STAPLETON & SHELDON FIGHT FOR COMPETITION HONOURS
RUSTON LOOKS SET FOR SECOND TOUR BRITANNIA TOURING VICTORY
HEALEYS SET FOR BATTLE TO THE FINISH
At the end of the third leg of Tour Britannia, competition for honours in the various categories remains as intense as ever. In the Competition category, just 16.5 seconds separate Bruce Stapleton/Alistair Cowin and John Sheldon/Lesley Stevens with only two competitive sections remaining. The Touring-Regularity crew of John Ruston and Jeremy Haylock have a comfortable lead, although only extended it by 8/10th second today, while in the Index of Performance, the Austin Healey crews of Eric Wooley/David Smithies and Bobby Bell/Oliver Harris will be fighting for the Tour Britannia Trophy tomorrow, with only 12.6 seconds separating them.
Today saw the crews take a picturesque route to Belvoir Castle, Tour Britannia’s opening stage in 2005 and home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. A trip over the Lincolnshire fens to Cadwell Park followed. The twisty, hilly circuit was a firm favourite with last year’s competitors and enabled the more nimble cars to challenge those with more horsepower. A different stage at Belvoir was then run twice before competitors returned to Coombe Abbey.
The father and son team of Nick and Harry Whale have once again been the dominant force in the stages, the pair winning all four runs through Belvoir Castle. Nick then finished second behind John Grant (Chevron B16) in the Cadwell Park race and, but for their problems in Leg 1, could easily be mixing it with the leading crews. Bruce Stapleton, overnight leader, has had a consistent day in the Morgan +8, losing just 2.2 seconds to Sheldon throughout the day and promising a fight to the finish. Eric Wooley and David Smithies remain third.
John Ruston and Jeremy Haylock continue to control Touring-Regularity, inching out just 4.5 seconds during the day. They do however have nearly 90 seconds in hand to Mark Berger/Robert Newton in the Bristol 401. Mark Vandendijk and An De Reymaeker maintain third and once again Ruston, Vandendijk and the rookie crew of Colin and Amelia Goodwin won all the sections between them.
The overall Tour Britannia Trophy, based on Index of Performance, remains hotly contested and the Austin Healey crews will provide a nail-biting finish to the event. Third is held by the Swiss Ferrari crew of Arnold and Melanie Meier, who have a comfortable lead over Michael O-Shea and Colin Bowler in the Fiat Dino Spyder.
The final leg of the 2006 Tour Britannia – set to take place in bright sunshine again - opens with a reverse run at Arbury Hall before the closing set of regularity tests and races at Mallory Park. The finish will be around midday with the prize-giving lunch held at the circuit.
QUOTES FROM THE CREWS
#1 John Ruston/Jeremy Haylock (GB/GB) – Porsche 356 Carrera
“Cadwell, brilliant; one of my favourite circuits.”
#6 David Gracey/Tony Smallman (GB/GB) – MGB GT
“It’s all brilliant, everyone is very friendly and the organisation so helpful.”
#7 Colin Goodwin/Amelia Goodwin (GB/GB) - Porsche 911S
“Excellent, this is absolutely the best circuit. It’s a gorgeous circuit and the only one I’ve wished I was doing the Competition category!”
#34 Michael O’Shea/Colin Bowler (GB/GB) Fiat Dino Spyder
“It was fun even though we were at the back of the race, but the car just goes wherever you put it. Considering we’re on standard tyres, we didn’t do too badly in the under 2 litre category. It was good fun to drive.” Finished 22nd overall
#36 Yves Junne/Elke Middedorp (F/D) – Porsche 904
Retired with engine failure on a non-competitive section out of Coombe Abbey.
#38 Adam Wiseberg/Robin Eyre-Maunsell (GB/GB) – Porsche 911
Correction; yesterday the crew had a transmission problem in the last competitive section (CS14). Today, the crew retired during the Cadwell Park practice with differential problem. “It was a diff problem, and most of it’s probably on the circuit! Typically, on our second practice lap we were faster than the Healey; I knew the car would be good here… It’s been great though, and we’ll definitely be back.”
#39 Eric Wooley/David Smithies (GB/GB) – Austin Healey 3000 Sebring
“It’s a lovely flowing circuit; really good and the car didn’t miss a beat.” Finished 9th overall
#40 Robi Bernberg/Steve Winter (GB/GB) – Porsche 911
“We’ve got a rogue electrical/misfire problem, so it was a slower race for us.” Finished 16th overall
#41 Charles Reynolds/John Day (GB/GB) – Alpine Renault A110
“She (the car) performed beautifully; we couldn’t hope to be near the Healey though. It’s a nice circuit for this car and she’s really going as she should now; the handling’s getting better and better.” Finished 12th overall
#43 Peter Mullen/Richard Threlfall (GB/GB) – Alfa Romeo TZ1
“It’s a really superb circuit, as tight as it looks. It’s a good nimble car for this circuit but I was always on the limit with the gearing. Great fun though.” Finished 21st overall
#51 Bruce Stapleton/Alistair Cowin (GB/GB) – Morgan +8
“The race went well, it’s a lovely circuit and I gradually got to remember it. This one suited the car a lot better. The plan was not to let the Elan (John Sheldon) get too far away. It’s a great little circuit in lovely Lincolnshire countryside, what more to ask for; lovely.” Finished 5th overall
#63 Doug Allen/Richard Lugg (USA/GB) – Ford Mustang 289
“Cadwell was so much fun and this is the best circuit of the event. People says it’s too narrow, but you can pass if you want to (finished 11th overall). Last year this event was good, this year it’s better.” The crew were then involved in an accident on a non-competitive section and were taken to hospital for checks. Both appear not to have serious injuries.
#64 Simon Hope/Monty Mountford (GB/GB) – Ford Mustang
“The car got very hot so I had to take it easy.” Finished 25th overall
#65 Roy Stephenson/Peter Robinson (GB/GB) – Ford Mustang
“I lost the brakes during practice so had to take it steady.” Finished 10th overall
#67 Richard Lloyd/Alan Rivers (GB/GB) – Chevrolet Camaro
“A very good day; a lack of brakes caused a bit of a problem but we’re back in fighting form (finished 13th overall). We’re looking forward to the closing sections at Arbury Hall and Mallory. The good thing about Mallory is that you only need the brakes once!”
#69 David Betts/Caroline Betts (GB/GB) – Shelby GT350
“I made a bad start, missed a gear and lost about six places. It’s a tricky circuit for overtaking.” Finished 15th overall
#71 Nick Faure/Mary Faure (GB/GB) – Porsche 3.0 RSR
“We’ve got the same problems, but the first lap of practice Nick managed to streak away. But then he had no power along the straight, so what he could make up, he then lost.” Finished 7th overall
#73 Nick Whale/Harry Whale (GB/GB) – Porsche 911 Carrera RS
“A bit of a lonely race for us, but the first lap we got past John Sheldon.” Finished 2nd overall
#75 Gareth Burnett/Ed McDonough (GB/USA) – Lotus 7
After missing yesterday, the crew returned at Cadwell but were forced out with a broken rear radius arm.
#78 Howard Redhouse/Mike Haigh (IRL/GB) - Shelby GT350
“Very good so far. We had two nice runs through Belvoir Castle and I managed to handbrake it at the hairpin like a real rally driver! The car then got stuck in first on the road section to Cadwell, but otherwise the car is going very well.” Finished Cadwell race 8th overall
#80 John Grant/Nick Reynolds (GB/GB) – Chevron B16
“This circuit suits the car perfectly and we finally got to all the way through a section! I’m starting to enjoy this now!” Won the race
#99 John Evans/Jeff Moyes (GB/GB) – Porsche 911
“Brilliant!” I’ve never raced at Cadwell before; it was super and the best we have gone so far. This event is fantastic; for me, extend it to a fortnight!” Finished Cadwell race 18th overall
