Good entry for the CTCRC at the Donington Best of British 21/22 Oct

[Al Weyman]

Dont think Barc have updated yet Andy because you are not on there yet!

[big andy]

are you entering the classic thunder race Al ive spoke to the barc late this afternoon and theres 17 cars entered all but two, me and a N.S.U ARE over 2lt looks like ill be watching the mirrors

[Al Weyman]

No I've perforated the engine of the black car and my old 2nd gen car would not be competitive, well it ain't that clever in post historics and Group 1 but thats where I will be. 17 thats not bad I would have thought a few of the BMW boys have entered so you should be on the pace with them as they are restricted and the NSU is deceptively quick and a very pretty little car.

[Al Weyman]

17 cars entered in Classic Thunder now Bullet so your man Josh will have some good stuff to race against. Ithink that 2.9 Corrado I was trying to chase down at Rockingham is entered that is quite wuick but should give you a race Andy.

[big andy]

al seen the entry list a bit bland no "yank tanks" as yet ,probably more to come as im not on the list yet, the french camaros not missed this year so will probably enter really looking forward to this race going friday morning so we get a good space in the paddock

[Al Weyman]

He wasnt entered at snett double header but turned up on the day.

[chunterer]

Where's the link to the provisional timetable /entry lists?

[Al Weyman]

Here you go: http://www.barc.net/competitors/race.../hq0647-01.php

[big andy]

classic thunder grid looking good im still not on it though 26 cars entered should be a good race

[Al Weyman]

Plus 21 in Post Historics and 25 in Group one, now if that bloody rain would go away also I am hoping another Camaro will turn up as he is usually a late entry.

All the racing is on the Sunday (apart from a Ginneta race) including Sunday morning and both the Group One and Post Historics are in the morning (good planning? ?). So if you want to see these get there early!

[Al Weyman]

Great racing over the weekend in all catagouries although the rain put the mockers on the Classic thunder and Historics we had two sunny and dry races in Pre-74 and Group one and despite a gearchage problem reversing all my gear positions (dont ask, drivers excuse #234) keeping me to the back of the grid I got used to the reverse H postion and had two real good races with plenty of action and managed to make up a lot of places (well it looked good from where I was anyhow) and if I had not started running out of petrol down the back straight would have made up more (driver's exuse #186 ).

I would like to say commisserations to Jason and Jimmy the drivers of the RS2000 and the oh so beautiful Mk 1 Camaro that had a monumental head on after Jimmy carreered off the track at Cramers and then catapulted back on into the path of the field. Both cars were very badly damaged (being a Camaro man I was particular distressed at this ) and I believe Jason was hospitalised after he got out the car and collapsed.

Also like to congratulate our young Jack Stanford (18) who normally races in Group 1 but had a run out with the new Minis and got a 2nd on his debute and that was in a field of over 30 cars that had been doing it all year, a great achievment and he actually led for a while. As one of our old lags commented, 'Its all that practice he gets with us old buggers showing him the ropes' and do you know he may just be right, who needs T-Cars and Junior Ginettas.

[Al Weyman]

Update on Jack Stanford's efforts, he actually won the first Mini race due to the 'winner' making an on track infringement and came 2nd in the 30 minute race in the pouring rain, great stuff, any potential backers reading? :-)

[Al Weyman]

Big Andy, nice to meet you at Donny, what happened in the race? When the heavens opened I thought you would have had it in the bag, wrong tyres?

[big andy]

hi al wets on the front slicks on back no time to change them all didn t start raining till we were in assembly area didn t get fronts on in time thats why i started green flag laps from pit lane started right at back of grid ran as high as 8th took 9 cars by first corner spun on top bend on to grass while trying to over take 6lt jag then spun two 360s at chicane then going up from old hairpin on lap 7 car just took of left straight in to gravel race over .i think i need more power for next year so im going to fit a belt driven turbocharger should stop the big cars driving straight past me down the long bits
did you get used to that reverse gearbox

[big andy]

any body got any pics/video frpm the classic thunder race

[Al Weyman]

Err yes almost, I made an error in the pre 74 when I took the Avenger then selected the wrong gear then it hoped out and I had to do it all again. In the 2nd race i was doing fine working me way up through the field despite getting bogged down behind a almost stationary rover at the green light leaving me dead last, I think he must have taken off in top as well. Then by lap 7 pr 8 the ruddy car started running out of petrol and holding back down the main straight and that was where I was making up all the places so that was it I could not quite catch the other Capris and Chris Griffin Snr in the Rover started to home in on me so I was glad when the flag went down but all in all a great days racing. I did not like the way they lined us up in both races 3 abreast, never known that before. I was in the centre and was planning to do a drag start down the outside now I knew where first gear was but that did not work out.

[big andy]

must say paddock was over crowded to almost a dangerous level, glad i left the kids at home .found the security (ha ha) staff there usual very unhelpful self nearly came to blows why are thay all like this?

[Al Weyman]

Yes I invited 60's racer Gerry Taylor from 10/10ths up and they would not allow me to leave tickets at the gate for him and the club snapper, just what is their problem one reason there may be no pictures.

Did you see all those poxy motorbikes parked everywhere on the main exit out of parc ferma. I nearly took a whole row of them out with the beast when coming out from the track and from the other exit some idiot ( I hope he reads this) had parked some ferrari or something on the exit road and he would have been most upset if I scraped the side of the thing and it was there all day, why do these people not act responsibly it is very difficult manouvering a hot running big car with a cammy engine and a triple plate tilton clutch with no flywheel past parked bikes and ferraris blocking your way after you have just finished a race.

[Al Weyman]

I will ask here as well as the photography section but we have CTRCC guys looking for photos, anyone take any and can you give a link to your site please.

[Al Weyman]

This is the only shot I have so far taken by a private man from the stands.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

. . . The last time I was there was back in the early 1980s when I was the driver of the Course car a BMW 633. Anyone remember me losing it at Craners? . . . .

Vividly!

Regards

Jim

[Al Weyman]

Shame them bloody jobsworths at the gates would not let me leave Gerry's passes as he was coming to see us so that all went tits up.

[John Turner]

What a shame Al, can't believe they couldn't be bothered to do that. I've never had this prob. at Silverstone or Brands, or indeed anywhere else that I can recall! Just Donny, then?

[Al Weyman]

No problem at any of the MSV circuits all season, or Rockingham, just here. The club had also invited Gerry to our Box where we were entertaining the sponsors so it was a double embarassment for me.

[thebullet]

Nice to see you there Al, great racing