Tops Team 2002

As every one knows this is held in early August on the small Nürburgring circuit. This year for those fortunate enough to have a GT car with the appropriate ironwork for safer inversion there was also a marathon race on the infamous Nordschleife. There was also an opportunity for competitors in the invitation races to wear their cars out on the Nordschleife, unfortunately this was before the races and also meant getting up rather early so we gave it a miss. In fact it was a bonus given to make one feel better about having to pay an entry fee!

I had originally entered the Talbot for the pre-war sports car race; with the demise of the Team race at the Silverstone Festival this year opportunities to race these cars seem to be getting more limited, so when they occur I feel one should support them. Eventually of course the thought that the HWM could do quite well in the 50s drum braked sports car race proved too much for me , so I asked James Wood if he would like to drive it and unsurprisingly he said yes. I won’t bore you with all the logistical problems this added to the Curtis family's (yes all four of us) holiday, except to say that we eventually got both cars and drivers there and back.

I attended the drivers briefing for the pre-war race --necessary as there were two races and two drivers per car, the Le Mans start and other starting procedures to explain. There were only five drivers in attendance, all were English speaking and after a long wait in vain for more the briefing took place. The Clerk of the Course muttered about fines but they were not implemented, and despite the make up of his audience he proceeded to give the whole talk in both English and German. Probably because of the above, the start of the pre-war race descended into pure farce with the officials in paroxysms of rage but still failing to communicate effectively with the whole grid. After the green flag lap the grid marshals failed to stand by the grid with their yellow flags so the leading cars started the race on the assumption that it was a rolling start. Although I knew it wasn’t I did not want to get run into, so I followed suit; also having got left at Le Mans whilst waiting for Barrie Williams to put on his belts and restart his car I was not about to be goody goody again! As soon as the starter could recover sufficiently to speak he ordered the red flags and a restart plus the removal of two laps as a punishment. Unfortunately for him the correct messages had still not got through and there was still overtaking on the green flag lap with the result that not everyone was in their correct position for the restart. He then took away two more laps and ordered another start, this start was delayed as some of the cars were being double driven and the initial drivers were then deemed to have done their allotted laps although of course they had yet to race!

James about to get instructions on starting proceedure

By comparison the race itself was uneventful, the winner was Stretton in a Ruston Alta followed by Klaus Werner in his Alfa, and Burnett in a Talbot 105 3^rd. I finished 10^th out of 32 so was quite pleased. The second day the start was less dramatic after a pre grid lecture from Klaus and we finished where we finished, much the same I think although the appropriate sheet is not to hand.

However, the drum brake race was well ordered but one couldn’t help feeling that Huni’s D-type and Friederichs’ DBR1 were a little out of place. A short inspection gave no sign of drums having been retro- fitted, though I believe this is now going on with certain cars to join this new class. Actually this means of dividing 50s cars makes better sense than the date systems often used, but I would think that wouldn’t I? Tempted though I was to complain, it was an invitation race and their specification can’t have been in doubt. Afterwards I was glad I hadn’t as James managed to keep ahead of the Aston and was also ahead of the D until the HWM’s drums began to rebel. On the first day James was 5^th behind Bscher’s Maserati 450S, von Schenk’s and Laidlaw’s 300Ss and the D. I think the result on day two was similar but unfortunately we had to withdraw with both brakes and rear drive shafts in want of TLC.

Meanwhile in the pre 61 arena Flavien Marcais and Gregor Fisken dominated their races in their Cooper Bristols, leaving some rather dissatisfied 250 F owners in their wake. Undoubtedly there are mixed age, weight and ability drivers out there but it is also true that the Coopers seem to be going a little bit better than when Pilky and I had them or even Hawthorn, Brabham and Wharton come to that! The HGPCA are now addressing this issue, and it will be interesting to see what solution they propose. At the Ring I venture to suggest that the order of drivers would have remained the same even if the first four had swapped cars.

The decision whether to go to the Ring is often difficult, it is undoubtedly overcrowded and badly organised and because of this there are less and less English chums going. On the other hand the circuit is OK and the Nordschleife is just down the road. What really tips the scales however is the magical hillside barbecue which has been re-instituted by Hubertus, Klaus and friends for participants in the invitation races.

S.C.