Qui Me Comitat Vincebit
Gentleman Drivers go to Spa - 2001
I travelled with James Wood to Spa in late July with the HWM on a trailer for the second leg of the Gentleman Drivers series of mini endurance races (c.2hrs) for sports and GT cars sponsored by Carol Spagg’s magazine Historic Motor Racing News and Gregor Fisken.
The HWM had not distinguished itself in the first leg at Donington in May when a failed condenser left James stranded after a couple of laps which also deprived me of my turn, but that’s motor racing.
We had done better at Pau but as the grid could not accommodate sufficient cars it was out of series and we used the Nash.
Whereas the weather is notoriously patchy at Spa (like the Nurburgring) I doubt if anyone anticipated the torrential rain which greeted our arrival and certainly not the bolt of lightning which almost struck the Audi in the paddock where otherwise intrepid racers eschewed their freebie umbrellas because of their metal shafts opting to get drenched instead. Bob Wood, who like his son James is a Spa enthusiast had been invited to enter his1931 S-type Invicta in the so -called ‘Barry 1hr GT and Touring Car Race’ which wasfor a mixture of modified 60s,70s and 80s cars. Practice was held in the following day’s downpour and they managed a very creditable 59th fastest out of 73 which caused many of the other guys to re-appraise the funny old car in the corner of the paddock. By the time they raced it was drier but they finished 52nd and were not last on the road.
<>
It was also wet during the practice for the GD race but James’ time was good enough to put us 22nd on the grid out of 53.At the front were Chubb/Salmon in a Cooper Monaco, Moy/Diffey in a Lola Mk1 and Taylor /Griswold in a Lotus 15, all of whom weresome 15" quicker than us, but there was a huge variety of cars and driver ability throughout the field so everyone had someone with whom to play.
The format of the series is that the owner, (Gentleman? not always I think) is obliged to drive at least half the race but that no-one is allowed to drive for more than 50minutes. The less arithmetically challenged reader will realise that this entails two driver changes. Add to this the fact that most of the cars would need refuelling and that and that this was to be done in the F1 pits after the Bus-Stop, whilst the driver changes were to be made in the old pits on the way down to Eau Rouge, and you will understand why I regretted not having included Ross Brawn in our team! I decided James would bat first, I would call him in before 50 mins, he would refuel on his way in, I would then do 50 mins. and then come in for a quick in- and -out of the car before driving to the finish James had worked his way convincingly up the field (as testified by his best lap of 3m11", 16th fastest) and appeared to come in satisfactorily, if early, except when he stopped at the old pits not only had he not refuelled but he had been delayed by a broken throttle cable (shades of Phoenix Park) at the back of the track. Apparently after some encouragement from very enthusiastic marshals he fed the broken end through the bonnet louvres and ‘drove by wire’ including he said 4000rpm through Blanchimont. Not being keen to carry on like that I was on the point of throwing in the still wet towel when I remembered hiding a spare cable in the boot for just such an occasion.As there was still an hour to go I decide to fix it and get some racing for my money.With help from James, a bystander and HWM Captain Kirk who was beamed down just when needed, we fixed the cable and I went off to enjoy a good few laps of that splendid circuit. Ross Brawn of course would have worked out that because of the time and therefore distance lost we now had enough fuel, but foolishly I completed our original plan. Even so we finished 34 out of 37 still running (and 52 starters). The race was won by the Cooper followed by the E -types of Lloyd and von Deynhausen. But what of the other races I hear you cry. Well of course I hardly had time to watch them. There was I think a measure of uncertainty over the winner of the pre-61 GP race but the results were eventually announced as being 1st Robin Lodge Dino, 2nd Gregor Fisken Cooper Bristol and 3rd Spencer Flack BRM .As important there was a good grid of chums out there enjoying themselves including Charles Dean ahead of Pilky who in turn was ahead of Tony Stephens and Capn. Kirk and many more who never made it to the chequered flag. Despite the now usual pressure on space in the paddock, largely caused by the burgeoning motorhome syndrome where many competitors take up so much more space than our competing car and tender vehicle, the organisers and officials at Spa made us most welcome. On one night the HGPCA and GD joined together in a dinner at our hotel and on the next the organisers laid on a big dinner dance at the restaurant at Eau Rouge, not forgetting the splendid lunches laid on by Gregor Fisken organised by Mme Marçais and her dad Aubrey Finburgh, thanks to all concerned.
But as always the best thing about a meeting at Spa was the circuit itself and in particular the rush into Eau Rouge-so called because like Devon the local soil is red and it colours the flood waters red when it rains heavily which of course it so often does!
S.C.
© TOPS. All rights reserved - Photographs and Reports
|
CONTACT TOPS: |