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Event Information
Brands Hatch, UK; May 25th/26th, 2008
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Race Results
| DATE | DESCRIPTION | RACE RESULTS |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, May 26th | HGPCA Race for Pre 66 Grand Prix Cars |  |
Race Report
The Association’s last visit to the Grand Prix circuit at Brands was in 2006 when we supported the HSCC and their annual ’Superprix’ event. This year the HSCC date clashed with our Spa Francorchamps weekend. However, such is the draw of the long circuit at Brands, that it had to be included in our 2008 dates and an arrangement was made with the Masters group that one race in their event would be reserved for the HGPCA. Entry was open to all cars of classes 5 – 12; 36 entries were received including eight front-engine cars, led by Tony Smith’s fabulous Ferrari Dino. Overseas entries included Paul Grant and Mark Valvekens (Cooper Bristol & Gordini) from Belgium and Peter Studer racing his Lotus 32 - the car’s first ever race in the United Kingdom! A first race with the HGPCA was Brian Horwood’s Cooper T75; this is a 1964 F2 car with a 1000cc BMC twin-cam engine, running at last after a long re-build.
The Masters meeting was a three-day event with ’clubby’ type races on the Indy circuit on Saturday but the full Grand Prix circuit being used on Sunday and Monday. Saturday’s weather was fine but by 08.30 on Sunday morning it had rained so much in the night that the bottom of the paddock was under a foot of water - in the middle of which was the Ferrari Dino awning. Fortunately our practice was not until 2pm by which time it was dry and sunny.
HGPCA practice was effectively ruined on the first lap by a Cooper T45 driver turning left when the track went right, ending up in the gravel and causing the session to be run behind the pace car. Michael Schryver posted fastest time with Alan Baillie an excellent second; Mark Piercy was third in his Tasman Cooper with Nigel Bancroft leading the Type 51 brigade. Rod Jolley was second slowest; an unusual position for him but clutch slip had stopped him after two laps. John Harper, also further back than usual, had gear selector problems (yet again). Fastest front-engine car was Tony Smith some eight seconds off pole with Hubert Fabri driving the Aston beautifully to be the second fastest front-engine car. Practice ended slightly early with red lights when another Cooper T45 entered the gravel!
28 cars started the race but only 25 cars returned to the start line at the end of the first lap. John Elliott spun his Lotus 18 causing Charles McCabe’s Lotus to hit the back of Andrew Wareing’s BRM, side-lining both cars. At the same time Hubert’s Aston neatly sliced off the nose of the spinning Lotus, fortunately without any damage to the Aston. Leading after lap 1 was Mark Piercy’s Cooper having out-dragged the Schryver twin-cam Lotus on the long straights. Nigel Bancroft was third with Alan Baillie dropping back from his front row grid position to fourth. By lap 4 John Harper had moved up from seventh on the grid to second place and was now pressing the leading Cooper eventually taking then lead on lap 6 - sadly all in vain when two laps later the fuel tank showed empty. At the chequered flag nine of the race starters had retired; first over the line was Michael Schryver, second was Mark Piercy with Ian Ashley third in the LDS despite having no clutch. Tony Smith’s Ferrari led the front-engine class in seventh place half a minute ahead of Class 9 winner, Brian Jolliffe.
The heavens opened on Sunday night such that the track was seriously flooded at 9am on Monday when racing was due to start. At one stage it looked as through the whole event might be abandoned but luckily it had cleared and by noon and racing was underway. A major re-arrangement of the programme resulted in the HGPCA race starting on time but sadly with only 16 runners. Some had mechanical problems for non-starting, others cited ’personal’ reasons. Despite the bad conditions fifteen of the starters finished the race, the only drop-our being Spike Milligan’s Connaught breaking a half-shaft on the warm-up lap. A shortened race saw Nigel Bancroft take the chequered flag with Ian Ashley second and Rod Jolley, from the back of the grid, coming home third.
HGPCA results are published on the combined times of both races. As only sixteen drivers competed in both of the races, only they can be credited in the results.