The concept of the Club's Classic Sports Car Festival held at Brands Hatch
in early October was (like many motor sporting dreams) first mooted in the
bar amongst a crowd of race enthusiasts. One year on and what seemed like
just 'a good idea at the time' became an exciting reality.
The Festival was intended to bring as many national sports car Championships as possible together in an end of season meeting. By running the event at the end of this year it was also timely to link the Festival with the Millennium celebrations as this was going to be the final race of the century for many competitors and spectators.
The response from invited clubs and competitors was excellent and over the
weekend there was a total of 17 races representing over 400 entries with
just about every sports car marque represented.
The all-day practice sessions on the Saturday were enlivened by two One
Hour Millennium Enduro Races - the first for cars up to 2000 cc running on
road tyres and the second for the larger engined cars and those on racing
slicks. Both races were totally oversubscribed with full grids - some
entries running with two drivers and some with one driver who had to make a
mandatory 45 secs pit stop.
The first Enduro Race provided a very close finish, despite part of the
race being run under the yellow/black 'caution' flag due to a track
incident. On the hour the Mike Darcey / Malcolm Gammons MGB took the flag
from visiting Norwegians Roger Enger / Lars Ingebrigtsen (Ginetta G27) and
Frenchman Stephane Devoucoux (M.G. Midget) - quite an international line
up.
Enduro Race 2 featured an interesting mix of machinery ranging from
Ferarris, Ford Mustang, Aston Martins, Porsches, Morgans, TVR, Sunbeam
Tigers and MGF. Clear winner was David Lees (Porsche 911) from the Morgan
+8 of Keith Ahlers / Callum Lockie and the Aston Martin DB4 of John
Korrison / Mark Hales.
Sunday's full 15 race programme opened with a mixed bag event for MGF
Abingdon Trophy (winner Malcolm Gammons), Halfords road-going Midgets
(winner (Bob Walker), T Types (winner Malcolm Hogg TF) and Triple M cars
(winner Martin Walford (M.G. K3).
The first of three AMOC invitation races followed - the Anglo-American Challenge, mainly for 'big banger' racers. Winners were Ralph Avis (Shelby Mustang) from Miles Townshend (Ford Mustang) and Chris Beigton (Sunbeam Tiger). It was unfortunate that this event had to be curtailed at half distance due to a track incident.
A round of the Club's Moss International BCV8 Championship followed
combined with a smaller entry for the Acequip Championship. Russell and
Spencer McCarthy had a photo finish amongst the BCV8s while 'Mr Acequip' -
Arto Kesterlian was the outright race winner in his MGB.
The Drayton Manor Park Metro Race was well up to standard with dare-devil
antics to the fore, commentators Brain Jones and Andrew Wilkins doing
lively Murray Walker hysteria impressions throughout! Final honours went to
Chris Hughes from Dick Trevett and William De la Riviere.
The invitation Cox & Buckles TR Register Race came next with an excellent turnout TR2s to TR7 V8s plus some Spitfires. The V8s provided a fine race with victory going to Colin Pendle from Alan Price and Hugh Davies.
The usual mix of Moss BCV8 'race' prepared cars and the modified Halfords
Midgets came next with Peter Collis (MGB V8) just holding off the Midget
challenge from Lawrence Cutler and David Brooker-Carey.
A full grid of Flemings Thoroughbred Sports Cars saw victory go to the
Aston Martin DB4 of Peter Foster from the TVR Tuscan of Howard Brearley.
Another full grid for the Morgan Motor Challenge followed with Keith Ahlers
and Malcolm Paul providing a close finish.
Some heavy but intermittent rain showers enlivened the impressive grid for the FPD Savills Aston Martin Championship (winner Edd Sharpe with a DB4). Then came the 'drive of the day' for many spectators when Win Percy gave a superb demonstration of car control on a damp track by winning the AMOC Inter-Marque Championship in the glorious Jaguar XJ220.
The Classic Sports Car Festival Trophy Race for FIA recognised cars was won
by the MGB of Barry Sidery-Smith from John Harrison (Sunbeam Tiger) and
Chris Lawrence (Morgan +8). The Anglia Phoenix Championship produced the
now customary battle up front between Don Kettleborough (MGF) and Roy
McCarthy (MGA).
The best of the feature races followed - a Marque Team Challenge between
teams of three cars representing M.G. Midgets, MGFs, TRs, TVRs, Aston
Martins, MGBs, Ginettas, Morgans, Sunbeams and MGB V8s. This was a sealed
handicap event which brought a popular victory to the Morgan team of Peter
Sargeant, Mary Lindsay and Simon Orebi Gann.
The meeting closed (on time schedule!) with an All Comers Handicap (winner Richard Line's Marcos) and the now traditional Two Driver Pit Stop Race where the Martin Barrow / Roger Connell Jaguar E Type took victory from the regular winners, John Hewitt / Mike Peters Sprite.
So ended a glorious Festival which we hope will now become an annual fixture to rank alongside the Club's Silverstone International.