Britcar, Donington - Preview
Into The Dark Again

The Britcar GT and Production championships combine for a three-hour thrash in the darkness  late on Saturday afternoon, starting at 16.55, though, as at Snetterton in the summer, the Production race will officially end after 90 minutes. No doubt some of the more adventurous will sign-up for the full duration, though.

Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson, in the MJC Ferrari 430, have already sewn-up the Britcar GT Class 1 title, and, all things being equal, are just one race way from claiming the overall 2010 crown too. True, opposition in the class has been thin at times, but the whole squad proved a few weeks back, when they won the Britcar 24hrs at Silverstone, against a top international endurance team, that they have certainly earned their spurs this season.

Class 1 opposition comes from Tim Hood’s stunning TVR Sagaris, always fast, and now shaking-off the fragility of the early-season, and the invitation entry of Mike Millard’s Prosport; but the title challenge comes from the classes below. Neil Huggins and Raphael Fiorentino have proved a formidable partnership in the Topcats Racing 7-litre Marcos Mantis, and head Class 2, though only three points ahead of Spanish pro-am duo Javier Morcillo and Manuel Cintrano in the Neil Garner-run Class 3 Azteca Porsche 996.

These two cars are likely to bag their respective class titles at Donington; in Class 2, we’ll be missing the JMH Ferrari 430 of Aaron Scott and Arwyn Williams and the Steve Glynn/Sam Head TVR Sagaris, but gain, as invitees, two significant overall-lead contenders. The Jones siblings have proved in previous outings that, despite the relative inexperience, they can run at the sharp end in the Eurotech Porsche 997 and, buoyed by their recent success in the Britcar 24hrs, John Gaw and Phil Dryburgh will resume their stance as best friends/closest rivals to their erstwhile MJC team-mates in the Kinfaun Porsche 996.   

Class 3 features the 4.7 litre Topcats Mantis, with Owen O’Neil sharing with team boss Warren Gilbert, against the nimble Lotus Elise of Chris Headlam and 2010 British GT4 champion Jamie Stanley.  If the engine problems have been fixed, we should see the return, too, of the stunning BMW M3 GTR of Robert Day and Paul Phipps.

Adding to the mix, and looking to dice with the regulars, will be a pair of Invitation-entry Barwell Ginetta G50s, with team boss Mark Lemmer, and former BGT champion Ben de Zille Butler in the driving squad. Lemmer’s autumn forays into Britcar night racing using end with him taking home something for the trophy display unit, so don’t be surprised to see him at the front end of the class.

In Production, just one point separates the overall title chase, and both teams are chasing the Class 2 crown too. The ING Sport BMW 320i of Ian Lawson, and Mike or Anthony Wilds, is on 97 points, whilst 96 have been bagged by Richard Adams and David Green in the Bullrun Seat Cupra. Just two points adrift of them is the Racecar Spares Ford Escort Turbo of Dave and Jason or Michael Cox, the former found-in-a barn WRC machine now enjoying a certain legitimacy after attaining a class podium in the recent Britcar 24hrs.

With the same points tally, and leading the Class 1 contingent, is former single-seater ace Gino Ussi, in his Geoff Steel-run BMW M3, the more regular of the class contenders, as late starts, car changes, and enforced missed rounds have stymied the class opposition. Expect, then, to see the Kevin Clarke/Wayne Gibson BMW E46 to dispute the overall lead of the race with the similar Keith Gent/Steve Clark machine, with the Eurotech Ford Mustang of Steve Wood and BTCC star Mike Jordan in the mix too. Mick Mercer and son-in-law Gary Smith have had a mixed year in the In2Racing Ginetta G50, as have father and son pairing Peter and Mark Cunningham, in their Seat Supercopa, whilst arch-enthusiasts Owen Thomas and Ashley Woodman are getting to grips with their newly-acquired similar machine after a mid-season switch from their Renault Clio.

Just to prove that speed isn’t everything, the Brunswick BMW 130i, regularly piloted by veteran Martin Parsons and newcomer Dominic Malone, is stealthily climbing the points table, and now fifth overall.

Steve Wood