2006 British GT - Brands Hatch

Andy Downes · Post by **Andy Downes** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:02 pm

The GT caravan rolls into one of the best UK circuits (Brands GP) this coming weekend 26-27/08/06.

Early details are;

30 car entry
Race 1 Saturday
Race 2 Sunday

GTC Driver's Points Standings (after Rockingham)

1 Matt Allison 69
2 Jonny Lang 69
3 Ryan Hooker 63
4 Oliver Bryant 49
5 Keith Ahlers 49
6 Jon Finnemore 49
7 Chris Beighton 49
8 Bradley Ellis 48
9 Alex Mortimer 48

(10 points for a win - 8 for second - then 6,5,4,3,2,1)

I don't think I'll make it to Brands this weekend (prior commitment at Oulton Park for the HSCC Gold Cup), but I'll try and keep you up to date via http://www.Dailysportscar.com

Have (GT) Fun

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:31 pm

The Heritage GT Series is there too - with Tony Lees for sure, and presumably Phil Hollins and Chris Williams (Hello peeps...) too.

Should be a good weekend.

Leigh Sebba · Post by **Leigh Sebba** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:38 am

I would like to get there but we have visitors (although one is a motor sport fan â€“ so perhapsâ€¦â€¦.). And that Heritage free coffee is so good.

Can someone post the times of the GT and Heritage races ?

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:24 am

click here for timetable

RICHARD PLANT · Post by **RICHARD PLANT** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:36 am

Good luck to Keith and Oliver and all the Heritage boys for this weekend at Brands but like Andy I am going to Oulton Park for the big HSCC event. There are at least 8 Morgans racing and a number of other current or past Morgan Challenge racers driving allsorts of other cars. This should be a good meeting for anyone up North!!!!

Richard.

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:40 am

Who's racing at Oulton Richard?

RICHARD PLANT · Post by **RICHARD PLANT** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:56 am

Chris,

From Memory as follows. All details are on the HSCC website

http://www.hscc.org.uk

Four Plus 4's in the Historic Road Sports. ( this does not include Malcolm Paul or the Kremers)

Bruce Stapleton Plus 8 Historic Road Sports.

Paul Conway and Philip McKelvey Plus 8 70's Road Sports. Not sure about Richard Thorne and his Plus 8 ???

Rob Wells and Malcolm Paul and both the Kremers, Plus 4's in the Gentleman Drivers race. Rob and Malcolm are also driving an Elva I think from memory.

Ray Higgs in the XK140, Peter Horsman Lotus, Bill Wykham Tiger, plus other names from the past.

I am going to watch. Any one else going?

Richard.

TonyLees · Post by **TonyLees** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:42 am

I'd love to watch but will be busy drinking free(!) coffee at Brands. And I thought there was no such thing as a free lunch...
So little time, so much to do.

Post by **christopherwilliams** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:53 pm

tony

you appear to have overlooked the extortionate entry fees .will you have any spare tickets ?

TonyLees · Post by **TonyLees** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:59 pm

ah, I knew there was something I had missed! Will contact you offline wrt tickets.

Tim Hill · Post by **Tim Hill** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:18 pm

Jane and I are at Oulton for the Gold Cup. (Along with the yellow peril). Static display with NorceMog of about 8 cars per day. The Minibago will be there too, so free coffee and warm beer to anyone who needs reviving...

Regards

Tim

Phil Egginton · Post by **Phil Egginton** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:10 pm

Hi Tim

I shall be coming to Oulton with Richard P - look forward to seeing you and Jane there.

Good luck to Keith and Olliver as well.

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:14 pm

Mixed fortunes at Brands today.

Keith and Oliver both qualfied in the British GTs - Oliver in the first session which started damp and got very wet, and then Keith on a drying track. However midway through Keith's session the diff went (possibly a bolt falling into the gears). With the car back in the paddock Billy and Jack unbolted the whole of the rear axle assembly and put it in the back of the van for a trip to the workshop and a late night rebuild ready for tomorrow's race. The one small consolation was that their competition (the Marcos) failed to finish and therefore score points after a dramatic but damaging race.

In the Heritage race, Tony was sharing Chris Williams' Class A Morgan (the clutch on his yellow car had expired after testing on Friday). However after practice in the paddock they noticed a distinctive smell coming from the car, and then a large puddle of liquid under the back axle. Another diff had expired...

Chris also had his Rover SD1 Bastos running in the Heritage series - driven today by his son Charlie. Again after finishing preactice they discussed the misfire which had dogged the car and, after changing the plugs, removed the rocker covers to see if anything obvious was apparent. It was and so sadly became another non-starter.

That left the two Morgans of Grahame Bryant and Phil Hollins, co-driven by Oliver and Peter Horsman respectively. Oliver had qualified on the front row and Phil/Peter on row 3. Oliver took the lead from the first corner and Peter followed him into 2nd place fairly quickly thereafter. From then on it was a two horse race with Oliver holding the lead until his pit stop after about 20 minutes. Peter stayed out, having taken over the lead, until 25 minutes had elapsed (much to the consternation of the commentator who believed that the pit window had closed). That left Phil the run to the chequered flag and their first win in the Heritage GT series. Congratulations both.

Let's hope tomorrow gives better fortune to Keith and Olly in the GT race - and good luck to Peter who drives to Oulton Park in the morning for another drive. And we'll see whether the Bryants can reverse the result over Phil...

Chris

Andy Downes · Post by **Andy Downes** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:06 pm

Chris,

Thanks for keeping us all updated so lucidly, I have been in Loughborough all day settling a student into his new house, and am off to Oulton tomorrow.

If anyone can fix the axle in time - it's Billy & Jack Good Luck guys.

Hard Luck Keith & Oliver - better Luck on Sunday.

Have (GT) Fun

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:15 pm

A disappointing day at Brands today.

After Jack and Billy had worked until early this morning rebuilding the diff and then the peripheral parts, the car appeared to be in fine form in the early warm-up with some encouraging lap times. From the collecting area they all went out on a lap to form up on the grid, but at some point on that lap something broke in the drivetrain and so they were unable to take position on the grid. Deeply disappointing after the all the hard work and the possibility of a good result.

In the Heritage GT race Grahame Bryant took the lead at Druids from Phil, who was on pole, and then drew out an increasing lead until the changeover. After the driver changes somehow they had fallen back behind the Hall Camaro and the McCarthy BGT but Ollie got quicker and quicker posting the fastest laps of the race and overhauled both to win by 7 seconds. Phil finished in 6th just losing out to the Miller/Goble Aston after a lengthy and close battle.

Chris