of Capris present on paper, but they did not have the staying power to go the full distance at a race winning pace.

Ford Capri 2.8i, Silverstone Classic

The Mercedes did lead the race on occasion, but superior pit work by the RE Developments crew helped the Yokohama shod #43 Okay Yah Capri, which had been leading at 17 of the hour marks of the race, to cross the finish line two laps ahead of the Carroll’s Mercedes , completing 970 laps during 24 hours of racing in what was considered to have been the best Willhire 24 yet.

Thanks for joining me on this “Okay Yah” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking a Tyrrells 1975 Formula One challenger. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Howards Day – Castle Combe Easter Monday

Easter Monday’s meeting at Castle Combe was dedicated to the memory of Howard Strawford who died on February 23rd leaving a huge void for not only his family and friends but also the greater Motorsport community in South West England.

Howards Day, Castle Combe

Howards legacy is the Castle Combe Circuit as it stands today which he saved from closure in the 1970’s after managing to secure the support of former World Champion James Hunt. By 1981 Howard had gained permanent planning permission to operate the track as a motor sports venue and engaged in a programme of continual improvements to the tracks facilities which have been to the benefit of both national and club motor sport. Belated condolences to Howards family and friends.

Volkswagen Jetta GTi, Howards Day, Castle Combe

When I got to the circuit I headed straight for Tavern Club House where I had agreed to meet Ted the day before at Thruxton and enjoyed my second Big Boys Breakfast in 8 days. Afterwards Ted and I went for a stroll around the circuit when we stumbled across this immaculate 1989 VW Jetta GTi.

Volkswagen Golf GTi, Howards Day, Castle Combe

As we walked round the track the wind picked up and it got sufficiently cold for Ted to decide to head for the warmth of his dark room while I wondered around the paddock where I stumbled across Martyn Walsh’s VW Golf GTi which qualified 9th for the first of the two BRSCC Teekay Couplings Production GTi Championship races and finished 7th in the first race and went one better in the second GTi race finishing 6th.

Super Mighty Mini, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Mini’s were in abundance at Castle Combe with races for the 60 hp Mighty Mini’s and 90 hp Super Mighty Mini’s the #23 MerlinPoweredMini.com of Mark Burnett runs in the more powerful Super Mini class however on this occasion it appears he traveled from Guildford in vain having failed to set a qualifying time he recorded a did not finish (DNF) with zero laps completed in Race 1 and did not take the start in Race 2.

Vauxhall Astra, Howards Day, Castle Combe

The Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship in Association with National Windscreens has some new entires this season including the #86 Vauxhall Astra of Kevin Bird who used to campaign a BMW 130i in this series. Kevin qualified 10th and finished 7th in the single race for the series.

Reynard FF84, Howards Day, Castle Combe

There appeared to be more stickers on Juiceie Bruceie’s BJ Welders Real Steel 4×4 / Llaemdos Racing Reynard FF84 than fibre glass, but as we shall see there was only one little incident Juiceie’s Mum might have had to worry about in the Formula Ford race for which he qualified a respectable 18th ahead of four newer vehicles.

Chevrolet LS3, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Perry Waddams used the prodigious horsepower of his Chevrolet LS3 motor to power his #77 Crowthorne.com TVR Tuscan to 12th on the grid and an 8th place finish in the Castle Combe, Sports & GT Championship supported by Siliconehoses.com.

BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup, Howards Day, Castle Combe

The first race in the 11 race programme only had 7 starters but it only takes two cars to make a race and Matthew Davies in the #91 Mazda MX5 Mk3 and Andrew Clarkson in the #67 Team SMG / Clarkson Electrical MX5 Mk 3 both wanted to win the first BRSCC Mazda MX5 SuperCup race of the day. Clarkson eventually won by less than a second from pole but only after at least 5 changes in the lead up to lap ten of the 15 lap race.

BRSCC, Mighty Minis Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Jonathan Lewis driving the #2 Mighty Mini won the first BRSCC Mighty Mini Race from pole and is recorded as having led all but one lap however the race lead changed many more times particularly with Damien Harrington in the #53 Mini seen above leading on Westway leading into the final Camp Corner where Lewis was always ready and able to steal the lead back again. The winning margin was just .106 seconds after 13 laps.

BRSCC, Teekay Couplings, Production GTi Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Simon Hill in his evil handling GTi provided the only opposition to pole sitter Lewis Hopkins in the BRSCC Teekay Couplings Production GTi Championship race, Lewis won the 11 lap contest by over 5 seconds. Further down the field #45 David Parris is seen in 10th place before retiring on lap 6 being chased through Bobbies chicane by #70 James Howlison, #83 Paul Blackburn and #56 Nick Jarvis who finished the 11 lap race in 9th, 10th and 11th places respectively.

BRSCC, Super Mighty Minis Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Next up was Race 1 for the Super Mighty Mini’s, Peter Trevett was swallowed up by the grid at the start and eventually finished fifth but it was Elliot Stafford who led by over a second until lap 6 when the pressure started to mount from Jamie White, Patrick Ford and Scott Kendall. #51 Elliot, who held on to win by less than a quarter of a second, is seen raising a rear wheel above as #8 Scott Kendall and #45 Jamie White try and find a way past going into Tower Corner.

National Windscreens, Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

With the temperature in the tropical 3 degrees above freezing zone a great race looked in prospect from the Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship in Association with National Windscreens race, even though Mark Wyatt in his Vauxhall Astra had qualified nearly 2 seconds ahead of anyone else. William di Cluadio made a race of it and led lap one in his green championship winning W-A-S Racing Peugeot 106 GTi but Mark was back in charge until lap 6 when he retired at Quarry. di Claudio led again until lap 10 when he finally succumbed to the superior power of Rob Ballards Chippenham Conversions / Interceptor Racing SEAT Leon 20v Turbo. Rob is seen above having just over taken William out of Old Paddock on his way to a 1.5 second victory.

StartLine, Castle Combe, Formula Ford 1600 Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

Steven Jensen started his 2013 Castle Combe Formula Ford 1600 Championship supported by StartLine with a convincing victory from pole, his only challenger was Roger Orgee who retired his #3 Van Diemen on lap 6. However down the field there was plenty of excitement, the aforementioned Juiceie Bruceie got his Reynard FF84 off to a brilliant start rising from 18th on the grid to 10th at the end of lap 1 before he appeared to out brake himself going into the Esses, Juiceie recovered and finished an eventual 16th one lap down.

BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup, Howards Day, Castle Combe

The second Mazda MX5 SuperCup race was won by Matthew Davies by six seconds from Andrew Clarkson in the #67 Mazda, who temporarily gave his second place up Mike Comber coming out of Quarry in the #58 MX5 as seen above. Mike could not make the pass stick over the remainder of the lap and settled for his second third place finish of the day.

Micheal Kason, Fiat X1/9, Howards Day, Castle Combe

The Castle Combe Sports and GT Championship supported by Siliconhoses.com race did not live up to the expectations of a battle between the leading Radicals of pole sitter Josh Smith fellow front row starter Andrew Shanley and second row starters Manhal Allos and Simon Tilling, Tilling retired out on the circuit on lap 2 which required the safety car to neutralise the field on lap 6 and in the ensuing chaos Andrew Shanley was handed a one lap lead as a result of the wrong car being picked up as the leader. Still former drag racer Michael Kason’s Zubedo.com Dallara Fiat X1/9 provided plenty of flame spitting entertainment as it headed for a 16th place finish, which kept me occupied for the remainder of the race.

BRSCC, Mighty Minis Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

With 8 races down and 3 more to go the 60 hp Mighty Minis came out for their second run and it was a real barnstormer with Jonathan Lewis, teenager Zack Booth, Pole sitter Damien Harrington and Charlie Budd all leading at least one lap by never more than half a second. In the end Harrington pulled of a last lap last corner maneuver at the last corner Camp that stuck all the way to the finish line to win his second race of the day by .108 secs. Above #2 Jonathan Lewis, who finished 2nd, #16 Zack Booth, who finished 3rd and eventual winner #53 Damien dispute every inch of tarmac on the run up to Avon Rise midway through the race.

BRSCC, Teekay Couplings, Production GTi Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

For a while it looked like Simon Hill had got on top of his handling demons which were much in evidence in the first Production GTi race but after just two laps the red #51 GTi had to concede to the faster white #95 of Lewis Hopkins who became the second two time winner of the day.

BRSCC, Super Mighty Minis Championship, Howards Day, Castle Combe

The Super Mighty Mini’s concluded the meeting with their second run and their was no going home early and guessing the result, above with two laps to go Bob Bennets, who would finish 3rd leads on lap 12, on lap 13 is was the turn of #77 Patrick Ford who finished 2nd to lead and at Camp Corner on the final lap Elliot Stafford nailed his exit perfectly to become the second two time winner of the day.

As a tribute to Castle Combes much missed savior Howard Strawford the day had served as a poignant reminder to all that Howard had done for motor sport and the wonderful legacy and high standards that those of us who remain will have to live up to.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Howards Day’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow, don’t forget to come back now !

21/04/13 PS My thanks to Castle Combe historian Pete Stowe for pointing out various spelling errors in drivers names, apologies to all concerned.

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Traffic Light King – GMC Syclone

Max Grabowsky established the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company on the 22nd December 1901 which built a truck powered by a single cylinder motor. In 1909 the company was taken over by General Motors to form the General Motors Truck Company from which the GMC Truck brand was born. In 1916 a GMC Truck was driven from Seattle to New York City in just 30 days, ten years later a 2 ton GMC Truck took five days and 30 mins to travel from New York to San Francisco.

GMC Syclone

In 1990 GMC identified a niche market for a ‘performance’ truck based on the GMC Sonoma complete with lowered suspension, four wheel drive, fog lights and under the bumper corner spoilers.

GMC Syclone

The Syclone model was powered by a 280 hp 4.3 litre / 262 cui turbocharged V6 motor that was coupled with a 4 speed automatic transmission. ABS brakes, to keep all those horses under control, were used for the first time on an all wheel drive truck application.

GMC Syclone

Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit GTi inspired, to European eyes, red detailing inside and out was rounded off with 16 inch alloy wheels carrying comparatively low profile tyres.

GMC Syclone

Car & Driver famously pitted the $26,000 Syclone against a $122,000 296 hp Ferrari 348ts and in all the acceleration tests up to and including the 1/4 mile drag the Syclone came out best only loosing out with a top speed of 126 mph against the Ferrari’s 166 mph !

GMC Syclone

Built in Troy MI by Production Automotive Services, unlike the regular Sonoma which was built in Shreveport LA, the only downside of the Syclone was that it’s lowered suspension limited the carrying capacity to just 500 lbs, still considerably more than a Ferrari, but considerably less than that 1700 lbs plus of a regular GMC Sonoma.

GMC Syclone

It is thought just 2998 Syclones were built between 1991 and ’92, with just 3 made in 1992 ! 113 are thought to have been exported, with 31 returned, making today’s vehicle seen in Bristol one of just 82 Syclones thought to be outside the USA.

Patrick Bedard of Car & Driver summed up the Syclone as the pick up that would ‘do a Ferrari blur on the local scenery’ and ‘makes this capability seem like a perfectly wonderful idea.’ Sounds good to me, a very good idea indeed.

Thanks for joining me on this `Traffic Light King’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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