HSCC Historic Special Saloons & Modsports Croft 10th & 11th August 2024
HSCC HISTORIC SPECIAL SALOONS AND MODSPORTS COME OF AGE AT CROFT
The HSCC Historic Special Saloon and Modsports has received a welcome surge in popularity this year and the largest field yet of the charismatic machines gathered at the Croft Historic Weekend and Show over the weekend of the 10th and 11th of August.
The HSCC Historic Special Saloon and Modsports has received a welcome surge in popularity this year and the largest field yet of the charismatic machines gathered at the Croft Historic Weekend and Show over the weekend of the 10th and 11th of August.
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Long-time racer Ron Cumming was invited to compete in a special guest entry that has a natural connection with the Croft circuit, the March 832-based AC 3000ME silhouette. The Scot has a long history with Special GTs and is still the owner of the ex-John Churchill Lancia Stratos‘ March chassis that he used to dominate the Silhouette Specials in 1991. The chassis is now clothed in bodywork pulled from the original moulds for the March 802-based special built by the late local legend Andy Barton in 1982. The original AC silhouette housed a Hart Formula Two unit and Cumming’s Stratos featured a BMW M12 at its heart but has since been replaced by a less demanding Duratec lump as the device returned to the racetrack for the first time in seventeen years. Another of the headline entries would be that of Joe Ward in the ex-DTV Vauxhall Firenza ‘Baby Bertha’ Supersaloon, the category for which it was conceived celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier in 2024 and Ward appropriately scored a pair of victories with the ex-Gerry Marshall beast at Snetterton almost half a century to the day since the initial race. A contemporary of the mighty Vauxhall, Andy Wilson’s ex-Tony Hazlewood DAF 55 V8 recently took part in a demonstration at the Oulton Park Gold Cup to celebrate the life of Demon Tweeks founder Alan Minshaw, who also owned the device and whose livery the car carries. Andy Robinson was sure to feature towards the front as he brought out his monstrous 670bhp 7-litre Ford Falcon and joined the amazing fellow Ford V8-powered Austin A30 homebuild of Andy Willis. Another V8-engined BMC device was the Chevrolet-powered Morris Minor of Craig Percy. Series coordinator Steve Watton debuted his freshly recommissioned Roy Pierpoint lookalike Rover P6 after moving on from his previous Turner and purchasing the five-litre saloon from DAF owner Andy Wilson. A second no-less well-known Vauxhall Firenza in club racing circles was also on the entry list in the form of the Transpeed Firenza of Tony Davies, which has been raced by Davies continuously since the late 1970s and the car even featured in the BBC drama ‘Driving Ambition’ driven by the bad guy! Steve Barnard returned a long-dormant spaceframed Mk1 Escort to the circuit, the low-slung device having languished in a lock-up for decades before its restoration with a Geoff Richardson BDG. A pair of Blackpool-built Ford V6-engined sportscars were among the entries, namely the beautifully restored 1969 STP Modsports championship-winning TVR Tuscan of Connor Kay and the unique ex-Tommy Entwhistle Grantura GEM prototype shared by Chris and John Livesey. Jack Harper was entered in the evergreen Triumph Spitfire that was campaigned for so long by his father Ron in various Sports/Saloon events since 1972. Three Davrians were on the entry list, two with Ford Crossflow power in the hands of podium threat Myles Castaldini and Iain McBay plus one with the more regularly associated Imp engine that had period Special Saloon racer John Pugsley at the wheel, which unfortunately didn’t appear. A pair of spaceframe Sunbeam Stilettos were also fielded by Paul Knapton in an ex-Brian Cutting Castle Combe Special GT championship-winning Maguire-chassised example and former British Hillclimb champion Ray Rowan with his Delta-based machine. Two further Imp-powered devices were to be handled by David Brewis and Peter Richards aboard a very pretty Ginetta G15 and a Clan Crusader respectively, the Clan with a newly rebuilt engine after it lunched itself at Cadwell Park in May. The nimble MG Midgets of David Morrison and Stephen Watkins should enjoy the twisting Complex section that completes the lap to harry the V8-powered heavyweights. Australian Ray Davis brought out his versatile Triumph Mk1 PI as he continued his UK summer tour and the smart Gulf-liveried Mini Marcos Mk3 of Charles Colledge completed the field.
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Qualifying: Twenty two cars set out to qualify for the pair of twenty-minute races. The Formula Two March-based AC 3000ME clone of Ron Cumming comfortably sped to pole position by 3.394 seconds from Jack Harper's long-serving Triumph Spitfire. Myles Castaldini was just over a second away from a front-row grid slot but the Davrian came in on a towrope at the end of the session after the Crossflow engine lost its coolant, David Morrison's MG Midget starred to set the fourth fastest time another 0.737 seconds back from the Welsh machine. Ray Rowan's mid-engined Sunbeam Stiletto spun to a halt late in the session on its own oil at the hairpin but still set the fifth fastest time, whilst Andy Robinson had a misfire abroad his brawny Falcon as he set the sixth quickest marker. Connor Kay headed the fourth row in his TVR Tuscan and would be joined by the DAF V8 of Andy Wilson, who was held back by a lack of power. One of the smallest engined cars in the field lined up in ninth as Paul Knapton placed his Maguire Stiletto inside the top ten, which was completed by Tony Davies' Transpeed Firenza. Andy Willis fell just outside the first five rows in the Austin 'A302' in a competitive lower half of the top ten, with fifth to thirteenth covered by just 1.153 seconds. Steve Barnard's low-line Mk1 Escort set a respectable twelfth fastest time on its first track action in anger for years but its session ended early after the offside-front bottom ball joint machined through the wheel at the Chicane. Fortunately, the damage to the newly restored machine was relatively light from when it ran off track. Stephen Watkins headed the seventh row with his MG Midget and qualified just 0.036 behind the debuting Escort. Joe Ward had a quiet session in 'Baby Bertha as he wound up fourteenth, with the similarly Chevrolet V8-powred Morris Minor of Craig Percy completing the top fifteen. Series spokesman Steve Watton wrestled with his ill-handling Rover to nineteenth as he started his development journey with the car.
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Race One: The opening race followed a popular lunchtime grid walk, where the public could mingle with the cars and drivers in the build-up to the first twenty minutes of action. After their earlier dramas in qualifying, Steve Barnard and Ray Rowan wouldn't start the races, the Mk1 Escort requiring some redesigning of the front suspension. When the field set off on their formation lap, the polesitting AC 3000ME went nowhere and fell to the back of the grid after its clutch pedal went to the floor but was still able to take the start. Andy Robinson bellowed through along the pit wall from sixth into the race lead at the start, before pulling away from the squabbling Jack Harper and Myles Castaldini, the Davrian eventually moved up to second on lap five at Sunny In and had already tried once before but the Spitfire got the place back at Sunny Out. The pair had swapped places just before an appearance from the Safety Car at half-distance after Pete Richards' Clan Crusader spun at the hairpin with rear corner damage and was narrowly missed by the third-placed Harper. Unfortunately, the Crusader would be ruled out for the weekend with a bent wishbone and driveshaft on the offside-rear. The pitlane became a busy place during the interruption as Castaldini exited from second place with overheating, David Brewis' door kept opening on his Ginetta G15 and the poleman Ron Cumming also stopped after clawing his way back into sixth place from the back when the brake pedal started to stick down. The Safety Car came in with five minutes left and Robinson headed the field away again but spun the lead away at Tower after fluid leaked from a breather onto the Falcon's rear tyres. Robinson's rotation gifted Harper a big lead from Andy Willis in the Austin A30 V8, who had blasted past David Morrison's MG Midget at the restart before Wilson's DAF slowed with more engine trouble. Joe Ward had got into the top ten early on with 'Baby Bertha' and started to come on strong after the resumption, the famous V8 Firenza was quickly up to third before taking second from Willis on lap eleven. Ward crossed the line 3.943 seconds behind the victorious Harper. The fight for third place came down to the final few corners as Morrison's nimble MG Midget passed Willis in the Complex but the A30's Ford V8 overpowered the A-Series sportscar in a drag race to the line to claim a podium spot by 0.291 seconds. A chastened Robinson had fallen to ninth place after his spin but the Falcon fought back to pass Connor Kay's TVR and the second modified Midget of Stephen Watkins during the last lap to claim fifth. Paul Knapton came home in eighth place with his Maguire Stiletto from Iain McBay's Davrian, with the well-travelled Triumph of Roy Davis completing the top ten. Steve Watton grappled the Rover to a finish in its debut race in eleventh ahead of last classified finisher Charles Cooledge, who had an early spin at Tower in his Mini Marcos. Of the other non-finishers, Tony Davies' clutch slave cylinder let go on the venerable Firenza, Craig Percy had a knocking from the rear diff on his V8 Morris Minor and John Livesey had a rocker stud shear off the Grantura GEM's Ford V6 and forced each of them out for the weekend.
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Race Two: The Historic Special Saloons and Modsports series' second race on Sunday morning saw the clutchless Ron Cumming start the AC silhouette from the back of the field. Andy Wilson was still chasing an elusive engine problem and didn’t take the start after uncovering a split fuel tank. The V8 powerhouses of Joe Ward and Andy Willis thundered ahead of poleman Jack Harper's Triumph Spitfire on the run down to Clervaux at the rolling start, with Andy Robinson's Falcon also powering ahead of Harper towards Tower for the first time. 'Baby Bertha' had opened a decent 2.746-second advantage from Willis by the end of lap one, with the A30 ahead of a seven-car line contesting second place. Harper had reclaimed third from Robinson in the Complex at the end of lap one but the musclebound Falcon blitzed past the Spitfire as they streaked towards Clervaux on lap two in a contest that would rumble on. Behind them, David Morrison was under pressure for his fifth place from Paul Knapton's Maguire Stiletto and looped his Midget into the Clervaux gravel, he was able to extricate himself but was now plum last. Myles Castaldini had raced through from the seventh row to battle with Connor Kay's TVR Tuscan on the tail of the group but his charge would end on lap seven with fluctuating oil pressure after reaching fifth place. Another making progress through the order was the AC 3000ME of Cumming, who had made up four spots during the first two laps before breaking into the top six on lap three. The flying Scot then passed Castaldini and Willis on the fourth tour before setting the race's fastest lap on the fifth time around to catch Robinson and Harper and duly passed the pair on lap six. The AC started the sixth lap 1.119 seconds behind Ward but had sped past out the back of the circuit to end lap seven 4.325 seconds in the clear. However, all was not well with the AC clone as the effects of failing fuel pressure began to be felt but the Scot was still able to take the chequered flag by 11.678 seconds from Ward before the fuel pump died on the cool-down lap. The battling Falcon and Spitfire had dispensed with Willis on the second lap and Robinson had opened around a second's advantage from Harper but the Triumph came back at the American brute and crossed the line with its nose ahead at the end of lap six before the big Ford's power told again down to Clervaux. Harper then tried to place the nimbler Spitfire inside the Falcon exiting Hawthorn but to no avail, he went for the move again a lap later but unfortunately, the pair clashed side-to-side after the Falcon got unsettled. Harper's Spitfire had its steering knocked askew and Robinson's Falcon went into the tyres but the pair were ble to shake hands afterwards. Castaldini's exit just after the incident elevated a surprised Stephen Watkins up to third place in his 140bhp MG Midget, ahead of a last-lap Willis, Knapton and Kay squabble. Knapton's Stiletto got ahead of Willis in the Complex for the last time but the ‘A302’ won its second drag race to the line in as many days by just 0.036 seconds for fourth place from Knapton and Kay. The Morrison Midget managed to stay on the lead lap as it recovered from its early spin to claim a seventh-placed finish, ahead of Iain McBay's Davrian and Roy Davis' Triumph. The Mini Marcos of Charles Cooledge was the final classified finisher in tenth overall. Series ringleader Steve Watton was frustrated to the miss race due to the quick-release steering wheel refusing to attach to the Rover's steering column.
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After sealing the DAF V8's fuel tank, Andy Wilson attempted to take the car out in the 50-minute Guards Trophy mini-enduro. The Yorkshireman qualified seventh some 6.056 seconds off Callum Grant's Chevron B8 on pole position but his fastest lap during the opening Historic Special Saloon and Modsports race would have placed the V8 beast on the front row. However, the gruff coupe wouldn’t take the start.
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The Steve Barnard Mk1 Escort
Making its return to the circuits after many decades in storage was the newly restored spaceframe Mk1 Escort of Steve Barnard. The history of the car is patchy at best and is surrounded with mystery but a BDG unit now beats at the Escort's heart. Having set a promising twelfth-fastest time in its debut qualifying session, the bright yellow Mk1's meeting would come to a premature end after a failure in the front suspension machined through the offside-front wheel and pitched Barnard off the circuit. Damage was reasonably light but the decision was taken to rework the suspension layout properly in the workshop rather than risking a recurrence of the issue by repairing the part in the current specification at the circuit. The car generated a lot of interest on its maiden outing and is certainly an interesting addition to the field.
Making its return to the circuits after many decades in storage was the newly restored spaceframe Mk1 Escort of Steve Barnard. The history of the car is patchy at best and is surrounded with mystery but a BDG unit now beats at the Escort's heart. Having set a promising twelfth-fastest time in its debut qualifying session, the bright yellow Mk1's meeting would come to a premature end after a failure in the front suspension machined through the offside-front wheel and pitched Barnard off the circuit. Damage was reasonably light but the decision was taken to rework the suspension layout properly in the workshop rather than risking a recurrence of the issue by repairing the part in the current specification at the circuit. The car generated a lot of interest on its maiden outing and is certainly an interesting addition to the field.
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The Historic Special Saloons and Modsports were due to gather next at Silverstone for their final races of the season on the National layout over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of October but the fixture has been called off as the series organisers work to build on this season's growth with a calendar of special events for 2025.