Two races for the Charterhouse Heritage GT Car Challenge provided some superb action during the British F3/GT meeting at Snetterton over the weekend (2/3 June).
With a brilliant solo run, GT racer Oliver Bryant stole victory on the final lap of the opening race from fellow Morgan racer Rick Lloyd. However, with the Bryant +8 sidelined from the second race with engine problems, Lloyd and Peter Horsman claimed victory to complete a Morgan double.QualifyingThe long Snetterton straights allowed the Pete Hall/Andy Rouse Chevrolet Camaro to shine and the pair planted their potent machine on pole position. Sadly they would miss the races as the final drive failed. "It’s the first time in 14 years it has let us down," said a disappointed Hall.Pole position was then handed to the Peter Horsman/Rick Lloyd Morgan +8. "Peter set the time as he needs the seat time," said Lloyd who is back from a short retirement to compete in the series.
The Bryants were next, with Oliver setting the time on new tyres. "Thought it was about time we had some new ones," said his father Graham, who elected to miss Saturday’s race in favour of a dinner engagement in London.
Arthur Thurtle (Chevrolet Camaro) was next up with the potent Cobra of John Dickson/Bill Miller alongside on the second row. The McCarthy family were content with eighth after running in new brakes on their MGB GTV8.
Further back both Alec Hammond (Chevrolet Camaro) and Peter Wheeler (Aston Martin DB4) were pleased with their rebuilt machines while Pat Thomas was glad to have cured the overheating troubles that have plagued his Lotus 47.Race oneThurtle set off like a demon and quickly put the two Morgans behind him, but it then went horrible wrong for the Camaro pilot at Coram on lap two. A puncture pitched him into a mighty spin, which ended up with the Camaro just touching the barrier at Russell.
Bryant then took up the running but couldn’t shake off Horsman who nipped by when the leader made a slight error on lap 11 at Sear. It didn’t last long as Horsman then made a small mistake and was passed going into the Esses on the following lap. Shortly after Horsman pitted and handed the car over to owner Lloyd, who resumed in the lead as Bryant made his stop.
Running solo, Bryant had a longer stop and was 11 seconds behind Lloyd as he rejoined and so the young charger set off after his adversary with a purpose. Bit by bit, the gap came down, with fuel surge at Russell not helping Lloyd's cause. In a dramatic conclusion and less than a mile from the finish, Bryant blasted past into the Esses to secure victory.
An early pit stop for the McCarthys paid dividends as Russell found himself in third place on the 13th lap, despite being hampered by an oily windscreen courtesy of a split oil pipe on Hammond's Camaro when Andy Jenkinson was driving.
Another Morgan solo performance came from Chris Williams and he closed in on the McCarthy MGB but fell short of taking third place by less than two seconds.
Another car to profit from an early driver change was the Wheeler/Steve Hyde Aston with series newcomer Hyde showing considerable verve to claim fifth place having rejoined way down in 19th place. Bob Searles and Tony Jardine guided the former's Aston Martin V8 to a place in the top six, while seventh-placed Jamie Boot was Class B winner. He found that the brakes on his TVR weren't a match for some of the people around him as he had to brake 50 meters earlier than his rivals.Next came the Robin and Zoe North Mustang in only its third race. "Quite happy with eighth," said Zoe after an excellent result. Ninth was the John Bussell/Mike Wilkinson Jaguar E Type, which spun twice at Russell in the later laps, while Kerry Michael (Ford Escort) claimed a top ten finish as well as victory in Class B.
After the Mini Cooper of Harvey and Clive Death was involved in an incident at Russell with the Lotus Cortina of Geoff Kimber-Smith, Gordon Streeter (Ford Anglias) had an easy run to the Class A laurels.
Having reached the dizzy heights of third place in his RAM Cobra, John Dickson then pitted with low oil pressure. The car recovered sufficiently to allow Bill Miller to take over, but he had to stop after electrical problems intervened. Results – race one1 Oliver Bryant (Morgan +8) 27 laps in 35m26.890s (89.19mph); 2 Peter Horsman/Rick Lloyd (Morgan +8) + 0.806s; 3 Roy McCarthy/Russell McCarthy (MGB); 4 Chris Williams (Morgan +8); 5 Peter Wheeler/Steve Hyde (Aston Martin DB4); 6 Bob Searles/Tony Jardine (Aston Martin DBS V8); 7 Jamie Boot (TVR Griffith); 8 Robin North/Zoe North (Ford Mustang); 9 John Bussell/Mike Wilkinson (Jaguar E Type); 10 Kerry Michael (Ford Escort). Class winners: Bryant; Searles/Jardine; Michael; Gordon Streeter (Ford Anglia). Fastest lap: Bryant 1m14.601s (94.18mph).Race twoJust before Sunday’s race, Graham Bryant fired up the Morgan’s engine and found it sick after Oliver’s charge to victory the previous afternoon. A valve spring had broken on the final lap as Oliver snatched a dramatic victory, which left his father on the sidelines for Sunday's race.Russell McCarthy led the opening laps, having deposed Horsman at the first corner with Williams in close attendance. These three traded the lead in a wonderful contest, before Horsman opened up a slight gap.
Searles started his Aston Martin V8 but couldn't hold back a charging Hammond who, from the back of the grid, took fourth place on lap seven. By this time Zoe North had rolled to a halt up at Sear with dead electrics, which at least allowed Wheeler some peace as Zoe had been chasing the Aston with fierce determination.
Wheeler soon pitted for Hyde to take over, and from 22nd he turned in a fine performance that took him as high as fourth place until Les Goble (Aston Martin V8) swept ahead six laps from the finish.When Horsman handed over to Lloyd, Williams led from McCarty who swapped with his father Roy on the 13th lap only for McCarthy senior to complete one tour before a half shaft failed and sent the MGB back to the pits.
Meanwhile Boot had been working the TVR hard and pitted from fifth place, but his promising run was to end with a broken throttle cable.
Once Williams had pitted on lap 15, Lloyd resumed at the head of the field with a 12s margin to Williams who, try as he might, was unable to make any headway into the leader's advantage, but second place was still his best finish in the series to date.
When the McCarthy MGB faltered, the Hammond Camaro, now driven by Jenkinson took up third place.The Bussell/Wilkinson Jaguar E Type was the first of the lapped runners in seventh place while Tony Lees stole eight place, and victory in Class B, from Nick Stagg (Ford Escort) in the closing laps. Laki Christoforou wasn’t far behind the pair in tenth place with his similar Escort.
Gordon Streeter had been flying in his Ford Anglia, but on the final lap it cried enough at the Esses and he spun on his own engine oil. The Death’s Mini also expired in the closing stages, which left the Mike Youles/Nathalie Boyd Mini Cooper S to claim the Class A spoils.Results – race two1 Horsman/Lloyd 27 laps in 36m17.123s (87.13mph); 2 Williams +13.331s; 3 Alec Hammond/Andy Jenkinson (Chevrolet Camaro); 4 Les Goble (Aston Martin V8); 5 Wheeler/Hyde; 6 Searles/Jardine; 7 Bussell/Wilkinson; 8 Tony Lees (Morgan +8); 9 Nick Stagg (Ford Escort); 10 Laki Christoforou (Ford Escort). Class winners: Horsman/Lloyd; Hammond/Jenkinson; Lees; Mike Youles/Nathalie Boyd (Mini Cooper S). Fastest lap: Horsman 1m16.155s (92.26mph).Next rounds: Snetterton, 28/29 July.
