2006 British GT - Snetterton

[Leigh Sebba]

July 15 / 16

Keith / Jack / Andy ….Can someone post a timetable when available ?
Hoping to make it along to spectate.

Leigh

[Leigh Sebba]

Ton Lees tells me there is qualifying at 13.10 on Sat and 60 minute races at 16.30 on Sat and 13.20 on Sunday.

There are also 35 minute ‘Heritage’ sports car races featuring one or two Mogs. Qualifying 14.35 on Sat and races on the Sunday at 11.05 and 15.15

[jack bellinger]

FrancoisLeigh
allez vous to use the bicyclet and wear that silly Beret again?? Mon Ami ! Cos if you are I will bring the onions
jack

[Leigh Sebba]

Non

I’m going Italian – they can score penalties, and they don’t head butt people (and they make some nice cars).

So bring the spaghetti

[Andy Downes]

And so to sunny Snetterton...

Direct from his exploits at 'La Sarthe' in TOK Keith Ahlers is joined by regular partner Olly Bryant in the Morgan Aero 8 for this weekend's two races in British GT. As always the excellent Billy Bellinger is joined by father Jack to spanner the car.

Qualifying times of 1.13.042 - Race 1 and 1.13.813 - Race 2 saw Team Aero 5th in GTC

1 - GTC Trackspeed Jonny Lang Matt Allison Porsche 911 GT3 1.12.201 1.11.554
2 - GTC Trackspeed Andreas Demetriou Ryan Hooker Porsche 911 GT3 1.12.723 1.12.216
3 - GTC Team Tiger Chris Beighton Jon Finnemore Marcos Mantis 1.12.996 1.14.450
4 - GTC Trackspeed Miles Hulford Matt Harris Porsche 911 GT3 1.12.996 1.12.695
5 - GTC Team Aero Keith Ahlers Oliver Bryant Morgan Aero 8 1.13.042 1.13.813
6 - GTC RPM Nigel Redwood Hunter Abbott Porsche 911 GT3 1.13.045 1.14.022
7 - GTC RPM Alex Mortimer Bradley Ellis Porsche 911 GT3 1.13.065 1.13.484

Race 1 is today (Saturday) and Race 2 tomorrow.

More shortly.

Have (GT) Fun

[Andy Downes]

RACE 1

4th in GTC for Team Aero just missing out on the podium (pesky Porches) but ahead of the Marcos Mantis.

GTC Trackspeed Andreas Demetriou Ryan Hooker Porsche 911 GT3 49 laps 1:02:03.590 92.47 mph 1.12.999
GTC Trackspeed Jonny Lang Matt Allison Porsche 911 GT3 48 laps 1.13.179
GTC Trackspeed Miles Hulford Matt Harris Porsche 911 GT3 48 laps 1.14.470
GTC Team Aero Keith Ahlers Oliver Bryant Morgan Aero 8 47 laps 1.13.576
GTC Team Tiger Chris Beighton Jon Finnemore Marcos Mantis 47 laps 1.13.472
GTC RSS Performance Graeme Mundy Jamie Smyth Porsche 911 GT3 47 laps 1.15.003

Results with "Thanks" to http://www.Dailysportscar.com - more later once the Race report is published.

I'm going up to Snetterton tomorrow and will report Race 2 first hand tomorrow night.

Have (Marcos beating) Fun

[keith.ahlers]

Thanks to Andy for the recent news.

We finished third today and moved closer to the championship leaders' points total.

Four podiums in the last six races!

[Richard Smith]

Well done Keith and the team, wish I had been there.

[Andy Downes]

RACE 1
By all accounts an excellent result in Race 1 on Saturday with the Aero8 running 2nd in class until Oliver "felt something funny", the Team pressed on although dropping back to 4th. However post-race the mechanics discovered the cause of the 'funny feeling' - a suspension breakage on the front offside - fingers crossed for Sunday and ...

RACE 2
Snetterton was again bathed in blazing sunshine and after watching Oliver & Graeme Bryant, Tony Lees and Chris Williams enjoy themselves in the Heritage race it was on to the main event.

A focussed Keith Ahlers was to start the car befeore handing over to Ollie some time after 25 minutes. Keith made a good start and was straight into the 1m 15s and 16s chasing the Porsches and the hard charging Marcos Mantis. After 4 laps the Marcos came through Riches in clouds of white smoke and then retired with power-steering failure so that was them done. Then after about 15 minutes Keith came up behind one of the supposedly faster GT2 Mosler sports cars which (for it) was running quite slowly' Lap after lap Keith was right up its chuff (as James Hunt would say) and something had to give, the Aero8 was quicker through the corners but the Mosler was quick on the straights and being lighter braked later. Eventually after a couple of feigned attempts Keith got by on the way out of Coram and into Riches with a do-or-die effort but was immediately pushed wide on the exit across the dust and dirt- spectacular viewing and 3 seconds on the lap time !

Half a dozen more laps and Keith came in to hand over to Oliver at 35 minutes 25 laps - routine driver change without dramas and Oliver ready to go well within the minimum time (90 seconds ?) waiting whilst Sue Ahlers counted him away. Out-lap 1m 24s, first flying lap 1m 15s in typical Ollie style and now running 4th in class. On lap 35 Ollie passed the another of the Porsches to take 3rd but was too far behind to make any impact on the 1st and 2nd cars. That didn't stop him having a terrific dice with the again supposedly faster GT3 Lotus Exige of the Lotus Sport Cadena team, once past Ollie cruised away coming home 11th overall and 3rd in Class.

So Team Aero made the podium again and with no mechanical dramas this time. The British GT runs on a strict power-to-weight ratio and after parc ferme it was interesting to see the Aero8 being weighed, the bonnett wired shut, the fuel fillers sealed and the ECU removed (and kept by the stewards) ready for a rolling road compliance test on Tuesday.

Great work by all the Team - Well Done.

Next stop Rockingham 12th-13th August (Keith has Knockhill and Mallory in between...).

GTC Results
GTC Trackspeed Jonny Lang Matt Allison Porsche 911 GT3 48 laps 1:01:11.037 91.88 mph 1.13.110
GTC Trackspeed Andreas Demetriou Ryan Hooker Porsche 911 GT3 47 laps 1.13.431
GTC Team Aero Keith Ahlers Oliver Bryant Morgan Aero 8 47 laps 1.15.210
GTC RPM Nigel Redwood Hunter Abbott Porsche 911 GT3 47 laps 1.14.995
GTC RSS Performance Graeme Mundy Jamie Smyth Porsche 911 GT3 47 laps 1.15.597
GTC David Dove Racing David Dove alum Lockie Ferrari 360
47 laps 1.14.340

Have (GT) Fun

[Leigh Sebba]

Well done Keith. It was entertaining watching you terrorising that poor little Mosler !