Racing with "Bluey" in 2008
We have entered the new UK "Masters" 70s TCs championship .

The Masters now includes Julius Thurgoods successful "Top Hat" Saloons and is hosting one of the fledgling race series that includes both the 70s Gp1 and Gp2 touring cars.

As a necessity, in encouraging the Gp2 cars to expand into its own race (more than twelve cars are currently being restored or built for next year - yes really!) the Masters is putting together Gp1 and Gp2 into one 45 minute two-driver race.

We were a little worried by the speed differential of the two classic groups, but after the first couple of races the Gp1 boys have reacted to the much quicker slick-shod Gp2 cars with courtesy and aplomb, mainly by sliding to the outside in the corners and letting us by, these guys love driving sideways anyway - proper show-offs.

pics. www.themastersseries.com


Race 1. was a 15 min Classic Modified Saloon race at Snetterton, just to see if the car was set up correctly.
After the diff bearing seized going flat out around Coram in qualifying (good for the sphincter muscles) we only got fifth on the grid.
Just as we were packing up to go home, (we didn't bring a spare because it was only a test - stupid) a couple of local guys offered to take us back to their barn in the middle of rural Norfolk and loan us a diff they had in an old 635!

Having always been deeply affected by the film "Deliverance" (I dont know whether either had a relation who played the banjo - but anything's possible in deepest Norfolk) we cautiously agreed.

Not only did they have all the kit but one was an ex-Lotus mechanic and the other restored Citroen DSs for filmstars (you couldn't make this up) with super brutal efficiency which included suspending the old 635 from a digger, the diffs were swapped and we were back next day with a functioning race car.

After a dreadful start (later realising the cause was the prop centre bearing which had been damaged by the seizure, and the replacement diff was probably only 25%). (humm - I hear you knocking - but you can't come in...) we were
seventh into the first corner, we gradually took on the various Cosworths, E36M3s and SDIs albeit with a spinning inside rear wheel, until on about seventh lap we were finally up against against my old adversary from Toyo Modprods, the irrepressible Liverpudlian Neil Philpotts in his all-singing all-dancing Mitubishi Starion Turbo.
I can't believe how fast that thing is in a straight line, having finally got underneath him at Sears, he left me for dead halfway down Revett straight. How were we to challenge him? It had to be Banzai around Coram and a bit of luck through Russell.
It all came down to the last lap when after taking three lengths out of him on Coram we came across a tail-ender approaching Russell, allowing us to slide right up to his back end and then sprint to the line, but he made no mistakes, we were beaten by half a cars length, not bad for German seventies technology against those dastardly Japanese and their infernal turboboosters.

Thanks top, top guys, Mike and Adrian.

pics.


Race 2. The Masters/Top Hat 70sTCs at Donnington, the 45 min possible two-driver affair.
First time at the Masters what a beautiful sight, all those old Jags, Mustangs, classic saloons and sportcars, and immediately more worrying for us, Shaun Lynns genuine Cologne Capri (to die for), our old "UFO" car driven by Ian Guest and run by the btcc Techspeed equipe, having been extensively reworked to tip-top spec., Alex Hammond in the horrendously powerful Camaro, run by Graham Hathaway and of course my old sparring patner Alex Elliott in his CSL.(and all the others of course)

Not much to say about the actual race, car ran well but we missed the mandatory changeover/stop window, got mightily bollocked by the officials, (almost blew my shades off!) forced to do two stops as a punishment and on being released acquired a puncture in the left front with 4 laps to go!

But we did just get the fastest CSL lap time which perked us up a little.

pics.


Race 3. The Masters at Brands Hatch
Decided to call Steve Guglielmi, a good friend from years back, the double TVR Tuscan Champ, to see if he was interested in being my co-driver for Brands, he likes Brands. It was a little early that morning, so I wasn't surprised when his young daughter answered the phone, after having a conversation with her about when Steve was likely to rise from his bed, he came to the phone. I immediately explained the deal, what the procedure was, and who was likely to be there, hoping to entice him, he made all the right noises and eventually upon being asked if he wanted to check the car over first at his Daventry workshop, he said "and who exactly am I speaking to?" Turned out to be a guy called Steve Powell. I checked the number and said, "thats a really weird coincidence, apart from one digit you have the same tel no.as Steve G and you also being a racer is incredible" - "a what?" he said.....

( His wife, as he goes back to bed - "who was that dear?" - "just some guy wanting me to drive a racecar a Brands Hatch at the week-end" - - - -"I hope you haven't forgotten about the trip up Everest with Ranulf the following day dear" )
Both the real Steve and I wondered if he would actually turn up on raceday - he didn't...

The Race:
After the new throttle cable pulled free from its solder in the first lap of qualifying, under red flags (sorry guys) I was snatched in from Graham Hill where Steve and I borrowed a tool or two from a unaccompanied mechanics trolley and repaired it, with little time left now, Steve jumped aboard, went out and qualified second behind the Camaro, but in front of the Capri (is that boy good or what?) I began to realise what a good looking car we've got, its funny its not until you watch someone else that you get these images in your head..

The hard won grid place was squandered by me as I had yet another appaling start by missing second (please shoot me!) after allowing everyone else to get away,I pulled back to fourth by the 25th minute just a half a cars length behind Peter Seldon in Alex's CSL.
Our changeover was "less than efficient" handing a half a lap to the rest of the field, or perhaps Steve needed to up the challenge for himself?
We were then treated to a driving display of smoothness and determination from Steve as he chased down the three cars in front, not an easy task when they were all within a tenth or two. On catching Alex there was some fairly solid argy-bargy until Steve took to the grass and both cars swapped a little paint!

Then it was everything we had waited for - could he catch the Capri or was the qually time a fluke?
Gradually making up five or six lengths he caught him, he got him coming out of Clearways... then Shaun got it back into Paddock, a squirty 450bhp against a well handling 350bhp with everybody including the commentator on the edge of their seats.

Then bad luck, the race was put under waved yellows for the last four laps! so second place was saved for the Capri, but Alex Hammond/Graham Hathaway in the Camaro had got away to a well deserved, consistent lap-time win.

The Masters hospitality was plentious, with good lunch provided and later a wine and finger buffet with a preview of their auction from Coys. Of course the next two days of the Masters were for the real stunners in the series - Classic F1s, GTs etc. all the usual suspects arriving in their massive rigs as we left.... if only..... at least the sun shone on the deserving.

So an unlucky third against good opposition - where's that blue paint?.

pics.