Classic Touring Car Racing Club meeting on 11/12 August  2007 organised by the BARC

Stanford Storms Snetterton

Roger Stanford had a storming drive to win an exciting race Post Historic race. David Thomas had a race long battle to stay ahead of Steve Primett and Mark Lucock's Escorts. He succeeded and also won his class to maintain his perfect record and lead the championship. Earlier in the day Roger was the star of Group 1. Starting from the pit lane and carving his way up to seventh place in his sick BMW. All this while Neil was sunning himself on a beach in Spain!
Next Race at Donnington 1st & 2nd September

Post Historic

There were quite a few non-starters. Both Dolomites had engine problems during Saturday qualifying. Tony Crudgington had gone home and so would Mark Osborne had he not been racing his Mitsubishi Starion in the Classic Modified Saloons. Neither David Edwards nor Al Weyman came to the grid either as both had trouble with their Camaros in previous races. It also looked as if Len Allgood wouldn't make it when his head gasket failed in qualifying. However, Len went home for his spare car and used that after getting the written agreement of the other competitors.

Come the start and David Thomas powered his Capri off the line, past Roger Stanford’s BMW, into the lead. Roger followed, his car on song now after having the exhaust manifold welded up after the Group 1 race. David just crossed the line in front at the end of the first lap but Roger used the BMW's nimble handling to full effect around Riches and Sear, getting past and managing to hold his lead down the Revett straight and into the Esses. Roger pulled ahead around the twisty bits to be nearly two seconds in front, as he crossed the line. He managed to gain a little more each lap, building to over six seconds by lap eight, before easing off a little to cruise to an easy win.

Once Roger had got by David Thomas was immediately faced with the problem of a determined Steve Primett yapping at his tail, forcing the Capri driver to go into defensive mode, just making sure his Capri was where Steve wanted to be to attempt a pass. This didn't do anything for the pairs lap times and by lap six Mark Lucock had joined in to make it a threesome. With the Escorts side by side, Steve had to run wide at the Bombhole to avoid contact, letting Mark past to attempt an attack on the Capri. Mark didn't fare any better and with the wily David Thomas no doubt smiling as he looked in his rear view mirror Steve re-passed Mark a few laps later.

Behind the battling threesome, David Howard and John Wright had rather lonely races in their Escort RS2000's leaving the experienced Les Nash in his Lotus Cortina Mk1 to keep in front of Len Allgood, James Christie, Keith Wright and Tony Crates. There was close racing and a fair bit of position changing amongst this group before Len dropped back after his wiring burnt out and they crossed the line James - Tony - Keith - Len. All in all another exciting Post Historic race, more than making up for the small field.

Click here for results (NB:- David Howard was driving Escort RS2000 in Class C not as shown).

Group 1

Mark Fowler and Adrian Fuller non-started their Capri's after engine problems during qualifying. They missed race action that started on the green flag lap when second row man Roger Stanford's BMW suddenly sounded extremely tractor like. Roger dived into the pits rather than take the grid, where a hole in the exhaust manifold was spotted. Nothing could be done so Roger elected to start from the pit lane.

This left a hole on the second role, and when the lights went out David Margalies made a fantastic start, diving into the gap for a brief moment of glory. Come the end of the first lap the status quo was restored with Stacy Vickers heading Brian Stevens. That's the way it stayed until the end of the race. Brian had a go in the early stages but visibly slackened off later on, taking conservative lines and finished some way back. There was no David Edwards, something went wrong with the big Camaro on the grid. David got the car away very slowly and pulled off after Riches.

The main interest was watching Roger Stanford carve his way from the back of the field to seventh, and the inevitable Capri battle. Jim McLoughlin got into the lead of the quartet during the first lap and narrowly held the place to the flag, despite the attentions of first David Margalies, then David Thomas, when the other David slipped back after a major moment on the second lap. Martin West made a slow start but soon joined the Jim McLoughlin, David Thomas train.

Behind the Capri's Don Hughes was locked in an early dice with David Howard in his Escort RS2000 and they were very surprised when a noisy Roger Stanford joined in towards the end of the race and passed both of them. This must have shocked David as he had a major excursion onto the grass coming out of Russell soon after. Don wasn't at all phased though and went on to set a new lap record.

Roger pulled away, latching onto the tail of David Margalies at the back of the Capri train but by now the race was ending and that was that.

Behind, the field thinned out on laps six and seven when Steve Barber (Escort XR3), Graham Hope (Rover SD1) and Matthew Irons (BMW 323i) all retired.

Click Here for Results (NB:- David Howard was driving an Escort RS2000 in Class C not as shown. Jeremy Knight was driving a Capri in Class B not as shown).

1) You can check out Stacy's critical take on this and other Classical Gas reports here.
2) Link to Quaife Site removed as on reflection it was in bad taste.