Races  10 - 11

  July  21st - 22nd

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." Scottish Classic Speedfair "

Knockhill 

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2 x 30  minute "Sprint" races

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Knockhill hosted the second running of the Scottish Classic Speedfair with a celebration of 50 years of historic motorsport and Scottish sporting heritage. The organisers stated aim was to provide an event ". . to cater for grandfathers to grandsons . .", and among sportscars, single seaters and touring cars, the "Equipe"GTS  series provided the strongest grid of the week-end. Speedfair's organiser Stuart Gray was delighted with both the quality and quantity.

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Besides two full days of racing, there were marque club displays, military vehicles, commercial vehicles, parades and airborne displays, and a major celebration of Scottish rallying heritage was the key focus of Saturday's programme. On Sunday the Isle of Man TT Centenary was highlighted, with the first ever 100mph lap around the mountain course by Scotland's Bob McIntyre in 1957 at the forefront.

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Practice - TR4 mounted Neil Howe found a little extra with his very last practice lap for 1.02.747, followed by the MGB of Tom Smith (1.02.892) and series rarity Richard Lawson's MGB (1.05.145). Brian Lambert was hard on Lawson's heels in 4th, but the midfield 1.06 battle from John Wilkes in 7th to Ron Watt in 12th looked promising. Stephen Bond in his first season of racing impressed with 10th in the ex-Cottingham MGB, while experienced Aston Martin driver Martin Brewer revelled in the Alfa Romeo Giulia he shared with Alasdair Bruce. Pat (first race) and Brian Arculus shared the Lotus Elite in the absence of Brian's TR3a, and Barbara (first race) and Brian Lambert shared the MGB.

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Race 1 - Smith took advantage of Howe's clutch slip off the line and built an untroubled margin to tour to the flag with 41 seconds to the lonely Howe, with Lawson also unmolested in 3rd. The Class 2 winner James Willis (Ex Works Midget Coupe) versus Ron Watt (MGB) struggle for 8th spot was epic, while Class 3 winner Brewer versus Graham Forrester was similarly close for 16th. The WSM Sprite of Clive Cocks showed improved form and was the meat in the MGA sandwich of Simon Gurney and Brian Ireland but the unfortunate Graham Bates had the MGB clutch fail after 2 laps.

Race 2 - Again the Howe TR4 clutch refused to respond as required and Smith needed no second invitation. Despite a penultimate fastest lap, Howe bowed to the inevitable and Smith kept over 14 seconds in his pocket to the finish. Lawson again comfortably earned the remaining podium spot, and the Bill Kirkpatrick MGB took 4^th place as in race one. The immaculate Frogeye Sprite of John Hopwood, another series debutant  took Class 2 honours in a strong 10th place, and Bruce pedalled the Alfa Romeo in his second ever race to seal a Class 3 win - this after an entertaining race long duel with Helen Elstrop's Triumph Spitfire.

TWS.     

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"Equipe"GTS  lap record 

Tom Smith    MGB    1.03.02  -   21st July 2007