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It may have been a 24 hour race but the Beacon Downe quartet of Kris Tovey, Peter Rundle, Louis Tyson and Richard Gardiner were never far away from the head of the field, having joined the initial break in the first hour.

While the guesting Euro spec cars and Mini’s sped off to do their own thing, an early five car break for the UK 2CV’s was led by Baycon Racing’s Sandro Proietti, from Team Lion 1’s Pete Sparrow, Gadget’s Simon Clarke, Tete Rouge Crisis’ Brian Heerey and Jon Harmer in the Pork Pie Racing car.

The places swapped and changed within the group as Heerey and Harmer had a share of the lead, which allowed Beacon Downe’s Kris Tovey and Rosie’s Julie Walford to latch on too.

But Heerey was an early pit visitor to repair damage after contact, from where Clarke, Proietti and Sparrow made a brief escape.
The first safety car then appeared to recover a stranded Mini, but from the green flag Sparrow took the upperhand, as he led Proietti, Clarke and Tovey in a four-car break.

With the first hour completed there were still 16 cars on the lead lap, but the lead quartet had managed to stay away.

Julie Walford was one of the first frontrunners to make a planned stop, handing the Rosie car to Katy Storey from fifth. “Although we got detached from the top four, we still had a hard battle,” she said.

Drama soon followed however when the overall leader hit Sparrow during lappery, sending him across the track, where he was hit by Jelly Snake’s Neil Huggins. Out came the safety car again and a flurry of pitstops followed.

“None of us really wanted to lead in that front group, so we were almost waiting for each other to take it up. But then Pete was clipped by the lapping car and it sent him across the track. I had to take to the grass to avoid him, but then he was hit,” said Gadget’s Simon Clarke.

Clarke had handed to Tom Perry having led at two hours, but it was the same four car break, with Harmer in fifth and Twin Snails James Northfield completing the top six.

As darkness started to fall Proietti had a slightly longer stop when a rear wheel bearing problem was located as father Sandro came in to hand to son Luca.

By three hours there were just the three on the lead lap, Perry had Team Gadget to the fore, with a seven second gap to Beacon Downe’s Tyson, while Katy Storey was a lap up on Twin Snails’ Paul Rowland, but had the Dan Willan Coaches ECAS car and the recovering Baycon car of Proietti Junior closing in.

Paul Crosby had been in the ECAS car and continued to bring them closer to the lead battle, with ex Clubmans racer Philip Martin-Dye due in next, after his son Freddie had started.

Beacon Downe were out in front though for the first time as the fourth hour was completed, with ECAS second, from Team Gadget, Twin Snails, Baycon and Rosie.

Over the next few hours the Beacon Downe and Team Gadget cars alternated for the lead, dependant on their stops, but as the half way mark was reached, Beacon Downe had managed to pull out a five lap cushion.

Team Gadget had lost ground and slipped to sixth, but after Martin Riman and Aubrey Brocklebank had done their stints for Twin Snails, they had edged into second ahead of ECAS. “There was an engine problem and fuel pressure, so we had to change it,” said Gadget’s Lien Davies.

Heerey, Glen Oswin, Nick Roads and Martin Arrowsmith-Brown had brought Tete Rouge Crisis back to fourth while Blueberry Muffins ran strongly during the night to move up to sixth with Nick Moore and Scott Lawson sharing Chris Yates’ car. “It was good steady run but we had intermittent carb problems,” said Yates.

While Baycon Racing’s initial pace kept them in contention, further maladies had slipped them down to 19th but after their contact damage had been repaired, Team Lion 1 were back up to 10th after some sterling work by Sparrow, Alec Graham and David O’Keeffe.

The lead trio remained unchanged until the 15th hour, when ECAS moved into second and Tin Snails started to lose out, as Tete Rouge Crisis progressed again.

But at the front the Beacon Downe continued to cruise through the remaining hours, clinching victory by five laps from Dan Willan Coaches Team ECAS. “We have never been so dominant as a team. We lost the starter motor so had to push start for the last 10 hours and a hybrid spun in front of us early morning and broke one of our lights, otherwise faultless,” said Beacon Downe’s Louis Tyson.

Team Gadget worked hard to climb back into contention, ousting Tete Rouge Crisis and Tin Snails at the 20th hour to complete the podium. “We had a front wheel shear from the hub,” said Tin Snails Riman. “Our alternator went but we got back to the pits OK and didn’t lose too much,” added Davies after he brought Team Gadget to the flag for team mates Clarke, Perry and Ainslie Bousfield, despite having picked up a couple of drive through penalties, much to the amusement of the rest of the pitlane.

Tete Rouge held onto fourth, with Team Lion 1 reclaiming fifth in the final hours, as Blueberry Muffins lost out, falling behind Team Lion and Savage Motorsport over the last four hours, after Lawson had contact which broke the fan, cooked the engine and brought it in for an engine change.

Despite their early damage Jelly Snake were eighth with MIN Racing and Tin Snails rounding off the top 10.

Early frontrunners Baycon and Rosie were finally classified 11th and 14th respectively, after Rosie had Katy Storey bounce off the Armco early morning and their final engine blow with a couple of hours to go when Darren Shepsman missed a gear.

“Three engine changes but we managed to finish the race with one rebuilt in the garage and it lasted for 13 hours, “said Sandro Proietti after Meyrick Cox brought it home.

Overall victory was comfortably in the hands of the visiting Bnll1/GT Racing Euro spec car, 24 laps clear of the sister car, while the guesting Mini’s saw Team Misfits taking the spoils.

Timing sheet: https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=BARC/2018/1833212cv.pdf

In true 2CV style it was action all the way in both races at Donington Park last weekend.

Pete Sparrow led into Redgate in the first race, from title rivals Matthew Hollis, with Nick Crispin third at the OId Hairpin. Steve Walford was in fourth until he took to the grass at the Old Hairpin, but came back into huge scramble for the chicane.

Mick Storey, Crispin, Ainslie Bousfield and Lien Davies went in four abreast, but somehow Walford passed them all to exit in third. “It was just opportunist as a gap opened on the inside,” said Walford.

Such was the battle for third, it enabled Sparrow and Hollis to escape at the front. Walford however was leading a seven car train on lap two, before Bousfield got by at McLeans, while Nick Roads then lost out with a grassy excursion.

Davies completed the lap heading the now six car line, but both Bousfield and Walford took him back a lap later into the chicane. “My car was a bit oversteery, erratically so, but the brakes were great,” said Walford.

It was constantly changing, but Sandro Proietti was the next to lose ground, falling to the back of the chasing group. Davies and Walford had contact at the chicane however and as they arrived at Redgate for the fifth time, Crispin was with Walford, who then went wide again at the Old Hairpin, before Crispin finally snatched the place at the chicane, with Bousfield following.

Hollis had continued to shadow Sparrow for the lead and it was only through lappery in the second half that the tow was finally broken. “I was quicker into Coppice than Pete and had the pace on the straight. I thought about having a go at the chicane a few times, but decided to wait until the last lap and launch it. I didn’t get the chance though as I was held up and could see Nick closing too,” said Hollis.

“Matt drove really well and I couldn’t have gone any faster. I just had the edge on straightline speed I think, but he was able to draft and stay with me. I kept expecting him to have a go, but then he got blocked,” Sparrow added.

Crispin and Bousfield also made a slight break after seven laps, which left Storey, Walford, Proietti and Davies fighting for fifth.
Storey then started to close on the third placed duel, but Davies hadn’t given up either, despite a few off road excursions.

But into McLeans on the penultimate lap, Bousfield ran wide and Davies was through. It was enough for Crispin to seal third, while Bousfield fought back to recover fourth from team mate Davies on the last lap.

Storey completed the top six, with Walford seventh and Roads eighth, after he took Proietti on the last lap. “I had damaged the fan early on and had oil leaking onto the brakes, so was happy sitting at the back of the train,” said Proietti.

Chris Yates completed the top 10, after a hard fought battle with Marc Grasby and Brent Savage over the closing laps.

It was Sparrow to the fore again in race two, but not for long. Crispin was second into the Old Hairpin and had the lead at McLeans. Into Coppice however Sparrow and Luca Proietti went by, leaving the erstwhile leader holding off Tom Perry, Brian Heerey and Simon Clarke for third.

Proietti was inches behind Sparrow for most of lap two, as both went clear as third became another six car battle, with Perry and Clarke both demoting Crispin.

Perry managed to leapfrog both of the lead pair on lap three, making his break with Proietti, while Sparrow tried to fend off Clarke for third.
Sparrow appeared to be struggling for grip, but at the front Clarke had managed to open a gap on team mate Perry, as seven cars shared the chasing group.

Proietti’s hold on third came under threat from Heerey, after he started to drop back from the duelling Gadget pair briefly.

Perry took a brief look at his rival into the chicane on the last lap, but they held station with Clarke taking the win.

With a lap to go Heerey ousted Proietti at Redgate to secure third, but Luca retained fourth, clear of Sparrow and Crispin as they rounded off the top six. Fifth however was enough for Sparrow to become champion again. “The car was Ok for about five laps, then really wayward and sideways. So I had to back off a bit as I didn’t want to crash,” said the Champion.

Matthew Hollis was a fairly solitary seventh at the end, with Kristian Tovey eighth, after he finally overcame Julie Walford, and Martin Riman was tenth. “I needed to beat Pete Sparrow to keep the championship alive, but lost out at the chicane on the opening lap. I had oil leaking onto my brakes and was locking up at every corner, but got him and Nick Crispin for one lap, but they took me back at the Old Hairpin,” said Hollis.

This year’s championship has been more open than in recent years, a point Champion Pete Sparrow was quick to illustrate, “I have not won with out and out speed this year, there has been some serious competition , with Matthew, Luca, the Gadget boys, Nick and Brian Heerey now too. I had to work hard for it and glad it’s settled before the 24hr race.”

The 24hr race is at Snetterton on August 17th-19th weekend and will conclude this year’s 2CV Racing season in the UK.

Full results and laptimes: https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=BARC/2018/1829212cv.pdf

There was no shortage of action again as the 2CV Championship visited Oulton Park with a 23 car grid.

Pete Sparrow just pipped Ainslie Bousfield for pole in race one, but it was Sparrow with the lead into Old Hall, from Bousfield, as Lien Davies and Sandro Proietti duelled for third.

As the lead quartet had started to build a gap by the end of the first lap, Nick Crispin led the chasers, with Matthew Hollis and Nick Roads on his heels.

As the top three continued to fight, Davies struggled to stay in touch, similarly Crispin had already lost out to Hollis and Roads, before Steve Walford came by too as they completed the second lap.

Already missing though were Alec Graham and Ash Carter, before Proietti joined them too. “Coming over Hilltop it caught fire as the battery had cooked itself,” said Graham. “My throttle pedal snapped when I was tucked in tight behind Ainslie, so I had to park it,” Proietti added.

Having continued line astern for the next three laps, Bousfield snatched the lead into Old Hall but was soon back to second, while Davies was still hanging on too, despite having lost his brakes.

Behind them Roads and Hollis had continued to swap and change for fourth, as Walford started to consolidate sixth. Mick Storey was up to seventh, with Crispin trying his best to hold on.

It had already been close but it got even closer, with the top three completing the seventh lap virtually side by side, before Bousfield nosed ahead again into Old Hall.

Time had almost run out but it was still any one from three onto the last lap. But as they arrived at Lodge for the final time Bousfield was still ahead, but there was contact with Sparrow. “I was defending on the inside and hit me, tucking the rear wheel under the car. It had been a good race until then,” said Bousfield.

Sparrow took the flag first on the road, but was given a 12 second penalty, dropping him to fifth behind Bousfield and handing victory to the brakeless Davies.

Roads finally held off Hollis for third, but both were promoted following Sparrow’s penalty. “My first podium,” said Roads. “We were each quicker on different parts of the track and were almost on the leaders pace. But it didn’t handle well,” Hollis added.

Storey finished a solitary sixth. “I was following Nick Crispin for a while, but his kept missing on the corners and then he finally stopped,” he said.

Storey’s next target had been Walford, and that change came a lap from home. “Steve was just in front of me, but his gear lever came off, jammed the steering wheel and he couldn’t turn so spun,” he added.

Walford still managed to hold onto seventh with Crispin retiring, while Marc Grasby and Chris Yates finished inches apart, as Nigel Hollis completed the top 10. “That equalled my best finish, but I was nearly out of fuel,” Grasby admitted. “I was so tempted to have a go at Marc into Lodge on that last lap though, “Yates added.

Debutant Darren Shepsman just missed out on a top 10, while Richard Gardiner, Roy Eastwood, Aubrey Brocklebank, John Widdowson, Brent Savage, Michael Fox and Chris Hall were the other finishers.

It was close again from the start of race two, but Sparrow led initially, from Luca Proietti, Brian Heerey and Mick Storey.

It was Proietti that started to press Sparrow for the lead on lap two, leaving Heerey and Simon Clarke to fight for third, as Storey started to fall back.

But as the top four closed up again on lap three, Tom Perry had ousted Storey for fifth and both had managed to latch back onto the lead group.

Behind them Hollis had gone solo, while Graham and Julie Walford disputed eighth, having eased clear of Grasby.

Heerey was on the move though and having taken Proietti at the beginning of lap four, he led down the Avenue a lap later, before Sparrow was back alongside at Lakeside.

Although Sparrow got back in front, it was Proietti next to challenge, as he joined Sparrow and Heerey for the charge up Clay Hill.
Sparrow led at the end of the lap, but Clarke had managed to jump Heerey and Proietti into second, until he went for a field trip at Old Hall. “I was trying to get Pete and just lost the rear end and spun into a field,” Clarke admitted after falling to ninth.

Proietti was the new leader, but Perry had managed to split him from rival Sparrow, as Heerey started to fall back.

Onto the last lap but it was desperately close, with Proietti was just holding on as Sparrow had reclaimed second from Perry. “I thought I had him held off enough at Cascades, but he was right behind and I tried to cover him,” said Proietti.

“I got him into Island, I tried to slingshot at Cascades and kept the outside line up to Island, so by Shell I was in front,” said Sparrow after clinching victory by 0.979 secs.

Perry finished a fairly solitary third, with Storey taking fourth after Heerey’s challenge faded. “Once the Gadget boys went by I got left after losing the tow, disappointed really,” said Storey.

Hollis also struggled on his way to fifth. “I lost it all on the first lap,” he reckoned. But despite his earlier excursion Clarke still fought back to sixth, with Heerey finally coming home seventh, while Walford shook off Graham for eighth, in her first race back after a broken ankle.

Crispin just rounded off the top 10 from Grasby in another troublesome race. “It was still misfiring and cutting out, an electrical problem,” he said.

Martin Riman was 12th, with Chris Yates and Katy Storey inches apart behind him. Gardiner, Nigel Hollis, Shepsman, Adam Bollons, Fox, Savage, Eastwood, Hall and Widdowson completed the finishers,

The final sprint weekend of the season is at Donington Park on July 21/22, before the annual 24 hours at Snetterton August 17-19.