AWARDS and CLASS STRUCTURES

The whole ethos of the Historic Inter-Marque is to try and develop the Team principle - Mark Campbell.

Right from the start of FISCAR, back in 2011, the culture was to develop a team spirit and camaraderie by putting the cars into marque teams; hence Historic Inter-Marque. Whilst we have to recognise the competitive spirit of those who go motor racing even in cars over 50 years old, the intention is always to create and maintain an old style friendly club atmosphere. That remains central to FISCAR's philosophy and purpose for running our races. It makes us identifiably different to other clubs as well as providing a home for racing sports and GT cars from the 1950s which have not been too dramatically altered from the way they came off the production lines.  We have also extended our regs to include period specials and the smaller sports racers of the period provided that they have original equipment and fit on our grids in performance terms. This meant integrating our FLIERS class cars into the series and whilst there are not too many of them, this has been successful and undoubtedly enhanced our grids.

Marque Teams Awards

Initially, only cars from the same marque could form a team, but recently this was diluted to allow singleton entries of cars to be brought together to form a mixed team. However, on reflection, it was decided that this was counter to the Inter-Marque approach, and thus, this year (2016), we have reverted to the original concept. With the exception of a FLIERS team if enough such cars are entered, only cars from the same marque can form a team, and up to 5 cars in any one team. If 6 or more cars from the same marque are entered in the same race, two teams will be formed. Team positions are arrived at by an individual handicapping system based on past results calculated by Mark Campbell. Thus a team with the first 3 cars home may not necessarily win the team award.  The team that achieves the best results over a season is awarded the Inter-Marque Trophy

Awards - Up to 3 full teams entered - Winning team only

              4 -5 full teams entered - 1st & 2nd

              6 or over full teams entered - 1st, 2nd, 3rd  

Index of Performance Awards leading to the Annually Awarded

Whitehead Cup

An innovation this year (2016), is the introduction of an individual handicap system based on an indices of performance from previous races, calculated by Mark Campbell,  thereby ensuring that members have the opportunity of winning their own awards as well as giving those who cannot win their class (see below) something to aim at as well. The handicapping of the individuals is that which is applied to the combined team results.

Awards - 1st, 2nd, 3rd

The individual scoring the best total overall during the course of the year is awarded the annual Whitehead Cup, so named after the Whitehead Brothers (actually half Brothers) who regularly campaigned as privateers in the 1950s very often in Aston Martins

Class Structure

During the course of the last couple of seasons there has been some discussion over the introduction of classes, but in addition to, not instead of, Team awards. Last year we therefore introduced classes for the first time based not so much on cubic capacity but more on the performance of the quickest car/driver combinations from each marque. The Lotus Elite, Colin Chapman's late 1950s masterpiece, has been the most consistent winner of our races, its ascendancy only occasionally challenged by one or two of the quicker Austin Healeys, or Andy Sharp's Aston Martin DB2. The Elite is thus the benchmark car and forms Class 1 on its own unless an Allard J2 or one of the quicker sports racers joins the grid.*

* Note that since the above was written,  the quicker Austin Healeys have tended to be the frontrunners of our Inter-Marque cars, so I'm promoting them to Class 1, along with Steve Boultbee-Brooks Aston Martin DB3S. Of course, the track can be an influencing factor here but over the season it balances out.  It will also give other cars remaining in Class 2, a better opportunity of winning awards (JT -  May 2017) 

**A few further amendments have been made for 2019 season. I have added the Austin Healey 100/6, a car introduced well before the cut off date, and provided it complies with our regs, it should be no quicker than our quickest 100/4 models. I have promoted the MGA Twin Cam to Class 3, since on a level playing field it should be quicker than the standard MGA.  I’ve also added the early TVR Grantura, fitted with FWA or MGA engine. It’s previous omission was an oversight on my part.

***To acknowledge the substantial improvement in performance of Paul Griffin in his Connaught ALSR, I have promoted the pairing to Class 3. In response to regular but amicable approaches by Alex Quattlebaum and the fact that the LECo2 is only an XPAG special, albeit a quick one, I have demoted them to Class 3. These two cars are clearly the quickest of the Class 1 FLIERS.  (JT - Jan 2019)

****Minor amendments made to Jaguar details and have added original spec only C-type to Class 1 (JT - Feb 2021)

*****Following the presence of two MGA Twin Cams, fitted with the 1760cc ‘Nurburgring’ engine, in this year’s Tom Cole Trophy race, and the fact that they fitted in perfectly well and offered no huge increase in performance, I have now formally added them to the list of class 3 cars alongside their 1588cc siblings. Whilst adhering to our basic principles FISCAR also tries to be as inclusive as possible. If someone with a Sabra/Reliant Sabre 4 (but NOT a Sabre 6) wanted to run with us, I would look kindly upon it, since although introduced in 1961, it’s design and engineering is firmly rooted in the 1950s, fitted with the old Ford 1703cc Consul engine with Alexander head and twin SUs. (JT - May 2021)

****** The recent performances of Paul De Havilland in his Jaguar XK 150S (3.8 litre) mean that this car and any to the same spec have been lifted into Class 1 (JT - August 2021). Marc Gordon’s performance in his 3.8 XK150 at Castle Combe in October 2021 merely reinforced that decision (JT - November 2022)

Awards

Up to 4 cars in class - Winner only

5 - 6 cars in class - 1st & 2nd

7 or more in class - 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Below is the class structure as it currently stands. It is not cast in stone and it will be reviewed at the end of each year.

Note that this is NOT necessarily the class structure which applies to the Tom Cole Trophy race, which may carry a more conventional structure based on engine size and drum or disc brakes, according to circumstances/entry levels: -

FISCAR CLASS STRUCTURE (Last Amended 08/2020)

Class 1

Allard J2 (all versions except original Ford Flathead 3.6/3.9 & Mercury 4.4, & Palm Beach, see below). However, these may be promoted to Chairmans Class at Chairman’s discretion! - see bottom of page)

AH 100/4/100M/100S

AH 100/6

Lister ‘Flatiron’ Bristol (Stephen Bond)

Lotus Elite

Aston Martin DB3S customer cars ( eg - Steve Boultbee-Brooks)

Jaguar C -Type ( 3.4 litre, SU carbs and drum brakes only - ie original spec)

Jaguar XK150 (3.8 litre)

Class 2

AC Ace/Aceca (including Nigel Winchester’s special South American bodied Ace Bristol)

Allard K3 (Mark Butterworth)

Allard J2 (up to 4.4 Mercury)

Allard Palm Beach (2.6/3.4)

Aston Martin DB3

Aston Martin DB2 & 2/4 & MKIII with discs and/or Webers

Daimler SP250

Ferrari 500TRC (David Cottingham)

Frazer Nash (all postwar models) 

Jaguar XK 150 (3.4 litre)

Jaguar XK120/140 3.4litre only with discs and/or Webers

Porsche 356/Speedster

Elva Courier (up to 1622cc)

Fairthorpe Electron (Climax)

Turner Climax

TVR Grantura (Climax FWA or MGA engine)

Gomm Jaguar (Charles Fripp)

Alfa Romeo Disco Volante (Chris Mann)

Daimler SP 250 Special (Sean Mooney)

Class 3

All Alfa Romeos (apart from DV above, and less than 1300cc - see class 4 below)

Allard J2 (Ford 3.6/3.9 Flathead)

Aston Martin DB2 & 2/4 & MkIII fitted with drums and/or SUs

Jaguar XK 120/140 fitted with drums and SUs

TR2/3/3A (including Andrew Cox’s ‘Falcon’ bodied example)

Lancia Aurelia

MGA Twin Cam (1588/1760)

Morgan Plus 4 (TR engine)

Healey Silverstone

Connaught ALSR (Paul Griffin)

LECo 2 (Alex Quattlebaum)

All Class 2 FISCAR FLIERS (of which Brian Arculus’s Lotus MkIX FWA is an example) 

Class 4

Alfa Romeo models under 1300cc (but sibject to review of individual models owing to substantial differences in performance)

AH Frogeye Sprite (up to 998cc)

Jowett Jupiter

MGA (1500/1600/1622)

Morgan +4 Flat Rad (Standard 2088cc engine)

Sunbeam Alpine (including Harrington up to 1600cc)

All Class 1 FISCAR  FLIERS  except Connaught ALSR & LECo 2 (see Class 3)

Chairmans Invitation Class

Any 1950 sports car not deemed to fit in the classes above for whatever reason, but which do fit our grid. No class awards but can compete for scratch race podium positions and participate in IoP. The Kellison, and since BDC 2020, the Llewellyn Allard J2 are in this category.  

Since writing the above, I’ve added the Tollett MGA Sebring Coupe to the invitation class, since this is now fitted with an MGB engine. However, I will review this in future with the possibility of adding it to the MGA Twin Cams in Class 3. (JT - 09/10/2021) - this car has now been sold so now excluded (JT - 06/11/2022)