Bits &PCSCs Issue 3 N&S
The newsletter of the PIPER CAMS MG Car Club Speed Championship
11th March 2000
News…News….News…
All change on the Championship title front. I am pleased to welcome PIPER CAMS on board as the new sponsor for the MG Car Club Speed Championship. Piper have been producing competition camshafts for over 35 years, supplying many of the country’s top touring car teams. They offer camshafts to suit all MGs and with profiles from mild road to full race. They are a welcome partner in this year’s championship, and hopefully for many years to come.
They are also offering special discounted prices for MGCC Speed Championship competitors, examples of which are given on an enclosed sheet, with full details available from PIPER CAMS; telephone 01233 500200.
And so it begins…..
The season is now up and running. With 3 weeks gone since the opening round at Finlake, we have 3 events completed, 2 Southern, 1 Northern. We also have the first calendar problems, but after last year nothing surprises me anymore. The planned Welsh Sprint in May seems to be disappearing fast. A meeting at Brawdy the day before Llys-y-Fran seems to have been cancelled. I’m not sure of the full details at the moment, but will endeavour to keep everyone informed. Similarly, it all seems very quiet on the High Auldgirth front. I have seen no regs and not heard from the organisers since I sent them a label run. They no longer seem to be in the MSA clubs listing and I have no phone number. I’m hoping they are just running late but I will write to check.
Finlake…was even more treacherous this year, with wet weather and petrol on the track the level of grip was described by one driver as like “a grass driving test, in long grass, with heavy rain”. Despite this (or possibly because of it) the FWD boys were well to the fore. In runs that were a combination of terminal understeer, followed by terminal oversteer (difficult to imagine in a front wheel drive car) Mike Heath was fastest of the small engined Standard cars, almost a full second ahead of Kim Dear, 1999’s Standard Midget Class winner. Up with the big engined boys, Max Tyler was second fastest MG of the day, in his Montego turbo, beaten only by Diggers, no doubt calling on those years of experience in the RAF rally team.
Notable drives on the day must include the exploits of David Butler, who was seen pirouetting across the outfield, much to the amusement of certain spectators, and the highly unusual sight of Stephen “spinner of the year 1999” Holford getting up the hill without incident on 2 occasions! I imagine the proximity of the brick walls had something to do with his uncharacteristic restraint!
Curborough.. was similarly a meeting of spinning wheels and spinning cars. Surprise, surprise Diggers’ VVC was fastest MG again, but this time he was pushed quite hard by the other MGFs of Paul Kershaw (1.8i) and Lloyd Tredell, who this year has started the season with a two tone car à la BAR in 1999, rather than having it imposed by availability of second hand panels!
Despite the weather the event was a terrific opener for the Northern series with 42 championship competitors, including 11 Southerners getting in a sneaky bit of practice for the summer meeting. Of these Russ Morgan was easily the fastest, and at over a second faster than Terry Pigott’s V8, made rather a mockery of dividing the Road-going Specials class this year. Other drives of note were the exquisite triple salko performed by Alison Pattinson in the MGB, not once, but twice, and the similar spiral maneuvers of Peter Bramble and Andy Long.
On a more serious front, Kevin Carruthers led the Modified Midgets home, while Mark Green staked an early claim for the Road-going Modified Midget class - although Allan Inwood is sure to respond later in the season, if only by investing in a set of A032Rs, the tyre of choice this season. In the Standard classes Michael Marsland post an exactly equal time to fellow Midget driver Ben Carpenter, while Jon Beresford upheld family honour taking the MGB class. In the Road-going MGBs the other two members of the family, David and Ian were fighting it out, with Ian taking the honours.
Lydden.. started with a little fog and frost but by first practise was warm and sunny. Lydden run a very efficient system where three cars are on the one mile track at one time and only one practise which is a standing start and then two flying laps. A few red flags for people in front meant a few got extra runs and some no complete run but all was set for sunny and fast
timed runs. On his first timed run Christoper Cooper did a beautiful spin at the tricky Devils Elbow 90 degree left hander. Terry Pigott was flying and Diggers seemed a little concerned with both Terry, Russell Morgan, David Butler, Mike Pollard and Paul Nothard ahead of him with even Carol Bloomfield not too far behind. He decided to go for a walk to do a bit of homework and take a look at the sweeping right hander Chessons Drift. Final run, Pollard did a great 360 spin at the very fast Paddock bend receiving applause as he managed to hold it and continue! Terry was again flying to slightly increase his time to keep fastest MG, but forgot to turn right at the finish and ended going straight on; so more tape on his front bumper! At the end of the event, after a delay for the times, Dignan's homework had paid off with a second and a half knocked off his 1st run to make him yet again the fastest MGF (but not without a little sweat this time!)
A great sunny fast day at Lydden was had by all, with the first new records of the season set by Terry, Diggers, Mike Pollard and David Butler, all of whom pick up 12 points. We also saw the first “target time” points collected to boost the scores of Russ Morgan and Paul Nothard. The day was made even better as all the action was captured on video due to the MG drivers managing to secure a deal with the camera man there for the afternoon’s racing.
So, as the first results table is published, the overall lead is shared by Terry, Diggers and David Butler all on 21 points, with Stephen Holford and Russ Morgan 4th with 19 and Paul Nothard rounding out the top 6 with 18. In the North a host of drivers are level on 9 points but with the amalgamations yet to be applied some of the scores are a bit misleading.
We can now look forward to the next round of meetings over the bank holiday week-end, after Bernie’s private racing club have had their Easter meeting at Silverstone.
Championship Decals
The good news is these will shortly be winging their way to you, the bad news is that they are windscreen strips. I am assured by Warren Johnson, he of the K-series Midget last season, that they will be narrow enough not to obscure visibility in a Midget, but if you find they do, particularly if you are a tall driver, then you can fix them elsewhere, but on a forward facing panel please. I’m sure there will be some debate on this, but it was a condition of the deal, so I’m afraid we will have to live with it for now.
Also on the admin front, Chris has asked me to ensure everyone has Mods Logs for this year. If you filled one in last year or earlier then you should be OK, but if you have changed car please let me know and I’ll send you out a new form. For those who are new this year, I’ll send forms out in the next couple of weeks, along with an explanation of what it’s all about.
Well that’s all for now, hope to see you soon.
Jim