The Warren Classic & Concours
With the bank holiday weekend ahead of us, it is that time when we all think of what we are going to do to fill the weekend. Thankfully for Motorsport fans and Petrolheads alike, this weekend has a lot to offer. Not only is there British Touring Car action at Thruxton and British GT at Rockingham as well as other club events around the country but on Saturday, there is something a little different you may be interested in checking out.
The Inaugural Warren Classic and Concours will be taking place on the 4th of May at The Warren Golf and Country club in Woodham Walther, near Chelmsford in Essex. On display at the 350 acre estate will be a unique collection of historic and supercars giving visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at some of the most beautiful cars in the world. If that wasn’t enough, the complete Le Mans Jaguar XJR works team will be present along with entertainment such as live music, games, an air display from the ex Red Arrows display team ‘The Blades’ sponsored by HastingsDirect and the chance to win a Mercedes Benz worth £30,000.
JD Classics will be bringing their Le Mans Jaguar
The Warren Classic & Supercar Family Experience will also be hosting the 2013 Warren Concours. Showing off a stunning array of Classic cars spanning ten decades of impressive automotive history for all the family young and old to drool over.
Max Chilton
But if that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, also in attendance will be British Formula One Star Max Chilton and a Marussia Racing Car. “I’m really looking forward to meeting visitors to The Warren Classic and Supercar Family Experience.” Says Max, “The event provides an excellent opportunity for families and car enthusiasts to see a wide selection of the worlds most magnificent automobiles. Both Classic and Supercars will be well represented and, given the Warrens setting, it should be a fantastic day!”
The Warren Golf & Country Club Managing Director, Tony Stanton, said: “It is a fantastic coup for The Warren to get both Max and Marussia along to the event along with the Le Mans XJR works team. These additions, alongside the selection of world-class cars and entertainment, only make for a more spectacular day!”
The Warren Golf & Country Club provides a perfect setting for the event.
So if you fancy taking the opportunity to see this fantastic event in its debut year then here’s the details: Parking is free and public entry on the day is from 10.30am, with tickets priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children aged 5-16 and £25 for a family of four. Entry for classic car owners is from 7.30am and priced at £20.00 per car with parking in a dedicated area on a first come basis, plus an invitation to enter a novel ‘Car Park Concours’.
Tickets can be purchased on entry; those wanting to find out more can visit the Facebook page here or http://www.warrenclassic.co.uk/
Back to the Track
So the motorsport season is back with a bang and a big one at that for my return trackside for the first round of the British GT championships at the weekend. Oulton Park was my destination to kick off the season and I was pretty excited. It was a bit like the first day back at school when you were a kid. Catching up with friends and seeing what was new.
It was to be my first visit to the Cheshire track and despite the five and a half hour journey up on the Friday and the 5.30 am fire alarm at the hotel on Saturday morning and having to stand around in sub zero temperatures in my PJ’s (Zoe Wenham and David Ashburn look similarly unimpressed) I was looking forward to checking out what Oulton Park had in store. Although it was cold, I was glad. I had packed my thermals, the sky was blue, the sun was out and the wind was still. Conditions were good as I headed out to shoot the first BGT practice session.
Blue Skies and new angles for my first trip to Oulton Park.
The field was impressive, despite one or two entries pulling out and the cars looked and sounded great in the morning sun. It was good to be back. Some even sported new liveries. A nod to the Tartan livery of Gregor Fiskin & Richard Westbrook’s Trackspeed Porsche which everyone seemed to like, unlike their team mates Porsche of David Ashburn & Nick Tandy who’s spotted entry divided opinion. I myself was a fan of the new look works Ginetta entry with a white, black and orange livery. Also, the Optimum BMW Z4′s look great in Carbon Black showing that you don’t need to do much to make a GT race car look good.
The great looking Carbon Black BMW Z4 hops the kerb at Britten’s
It became apparent early on that I liked the circuit. Spending the first session at Deer Leap and Lodge Corner, I was getting some nice angles and the session seemed to pass by rather quickly. My head was full of thoughts about where to go for the other sessions over the weekend. I didn’t want to miss some good spots and I still had so much to explore.
Discussions were had in the media centre as to where were good places to photograph and I needed opinions from other photographers who knew the circuit a lot better than an Oulton Park newbie like myself. I had decided to head round to the outside of the circuit on the far side to photograph down the hill towards the first chicane and to spend the hour long second practice working my way towards the Shell Oils hairpin. Just that section itself was a joy as again, there were so many different perspectives and angles to get and before long the session was drawing to a close. I was loving this circuit and was wishing it was a lot closer to home. I didn’t have chance to even think about how cold it was.
The United Autosports Audi R8 heads towards the Shell Oils Hairpin.
Qualifying was soon upon us and with cars all at maximum attack it was a good chance to head over to Druids where the crest on exit saw a few of the cars get light at the front and lifting a wheel or two. I was hoping to try and get a few shots of this. Soon after the first qualifying session got underway, a big accident from one of the GT4 Ginetta’s was to delay the session. It played into my hands somewhat as the sun was starting to set. I was thankful that the clocks hadn’t gone forward just yet as I had found a spot amongst the trees with the setting sun behind the farm on the opposite side of the track ready for the return of the cars. Despite the split second I had to capture the cars after appearing from view and then as quickly disappearing again, I was pleased with what I had managed to capture. Then, as the second qualifying session got underway, it was time to try and capture the cars over that crest.
The spot amongst the trees as the sun set paid off.
The day drew to an end and I couldn’t wait till Monday to get back and photograph the two races, but in the mean time, I was happy with my days work. Saturday night involved a drive round Runcorn to try and find a supermarket so we could get some food for the next couple of days. Avoiding drunken and mischievous juveniles I was worried about stopping at traffic lights and junctions in case I got hijacked at knifepoint or had the wheels stolen off my car in a time that would make the Red Bull F1 team proud. After eventually finding not one but 4 supermarkets all close together it was time to stop at the local McDonalds for something to eat. It felt like I’d stepped into the holding room for the next episode of the Jeremy Kyle Show and was pretty sure they could tell I wasn’t from round these parts before I had even said anything. Needless to say I ate my Big Mac as quick as possible at a window seat so I could keep an eye on my car, before getting out of there sharp-ish and back to the hotel. People think my home county of Essex is bad? I’m used to a lot of stuff but I was genuinely feeling uncomfortable.
We were staying in a Holiday Inn and we had noticed the previous evening that it was apparent that there was a Wedding and a reception being held there on the Saturday. The latter in full flow as we had got back. Despite the Hotel being nice, I had questioned whether a Holiday Inn was really the sort of place you’d want to get married, but each to their own. There was enough fake tan around to keep Amy Childs beauty salon stocked up for a year and I noticed a popularity for drawing on eyebrows with black marker pen giving the wearer a permanent angry expression which amused me as the angry looking orange faced girls struggled to walk properly in their ridiculous platform high heeled shoes. Even an Essex boy like myself was out of my comfort zone and decided to leave the hotel bar and head for bed.
Some of the cars were lifting their front wheels slightly on exit at Druids.
With no track action on Sunday, the day was spent watching the British Touring Car Championship on the TV in the hotel room before a meal out in the evening with friends. I struggled to get to sleep that night trying to work out the best places at Oulton to shoot the two races on Monday.
The morning was again very cold and this time the skies were cloudy and overcast. Not as good conditions as Saturday but I was grateful it wasn’t raining. I headed to the pit lane to shoot the 10 minute warm up session before deciding where to got for Race One. It was soon upon us and a few minutes were spent on the grid as the cars lined up before I headed down to the first corner. I wanted to capture the impressive Class of 2013 as they headed into the first corner of the season. They looked fantastic as they headed towards myself and the other photographers around me. I fired off shots of the first half of the field heading into the bend before turning to shoot them disappearing down the hill. Big mistake.
The Class of 2013 heading into Old Hall Corner.
With myself pointing my camera down the hill I was unaware of what was happening to my right. The first indication of something not being right was seeing the two photographers to my left out of the corner of my eye suddenly run for cover. I wasn’t up against the barrier but stepped back just as a Mercedes SLS and an Aston Martin appeared and hit the tyres and Armco in front of me. I hadn’t heard the shout of ‘Incoming’ and had been taken by surprise. Thankfully no one was hurt and despite the Aston being able to carry on, only to retire a few laps later, the Mercedes had managed to move to a safer spot on the other side of the track, but is was clearly game over with too much damage to continue. Not the best way to start the new season for them and certainly an unexpected one for me.
The aftermath of the Mercedes and Aston Collision right in front of me.
I spent race one photographing while heading down the hill towards cascades. It wasn’t long before more drama unfolded though. Smoke could be seen billowing into the air from the other side of the circuit as the LNT Ginetta G55 had burst into flames. Again though, thankfully no one was hurt. The hour had passed quickly and the race had come to an end as I was at the bottom of the hill at cascades. Plenty of action had taken place for the season opener and it was only a few hours until race two was about to get underway.
I took up position for the second race at the bottom of the hill at cascades, only this time on the inside of the circuit to shoot the cars heading down the hill and enabling myself to then photograph the second chicane and Knickerbrook before making my way up the hill towards druids. The first half of the race seemed to go to smoothly before major incidents broke out. The second Ginetta G55 burst into flames leaving driver Colin White to leap out quickly whilst heading up the hill to Deer leap. Also, there was a big accident involving Jon Minhaw’s Trackspeed Porsche and Andrew Howards Aston Martin at the chicane I had been at earlier in the race, so I didn’t manage to get that on camera and one of the Mtech Ferrari’s collided heavily with the APO Ginetta G50. It seemed to me that I had been too close to the action or too far away in the wrong place to capture any of it.
GT4 Double winning Ginetta G50 of Zoe Wenham and Declan Jones heads up Clay Hill.
But it didn’t matter, I had a great weekend and I had experienced a new circuit which I loved. Oulton is now threatening Brands Hatch GP as my favourite UK circuit. Next up for me, the World Endurance Championships and European Le Mans Series at Silverstone.
You can see more images from the weekend on my Facebook page and purchase prints via my website. To read race reports and more head to The Checkered Flag website.
Works Of Art
As I returned turned home yesterday I was greeted by a huge parcel waiting for me. As I had not been waiting for anything and hadn’t ordered anything, especially of this size, recently I was somewhat confused by it. On inspection it appeared to have come from Germany. I still hadn’t twigged what it was until I saw the senders name. A sudden rush of excitement filled me as hurriedly but carefully opened the huge box. I wasn’t quite prepared for what was inside.
Carefully wrapped and packaged inside was two large 3ft by 2ft framed and mounted prints. No ordinary prints though. One was of an Audi R8 GT3 and the other of a Mercedes SLS GT3. What’s more was that these prints were of paintings by the incredibly talented German motorsport artist Steffen Imhof and were based on two of my photos I had taken at last year’s Nurburgring 24 hour race.
My photo of the Audi R8 at the Nurburgring 24 hour race.
Steffen’s Painting of the Audi R8
They both looked stunning. I was overwhelmed by Steffen’s generosity as he had agreed to send me copies of the finished artwork but I wasn’t expecting anything quite like this. He had even enclosed a copy of the huge Mahle racing wall calendar which featured twelve amazing motorsport paintings Steffen had created, including the two that were now sitting in front of me in their magnificent brushed aluminium frames. It was safe to say I was very proud and delighted with them. It is an incredible feeling to have had a photo I have taken turned into a spectacular piece of art such as this.
My photo of the Mercedes SLS during the Nurburgring 24 hour race.
Steffen’s painting of the Mercedes
This isn’t the first time it has happened though. Some of you who read this bloke may have read about the amazing Toyota Avensis artwork the Ian Cook, aka Pop Bang Colour, created which was based on my photo of Frank Wrathall. I’ve spoken to people who saw it being created and some of you may even have a copy. It is a very special feeling indeed. So these three beautiful pieces of art will be taking pride of place on the wall where everyone can see. Even my mum, who has no real interest in cars and motorsport loves them, telling me ‘I wouldn’t want a big photo of yours on the wall but these look fantastic and will look really good on the wall.’ You, can always rely on my Mum to speak her mind, no matter how brutally honest she is. But this was a huge compliment to Steffen and Ian’s work. Not so much on mine though.
The sense of satisfaction I have had from seeing all three of these works of art in incredible and to actually have them to display on my wall too is a great feeling. As someone who loves art, visiting galleries and had great respect for real talent such as that shown by Steffen and Ian, this is something quite special. I can’t wait to show my friends and family.
My photo of Frank Wrathall’s Toyota Avensis.
Ian’s finished painting of the Toyota Avensis.
So on that note, if there are any artists out there who may be interested in turning any of my photos into paintings, drawings or art work, then feel free to get in touch. For the rest of you, I strongly suggest you go and check out both Steffen Imhof’s AutomobilArt website and Ian Cook’s Pop Bang Colour website to check out their stunning work. You could do a lot worse than part with some money in exchange for having their artwork on your wall. Especially if you are a car and motorsport fan.
Back to the Track & Team Orders
With the 12 hours of Sebring having taken place, the first two rounds of the Formula One world championship and round one of the World Touring Car Championship having passed, the motorsport season is well underway. That means my winter break is also over and this Easter weekend I’ll be back trackside and behind the camera.
Usually I’ve normally got my first round of the year under my belt by now but the wait will no doubt be worth it. I’ll be heading up to Oulton Park for round one of the British GT championship and I cannot wait. I’ve never been to Oulton Park before so I am looking forward to experiencing a new circuit. I missed last year’s round due to other commitments but the heavy rain the experienced there meant I wasn’t too disappointed. Bizarrely it seems to be snow that might cause trouble at the weekend and thermals will be going in the bag with me.
I’ll be back Track side for the first time this year as British GT heads to Oulton Park for round one.
A huge field of gorgeous cars are set to take to the grid this Easter weekend for two 1 hour races at the Cheshire circuit and I’m really looking forward to seeing and photographing them in action. I just hope I haven’t forgotten how to do it, although it’s questionable if I did in the first place! With the track action taking place on the Saturday and the Monday rather than the usual Saturday and Sunday, it will be a long weekend, but it will definitely be a fun and exciting one. I’ll hopefully posting photos on my twitter account – @ChrisGurton and my facebook page over the weekend as well as providing images for The Checkered Flag, so feel free to give me a ‘follow’ or a ‘like’ to keep up to date.
Whilst some head to Cheshire for their racing fix, many will be heading to Kent this weekend as the first round of the British Touring Car Championship takes place at Brands Hatch. Like the British GT, a large field is expected for the BTCC even though a couple of teams have opted out of the first round. 2009 Champion Colin Turkington makes his return to the series in a rather nice looking BMW 1 Series with West Surrey Racing, the team with whom he won his title. I was surprised at how nice the new 1 series looks, although I’m still unsure on the livery. The BTCC media day stirred up a lot of excitement last week and I know the faithful army of fans are chomping at the bit to see them back in action. Let’s hope there are no controversies to kick off the new season and hopefully driving standards will be improved.
2009 Champ Colin Turkington returrns to WSR and their Ebay Motors BMW 1 Series.
On the subject of controversy, I can’t help but mention the Malaysian Grand Prix. Formula One is the biggest motorsport series on the planet which grabs the attention of millions worldwide. Round one in Australia proved to be a good one with seven different leading drivers during the race. Then, the dreaded team orders come into play in Malaysia. Surely round two is a bit early for team orders? Fans want to see racing not a parade of cars that aren’t allowed to overtake because there might be a risk of crashing. All motorsport has risk and that’s probably why so many enjoy it and take part in it. Surely team orders spoils it for the fans, without whom, the sport would be nothing.
I like Mark Webber a lot, he comes across as the complete professional and he’s one of my favourite drivers. He defended his lead superbly and fairly, but it was clear to see Sebastian Vettel was quicker. So why were the team against him overtaking for the lead? Why did they want him to just sit behind him for the remainder of the race? That isn’t what the fans want to see. The Mercedes team proved this point by making Nico Rosberg stay behind Lewis Hamilton despite being faster. Even Lewis himself admitted it wasn’t the way he wanted to achieve his podium finish. I don’t care if there is a chance that contact might be made between two team mates. I want to see racing. These guys are at the pinnacle of the sport through skill and talent. Or maybe some huge financial backing. They should be able to battle it out for honour and pride regardless of what car the other guy is in.
Vettel & Webber aren’t so friendly after Sundays Malaysian Grand Pix
Team orders can ruin motorsport. I can understand towards the end of the season you want to protect your lead drivers chance of championship glory, but with 17 rounds still to go? Let drivers do battle and give the paying fans what they want. If this is going to become a regular occurrence in Formula one, I won’t be giving it much attention in the future. Match fixing is illegal in sport, surely what Red Bull were trying to do was to fix the race result. I can’t blame Vettel for wanting to race. That’s what he’s paid to do after all. Personally, I’d like to see the FIA step in and put a stop to such blatant team orders, again, for the good of the sport and the fans.
British GT Media Evening
The arrival of March means one thing to Motor Racing fans. The new season is upon us after the long winter break. The first round of the Formula One season gets underway this coming weekend along with the Sebring 12hours and some club events have already taken to the track.
For me, the start of the new season got underway last Thursday at the British GT & F3 media launch. The event took on a different format from the usual media days with it being held in central London during the evening. It was great event and a good chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances from the media, teams and circuits. Some of whom I hadn’t seen since last season.
The United Autosports McLaren was in unfamiliar territory.
The BGT & F3 Liveried Bus
Outside the venue were not only a London Taxi and Double Decker bus looking resplendent in British GT & F3 Liveries and advertisements, but also two of the cars set to take to the GT grid this year. One of United Autosport’s McLaren MP4-12C’s along with Barwell Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage that this year will be raced by series new boys, Richard Abra and Mark Poole who took last year’s Britcar 24hour title. The cars were certainly getting plenty of attention and rightly so. The Streets of South Kensington and Knightsbridge are often adorned with flash cars such as Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and Bentleys as the capital’s elite cruise around in luxury. Those who saw the documentary a few months ago on TV about London’s supercar culture will testify to that. But who has ever seen two fully race prepared GT3 racing beasts parked up on the side of the road in the capital city? Even the guy in a Mercedes CLK who tried to turn heads by revving and roaring past failed miserably as gazes were fixed on the two show stoppers.
Passers by stopped to take photos with iPhones and many posed to have their photo taken beside the powerful monsters. Some even just stood, watched and stared for ages in awe. Traffic almost came to a standstill as people slowed to see the reason for flash guns going off and catch a glimpse of the race car. Bus and taxi drivers, even motorcycle couriers slowed to have look. But for me, the woman in a beat up Fiesta who drove past at a snail’s pace while her young son in the back seat, hands and nose pressed up against the window as he stared open mouthed at the Aston Martin and McLaren just underlined what motorsport was really about and the effect it has on people.
Inside, the presentations were underway and despite only four races on the F3 calendar, it seemed a necessary step to save the series from disappearing altogether and signs for next year are looking positive so a step back should hopefully mean at least two forward next season.
Head Turner – The Barwell Aston Martin tries to blend in.
As for the season ahead for the British GT, things are going from strength to strength. New and established teams are joining this season to add to the already impressive field of cars. The likes of AF Corse and Vita4one Team Italy along with new teams from Blendini Moto & Nigeria Racing Eagle will be some of the new runners among the packed grid. Many teams are now running more cars and the likes of Fortec, who are well known for running single seaters are stepping into the fray with possibly a pair of Mercedes SLS’s. Toyota have joined the GT4 ranks with a GT86 and M-Sport, the team who ran the Ford WRC package have joined in the fun and will initially run an Audi R8 LMS Ultra with the intention of taking on the new Bentley Continental GT3 when it is ready later in the season.
Many Supercars can be seen on the streets of South Kensington & Knightsbridge, but on Thursday, all were well and truly ‘Trumped’
Well over 30 cars look set to take to the grid at Oulton Park over Easter weekend with more set to join throughout the season. Throw in a European Round at Zandvoort which British GT will have main billing for and better TV coverage including Two rounds shown live on Motors TV, it is clear the British GT is really going places so it’s best you all make even more of an effort to head out and see this series in action at your nearest Circuit because you won’t be disappointed.
I’d like to thank Benjamin, Lauren and James at SRO along with everyone else who helped put on a great evening and I really cannot wait for Easter weekend at Oulton Park when the season Kicks off. It is going to be awesome.
Local Morons
It seems that recently some local residents to Mallory Park race circuit have become annoyed and are taking action against the circuit. The reason for their annoyance? Noise.
Yes, that’s right. These morons bought a house near a motor racing circuit and are complaining it is noisy. They now want the circuit to cut the amount of times it is used and impose further noise restrictions. The owner has stated that any further cuts in usage of the circuit will deem the circuit unprofitable and not worth running. An option to sell the circuit for housing is tabled as an alternative if the circuit was to be sold.
Mallory Park – Under threat from local morons.
The most annoying thing is, what kind of moron buys a house by a race track and then complains it is noisy? Do people buy houses next to Airports, Motorways & Railway lines and then demand the council put a restriction on their usage because they don’t like the noise? I’m sorry, but if you by a house in a noisy area, it is your own fault. Don’t go complaining and ruining other peoples enjoyment of something they love. Just move somewhere else. After all, there are many race fans who’d love a house next to a circuit.
Most of you will know that all race circuits in the UK have to adhere to strict rules and regulations imposed by local authorities regarding usage and noise levels. Curfews are put in place, some race cars have to have silencers fitted to bring them within the noise level set for a race meeting and the likes of the Brands Hatch Grand Prix loop can only be used a certain number of times per year. All this is usually because a load of moaning residents don’t like race tracks to be noisy. Ironically, even Donington Park has curfews and noise limits and that is right next to the East Midlands Airport.
Brands Hatch Grand Prix Loop, not used often enough.
Most of the circuits in this country have been in place for many years. Long before these residents even moved to the areas. Racing on the whole, in past decades was a lot noisier than it is these days too. Some circuits like Silverstone, Goodwood and Snetterton were built on the site of old airfields, which, when in use, would have been noisy too. I really don’t understand the mentality of some people. Do people buy houses next to football stadiums and then phone up the council when the home team scores a goal because the crowd are being too loud? If you ask me, the noise restrictions in place at many circuits already spoil motor racing. I want the cars to be loud. I want to hear engines rumble or scream. In fact, I would love to live in one of the houses that back on to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Loop and I would be more than happy for it to be used every weekend so I find it unlikely that these factors would de-value a property as there are many other petrol heads like me who would love that.
Signs like this are extremely rare.
What’s more, is that these killjoy NIMBY types don’t think of the bigger picture. These circuits bring a vital boost to the local economy. Not only do they provide jobs, but local Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, Pubs, Restaurants, Shops and Business’ all benefit. Thousands of fans flock to race meetings each weekend, many, along with teams, drivers, mechanics and even media such as myself, will often want somewhere local to stay, eat and drink. I often book myself into a local B&B or Hotel and eaten in the Pubs or Restaurants nearby and I have seen teams and fans alike do the same. Yes, some race weekends are bigger that others, but they all help. I’ve tried to book somewhere to stay overnight for some race weekends only to find that every hotel or guesthouse in the vicinity is fully booked. Think about the impact it would have on many people if a circuit was to close down.
A fine example, albeit on a grander scale, is the Isle of Man. Just think of how many tourism business would cease to exist if it wasn’t for the TT and the Rally. The locals embrace it and let’s face it, most have to in order to make a living. And how about LeMans? How many people would even know where that town was, let alone visit if it wasn’t for the 24 hour race? I can imagine tourism, due to motorsport, is one of the biggest sources of income for both these places.
You can’t tell me local businesses in Silverstone Village and the surrounding area would be thriving if the circuit wasn’t there and I imagine takings in the local guesthouses and eating and drinking establishments during the Formula One or Moto GP weekends are sky high! Some places probably even rely on the trade the circuits bring in and if the circuit was to close down so would they. Surely no one wants to see that happening. So it is much more than just a case of a noisy circuit being forced to close and sold off for housing development.
Current restrictions already make organising night races and 24hr races in the UK very difficult.
Whilst I appreciate talks over the future of Mallory Park is in the early stages, I sincerely hope that the Circuit does not fall foul of a few moronic locals who should just move away if they don’t like it rather than spoil other people’s enjoyment of something they love. We can’t lose Mallory Park and I hope sense will prevail. Otherwise who knows what the consequences will be for other Circuits and the sport we love.
Save Mallory Park.
Cassie’s Law – Update
Those who regularly read my blog, if there are any, will have read a post I wrote last year about Cassie McCord and the petition to enable Police the power to revoke the licences of unfit drivers with immediate effect. As in the Case of Cassie, her life was tragically cut short by an elderly motorist who at the time was in the process of having his licence revoked after an incident a few days earlier. You can read my blog about it here.
Two years on from Cassie’s death and after tireless campaigning from her mother Jackie, along with a well supported online petition (thank you if you were one of the many thousands who signed) the DVLA have announced plans to fast track the process in which licences can be revoked if the Police feel necessary. Under the new procedure, where an officer feels the safety of other road users will be put at risk if the driver remains on the road, they can request an urgent revocation of the licence through the DVLA. When notified, the DVLA will review the case and respond with an emailed revocation for the license. The new system will provide three levels of revocation – immediate, within 48 hours and postal whereby the driver will be dealt with via letter sent within 24 hours of notification from the police.
Cassie McCord
Personally I would prefer to see Police given the power to stop an unfit motorist from driving on the spot, much like they have the power to stop an uninsured driver. As in the case of the Motorist who killed Cassie, Police strongly advised him not to drive after being called to an incident a few days earlier, but the stubborn 89 year old pensioner refused and the police were powerless to stop him.
Although the change isn’t quite what Jackie has been campaigning for, she’s pleased it’s a step in the right direction. She said: “I’m pleased my work has been taken seriously. This is a positive step in the right direction but I think it’s just the beginning – there are a lot of changes that need to take effect.”
Jackie McCord – Tireless Campaigner
Assistant Chief Constable Sue Harrison said: “The new procedures launched by the DVLA to fast track revocations of driving licenses have been welcomed by Essex Police. This new procedure is a great testament to Jackie’s relentless determination and resilience, which I highly commend.”
Although these procedures have come too late in Cassie’s case and it is sad that it has taken the life of a young person to establish them, hopefully this will help stop a similar incident from happening again in the future.
I also believe this highlights the dangers of motorists who are unfit to drive but continue to do so, especially in the case of pensioners. Personally I believe the current driving license renewal system also needs to be looked at as it currently is only voluntary for a driver to give up their license and it is wrong to wait for an incident to happen before the Police of DVLA become aware of unfit drivers. The need for regular assessments for drivers over 70 years of age would be worthwhile along with the requirement for anyone over the age of 70 to renew their driving license on a more regular basis than the current 10 year period.
I hope that work continues to improve procedures such as this to make the roads and pavements safer for everyone, for Cassie’s sake.
British F3
I will admit, open wheel racing isn’t my favourite form of motorsport and although I like Formula One, I’m not a self proclaimed die hard fan. I used to be pretty obsessed with it when I was a child though. I was a huge Nigel Mansell fan, in fact, I even share my birthday and year with his daughter Chloe and he won his Championship title on the 16th of August 1992. Mine (and Chloe’s) 10th Birthday. That was a pretty special day for me. But that’s enough of the nostalgia, as the Schumacher Era saw me lose interest somewhat in Formula One and I never regained the love I once had.
British F3, A Stepping Stone Towards F1
Jean-Eric Vergne, 2010 British F3 Champion
But over the last few years I have seen my fair share of open wheel racing at various circuits across the country and have appreciated them for what they are. Besides, as a motorsport fan I love being at a circuit and I’ve witnessed some great racing and the rise of some current Formula One stars. After all, these championships are the proving ground for the Holy Grail, Formula One. A huge stepping stone in the quest to become a superstar Formula One racing driver comes in the form of the British F3 championship. With the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Rubens Barichello, Mika Hakkinen and Ayrton Senna having graced the British Series, it’s easy to see that British F3 provides a critical role in developing World Champions of the future.
However it is sad to hear that the British F3 championship announced that it was cutting the series back to just four rounds this season with two of them to be raced overseas. Increasing costs and competition from a number of other single seat championships both in the UK and abroad probably proving a major factor as drivers seek more cost effective ways of reaching the top level.
I’m not here to criticise the series and the current difficulties it is experiencing or point out mistakes or how it should be improved, as to be honest, I don’t really know the answers myself. But I will reiterate one thing I have spoken about many times before, and that is lack of support from fans. I have always been increasingly frustrated at how some huge British Racing Series never get the fan support they so deserve. I have been blown away by the huge crowds the British Touring Car Championship pulls in, yet the British F3 championship, which runs in conjunction with the British GT championship during its race weekends only see’s a fraction of the crowd the BTCC does.
Talented British Racer Jack Harvey won the 2012 Championship
How many F1 fans are out there? Many of whom would probably call themselves, ‘Huge Fans’ or ‘Die Hard Fans’. Yet also, many will complain that Formula One is elitist, expensive and inaccessible for the everyday ‘normal’ fans. How many of these fans have sat in front of the TV moaning at the celebrities on the Grid before a big race who clearly have no interest in the sport and are only there because they have been given a free pass and it’s the ‘Fashionable’ thing to do? Yes, I hate it too. But how many have ventured out to watch some live motorsport and support the possible Formula One stars of the future in the British F3? With weekend tickets for around £30, (great value compared to a premiership football match) three championship races per weekend and the chance of watching the mechanics at work, wandering the pit lane and getting up close to the drivers and cars, what is there stopping you? You’d be surprised at how many Motorsport celebs you can see blending into the paddock too not wanting to hog the limelight. You never know, in a few years time, you could be watching one of the current crop of F3 racers stand atop An F1 podium or lifting the world championship trophy and you could turn to your mates and say, ‘I met that guy once.’ Or ‘I saw him race and supported him before he made the big time.’
British F3 gives you a chance to get up close and personal to the F1 stars of the future
I could go on about how the media should be doing their bit to bring some of these great British race series to the attention of the public, but I’ve done that before. Plus most of you reading this will be big motorsport fans and know about these Championships anyway, so as fans, it’s only right we do our bit and go and support. Before it’s too late.
Drivers Pay Snow Attention
We all know a bit of snow brings our country to its knees and chaos breaks out as people switch into blind panic mode. Never is this more noticeable than on the roads. All form of rational thought behind the wheel seems to disappear with the appearance of Snow and Ice and unsurprisingly the media is adorned with images of car accidents. Whilst I appreciate the driving conditions can be tricky and many roads go untreated so the risk of accidents will be increased and some cannot be avoided. But sadly, with the increased risk, there is no increase in sensible driving.
Today I drove into work on untreated roads. I had to make a few detours as my car struggled to grip up some hills so I tried to take busy routes that weren’t completely covered in snow. This was difficult at times as my route to work is predominantly back roads, but after an hour’s journey that usually takes me 15-20 minutes I arrived. I was the only one there. I live the furthest from work but made it in without major issue despite knowing that the golf course I work at will be closed and there wouldn’t be anything for me to do there anyway. I waited for a few hours and still no sign of anyone so I came home again. But whilst on the road it became very apparent that many drivers give no regard to the adverse conditions on the road and then blame the weather when they crash.
Scenes like this are familiar during adverse driving conditions but some people still disregard the Snow & Ice.
Is this really a good idea?
There are many cars driving around covered in snow with just the windscreen cleared. I saw some that had the side and back windows still covered and not even all of the snow cleared off of the windscreen. This is ridiculously dangerous. You need to see as much as possible, even more so in poor conditions. You can’t even see your mirrors in these conditions. Also, with snow on your roof, that can slide down and cover your windscreen so you can’t see a thing causing a danger to yourself and others. People still have lights covered too. Lights are there for a reason. For others to see you as well as for you to see the road ahead if needed. They are no use when they are covered in snow and dangerous when people can’t see your indicators or brake lights. Also, number plates are covered. What makes you think it is acceptable to drive around with effectively no number plate? Number plates are there for a reason and it is illegal to have them obscured or not visible. Clear all snow off of your car before driving. It is dangerous to yourself and others to not do so. We all know our county is obsessed with the weather and I’m sure you can’t wait to show people at work how much snow you had because it is all piled high on your vehicle, but no one at work will see it when it is stuck in a ditch or being recovered after you hit something pretty solid that you didn’t see.
A danger to yourself and others.
I have an annoyance of people who drive around with their fog lights. Section 226 in the Driving in Adverse Conditions section of the Highway code states: “You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 meters (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236). Law RVLR regs 25 & 27” Some seem to think that snow means they must use fog lights. Why? Yes there is snow about but you can still see more that 100 meters so turn them off you ignorant idiot.
Fog Lights: Mostly Unnecessary.
Narrow Tyres are best for Snow & Ice.
Another thing that annoys me in winter conditions is the amount of people who seem to think that because they have a 4×4 vehicle that snow and ice doesn’t affect them and therefore will drive around in the same way as normal. Ice will affect any vehicle regardless. Let’s face it, a lot of Chelsea Tractors that School run mums use are barely any better in muddy conditions than your average car and ground clearance isn’t much better so why people think Ice is no issue is beyond me. With this comes the worrying opinion that Wide Tyres are best in snow and ice. Since when? A basic grasp of physics and common sense will tell you this is totally wrong. Yes, I wide tyre is good on tarmac as there is a wider contact point to give more grip, but in ice there is nothing to grip. A narrow tyre means more weight on a smaller contact point allowing the tyre to cut through the ice better. Why do you think Rally Cars use very narrow tyres during Snow Rallies? This of course does not mean you can fit narrow tyres to your car and can continue to drive like an idiot however.
Finally, I noticed a number of people today driving ridiculously fast for the conditions. I drove a steady 30mph on the roads that weren’t too bad but there were still icy patches about and I was considerably slower on the snow covered smaller roads. Even then my car slid about a bit and the last thing I wanted was to skid down some of the hills. Yet there were still people catching me up and worse still sitting on my bumper! I also passed a Van and a Vauxhall Corsa in the opposite direction doing about 60mph. If you skid on ice at a slow speed and hit something then chances are you will walk away unscathed. Skid on Ice at 60mph and that telegraph pole you are heading towards is going to kill you. Are you really that desperate to get into work? Leave the high speed snow driving to the Rally professionals. Even they make mistakes too though.
Leave the high speed Snow & Ice driving to the Professionals.
I know not everyone is perfect, including myself, but if everyone took a bit more care and used a bit more common sense in these conditions, the roads would be a bit safer. I don’t care if you crash your car driving like an idiot. I just don’t want you take me, or anyone else with you when you do.
Team & Moment of the Year
Happy New Year to you all. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all my blog readers a prosperous 2013.
The third part of my review series see’s my team and moment of the year from last season. As with the previous posts, feel free to get in touch and let me know who your team of the year were and what your moment of the year was.
Team of the year: This, for me has to go to the Toyota LMP1 team. On the back foot from at the beginning of the year with little time to develop the car before the start of the World Endurance Championship, it looked like Audi were going to go unchallenged all year thanks to the withdrawal of rivals Peugeot. No one expected much from Toyota and with Sebring being used as a test and the team not entering the Spa race to concentrate on getting the car ready for Le Mans, Audi had nothing to worry about.
Toyota lead Audi briefly at Silverstone
However, Toyota showed glimpses of things to come, and despite not finishing either car, one due to ‘That Crash’ the Toyota team did lead the race at one point. Since then, the team have become stronger and stronger. Podium finishes at Silverstone….. And Finally a race victory at Fuji underlinded their ability and now have Audi looking over their shoulder. The German marque’s years of Dominance in Endurance racing looks under threat from a Team who are now serious LeMans and WEC championship contenders.
Toyota look set to be serious WEC Title contenders and Le Mans Winners
See who the rest of the Checkered Flag Team picked as their Team of the Year Here.
Audi win the Nurburgring 24hr
Moment’ of the year: There have been a number of great moments this year and I am grateful to have experienced some personally. There are too many to mention and it is difficult to pick out one in particular, but personally, my first visit to the Nurburgring for the 24 hour race is a stand out moment and one that bought many memories I will never forget. But I also think the 40th running of the Nurburgring 24 hour race produced my moment of the year in terms of the overall result. Finally Audi had conquered the Green Hell and took their first victory in the notoriously gruelling race. This contributed to a remarkable chain of results this year for the German car giants as 2012 saw them also take wins in the Bathurst 12hr, the Spa 24hr, the Zolder 24hr And of course a 1,2,3 and 4 at Le Mans. It just underlines the true extent of German efficiency and reliability.
What were the moments of the year for the TCF team? Find out Here.
The All Conquering Audi Endurance Race Cars.
Race of the Year
The second part of my review series see’s my Race of the year. I’ve been lucky enough to see some really great races this season but two really stood out for me and it was tough to pick between them, but my final choice was made due to what was at stake and how many teams were involved. I hope you agree with my choice.
It would be obvious of me to pick the British GT race at Brands Hatch and it was difficult not to, but one other race just pips it in terms of build up, excitement, heart break, lead changes and down to wire racing. The British GT season Finale at Donington had it all.
The British GT Finale at Donington Started with 7 teams in contention for the title.
With five driver pairings heading into the final race knowing that a race win would seal championship honours and two more pairings still with a good chance of the title, it was set to be a real ding dong battle.
Yet again, Alex Buncombe did the business with one of his trade mark opening stints to climb from midfield obscurity to race lead in the opening laps. He handed over to team mate Jann Mardenborough with a healthy lead knowing that taking the chequered flag in their current position would crown them champions. Just a couple of laps into his Jann’s stint and disaster struck. Rear suspension failure on the Nissan put paid to all title hopes and it was heartbreak for Jann and the rest of the JRM team. This then but the Championship into the hands of Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron. But the MTech Ferrari had to deal with the Rosso Verdi Ferrari whilst the Ecurie Ecosse BMW was closing in. A safety car period enabled the BMW to close in and an ambitions move from Ollie Bryant in the BMW at the Final hairpin meant contact with Griffin sending him into a spin, down the order and giving the BMW the Championship lead with just a few laps left. However, a drive through penalty for Bryant ended their chance of championship honours and gifting them to the Motorbase Porsche of Parfetti and Caine with the latter just needing to bring the car home safely to take the title which he did.
The Caine & Parfetti Motorbase pairing took the title in the closing few laps of the season.
To see the rest of The Checkered Flag Teams race of the year, just click here. To read the full race report from the British GT Finale, see here.
So what about you? What was your race of 2012? Let us know using the comment section below.
Constant close battles throughout the two hour finale left fans on the edge of their seats.
Driver of the Year
At the end of every year, all the contributors hand in their nominations for their Best, Driver, Team, Race, and Moment of the past year along with what to look out for over the coming twelve months. This year is no different and over the next few days I will be revealing my pick’s along with sharing the link to The Checkered Flag website so you can see who the rest of the team picked out. It is also a chance to share your favourite moments buy using the comment section at the bottom of this blog so feel free to get involved.
So without further delay, we kick off the first part of the series with my Driver of the Year.
My Driver of 2012, Jann Mardenborough
There have been many great drivers I have seen this year, but for me there has been one that really Stands out. As a winner of the Playstation GT academy that has already produced great race winning drivers, Jann Mardenborough has produced great things this year in the British GT championship. Forming a formidable partnership with team mate Alex Buncombe in the Nissan GT-R, Jann could have been crowned British GT champion along with his highly experienced compatriot in just his first full season of racing had it not been for a mechanical failure half way through the final race of the season from a position that would have secured them the title. Buncombe, who can race competitively in any car you give him, himself was a close call for this nomination thanks to his superb opening stints which often saw him carve through the pack to the sharp end within the opening laps from midfield qualifying positions at a number of races before handing over to Mardenborough to bring the Nissan home in a solid position.
One such superb start saw Buncombe climb the field and take the race lead within two laps of the start at Brands Hatch where he continued to build a solid lead. A safety car cut the lead but was the right time to hand over to Jann, who’s mature drive kept him ahead of the pack now boasting the more experienced racing drivers behind him. The likes of Olly Bryant in the Ecurie Ecosse BMW and Jonny Adam in the Beechdean Aston Martin chip away at the lead lap after lap. A lesser driver would have crumbled under the pressure as heading into the last lap, Adam was just behind the Nissan and looking likely to snatch victory. Mardenborough kept a cool head to show maturity beyond his years and experience to take the win by just seven thousandths of a second, the closest margin in British GT history. And all this exactly a year after he was crowned the GT Academy winner.
Jann on his way to British GT Victory at Brands Hatch.
This was a standout moment in a fantastic season for the Welshman who looks set for great things in the future and the reason he is my Driver of the year.
Check out who the rest of the Checkered Flag team picked as their Driver of the year here.
So what are your thoughts? Do you agree with my pick? Who is your driver of the year and why? Get Involved.
Merry Christmas
With the motorsport season having ended for the year and the miserable winter weather upon us, it seems like a long time till the new season gets under way. I’ve taken a bit of a break from my blog recently whilst news of new drivers and teams are being unveiled. The British GT championship particularly is set to be even better next year. So I can’t wait for that.
However, despite the lack of entries on this blog of late, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Also I wanted to thank you for your support over the last year and thanks for reading this blog. I hope you have enjoyed it. I set myself a target to try and increase the readership by 50% on last year, so you can imagine my surprise and pleasure that as it stands I have increased that by over 150%!
The British GT Championship looks set to be even better in 2013.
As always I’m more than happy for feedback and input so if there is anything you would like to see in this blog next year or have any ideas of how it can be improved, then feel free to get in touch.
Over the New year period, as last year, I will be posting my end of season review, revealing my team of the year, Driver of the year, Moment of the year, Race of the year and what to look out for next season. So keep an eye open for that.
Yet again 2012 has been a good year for me and I’ve met some more great people, made more new friends and experienced some great things. Hopefully 2013 will be more of the same and perhaps be even better.
Happy Christmas to all of you. Enjoy the Festive break and see you all in 2013. Let’s make it a good one.
No UK 24 Hour Race
Last weekend saw the last race of the year on my hectic 2012 calendar, the Britcar production cup night race at Brands Hatch. Despite the miserable weather, it was a good day and a great race. However there was one part of the day that left me somewhat disappointed. It was announced that there would be no Britcar 24hr race next season.
Despite the miserable weather, the Production Cup Night Race provided some great racing.
The UK has a thriving motorsport scene and is probably the hub of motorsport technology. Lots of F1 teams are based in the UK, there are superb championships such as British GT, Formula 3, and British Touring Cars going all the way down to well entered grass roots level. The UK is also home to some great circuits such as Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Yet next year there will be no 24 hour endurance race in Britain.
There are successful 24 hour races held across the globe, which are always well attended. Obviously the likes of Le Mans and Daytona 24 hour are massive events and so too is the Nurburgring 24. But races in Belgium, Dubai and Spain are also becoming increasingly popular. Endurance racing has a huge following of hardcore racing fans across the globe and also within the UK. There are thousands who make the trip across the Channel to Le Mans or Nurburgring each year to get their much needed fix of live 24hr racing. So why, when the UK is such a big player in the word of Motorsport can we not host a popular and well supported 24 hour race?
24 hour races such as the Nurburgring 24 attract plenty of fans from across Europe.
Without going into details, I understand costs and budgets have a huge influence on the demise of the Britcar race, but fields have been in decline and with less than 30 cars taking part in this year’s race, it was, to be more than fair, a poor turnout. It also felt like the spectator numbers had also taken a nose dive too compared to previous years. But even when the field was 60-70 strong, the crowd numbers still, personally speaking, seemed somewhat disappointing. Maybe more could have been done to advertise the event, maybe more could be done to create awareness of the series as a whole, or maybe the lack of big European teams and well known drivers that enter the other 24hr races doesn’t generate interest. Perhaps Top Gear could come back and have another stab at racing round the clock.
Sadly there will be no Britcar 24 hour race in 2013
I know it’s hard to organise a high profile event and it takes a long time to but create a quality race that attracts big names and manufacturers, but sure the UK deserves something of that scale? Ok, so the UK circuits probably don’t have the charm that the likes of la Sarthe, Spa or the Nurburgring Nordschleife but it’s not that that’s causing the stumbling block. It needs a backing from a good motorsport organisation. Whilst I really like the Britcar race series, would they ever be able to take their 24hr race to the next level? Recent years suggest not. I know the likes of the SRO already organise the Spa 24hr race as well as a number of superbly run and supported race series including the British GT that is continually getting stronger and stronger, more high profile and increasingly well supported and entered. So with a series of this nature running in Britain that already has the rest of Europe standing up and taking note, maybe there is still chance of a top 24 hour race in the UK becoming a regular feature that will get fans not just across Britain in attendance, but fans across Europe too.
The baton has been dropped and is in need of some steady hands to pick it up. Or maybe, there are just too many 24 hour races already?
Could the success of the British GT be the platform for a new UK 24 hour race in the future?
Race report from the Britcar production cup race can be seen on the Checkered Flag website here. More photos from the Production cup can be seen here, and photos from the Britcar Open GT race here.
Finally, if you are a fan of endurance and GT racing, then there are still a few remaining copies of my limited edition 2013 A3 calendar available, featuring images from the Nurburgring 24, British GT, GT Open, FIA GT1 and WEC. Also you will receive a free A4 mounted print with every copy ordered. Just visit my website here for more details. Also, a range of prints from the race events I have covered this year are also available to purchase and would make an ideal gift for any petrol head and motorsport fan this Christmas.
Cycle Hatred
Some of you will know I have taken up cycling again after a few years out of the saddle. To be more precise I’m into Mountain Biking rather than road cycling and I have already taken my new Specialized Rockhopper on a week’s Mountain Biking on the tracks and trails of the Yorkshire Dales. However, recently, something has concerned me a lot. Something I find pretty shocking and somewhat disturbing. Something that should have attention drawn to and something that should ultimately be eradicated.
I use social media a lot. One form I use often is twitter. I use it to chat and interact with other people, usually with similar interests but not always. I‘ve met new people, learnt new things and experienced new stuff through twitter. I have a nice bunch of followers who put up with my rants and moans, random mutterings and general guff I spout about daily. Despite not actually being near me, they keep me company and when you work on your own for the most of the day like I do, it’s quite comforting.
On holiday with my bike.
It was through a follower on twitter I stumbled across an account called @CycleHatred. This account mainly retweets the abuse users write on twitter aimed a cyclists. Occasionally it posts videos of cyclists on the receiving end of abuse from other road users. Whilst I love riding off road, I do ride quite a bit on road too and I’ve had my fair share of near misses and close calls with motorists who don’t look, are impatient, don’t give you room, perform ridiculous manoeuvres and are genuinely oblivious to their surroundings. But I have never, yet, been abused either verbally or physically.
Some of the stuff I have seen via this twitter feed is pretty unbelievable, from videos of Drivers spitting at cyclists, to people telling their twitter followers they want to deliberately run into, injure or kill bike riders. But one tweet I saw today really hit a nerve with me and is the reason I felt the need to sit and write this. I’m not talking about the tweet from @mylomylo that stated “I wish running cyclists over was legal” Ironically it seems this guy is a lifeguard and yes, I am naming and shaming. But it’s the tweet from @ChloeA91 which said “The Cyclist I just followed to work was asking to be injured. Almost hit him just to teach him a lesson #sillyprick” that really got to me.
What is wrong with people? How can anyone be so ignorant towards someone who is riding their bike who I’m pretty sure, unless they were some kind of sado masochist, wasn’t asking to be injured? Why is there so much hatred towards cyclists? Do these people think they own the road? Perhaps it is just another sad refection of society today. Should people like Chloe even be allowed on the road herself to put other people’s lives at risk with her blatant disregard to the safety of others?
I’m not going to tar all car drivers with the same brush though. I know it is the mindless minority who hold so much contempt and hatred of other road users riding bicycles. I’m not going to moan about cars and the environment either. I love cars. Those of you who know me or read this blog regularly will know that I’m a huge petrol head. I like driving, I like motor racing and pretty much anything to do with cars and they are a big part of my life. But I like my bike too and I like to ride it as well. This means I ride on the road where I respect other road users as I wish they respect me.
I will also say that yes, there are a few mindless cyclists too. I’ve seen them jump red lights, not signal when turning, cutting through traffic, not using lights and generally doing some stupid things. But remember, we have all seen cars jump red lights, not indicate, pull out without looking, cut up other vehicles, drive whilst using a mobile phone. So not everyone is blameless.
Digging a little deeper I have seen forums where people try to justify their hatred for cyclists. Some of their arguments and reasoning’s are just ridiculous and really bug the hell out of me as I genuinely cannot believe people can be so ignorant.
One of the most common beliefs from Cycle haters is that Cyclists don’t pay road tax and should therefore not be on the road. Excuse me? There is no such thing as road tax. What these people believe is road tax which they pay each year and receive a disc they display in their vehicle is not road tax. It is a vehicle tax. Most cyclists, like myself also own a car so will also pay this vehicle tax anyway. Also, there are many new cars that are vehicle tax band A and don’t incur any tax charge and Vehicles over 25 years old are also tax exempt. Should these vehicles be banned too? Anyway, this is all irrelevant as all the tax everyone pays, from your earnings to VAT, goes into a big government pot and a percentage is taken out to pay for, the generally poor, upkeep of our roads. So this is a stupid argument. Have these people paid their ignorance tax? No. So stop being such an Ignorant fool.
Like most Cyclists, I own a car too!
I’ve seen people moan they hate cyclists because they hold them up while they are driving. Oh boo hoo. They probably moan about tractors too. The tractors farmers use to produce the food these morons eat. A lot of cyclists cycle to work. Usually because rush hour traffic is a nightmare and it is probably quicker to cycle than drive. Maybe all the cyclists should drive and add to the already congested roads? Other cyclists ride as a sport. A sport like football. A sport that some motorists pay lots of money to watch. Also these cyclists are keeping fit and active. In a world of obesity and laziness, is that such a bad thing? Think about that next time you get held up for a few seconds behind a cyclist after you’ve jumped in your car to pick up your take-away pizza from just up the road.
Another statement I’ve seen about a lot is ‘If you can’t afford a car get off the road’ or words to that effect. I can afford a car. I have a car. It’s quite a decent one too. It’s better and more expensive than quite a few of the other cars on the road. Hell, even my bike is worth more than some of the sh*tboxes a few of these haters drive around in. As stated before, most other cyclists have cars too. Some cyclists have top of the range hand built carbon fibre bikes that cost thousands of pounds. Some even cost more than a brand new car. So from this I can deduce that I and many other cyclists can afford a car and judging by this stupid statement should be allowed on the road. Let’s also not forget that you are entitled to WALK on a public highway. I rest my case.
I can afford a car. Here it is. I also pay what some morons beleive to be a ‘Road’ Tax.
The final point I’ll touch on is the belief that the law will always side with the cyclist over the motorist. This is completely false. The law will side with whoever was not in the wrong. As mentioned above, there are idiots on bikes and the law recognises this. Yes the woman who knocked Bradley Wiggins off his bike was summoned to the local police station, but she was in the wrong. Witnesses saw her pull out of a petrol station in front of him. But on the flip side, I will give you another example.
I knocked a cyclist off his bike once whilst I was in my car. It was actually just yards from a Police van containing half a dozen policemen who saw the incident. I had stopped in the road waiting for oncoming traffic to pass so I could make a right hand turn into the road the police van was parked and the direction I was indicating. As the traffic passed I quickly checked my mirror and made my manoeuvre. As I was halfway across the road there was a bang. A cyclist had ridden into the side of my car and fallen off his bike. I hadn’t seen him. As I got out of my car to see if he was ok and apologise, the on looking policemen had made their way over. The cyclist was fortunately OK, but was keen to show me his anger at what had happened. Thankfully the police were there although I did think I was going to get into a lot of trouble. One policeman was trying to get the cyclist to stop shouting and go home despite his complaints his front wheel was buckled. The other policeman who had came over spoke to me. He told me I had nothing to apologise for and was glad there wasn’t any damage to my car as they didn’t want the paperwork to deal with. I was somewhat confused by this. He explained the cyclist had overtaken the car waiting behind me and rode straight into the side of my car as I made the manoeuvre I was signalling for. He was in the wrong and I had done nothing punishable.
Maybe it is this kind of cyclist that the haters refer to. The minority. Yes they can be a nuisance. But there are many other nuisances behind the wheel of a car. Do I hate them? No. I am a car driver too. I love cars and I love driving. I also know that they are the minority and I don’t judge everyone on the actions of a few. Whilst I accept we are all accountable for our own actions on the road, I can’t really accept the attitude of the mindless few who think it’s funny to suggest it would be worthwhile to harm people who ride bikes. Surely they are the ones who shouldn’t be on the road. Or even out in public as they seem to pose a danger to everyone and even themselves with their own idiocy. So please, less of the hatred. I know we can all get frustrated and cross at times for a number of different reasons, but it would be better for all if we could all just get along, put aside the ridiculous reasons for hating people and put the brush that’s used for tarring down.
Oh, and feel free to follow me on twitter: @ChrisGurton
Into the night at Donington
The weekend before last saw the Britcar Endurance Championship and Production Cup head to Donington Park for an into the night race. A unique race that in theory should have bought many endurance race fans and motorsport fans in general to take in the action at Donington.
Sadly that wasn’t the case. Whether it was the early rain that engulfed the qualifying session for the Production Cup or the cold temperatures later in the day but a good days racing was missed. With a 90 minute production cup race, the four hour endurance race finishing under the cover of darkness and the Smart4two cup on the bill there was plenty of action to see.
The morning rain cleared before the racing started.
The rain cleared up after the morning and a damp track provided plenty of action in the production cup. The few fans who did turn up got a chance to see BTCC Independent Champion Andy Jordan Partner his father in a Honda Integra and take a solid second place overall. The fans were also given a chance to take part in a grid walk before the Start of the Endurance race given them a chance to get up close to the cars including Porsche’s, Ferrari’s, a Mosler, and a Dodge Viper. The Viper belonging to last year’s Britcar Champions Craig Wilkins & Aaron Scott who returned to take part after a season in the Blancpain Endurance Championship with their new Audi R8. Also joining them were the popular 2010 champions Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson along with John Gaw who were to eventually triumph after a close fought battle with the Viper.
Andy Jordan Partnered father Mike in the Honda Integra
However, it was to be the Bullrun team’s Lotus Evora of Richard Adams, David Green & Martin Byford who would take the overall Championship Title for 2012 after a consistent and successful campaign throughout the year.
The Bullrun Lotus took the overall Championship Title.
The good thing about night racing is that I get to play about with light trails and as the evening drew in I got my chance. Trying different angles and places to see what worked and what didn’t. From both trackside and spectator area’s I was quite pleased with what I managed to get. It had even taken my mind off how cold it had become although I was looking forward to a coffee back in the media room.
It was a good day at Donington and a good opportunity to catch up with friends before the winter break sets in and an evening out in Derby with friends topped it off. There is another chance to see some more into the night racing though this season as Britcar head to Brands Hatch on the 24th of November when it is the Production Cup who get the chance to sample the night racing. If you want something to do that weekend then you could do worse than wrap up warm and head to Brands Hatch to sample the racing.
Night racing provides an opportunity to capture light trails.
Images from the Production Cup can be seen here and Endurance race images can be seen here.
The four hour race report can be read on the Checkered Flag website here.
The Season’s Not Over Yet.
Having not shot a single race weekend in the whole of October and with a number of championships having finished for the season, I still haven’t finished for the year.
I know it is pretty much unheard of to have two weekends away from the track during the season so a whole month is unchartered territory. Various reasons have kept me away, including a well earned holiday comprising of just me, my bike and some awesome tracks in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. But I’m ready and rearing to go as there is one Championship that still has two races left and those two races are a little bit special. So if you are a motorsport fan I would recommend you check them out.
Britcar returns to Donington for the second time this season.
The MSA British Endurance Championship (Britcar) & the Production Cup head to Donington park this weekend. The first race of the Championship since the 24hr event at Silverstone sees the Endurance Championship compete in a four hour into the night race. It’s a unique race experience that many motorsport fans won’t have witnessed. It’s a bit like a mini 24hr race where you can experience the conditions of day and night racing but in four hours. It’s a definite charm to it and well worth going to check out.
The Into the Night race was a great Success at Brands Hatch last year.
As usual, the Production Cup will be there in support who will have their own into the night race later in November at Brands Hatch so there will be another chance to see the night time racing. With this weekend’s entry list boasting cars from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Mosler, Aston Martin, Audi and Marcos, it is sure to be an exciting event with some great racing. I’m really looking forward to it as last year’s into the night race was a great success.
On another note and following up from a previous blog post last week, my A3 calendars are now available to order from my website. The very limited edition calendars featuring images from the British GT, World Endurance Championship, GT Open & the Nurburgring 24 hour race is priced at £29.99 including postage & packaging. You can see the calendar and every months image as well as order your copy here: http://www.chrisgurtonphotography.com/2013_calendar.html
The 2013 Calendar now available.
Past-Your-Eyezed
We all know that recently Gordon Shedden was crowed the British Touring Car Champion much to the delight of many fans and most of us hope it will be the first of many for the likeable Scot. However, the guys at Ebay Motors have this week achieved something equally impressive.
A few months back I wrote about the Mechanics Challenge. A task in which Ebay Motors mechanics set about building a super fast milk float from items bought off the popular online auction site Ebay. With the help of Ed China, Motoring specialist and TV presenter famed for building items such as road legal Sofa’s, the task was on.
Past-Your-Eyezed – The Milk Float in Action
With the float complete, featuring parts that BTCC fans had voted on using such as a V8 engine from an old Ambulance and a Petrol tank fashioned from a Milk Churn it was time to set about breaking a record. The vehicle really did Moo-ve and With Tom Onslow-Cole at the wheel, a speed of 77.53mph was achieved at the Transport Research Laboratory setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest milk float on earth.
The new fastest Milkman in the world, Tom Onslow-Cole said: “The eBay Motors Mechanics Challenge has been an amazing journey and I’m delighted that we have broken the Guinness World Record for the fastest milk float. The team mechanics and Edd China put in a sterling effort to create a milk float that looks as slick as this and has the performance necessary to break the record.”
Hot Milk – Tom Aims for the Gold Top
Sidekick Ed added: “It’s been brilliant working with the amazing engineers at WSR on this project. With their support our humble milk float is now almost a fully-fledged racing car! I’d like to thank all the fans for their input on what eBay Motors parts and accessories we used to build the milk float during the Mechanics Challenge, they clearly know their stuff!”
Speaking about the project, Andrew Hooks, Head of eBay Motors, was quoted as saying: “It is fantastic that the eBay Motors Mechanics challenge has beaten the World Record for the fastest milk float and great to see the reaction from our customers, many of whom not only keenly followed the project, but also chose the winning parts. Tom Onslow-Cole did a fantastic job driving the record-breaking milk float and I’m sure people will enjoy watching the float being put through its paces in the stunt videos on our website.”
Milking it – Edd & Tom Celebrate setting a new world record.
To see videos of the Milk Float in action, find out more about the Mechanics Challenge and about the Ebay Motors Team Head over to their website here: http://www.ebaymotorsbtcc.co.uk/mechanics_challenge
2013 Calendar
Every year I create a Calendar for my Dad as his Christmas present. I think he likes them which is just as well as this year will be no different and he will be getting another one. An A3 poster Calendar with some of my photos I have taken during the season.
Last year I had two printed and gave one to a good friend of mine. I think he liked it too. I took to social media to help try and decide on the design of the calendar and some people asked if I was going to sell them. This wasn’t my intention but it did make me wonder if it was a possibility. I didn’t produce any more than the two I did and left it at that.
A sample of the 2012 Calendar I did for my Dad.
This year I have taken to twitter again with a first draft for the 2013 calendar and feedback seems to be quite good. A number of people have stated they would like one. However I know showing an Interest is a lot different to actually buying one. Thoughts have been going through my head as to whether it is viable to actually get some printed to put on general sale.
Although, this does bring with it a number of issues. Getting calendars printed isn’t cheap. Unless of you buy in bulk. I don’t want to buy in bulk as I don’t want to be left with a box full of Calendars that I can’t sell. Also, how many people who say they are interested in buying one, but then don’t when it comes to parting with their money? So I can’t really judge how many I would need to get printed. I know I am not going to sell hundreds, but I don’t want to order too few and miss potential customers.
The 2013 Calendar could well look like this.
This leads on to other issues. Obviously I want to make a profit from the Calendars. So pricing becomes difficult. I know I am more than likely going to have to order in very small quantities on a ‘per order’ basis. This means the production costs will be quite high and therefore sales price will probably be around the £30 mark. Are people really going to pay that much for a calendar? Yes it would be an A3 sized calendar with a big picture on each page but when you can pick up calendars in a shop for less than a tenner, am I likely going to sell one for three times that price?
Another Issue I have is making it appealing. My dad seems pleased with the calendars I have done in the past but would they appeal to other people? I want this Calendar to be of GT and Sportscars as I feel this has been the body of my best work this season. A selection of images from British GT, World Endurance Championship, GT Open, FIA GT1, the Nurburgring 24 hour and possibly one or two Classics too. So how do I pick which ones to use? I have found it quite hard in previous years and quite time consuming.
I personally feel that my GT & Sportscars images are my best work this year.
So this leaves me with some kind of solution. I am throwing it open to you. I need feedback, and responses, Idea that may be of use and even help picking the final images you’d like to see in the Calendar if you were to want one. So get in touch, spread the word, share this with your petrolhead friends and others who may be interested. I’d love to hear from you and maybe I can make this a real possibility. But be quick. Time is running out.
You can see albums of images I have taken over the year on my website gallery here or on the Chris Gurton Photography Facebook page here.
Thanks, Chris.
Pop Bang Coloured!
It’s been a while since my last blog so I do apologize to those, if there are any, who wait with baited breath for my latest ramblings. However, I have been away on Holiday. No internet, limited phone signal and with just my mountain bike for company, it was a very enjoyable break and the first proper holiday I’ve had for a couple of years.
This all did mean however, I missed the last round of the BTCC at Silverstone. Ok, it wasn’t the end of the world but it did mean I would miss one thing in particular that I would have very much liked to have seen. No, not any track action, but something else which involves a highly skilled individual at work.
Despite not being at Silverstone for the BTCC, this photo of mine would be.
The week before the event I was contacted by a good friend of mine, Ian Cook who wanted to use a photo of mine to paint. Some of you reading this will of course know of Ian or his alias ‘Pop Bang Colour’. For those of you who don’t. It is about time you were made aware of this talented individual.
Ian paints cars, bikes, motorsport and a variety of other images in his own unique way. His paint brushes are rather unconventional. He uses wheels. Toy wheels, radio controlled car wheels, even actual car, bike and truck wheels and everything in between to create his amazing artwork. Working with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Jessie J & Chris Evans with appearances of Sky TV’s F1 coverage and the One Show, Ian has certainly made a name for himself and is admired by many. So it was a great honour to have one of my images receive the Pop Bang Colour treatment.
Ian Cook using one of his unique paintbrushes.
The image in question was one of my Photos of Frank Wrathall in his Toyota Avensis at Donington Park. With Toyota UK part of the project you may be seeing a bit more of the finished paining in future too.
Painting the photo during the BTCC race weekend at Silverstone, Ian attracted many fans keen to see him at work. I was somewhat disappointed not to be able to have seen him create the fantastic painting. Thankfully with the help of a good friend, Chris Enion, photographer for Octane Photos I was able to get a bit of an insight into how the artwork came along. The finished product looks superb and judging from the comments I have seen on social media, a lot of others like it as well as myself.
The finished artwork looks superb.
It’s a nice feeling to have one of your photos used in such a way and I am glad Ian chose to use it. I am a big fan of his work and have a number of his prints at home. I now need to make some space for an Orange Toyota Avensis to go on my wall too. Hopefully this won’t be the only time he uses one of my photos.
For more information about Ian and his work and to see some more of his stunning paintings, check out his web site www.popbangcolour.com
The British GT Finale
Most of you will know about my love for GT & Endurance racing & in particular my love for the British GT Championship, which this year in particular has proved just how fantastic it is, so it was with mixed emotions as I headed to Donington Park for the final round of the season. Excitement, as the Title would be hotly contested between the seven, yes seven teams still in with a chance of taking the 2012 honours, and Sadness as the exhilarating season was now coming to an end. You just knew the season would end on a high and the weekend didn’t disappoint. Even the FIA GT1 boys rocked up to take part in the weekend’s event to add a little extra excitement to GT fans like myself.
There were some nice new angles for me to capture on the full Donington layout.
I like Donington Park as a circuit. Its undulating track provides many great photo opportunities and after a disappointing weekend behind the lens at Silverstone the previous weekend, I was determined to make amends and capture a good set of images. What’s more is that the racing was to take place on the full circuit at Donington and despite the numerous visits there I have never shot the full layout so I was hoping to get some new and interesting angles.
This sign pleased me greatly
Concentrating on just the two GT series over the weekend, I headed out for the GT1 Qualifying session at the start of the day. The noise was just awesome, how I had missed the unrestricted engine noise and the rumble of the Mercedes SLS in particular. Despite only being a 12 car line up, there was still a nice selection of cars on show from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini McLaren and Ford. Exploring the GP loop of the circuit during this session I tried to find a few different angles and I was enjoying this part of the circuit I had never shot before.
The first British GT practice session was used to get photos of the cars for a spotters guide that I was helping with along with the guys from l’endurance & Daily Sportscar much like the one we had produced for the Britcar 24hr. Thankfully the hour session enabled me enough time to get some side on shots of the cars and try and bag something a bit more creative at Redgate corner and further down towards the Craner Curves. The time passed pretty quickly and before long I was uploading the shots I had to my laptop back in the media room so the spotters guide could be completed. It looked pretty good even if I do say so myself and you can see it here.
The second British GT practice session took place before the lunch break so I headed out to the Melbourne Hairpin and the GP loop that I had been at to capture the GT1’s earlier to try and get the British GT cars in similar angles. I even managed to find a few new ones too. A quick break after that session and it was back out for the First of the weekend’s two GT1 races and I decided to shoot from the First corner and work down to the old hairpin by the end of the race. Thankfully the rain stayed away and the racing was good. I had got some photos in the bag that I was happy with.
The Ecurie Ecosse cuts a forlorn figure on the run down to the Melbourne hairpin.
The final session of the day was the qualifying for the British GT. I usually shoot this session from the pitlane as the cars come in and out frequently and this weekend was no different. However I was to regret this decision. Some friends came back into the media room after the session with photos of the cars with a glorious sunset backdrop. I knew the sun was setting, but didn’t realise just how good it looked behind the main pit buildings. Although I was happy with some of the photos I had got, I wished I had gone out trackside and caught the sunset.
Sunday kicked off with two warm up sessions for both the GT series. I shot these short sessions from the inside of Goddards Hairpin and the approach. Again, an area I hadn’t shot before so It was good to try it out. Even though it was mid morning, you could still capture brake discs glowing on the GT1 cars as they braked hard for the slow hairpin before the pit straight.
The second GT1 race took place that afternoon after the lunch break and I headed out to the far side of the circuit to cover the race from there. A big accident between the Ford GT and one of the BMW halted the race for about 40 minutes whilst repairs to the tyre wall was made and the cars were recovered. The race resumed and I shot from the Coppice and McLeans area of the track. However with about 20 minutes of the race to go, disaster struck. The two Championship contenders, the All-Inkl Mercedes of Marc Basseng and Markus Winklehock collided with the remaining Vita4one BMW of Michael Bartels and Yelmer Buurman on the exit of Regate. The latter impacted with the wall hard enough to dislodge the concrete and the session was red flagged whilst medical crews extracted Buurman from the mangled BMW. Thankfully he OK having been taken to hospital and kept in overnight. I then realised the concreted that had been wiped out was all that was separating the circuit and photographers trackside. It is an area that is popular with photographers and one where I have stood on many occasions. Thankfully no one was there at the time or there could have been a very serious outcome. It is times like this that you realise actually how close to danger you can be and you have to be aware at all times.
If you could bottle and sell a sound, I’d buy a bottle from these two! Heaven.
As I walked up to Redgate for the start of the final British GT race of the season, I could see the impact zone and the debris. The wall hadn’t been replaced properly and I knew I wouldn’t be standing there for the upcoming race. The pile of debris from the BMW scattered everywhere left a stark reminder of how dangerous motorsport can be, but thankfully the outcome was not as bad as it could well have been.
Putting all that to the back of my mind, it was time to concentrate on the big race. Seven cars in with a chance of Championship glory, five of which knowing all they need to do is win and the title is theirs. Add in the front two cars being non championship points scoring additions to the weekends grid which could put a spanner in the works of the overall outcome and the race was set to be a tasty encounter with the 26 car field represented by 14 different manufacturers.
From the off the gauntlet was laid down. Starting from 14th on the Grid, the Nissan GT-R, one of the 5 cars just needing the win to claim the Championship, with Alex Buncombe at the wheel was on blistering pace and within three laps had taken the lead and was pulling away. With the rest of the field battling away and the other championship contenders fighting to get near the front, Buncombe was stretching out a healthy lead. The other results were starting to look irrelevant as the Nissan was looking unstoppable and the win was all that was needed. At the pit stops Buncombe bought in the Nissan to hand over to Jann Mardenborough, last year’s Playstation GT Academy winner and hugely talented, with a lead of over 12 seconds. But disaster was to strike.
The Nissan had the title so cruelly taken away.
Just a couple of laps after the hand over, the left rear shock absorber on the Nissan broke. That was it. Game over for the Championship aspirations. It was gut wrenching stuff, and despite the RJN team fixing the issue and sending the rapid Welshman back out, they had lost far too much time and were a few laps down on the lead. With Nissan out of contention, this handed the current Championship lead to the MTech Ferrrari of Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron. All it needed was to hang on to current race position of fourth and they would clinch the Title by half a point.
But Allan Simonsen in the Rosso Verde Ferrari was to have a say in matters. A battle between the two ensued with Griffin clinging on to the vital place needed for the championship win and was only halted by the appearance of the safety car a couple of laps later bunching the field up. This meant that another title contender, the Ecurie Ecosse BMW, had closed in and was keen to snatch the honours away.
Allan Simonsen wasnt going to let Mat Griffin have an easy run in his chase for the championship.
After the safety car had come back in and the field had bunched up, the BMW was keen to make up places for the points needed for victory. An audacious move from Ollie Bryant in the Ecurie Ecosse car at Goddards saw him dive up the inside from a long way back to try and take the place from the MTech Ferrari. Sadly he came from just too far back and made contact with his rival sending Griffin into a spin causing him to haemorrhage places from the bunched up field and with it the championship hopes had faded. This now meant the BMW was on course for the title with not long left in the race. But the upper hand in the title race was to be a short lived for the Ecurie Ecosse team as a one minute stop go penalty was handed out to them as punishment for the contact with Griffin.
This now meant the fourth change of championship leader in the race and this time the Motorbase Porsche of Michael Caine and Daniele Perfetti was to be the grateful recipient. Despite being fourth place in the race, the top two places were occupied by the two non points scoring cars of Alvaro Parente and Zak Brown in their United Autosports McLaren and the Lamborghini of Peter Kox and Nico Pronk. Third place was the second United Autosports McLaren of Charles Bateman and Matt Bell and although they too were Championship contenders coming into the weekend, they needed others to drop points and with the Caine and Perfetti car behind in Fourth, the points deficit was too much to be overturned. So Michael Caine only needed to bring the car home safely and the Title was theirs.
Eventual ace winners Alvaro Parente & Zak Brown’s United Autosport’s McLaren hops the kerb at the chicane.
As the chequered Flag dropped, he had done it. Dave Bartrum and the rest of the Motorbase team were delighted. Probably not one of the favourites to win the title coming into the race despite being a real contender but it had showed just how close this season had been and it had all come down to the very last lap of the last race before the champions were crowned. Add to this the Motorbase Porsche had not won a race this season, the second year in a row that the eventual Champions had not won a race, you can see just how tight the championship battle had been throughout the season and that reliability and consistency are key.
2012 Bitish GT Champions. Michael Caine & Daniele Perfetti’s Motorbase Porsche.
So the British GT season has drawn to an end and what a season it has been. Truly Epic. There won’t be many championships this hotly contested and so close right down to the very last corner. With 15 different manufacturers having taken part and eight different winners from ten races, it is easy to see why this championship is a stand out event in the UK and Europe. Hopefully it will continue to go from strength to strength and be even bigger and better next season if that could be even possible. I for one cannot wait.
More Images from the British GT Practice and Qualifying Sessions can be seen here on the Chris Gurton Photography Facebook page and Race images can be seen here.
Mission Possible
The weekend just gone saw the Britcar 24 hour race take place at Silverstone. Sadly the entry list was down on previous years which is disappointing for the most High Profile 24 hour race in England. Make of that what you will. But the racing was still close with a variety of cars from each class capable of battling for class honours and even an overall podium spot.
As per usual, I was in full support of the plucky Honda Jazz from Synchro Motorsport and this year the support was turned up an extra notch in light of the sad passing of Dave Allan. The Jazz still bore Dave’s name as tribute to the driver who had raced many times for the team and this year was sporting a Matt Black livery. Normally a look of disgust crosses my face when I see a Honda Jazz as they are normally holding up a queue of traffic as the pensioner in the driving seat hesitates way too often whilst trying to negotiate a roundabout or takes several attempts to park in an empty Tesco car park. But this Honda Jazz is different. Possibly the only Jazz in the country that isn’t owned by a pensioner and features a number of optional extra that prove it means business. I can’t help but give a wry smile every time I see it.
Sadly, the Jazz was disqualified from the race overnight. Amazingly, for breaking the set sound level’s for the race too often. Yes, you read that right. The Jazz was just too loud in a race including a GT3 Aston Martin and a Mosler! I was gutted. The car had been running quite well until the sound issues and I so desperately wanted it to achieve a good finish just for Dave’s sake who was no doubt watching on somewhere.
This meant I had to put all my support on another car. A car that had attracted my attention a few weeks back during the Snetterton round of the Britcar Production Cup. A car with a bit of previous history with some drivers who were a little more novice but fully deserving of a huge amount of support.
A certain car was noticed at Snetterton
The Mission Motorsport team and their Nissan 370z were formed to bring together and aid the recovery, help rehabilitate wounded service personnel and aid the return to an active life. The driver line up consisted of; Major James Cameron, co-founder of Mission Motorsport who set about combining his love of motorsport and dedication in helping others who have been effected by experiences or injuries whilst serving their country, Trooper James Gillborn who lost a leg after standing on an IED in Afghanistan last year and can now add Racing Driver to his list of achievements during his rehabilitation period. Lance Corporal Martyn Copleston who was injured after the Armoured Vehicle he was driving hit an IED last year and Sergeant Gary Dunning who after a number of years service suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a huge motorcycle accident leaving him with massive injuries.
The Mission Motorsport Nissan 370z
This was a team everyone was proud to get behind and indeed they did including Paralympian Gold Medal rower Pamela Relph who was there in support. I was really hoping they would have a good race and they were always one of the car numbers the media room checked on in the bank of timing screens. With the RJN Motorsport team behind them, the guys were doing a grand job with the Nissan.
Having an attractive gold medalist in tow always helps boost a teams profile!
Sadly, during the early hours of the morning, Disaster Struck. With the Nissan heading round Copse Corner, it was confronted by a Marco Mantis that was broadside across the track after a spin. Heavy breaking and quick reactions just weren’t enough to avoid a collision and impact between the two was unavoidable. It was game over for the Marcos, but the Nissan and the Mission motorsport team had other ideas. These guys just don’t give up. It is not an option for them. With the car back in the garage with damage that cause most teams to pull the garage door down and call it a day, the team set about the task of getting the car back out there. With a lot of team work and a spare road going 370z in the paddock that was cannibalised the job was done and the team were back out to the delight of everyone.
The hours passed and the Nissan continued on even during the heavy rain over the last few hours that was catching out the more experienced drivers and as the Chequered flag dropped at 3.30pm the Mission Motorsport team had achieved an impressive 17th place overall. It was a warming sight and to top it off, James Gillborn won driver of the race, nominated by the Radio LeMans team. It was Mission Accomplished for Mission Motorsport. As I stood on the Pit wall as the podium presentations were taking place, the Nissan was being pushed back to its garage and I overheard Major Cameron provide the best quote of the weekend. He turned to the woman walking back to the garage with him and said “Now, we must talk about this 48 hour super endurance race in Spain”
The team held their nerve during the adverse weather conditions on the Sunday afternoon.
For More Information about Mission Motorsport, visit their website www.missionmotorsport.org where you can read more and even see onboard footage, including the moment of the ‘Incident’ at Copse.
For full race reports and news from the Britcar 24hr race visit www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk and for some more images from the weekend, check out my Facebook group here.
This weekend see’s the final round of the British GT Championship at Donington Park. With seven teams in with a shout of the title, it’s going to be a big one. Oh, and you know it’s quite a big deal when the FIA GT1 guys add themselves to the support list! I cant wait.
Missing Two Wheels & An Engine
Having spent the summer watching the incredible Olympians and Paralympians wow everyone with their achievements and putting most of us to shame, I decided I needed to get off my backside and participate in some kind of sporting activity. I guess this was the Olympic legacy that had been talked about.
So, it was time to get back into cycling. Well, Mountain biking to be precise. My old bike was getting on a bit and needed some work done to it. But rather than spending money on a bike that was over 10 years old, I thought I would treat myself to a 30th birthday present and buy a new one. Spending a while researching and looking for a new bike I eventually opted for a 2013 model, Specialized Rockhopper 29er. A lot of mountain bikes are now opting for 29 inch wheels over the standard 26 inches and although dubious at first of buying a 29er, after trying one, I was impressed.
My Olympic Legacy. A Specialized Rockhopper 29er.
With the new bike purchased it was time to set myself some targets. I needed to get a lot fitter, but ultimately I’d like to compete in some events. There is a winter race series in Thetford Forrest each year which I have attended before as a spectator. Four races, one a month from November to February with a choice of a four hour or two hour race and a leisure ride. Perhaps this was something I could take part in. Obviously I wasn’t going to jump in at the deep end so I was thinking about taking part in the leisure ride at the end of January and the two hour race in February.
The Thetford Winter Series.
This means I have a few months to get fitter and train for the target I’ve set myself. Having bought the bike at the beginning of this month I thought a target of 50 miles of riding a week for the first month and upping that each subsequent month would be a good start. At the moment there are still a few motorsport weekends I will be in attendance at so most of my cycling is done after work during the week. However, last weekend, I wasn’t trackside so took the opportunity to take my bike to Thetford to ride round the Forrest.
There aren’t many bridleways or tracks near my house, so it was a good opportunity to take the bike off road on the miles of Forrest tracks, fire roads and single track. With four different routes ranging in difficulty there was a lot of chance to put my bike through its paces. I spent the morning on the two easier routes, mostly tracks and fire roads. It was good fun and I clocked up 22 miles before I stopped for some lunch. After my break I decided to tackle the two harder routes mostly single track with berms, dips, jumps, pits, and more! The smile plastered across my face showed how much fun I was having. The only low point was being overtaken at speed by someone who was clearly more experienced than me and the realisation following that I had a lot to do to get up to standard for the winter series. But, in the mean time, I was just having great fun.
A few things I have remembered since getting back out on my bike though are a bit more concerning. I remember now how arrogant some car drivers can be towards cyclists. I don’t appreciate having my elbow hit by wing mirrors because the driver hasn’t given enough room when passing or just can’t wait to get by and squeeze between you and oncoming traffic. Also, a car driver wouldn’t overtake on a blind bend, so why do they think it appropriate to overtake a cyclist on a blind bend? Because, let’s face it, if a car did come the other way, all drivers are going to swerve left, into the cyclist and not right into the oncoming car. But I won’t get preachy on you. I love cars and I love driving, I just wish a few others would be more considerate. One thing we can all agree on though, is who died and left horse riders in charge of the roads? Many times I have ridden down lanes to be confronted by horse riders in the middle of the road, sometimes two or more abreast and been given the most filthy of looks!
It is safe to say though, I’m loving being out on my bike and the fact I’m getting valuable exercise without paying a fortune for gym membership. As I write this, I have had my new bike just over two weeks and I love it. Although I sometimes come home feeling knackered after a ride, I also come home feeling really good and that is a positive thing. As for my 50 mile a week target, well, after two weeks and a day, I’ve done over 160 miles. I’m even going to take the bike with me on holiday next month. There are plenty of tracks and Bridleways in the Yorkshire Dales and although I’m pretty sure the hills will kill me, I can’t wait.
The Dales might well be the death of me.
In the meantime, the fact that my bike is missing a pair of wheels and an engine doesn’t mean my blog will take a change in direction and I will stop talking about Motorsport. Far from it. There’s still lots of track action to be seen before the season is over and next up this weekend is the Britcar 24 hour race. A highlight of my year and I am looking forward to it. Maybe I will see some of you there.
Hero, Legend & Inspiration?
A couple of weeks ago, the British Touring Car Championship headed north of the border for its annual trip to Scotland and the Knockhill circuit. Again it was a weekend of high drama and yet again one man in particular was right in the centre of it all.
Plato: the centre of controversy at Knockhill
I initially decided not to write about this particular incident, which saw Aron Smith make contact with Jason Plato sending the latter off into the gravel and out of the race. Previous blogs expressing my opinions of Jason Plato and his attitude and behaviour have generally been met with agreement. However some fans of the outspoken racing driver, who’s lead has clearly been followed by those who support him and have decided to be very critical of my own opinions. Some been quite personal but many claiming I know nothing about what I am saying. Somewhat Ironic in many cases.
So you can imagine my delight in a saviour in an unexpected form. There were so many things I wanted to say about Jason Plato and his attitude, behaviour, driving and his somewhat scathing and hugely hypocritical comments live on TV. One man saved me the trouble of writing down my views, as he had already done so. This man? The Boss of Motorbase Performance Dave Bartrum. A BTCC race winning team and also a British GT winning team too. So this Man cannot be accused of not knowing what he is talking about.
Dave had written a blog about the weekend at Knockhill which included a large section about Jason Plato which went like this:
“The only sour note of the weekend was Jason Plato’s reaction to the incident with Aron. I realise he will see it his way and we will see it ours, that’s natural. I was disappointed in the penalty which TOCA gave us because we’ve been on the receiving end of nearly identical incidents with Aron & Rob Austin in round 1, TOCA verdict – Racing incident, Liam & Lea Wood at Croft, TOCA verdict – Racing incident. Someone does it to Plato, TOCA verdict – 3 points & a £500 fine. Is it because its Plato? Maybe, who knows? With that in mind when we heard that 888 & Plato had appealed we were surprised, turns out Jason wanted more! He even suggested that Aron had a job to do on him! What can you say to this? Paranoid maybe?
Aron Smith’s contact with Plato was no worse than that Plato has dished out himslef.
Jason is supposed to represent British Motorsport, in two roles even beyond his role in the BTCC with MG & 888. He is the face of the KX young driver programme mentoring young aspiring drivers & has a major role at the BRDC as a Director. Yet despite all of this he remains the most outspoken, shouting his mouth of to anyone who will listen about how badly everyone else drives! Sorry, am I missing something? Is this the same Jason Plato who rammed Matt Neal off in a fit of rage/revenge at Snetterton, the same Jason Plato who rammed Gordon Shedden of at the last corner of Donington after pushing him along the back straight whilst Gordon tried to brake, and the same Jason Plato who simply disposed of Dave Newsham disgracefully at the first race of the season? And that’s just this year. He has been one incident away from a 3 month ban for a little while due to his own indiscretions on track in the last 12 months. Pot and kettle spring to mind!
He suggested Aron doesn’t deserve a race licence. Quite frankly, he is the man who needs banning from the championship. Why TOCA didn’t give him points for his revenge mission at Snetterton on Matt Neal is anybodies guess! Probably because he has so many points already. MG & his sponsors should think twice before renewing his contract if he continues to behave like this. He makes damning statements that other teams and drivers are merely ‘playing at this’ and we’re just ‘pretenders’ unlike the paid professional drivers. At most, if this was the case there would be a 3 car grid, this is modern day Motorsport. I amongst other would love to have the budgets of yesteryear and be able to pick two fully paid drivers like Andy Neate & Jason Plato as 888 have been able to this year!
Pot & Kettle. Plato has been guilty on a number of occasions this year of putting people in the gravel.
How he keeps a job with the BRDC is beyond me. He is a Director in the most influential club in British Motorsport, he is in a role which people need to respect him and look upon his as someone who sets an example of how a race driver conducts himself both on and off the circuit. In my opinion he does neither! It’s a joke that they have someone with such low regard for fellow competitors and young drivers in such a position. It’s hypocritical. There is a new young driver programme which he is fronting. He then accuses Aron of being ‘a pretender’ because he pays for his drive. Will that be the same for all the drivers under his management who are paying for their drive? I doubt it, I’m sure he will change his mind then! Quite frankly no driver having been mentored by him would be welcome in a race car of mine.
All of that said I do respect his driving ability, he is clearly very talented. He also puts on a great show for the public, who seemingly love a bad boy. Maybe we’re just another part of his show this week. I just think if he kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself the world would be better for it. I can only assume, and half understand that Aron is on the receiving end of his passion from the reality that Jason’s Championship received a massive dent at the weekend due to him making a mistake of his own by drifting over into Aron, giving Aron very few options. Jason made the uncharacteristic error in which he lost out, something he doesn’t do very often. I think most drivers would have driven exactly how Aron did, and the others probably would have ended up in the gravel themselves!”
Not only do Motorbase have a three car BTCC team, but also two Porsche’s in the British GT. So Dave knows a thing or two about Motorsport.
This is worryingly almost exactly what I wanted to say on the matter and many will know I have been saying similar for a long time, but only this time, hopefully, I won’t get abuse from certain people so thanks Dave.
Now even the most hardcore Jason Plato fans must take on board some of these comments and surely see Dave has a very good point. I am however, not criticising people for wanting to be a fan of Mr Plato though. I have said it before and say it yet again. The guy has great driving ability there is no argument there. But is he really a role model to those who do support him? Especially the younger generation. Is the do as I say not as I do attitude setting a good example? Is the constant moaning and criticising of the rules and others inspirational for others? Lots of Plato fans say he is a hero and legend. But is this really the way a hero should conduct himself?
Is Plato’s ‘Revenge’ Attack on Matt Neal the actions of a hero?
Two words I have just used are thrown about far too much in describing sports stars and mostly unnecessarily. Hero and Legend. I’m going to stick my neck out on the line here and risk further abuse by saying Plato is neither of these. Good yes. But not hero or legend. Why? I’ll tell you why.
A Hero or Legend is not just someone who reaches the very top of their discipline, but someone who inspires others. Someone who sets a good example to others, overcomes adversity, conducts themselves well and shows a good, positive attitude and strives to achieve. But most of all, someone others can look up to. A role model who people want to emulate. After the Summer of Olympic and Paralympic games, it is clear there are many that put the MG BTCC racing driver in the shade.
Zanardi: A geniune Hero
For motorsport fans though, If you want a real Hero, Legend and Inspiration, look no further than Alessandro ‘Alex’ Zanardi. The Italian ex Formula one driver suffered a horrific crash in 2001 in the Champ car series and subsequently lost his legs. Whilst many of us, faced with this for the rest of our lives would wallow in self pity and hate the life that you now face. Alex didn’t. He continued do race for a few years after his legs were amputated, but he had his heart set on one goal. The Paralympics.
Without moaning, complaining or criticising, Alex set out to achieve this goal. Training hard in the face of adversity, all this hard work came to fruition last week. The road cycling took place at Brands Hatch, somewhat poignant in this incredible story and Alex Zanardi was there to represent Italy in the hand cycling with his unique three wheeled bicycle which was no doubt designed with the help of some of his friends within formula one. The British crowd were there in their thousands to cheer and support the participants with many motorsport fans there to support Zanardi.
All the hard work and determination came to fruition for the Italian which saw him take two Gold medals and a Silver. The delight within the motorsport fraternity was clear to see. This man’s incredible journey in the face of adversity had come good and he had reached the very peak. This man is a genuine Hero. A true Legend. And an Inspiration to all.
Dave Bartrum’s full blog can be read here.
