Snetterton (2022)

Preamble

We always start our race season with the VSCC Spring Start meeting, but for reasons that I won’t bore you with in this account, the VSCC were unable to agree with BRDC a suitable date. The meeting would normally have been on this weekend, and on mentioning this to John Pearson, he invited FISCAR to have its own race at the Equipe Classic Race meeting at Snetterton on 18th April. Since John and Rob Cull also offered to underwrite the race, so that there was no potential financial penalty to us, I accepted gratefully, but did point out that Snetterton for reasons that I have never really understood seems an underwhelming prospect to a lot of racing drivers. I also offered to accept any Equipe 50s cars onto our grid (including those cars that did not comply with our regs by creating additional classes), in the hope that between us we could muster 15 - 20 cars. However a late influx of entries led Equipe to create a second race that would allow their 50s cars and it would be fair to say that a third race (ours!) would be a step too far for most drivers, in one day, and in the end only Jonathan Abecassis attempted all three.

Ultimately, we also benefitted from a late influx of entries. For many, many weeks, we had but 3 entries and it did seem likely that, embarrassingly, what few cars we had would be absorbed into one of the Equipe races. Fortunately, ultimately we had 11 entries in the end, just enough although even then matters transpired to reduce the final number of starters to 8. I would like to mention two other members who would have entered - Alex Quattlebaum very sadly had to attend a wake in the US, otherwise I’m sure that the LECo would have been there, and Simon Evans with his Allard. On the run up to the event Simon had finally got the engine to run reasonably well, only to find that the gearbox was playing up by dropping out of top gear. This resolved, the car then displayed wayward front end behaviour and discretion became the better part of valour and the unequal struggle to get the car fully sorted in time was lost. Let’s hope that Simon wins that battle soon!

We lost Tristan Bradfield’s Sunbeam Alpine Le Mans Coupe to one of the Equipe races because he needed to be away from the circuit well before our race started and the clutch failed on Harry Naergar’s Jowett Jupiter whilst practising for one of the Equipe races, so Harry and Tom Leopold had, sadly, to trailer the car back home. We were now down to just 9 cars.

I should mention 3 of the cars as they might be new to some members/ readers. Since I had agreed that we would allow cars from the Equiipe 50s including those that did not comply with FISCAR regs, I thought this would present Shaun Bromley, who usually races his MGA with us, with a rare opportunity to race his lovely Elva Mk4. The Elva is a 1959 car which was supplied to America with the Coventry Climax FWA, which would make it a FISCAR compliant car. However, after suffering mechanical damage, the FWA was replaced in 1961 by a pre crossflow Ford 1500 and has had it ever since, so this change is truly historic. Shaun tells me that he has been acquiring parts to revert the car to its original FWA specification which would make it a compliant car within our FLIERS class. Brian Arculus brought along his very pretty Lotus MkIX, and may well bring it to most of our races this year as he wishes to race the Elite in another series. The MkIX makes a great additional shape to our grids and is a FISCAR compliant car fitted with the FWA engine. Finally, Peter Swete’s Triumph TR3 which Peter raced with us many years ago has returned to us, a very welcome addition to our grids. Peter has delegated racing duties to Ben Norfolk in order to free up time to take the mick out of me! Seriously, though, Ben appears to be a quick and competent driver and we look forward to seeing car, owner and driver at our other meetings this season.

Qualifying

Qualifying for our race started at 11.30 but there was no sign of Christopher Mann’s Al;fa Romeo on track. It was still sitting on its trailer in the paddock. Why? Well, Chris who often drives this car to meetings , had left its keys at home in the pocket of a different pair of trousers! Whilst qualifying took place, Chris was already on the way back home to recover them and was not seen again until the middle of the afternoon!

Out on the track, Brian Arculus was setting some good times belying the Class 3 status of the MkIX, and ahead of Shaun’s Elva. However once Jonathan Abecassis got into his stride, he simply blitzed the circuit to put the left hooker Austin Healey 100/4 on pole in a very quick time of 2.26. 183, nearly 7 seconds ahead of Brian who was second on 2.32.905. Shaun Bromley seemed to be playing the Elva in gently and learning the infield part of the circuit and qualified 3rd in 2.37.039, but would surely be quicker in the race. Brian certainly expected to see the rear end of the Elva in the race rather than in his rearview mirror. As it happened both scenarios played out! Ben Norfolk qualified a fine 4th in the TR3 on a 2.39.328 but only just pipped Martin Stowe in the MGA coupe on a 2.39.508. John Waterson was 6th, in a time of 2.45.909, in his lotus Elite and Alan House 7th in the Morgan +4 on 2.51.033 with fellow Morgan driver, Reuben Jacob on a time of 2.52.250.

We were hoping that Chris Mann would get to start, if he got back in time, and he did so, completing the requisite practice laps behind the course car. It looked however, based on the lap times as if Jonathan would win this race going away but he had yet to negotiate two 30 minute Equipe races which would surely take its toll on both car and driver, and we also did not know how much more time Shaun would find in the Elva. The departure of the Harry Naergar/Tom Leopold Jowett Jupiter meant that we had no two driver cars in the race, so Brian nudged me a reminder to seek Clerk of the Course’s decision on whether we could dispense with the pit stops which was readily agreed to.

Race

The days proceedings had gone ahead with some efficiency and our race, the final of the day, actually started 15 minutes early at 5.15pm. Poleman, Jonathan Abecassis, however was absent from the grid. He’d just completed the second of his races with Equipe but whilst both he and the Austin Healey had performed admirably, stationed out at Murray’s, I had detected a whisp of blue smoke from the exhaust as he crossed the line and subsequently a pinhole leak in the cooling system was also detected by a marshal. The car was sensibly withdrawn although it reduced our grid to just 8 cars. On qualifying times this put Brian’s Lotus IX on pole but I don’t think he was under any illusions that the 4 second qualifying gap to Shaun’s Elva was a realistic representation of what was to come in the race. It would also be interesting to see how Chris Mann would perform, starting the Alfa Romeo DV from the back.

The lap charts will show that on every occasion in the early laps, Shaun Bromley led across the line but this does not convey tne true picture for on at least 2 occasions Brian Arculus had snatched the lead round the back of the circuit only to be outdragged to the line, and it was a real joy to see these two little sports racers circulating together. They easily had the pace of the field and were already almost 8 seconds ahead of Ben Norfolk in the TR3 at the end of the first lap. Chris Mann had made short work of coming through this small field and was 1.5 seconds behind Ben but clearly homing in on the back of the Triumph. Behind, John Waterson’s Elite had a slender half second lead over Martin Stowe’s MGA and the Morgan s of Alan House and Reuben Jacob were separated by a couple of hundredths of a second.

During the course of lap 2, Brian Arculus had caught and passed Shaun Bromley for the lead although it was to be shortlived as they crossed the line a tenth of a second apart with the Elva once more ahead. Chris Mann had displaced Ben Norfolk to take 3rd but the way the TR3 tucked in behind the Alfa suggested that this battle was not yet over. Behind, Martin Stowe had wound the MGA up to take 5th from John Waterson’s Elite and Alan House had pulled out several seconds over Reuben Jacob. On lap 3, Brian had again snatched the lead but was once more headed across the line by Shaun, to the tune of just 0.87 seconds. Chris Mann had the Alfa in 3rd but fully 16 seconds behind the flying pair, so barring mishap this was as far forward as he would get. In any event, he was keeping a wary eye on the TR3 of Ben Norfolk who showed no sign of giving up. Martin Stowe’s MGA and John Waterson’s Lotus Elite were now pretty isolated in 5th and 6th respectively whilst Alan House was still drawing away from Reuben Jacobs.

On lap 4, Shaun started to ease away as he settled in and the gap to Brian’s Lotus had grown to 1.9 seconds at the end of it although Brian pretty much matched the speed of the Elva on lap 5 so that the gap barely grew further. Both cars were now down into the 2.33s. Chris Mann still held down 3rd, the Alfa sounding magnificent as it blasted down Senna Straight, but he had Ben Norfolk in the TR3 for company. Ben did not look as though he was going to go away any time soon. By the end of lap 5, Martin Stowe was 11 seconds behind the battling duo and the MGA seemed unlikely to make any further headway. John Waterson was circulating consistently on his own in the Elite whilst Alan House started to lose time to the pursuing Reuben Jacob. On lap 4 Reuben had gone quicker than Alan for the first time , and quicker still on lap 5 whilst Alan had dropped his pace so that by the end of that lap an almost 10 second gap had shrunk to less than 5 with the prospect of an all Morgan battle in the offing.

At the end of lap 6, Shaun had the gap to Brian up to 4.5 seconds, having improved his lap time in the Elva to 2.31.502. It was to be his best lap and fully 5.5 seconds quicker than his qualifying time. At the same time Brian’s lap times started to drop off and by the end of lap 7, we could hear that the Lotus had lost its edge and the gap had grown to over 10 seconds. In the same period, the TR3 also lost pace leaving Chris in the Alfa Disco Volante in a comfortable 3rd place but with no chance of catching the below par Lotus. Ben Norfolk, in the Triumph had detected an increase in water temperature and wisely eased his pace., so much so that unexpectedly, Martin Stowe’s MGA loomed ever larger in the TR’s mirror and then got passed, into 4th place at the end of the 7th lap. At this point John Waterson was also lapping the Elite quicker than the TR3 although gaining half a minute seemed a tall order, with over half the race now run. Behind John, Reuben had caught Alan and was also threatening to pass.

At the end of lap 8, despite easing his pace once he saw that Brian was no longer a threat, Shaun’s lead had extended to just over 13.5 seconds but, at the e nd of lap 9 this had reduced to less than 12 seconds. This was almost certainly due to the fact that the leading Elva was beginning to lap the back markers. With the overheating TR3 dropping quickly back, Chris Mann had also slackened his pace, clear in 3rd but with no chance of catching Brian Arculus, who, notwithstanding the fact that the MkIX was now lapping about 5 seconds slower than when in full health, was still extending his gap to the Alfa Romeo. Chris however had eased up a bit too much, and suddenly found an MGA appearing in his mirrors. Martin on spotting the Alfa coming back to him had lifted his lap times sufficiently to be only 1.5 seconds behind by the end of lap 9. John Waterson’s Lotus Elite was the last car on the lead lap, both Morgans having been lapped but also having swapped places as Reuben ended the lap ahead of Alan.

Into the final stages of the race, and Ben Norfolk had continued to slow the TR3 and didn’t complete lap 9, having pulled off the circuit with an overheating engine, an unfortunate end to Ben’s debut race with us. Subsequent investigation has indicated a water loss under pressure from the radiator, so hopefully no damage done and easily resolved. Shaun Bromley, without mishap, cruised to victory in the Elva with a lead over Brian Arculus which fluctuated a bit over the last few laps but was just over 19 seconds at the flag, Brian eased the Lotus home in 2nd, well clear of Chris Mann’s Alfa Romeo who had upped his pace to hold off a determined charge by Martin Stowe in the MGA. Chris managed to pull away to cross the line 4.8 seconds ahead of Martin. You’d have to think that Chris had had the most active day, having driven home to Greenwich and back to get his keys, race from the back of the field and holding off challenges from both Ben and Martin.

One lap down came John Waterson in the Elite which as far as I can tell did not miss a beat but had no-one to race with owing to the small size of our grid., whilst Reuben Jacob was the only other classified finisher. Alan House had repassed Reuben on lap 10 but in doing so had got himself a track limits flag which he misinterpreted and brought the Morgan into the pits a lap early to retire, sadly rather unnecessary, but he’d clearly enjoyed himself!

So well done to Shaun for winning the Archie Scott Brown Trophy which he will retain for a year, Brian an excellent 2nd place an d Chris 3rd which combined with the absence of so many of our members explains a very unlikelyall sports racing 1-2-3 unlikely to be seen in any normal all FISCAR race. We actually had a proper podium ceremony for these 3.

Class winners were John Waterson (Class 1), Chris Mann (Class 2), Brian Arculus (Class 3) and Martin Stowe (Class 4). However, having miraculously got everyone together at the end of a long day (thanks to my partner Jackie!) to present the awards, when we would all normally be rushing off to get home, I had to think on my feet, and with Brian already on the podium, and my usual desire to spread awards around (it’s partly what FISCAR is about), I gave the Class 3 winner’s award to the well deserved Jacob Reuben, who also received the Index of Performance award. I t now appears from Mark Campbell’s calculations that Reuben actually scored 1 pt less (on 6pts) than 3 others (all on 7pts) but it was close enough for me, and on a judgement call I felt that he had performed above expectation slightly more than others! Rest assurred however, that the correct points will be counted towards the annual awards.

Thank you to those members who participated in the day. We were blessed with good weather, and Jackie and I with good company.

Index of Performance (towards the annual Whitehead Cup).

This is a calculation that Mark Campbell makes, based on the expected finishing position from past performances. You gain points for bettering expectation and lose points if you finish lower than expected. As I have explained on previous occasions, this is a moving target since, if a competitor achieves better than expected in one race, for the next race, expectations will be higher!. For this race, Mark has scored as follows:-

Chris Mann - 7, Martin Stowe- 7, Shaun Bromley- 7

Brian Arculus - 6, Reuben Jacob - 6, John Waterson - 4,

Alan House -1, Jonathan Abecassis - 1, Ben Norfolk -1

Inter-Marque Cup

Just two marques had more than one entry and only Lotus got both to the flag, so - Lotus 10 pts, Morgan 7pts

New Annual Class Awards

I have introduced this to reward the best performer in each class over a whole season. Scoring is straightforward. You get 1 pt for entering and qualifying, 1pt for starting the race and 1pt for finishing - so everyone who sees the chequered flag get 3pts. An additional point is then given for each car that you finish ahead of (including race retirements) in your own class. So for Snetterton, the scores are:-

Class 1 - John Waterson - 3, Jonathan Abecassis - 1

Class 2 - Christopher Mann - 3

Class 3 - Brian Arculus - 6, Reuben Jacob- 5, Alan House - 2, Ben Norfolk - 2

Class 4 - Martin Stowe - 3, *Tristan Bradfield - 3, Harry Naergar - 1

*It seems unfair to penalise Tristan (see text) as he entered our race, but qualified and completed the Equipe race. The late start of our race presented him with a force majeure! However, this is a one off exception!!

Photo Gallery

(1) Paddock & Practice

(2) Race

(3) Others

I managed to grab a few shots from one or two of the other races, some of which included existing and former FISCAR members with both compliant and non compliant FISCAR cars. I’d like to think that but for the second Equipe Libre, Pre 63 &50s race, some of these may have joined us in the final race of the day. Anyway, here’s a random sampling of some of those I snapped!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________