GT & Sports Car Cup Race Report: Donington HSCC
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RACE WINNERS
Andrew Haddon & Andy Wolfe
LOTUS ELAN
Handy Andys’ Elan throttles Cobra at Donington
Lotus Elan duo Andrew Haddon and Andy Wolfe, winners at last season’s torrentially wet GTSCC finale at Castle Combe, did it again at Donington on June 27, this time in more clement conditions. Spa Six Hours victors driving Ford GT40s in 2009 and 2016 respectively, they outran the AC Cobra of Chris Chiles Jr/Simon Garrad both sides of the mandatory pitstop, taking the chequered flag 38.426s clear after an hour of fine racing.
Third place was keenly disputed. Californian Fred Wakeman relayed Patrick Blakeney-Edwards into his unique Lister-Jaguar coupe - Frank Costin’s spaceframe car taken to Le Mans in 1963 by Peters Lumsden and Sargent - and Pat hounded down Mike Wrigley’s increasingly smoky Jaguar E-type to complete the virtual podium.
Having switched Austin-Healeys from Doug Muirhead’s TON 792 to Jeremy Welch’s post-qualifying, the latter built Muirhead sufficient advantage to win the GT3 division by 8.228s from the fast-closing ‘DD 300,’ which Dutchman Karsten Le Blanc had taken over from compatriot Christiaen van Lanschot. The gap was 3.228s on the road, but the team was one of 10 to attract a five second penalty for exceeding track limits.
GT2 saw an order turnover, rallyman Richard Tuthill moving Richard Cook’s Pursuit Racing Porsche 911 past the scarlet ex-Gordon Spice Morgan Plus 4 SLR of Calum Lockie/Simon Orebi Gann, currently running a two-litre Triumph engine, two laps from home. Scots Tim and Laurence Jacobsen’s MGB was barely 21s adrift of the winner at the close, the two cars ahead among those penalised for repeated use of the greensward.
QUALIFYING
A stout 1m19.433s lap - an average speed of 89.69mph for the 1.979-mile circuit in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session put the Chiles/Garrad Cobra on pole in the 32-car field. The next quartet within two seconds of the Anglo-American beast’s best, which augured well for Sunday’s race. Haddon/Wolfe were closest on 1:20.265 (88.76mph), with Wakeman/Blakeney-Edwards and quickest E-type in the model’s 60th anniversary year, Matt and Mike Wrigley’s low-drag coupe, on their heels.
Seven tenths of a second blanketed the next four 26R-spec Elans, John Watson/Dan Cox and Anthony Hancock and protégé Murray Shepherd (son of Andy, nephew of Bill, both AC aces) in the ‘21s’, chased by American Mike Malone and Rob Hall (the ex-Steve Soper car) with team-mates Andy Willis/George MacDonald in Stefan Jöbstl’s Lotus Southwest example on 1:22.101.
James Hanson cut best GT3 time, 1:23.690 (85.13mph), in Paul Pochciol’s Jaguar E-type fixed head coupe, giving them a four-place cushion to Le Blanc/van Lanschot in their triple Le Mans-starting Healey 3000, resplendent in British Racing Green. Between them sat the grey Elan of Steve Jones/Robert Barrie, William Paul’s beautiful E-type roadster and the Shelby Mustang GT350 of Bill Wykeham and multiple saloon champion Patrick Watts, who also has the British Historic Rally title on his CV having threaded a Sunbeam Tiger through the forests!
Fourteenth, third in GT3, was John Emberson’s ex-Pip Arnold 2.1-litre Morgan Plus 4 SLR, shared on this occasion by the rapid Billy Bellinger who found its handling "very different” to Keith Ahlers’ ex-Chris Lawrence version which he has long prepared and co-driven. Billy had raced it previously, some years back in Adrian van Der Kroft’s ownership, but was able to give Foxcraft Racing some pointers on settings.
Bellinger, incidentally, was fastest of all through the Craner Curves speed trap, pulling 107.8mph in the alloy-bodied aerodyne, fractionally better than the best Elans and 5mph quicker than the Cobra. The 4.7-litre Ford V8-powered AC came into its own on the Exhibition Straight however, recording 128.8mph, 1.3mph swifter than the slipperier but less grunty Lister and 8.4mph up on the Haddon/Wolfe Elan.
The big Healeys of west countrymen Chris Clarkson/David Smithies and Crispin Harris/James Wilmoth were closely-matched, in a tight huddle with Orebi Gann’s SLR in which Scottish terrier Calum Lockie cut a splendid 1:25.833 (83.00mph). John Clark’s early GT3 spec E-type FHC, shared with Historic F2 racer Miles Griffiths, and GT2 contenders Malcolm Paul/Rick Bourne (TVR Grantura Mk III) and Edinburgh father and son Laurence and Tim Jacobsen (MGB) completed the top 20.
Former Historic Touring car racer Louis Bracey’s attractive GT4 E-type FHC separated the Jacobsens from the contrasting MGBs of Guy Harman/Nick Finburgh, Josh Barnett and young Classic Formula Ford hotshoe Henry Chart, and the omni-present Brian and Barbara Lambert, the last team inside 1m30 seconds. Behind Bracey sat Cook’s GT2 Porsche 911.
Less than a second covered Colin Sharp (Triumph TR4), Oliver Marçais (MGB), and the Porsches of Tarek Mahmoud and David Clark/Andrew Hall - the 911s split by SP2 rep Julian Bronson/Barry Cannell (Jaguar C-type) - in their wake. It was first time on track for Julian’s recent acquisition, a superb North Devon Coachworks-built toolroom copy of the icons which won the Le Mans 24 Hours races in 1951 and ’53. It was very much a shakedown for the car, sparingly used on the road by its previous owner, and running in Weber-carburetted drum braked specification.
The Elan of Alex Montgomery/Joel Wykeham had just started lap two when its diff seized passing the pit exit. The dramatic corkscrew lines left by its tortured tyres to where the car ground to a halt at Redgate corner were impressive. Also in trouble was the Muirhead/Welch Healey. Jeremy was towed in when its engine threw its oil out without completing a lap. Fortunately, both teams were able to race, the repaired Elan qualifying out of session on Sunday, by which time Welch had fetched his own Healey from the Denis Welch Motorsport emporium 25 miles away.
RACE
Haddon sprinted away at the start, intent on making the early running as TSL’s clock ticked down the hour. Andrew led at the end of the opening lap from Chiles and Matt Wrigley, with Willis and Hancock (in the ‘Swedish’ blue and yellow Elan), fast-starter Hanson, Wakeman, Wykeham’s blue Shelby - with the great Mark Donohue’s name on its roof - Watson, Jones and Paul completing the top 10. Lockie had already shot Orebi Gann’s Morgan past Emberson’s torquier sister car in his determination to gap the quickest of the heavier Porsches and MGBs, and the lighter TVR ‘Grannie’ in the GT2 fight.
Wakeman quickly demoted Hanson to go sixth, but all eyes were on Welch, immediately into his stride and rocketing up the order in the replacement #61 Healey. Twenty first after one circuit, Jeremy was 17th next time round, then 15th before settling into 12th on lap four. Hanson was still five places ahead, but as guest driver would have to cede to owner Pochciol before half-way per the regulations.
The first major change came on lap 10 when Chiles, who had been harassing Haddon, growled ahead. Chris stayed there to the pitstops, extending a lead which stabilised at 11 seconds. Both car owners dived in after 24 laps, promoting Wrigley to the top of the tree until he relayed his dad a couple of tours later. Hanson had put Pochciol into bat after 19 laps, three before Wakeman and Welch, by now up to seventh from the back!
When Jeremy peeled the red Healey into the pitlane after 23 tours, he was one lap behind the overall leaders, but more importantly significantly ahead of its siblings. Muirhead took over and at the end of his out lap was behind Pochciol. It took a couple of laps for Doug to overtake the gunmetal Jag, but behind them Le Blanc was lapping considerably more rapidly. The chase for GT3 honours was well and truly on.
The pitstop cycle was complete once William Paul came in after 27 laps. As the stagger unwound the true order soon re-emerged. Having repassed the Cobra on lap 26, Wolfe and Garrad moved back to the top of the charts, where they remained. Wrigley Sr’s third-placed Jag appeared from the chicane pursued by a grey haze on lap 38 and, as Blakeney-Edwards displaced him in the Lister, it worsened. “I smelled oil and saw smoke in my mirrors,” said Mike who knew it was coming from the diff when the rear end became loose. He kept fourth, with Shepherd - the last unlapped runner quickest through the Craner Curves speed trap at an impressive 111.4mph - within four seconds at the finish.
Historic Formula Fordster MacDonald, in the dark Elan started by Willis, was lapped by the leaders towards the end, but finished sixth, one circuit clear of the next eight cars. Cox, charging in Watson’s red Lotus, snatched seventh from Barrie last time round. Having picked off Watts in Bill Wykeham’s Shelby and Paul’s Jaguar this capped an entertaining stint. Joel Wykeham, Bill’s brother, was four seconds adrift of the V8, 11th past the flag, Montgomery’s Elan having behaved itself in the race.
The excitement built in GT3, where Le Blanc’s relentless pursuit of leader Muirhead was the major talking point. Karsten eroded the deficit lap after lap, setting DD300’s best time two from the end. He was 3.228s shy over the timing line, having clawed 2.5 seconds back last time round, but a five second penalty for exceeding track limits - meted out to 10 teams, not that it changed the result - did not tell the story on paper. Harris/Wilmoth and Clarkson/Smithies completed a Healey rout, finishing 11th-14th overall. Pochciol’s Jaguar faded to a distant fifth in the division.
Led to the stops by Lockie, who handed over to Orebi Gann after 20 laps, ahead of his pursuers but just a lap behind the leaders, GT2 was a story of what might have been. Tim Jacobsen led the chase, running long to lap 25, the Scot’s previous chasers Cook and Malcolm Paul having relayed Tuthill and Bourne after 20. Lapping quickest straight away, Rick was carving into Orebi Gann’s lead with relish, indeed Paul’s calculations suggested he’d catch the red SLR at that rate of gain. It wasn’t to be for a broken ignition wire silenced the TVR. Tuthill, anchoring Cook’s Porsche run, thus did the job, passing Orebi Gann two laps from home. Classified 16th and 17th, both cars were among those pinged for exuberance (Lockie having starred early on), and former British Group C2 and Interserie racer Laurence Jacobsen jostled the best of the MGBs into a close third.
Only five retirements were posted. Apart from the Paul/Bourne TVR, Clark’s E-type was a late casualty, Griffiths creeping in with a split diff seal leaking oil onto its brakes. Malone was disconcerted by a long brake pedal in his Elan, whereupon the vastly experienced Hall took it out and acclimatized to pumping the pedal. A rear caliper seal eventually popped, legacy of a wheel bearing failure. Bellinger pitted Emberson’s Morgan to report its rear axle floating. Teething problems afflicted the Bronson/Cannell C-type, “but we’ll be a lot further up the grid next time out, I can assure you,” said Julian.
The GT & Sports Car Cup’s 15th season resumes at Castle Combe’s Autumn Classic on October 2. With different overall and class winners at Silverstone and Donington - barring Jeremy Welch, who co-drove Mark Holme’s Healey at the season opener - who will taste the champagne in Wiltshire?
GTSCC WINNERS
Andrew Haddon & Andy Wolfe - Lotus Elan
GTSCC CLASS WINNERS
GT2 - Richard Cook & Richard Tuthill - Porsche 911
GT3 - Jeremy Welch & Doug Muirhead - Austin Healey 3000
GT4 - Andrew Haddon & Andy Wolfe - Lotus Elan
SP2 - Julian Bronson & Barry Cannell - Jaguar C-Type
'Family Award' - Mike & Matthew Wrigley - Jaguar E-Type 'Low-Drag'
'Driver of the Day' - John Emberson & Billy Bellanger - Morgan Plus 4 SLR
GT2 Class Winners Richard Cook & Richard Tuthill in their Pursuit Racing prepared Porsche 911
GT4 Class Winners Andrew Haddon & Andy Wolfe in their Wolfe Manufacturing prepared Lotus Elan
GTSCC Family Award for highest placed Family entry - Mike & Matthew Wrigley in their Pearson Engineering prepared Jaguar E-Type
GT3 Class Winners - Jeremy Welch & Doug Muirhead in their Denis Welch prepared Austin Healey 3000
SP2 Class Winners - Julian Bronson & Barry Cannell in their Jaguar C-type
GTSCC Driver of the Day - John Emberson & Billy Bellinger in their Foxcraft Racing prepared Morgan Plus 4 SLR
THE NEXT ROUND OF THE GT & SPORTS CAR CUP WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE AUTUMN CLASSIC, CASTLE COMBE, SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER.
GTSCC SEASON FINALE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE ALGARVE CLASSIC FESTIVAL 29/30/31 OCTOBER IN PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL
E-Mail - cars@automobileshistoriques.com for entries
SAVE THE DATE
REGULATIONS PERMITTING
GTSCC AWARDS LUNCH PRESENTATION
THE ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB, PALL MALL,
SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER