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Race 1
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Easter Monday
March 24th
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Donington Park
30 minute
"Sprint" race 
,
,-
.,The
first race of the 2008 calendar marked a
return to Donington Park, this year as guests of
the MGCC.
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The first of five
Ex Grand Prix Circuits to be visited by Equipe"GTS
competitors during the 2008 calendar and probably the most popular
of all UK circuits.
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The Donington Grand
Prixs of 1930's with legendary winning drivers including Bernd
Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari both in Auto Union "Silver
Arrows" are distant memories, yet the more recent 1993 European
Grand Prix witnessed a fabulous dice in changing weather conditions
between equally notable drivers ; Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.
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Another full grid plus reserves arrived at
Donington circuit with several new drivers, some in new cars, others
merely fresh drivers in familiar cars. The country was snow covered
on Easter Sunday, we were lucky to arrive on Easter Monday morning
greeted by dry and mild weather. Qualifying
was a busy affair with 38 cars qualifying for 36 grid slots and luck
held out for the two reserves as Tom Smith's MGB suffered engine
failure and John Pearson lost drive with a problem clutch in his WSM
MG Midget. Both reserves therefore took their places on the
afternoon's starting grid James
Cottingham held pole position with a blistering 1.26.82 secs, nearly
a full second inside the existing lap record. Neil Howe held onto
second place in his TR4 with Stephen Radcliffe taking third slot in
his own MGB from Mark Ashworth's TVR Grantura 1800S in fourth. - We
welcomed several newcomers including John Emberson and Mark Shears
in a matched pair of beautiful Morgan Plus 4s. Mark Ellis debuted
his Ex John Gott / Ex works MGA Twin Cam plus no less than six new
to Equipe"GTS
MGB
competitors. Needless to say at an MGCC Meeting, MGBs easily
outnumbered all other makes and models. -
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James Cottingham took advantage of his pole
position and eased to an early lead from Neil Howe and Mark Ashworth
leaving the unlucky Stephen Radcliffe stranded in the pit lane after
the opening lap with gear selection problems. Simon Ashworth's MGB
headed the following pack until nearing half distance when Rob Cull
beached his TVR Grantura spinning on his own coolant following a
radiator hose failure. The safety car was deployed and the cars
bunched up for a sprint like remaining 10 minutes.
Again, Cottingham took advantage at the
restart, yet his race was run after another two laps as he dropped
down the field with an over-heating engine. Neil Howe took the lead
and set fastest lap of the race but suffered his own misfortune as
his own engine then started to misfire. Both leaders retired leaving
Mark Ashworth to take the win from a jubilant John Andon driving his
Triumph TR4 and Simon Ashworth chasing hard but finishing a very
well deserved third.
Class
winners were Mark Ellis, plus Colin Elstrop and Alistair Pugh both
driving Triumph Spitfires.
Interesting
to note;
21cars
finished the 30 minute race on the same lap as the race winner.
"Equipe"GTS
lap record
Neil
Howe - Triumph TR4 - 1.21.27.182 -
24th March 2008
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