BRSCC HAS FUN IN THE SPRING SUN AT SNETTERTON
Underneath beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine, the BRSCC said farewell to spring in the best possible fashion at Snetterton with some incredible racing across the board over two days of action. From single seaters to tin-tops and hot hatches to endurance race, there was plenty up and down the paddock to entertain spectators in Norfolk!
FUN CUP ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Heading to Snetterton after an eventful and thrilling season opening 4 hours of racing at Brands Hatch, the second round of the Fun Cup Endurance Championship was ready to produce more of the same – and it did so in another exciting conclusion that saw the lead change hands barely ten minutes before the chequered flag after a heroic comeback drive.
The random grid draw only guaranteed Brands winners Team Olympian their starting spot at the back of the grid, while Red River Sport were drawn on pole alongside Team Seed Data, the former sporting sportscar ace Johnny Mowlem within its driving strength. Former champions UVio Hofmann’s Motorsport lined up best of the established front runners after drawing 3rd on the grid, with defending champions GCI Racing starting 6th on their first appearance of 2023, while Axiametrics and Shire GB sat with the top ten and both Team Viking/ Ursus Racing and PLR Racing kept Olympian company starting on row ten.
Despite Red River Sport leading into Riches for the first time, by the time the pack exited the next corner at Wilson Hairpin, it was GCI and UVio that lept past the pole sitters respectively to take 1st and 2nd from the outset. Moments later a fast starting MJ Tec picked off both cars to steal the lead on Lap 3, fortuitously just before the one and only safety car of the race was called after Team Seed Data were stranded at Wilson Hairpin.
MJ Tec and GCI made great efforts to pull away in front during the first stint, leaving UVio to deal with the attentions of EDF Motorsport’s #212 car as well as Axiametrics and the #99 JPR For Hire machine featuring Martin Gibson, who had made a blinding start from deep in the field. Meanwhile, the trio of Viking/ Ursus, PLR and Olympian were also making steady progress up the order as the first pit window arrived.
By the time the first scheduled stops began, MJ Tec and GCI were still 1-2, while UVio had slipped to 6th behind Axiametrics, EDF Motorsport and JPR For Hire and seemed to be struggling a little for outright pace initially. Once the first stops shook out, GCI were back in the lead after late stops for Axiametrics and UVio left them behind 2nd place Olympian, whose slick pit work had really helped the leap up the order.
Kristian Rose managed to half Olympian’s gap to GCI in front over the next stint, but was caught and passed by Sam Smeeth in the Shire GB car before the second stops began. Olympian were first to stop again, this time putting Riley Phillips into the car who began the first of two herculean stints to haul his team into a race winning position. GCI also lost the lead to Shire GB at the Bomb Hole just before both cars stopped, the former benefitting the most as they and UVio managed to go back to P1 and P2 ahead of Olympian and Shire GB.
Incredibly, it only took Philipps just over half an hour to catch and pass both UVio and GCI to take the lead before their third stops. Riley maximised his stint and pitted right at the end of the third window to hand back to Chris Dovell, the team exiting still in the lead but with a hard charging Fabio Randaccio for UVio closing him down fast. Once caught, UVio slipped by into Williams to take the lead, but when GCI tried to follow through it resulted in contact sending Olympian spinning and down to 3rd with it all to do again.
An early fourth stop for Olympian ensured both Kristian Rose and Riley Phillips could maximise their driving time in order to get them back in contention, and after GCI and then UVio made their next stops with UVio now leading, Rose got his head down and started taking time out of the top two with every lap in the stint. During this time, Axiametrics hit mechanical troubles as their car crawled to a halt on pit entry, forcing them to repair the issue before getting back out.
GCI retook the lead on track just before the final stops approached, where Olympian pitted early to put Phillips back in the car for the end. A lightning fast 9 second pit stop gained them a substantial amount of time, and once UVio and GCI stopped for the final time, it would be a 25 minute dash to the flag. Phillips drove what must have been the stint of his life as he quickly ate up the 12 second gap after the final stops, caught the leading pair with just over 13 minutes to go and then passed GCI into Agostini before picking off UVio for the lead a lap later after Randaccio locked up into Oggies to allow an easy passage through.
From here, Olympian were untouchable and reeled off the final minutes to take a sensational second win of the season, finishing two seconds ahead of GCI who managed to displace UVio before the flag to knock them back to 3rd. Team Viking/ Ursus Capital put in a solid drive to take the flag in 4th place with MJ Tec also completing their first outing of 2023 with 5th place. Next up, Fun Cup Endurance prepares to go night racing as they make their annual stop on the Welsh coast with their Anglesey “Into The Night” double header!
NANKANG TYRE BMW COMPACT CUP
The Nankang Tyre BMW Compact Cup headed to Snetterton off the back of a pair of entertaining opening races of the year at Brands Hatch, but with initial championship leader Guy Davis unable to race due to commitments working at the Monaco Grand Prix, it was a perfect chance for 2nd placed Oliver Faller and go to gain some healthy points hauls from their Norfolk weekend.
Making a fleeting one-off guest appearance on the grid, 2022 vice champion Ian Howes claimed pole at his home circuit alongside Matt Millson on the front row, and his start to Race 1 ensured he was first to Riches ahead of Millson, Gareth Claydon and co. Racing had to be halted just over a lap in due to Gregor Pryor’s car finding the barriers at Wilson Hairpin, leaving a twelve minute restart once his car was recovered.
Howes again got the best jump on the second start to lead again, while Millson temporarily lost 2nd to Claydon before taking it back a couple of corners later. Millson did his best to put Howes under pressure for the lead, but Ian had enough pace in his pocket to keep everyone at bay for the duration and drove faultlessly to collect a superb home win. His guest status meant that Millson picked up the points for victory instead as he took 2nd in the result ahead of Claydon in 3rd, then Dale Wherton and Rudi Macmillan completing the top five. Ross Stoner was also top Masters driver in 6th.
Race 2 began in exactly the same fashion on Sunday, with Howes getting the best start and leading from Millson and Claydon, although the latter almost lost 3rd to Dale Wherton on the second lap but managed to defend the place. Once again, Millson was left to chase Howes’ rear bumper for the entire 15 minutes but was only just out of reach, and the top three finishing order was duplicated from the day before.
Howes took his second home win, Millson took P2 and inheriting the points for victory and Claydon settled for P3 once again despite making a last lap challenge for a step higher on the podium. Mike Doble Snr would be the top Masters driver on this occasion, the defending champ picking up the win after Stoner dropped out with a mechanical issue which would sideline him for Race 3.
Rudi Macmillan benefitted from the random top 10 grid draw to land pole for the third race, while good fortunes for Claydon, Millson and Howes saw them draw 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. Rudi made a great start to quickly great a small gap in front, while Claydon narrowly held back Howes from passing him for 2nd outside into Riches. It took Claydon just six minutes before a dive inside Macmillan at Wilson Hairpin gave him the lead, while Wherton and Millson both found ways past Howes on the same lap to push him back to 5th.
A wild few corners for Claydon saw him lose the lead exiting Murrays after running wide and then run too deeop into Wilson Hairpin, dropping back to 2nd by a few car lengths. It almost looked as though Macmillan was home and dry for his first Compact Cup win, but a final lap charge from Claydon saw him steal back the lead and go on to claim his first in the championship. Macmillan was still pleased with 2nd place, while Howes completed a memorable home cameo in the championship with 3rd.
NATIONAL FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP
The National Formula Ford Championship headed to Snetterton this past weekend with the expectation to match the spectacle provided by the opening races at Oulton Park a few weeks earlier – and they certainly managed that on the full 300 circuit with wheel to wheel racing aplenty across both days!
Chris Middlehurst was on fine form in qualifying, as the 2021 National champion set the only sub-2 minute lap time to take pole position ahead of teammate and young Irish star Jordan Kelly, then Oulton Park winner Lucas Romanek in 3rd. A fine start to Race 1 ensured Middlehurst remained in front with Kelly acting as rear gunner to the rest of the pack behind. Initially, it appeared that Kelly was in behind Middlehurst to act as team support, but as the race wore on his eagerness to claim his first Formula Ford win was only growing.
A pass into Riches just before half distance gave Kelly the lead, but only for just short of a lap before Middlehurst was back in front. On the penultimate lap, Kelly was feeling racy and with Romanek breathing down his neck, he decided to attack in order to defend. Round the outside into Brundle, Kelly almost completed an amazing pass for the lead but overcooked it exiting Nelson and spun down the order, leaving Middlehurst to deal with Romanek and Quinn. As Middlehurst went on to win from Romanek in 2nd place, Quinn was tagged on the right rear by Elliot Budzinski through Brundle, leaving the Irishman off the road and out on the final lap. Brandon McCaughan took 3rd in the end ahead of Nolan Allaer and Tom Nippers, while Budzinski’s contact left him disqualified.
From the outside of the front row, a superb start from Romanek helped him steal the lead from Middlehurst beginning Race 2, albeit losing it back to Middlehurst again before the opening lap was complete. Over the next few laps, Middlehurst defending from Romanek, McCaughan, Allaer and Kelly, but the Team DOLAN man had enough to hold them back – that is, until the final lap. Exiting Hamilton, Middlehurst’s car slowed due to a coil issue, leaving Kelly to pass Romanek for the lead at the same spot he’d lost it in Race 1. Heading to the flag, Jordan Kelly claimed his first National Formula Ford win, followed by Romanek and Budzinski in the top three, then Quinn and Charlie Mann to complete the top five.
Brin Kinch found himself drawn on the partially reversed grid for Race 3, but was beaten to the post by Charlie Mann as the lights went out to get underway. It only took Romanek as far as Agostini on the opening lap to take the lead, one he would never end up losing throughout the rest of the race. Despite late pressure from Budzinski, Romanek would become the first driver to win two National Formula Ford races so far this year, securing the win from the American Budzinski in P2 and a fine drive from the rear of the grid by Middlehurst rewarded him with P3 for his efforts.
AUDI TT CUP RACING
A successful opening weekend of 2023 had seen the Audi TT Cup Racing series burst onto the scene as one of the BRSCC’s brand new series for the season, and with Brands Hatch in their rear view mirrors it was time for the TTCR paddock to move forwards to Snetterton for their first triple header of the season.
Carl Swift was a late addition to the grid for the weekend, but the ex-Civic Cup and TCR UK driver wasted no time in sticking his TT on pole in qualifying for Race 1 to line up alongside Ryan Edgecumbe on the front row. He led from lights out with Ross Makar and Edgecumbe on his tail through the opening corners, with Makar applying the pressure and sweeping past Swift on the outside of Brundle to lead before the end of Lap 1.
From here, Makar was never headed as he kept a cool head to drive away from the pack, who were more interested in fighting amongst each other than trying to cut down his lead. Makar streaked to his second win in a row, while behind him Edgecumbe took 2nd and Swift left to collect 3rd place on his debut race in the series. Harry Yardley-Rose and Scott Parkin completed the top five.
With Edgecumbe starting from the pits and not alongside pole man Makar for Race 2, it was Yardley-Rose who shot into the lead from the second row from Swift and Parkin. Paul Maguire managed to pop up into 2nd for a couple of laps while a hard charging Makar was carving his way back to the front, but fell back after sliding across the grass at Brundle/Nelson. A late lead challenge from Maguire only left him falling backwards in the end, as he and Parkin both ran wide at Riches on the final lap to give Richard Forber an easy 3rd place.
This in turn helped Yardley-Rose to race to the flag and take his first TT Cup Racing win of the season, with Swift in close attention behind in 2nd on the road before he was hit with a five second penalty for track limits. Forber was originally classified in 2nd as a result, but he was disqualified post race which eventually elevated Parkin to 2nd and Swift back into 3rd as a result, with Maguire and Makar completing the top five.
Parkin almost managed to grab the lead from Yardley-Rose at the beginning of Race 3 but both would lose out to Swift before Lap 1 was complete. Parkin eventually followed him past on the next lap. As it turned out, the top three had a very straightforward race the rest of the way as Swift completed his first TTCR weekend with a win from Parkin in 2nd and Yardley-Rose in 3rd, with Forber and Luke Handley in the top five also.
BRSCC EVOLUTION TROPHY
The BRSCC’s Evolution Trophy was another new series from the BRSCC enjoying its second weekend of racing, with many of the names and cars that participated back at Brands Hatch on the grid once again for what was set to be two more races filled with variety and plenty of fun racing. Cars from the Ricci Concept Classic VW Cup, Classic TT Cup, Cooksport Renault Cup and Mazda MX-5 Mk4 Trophy were all present on the grid in Norfolk once more.
The first race had to be restarted after a length clear-up due to David Mycock’s Renault Clio blowing its ending and dropping fluid at the Brundle-Nelson complex, with a handful of cars spinning and sliding wide as a result. With a ten minute restart, Nick Gwinnett managed to get another fine start and utterly dominated outright and in the Cooksport Renault Cup, leading every single lap and taking the chequered flag at a canter.
Tony Hunter finished 2nd in Cooksport Renaults with Dave Tyson’s Gen 4 Clio Cup car completing the top three in category, while in the Classic VWs it was Simon Tomlinson that came out on top after Adam Marshall threw away the lead at Murrays on the second lap. Marshall still collected second to make it a VW Golf 1-2, while Donald Dewar’s Mk1 Golf completed the top three. Harry Scott was sole Classic TT Cup representative, and Joseph Ritchie was best Mazda MX-5 Mk4 ahead of guest driver Bruce Hadfield.
Gwinnett’s start was a carbon copy of Race 1 as he again lept into the lead in Race 2. Once again, his outright pace was too much for anyone to keep up with and this gave him another outright and Cooksport Renault Cup win in the process. Tony Hunter picked up another 2nd place amongst the Renaults ahead of Tyson once more in 3rd, while Simon Tomlinson made it two from once again in Classic VWs from Marshall and Dewar. Ben Taylor was top Mk4 MX-5 ahead of Joseph Ritchie and Bruce Hadfield, and Harry Scott took the flag again in Classic TT Cup, finishing 12th outright.
SW MOTORSPORTS CLUBSPORT TROPHY
Another excellent variety of machines descended on Snetterton to contest the third SW Motorsports ClubSport Trophy race of the 2023 season, and even though the number of cars on the grid wasn’t as high as usually found on a ClubSport entry, there was still plenty of competition amongst the five classes on Sunday afternoon.
Despite Lloyd Chafer’s BMW M3 starting from pole, a poor start allowed Scott Parkin’s Audi TT Cup Racing car to jump into the lead from lights out, with Liam Crilly’s BMW Z4 and Phiroze Bilimoria’s VW Scirocco also making their way past into Riches too. Sadly, Bilimoria’s race lasted no longer than Hamilton corner as his Scirocco gave up the ghost with mechanical problems on the opening lap, leaving one of the potential favourites to win on the sidelines.
Initially, Parkin held court in the lead over the opening few laps, but soon enough Chafer’s M3 was looming large in his mirrors again. The straight line speed of the BMW allowed him to power past Parkin on Bentley Straight, but the better handling and braking of the Audi TT meant it could stay with Chafer in what turned out to be a great lead battle all the way to the mandatory pit stop.
One more than one occasion, Parkin was able to get back in front before Chafer’s horsepower advantage helped him drag straight back past. Both Chafer and Parkin pitted together towards the end of the window, and when both left the pits it was the Audi ahead of the BMW. Chafer took a little longer to get back up to speed, allowing Parkin to quickly create a gap in front. Liam Crilly was the last of the front runners to pit, and when he rejoined he was 2nd just ahead of Chafer’s M3.
While Parkin remained ahead on the road to the chequered flag, Crilly and Chafer had a brilliant dice for 2nd place overall and the Class A win as they went back and forth in the same fashion Chafer had done with Parkin before the pit stop. Ahead of them, Parkin crossed the line first to win the race on the road, but due to a short stop he was given a 30 second penalty plus the two seconds he was short by, dropping him back to 3rd overall but still a clear winner in Class B as a result.
Therefore, victory was inherited by Chafer’s BMW M3 as he also won Class A ahead of Liam Crilly, who ended his 200th race in 2nd overall and in class in his BMW Z4. Scott Parkin still remained 3rd outright and Class B winner, while other class wins went the way of Nick Tasker’s VW Scirocco (Class C), Stephen Wiggins and Steve Hyde’s Mazda MX-5 Mk3 (Class D) and Chris McGinley’s BMW Compact (Class E).
HICKFORD CONSTRUCTION MG METRO CUP
The Hickford Construction MG Metro Cup have already proven themselves to be a mega addition to the BRSCC’s portfolio this season and after a pair of exciting races at their opening rounds at Brands Hatch, Snetterton’s long straight and varied corners were certain to allow the Metros to stretch their legs and enjoy plenty of competitive battles together.
A stellar lap from Jon Moore in qualifying helped him take an excellent pole position ahead of Race 1 with Rhys Claydon lined up alongside, and it was Claydon that swept around the outside of Moore into Riches to take the lead early on. It wasn’t long before Moore was right on Claydon’s tail and bringing both Mike and Ben Williams with him to form a leading quartet out front.
Moore and Claydon quickly swapped the lead through Riches and Wilson Hairpin, before Moore finally made it stick into Brundle. Claydon kept in close attention and the pair continued to swap the lead several more times over the remaining minutes, and it was Moore who held him back to the flag to claim his first win of the season. Behind the top two, Ben Williams completed the podium in 3rd ahead of Matthew Simpson and Phil Goodwin.
Sadly, Moore’s car was unable to start Race 2 due to technical problem, leaving Claydon on defacto pole on his own on the front row. This made his task a little easier as he quickly vaulted into the lead and was never headed from the outset. Behind him, Simpson was in combat with both Ben and Mike Williams along with Robbie Kenning, who pulled off a classy move into Murrays to briefly take a position from Phil Goodwin.
Claydon’s race was somewhat straightforward and he led from start to finish to finally take his first Metro Cup win since switching from the BMW Compact Cup (he’d won on the road at Brands Hatch in Race 2 before a time penalty dropped him to 2nd). Simpson, meanwhile, just held off Ben Williams to ensure 2nd place was his, with Mike Williams and Goodwin completing the top five finishers.
500 OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Providing an extra dose of variety and taking many race fans back to the late 1940s and 1950s, the 500 Owners Association were a very welcome guest formula on the timetable at Snetterton. The brought a wonderful grid of vintage 500cc Formula 3 single seaters that harked back to the very foundations of the BRSCC when it began and was originally known as the 500 Club.
Andrew Turner’s Cooper Mk9 made the immediate jump on the rolling start from pole in Race 1 and proceeded to lap substantially faster than the rest of the field, managing to eventually take the chequered flag by some 27 seconds in a dominant drive. Darrell Woods was consistent and solid to take 2nd place in his Staride Mk3, while the Erskine Staride Mk3 of Simon Dedman completed the top three.
Turner was once again unbeatable in the second race on the Sunday morning, albeit this time the winning margin was only just over ten seconds in the end after Turner eased his pace to get home to the flag safely. There was a slightly different look to the rest of the podium behind him, as James Wilson and Mike Fowler took 2nd and 3rd respectively, ensuring Coopers locked out a 1-2-3 finish.
Scott Woodwiss
