GT & Sports Car Cup Race Report: Castle Combe Autumn Classic 2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RACE WINNERS
Autumn Classic, Castle Combe - 24th September 2022
Chris Chiles & Chris Chiles Sr

Chiles’ Cobra Captures Combe Classic Crown

Driving their CRC-run AC Cobra with pace and precision, Chris Chiles and Chris Chiles Sr won a superlative GTSCC curtain closer at Castle Combe’s Autumn Classic last Saturday, September 24, mirroring their success at Oulton Park’s season opener in May. Glorious weather was a welcome novelty at this exceptionally friendly event at the historic Wiltshire venue and Junior made the most of it, setting a new lap record of 1m17.444s (85.99mph) for the 1.85-mile circuit as the fuel load lightened during his second stint.

A lap behind the writhing Ford V8-engined snake, a scintillating battle for second overall and GT3 division honours saw Billy and Jack Bellinger, guesting in the indisposed John Emberson’s Morgan +4 SLR, beat the Austin-Healey 3000s of Jack and Bill Rawles and soloist Mark Pangborn to the chequered flag. Five seconds separated the trio. Crispin Harris/James Wilmoth and local crew David Smithies/Chris Clarkson also covered the class winners’ distance in their big Healeys.

Malcolm Paul/Rick Bourne (TVR Grantura) aced GT2 by a lap in a tactical tussle with early leader Oliver Marçais (MGB), with Paul and Ewan Bason (Lotus Elite) third in another nuance of the 90-minute race, which entertained a large knowledgeable audience and lost only three cars.

QUALIFYING

Scheduled between the Goodwood Revival and Spa Six Hours in a crazily busy September calendar (not up against the Belgian enduro per last year), our fifth visit to Castle Combe - the WW2 airfield perimeter track opened in July 1950 and revised with speed-tempering chicanes for the ’99 season. “That an unprecedented 10 family teams competed is something we are extremely proud of and speaks volumes of our invitation series’ values,” echoed promoters Flavien and Vanessa Marçais.

Chiles Jr set the benchmark in morning qualifying, his 1m18.834s (84.48mph) two seconds clear of GT3 pacemaker Bellinger Jr, whose 1:20.914 (82.30mph) headed off Rawles Jr on 1:21.070 in the quickest of four Healeys split by a second. Harris/Wilmoth’s red Crispy Moth Racing example on 1:21.273, pipped the British Racing Green versions of Smithies/Clarkson and fellow Bristolians Mike Thorne and his wife Sarah Bennett-Baggs, who posted 1:21.716 and 1:22.077s respectively.

The regretful withdrawal of Ben Adams’ Jaguar E-type in the run-up to the event left Robin Ellis’ Shapecraft coupe-bodied Lotus Elan 26R as the Chiles’ opposition in GT4, his plan to share with Nick Padmore scuppered when the double FIA Historic F1 champion injured himself training in the gym. Nonetheless, Ellis qualified seventh on a strong 1:22.167. GT2 standout Bourne’s 1:23.006 (80.23mph) netted a remarkable eighth in Paul’s BMC B-series-engined TVR, less than 0.4s ahead of the Chiles’ old pals Paul and George Ingram (Healey 3000) and another dad-and-lad Allan and Daniel Ross-Jones in the swiftest of three Triumph TR4s.

Pangborn’s Healey sat 11th on the grid with 1:24.241, chased by Nick King/Tim Mogridge (TR4) and Marçais in the 25s. The Basons, exercising their Elite for the first time in some years, and Brian and Barbara Lambert (MGB) were covered by a fifth of a second in the 26s. Australian visitor Robert Ingram - emulating compatriot Bryan Thomson who brought a Ford Mustang to Britain for the ’67 season, as seen by your scribe at his first Combe meeting - was next in his Elite S2, shared with veteran preparer Iain Rowley.

They headed-off the MGBs of Beverley, Chris and Oliver Phillips, Kieft GP racer Nigel Batchelor/Nick Ruddell and father and daughter Richard and Alice Locke - whose famous works spec car 222 WAE was raced from 1964 into the ’70s by Roy Ashford, and still proudly wears the distinctive livery of Bristol MG dealer Windmill & Lewis. The pretty TR4 of graphics meister Julian Balme and James Mitchell gridded among the MGs.

RACE

Under a sky which was fading from bright blue towards overcast, the race started at 16.40 on a wonderfully warm autumn afternoon, Chiles Jr controlling the pack to the timing line before unleashing the Cobra’s horsepower. At the end of the opening lap he led a five-car train, with Harris, Thorne - following a blinding getaway from seventh - Rawles Jr and Bellinger Jr forming carriages of different colours. Smithies, Paul Ingram, Pangborn, Ellis and Allan Ross-Jones completed the top 10, pursued by Marçais, GT2 rival Paul, Robert Ingram, King, Paul Bason, Batchelor, Alice Locke [up three], Balme, Beverley Phillips and Barbara Lambert.

As Chiles built temperature into his tyres and brakes he began to extend an advantage over Harris, who soon had Rawles in tow, while Billy Bellinger guided the uber-sleek polished aluminium-bodied Morgan aerodyne through to fourth, ahead of Smithies and Thorne who had paired-off. In mid-pack Aussie Ingram deposed Paul’s TVR for second in GT2, a move quickly matched by King. Ellis and Pangborn enjoyed a little tussle too, swapping places before the blue Elan dived into the pit lane with a misfire after nine laps. Unable to trace the cause, it was retired.

Lapping consistently under 1m20s had enabled Chiles to stretch out a 10-second lead inside seven laps, by which time chaser Harris was as focused on repelling young Rawles. Jack ousted him into the Esses, but a couple of circuits later the red Healey was back in front of the white and blue one. Meanwhile Thorne, having regained fifth from Smithies, which he would hold to his first stop made at 19 laps - with the occasional flicker of lightning over the horizon - had David and the improving Pangborn bearing down on him. Ross-Jones, the last unlapped runner, ran behind the trio.

Marcais’ lead over Paul in GT2 was out to just about 30 seconds, matching the stationary time the 19-year-old would have to serve at each of the stops as a solo driver. This would slightly disadvantage Olly once Bourne was at the TVR’s helm, not that it deterred him. The Ingram Healey was the second retirement after 15 minutes, incidentally, Paul not wishing to inflict the responsibility of a long brake pedal on son George.

When Balme stopped the paler blue TR4 there was considerable amusement when co-driver Mitchell wasn’t ready at the left-hooker’s door. “I’d been tapping on my hat for a few laps, indicating to James that he should get his helmet, but what followed was “a bit Keystone Cops,” said Jules, later seen wearing a red and white ‘Where’s Wally’ hooped jumper which he’d tentatively suggested that his buddy James wore post-race.

Just after the 20-lap mark, at approximately one-third distance, the pit lane commentator reported a few spots of rain, but they came to nothing. Thorne had put Sarah B-B in to bat and soloist Pangborn, the midnight blue Ross-Jones TR4 and Marçais had made their first scheduled stops. Rawles relayed dad Bill at 25 laps, leaving Harris and Bellinger half a second apart squabbling over second, while “Meerkat” Smithies installed “Lord Borneo” Clarkson into the fifth-placed #58 Healey. Under darkening skies Chiles came in at 27 laps, as did Bellinger, whose fine stop had father Jack away with the minimum fuss. Wilmoth replaced Harris from the lead next time round, completing the leading group’s round of stops.

Having endured a back operation only three months previously, Andorra domiciled Chris Chiles Sr questioned driving at all. Once on board, however, his core supported by the Cobra’s seat, he enjoyed his planned short stint. “I managed 20 minutes,” he grinned later, before finding a vantage point (with his wife, daughter-in-law and three grand daughters forming a fan club) from which to watch his son rattle of the laps metronomically, plumping out his cushion to a strengthening posse of pursuers.

Bellinger Sr - who regularly shared the ex-Pip Arnold Morgan SLR with then owner Adrian van der Kroft 15 years ago - handed it back to Billy after 11 laps, while Clarkson - having shaken off Pangborn and Rawles Sr, also made his team’s second stop around the one-hour mark. At one point, the five surviving Healeys growled over the timing line together, Rawles, Clarkson and Pangborn having put a lap on Bennett-Baggs, familiarising herself with the ex-David Grace car, while being chased by Wilmoth.

Pangborn was last but one of the leaders to complete the pit cycle, from the lead. The Basons simply forgot to stop for a second time, thus were meted out a one lap penalty, while Batchelor/Ruddell received a 30-second imposition for exceeding the maximum 40-minute driving time. Bourne’s lead over Marçais in GT2 was looking unassailable as Paul retook the TVR’s wheel after 53 laps, with around 80 seconds in hand.

Out front the Cobra never looked vulnerable once it had clawed back past the double-stinting Wilmoth. Behind the Anglo-American monster, things were building to a crescendo in the fight for GT3 gold and the other podium places. Jack Rawles and Billy Bellinger were lapping as one, reeling in Pangborn. Once past Mark, their fight became for second when Wilmoth’s defining stop was made on lap 53.

Lapped by Chiles eight from home, Rawles, Bellinger and Pangborn’s scrap entertained the Castle Combe faithful who remained cheering on the spectator banks to the end. Bellinger darted the 2.1-litre Triumph-powered Morgan ahead of Rawles’ white and blue Healey into the Esses on lap 60, then had his work cut out keeping the torquier three-litre six-cylinder machines behind. “I only had one chance to get him [Jack] and I did it.”

Exceptional racecraft kept Billy - with Rick Bourne the only drivers to have raced all three Morgan Sprinzel Lawrencetune Racing Morgan coupes - there, rewarding Simon Pragnell’s Foxcraft equipe with second, 2.881s ahead of team Rawles who, despite a misfire from mid-race put in a best lap 0.026s slower than Bellinger’s class best of 1:20.970s (82.25mph) in the closing stages, crossed TSL’s timing line 2.333s before Pangborn. “I had no idea where I was as I don’t have a pit board,” admitted Mark at the prizegiving in The Stratford Centre, at which families filled the podium.

Harris/Wilmoth and Smithies/Clarkson finished fifth and sixth, with very similar best laps. A lap down, Thorne/Bennett-Baggs were classified seventh, one tour ahead of Paul/Bourne’s gallant Grantura, in turn one clear of the Ross-Jones duo - winners of the Driver of the Day Award - and Marçais in the first MG B.

Chiles Jr was quick to praise allcomers at the social gathering after the race. “Driving standards were excellent, particularly as there are massive speed differentials before Quarry.” He also thanked his father for long-term support. “We’ve been competing together for 20 odd years now and I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t racing with him.” Cue applause from around the room after a thoroughly enjoyable day’s sport. Their success also made it two in eight days for CRC’s Gary Spencer, who built Andrew Smith and Gordon Shedden’s Goodwood TT Celebration-winning Cobra.

Last stop on the 2022 GTSCC tour is the wonderful Autodromo Internacional Algarve at Portimao on October 28-30. A strong grid is forecast, but grid spaces are available. Contact Vanessa quickly to avoid disappointment.

Report by Marcus Pye

GTSCC WINNERS
Chris Chiles & Chris Chiles Snr

GTSCC CLASS WINNERS
GT2 - Malcom Paul/Rick Bourne - TVR Grantura MkIII
GT3 - James & Jack Bellinger - Morgan Plus 4 SLR
GT4 - Chris Chiles & Chris Chiles Snr - AC Cobra

GTSCC 'Driver of the Day' - Allan & Daniel Ross-Jones - Triumph TR4
Royal Automobile Club ‘Family Award’ - James & Jack Bellinger - Morgan Plus 4 SLR

Terry Sanger Trophy - Fastest Lap - Chris Chiles Jnr