Holly Birkett 6 Hour Relay Race - 25 October 2008

[John Turner]

This year held on the Silverstone International Circuit for the first time allowing even more teams to compete, the 750MC annual 6 hour bash was great fun as usual. 55 teams started, with a great variety of cars although the balance was skewed somewhat by the fact the 11 of those teams were composed entirely of Caterhams. What about a 10-Tenths team, next year?Anyway a few pre race pit and paddock shots, first.

No absolute guarantees on correct identification as programme, whilst listing the cars/drivers of each team does not identify them alphabetically. I just have to assume that the letters are allocated to each car in the order they appear in the list.

The Caterham 7 of Peter Dunn, of the 'Nearly Six Sevens' team, gets fuelled up:-


Simon Page's Frogeye Sprite of the 'Supersprites 2008' team:-


The Fisher Fury of Judy Derisley, a member of the 'Tortoise Stabel Racing Team':-


A member of the 'Old Gits on Speed', composed of a number of different cars, most of which I've never heard of. This is Roger Rowe's Centaur Mk20. Looks smart and purposeful:-


Peter Wright's Crossle 9S, of 'The Belfast Flyers':-


Unknown Sprite/Midget gets a helping hand:-


Andy Green's Morgan Plus 8 of the 'Morgan Gentlemen'


Caterham R400s of the 'Root 49 Racing' team:-


Norman Rickett's BMW 1602 of 'Harrow Car club':-


More Caterhams?:-

[eamonn ledwidge]

I have always liked these events. Instead of a Ten-tenths team, why not a Ten-tenths relay?

Then there is the opportunity to be selective re entrants - ie cut down on the number of Caterham and other 7 derived and lookalike vehicles, the proliferation of MGB's etc.

Panel of unbiased selectors required!

[Tim the Grey]

I'm gutted I missed this this year. It's a favourite event.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by eamonn ledwidge

I have always liked these events. Instead of a Ten-tenths team, why not a Ten-tenths relay?

Then there is the opportunity to be selective re entrants - ie cut down on the number of Caterham and other 7 derived and lookalike vehicles, the proliferation of MGB's etc.

Panel of unbiased selectors required

That'll be Simon Drabble, John Ruston and Russian Roger

[simon drabble]

I would be up for it next year - it is one of those races I keep forgetting about. Trouble is coming at the end of the season its a toss up as to which is more spent - the budget or the car!

[John Turner]

There were 55 cars lining up for the start. There are 27 of them in this pic!


Keith Dunn made a superb start in his Caterham (Nearly Six Sevens team)from the third row, taking all 4 cars in front of him along the pitlane wall and hitting the front long before Copse, and came through Woodcote to start the second lap in glorious isolation (well, almost!):-


Bill Rutter's Darvi Mk5B (750 Formula Fire Engines) makes ground and passes Dominic Jackson's Toyota MR2 Mk2 (Ginger Ninjas):-


Chris Palmer's XJS (Kutuka Motorsport), Simon Congdon's Triumph Spitfire (Spitfire Squadron), Barnaby Halse's BMW M3 (Munich Legends) and others!:-

[John Turner]

I believe this to be Mark Lister in his Austin Healey Sprite, and a member of the 'Supersprites 2008' team who finished 45th on handicap, and 47th on scratch. Curious that their racing number sat between those two results!:-


Roger Kneebone's M5, a member of the 'Toyo Tires Racing Saloon' team of which 'our' John Willcocks was the (driving) team manager. They finished 31st on handicap and 20th on scratch:-


Not sure which Morgan this is but it is being chased out of Bridge by the BMW E30 320i, of Nigel Olive-Jones of the 'PBMW' team, 21st on handicap and 44th on scratch:-


The Mustang of David Greenback, a 'Grunties' team member. They came 38th (H) and 33rd (S):-


'Big Healey' team member, Eric Woolley, powers his out of the Abbey hairpin. The team came 40th (H) abd 30th (S):-


Coming in to said hairpin, Gary Fryer (M3) of the Harrow Car Club dives inside of the Vauxhall Nova of Pip Hammond, a member of the brilliantly named 'Birkett on a Budget' team. You can see that the Nova has locked up under braking, and once the BMW had passed, turned in still carrying a little too much speed resulting in a lurid moment which was nevertheless very well saved. Harrow Car Club came 43rd (H) and 22nd (S) whilst 'BoaB' finished 24th (H) and 49th (S):-

[Tim Falce]

I think I posted them elsewhere but in case they have been missed here's my pictures from the day.

[John Turner]

Well known Healey pedaller, Paul Campfield (51D) another member of the 'Big Healey' Team, leads Gary Feakins Peugeot 106 (20D - another BoaB member) while the Honda Integra R of Alan Wilshire (55E) of the Tortoise Stable Racing Team dives up the inside of both. The TSRT finished 35th (H) and 38th (S):-


Brian Branson's Lotus Elan of the 'Road Runners' They finished 52nd (H) and 35th (S):-


Jeremy Knight's D-Type Rep of 'The Grunties':-


Rob Smith's BMW E30 320i of the 'Days of Blunder' Team - 23rd(H) and 45th(S), with Paul Turley's Caterham 7 from 'Team Wacky Racers' - 16th (H) and 13th (S):-


The Porsche 911E of Paul Aslett of 'Ecurie Porumphorganda' who finished 54th (H) & 55th (S), with Dave Robson's SDAR/83, 'Old Gits on Speed' - 27th (H) & 28th (S):-


In the programme, 33D is a Caterham Mega Graduate driven by Keith Chanter, but this is clearly a Lancia Fulvia. The team called 'Dakar Devils' finished 44th (H) and 34th (S):-


Mark Braden's BMW E30 320i of the 'Gaz Shocks Production BMW' Team and I'm not typing that again - 11th (H) & 43rd (S):-


Dominic Jackson bins his Toyota MR2. A member of 'Ginger Ninjas' who finished 37th (H) and 42nd (S):-

[jerryk]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Jeremy Knight's D-Type Rep of 'The Grunties':-

now you know exactley who i am John.

[John Turner]

And I didn't before? These D Rep drivers get everywhere! At least 3 regulars on this site!

[John Turner]

John Hopwood, A/H Frogeye Sprite, 'Supersprites 2008', 45th (H), 47th (S):-


Andrew Harrison, XJS, 'Kutuka Motorsport', 2nd (H), 25th (S):


Andrew Todd, Crossle 9S, 'The Belfast Flyers', 51st (H), 24th (S):-


Ian Smyth, Triumph Spitfire, 'Spitfire Squadron', 20th (H), 54th (S):-


There were a few safety car periods, whilst beached cars were removed to safety:-


Looking like a proper old modsports car, Dominic Mooney's A/H Sprite, 'Team Spridget 50', 50th (H), 53rd (S):-


Cem Osman, BMW M3 DTM, 'Munich Legends', 39th (H), 16th (S):-


5C - Matthew Gillbanks, Caterham 7 Classic, 'Ecurie Graduates', 3rd (H), 32nd (S)
45C - Josh Smith, Sylva Phoenix R1, 'RGB West', 7th (H), 4th (S):-


I had hoped to finish this, the last of this year's pictorial reviews, before Christmas, but there are a few more pics to come, so I'm unlikely to complete this before the New Year now.