Britcar GT/Production, Rockingham - Race Report
Keith Will Rock You in GT, and it’s Wayne’s World in Production

From the early laps of the 150-minute joint GT/Production race on Saturday afternoon, the final result would have seemed unlikely, but in a slightly foreshortened event, The MJC Ferrari 430 of Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson led the big guns home – six wins on the bounce - whilst Kevin Clarke’s Intersport BMW E46, shared as usual with Wayne Gibson, took Production honours, and an amazing third overall amongst the GT runners, with both lead drivers heaping praise on their co-drivers as the star turns of the race.

Twenty-five cars rocked-up to the former Corby steelworks site, but only 24 would start the race. Jamie Stanley had pushed the little Orbital Sound Lotus Elise near to the top of the timing screen in the early stages of qualifying, but suffered a smoky demise as the engine threw a rod through the block after just four laps. A replacement grunter was located in a lock-up, which was sadly, actually locked-up for the weekend, and the team withdrew.

Aaron Scott had a point to make after some disappointing races in the JMH Class 2 Ferrari 430, and secured pole at 1.21:672,, nearly a second faster than Keith Robinson’s 1.22:519 in the Class 1 MJC machine, with both Keith and Witt being unhappy and uncomfortable with the car’s handling. The Topcats Marcos of Huggins/Fiorentino shared the second row with the Eurotech Porsche of the continually-impressive Jones brothers/cousin, the trio hoping that this would be the last race with an “X” on the back bumper of the car, whilst row three featured two familiar cars that had not been seen hitherto this season. With Steve Brady withdrawing his Ultima, Michael Millard decided to run his Britsports-winning Prosport, which was re-fettled in short order for the event, though a lack of suitable tyres available from Dunlop (no stock, and the next production run due in time for the Britcar 24hrs), meant that he and co-driver Ian Heward would be depending on a motley selection of scrubbed rubber. Paul White had just acquired the ex-Strakka BMW GTR, a former ALMS machine which was last seen in the UK at the 2008 Britcar 24hrs. Calum Lockie, as it transpired, would be driving the car alone, as Paul was suffering from a gastric condition.

The Production contingent was headed by the Intersport BMW E46, the Clarke/Gibson duo resorting back to the old-faithful title-winning car due to continuing ECU concerns in the newer E92 variant. Just 0.132 adrift, though, was the CBT/Eurotech Ford Mustang, despite Mike Jordan complaining about an errant gearbox. Title contender Gino Ussi was next up, the Geoff Steel BMW E46 sporting a revised livery, with  former BTCC racers Gary Robertshaw and Simon Blanckley alongside in a Seat Leon Sport.  Other notable invitation entries were returnees Lawrence Fagg and Martin Byford in the Honda Accord now run by Tornado Motorsport, and the Taylors Foundry Seat Supercopa, a brand new machine, in the hands of father and son duo Bernard and Marcus Hogarth, boosted by team boss Gerry Taylor.  Not where you would expect were the two other title contenders; the Lawson/Wilds BMW 320i lined up eighth, and the Cox family Escort Turbo twelfth.

There was much pre-race weather speculation, the popular theory being rain at 4pm, just over an hour into the race, and many strategies were being hatched upon this assumption.

It was dry and blustery, though, for the rolling start, and Aaron Scott converted pole to the lead as the field streamed round the banking into the melee of the Deene hairpin.

Huggins briefly held second in the Marcos, while Witt Gamski was somewhat crowded-out as the pack headed into the twisty bit. Capitalising on the free-for-all were Millard and Morcillo, and they trailed Scott in second and third places respectively as the first lap was marked, followed by Lockie, Huggins, Tim Hood’s Sagaris, and Morgan Jones. Languishing down in 21st place on lap two, though, was Wayne Gibson, after an off-track excursion; “He likes to give himself a challenge – so he went straight on when the track turned” laughed the Intersport team in unison after the race. The other Production front-row contender, the CBT/Eurotech Mustang had worse problems though, Steve Wood stopping out on the circuit after just one lap. “It was the gearbox” confirmed Mike Jordan later; “It was jumping out of gear during qualifying, but we had no time to fix it, and had to run with it”.

With Gino Ussi now leading the Production contingent , and Gibson already having cut through half of the field back up to  13th by the fifth lap, there was action at the front too, where Scott’s Ferrari led Millard’s Prosport by nearly six seconds, Morcillo and Lockie were disputing third, and the squabbling Huggins and  Hood, having taken Gamski , were then split up by relative newcomer Morgan Jones’ Porsche.

Steve Glynn brought the purple Sagaris in after just three laps – this was for major attention, and 15 laps were lost, though they did get back out, but retired shortly after the mid-point of the race.
  
Lockie shook off Morcillo, and took second place from Millard’s Prosport, which then began to slip into the advances of the Azteca Porsche. Gibson’s recovery continued – he was now in the GT pack, and challenging Owen O’Neill’s Topcats Marcos, but progress was thwarted by the intervention of the Safety Car. Class-leading Gino Ussi, having earlier felt a handling problem, had placed the brakeless BMW M3 in the barriers at the Tarzan hairpin. Once recovered, Geoff Steel and the hard-working team fixed the brakes and patched the car up to get it back out. It was a long job, and, though the results show them as unclassified, they did meet the 40% distance criteria to claim Britcar points. “It was the master cylinder” confirmed Gino later, adding ”I just had to get back out there and claim some points to keep the championship alive”.

With just 12 laps done, it was too early for pit stops under the safety car, which had picked-up Scott’s leading Ferrari after some judicious waving-through. Second-placed Lockie’s GTR was fourth in the queue, behind some Production cars.

Witt Gamski was eighth, at this point, and the Production field was led by Simon Blanckley’s Invitation-entry Seat, followed by the similar machine of Mark Cunningham, in a resurgent performance, though struggling with power steering failure. Class 2 of Production was led by David Green’s Bullrun Seat.

The field were released after four laps of caution, and while Scott blasted away at the front, experience told just a bit further back, where old hands Hood and Huggins got the jump on novice Morgan Jones as the field went green again.

There was just half an hour gone when Mark Cunningham made his first stop, which left new Production leader Blanckley fighting off a fired-up Wayne Gibson, and, as Owen Thomas pitted the BPM Seat, it didn’t look like a good time for the Class 1 contingent, with Tim Hood’s Sagaris in the garage, and Millard’s Prosport parked up on the oval track north of the Deene hairpin. The TVR would return to the race later, with Fred Tonge and Darren Dowling posting as the last classified finisher, but it was over for the Prosport; “It’s the engine block – rattling, so I stopped before it blew up. There’s only a 3-bearing crankshaft in these Ford 3-litre V6s – it should have five bearings really”.

Neil Huggins brought the Class 2 Mantis in, for Raphael Fiorentino to take over, with an hour and three quarters to go, and shortly afterwards Blanckley, who had been passed by and then re-passed Gibson, brought the Seat in too. It would be a long stop, and, once Gary Robertshaw took over, they were awarded a drive-through penalty for a fuelling infringement. The Bullrun Seat made its first stop around now too, and, significantly, Witt Gamski brought the MJC Ferrari in, with one hour and 33 minutes to go, and the first signs of drizzle appearing, which caught out Wayne Gibson, and, it appears, some others too. The two Topcats Marcos variants entered the pit lane together, Fiorentino’s #26 for more appropriate rubber, but O’Neill’s #36 car had suffered an off-track excursion, and there was a long stop for repairs before team boss Warren Gilbert, deputising for the injured Henry Fletcher, could take over. 

With a fine rain dampening the track, and just ten minutes away from the mid-point of the race, this would seem an appropriate time to make a mandatory pit-stop, a feeling then reinforced by the appearance of yellow flags and the SC boards. This was to recover the Piers Johnson/Piers (Ron) Johnson Ginetta G50, which had expired out on the circuit, with the opportunity also taken to bring Mike Millards’s Prosport back in too. The Ginetta did re-appear later, but wasn’t to finish the race.

Lockie, Morcillo, Lawson - three significant contenders who made their stops under the caution, with the Scot and the Spaniard rejoining their cars for a double stint; Lockie, of course, had no option. The Safety Car slowed to a crawl in an attempt to pick up the leader, Aaron Scott, but it was to no avail, as he brought the JMH Ferrari 430 into the pits before the task could be achieved; again, he rejoined for a double stint. Robinson brought the MJC Ferrari in again, for tyres, and after four laps of caution, the Safety Car returned to the pitlane.

This was lap 48, and the halfway point of the 150-minute race, so let’s check the standings; Aaron Scott in the lead, with a full lap over Morcillo, Lockie, Gibson  (leading Production, and still yet to stop), Gareth Jones (three laps adrift), Robinson, Mark Cunningham (back in the hunt despite the PAS failure), the amazing Dave Cox(leading P2, but still to stop), Gerry Taylor in the Hogarth Seat, and Fiorentino rounding out the top ten. Anthony Wilds held second in P2, mindful of an omnipresent threat from the Day/Phipps BMW, which was making ground after a dismal qualifying performance.

There was a bit of passing and re-passing for second place between Morcillo and Lockie - two consumate professionals locked in battle – but it was Robinson now setting the drying track alight, posting the race’s fastest lap at 1:22.927, and deposing the Jones’ Porsche for fifth place.

Another pit stop for Lockie – front tyres this time – and Gibson brought the Intersport E46 in at last, with little over an hour of the race to run. Atypically, Kevin Clarke attracted the attention of the stewards as he exited the pits for his closing stint, and was soon back in for a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane.  Javier Morcillo pitted a little later – 50 minutes to go - and this time Manuel Cintrano climbed aboard to finish the race. Robinson’s blistering pace, coupled with opponents’ pit stops, had by now brought him up to second position, though still two laps adrift of the JMH 430 which was now stationary in the pits, being fuelled for the final stint by Arwyn Williams. The JMH car still held the lead when it got going once again, but not for long, as Williams brought a three-wheeled  Ferrari to a halt on the grass on the inside of Turn 1, a wheel nut having failed; once again, Aaron Scott’s good work gone for nought.

Robinson now led the race – almost unthinkable an hour or so earlier – and the Jones’ Porsche was second on the road.

Another Safety Car period ensued, to recover the JMH Ferrari, and more pit stops, ostensibly to run now to the flag; Anthony Wilds, Gareth Jones (to cousin Philip), Martin Byford’s Honda, the Thomas/Woodman Seat, and Robinson, just making sure, and rejoining in the lead. There were exactly 30 minutes to run when the field were let loose again.

.....but not for long, as a sudden, heavy cloudburst saw Lockie, making the best of his tyres, wrest the lead from the MJC Ferrari, which was pitbound with such haste that Robinson overshot his pit box and had to be pushed back. Virtually all of the field followed suit, except Lockie, who must have been on inters. He toughed it out at the front, but his 22 second lead was about to be squandered by the intervention of the Safety Car once again; Philip Jones had overcooked it coming out of the pit lane, and the Eurotech Porsche was stranded broadside across the track at the exit of Turn 1.

With a lead of now just five seconds, Lockie had Arwyn Williams, who had rejoined in the JMH Ferrari, behind him on the road, followed closely by Robinson, but in front of this trio was a bunch of Production cars, rear-gunner of which was Martin Parsons in the Brunswick BMW 130i, probably the least powerful car in the race.

As the Safety Car departed the track at Brook, there were three eager GT cars, blocked by a gaggle of saloons going just about as fast as they dared. Poor Parsons, with his pedal to the metal, had a cautious Lockie to his left rear, anxious not to pass until they crossed the line, whilst Williams must have been hitting brake and gas pedals simultaneously as he thrust and parried to Lockie’s side. It was clean from everyone though, and Robinson seized back the lead at Yentwood.

The P2 standings were up-ended once again what should have been the final ten minutes – the Cox family Escort had aquaplaned in the pouring rain, hit the hard stuff, and broken a wishbone, whilst the Lawson/Wilds BMW pitted strategically- or so they thought.

The officials, however, had apparently seen enough, and the chequered flag was unfurled seven minutes and 38 seconds early.  

So, another race, another overall win for MJC – that’s six on the bounce now. “This is not my favourite track, it doesn’t suit our car, but this was really Keith’s race – he made it for us today” said a subdued Witt after the race, whilst Keith was recounting his battle with Lockie; “Fair play to Calum, he played it tough, but with no trouble”.  

Calum Lockie showed his usual total professionalism in a stunning solo drive in a car he’d never sat in before the weekend, bringing the Strata 21 BMW GTR home second, proving the former ALMS is a potential race-winner. Third overall, and heading the Production contingent, was the old-faithful BMW E46 of Kevin Clarke and Wayne Gibson; and Clarke, a Rockingham veteran who has long advocated the significance of a spotter to guide the driver through traffic, told of Gibson’s stunning recovery drive; “We rarely use the radio normally, but this time I talked him through every lap, kept things calm. Wayne’s performance made the race for us”.

Javier Morcillo and Manuel Cintrano made a welcome return to the top of the Class 3 GT podium, fourth overall, after a couple of unlucky recent outings in the NGR/Azteca Porsche 996.

Their nearest GT3 rivals, Owen O’Neill and Warren Gilbert were caught out by the changeable conditions in the Topcats Mantis, and came home 18th. Team-mates Neil Huggins and Raphael Fiorentino had a similarly torrid time in the GT2 Marcos, but salvaged the day with the class win, and fifth overall.

Upsetting the Production applecart were returnees Martin Byford and Lawrence Fagg in the Tornado Honda Accord, taking a non-points scoring P2 win, and it was good to see the Cunninghams back on the P1 podium, taking second in class despite struggling without power steering for most of the race in their Seat Supercopa. It could have been different though – the similar Taylors Foundry machine of Bernard and Marcus Hogarth, complemented by Gerry Taylor, was held at the pit exit for three laps in the Safety Car confusion, and, though finishing a lap adrift of the Cunningham’s car, Britcar boss James Tucker awarded them the “moral” joint second place.

The Production Class 2 points-scoring battle had been up and down all race, and though they missed out on the race class win, Ian Lawson and Anthony Wilds, in the Ing Sport BMW 320i, claimed the top points, though ruing that their strategy was compromised by the truncated length of the race.

Classified tenth was the Jones family Porsche, another fine run by the novices marred by the last-gasp incident in tricky conditions. Eurotech have provided a great car, and there is much more to come from these sons of famous fathers. Robert Day and Paul Phipps had reverted to their Production-spec BMW E36 (now run by the John Clonis/Gus Lambrou CTR/Alfatune outfit)due to engine concerns with their newer E46 GT machine, and, despite a disappointing qualifying session, the carefree pair plugged away to complete the P2 podium . 

Once at the head of P2, the Bullrun Seat of David Green and Richard Adams eventually finished fourth, ahead of Martin Parsons and Dominic Malone in the Brunswick BMW 120i, whilst Owen Thomas and Ashley Woodman propped up the P1 field, still getting to grips with their Seat Supercopa, after a Friday test session dialling-out handling issues which turned out to be a damaged wishbone.

Both overall championships are still in the balance, and will be decided in the autumn  darkness at Donington or Brands Hatch.

Steve Wood