Category: 2023

33RD 2CV 24 HOURS – SNETTERTON

TOVEY TAKES THE SPOILS AND CHAMPIOSHIP TITLE

There were the usual dramas, the usual surprises and even the weather turned for the final half hour. But the KT Racing trio of Kris Tovey, Louis Tyson and Peter Rundle proved to be the dominant force, having led the hourly round up from the third to the chequered flag.

Twin Snails had problems before taking the start, which left James Northfield playing catch up from a pitlane start.

It was Minis to the fore from lights out, with Pete Sparrow heading the 2CV’s for 2CV Lion after the first lap, with Tovey already in second.

Misfits and Team Toyshed soon made a break for the overall lead, with Not Fast but Furious joining them, while Sparrow, Tovey, Team Gadget’s Tom Perry and Pork Pie Racing’s Jon Harmer were line astern at the head of the 2CV field.

But Sparrow was soon heading pitwards for a very early engine change and as the first hour was completed Not Fast but Furious’s Alice Hughes led a Mini filled top seven, from Toyshed, Mini Frog and APO, while Crisis at Tete Rouge’s Ian Gibbon, Harmer and Perry were line astern for the 2CV’s before a 3.4 secs gap to Tovey.

Sparrow had lost 11 laps, after the crankshaft had broken, but two more shortstops were required for jet adjustments.

Super Scheneke with Jelly Snake were early stoppers too when Ian Pearson came in for an engine change, followed soon afterwards by Team Gadget and Giles Owen in the Lion-Hansgrohe car.

Twins Snails came in with a plug lead off as they swapped Northfield for Paul Rowland, but at the front APO, Not Fast but Furious, Slarky Malarky and Toyshed led the way for Mini Grands, after both Mini-Uns and Mini Frog had gone a lap down at the two-hour mark.

It was into the third hour and into the night that KT really came to the fore, with Tyson and Rundle keeping Tovey’s title aspirations on track too.

But the Crisis at Tete Rouge quartet of Gibbon, Brian Heerey, Nick Roads and Andrew Bull continued to head the pursuit, but by midnight they were a lap apart, but still fifth and sixth behind the leading Mini quartet.

Misfits and Slarky Malarky had escaped the rest of the Minis, with APO and Not Fast but Furious both a lap down.
Crisis at Tete Rouge and Pork Pie had managed to pull a gap too, duelling for fifth overall as well as the 2CV advantage, but KT were waiting in the wings in third.

Pork Pie Racing had slipped down the order to 12th in the 2CV’s and Team Gadget were trying to fight back in eighth, behind SL, Twin Snails, 2CV Lion, Blueberry Muffins and Rosie/Walford Racing.

Through the night and as dawn broke the pitlane was full of dramas with few teams escaping some sort of catastrophe.

“Our first stop was when the lumenition broke and at about 11.30pm we were sixth, then I got up at 3am and we were nearly last, having lost two engines. Tom, Sandro Proietti and Nick Home all had problems and we rebuilt one engine in the car. Just before 9am another one went, but we saved 12 laps by not having tow back, but lost 80 and finally threw the towel in,” explained Team Gadget’s Simon Clarke.

Second placed Crisis at Tete Rouge hadn’t escaped either. “The engine went after the flywheel had exploded, so it was hard getting the engine out and we continued with only half a bell housing too,” said Heerey. “When it went I thought everything had gone,” said Roads, who was driving at the time.

Rosie/Walford Racing had briefly been in second too during the night, “Steve Walford was in the car when the rear suspension broke about 5am and pitched him into the air, so we had to be dragged back to the pits,” said Mick Storey.

But it was still plain sailing at the front for KT, who were third overall too at the completion of 15 hours, “I had done the start for about 2 1/2hrs and then got in again at 10pm and 3am. I think we had the least number of stops, no crisis but just a brief concern over a possible oil leak, which came to nothing,” said Tovey.

2CV Lion had started to make a comeback, “we lost 3 ½ engines as we managed to make one good one from two, “ said David O’Keeffe, who had forecast the traumas ahead before the race had started.

Dilligaf Racing had also fought back after a number of crises. “Sean Sidley broke the fan, the clutch pedal broke when James Dartiailh was in the car, then it was the offside shocker, followed by the nearside one, but I did hit a Mini, when it spun in front of me,” Nick Crispin explained.

Slarky Malarky had taken charge at the head of the field through the night, with Ian and Neil Slark joined by Ryan Taylor and former 24hr race winner and 2CV Alec Graham, making his Mini debut.

After a torrential rainstorm, including hail stones and a couple of very late safety car interventions, Neil Slark finally took the flag four laps clear of the Misfits quartet of Neven Kirkpatrick, Dave Rees, Stephen Rideout and Paul Ogborn.

Not Fast but Furious had been in contention until about 8am ish, with Alice and Bethany Hughes, sharing with Robyn English and Sam Bowler, but after English had an off it was race over.

So third overall was the KT Racing trio, 12 laps clear of the Toyshed Mini and 17 clear of Crisis at Tete Rouge, were took second best 2CV.

The APO Mini of Alex Osborne, James May and Tom Matton was brought home to the flag by Lee Poolman, sounding very flat, while completing the 2CV podium in seventh overall were Twin Snails, with Martin Riman, Luca Proietti, Rowland and Northfield.

Next up were the Rosie/Walford Racing car of Steve and Julie Walford, with Mick Storey and Ethan Sparrow, followed by Lion Hansgrohe’s Owen, Roy Eastwood and Max Wyer, from ECAS Glenn Oswin, Howard Wright, Martin Sunderland and Matthew Arrowsmith-Brown, after Dilligaf slipped from the top six, after stopping out on track.

So, the Champion is crowned and the season is over, as we look forward to 2024.

Full result sheet: https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=BARC/2023/2334212cv.pdf

TOVEY SETS THE PACE AGAIN

It’s rare for anyone to take a dominant win in 2CV Racing, but that was the case for Kris Tovey in the first of the weekend races at Oulton Park.

Andrew Bull led the charge down the Avenue, as Tovey duelled for second with Sandro Proietti. “I had great traction at the start, but was too hot into Island and it snapped away from me,” said Bull.

“He was sideways so I sneaked through on the inside,” added Tovey as he led into Shell, from Nick Roads, Proietti, David O’Keeffe, Max Wyer and Nick Crispin, with Bull recovering in eighth, behind Chris Yates.

Tovey soon began to extend his lead on the damp track, with Roads consolidating second initially. Crispin was on the move too, into fourth at the expense of O’Keeffe, who had sixth placed Julie Walford closing on him.

Roads exited wide at Cascades on a lap three, compromising his run along Lakeside, as Proietti, Crispin and O’Keeffe all charged by. But Crispin then squeezed past Proietti into Knickerbrook after cresting Hilltop side by side and it was now a six-car train for second up Clay Hill.

With Tovey long gone, Crispin started to get away in second too, but once he was back into third, O’Keeffe closed in again and went nose to tail through Knickerbrook on lap five, as Proietti led seven cars vying for fourth, from Bull, Walford, Roads, Matthew Hollis, Yates and Ethan Sparrow.

Tovey took his win by over 15 seconds, “I really didn’t expect to get away like that and I was just able to pick my own lines,” he said.

Crispin just held off O’Keeffe to retain second, “it went much better after the hub problem in qualifying. David was very close but I knew where I was quickest and kept him behind,” he said.

“I thought about a late lunge for the last three laps or so, but didn’t want to hit Nick,” O’Keeffe replied.

Proietti looked to be heading for fourth, until it all went wrong on the last lap. “I got a good start, but as the track started to dry it became a handful and they were queuing to get by, then I went wide at Cascades on the last lap,” he explained.

Bull fought back to take fourth, from Sparrow, while Proietti managed to reclaim sixth from Roads, who also lost out to Yates in sight of the finish.

Hollis was ninth with Walford completing the top 10, after she had to slow due to brake problems, but still had plenty in hand to keep Wyer at bay.

Simon Turner was next up, with Nicholas Home 12th, just ahead of Martin Riman.

Giles Owen was on his own in 14th, while Matthew Arrowsmith-Brown, Shirley Hennessy and Seb Jones-White came home in line for 16th.

Chris Hall, Andi Donaldson and Howard Wright all made it home, with Laurence Broadhurst completing the finishers a lap down, after Storey and Etchells retired.

The second race was due to be 15 minutes, but was reduced to 12.

Luca Proietti led into Old Hall on a damp track, but was soon under pressure. “They had a better run out of Cascades,” he said as Tovey was ahead, with Pete Sparrow in the Walford car, Bull, O’Keeffe and Hollis all challenging.

Sparrow snatched second as the lead trio made the break on lap two, leaving Bull a solitary fourth. Hollis and O’Keeffe had little between them in the dual for fifth, but after a strong start Wyer started to fall back, as Riman advanced.

There had been a few exchanges at the front, but Sparrow finally took charge and took victory by 0.350 secs from Tovey. “I was a bit sideways exiting Knickerbrook lap after lap, but I don’t mind losing to Pete,” said Tovey.

Proietti was still in with a shout until the last lap, “then I went wide at Druids,” he said as he still held onto third. “Lonely but challenging,” said fourth placed Bull, who managed to stay well clead of O’Keeffe.

“It was bone dry at Shell but damp elsewhere, but I just concentrated on keeping it on the black stuff,” O’Keeffe explained, after escaping from Hollis after three laps.

Riman had climbed to seventh, but then started to lose ground again on the last lap. “I picked up a small misfire and the chasing cars got a run on me into Island on the last lap,” he explained. Seventh had become ninth by the flag, as both Yates and Roads got by, while Mick Storey headed a three-car train for 10th, from Ainslie Bousfield and Wyer.

Crispin battled through from the back of the grid to take 13th, from Jones-White, Turner, Hennessy, Neal Graham and Glenn Oswin, while Donaldson, Etchells, Wright, George Broadhurst and Jennifer Hall were a lap down, with Knight completing the finishers two laps down.

That’s the end of the 2CV Sprint season, as all eyes are now on Snetterton’s August Bank Holiday weekend, for the 33rd running of the annual 24hr race.

HONOURS EVEN FOR CRISPIN & TOVEY

It was non stop action all the way through both sprint races, in the 2CV Championships annual visit to Pembrey.

Dilligaf’s Nick Crispin led race one into Hatchetts, from KTR’s Kris Tovey, 2CV Lion’s David O’Keeffe, Tete Rouge’s Andy Bull and a side by side Nick Roads and Sandro Proietti.

O’Keefe fell back at the Senna Esses, as Bull moved up, but there was a huge scrap behind with the pack constantly reshuffling.

Tovey went ahead into Hatchetts on the second lap, with Bull trying to follow, before Crispin reclaimed the place through Dibeni.

The lead quartet had a slight gap to fifth placed Martin Riman, but it all closed up again when the safety car appeared for a couple of laps, as Richard Plyer’s three-wheel 2CV was recovered.

From the green flag Proietti led into Brooklands, before Crispin retook, but Julie Walford joined them to go three a breast through Honda, with Tovey, Roads and O’Keeffe three abreast for fourth too. Bull had dropped to eighth though behind Ainslie Bousfield.

Exiting Hatchetts it was anyone from six, but both Walford and O’Keeffe had shaken off Tovey.

Back at the front Proietti was alongside Crispin as they started the penultimate lap, but Crispin was back in front as Walford closed in too.

Nothing was settled andProietti was back in front once more, as Tovey lost ground after being forced onto the grass, but Crispin was ahead when it counted. Taking his first win of the season by 0.53 secs, with Walford a close third, after further exchanges with O’Keeffe.

Max Wyer finished strongly, taking five places on the last lap for fifth, closely followed by Bousfield and Bull. Riman, Roads and Chris Yates completed the top 10, with Championship leader Tovey falling to 12th on the last lap. “There was water in my fuel,” he explained.

“I had to work very hard for that. There was a bit of touching and rubbing, but a clean race, spent looking for who was going to dive bomb me next,” said the victorious Crispin.

“My best race for a while, but my plan failed, I led but he passed me again,” said second placed Proietti.

“Thrilled with that, my car was really good through Honda in particular,” added Julie Walford in third.

Crispin led into Hatchetts again at the start of race two favouring the outside line, to lead Bull, Tovey, Luca Proietti, Roads and Riman.

But Riman and Steve Walford were both off at Brooklands, with the cars appeared to be stuck together, their race was over.

The top three started to edge away, as Proietti hit the front through Dibeni, from Crispin and Tovey, as Bull started to lose ground again.

As Crispin went back ahead it was five for second place, with Bull diving down the inside into Hatchetts, emerging second after a great recovery, only to lose it back to Proietti through Dibeni.

Proietti then led with Crispin down to fourth, as Bull and Tovey went by, then for a brief moment the top three began to escape once more, as five cars were contesting fourth place.

Tovey was back in front again on lap six and started to build a slight lead, as O’Keeffe came through, after taking Proietti and Bull, while Crispin was down to sixth with a front mudguard rubbing.

Almost akin to a cycling peleton, lap eight arrived and Tovey though still ahead, leading an eight car train, from O’Keeffe, Crispin, Proietti, Bull, Roads, Matthew Hollis and Chris Yates.

Proietti then took O’Keeffe again through Dibeni, before Bull then unsuccessfully tried to split them, before O’Keeffe retook the place into the Senna Esses.

As O’Keeffe tried to push for the lead, Crispin managed to jump both Bull and Proietti, as the penultimate lap approached.

Into Hatchetts O’Keeffe had the inside and led out, but Tovey retook at Dibeni, with Proetti second as they went onto the last lap.

It was still anyone’s race, but in the final sort out Tovey just held on for his third win of the season, with 0.380 secs in hand.

But Crispin had snatched second place at the Crossing, as Bull, O’Keeffe, Roads and Hollis finished line astern, with Proeitti dropping to sixth, after taking Honda for the final time on the grass.

Yates, Wyer and Nicholas Home completed the top 10 finishers.

With the Sprint races completed on Saturday, there was a 100 minutes Enduro on Sunday. It came down to a duel between Crispin/Pete Sparrow in the Dilligaf car and Baycon Racing’s Sandro and Luca Proietti.

Dilligaf had led most of the first half, but they swapped and changed on almost every lap in the second half, with the Proeitti’s finally taking the spoils on the last lap by only 0.477 secs.

Tete Rouge’s Andy Bull had Alec Graham sharing as they came home third, with Wyer/Louis Tyson and Bousfield/Home fourth for 2CV Lion and Team Gadget respectively, and last of the runners to remain unlapped.

Tovey went solo in the KTR car to complete the top six, while Team Toyshed were unopposed in the Mini Grand Class, with Michael Dryden and Robert Selley, sharing with Chris and Andy Slade.

The next round of the Championship is at Oulton Park on July 8th.

TOVEY DOUBLE AT SEASON OPENER

Kris Tovey started his 2CV Racing season in the best possible way, a double win at Cadwell Park.

Nick Crispin lined up on pole for the first race in the DD Racing car, with Tovey’s KTR Developments car alongside, while defending Champion David O’Keeffe and Martin Riman shared the second row of the 21 car grid, for Team 2CV Lion and Classic 41.

Ainslie Bousfield’s Team Gadget was a casualty before the start though, “it went on to one cylinder on my way to the grid,” he explained.

As the lights went out Crispin headed Tovey through Coppice and they soon began to pull away, as Baycon Racing’s Sandro Proietti and O’Keeffe began their duel for third, after O’Keeffe had ousted Matthew Hollis.

O’Keeffe was into third on lap two and behind them Hollis was battling to defend from Andrew Bull, but couldn’t hold off the Tete Rouge car.

With the top six paired off, Chris Yates pulled back into the paddock, so Riman, Max Wyer, Simon Turner and Neal Graham completed the rest of the early top 10.

Riman was under pressure though too, from Wyer and Turner, while back at the front it was all change, with Tovey in front, from Crispin, Proeitti and O’Keeffe.

Hollis had managed to retake fifth from Bull on lap five, only to lose it again a lap later, as Riman continued to fight off Wyer for seventh.

Tovey was still out in front, but Proietti came out of Park on lap six in second and set about his challenge for the lead.
“I had worked with David at the start to close on the lead pair, never thought I would challenge for the lead though,” said Proietti.

He was soon back to fourth though after exiting Barn on the grass, which allowed both Crispin and O’Keeffe to go by.

As they charged down the Park Straight for the penultimate time, Crispin made his move to lead out of Chris Curve and once again there was a small gap back to third placed O’Keeffe again.

Crispin was just holding on, but the pressure on. “I just went wide onto kerb at the Mountain, but it gave Kris the momentum and he got me into Hall Bends,” Crispin explained.

Tovey had pulled out a 1.794 secs gap by the flag, with O’Keeffe just holding onto third from Proietti. “I was just trying to keep Sandro behind, he was all over me, one minute one side, the next minute the other,” he explained.

“I had been ready to accept second from the start, but relatively in control when I had the lead,” Tovey added as he celebrated his victory.

Bull managed to break Hollis’s tow to secure fifth place, “It was good fun and really chuffed with sixth as I was in my Dad’s car,” said Hollis.

Both Wyer and Turner managed to oust Riman on lap six, and Julie Walford rounded off the top 10, after a delayed start. “I was sliding all over the place with understeer,” Riman explained.

Neal Graham was next home, well clear of Chris Hall and Shirley Hennessy, while in 15th Christine Savage had Laurence Broadhurst close at the flag.

Richard Knight, Colin Etchells and Howard Wright completed the finishers.

All 21 cars made it to the grid for race two, but Seb Jones-White was soon back in the paddock after retiring from race one.

Crispin once again led Tovey into Coppice with Luca Proietti third, but it was Tovey ahead up the Hill into Charlies, as Crispin struggled with fuel starvation.

O’Keeffe and Bull were next up, but Hollis soon ousted Bull from fifth.

Crispin still had good pace and was able to stay with Tovey as they began to ease clear on the second lap, while behind O’Keeffe now headed a six-car train, from Proietti, Hollis, Bull, Wyer and Riman.

By the end of lap four Tovey had broken the tow again, but a couple of laps Crispin had managed to close it up, and took O’Keeffe and Proietti with him.

Into the final couple of laps and Crispin was under attack, with O’Keeffe through with a lap to go and Proietti on the final tour.

Tovey took the win again, but O’Keeffe was second and only 0.505 secs down, after a bit of a leaning session with Proietti.

“I got the lead up the hill at the start and just held it all the way,” Tovey concluded as he celebrated his winning double.
Crispin was still fourth, but Hollis had closed considerably on the last lap. “I could see them all messing about in front, so we worked together and closed the gap, and I nearly got Nick at the end,” said Hollis.

Bull completed the top six, “it was better than the first race, much closer and I tried to get Matthew at first, then just worked with him,” he explained.

Wyer took seventh from Riman on the final tour, but were still close at the flag, with Steve Walford poised to make a late challenge too.

Yates rounded off the top 10, with Nicholas Home next at the flag, closely followed by Neil Savage and Simon Turner.
Ethan Sparrow just kept George Broadhurst at bay for 14th and the remaining finishers were Giles Owen, Hennessy, Jennifer Hall, Martin Sunderland and Etchells.

The next rounds of the Championship are at Pembrey on May 20-21, with two 15 minute sprint races and a 90 minute enduro.