Britcar MSA BEC, Donington Park – Quick Report

LNT Conquers The Elements

In a race shortened by around 20 minutes, and blighted by short, sharp showers and safety cars, the invitation-entry Team LNT Ginetta G55 of Mike Simpson and marque boss Lawrence Tomlinson took the win; the works “development” car finishing half a lap ahead of the similar Optimum “production” version of Lee Mowle and George Murrells.

As at Silverstone, the lead early on was disputed and shared by Andy Schulz’s Ferrari 430, Mike Millard’s Rapier SR2, and Javier Morcillo in the Azteca/Strata21 Mosler, but a familiar pattern emerged as the Ferrari hit trouble at its first pit stop (splitter damage) and the Rapier failed due to the recurring mystery electrical glitch. The Mosler eventually finished third, with Manuel Cintrano and Paul White tiptoeing around on full wets, the only tyres to give a semblance of grip in the damp and cold conditions.

Class two fell to the “orange” Topcats Marcos Mantis of Neil Huggins and Owen O’Neill, which had disputed the class lead throughout the race with the Motionsport Ferrari 458 of Simon Phillips and Peter Storey, but the Ferrari lost out during its last pit stop, delayed by an air jack problem.  Tom and James Webb, in the GTS BMW GTR, had led Class 3 from the start, but a stop/go penalty awarded towards the end of the race cost them class honours, which went once again to the Bullrun Lotus Evora after a solid drive by the Green/Byford/Adams trio.

With Jeff Mileham recuperating from an operation, his seat in the Lotus Elise he shares with Steve Guglielmi was entrusted to Michael Caine, and this star turn lived up to expectations, sealing the Class 4 honours, and taking an amazing fifth  in the overall results.

Full report to follow.

Steve Wood