CTCRC Thruxton 18/19th August

[Mike Sheraton]

After the glorious success of Mallory Park, which proved to provide some of the most spectacular racing of the season, the CTCRC moves to Thruxton!
Not only are grids likely to be large again, but this meeting also happens to be the CSMA's Big Weekend meaning that there will be some fantastic crowds! Last year saw thousands of spectators take to the banks to watch the racing and this year looks set to follow suit.

The lineup will include:
CTCRC Post Historic Touring Car Championship
CTCRC Group One Touring Car Championship
CTCRC Pre 93 Touring Car Championship
CTCRC Blue Oval Saloons
CTCRC Classic Thunder Championship
CTCRC Alfa Romeo Series
Along with a raft of other series including Intermarque, Classic Motorcycles, Mini's and much more!
So come along and join the fun, for those wishing to compete, the entries close on 8th August!

[Mike Sheraton]

Michael Schumacher's Benetton will also be doing demo laps, so its a great chance to see an F1 car in the flesh!

[jimmer]

I will be there filming at the club chicane . No spins please Mike Lol more local for me too

[Al Weyman]

I've decided to bring the IROC-Z

[adam46]

Is the Benneton the one owned by Patrick D'Aubreby?

[Mike Sheraton]

Good on you Al, maybe i can try and keep up with that beast! (probably not)!
And Adam i'm not sure to be perfectly honest, it may well be. Either way it should be good!

[Al Weyman]

Just hope it stays together.

[Clive Brown]

Al

What you need is a decent ZL1 motor on a couple of four-barrel Holleys for the IROC-Z.

Should go like the manure off a trowel around Thruxton....

[Al Weyman]

Ha ha na the hot set up is the all alloy LS6 that goes in the Commadore and the 5th Gen coupled to a T56 6 speed and an an after market rear axle, I'll take the ZL1 for the 2nd gen though please. The car is handling a whole lot better than the last time I took it out in a CTCRC event so and hooking up so much better with the new aftermarket Auburn plate diff.

[Al Weyman]

Cliff Ryan is in with his XJS, the Magnum Big Boys Challenge resumes!

[Lancsbreaker]

Afraid the Alfa Romeo Owner's Club series won't be at Thruxton.....a combination of a short gap from Mallory and a meeting spread over two days seems to have provided a dearth of entries - and faced with being combined with the pre-93 racers, those who had entered have withdrawn - so sorry, no Alfa series.

Hope everyone else enjoys themselves......I'll get to Thruxton for a meet, sometime...but 450 miles round-trip is a bit far when my series isn't running.

[Al Weyman]

Thats a shame Richard. I think they are missing out on a good showcase event.

[Al Weyman]

OK no Club Barby at Thruxton for a very very good reason that I cannot discuss here as its personal to the parties involved so lets organise our own!!!

I have announced it on the forum maybe we could use Andy's Caravan or one of the members motorhomes as a central meeting point. We could do a Bring Yer Own Grub and Booze thing and it could be fun all we need is the loan of a nice Barby unit, if there is anyone coming that can bring one we would be most obliged?

[Al Weyman]

OK we have an offer of a Barby cooker so let us know here or on the club forum or Facebook page if you are up for this, we will set up near Andy Johnson's transporter and he is bringing a marquee for the use of. Don't forget bring your own grub and cook it on the barby, and your own booze I think it looks like barbeque weather so lets do it!.

[brands]

I enjoyed the racing today.
A couple of the grids were thin but the races were good, the Mini Se7en one was probably the best I've seen all season.

Great weather, good company and 3 F1 cars doing demos as well.

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by brands

I enjoyed the racing today.
A couple of the grids were thin but the races were good, the Mini Se7en one was probably the best I've seen all season.

Great weather, good company and 3 F1 cars doing demos as well.

Agreed John and what a cracking last race yesterday that poping and banging Escort of Stuart day what a awsome bit of kit 10/10 for effort and keeping some tyre life ? Just making a small vid of the Stuart's escort and Mark Biggars Skyline.

[jimmer]

Ok Video link here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3r9VQJDSQw&feature=plcp

[Lancsbreaker]

Just looked on TSL and see what you mean about thin grids......Only 8 in the post-historics..... 18 in Classic Thunder and 21 in the pre-93s isn't too bad I guess. The wierd thing is that the AROC competitors were scheduled to be in with pre-93, where they'd have been vastly out-powered, rather than with the post-historics....not surprised they withdrew......

What happened to you in Qualy, Al? I was a bit worried until I saw you were in the race results.....

Hope Cliff enjoyed his Magnum!

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

What happened to you in Qualy, Al? I was a bit worried until I saw you were in the race results.....

Another DNF for Al in race 2, more oil slicks?

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Another DNF for Al in race 2, more oil slicks?

Just seen that - only 4 laps.......hoping its something trivial.......

Several seconds a lap slower than in the first race, too....issues from the start?

[Cliff Ryan]

I'll let Al fill you in with all the details, but electrical gremlins kept striking all weekend for Al.

I enjoyed the sweet (Magnum) taste of victory yesterday - thanks Al, but I'm still waiting for today's Magnum

[Mark Skyline]

Hi

A great weekend of racing at Thruxton!!!

Firstly, a massive thank you to Steve Hall for bringing his caravan and looking after all of us. You're a star mate. I also want to thank John Hill and all of the guys that came to halp me with my car for the great work thay did. Thanks so much. I also want to thank AJ and his dad, as well as Gary and his mate for lending me various things over the weekend.

Having only been to this circuit once previously, and that was a few years ago, when I went out on qualifying, I did not have much of an idea of where I was going and I was making one mistake after another, as some may have noticed!!!!!.

In Race1, I was a bit all over the place, still trying to learn the track, I guess. I put a few smiles on Gary's face with him thinking," where's he going?" I was missing the apex all over the place and then the spin!!! That was entirely my own fault, going onto the marbles as I was trying to give as much roon as possible to the back markers. I still managed to finish in second place.

Race 2. Well, that just went to plan. On Saturday night, we sat and viewed the video and John Hill pointed out all sorts of ways in which I could improve and I followed his advice. I lead from the beginning and made sure I was not going to spin out on this one. The only unfortunate thing was on lap3 I lost 4th Gear, but I sill won the race comfortably. The box will be out tonight!!!!!!! I will put my incar footage up ASAP.


Regards Mark

[greenamex2]

The first race showed that however far back you are just keep trying with Garrie (M3) taking advantage of Mark (Skyline) coming off the circuit towards the end of the race. Would have been interesting to see how much closer Garrie could have been to Mark if his engine had been on full song, or better still got a few extra to help out.

Excellent dice between Stuart (2WD Escort Cossie) and Paul (RX7 turbo) in the second race until Paul's turbo went.

[Al Weyman]

I would like to first thank Mark, John and Paul for their hospitality and sharing the Barby cooker and beer and the gossip, a great night.

That was a great race the first classic thunder encounter, the Escort and the little Mazda was an awesome encounter which had an appreciative crowd on their feet applauding. Gary put up an great fight against Mark in his beautiful 4 door BMW which somehow looked a bit special compared the the usual 2 door versions. I never got to watch the 2nd encounter as I was too busy with my own problems all of which thankfully were/are minor but never the less race stopping. Comiserations to poor Laurie Dunster who for the second meeting running badly damaged his M3 but fortunately this time he personally was uninjured.

For my race(s)I went out in qually and on the first lap got past the complex and the car just cut dead at Goodwood so no time posted. I got towed back and snatched started it and no problem all running OK although by then it had also developed a clutch master cylinder problem and wouldn't disengage correctly with the pedal requiring a pump before each change. I thought the engine problem was a fuse although Cliff suggested battery cut out and he was right as it transpires.

I lined up in the first race and got the car away from the rear of the grid and made up several places then got involved in a good 4 way tussle with three E30 Bimmers but by this time Cliff was away. After some place swapping with young Mike Sheraton one of the E30's exited stage right not to be seen again but the clutch problem was getting worse and the front tyres had just simply cried enough so after a couple of hairy moments I decide to back off and just keep the remaining E30 behind me but we finished the race without too much drama and no cutting out so Magnum to Cliff. (all of video see link at bottom).

For Race 2 I bled the clutch, rehung the exhaust and put new rubber on the front and immediately noticed the rear end stepping out then after a few laps low and behold the engine started cutting out letting one of the Bimmers past so a quick fiddle with the cutout switch and it was OKish but I kept having to twist and bang it plus deal with the clutch then half way through the complex it completely cut dead and with no power it locked the steering up and I was a passenger. I tried to restart but no luck so that was it race run!

Mind you my most exciting drive was still to come, on the way home doing around 60mph I had a rear tyre blow out on the Dayvan with the race car and trailer being towed behind, it went left, it went right across several lanes before I wrestled the thing under control and managed to pull it off the road into one of those maintenance areas and changed the tyre, very scary! I see this happen on the way back from Pembrey once with a LWB land Rover towing a boat, the whole rig had spun and turned over and the roof was crushed so not to be taken lightheartedly.

Race one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ1yrWFSkec

Race 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G1usbNHNUo

[Mike Sheraton]

Great effort Al, really enjoyed racing with you this weekend! the old girl sure does hold her own in a straight line! I could barely hear my own engine when you blasted past me on the straight! Top drive!

Hopefully we will see you some more for the great company and great racing, and maybe another magnum challenge?

Also glad you were okay after the blowout, sounds nasty.