Brands Hatch Indy 8th June 2008

Famous Kent circuit that is just 1.198 miles around the Indy circuit. Just 6 turns including the famous and challenging Paddock Hill Bend. Best viewing postion is in the grand stand at Paddock Hill Bend.

Round 6 – Brands Hatch 8th June

After enduring two freezing cold and wet races at Snetterton, the drives arrived at Brands Hatch on a warm and sunny early Summer day.

The race would be held on the Indy circuit. For many years this was known simply as the Club circuit but it was renamed the Indy circuit after a one-off visit by the American Indycars in the late 1970’s. The Indy circuit may only be 1.99 miles long but it presents a great challenge and it remains a popular venue with the MGOC drivers. A disappointing entry of just 32 cars were entered for what were sure to be two entertaining races.

Class A/F
Pole position was taken by the MGF of Stuart Plotnek who was hoping to extend his lead in Class F after winning three of the opening five races. Martin Wills, who was celebrating his 40th birthday, was alongside Plotnek on the front row ahead of Ian Evans, Paul Savage, Robin Walker and Mark Baker.

Jim Baynam had repaired the gearbox problems that frustrated him at Snetterton and took Class A pole by the tiny margin of .007 secs from the 1275 Midget of Will Sharpe. At racing speed, .007 of a second represents approximately 9 inches showing the close nature of the racing at Brands Hatch. Paul Eales in the Oselli sponsored MGBGT and the 1500 Midget of Chris Pollard were on row 6 ahead of Phil Waterman, John Kimber, Natalie Jarvis who outqualified her father Chris Flooks and Ken Aylett.

The cars all made a good clean start and Wills took an early lead from Plotnek with Evans in 3rd place just ahead of Walker, Savage and Higton. The early stages of the race saw Wills under great pressure from Plotnek but the Maidenhead driver, was holding on well to the delight of his many supporters in the grandstand. The leaders had opened up a comfortable gap over Evans who was 30 metres clear of an excellent battle between Walker and Savage.

Wills managed to fend off Plotneks advances until lap 10 when the white MGF nosed ahead at Paddock Hill Bend to take the lead. Wills then found himself under pressure over the closing laps from Evans and Savage. The last lap was a frantic dash to the flag with Evans taking 2nd place by inches from Wills with Savage less than a cars length back in 3rd place with Walker taking 4th place after a good dice with Higton.

In Class A, Baynam made a perfect start and by then end of the opening lap had a 30 metre lead over Sharpe. Both Baynam and Sharpe found themselves frustrated by some of the slower MGF’s and their lap times were significantly slower than in Practice. Baynam was struggling to get past the MGF of Mark Baker but with Sharpe involved in a battle with the MGF of Wisbey and the MGBGT of Eales the gap stayed much the same throughout the race.

Sharpe managed to get past Wisbey on lap 11and with a clear track ahead of him set off after the leader but it was too late and Baynam went on to take his first win of the season by 3.2 secs from Sharpe with Eales 3rd ahead of Pollard, Waterman, Kimber, Flooks, Natalie Jarvis and Ken Aylett.

Class B/Z
The leading two ZR’s were both under the existing lap record but pole position was taken by the familiar yellow MGZR160 with a remarkable time of 57.84 secs from Dave Mellor. Row 2 was taken by the returning Jon Perry and Nick Golhar with Adrian Olsson and Trevor Dixon on row 3.

Stratton Mackay took pole position in Class B from Snetterton winner Lee Sullivan with Ben Short in 3rd place ahead of Mark Halsall, Paul Haylett, John Perkins, Andrew Robinson, Arthur Mackay and Chris Miller.

As the red lights went out, Smith was the first to show at the front and lead into Paddock Hill Bend from Mellor. The two leaders soon pulled away from the chasing pack and by lap 5 were 50 metres ahead of Olsson who had got past Golhar with Perry a further 50 metres back in 5th place. The two drivers at the front of the field were putting on a great show with Mellor closing in on Smith into Paddock Hill Bend but Smith looked in control and positioned his car perfectly to deny Mellor at every corner. The leaders had a fright when Perkins spun off at Paddock Hill Bend on lap 12 then Mellor dropped back after an incident with a backmarker on lap 13 leaving Smith to take his fourth win of the season from Mellor with Olsson taking a hard earned 3rd place finishing a length ahead of Jon Perry who drove well on his return to the Championship to take 4th place ahead of Golhar and Dixon.

Lee Sullivan had a superb start and by the end of the opening lap lead Class B by fully 50 metres from Mackay who was busy fending of Halsall and Short. By mid-race, Sullivan has a substantial lead and, with Mackay battling hard with Short, looked set to repeat his Snetterton successes. What had been an excellent race for 2nd place sadly came to and when Mackay retired with a smoking engine on lap 6 leaving Short in a comfortable 2nd place ahead of a good battle between Halsall and Haylett. Sullivan went on to take an other impressive win with Short 2nd and a delighted Halsall taking his first ever podium position from Haylett, Perkins, Arthur Mackay and Chris Miller.