Action packed Snetterton

Snetterton 26th August 2002

Seventeen members of the MMCC assembled at Snetterton for the seventh round of the series at a meeting organised by the MG Car Club. Unusually for Norfolk the weather was bright and almost sunny but dominated by Constable-type clouds.

Scrutineering was at the civilised hour of 10:00 a.m. and certain of the party, including your scribe, took full advantage of this, arriving after 9:30 at the circuit. Indeed one, the Sarge, noted for his relaxed attitude, drove his racecar off the A14 and into the scrutineering bay and then out onto the track pausing only to throw his surplus belongings out onto the Morgan pit bank in passing. It just goes to show that all this adjusting of tyre pressures and general angst may be unnecessary after all.

Chris A was resplendent in a newly repaired car sporting three new wings, a new steering rack and new wheels and tyres. David had some rather natty little earless spinners, which glinted unthreateningly in the sunlight.

Keith and Rick treated practice as a taster session for the race as they sped around the track with Rick hanging onto the back of Keith’s car. Once Keith had equalled his own lap record he stopped playing and came in. Rick soon joined him as he was having clutch problems and wanted to save the car for the afternoon’s fun. Both Bellingers were out and Billy certainly wasn’t about to wait for the race when he spotted an opportunity to overtake his Dad - specially choosing a spot right in front of the gathered supporters on the bank at Russell to complete the manoeuvre. Billy’s joy was complete when he found that he had qualified a second ahead of the old man and would start the race a row ahead of him.

Leigh was also delighted to qualify ahead of both Bellingers as he was driving at his closest circuit and was to be cheered on by lots of members of his family, including his 97-year-old father. Kelvin, who was leading class D after the sixth round found himself behind both Bellingers and Phil B so would have to make up a lot of ground in the afternoon to hold on to his place.

Peter H’s car showed no sign of the last meeting’s engine problems as he powered around the track, particularly enjoying driving the car to the limit around Russell. Indeed the supporters club was awarding points for the most daring drivers around the aforementioned bend but the champagne for such an award would have to be shared between Peter, Jack and Rick. James was losing oil pressure around the bends so that is probably the reason that he wasn’t joining in the fun. Chas felt that his engine in the 4/4 was misfiring slightly and he later decided to withdraw from the race to give him adequate time to investigate and repair it properly before next Saturday’s Bentley Drivers Club meeting.

Simon OG had experienced some problems with his car cutting out during testing the previous day but they seemed to be solved by filling up his petrol tank before practice. Chris D also had problems with his engine cutting out but was pondering on it fruitlessly after practice.

When the results were issued Keith was on pole, Rick was second, Peter in third led class B with James in fourth and Chris A in fifth and Chas in sixth. Simon OG led class C from seventh, Jack led class D from twelfth and David brought up the field in seventeenth place to head himself in class E.

The weather held as the Morgans headed for the track at 3:15 to begin what was to prove a very entertaining race with action throughout the field. Rick had a great start and out dragged Keith to take the lead. Peter and James were level until Peter pulled away into the first corner with Chris A hot on James’s heels. Keith nearly stove into Rick as he braked earlier than Keith at the corner and Keith discovered that Rick’s brake lights weren’t working. They nearly weren’t there at all. Phil McK had a fantastic start overtaking Chris D, Simon OG and Sarge. Sarge too had a great start as did Jack, who most importantly overtook Billy. Simon OG had a dreadful one and Phil G spun at the first corner allowing David to nip past.

As the leaders roared past the supporters at Russell, Rick was in the lead with Keith hanging on his bumper followed at a distance by Peter with James threatening to hang on to his bumper and Chris A pursuing furiously. Then came a gaggle lead by Phil McK followed by Chris D, Sarge and Simon OG. The next pack comprised Jack, Leigh, Kelvin, Phil B, and Billy with David and Phil G bringing up the rear.

Keith managed to position himself behind Rick down the Revett Straight and pass him in the Esses. Then he put all his power down to try and stay ahead. Rick and Keith were locked together for the first three laps but then as expected Rick’s clutch pedal disappeared and he just contented himself with staying as close to Keith as he possibly could revelling in the fact that his car was performing well and that he was nearly ready to mount a serious challenge.

Peter began to pull away from James who then dropped back and was slipstreamed by Chris A. Simon OG and Chris D hassled one another for a few laps until Simon pulled ahead and Chris briefly visited the pits as his engine was cutting out again. Sarge and Simon then set about a hassling one another for most of the second half of the race while Chris D set about working his way back up the field.

Sarge managed to take the lead from Simon on lap six and celebrated by missing Russell to do some unaccustomed lawn mowing (it’s all set-aside in real life old boy!), and giving Helen the thumbs up as she waved to him from the crowd!

Jack and Leigh swapped places a couple of times with Leigh just retaining the lead from about lap 7. Billy, who had been swapping places with Phil B and Kelvin pulled away from them and then moved forward to begin hassling his Dad. This left Kelvin and Phil B to their own devises.

Every time Phil G and David came around Russell, Phil nearly passed David as they began to make their way up the Senna Straight, but each time as they approached the slight bend before the pits, David chopped him off. On about the eighth lap, Keith roared up behind them as they were once again trying this manoeuvre and he drove between the pair of them taking both hands off the wheel to thank each. Undaunted Phil still tried to take James for the rest of the race at this spot.

On the tenth lap Chris A, who had been slipstreaming James down the Revett Straight finally got past him putting the local man in fifth place. Undaunted James tailgated Chris for the next three laps until he got a better line out of Sear Corner on the very last lap and pulled alongside just as Chris’s rev limiter cut in on the approach to the Esses. James whipped past to hold Chris off for the rest of the lap and then to the flag.

The entertainment value to the crowd continued right up to the last lap. Keith took the chequered flag marking another class win and fastest lap and 48th outright win in a race. Rick came second, five and a half seconds behind Keith. Peter was third, taking class B and fastest lap, James was fourth and Chris fifth. Sarge was sixth and Simon OG in seventh took class C and fastest lap. Then came Phil M, Chris D, and Leigh all driving impeccably when suddenly Jack came screaming around Russell lost it on the grass at the exit, swerved back out onto the track nearly T-boning Billy who was also driving like a demon with his tonneau streaming out behind him like a black cloak. Billy recovered himself first and they roared towards the line with Billy making it first, but Jack consoling himself with a class D win and fastest lap. Kelvin who hadn’t seemed to find his form finished fourteen seconds behind in 13th place followed by Phil B and David in 15th winning his class naturally and Phil G in 16th.

Billy was awarded “ Driver of the Day” as youth and skill obviously overcame age and treachery on this occasion.

Next it is all the razzmatazz of the Bentley Drivers’ Club when we have a grid of twenty-seven so your scribe begs you to help her by finding her, as the paddock is very large and the parking erratic. Will this be Keith’s 50th win, or will he have to wait? What vintage champagne will he treat us all to? Bollinger or Krug? 1989 or 1985?

Ruth Horsman