Author: brfcjordan95

2015 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro Preview Part 2

After part 1 previewing the GTE Pro class at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, part 2 looks at the remaining contenders in this fiercely competitive GTE Pro class. With four manufactures and their hord of professional factory drivers set to compete flat out for 24 Hours, their battle for class victory will be scintillating to watch throughout the race.

#92 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 991 RSR: Patrick Pilet/Frederic Makowiecki/Wolf Henzler The second Porsche Team Manthey entry is much like every other GTE Pro car in that it has a great chance at a class victory, with a top line Porsche factory team and a full line up of factory drivers in this car.

This entry has been fighting with Aston Martin and Ferrari all season so far in the World Endurance Championship, and will be looking to continue this fight at Le Mans. On the driving front this entry has one of the best GT drivers in the world in Frenchman Frederic Makowiecki. Partnering him are long time Porsche factory drivers Patrick Pilet and Wolf Henzler, with all three highly professional drivers who will be delivering consistently quick stints throughout the race.

Amongst the very close GTE Pro field, separating a favourite is too hard to predict. Therefore the winner of this class will be the one who can keep out of trouble during the race, as every entry has the potential to be contending for class honours in the final hours of the race. #95 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Marco Sorensen/Nicki Thiim/Christoffer Nygaard

The all-Danish “Dane train” Aston Martin which dominated the GTE Am class last year, has this year stepped up to the cut and thrust of the GTE Pro field. So far the team has shown it can handle the step up, with solid top six placings in the opening two WEC rounds.

Nicki Thiim is the only driver who remains from the Danish trio from last year, with new team mates Marco Sorensen and Christoffer Nygaard for this year. Nygaard has moved across from the sister #98 entry for this year, with the young Dane and GP2 racer Marco Sorensen completing the line up.

Thiim and Nygaard will provide good pace and experience behind the wheel, with the young charger Sorensen balancing his GP2 season with a switch to GT racing. All three will be looking to impress at Le Mans, although in this hugely competitive class, it may be difficult for this team to move up to GTE Pro and win Le Mans in their first year. A class podium would be a great result for the “Dane Train 2.0”. 

#97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Darren Turner/Stefan Mucke/Rob Bell

This number 97 Aston Martin will be the one that stands out throughout the race week, as this car will have a very distinctive ‘art car’ livery by artists Tobias Rehberger. As well as standing out for it’s art car livery, it will also stand out as this car will likely be the one that leads the Aston Martin charge for class victory in the race.

The Aston Martin team are regulars now in the highest level of GT racing, and have come very close to winning the GTE Pro class the past two years. This year the team will be aiming for a class victory, and this car is the one most likely to deliver it.

Experience is the name of the game with this driver line up, with Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Rob Bell all being long term factory drivers for Aston Martin. Their speed and experience will be a potent combination in the race, and if the team can avoid misfortune this car will be fighting for victory going into the final hours of the race for sure.

#99 Aston Martin Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Fernando Rees/Alex MacDowall/Richie Stanaway

The third and final works Aston Martin racing entry at Le Mans is the Number 99 car, which goes into the 24 hours on great form after taking the class win at the most recent WEC round at Spa a month ago. This car is very much in the hunt for the WEC drivers title after two rounds, and with Le Mans being a double points round this weekend will have a big outcome on the championship.

Both Fernando Rees and Alex MacDowall will be hoping for much better luck this year, after a huge practice crash for Rees last year forced the team to withdraw from the race on the opening day of running. This year they both have a new team mate in young New Zealand hotshot Richie Stanaway. He has shown well in GP3 and especially GP2 this season, and his fresh injection of pace will only add further strength to this car’s chances of a class win.

If all three drivers have a close to perfect race, their talent and this Aston Martin Vantage will have more than enough pace to take an unexpected GTE Pro class win, although if the car suffers any misfortune in the race it will be difficult to see them being able recover enough to claim the victory. A podium will be a very good result for this team, although a class win is a definite possibility.

That wraps up my look at a very competitive GTE Pro class, hope you enjoy this article and any comments would be appreciate both good and bad. I have to add thanks to Motorsport.com for their amazing, high quality photos which you see in this article. I urge you to go and visit their website http://www.Motorsport.com for all the latest news and photos from the motorsport world. Next up will be a preview of the LMP2 class.

2015 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro Preview Part 1

My latest preview looks at the GTE Pro category, which somehow seems to ramp up in competitiveness every year. This year four manufactures are all going to be fighting for the class victory throughout the 24 hours. The AF Corse Ferrari team will be looking to defend their class victory this year, although the might of Porsche,Chevrolet and Aston Martin will all be determined to knock them from their perch. Let’s profile the entries here.

#51 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Gianmaria Bruni/Toni Vilander/Giancarlo Fisichella

The AF Corse team return this year, aiming to repeat it’s hard fought class victory from last year. The Ferrari works supported team have proven themselves to be one of the best GT team on the planet, with numerous wins across all sportscar platforms in Europe. The team has taken the World Endurance Championship GTE Pro class by storm since the series inception in 2012, and this year once again leads the drivers standings going into Le Mans.

The team has a stellar driver line up made up of the WEC pairing Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander, both very quick GT drivers. With Gianmaria Bruni in the line up, this team arguably have one of the best GT drivers in the world. Completing the trio is ex-F1 and works Ferrari GT driver Giancarlo Fisichella, who returns to this team after taking class victory with Bruni and Vilander a year ago. He’s a highly experienced driver and has adapted remarkably well to sportscar racing.

Much like for every team in this class they have a chance of winning the class, although surely this AF Corse team have to start the race as slight favourites, only because of their success last year and topping the WEC going into Le Mans. Only misfortune can de-rail this team. #63 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe Corvette racing have become as synonymous at Le Mans in recent times as Audi, with a similar record of dominance since the turn of the millennium. After this car narrowly missed out on winning the GTE Pro category last year, this year the factory Pratt @ Miler Corvette team will aim to go one better and claim victory.

The team came to last year with a new C7.R version of their Corvette, and with a year’s further experience with the car they should find an improvement in their overall pace. The team have shown their strength in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship over the past 18 months, and this team can never be discounted at Le Mans.

This car’s driver line up is based on experience, with long term Corvette factory drivers Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia being partnered by sportscar convert Ryan Briscoe. All three are very quick professional drivers, and years of experience with Corvette racing. The only change from last year is Ryan Briscoe switching with Jordan Taylor in this car. Briscoe is an experienced Corvette racing driver, who has primarily raced in the longer distance events for them over the past few years.

This will be his first Le Mans for Corvette racing, although has experience from racing for Level 5 motorsport in 2013. With his experience already in the car, along with his pace as a professional driver, the circuit de la Sarthe should not pose any problems for the Aussie. Corvette racing always go into Le Mans looking for a class win, and this year once again they will be in the hunt for victory right until the end of the race.

#64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor

The second of the Corvette racing entries is similarly strong to it’s sister car, with one of the best teams in the paddock in the factory Pratt @ Miller Corvette racing team behind them, only mechanical misfortune or an accident will stop this team from fighting for class victory.

It seems unlikely the Pratt @ Miller team would make a major mistake in the race, and with another year of running in the car the new C7.R model should prove a reliable race car throughout the 24 hours, despite the punishment it will take during the race.

The team’s regular pairing Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner are joined for Le Mans by Jordan Taylor, and all three are capable of producing consistently quick stints for 24 hours straight, coupled with years of experience with Corvette racing. Just like with their sister car, this car will be fighting for the class victory in the final few hours barring any major dramas for this second Corvette racing entry.

#71 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Davide Rigon/James Calado/Olivier Beretta

The second of the AF Corse Ferrari factory assisted entries is a strong contender for class podium this year. This entry showed well in the opening World Endurance Championship round at Silverstone with a 3rd place, although the team struggled at Spa.

For this team they will be hoping they can return their form to more like Silverstone rather than Spa, although this may be a difficult task for this car. Whilst the AF Corse preparation will be top notch, the lack of experience from this line up may hinder their progress as the race rumbles on.

Olivier Beretta is the exception on the driving front, as he has countless years experience that only can come from a run where he has started every Le Mans 24 Hours since 1996. His experience will be vital for this team during the week, although the speed which took him all the way to Formula One cannot be discounted either.

Both his two team mates are recent single seater converts, in Davide Rigon and James Calado. The pace of both is unquestioned, with Rigon a former Superleague champion and GP2 racer, whilst Calado was on the cusp of reaching F1 until switching to sports cars last year.

Both made their debut at the 24 Hours last year, and whilst they both impressed greatly with their pace throughout the week, their lack of experience may hinder their chances of claiming a class win or podium. If they can keep out of trouble, this team has the potential to take a class podium at the very least, it’s up to them if they can reach this potential.

#91 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 991 RSR: Richard Lietz/Michael Christensen/Jorg Bergmeister

Porsche are combining their attempts for overall victory with their factory GT programme, which will be fighting just as hard for their potential GTE Pro win as the LMP1 titans. Porsche have a long standing involvement in GT racing, and have once again been a frontrunner so far this season in the WEC.

Lead driver Richard Lietz is only a point behind in the current WEC GTE Pro drivers standings, and with double points here it makes this race the centre point of any potential championship run. Partnering him are the long term Porsche factory driver Jorg Bergmeister, and the young Dane Michael Christensen.

You do not remain a Porsche factory driver for as long as Bergmeister has without having both serious pace and the experience needed to succeed in top line sportscar racing. The Dane Michael Christensen is at the other end of the spectrum as he has only recently become a Porsche factory driver. He has shown well this year since swapping with Bergmeister and joining the WEC, with Bergmeister also showing his pace in the American Tudor United Sportscar series.

For this entry they will be looking to win, although so will every other car in the class. Therefore a minimum expectation will likely be a podium for this team, although if they get a clean run throughout the race, they could take the GTE Pro class win come Sunday afternoon.

That wraps up the first part of my preview of the highly competitive GTE Pro class at Le Mans this year. I hope you enjoy the article and I have to say a big thank you to Motorsport.com for their high quality photos, which you find in this post. Please go and visit their website http://www.Motorsport.com for all the latest news and photos from all forms of motorsport.

2015 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Am Preview Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my look at the GTE Am class of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. The GTE Am class gets more competitive every year, and this year is no different. All 14 cars in this class can compete for a top five result at least, with at least a dozen in contention for the class victory. Let’s take a look at the second half of the GTE Am entry.

#68 Team AAI Porsche 911 991 RSR: Han Chen Chen/Gilles Vannelet/Mike Parisy

The second of the Team AAI entries in conjunction with Prospeed is the team’s newer 991 spec 911, the latest of the 911 model. Despite this entry having the latest Porsche 911, they will struggle to match the older #67 entry because of the driver line up.

The team’s bronze rated amateur driver is Han Chen Chen, as he will look to adapt to the Circuit de la Sarthe quickly on his debut. Partnering Chen will be the French and Blancpain GT regular Gilles Vannelet, who provides plenty of experience to this inexperienced team. Completing the line up is the team’s quickest driver, Mike Parisy. The Frenchman has a wealth of GT racing experience which will prove invaluable, along with the ability to be consistently quick throughout a stint.

Parisy will be leading the team during the race, and for this team to achieve a top eight result they need to have a good run throughout the race, and hope all three drivers are on form for Team AAI to achieve it’s potential. Watch out for Parisy to impress.

#72 SMP Racing Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Viktor Shaitar/Andrea Bertolini/Aleksey Basov

The Russian SMP Racing team return to Le Mans this year, with a identical set up to last year. The team have clearly favoured returning with a proven package. The team has retained the same driver line up and Ferrari F458 Italia from last year, which may well give the team the edge they need.

So far this #72 entry has been a contender for class victory in the opening European Le Mans Series races, and the team will be hoping to continue this good form into the race. The two Russian drivers Victor Shaitar and Aleksey Basov are very good drivers who are a solid option for this team and will keep the car in one piece, with the on-loan Ferrari factory driver Andrea Bertolini providing the blinding speed for this entry.

The SMP team are supported by AF Corse, which means the preparation of this Ferrari will be top notch all week, which will leave the chances of a great result in the hands of the drivers. Bertolini is a seasoned pro with plenty of experience, so it will be down to Shaitar and Basov during the race. If they can perform consistently well in the race, expect to see this #72 Ferrari in the top three or top five in the final few hours, with a class podium a definite possibility. Maybe even a dark horse contender for a class victory.

#77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 991 RSR: Patrick Dempsey/Patrick Long/Marco Seefried

The #77 entry is likely to be the highest profile entry in GTE Am, because of the star turn of hit American Grey’s Anatomy actor Patrick Dempsey in the driver line up. The team has once again joined up with the successful Proton Motorsport team, as the team returns to Le Mans in largely the same shape as last year.

The team’s preparations will be top notch, as they look for a good result after several years of trying at Le Mans. Patrick Dempsey is an ever improving semi-pro driver who will look to get close to his quick team mates. Porsche factory driver Patrick Long is a long time team mate of Dempsey, and will be phenomenally quick throughout the race. Completing the trio is the very quick German Marco Seefried, who has an abundance of GT racing experience to complement his blistering speed.

For this team a class win may be a little out of reach unless something unexpected occurs, although this team may be in the fight for class victory, with a class podium on the cards if this team can reach it’s potential during the 24 Hours.

#83 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Francois Perrodo/Emmanuel Collard/Rui Aguas 

AF Corse’s third and final entry in this GTE Am class is the #83 Ferrari, which based on current form this year has the best chance of their three entries at a class win or podium. This car is 2nd in the World Endurance Championship GTE Am standings, with two second places in the opening two races this season.

The AF Corse team are renowned for their standards of preparation, and the team’s driver line up is also one of the strongest in this class. Leading the line up will be former F1 test driver and Le Mans podium finisher Emmanuel Collard, who brings Le Mans experience from the last 20 years along with the blinding pace that brought him to the attention of F1 teams in the 1990’s.

Joining him at AF Corse is Collard’s protege Francois Perrodo, a successful businessman who took to sportscar racing in 2013. He’s been improving every year under Collard’s tutelage, and will look to keep improving in his third Le Mans 24 Hours. Completing the line up is the quick Portuguese racer Rui Aguas, who showed his pace in F3 and F3000 before switching to sportscar racing.  Since then he’s raced in a variety of series, although has extensive GT and Le Mans experience.

This car will be very quick in the hands of Emmanuel Collard and Rui Aguas, the sticking point for this entry will be the pace of Francois Perrodo. If he can get close to his team mates pace, this car will be a definite contender for class victory barring any dramas during the race. Expect this car to be in the top three in the final hours if they can run trouble free.

#88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche 911 991 RSR: Christian Reid/Khaled Al Qubaisi/Klaus Bachler

The second of the Proton racing entries falls under the Abu Dhabi racing banner, although much like the Dempsey racing entry will very much be run by the experience Proton team. The team have so far run in the top five consistently throughout the opening two WEC rounds, and will be hoping to improve on this at Le Mans.

The team has endless experience running Porsche’s at Le Mans, and the driving talent in this entry is enough to challenge for the class podium. Leading the line up will be the former Porsche junior driver Klaus Bachler, who showed well in his junior formula career before being picked up by Porsche. Despite being set free from their junior roster he is still a seriously quick GT driver with a very promising future ahead of him.

Christian Reid is a vastly experience German amateur driver, who has driven for the Proton racing team for several years now. He is an experienced driver who knows everything needed to keep the car running well at Le Mans.  Completing the line up is the Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi, who has shown well in previous sportscar races, and will look to show his pace in this year’s race.

The team are very well experienced, with the speed of Bachler and Al Qubaisi propelling this entry up the order, with Christian Reid bringing the experience needed for a good result. The team will be hoping to improve on their 2nd in class last year, although in a highly competitive GTE Am class this will be difficult this year. For this entry anything is possible.

#96 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Roald Goethe/Stuart Hall/Francesco Castellacci

The first of two works Aston Martin racing entries is this #96 entry, which has shown well so far this season in the World Endurance Championship. They have established themselves as solid top six team, and in the cut and thrust of the WEC this puts them in contention for a class podium at Le Mans.

Stuart Hall and Francesco Castellaci will lead this entry, with both being very quick professional GT drivers. Hall has been a long time Aston Martin driver, whilst Castellacci showing his pace with title success in the 2011 FIA European GT3 series. Completing the team’s line up is the German amateur Roald Goethe, who has extensive endurance experience and will be a solid complement to the very quick pace of Hall and Castellacci.

The team’s chances of a good result will partly rest on the shoulders of Goethe, as his pace will determine whether this car can remain in contention throughout the race. The rest should be routine for the highly professional works Aston Martin team and it’s professional drivers Stuart Hall and Francesco Castellacci. A class podium will be a great result for this team, and if any dramas occur ahead they may well get themselves into a class winning position come the final few hours.

#99 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Paul Dalla Lana/Pedro Lamy/Mathias Lauda

The #99 Aston Martin entry seems to have taken over the dominance of the departed #95 Dane Train entry, which has moved up to the GTE Pro class for this year. This #99 car has won both rounds of the WEC so far this season, and the team will be looking to continue it’s dominance at Le Mans.

The Aston Martin Vantage is a very quick GT car, and the team’s driver line up is arguably the best in the class this year. Former F1 driver and sportscar expert Pedro Lamy leads this line up, with the Austrian son of Niki Mathias Lauda new to this team for this year. So far he has showed he gained a lot of the genes from F1 world champion dad Niki, and has instantly showed his pace so far this year.

The Canadian amateur driver Paul Dalla Lana is the final piece in their line up, although he is one of the best amateurs in this class in terms of overall pace. Teamed with his experience in this car, and this should be the final piece in a very formidable entry. The team’s driver line up along with the works Aston Martin team behind them  makes this car a favourite for class victory, with any result outside of a class podium surely being a disappointment to this team if they have a relatively clean run.

That wraps up my preview of the GTE Am class at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, and with 14 quality entries this class will be competitive throughout the race, especially in the final few hours. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this GTE Am class. Once again I have to say a huge thank you to Motorsport.com for these high quality photos in this blog post. I encourage everyone to go and visit their website http://www.Motorsport.com for all the latest news and photos around Le Mans.

2015 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE-Am Preview Part 1

 The beginning of June means only one thing in the sports car calendar, the Le Mans 24 Hours. The center piece for both the World Endurance Championship and sports car racing itself see’s hundreds of thousands of fans flock worldwide to the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France every second week of June.

The build up began in earnest with the warm up test day last Sunday, 31st May, therefore it seems the perfect time to begin my preview series looking at every entry and their chances of success next weekend. Today’s first instalment looks at the GTE Am category. Enjoy.

#50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Gianluca Roda/Paolo Ruberti/Kristian Poulsen The French Larbre competition team return to  GTE Am  this year, after a year in the LMP2 class. They return with the new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, which has proved very competitive in the American Tudor United Sportscar Championship over the past year and a half. With a quick and reliable Corvette C7.R, along with a team as well versed in sportscar racing as Larbre are, this entry will be a front runner in the highly competitive GTE Am class.

On the driving front, the team also excels with the fast Dane Kristian Poulsen hoping he can repeat his GTE Am class victory from last year. Paolo Ruberti is a very quick ex-F3000 racer, with his fellow Italian Gianluca Roda completing the trio. All three can provide a wealth of sportscar experience, along with a turn of pace that make this entry a very real contender for a class victory, which would be Larbre’s first since their consecutive triumphs in 2011 and 2012. #53 Riley Motorsports-TI Auto Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R: Jeroen Bleekemolen/Ben Keating/Marc Miller The #53 Riley motorsports entry see’s a return to Le Mans for the Dodge Viper, after their initial effort in 2013 with the new SRT Viper. The disappointing withdrawal of the factory team late last year has left this Riley team to uphold Viper honour in the highly competitive GTE Am class.

The team has taken on a lot of the crew from the works Viper team, which pulled out at the end of last year, and therefore is well versed with the SRT Viper. The team has proven itself to be a front runner in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship, and will now look to bring their competitiveness over to Le Mans.

On the driving front, the very quick Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen will lead the line up with his pace and experience. Ben Keating is improving with every race in the Viper, and was part of the crew that took the GTD class victory in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in late January.

Completing the line up is Marc Miller, who steps up to this level after competing in the American Continental Tires GT series. He has experience racing GT3 level machinery, and will be hoping for a smooth transition to the GTE Viper along with the enormous Le Mans circuit itself. For this team, a podium is a definite possibility should they remain relatively trouble free during the race. #55 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Duncan Cameron/Matt Griffin/Alex Mortimer The first of three AF Corse entries in the GTE Am class is this #55 car, which has shown well so far in the opening rounds of the European Le Mans Series. The AF Corse team are world renowned as arguably the best Ferrari GT team in the world, and will be hoping their extensive knowledge of the Ferrari F458 Italia and sportscar racing in general will help produce a good result for the team.

The regular season driver pairing of the improving amateur Duncan Cameron and rapid Irish racer Matt Griffin is a good one, as they continue their rise up the sportscar ranks after spending the last few years in the International GT Open series. Completing their line up for Le Mans is the ex-British GT champion Alex Mortimer, who should provide a consistently fast stint whenever he’s at the wheel.

In overall terms this entry may struggle to compete for serious class honours, although you can never underestimate an AF Corse prepared Ferrari. Matt Griffin will fly in this car, and with Duncan Cameron bringing improved pace and consistency the only slight question mark on this entry is what will Alex Mortimer be able to do in the car. If he’s his usual self this car will challenge for a class podium or top five at least, barring any dramas during the race. #61 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Peter Mann/Raffaele Gianmaria/Matteo Cressoni The second AF Corse entry in this class is the #61 car, which may well spring a surprise during the race this year. AF Corse is a byword for quality Ferrari GT cars, and the driving talent ensure this entry cannot be discounted for a top five in class.

Whilst the amateur driver Peter Mann may struggle to post the consistently fast lap times needed to contend these days at Le Mans, the two Italians he’s sharing with can easily do this during their stints. Both Gianmaria and Cressoni have single seater experience from F3000 and the Renault World Series, before switching their attentions to sportscar racing.

Their pace and experience will have to be what makes the difference for this #61 entry if they are to have any hope of competing for a top five in class or perhaps even more. Watch out for this car in the hands of Gianmaria and Cressoni, as it will be posting quick lap times. #62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Bill Seedler/Townsend Bell/Jeff Segal The #62 entry is from the Italian sounding yet American Scuderia Corsa team, that competes in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. The team and their regular driver line up of Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler have shown themselves to be a very competitive proposition in the Tudor series in the past 18 months.

Whilst the team may be new to the Le Mans 24 Hours, their experience in GT racing stateside means this will massively help them prepare for the 24 Hours. Barring any dramas during practice and qualifying they should have plenty of time to familiarise themselves with the 8.4 mile Circuit de la Sarthe.

The all-American crew will be headed by the very quick Townsend Bell, who has made a remarkable transition from Indycar racing into GT and sportscar racing. His pace will be vital for this team to achieve a good result in the race, and he will be ably supported by co-drivers Jeff Segal and Bill Sweedler. Segal is a  quick and experience GT racer in the States, with Sweedler the third and final cog in this driver trio.

He’s shown well when partnered with Bell in the past, and both will be hoping their good run continues at Le Mans. This team is more of an unknown quantity going into the race week, although if they can run like they do in the Tudor series, a good result is a very realistic target for this ambitious team. #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari F458 Italia GTE: Abdulaziz al Faisal/Kuba Giermaziak/Michael Avenatti 

The JMW Motorsport team return to Le Mans once again with their Ferrari F458 Italia, as the experienced British team look for a good result in the GTE Am class. The team remain an anomaly in the class as they are the only team running Dunlop tyres in the class, which may give the team the advantage they need to claim a good result in the 24 Hours.

The JMW team have shown well so far in the opening rounds of the European Le Mans Series, although with a all new driver line up for Le Mans and the big step up in competitiveness for the 24 Hours, the team may struggle to compete for class honours this year. A top five finish would be a great result for this team, with any better result being a bonus for this JMW team.

The team’s all new line up for Le Mans begins with the quick Saudi racer Abdulaziz al Faisal, who is well known to the team and comes with years of 24 Hours experience with this team. Michael Avenatti comes to Le Mans for the first time, after some recent experience in the Tudor United Sportscar Series in America. Avenatti will be looking to acclimitise well to the circuit, especially as his GB Autosport team will be helping run the car with JMW. Completing the line up is another debutante, Avenatti’s  GB Autosport team mate Kuba Giermaziak. The very rapid Pole is more of a Porsche expert, although his speed will shine through in this Ferrari F458 Italia,despite it being his debut at the race.

#67 Team AAI Porsche 911 997 RSR: Jun San Chen/Alex Kapadia/Xavier Maassen 

Team AAI has entered two Porsche 911 cars after success in the Asian Le Mans Series last year. The team have partnered themselves with the highly professional Belgian Prospeed outfit, which will ensure the team performs well throughout race week.

This #67 entry is the older 997 spec Porsche 911, which will put the team on the back foot against the latest machinery in the class. The team’s driver line up is the better of the two, with Jun San Chen the first of the drivers. He is a solid bronze rated driver, and won the Asian Le Mans Series GT class last year. If he can run semi competitive lap times the team has a chance of a good result with this car.

Alex Kapadia finally makes his Le Mans debut after years spent climbing from the club racing scene to the 24 Hours. He is a very quick driver, who has impressed in LMP2 machinery over the past year. If he can adapt to the Circuit de la Sarthe quickly, he will be the team’s secret weapon. Completing the line up is the experienced Belgian Xavier Maassen. He returns to Le Mans for the first time since 2011, although has can perform a consistently quick stint and has a wealth of GT racing experience.

For this Team AAI, even with the help of a good driver line up and the Prospeed team the team will struggle to compete for a class podium unless something unexpected occurs. For this team a top six in class will prove to be a good result, and possibly a good building block for the team to hopefully return next year.

That’s it for Part 1 of my preview for the GTE Am class, Part 2 will be posted soon. Thanks must also go to Motorsport.com for their incredible photos which you see in this blog. Please go and visit their website http://www.Motorsport.com for the latest news and photos.

Giro Perfect Appetiser For Le Tour

If this year’s Tour de France is anything like the recent Giro D’Italia, the cycling community is in for one hell of a Tour this July. The constant unpredictability and excitement kept cycling fans hooked throughout the three weeks of racing as a top line peloton raced around the picturesque scenery of Italy. What did we actually learn from the Giro going into the Tour however?

Firstly we were reaffirmed that Spaniard Alberto Contador will go down as one of the greatest ever grand tour cyclists when his career is all said and done. He cooly showed his own strength with incredible rides, particularly in the last week with his Stage 16 performance riding up the Mortirolo climb. He also had to rely on his own strength a lot in the mountains to hold off the hugely formidable Astana team. It wasn’t all plain sailing however, as he showed with a dislocated collarbone in a late crash on Stage 6 in the first week. He also showed some weakness when he was dropped on the penultimate day on the Colle Delle Finestre mountain, which was granted the Cima Coppi status this year, awarded  to the highest mountain of the Giro in honour of Italian cycling legend Fausto Coppi.

Alberto Contador has achieved the first portion of his much heralded attempt at a Giro-Tour double, aiming to be the first since 1998 to achieve it. Him and his Tinkoff-Saxo team already began talking of preparing for the Tour de France from the moment Contador crossed the line on the penultimate Stage 20. They will now begin an intense month of preparation before the Tour, as the team looks for the famous double.

Contador celebrates winning the Giro. Photo credit goes to Graham Watson.

Astana showed themselves to be a very formidable team going into the Tour, despite team leader and reigning Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali absent at an altitude training camp, the team showing it’s strength by frequent attempts to dominate the race by force with the sheer number of riders they could use at the front of the peloton throughout the race.

Whilst team leader Fabio Aru will not be racing at the Tour, the Giro’s breakout rider Mikel Landa looks certain to be a key domestique for Nibali if he’s selected for the Tour. For Astana they will have to make re-signing Landa a priority this year, although with Nibali at the Tour and Aru at the Giro and Vuelta it’s difficult to see where Landa lies in their puzzle. If he carries over his form in the next few years, Landa will become a great grand tour contender for sure.

Team Sky suffered with a disappointing Giro, as team leader Richie Porte suffering first from a hugely controversial two minute time penalty for accepting from fellow Australian Simon Clarke, who rode for the Australian Orica-GreenEDGE team. With further accidents and poor showings, one of Chris Froome’s likely key domestique’s now has some question marks over his form going into the Tour, despite and impressive year before the Giro.

There were some positives for Team Sky however, with the Czech Leopold Konig taking up the GC reigns admirably, as he finished sixth overall and will also likely be a key domestique for Froome next month. The team can also take heart from it’s Italian sprinter Elia Viviani. He won stage two early on and was in contention for the red points jersey throughout the race. He looks to be a potential top line sprinter, as he will look to pit himself up against the current benchmarks Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel.

Simon Clarke helps Richie Porte after the infamous wheel change. Photo credit goes to Tim de Waele and Corbis.

2012 winner Ryder Hesjedal overcome a difficult first week, as he recovered in the mountains. He was a regular presence at the front in the mountains, and was unlucky not to get several stage wins. His fifth place will provide some form of consolation, although at this moment it’s not known whether Hesjedal will also compete in the Tour for Cannondale-Garmin. If he does, expect the Canadian to show well in the iconic French mountains.

Another rider who surprised the cycling world in the Giro was the Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk. The LottoNL-Jumbo rider also overcome a rough first week to share the plaudits with Hesjedal as the race got tough in the mountains during the second and third weeks. He steadily rose up the general classification, eventually finishing a very creditable seventh overall. He also wore the mountain leaders jersey for three days in the third week. Kruijswijk finished 15th in the Tour last year, and if he’s selected it seems likely he will improve on that placing this year. He is definitely a rider to watch during the Tour.

 Kruijswijk in action during the difficult mountain stage 20. Photo credit goes to Graham Watson.

For the Spanish Movistar team, the Giro provided plenty of hope going into the Tour next month. Despite team leader and last year’s winner Nairo Quintana absent this year, he can take hope from the showing of several likely key domestiques during the Giro. Firstly the Costa Rican Andrey Amador showed his strength with a very impressive fourth place finish overall. It not clear if he will indeed ride his first Tour de France since 2013, although he will prove a strong team mate to Quintana if he’s selected.

Other Movistar stand out’s were the Spaniard Benat Intxausti, winner of stage 8. Both he and Italian team mate Giovanni Visconti were serious contenders for the blue mountains classification jersey, with Visconti eventually coming out on top after a brilliant solo break away ride on stage 19. If all three are selected to support Nairo Quintana next month, Movistar will have a team that will be very strong throughout the three week Tour.

Lampre-Merida were another team to surprise in the Giro, with the team building a young and talented roster as they will look to make their impact known during the three week Tour. The young Czech Jan Polanc announced himself with a breakaway win on the first mountain stage in week one, with the team’s sprinters Diego Ulissi and Sacha Modolo combining to take three stage wins. If all three are selected, the team will be confident of it’s chances in the Tour, especially when it comes to the sprinters stages.

 Modolo celebrating his second stage win on stage 17. Photo sourced from Cyclingweekly.co.uk .

The final man to impress in this year’s Giro was Ilnur Zakarin. The young Russian has already been through a lot in his career, which now appears to be getting back on track with the Russian team Katusha. He won stage 11 in Imola, and proved he could ride with the best of them in the break away during the fierce mountain stages. He could prove to be a key young rider for the team if he’s selected for his first Tour de France, as he looks to continue his good form. His name is definitely one to watch our for in cycling over the next few years.

Whilst some may argue that it’s difficult to take much from the Giro D’Italia going into the Tour de France, mostly because of the lack of heavyweight GC favourites aside from Alberto Contador. Plenty however can be taken from the showings from the likes of Richie Porte, Leopold Konig, Mikel Landa, Giovanni Visconti, Ivan Basso and Mick Rogers. These men are important because their form as domestiques could be the difference between victory and defeat for the favourites such as Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali,Nairo Quintana and Contador.

If anything, the biggest thing cycling fans can take from this year’s Giro is hope for the Tour. This hope is that the Tour de France provides the excitement and drama which the Giro provided every day, whether from unlikely breakaway’s holding off the peloton or the drama from the GC contenders. If the upcoming Tour de France can provide half the excitement of the Giro during it’s three week running, then we as cycling fans are in for one hell of a Tour de France this year.

If you have any thoughts on this article please feel free to comment any feedback is appreciated. Also thank you for reading my article and making it to the bottom of the page. Thanks.

Barry Squibb dominates Sports @ GT field

The final race of the day was for the third of the resident series here at Castle Combe, the Castle Combe Sports @ GT championship. The series is building momentum again this year after it’s removal of the sports prototype cars from the series last year. As the grid lined up for their race, the conditions were getting increasingly worse as the rain continued to fall, the circuit down drenched and very wet.

Barry Squibb was looking likely to take victory barring mechanical problems in his 4 wheel drive Mitsubishi Evo 9 RS, as he lined up on pole. He was alone on the front row as second place starter Ilsa Cox was not able to make the start after her engine overheating issues in the two earlier Classic Thunder races. Perry Waddams and his monstrous TVR Tuscan lined up third, with Dylan Popovic and his unique Avatar sports car completed row two.

At the start it was no surprise for the remaining crowd to see Squibb fully utilize his 4wd traction as he romped away from the field at the line. Perry Waddams bogged down in his TVR, leaving Dylan Popovic giving valiant chase to Squibb in his Marlin. At the end of lap one Squibb’s lead was already huge, as Perry Waddams recovered from his poor start to pass Popovic for 2nd on lap two, quickly building a gap to him. Gary Prebble’s brother Adam Prebble was rising quickly up from 5th on the grid in his Rover Tomcat, passing Popovic for 3rd on lap three.

Even in the early laps Squibb was building a huge advantage over the rest of the now strung out field, although Adam Prebble was now doing his best to close on Waddams for second. The hard charging Prebble paid the price for his exuberance however, as he suffered a high speed spin going up Avon Rise on lap 5, although he was luckily able to re-join still secure in his third place.

After this spin the field was still very much spread out as everyone simply tried their best to remain on track in the treacherous conditions. The remaining laps were played out to a field spread out and conditions that were getting increasingly worse. After ten very wet laps Barry Squibb was able to claim the victory, a whopping 44 seconds clear of Perry Waddams, trailing behind in 2nd in his TVR. Adam Prebble was a further 12 seconds as he completed the podium.

Dylan Popovic came home 4th in his Marlin, with John Avery doubling up after his Saloon race to claim 5th, with James Blake completing the top six in his MG ZR. Although this wasn’t the best advert for the always popular Castle Combe Sports @ GT championship, this is down to the bad conditions and had little to do with the drivers on the grid. The series will hopefully continue to grow this year to the point it was at before when the sports prototypes also made up the grid. For more information on this series please visit their website below.
http://www.ccracingclub.co.uk/championships/gt/

Orgee Claims Masterful Formula Ford Victory

The resident Castle Combe Formula Ford Championship has always been a fan favorite, with the series running since 1969, making it the longest running single make championship in the country. For this televised round, grizzly conditions greeted the drivers as they headed out to the grid. The threat of rain appeared imminent in the grey clouds above, ensuring a very greasy circuit for the drivers.

After qualifying it was Michael Moyers who claimed pole for Kevin Mills Racing in his Spectrum chassis, with the returning ex-champion Ben Norton taking second on the grid. Nathan Ward and Felix Fisher would share row two. At the start it was Moyers who made the best getaway from pole, as he claimed the early lead. The rainfall began almost immediately, with a light rain covering the circuit in a light layer of moisture.

Michael Moyers was able to build an early lead of several seconds from the chasing pack, although he undid his hard work at the end of the opening lap as he spun whilst putting the power down exiting the Bobbies chicane. His quick pirouette left him in on the fringes of the top six, as he worked to get back to the front. Ben Norton inherited the lead, with Josh Fisher having a remarkable opening few laps to rise from 9th on the grid to challenge Norton for the lead. Wet weather specialist Luke Cooper and Roger Orgee were all fighting with Norton for the lead in the early laps.

Ben Norton was just about able to hold on to his lead, although he was the next to throw away his chances of victory as the conditions caught him out at Camp on lap 4, with his spin onto the wet grass eliminating him from contention as he was forced to retire, as the talented Josh Fisher therefore inherited the lead.

With Norton’s car in a precarious position at Camp, the Safety Car was scrambled on lap 6 to safely recover it. This took no time at all, therefore the Safety Car was only out for one lap before returning to the pits at the end of the lap. Fisher set about building a gap to the rest, who squabbled behind him. His cushion didn’t last long however, with Roger Orgee and Luke Cooper challenging him for the lead on lap 8. A lap later and Orgee managed to breach Fisher’s defenses, taking the lead with a great move on the outside of Quarry.

From here Orgee was able to just about hold on for the remaining one and a half laps, as he secured his first victory of the season as he looks to avenge his final race title defeat last season this year. Josh Fisher will have been delighted with his second from 9th on the grid, especially as this season’s he’s racing a Class C 1989 Reynard car against much newer machinery. Wet weather specialist Luke Cooper was another driver in an older spec car as he claimed the final podium place.

Reigning double champion Adam Higgins came home a solid 4th, from the recovering Michael Moyers in 5th and Josh’s brother Felix Fisher in 6th. This was another entertaining race for the Castle Combe spectators, once again proving a great advert for the circuit own resident championship’s. It’s a shame however that the conditions were not better for the drivers as they struggled in the very slippery conditions. For more information on this amazing series please visit their website below.
http://www.ccracingclub.co.uk/championships/formula-ford-1600/

Hutchings Wins Close Fought Castle Combe Saloons encounter

The halfway point of this packed MotorsTV live race day meeting at Castle Combe saw the resident Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship line up on the grid. The series, supported by On-Pole high performance consultancy, has always enjoyed packed grids, although this race was a new high point for the local championship. A whopping 42 cars lined up on a grid which stretched round Camp corner.

Local favorite Gary Prebble claimed pole position by 1.4 seconds, from round one winner Tony Hutchings in second. Dave Scaramanga again impressed in his new VW Scirocco in third, from James Winter in fourth. As the lights turned green, it was veteran Mark Wyatt who made the best start from 5th on the grid, as Tony Hutchings claimed the early lead. Hutchings was immediately hounded by Gary Prebble and his Seat Cupra, eventually diving down the inside of Hutchings to claim the lead at Camp on lap 2, with barely enough room for both to make it round the corner.

For the rest of the race both would be glued together, although Hutchings was never quite close enough to make a serious attempt at passing Prebble for the lead. As the race entered it’s later stages the status quo appeared to have been established, however an abundance of traffic for leader Prebble through the race again going up Avon Rise on lap 9. With Prebble boxed in and forced to brake, Hutchings was able to just about squeeze past the back markers to steal an unlikely lead from Prebble late on. It was hair raising stuff and exciting viewing for both the spectators and TV audience at home.

Gary Prebble tried every trick he knew to re-claim the lead in the later laps, with his best move coming on the penultimate lap, as he tried an audacious around the outside move at Camp. The move very nearly came off for Prebble, however a previous oil spill at Camp meant he lost grip mid-corner, as he was forced wide and onto the grass, losing several seconds to Hutchings. This buffer would prove enough for him to breathe easy on the final lap as Tony Hutchings came home to his second win of the season from an exasperated Gary Prebble in second.

These two were comfortably ahead of the rest throughout the race, with Dave Scaramanga completed the podium in a lonely third place, with James Winter equally comfortable in 4th. Bill Brockbank and Mark Wyatt completed the top six, in yet another thrilling Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship round. The audience would have been thrilled yet again, in what was a great advert for this local championship to a worldwide audience. For more information on this great series, please visit their website below.
http://www.ccracingclub.co.uk/championships/saloons/

Stephen Primett dominates two Thermex Classic races

Just as the sunshine began to turn into precarious looking grey crowds, the Thermex Classic Saloons grid formed up, anticipating their opening 15 minutes race of the day. Stephen Primett claimed a dominant pole by roughly three seconds in his Ford Escort, whilst David Osborne was second on the grid in his Triumph Dolomite Sprint. Nic Strong and David Howard shared the second row of the grid.

As the lights went out it was David Osborne from second on the grid who rocketed into the lead, closely followed by the Jaguar XJ12 of David Howard from 4th on the grid, leaving Primett well behind as he fell back into the pack after his bad getaway. His bad start didn’t affect him for too long however, as Primett soon passed Howard and then out dragged leader Osborne in his Dolomite Sprint to blast the Escort into the lead up Avon Rise on lap 2. Howard wanted in on the action, relegating Osborne to 3rd at the next corner exiting Quarry.

Primett and Howard were now solidified as the top two, as Osborne was still reeling from going from the leader to third so quickly as he dropped back from the leading duo. Primett was clearly a man on a mission, building his lead to roughly five seconds by lap six. An entertaining fight was going on behind the lead trio, with Nic Strong defending for dear life as Alan Greenhalgh and Mostyn Ritter smelled blood and his 4th place.  After several potential moves failed to come off, Greenhalgh finally breached the valiant defenses of Strong to claim 4th place with a great around the outside move at Tower on lap 8.

Back at the front and Primett was still extending his lead over Howard in 2nd, whilst once again the battle for 4th was not over as Strong took advantage of back markers and Greenhalgh being held up to reclaim 4th position on the run into Quarry on lap 11.This battle refused to die with Greenhalgh taking the right side past a back marker to re-pass Strong at Hammerdown on lap 12, with the battle finally resolved on the final lap as Mostyn Ritter put himself between the two as he took 5th from Strong at Quarry.

This battle was irrelevant however for Stephen Primett romped home to a comfortable victory, with David Howard and David Osborne equally comfortable with 2nd and 3rd respectively. The next trio came home glued together with Alan Greenhalgh finally coming out on top in their race long fight to claim 4th position, with Mostyn Ritter and Nic Strong valiant in defeat with 5th and 6th respectively.

The Thermex Classic Saloon car grid re-formed for the penultimate race of this packed MotorsTV race day, and their second race of the day. This race was unfortunately reduced from 15 to 12 minutes, with intense rainfall only making this race a lot harder for the competitors. With the grid based on the race one results it was Stephen Primett on pole once again, with David Howard sharing the front row with him. David Osborne and Alan Greenhalgh comprised row two.

As the green lights went out it was the heavy Jaguar XJ12 of David Howard which went into the lead, as everyone scrabbled for grip on the treacherous surface. Primett once again made a bad start, but recovered sufficiently to lead by several seconds at the end of lap one. From lap one onwards it was clear that Howard was struggling massively, as John Wright shot up from 9th on the grid to pass him for 2nd on lap two, with Osborne following him through to demote Howard to 4th by the end of the lap.

It seemed Primett was dialed into this track, no matter whether conditions were dry or wet, his built his lead in a dominant fashion. Alan Greenhalgh was challenging David Osborne for 3rd on lap five, although Neil Bray was another driver charging up the field from 7th on the grid, passing both of them over the next few laps to solidify himself in 3rd. As Stephen Primett stroked it home in very difficult conditions for a second victory of the day, the battle for 2nd developed with Neil Bray falling just 0.3 seconds from stealing 2nd from John Wright, although both finished 29 seconds behind winner Primett. David Osborne came home 4th, with Alan Greenhalgh close behind in 5th, whilst Malcolm Jeffs completed the top six in his beautiful Alfasud.

The two races for the Thermex Classic Saloon Car series provided some great battle throughout the field, however Stephen Primett was simply in a class of his own at Castle Combe, winning both races dominantly as the rest fought amongst themselves behind him. For more information on this exciting series please visit their website below.
http://classictouringcars.com/champ_classichistoric.html

Rogerson claims two comfortable MG wins

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship are always popular a regular visitor to Castle Combe, with their latest double header round coming in this MotorsTV race day meeting. With the TV camera’s following both races everyone was keen to impress in front of an international audience.

As the grid lined up for their opening 15 minute race it was Andrew Rogerson who lined up on pole position, with Martin Willis sharing the front row with Rogerson. Simon Kendrick was the first of the MGF entries in third, whilst Adam Jackson and his MG ZR completed row two. As the lights went out it was Simon Kendrick who made the best start from third on the grid, although it wasn’t long before Martin Wills had stolen the lead, quickly building up an advantage of several seconds by the end of the opening lap.

The first lap started so brightly for Kendrick from 3rd on the grid, although it soon deteriorated as he first lost the lead to Wills, before losing 2nd place to pole man Rogerson at Camp to complete his opening lap decline. Things did not get any easier for Kendrick as he was soon being challenged for 3rd by Adam Jackson, whilst at the front Wills and Rogerson were extended their gap over the rest of the field.

Andrew Rogerson was clearly in a determined mood after his bad start, as he stormed inside Martin Wills for the lead at the Esses on lap 3, and quickly set about building a lead of several car lengths. In this middle portion of the race Rogerson set to work steadily building his lead to several seconds over Wills in a lonely 2nd position.

In the later stages of the race, attention switched from the lead to the building battle for 3rd, with Kendrick defending from Mark Baker and Jackson, who had recently lost his 4th to Baker earlier on in lap 9. A lap later and Jackson re-took 4th from Baker at Bobbies, whilst things soon got worse for Baker as he lost 5th to David Mellor going up Avon Rise.

Just as the race seemed set for Martin Wills, his 2nd place was briefly put under pressure as he suffered a disagreement with a back marker, forcing him to go off track and endure a grassy moment. Luckily for him his lead was significant enough that he was able to re-join with his 2nd position still comfortable. Comfortable is the perfect word to describe Andrew Rogerson’s victory. He cruised home to a comfortable opening victory, with Martin Wills equally comfortable in 2nd also. Simon Kendrick held on to his 3rd position at the flag, closely followed by Adam Jackson, David Mellor and Mark Baker in 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.

Unlike many series, the MG championship decides it’s second race grid based on the drivers second fastest times during the morning qualifying session, rather than simply producing the grid based on the results of the first race.This meant that for the second race it was once again Andrew Rogerson who claimed pole, with Adam Jackson this time sharing the front row with him. David Mellor lined up 3rd with Nick Golhar completing row two.

From the green light it was Adam Jackson who made the best start to take an early lead, although by the end of lap 1 Andrew Rogerson had once again taken the lead as he went inside Jackson for the lead. With the second race reduced from 15 to 12 minutes because of the tight scheduling issues of the day, it was clear Rogerson would need to quickly build an advantage to solidify his second win of the day.

At the back of the field there was excitement early on also, as Martin Wills was rocketing up the field after he started at the back because he strangely enough decided to change his car. He had decided to change from his ZR which took him to 2nd in race 1, to his MGF for this second race, however he was forced to start at the back because he hadn’t qualified in his MGF car.

During the opening lap Wills charged up from 22nd on the grid to 7th, before quickly passing Paul Wisbey for 6th at Camp on lap 2. In the early laps Rogerson set about building a lead of 1.5 seconds as Jackson was left trailing behind in second. The middle portion of the race saw an exciting battle for 3rd between Simon Kendrick,Mark Baker,David Mellor and Martin Wills, as they constantly changed position during the next several laps.

Wills carried on his charge up the field by passing David Mellor for 5th at Quarry on lap 6.He subsequently got lucky a lap later as he was able to pass Mark Baker for 4th after Baker ran wide at Camp, and things soon got worse for Baker as he spun off and into retirement at Tower later on in the lap. The drama wasn’t quite over at the front also as Simon Kendrick dramatically spun out of 3rd at Quarry, rejoining well down in 10th position.

From here it was all plain sailing for the leaders as Andrew Rogerson once again claimed a comfortable victory, with Adam Jackson was equally comfortable in his second position.Martin Wills inherited his final podium position after the Kendrick spin, something he held onto to the flag to complete his charge up the field from the back in his MGF. David Mellor came home 4th, Paul Wisbey was 5th whilst Stuart Plotnek completed the top six in this second MG encounter.

The series always provides entertainment to the Castle Combe crowd, and whilst this year their were two dominant victories for Andrew Rogerson, there were still some exciting battles behind Rogerson. The series always brings good support to Castle Combe, and for more information on the series please visit their website below.
http://www.mgoc-championship.co.uk/