HSCC - Silverstone International 10/11th May

[John Clarke]

Really a mixed weekend for the Morgans at sunny Silverstone.

Saturday saw Richard Plant storm off into an unassailable lead in the 70's Roadsport before the Morgan Gremlin struck. The throttle linkage detached putting the +8 onto 4 cylinders. 4 wasn't enough for Richard so he pulled in.

Sunday saw Peter Horsmans stunning outright victory in the green 'slipper' beating Cobras and various exotica in the 1 hour race. The Morgan Gremlin struck Rob Wells in the Malcolm Paul +4 (Clutch) and the beautiful SLR (electrics) - both retired although Keith actually retired about 5 times having replaced various electrics at numerous pit stops!!

Next up was the Historic Roadsport when at last Morgan honour was upheld with James P taking the outright victory in Noddy. Mark Hoble won the +4 battle with Jonathan Rushton and Mark Shears finishing further down in that order.

As for me.....how long do we have......???

I was still positioning the Mog on the grid when the red lights came on and off...but then again so were many others. I was swamped at the start but managed to get peddaling quite quickly by Copse. I was pretty close to Mark H when the pack came up to Beckets and was a few inches off the boot lid of a very pretty E-type. Then he braked!!!! Well I don't brake there and had to take avoiding action otherwise I would have parked my oil cooler in the E-types boot!! Mark was on my right, the gravel on my left - not a 2nd thought - hello gravel.

Managed to haul the car through the gravel and then the engine died.....argghhhh!!! After much churning and gesticulating to the marshalls (a la Hamilton) managed to get a push start and then the engine caught and I took chase. Well there was not much to chase as the track was empty. I was a lap down to James on the 2nd lap!!! Managed to overhaul a few cars and came across Mark S at the chequer. And the positives......gravel has been kind to the paint work -and returned home with a straight car and many 'if only' stories to my long suffering son.

Good to see Jack and Billy B, Suzane S, Mandy P, Bob B and Andy G - lots of pretty Morgans in the car park - wonder how many got home!!

Not the day for Morgans really

[Andy Green]

Also ex Morgan racer Dan Ward qualified 17th and finish 11th in the Saloon race with his Austin Mini Cooper S

[Bob Bull]

Chris,
I was at Abbey and John Clarke came round with a simply enormous lead on lap two - Oh! Sorry. That was his FIRST lap, he obviously had a 'Hamilton Moment' somewhere. Thereafter he appeared amongst the pack and diced extremely well against the TRs etc. I presume he waited to be caught and then mixed it with them. A shame because he could have finished well up in the top 15 without his problem.
An excellent performance by James to win the race fairly comfortably after a very close dice with Julian Dodd's TVR, the other Morgans raced well, but a number of excursions 'off piste' were captured on camera and will appear on a notorious web site shortly, along with many better examples of how to drive a Morgan properly.
Nice to meet Mark H in the flesh and also Jonathon R. Hi! Guys.
A great meeting run, as always, very efficiently and with superb weather (other clubs take note - we need more sunshine).

[Bob Bull]

While I was trying to work out, unsuccessfully, how to insert a photo into my last post JC got in ahead of me, so now we know what went wrong.

How do you include a picture in a message? I click the insert picture icon and all I get is numbers!

Why can't the geeks who invent these sites realise they are working with idiots OOPS! Sorry good people I should have said idiot.

[Mark Hoble]

Hi All

Well done to all the Morgan crowd for putting on such a good show. I am really pleased that so many Plus 4s are out on a regular basis in HRS. When Simon gets FOJ back on the track (and in Class B rather than D) we will outnumber the TRs. Mind you it would have taken 1.46 to win the class yesterday.

I thoroughly enjoyed the race. A good start (helped by a gap on the grid) put me alongside John up to Beckets and then it was a question of trying to keep it neat and tidy. Jonathan Rushton is going well now in his Plus 4 and he worked his way up me but then locked up at Abbey (did you get that on camera Bob ?) and dropped back. I actually thought it was John catching me.

With James and Richard at the pointy end in their Plus 8s this must be the best ever season for Morgan representation in the HSCC. So, who's up to enter a Morgan in the recently launched 80s Roadports series ?

Cheers

Mark

[Bob Bull]

Yes Mark, I got him, all over the grass, but he was not the first (see picasaweb.google.co.uk/rbmapics) so don't worry Jonathon even winners get it wrong sometimes and JC was a little wide at least once and you can tell from the pics.
Plenty of Morgan shots and I hope they are pleasing to all of the drivers.
I have some paddock pics which might be better on a Morgan site (must not offend the public).
Nice to say hello on Sunday.

Regards to all

Bob.

I have JC on disc for later transmission on Three Counties as well as Peter H on his win.

[Chris Acklam]

How do you include a picture in a message? I click the insert picture icon and all I get is numbers!

OK, you may regret asking the question Bob, but here goes:

To add a picture to a post you have to insert the web address between the BBCode markers . Trouble is Picasa doesn't make it obvious, so ... in Picasa Web select the picture you want to add and click on 'link to this photo' (right hand column) and then select the code under 'HTML to embed in website'.

Which will give you something like: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Morgan.Ch ... 7810"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/Morgan.Challenge/R ... %20086.jpg" /></a>

Extract the image source from the html code, ie. the bit after <img src= and in quotes. Then click on Img in the icon list (starting B for Bold, etc) and put the image source between
so you get:
[—]http://lh4.ggpht.com/Morgan.Challenge/R ... %20086.jpg[/—]
where — = img
producing this



PS and to add a clickable link to your photo albums you need to add in the http:// bit at the start, eg. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/rbmapics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bob Bull]

Thanks Chris - sorry I asked.
Perhaps I'll stick to the written word. How can I add pics to the original site that you set up for me? It would be better to place some of the Morgan snaps there, rather than on the public site.

BB

[Leigh Sebba]

Bob – An easy way to post a photo is to e mail it to Chris and ask him to do it !

What John failed to mention was that he was too busy thinking of getting home for Wycombe’s big play off match that evening, and their dream of being up there in League 1 with the great Leicester City (sorry Andy – I am really )

[Andy Green]

All part of our strategy to achieve secure Premiership status by 2010 and Johns team may not make the final-at least we have a place in Div 1

[Chris Acklam]

It would be better to place some of the Morgan snaps there, rather than on the public site.

Bob's pics are here

[John Clarke]

I have JC on disc for later transmission on Three Counties as well as Peter H on his win.

Hi Bob...when does this go out...cannot find a schedule on 3 counties radio web site?

[Bob Bull]

Chris,
The new album is a collection of pictures from various events not just the HSCC meeting, but who cares? You can see I am trying to get away from lots of boring snaps of cars racing, and include those charming paddock shots so beloved of artistic types - like what I am.

John, What's a schedule? I will have to tell BBC 3 Counties about them. Seriously I will let you know when I expect the interviews to go out, which I hope will be Friday about 7.45pm on our AM frequency. Have you checked the link in Chris' e-mail to view arty and action shots of yourself?

I shall be at See Red being a Vintage Enthusiast, or is that a vintage enthusiast?

I wonder why the catch line for this forum is; for Morgans & sports cars in competition. Do you not regard Morgans as sports cars?

Bob

PS; My favourite football team is the one beating England, whenever that is.

I thing Massa is great.

[RICHARD PLANT]

Bob,

Once again some really great photos any chance of some copies? There is always tea of coffee going at the Morgan Motor home so please call in every one else does see Andy Green he even got lunch shame your lens wasn’t out on the Saturday for the 70’s Road Sports race.

Richard.

[Bob Bull]

Richard,
You can download the pictures directly from the site as you please, I tried it myself and actually downloaded one so it must be easy, if not of course, we shall refer you to Chris Acklam who knows everything. Alternatively I can send you a CD or even a DVD, which can hold almost a whole season's worth of pics. Just let me know what you want and where to send it ... a cup of tea you say ....... Andy Greed got lunch did he?
That is news more to my liking.

Your kind remarks are much appreciated, thank you.

Bob
I used to be big headed, but I cured that and now I'm perfect.