Friday 29th October 2004

Team PH races at Silverstone tomorrow

Four intrepid PHers to hit the Birkitt Relay grid

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55th  ’Holly’ Birkett 6Hr Handicap Relay race

30th October 2004 : Silverstone National

Since 1950 the 750 Motor Club has run a classic end of season motor race, a hidden jewel in British club racing. This year's event happens tomorrow, and there's a PistonHeads Team, so come and join us.

The race is capped at 42 teams of four to six cars each, which means up to 252 cars descending on Silverstone. There'll be 42 starters on the grid trying to get to the finish and win a coveted trophy for team work and reliability.

There are five different classes for teams of a wide variety of cars, each team has two options, go for an outright win on scratch performance, or allow the 750 MC to credit your team with a number of "handicap" laps calculated against drivers lap times for Silverstone National Circuit.

The handicap system is to ensure that, in theory at least; all cars finish on the same number of laps after six hours.

This leads to a huge variety of cars and lap times. On the sheets so far the quickest car is a TR7 v8 with a 56.899 seconds, quicker than the fastest radical showing a 59.23.

The slowest on the entry sheets being an Austin seven with a 1:41:52.

Team PH is sitting with the majority of cars ranging from 1:07 in Ed’s Westfield to 1:17 with Dom’s Midget.  The trick to win is to lap consistently just below your target time, and minimise the time lost in the pits and swapping cars. If  lap times are significantly below your submitted best time then the handicappers will re classify your handicap. This avoids people trying to submit high times or altering the cars specification. All of the cars run to their usual championship regulations.

The way the race works is that you have one car on the track and the others waiting in the pits. When you want to swap over the on track car enters the pits. The next car pulls out behind it and follows it to the pit exit, where the incoming car peals off to the paddock and the new car goes out on the track.

If a car stops on the track through breakdown or accident you can send  your next car straight out, and the other car will be recovered to the pits. This makes it important to have spotters on the track to minimise time loss.

As a spectacle of racing cars this is an even not to miss a sample of the cars on the grid are:

• Alfa GTV
• Austin 7
• Austin A40
• BMW  M3,M5
• Caterham
• Corvette
• Fisher Fury
• Ford Capri
• Ford Mustang
• Frazer Nash
• Ginetta G20R
• Ginetta G27
• Hawk HF 3000  ( Lancia Stratos replica)
• Jaguar E-Type
• Jaguar XK 150
• Locost    : Stig is racing with the Bitza Team
• Lotus 7
• Lotus Elise
• Mallock
• MG Metro
• MG midget / Healy Sprite
• MG TA,TC,TF
• MGB
• Morgan Plus 8
• Porsche 911
• Porsche GTS 928
• Proton Coupe
• Radical Prosport
• Rover SD1
• TR7
• TVR Grantura
• TVR Griffith (200 & 400)
• TVR Tasmin
• TVR Tscan (1960’s)
• TVR Vixen
• VW Beetle
• Westfield

The PistonHeads team consists of:

• Graham Walden -- TVR Tasmin
• Dominic Mooney -- MG Midget
• Ed Hasler -- Westfield
• Richard Burgess -- Ginetta G20R

Assisted by the usual team helpers plus PistonHeads members:

• Phoenix  -- Ande Austin
• Munter -- Phillip Bell
• Griff2be -- Andy Holden
• Cejay -- Cliff Jobson

Timetable

Saturday 30th

Qualifying    09:00 – 10:20
Race Start    11:00
Race Finish  17:00
Awards         18:00

Team Details

Name         :- Pistonheads.com
Number     :- 35
Pit Garage :-11A

Thanks to George Carter and to the team for photos.

[Stig]

What an excellent day.

We managed to keep our cars and drivers in one piece, despite being much slower than a lot of the machinery out there. The speed differential between a Radical SR3 on slicks with wings and a little Locost with an ancient 1300cc X-flow has to be experienced to be believed!

However, solid drives by the team kept us up the order and when the handicapping was taken into account, we finished a respectable 24th.

Birkett is madness, but thoroughly enjoyable. If you do 1 race all year, this is the one to do!

Team PH didn't fare too well from what I gather and I personally got caught in the smoke screen left on the start striaght from the Tasmin that went bang!

Still, better luck next time eh

[Graham]

The PH team had a great if erm interesting time...

and we crossed the line at the finish after six hours..


admittedly we did have the odd problem


1) MG blew gear box after 20 mins in first session.
2) TVR Blew engine up after 2 laps !!!!
3) Ginetta siezed a wheel bearing and took 1.5 hours to fix.
4) Westfield stopped out on the circuit with an electrical fault but got running again when recovered after 45mins of no car circulating.

We finished the day with 2 cars running out of 4, which was better than the team next to us 2 left out of 6 !!

As to our final placaings.... well erm it was a historic position....

The PH team though did a great job and thanks to all that turned out to lend a hand...

See you next year

G

[Stig]

Graham - I heard that the 'winning' Goldarts team were disqualified for running slicks not AO32s.

They were in the next garage to us and were definitely on slicks, the scrutes all turned up and muttered things and made notes etc.

Have you heard anything to confirm?

[griff2be]

Hmmm - had I been out in the Tuscan I would have been on slicks. Was that not allowed?

[daydreamer]

You had to state the car configuration together with the target handicap time on the entry form. My guess is that they were suspeceted of settin the times on battered second hand Kwick Fit tyres and then went out with full F1 specs on!

[john75]

anyone got the full results

[Roy C]

john75 said:

anyone got the full results

They're usually posted here, but not yet

[Graham]

Stig said:

Graham - I heard that the 'winning' Goldarts team were disqualified for running slicks not AO32s. They were in the next garage to us and were definitely on slicks, the scrutes all turned up and muttered things and made notes etc. Have you heard anything to confirm?

Not heard anything, but thats naughty and could give them a problem getting an entry next year if true..

Sorry about the smoke screen, but atleast i didnt drop any oil..

could you see anything behind me...

G



2 laps 2laps

[Stig]

Graham said:

Stig said: Graham - I heard that the 'winning' Goldarts team were disqualified for running slicks not AO32s. They were in the next garage to us and were definitely on slicks, the scrutes all turned up and muttered things and made notes etc. Have you heard anything to confirm? Not heard anything, but thats naughty and could give them a problem getting an entry next year if true.. Sorry about the smoke screen, but atleast i didnt drop any oil.. could you see anything behind me... G 2 laps 2laps

No worries

I just came onto the start straight into a smoke screen! Thought someone had stuffed it big style (someone did later on) but was relieved to come through unscathed. The BMW that got very bent at Brooklands happened just in front of me too

It's a bit nerve wracking being in a 'Seven' and having a lot of heavy, strong cars hooning around you.

Better luck next year chap!

[ehasler]

Stig said:

The BMW that got very bent at Brooklands happened just in front of me too It's a bit nerve wracking being in a 'Seven' and having a lot of heavy, strong cars hooning around you.

I know what you mean about having some big heavy metal around you, although I'd rather be in a 7 compared to some of the vintage stuff that was running!!

What happened with the BMW then? I saw the aftermath, but was more worried about trying to avoid all the debris in case I picked up a puncture.