Britcar Preview – A1GP Meeting, Brands Hatch, April 28-29

The Britcar Championship gets its chance to play on the world stage this weekend, with a pair of showcase races supporting the AIGP meeting on the glorious Brands Hatch GP circuit.

This will be the second round of the newly-designated championship, and the two 50-minute races (scheduled for the late morning on Saturday and Sunday), relative sprints in Britcar terms, could well produce a very different result from the damp and cold conditions at Silverstone’s season opener a month ago. There, Porsche regular Paul Hogarth, assisted by virtual novice Darren Knutton, held on to take overall victory in the IN2 Racing Porsche 997GT3. BTCC privateer Mike Jordan stormed through the field after taking over Gerry Harrison’s Porsche 996, and the Eurotech-run machine must be considered for victory at Brands Hatch, but, then again, if some of the major players have put right the mechanical maladies that plagued them at Silverstone, it could be an intense affair at the front of the field. The “Nobbies Nuts” pink Porsche of John Gaw and Jean-Marc Rotsaert had gear shift problems last time out, but Gaw’s enthusiastic style may produce results, as could the steadier, but no less productive potential of Peter Cooke and Franck Pelle in their 996 GT3RS.

The Britcar scoring system of seven rounds only means that late-entrants, and competitors whose allocation is already determined, won’t be collecting points at certain meetings, and in that situation this weekend are Richard Chamberlain and John Allen in the Chimptune Porsche 935 Replica. The car has been continually dogged by mechanical gremlins, fuel economy and tyre wear issues, but, lest we forget, Chamberlain trounced the opposition in hour-long Porsche Open races for several years, so, ironically, could the shorter format see them finish at the front at last?

Just in case you were thinking that the GT3 class was an all Porsche affair, there is variety on offer – Dave Longstaff and Jay Wheals in the ex-Taylors Foundry Marcos LM600 (another non-points scorer) impressed mightily at Silverstone before a rear diffuser problem put them out, and Phil Bennett is assisted by road-rallying mate Michael Vergers in Nigel Mustill’s Opel V8 Star. Whilst Adam Sharpe is plying his trade in Australia, the ASM Ford Falcon is in the capable hands of spannerman-turned-pilot George Haynes, and Britcar returnee Andy Ray. And, moving up to the top class after a brief sojourn in GT Cup, is the Topcats Marcos Mantis of Mick Mercer and Richard Fores.

FIA GT aspirants Michael and Sean McInerney head the GT Cup list, in their ex-Foudroyant Porsche 996, now entrusted to Chad Motorsport, and there is a similar machine in the hands of burly midlander Pete Morris and ebullient Brummie Craig Wilkins. The pair has been clocking up the miles in the Porsche Open during April, and relative novice Wilkins posted a class win last weekend at Snetterton.

“We’ll back at Brands Hatch, and you’ll know it,” was Aaron Scott’s threat after Nero Motorsport’s hellish weekend at Silverstone last month, and the two black Ferrari 360s, in the hands of Scott himself with David Back, and David Foster / Andy Ruhan, will be looking to make amends. Witt Gamski has replaced his Ferrari 355 with a 360 (below), and the lanky Gamski has at last found a suitable partner of similar height in ex-England cricketer David Smith, and will be looking to repeat his Maranello Challenge winning ways. "I have support from GFX Capital Markets, a leading currency market company based in the City," says David Smith. "I will be competing in all of the races with Wii, and my thanks go to Terry Freeman of GFX for the support. I will also be racing with Brunswick Motorsport at the Nurburgring 24 Hours."

The Marcos marque lives on in Britcar, with no less than four further examples in the Cup class; Jon Harrison / Richard Gomes in the Topcats car, the ever-improving Jemco pairing of fun-loving businessmen Kevin Hancock and Leigh Smart (who, according to a recent newspaper survey, run one of the best companies to work for in the country), and, on a non-scoring basis, Scottish garagiste Colin Simpson paired with the peripatetic Jeff Wyatt, and the ISL machine of Alun Edwards / Jerry Hampshire.

Last year at Brands Hatch, we were treated to a ProductionS1 skirmish between the BMW M3s of father and son duo Peter and Matt Seldon, and Michael Symons / Andre D’Cruze, which proved to be one of the highlights of the season. The age differentials of the drivers within each car is much the same, and the talent between all four is equal too – sensible, clean, hard-chargers, so let’s hope the battle resumes, now as Britcar Class 1, this weekend. Anna Walewska will be looking to raise her profile in front of the international circus, and she’ll be sharing the other Geoff Steel M3 with the ubiquitous Pete James. The Metcalf Motorsport BMW E30s will be out in force again, heart specialist Nigel Stephens now paired with Chris Wilson, whilst “landlord” Mark Smith is joined by Scott Reading.

Ex-F1, Le Mans, and just about everything else veteran Mike Wilds shares the smart HWR Motorsport BMW 320i with Ian Lawson in Class 2, but they will have to contend with the improving form of the two Seat Cupras in the class, which performed so well at Silverstone, so the Forge Motorsport car of Mark and Peter Cunningham will be vying for honours with the MGA Motorsport machine of Mark Clynes and Nick Beaumont.

Looking, too, for a return to form, will be Gary Smith and Stuart Plotnek in their MG ZR, and novelty is added by the pretty Mazda RX7 of Giles Groombridge and David Ashford.

Qualifying is at 09.00 on Saturday, with Saturday’s race at 12.15, and Sunday’s scheduled for 11.40.
Steve Wood

This was the Britcar scene last November at Brands Hatch: hope for similar sunshine, and add the A1GP crowd in the background.

Entry List
CLASS GT3
5 Peter Cook / Frank Pelle Driver Porsche 996 GT3 RS
6 Paul Hogarth / Darren Knutton In 2 Racing Porsche 997 GT3
7 John Gaw / Jean-Marc Rotsaert Kinfaun Racing Porsche 996 RS
8 Mike Donovan / Peter Richings In 2 Racing Porsche 997 GT3
9 Gerry Harrison / Mike Jordan Eurotech Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 RSR
11 Richard Sykes / Stuart Turvey BS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 RS
15 Richard Chamberlain / John Allen - NO POINTS Chimp Tune Racing Porsche 935 Replica
17 Dave Longstaff / Jay Wheals - NO POINTS DJR Motorsport Marcus LM600
19 Phil Bennett / Michael Vergers Ross & Bonnyman Opel Omega V8 Star
20 George Haynes / Andy Ray Adam Sharpe Motorsport Ford Falcon
26 Mick Mercer / Richard Fores Topcat Racing Marcos Mantis

CLASS GT CUP
21 Michael McInerney / Sean McInerney Chad Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3
22 Witt Gamski / David Smith MJC Ltd Ferrari 360
24 Jon Harrison / Richard Gomes Topcat Racing Marcos Mantis
27 Kevin Hancock / Leigh Smart Jemco Racing Marcos Mantis
29 Colin Simpson / Jeff Wyatt - NO POINTS Driver Marcos Mantis
31 Craig Wilkins / Peter Morris ABG Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
33 Kevin Clarke / Ian Donaldon - NO POINTS Torquespeed BMW GTR
34 David Back / Aaron Scott ATS Motorsport Ferrari 360
36 David Foster / Andy Ruhan ATS Motorsport Ferrari 360
39 Alun Edwards / Jerry Hampshire - NO POINTS ISL Motorsport Marcos Mantis

CLASS ONE
3 Peter Seldon / Matt Seldon Serverware Group Plc BMW E36 M3
32 Dave Shelton / Steve Kane Kockney Koi BMW Z3
41 Anna Walewska / Pete James Geoff Steel Racing BMW M3 E36
45 Michael Symons / Andre D'Cruze Geoff Steel Racing BMW M3 E36
52 Nigel Stephens / Chris Wilson Driver BMW M3 E30
56 Steve Bell / Simon Leith Team Stingray / Geoff Steel Racing BMW M3 E36
62 Mark Smith / Scott Reading Metcalf Motorsport BMW M3 E30
67 Bob Stockley / Rupert Laslett Team Rapid Chariots Lotus Exige 240 R

CLASS TWO
55 Ian Lawson / Mike Wilds HWR Motorsport BMW 320i E46
68 Ian Bankhurst / Anthony Gaston Drivers Honda Integra
69 Mark Clynes / Nick Beaumont MGA Motorsport Seat Cupra
70 Tony Skelton Driver Renault Clio
72 John Ballentyne / Tom Ballentyne Team BBG Racing Porsche 944
76 Mark Cunningham / Peter Cunningham Forge Motorsport Seat Leon Cupra R
77 Paul Collis / Stuart Ziemelis PS2610 Honda Civic Type R
82 Giles Groombridge / Dave Ashford Brunswick Automotive Mazda RX7
84 Gary Coulson / Hubert Hinklehoffer Moore Racing Honda Civic Type R
86 David Phillips / James Olden Robertshaw Racing Ltd Renault Clio Cup
87 Alan Taylor / Keith Issatt Robertshaw Racing Ltd Renault Clio Cup
88 Alex Frick / Terry Flatt MGA Motorsport Honda Civic Type R
90 Gary Smith / Stuart Plotnek Mickel Racing MG ZR
96 Rick Kraemer Driver Ford Focus