You could say this is getting boring now – five races, five wins for reigning champions Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson, but the cold statistics don’t show that it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the MJC Ferrari  430. True, there hasn’t been the threat of sustainable competition in their class, but some fired-up performances from Class 2 have occasionally threatened. It hasn’t been boring, though, because endurance racing aficionados will appreciate the skill and strategy of the whole team that it has taken to make these victories.



Production has been a little different – Gino Ussi’s first victory, in the Geoff Steel BMW M3, has come out of a bunch of competitors who have all had their fair share of retirements, bad races, and no-shows.

This race was a novel format - four hours for the GTs, two hours for Production, (who‘s race would end by the waving of an oversize Britcar flag and the display of a “two hours” board). Those Production cars which chose to race on for the full GT duration, of which there were four (which was changed on the hoof to three during the race) automatically became Invitation entries to GT Class 3 at that stage, whilst retaining their finishing positions in their own part of the race. 

The race was preceded by some considerable track time; free practice, qualifying, and a short warm-up, but it was the 50-minute qualifying session which really mattered, and, with a number of significant Invitation entries, there was a possibility of the usual applecart being overturned, but that wasn’t to be the case. It was, surprisingly, the first overall pole position for MJC, Keith Robinson posting 1:08.037, and they shared the front row with the Class 2 JMH Ferrari 430, Aaron Scott just three-quarters of a second shy of pole, but in a session curtailed by oil pressure problems. Invitees filled the second row, the precocious talent of recent BGT double winner Glynn Geddie (sharing the Apex Tubulars Porsche 996 RSR with dad Jim) showing through, and they lined up alongside Mark McAllistair’s FF Corse Ferrari 430, with the time set by pro-driver Rob Barff. The Britcar GT regulars making up the grid were interspersed with Invitation entries; Morgan, Gareth and Philip Jones doing a solid job in the Eurotech-run Porsche 997 (these lads just do a couple of races a year), Ian Stinton’s glorious Harrier (which suffered small fire when the exhaust dislodged in free practice), being shared with the Stark Racing combo of Paul Marsh and Neil Clark, all having their first race this season, veteran saloon racer George Agyeton , partnered by BTCC ace Steven Kane in a BMW M3, novice Paul Bailey, sharing his Ferrari 430 with tutor Andy Schulz. BGT Favourite Piers Johnson was out in a Ginetta G50, sharing with the unrelated Caterham racer Ron Johnson (who’s real name is also Piers, but he races as Ron to avoid confusion!)

The CBT/Eurotech Ford Mustang has been absent from the races since a testing engine problem back in April, but returned in style, Steve Wood bagging the Production pole whilst co-driver Mike Jordan was busy at the Silverstone Classic (Mike would show up mid-afternoon to take the final race stint in the Mustang). “That was the best qualifying session I’ve done for a long time” said Wood, adding “With Mike not here, I knew it was all down to me today, so I had to focus, have a strategy plan, and it worked”. Gino Ussi was next up, in the Geoff Steel BMW M3, then the resurgent In2Racing Ginetta G50 of Mick Mercer and Gary Smith, staring the session late after a diff change.  Two of the regular front-runners were struggling after having their cars damaged in between-races testing; Keith Gent’s M3 had been re-shelled in a matter of days, but was suffering from severe power steering problems, and would not feature, whilst  Kevin Clarke was back to his title-winning E46, but co-driver Wayne Gibson suffered a sheared suspension pin. There were, though, a whole raft of Invitation entries to bolster the grid; A virtually untried BMW M3 for Paul White and Calum Lockie, a Ginetta G50 for Cup regulars Peter and Matt Smith, novices Nathan Sanders and Barclay Dougall in a BMW CSL, and a couple of Jota-run, works-backed Mazda MX5s, in an initiative that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the model, and an admitted dummy-run for the upcoming Britcar 24 hours. Continuity with the last Mazda Britcar campaign was established, with Mark Ticehurst and Owen Mildenhall driving the lead car, whilst novices David Hooper and  17-year old Jade Pavely had the benefits of third-driver Mike Wilds’ coaching.  Sadly not making the grid was the Taylors Foundry Seat Supercopa, an oil fire having stymied Bernard and Marcus Hogarth, but very much on the grid was the newly-acquired similar machine of BPM Racing, the delighted Ashley Woodman and Owen Thomas being joined by Greg Noble, who pilot the car into the extended four-hour race.

Clerk Tony Watts’ briefing had focused on the proposed draconian penalties for corner-cutting and running wide off the circuit, and also, mindful of the shabby and calamitous starts at Snetterton in April, the need for a definite two-by-two formation from the front rows of the grid  for the rolling start, and so it was – the front rows, held in anticipation for the red lights to go out, were a nose-to-tail, side-by-side block of six cars approaching the line, Glynn Geddie’s Porsche almost indiscernible as a separate vehicle between Gamski’s Ferrari and Headlam’s Lotus. It was an incident-free run into Riches, though, and through the first lap, Aaron Scott taking the lead in the JMH Ferrari 430, with Gamski and Geddie slotting in behind, though, Scott had revealed earlier in a private conversation, this was unlikely to last; “We’ve got oil pressure problems – I’ll go for the lead at the start, then drop back after a few laps, to do around 1:20. That’s the only way we’ll reach the point when we can be classified”. Four laps was the point that it happened, and the Ferrari began its descent, leaving the MJC car out front, under pressure from Glynn Geddie’s Porsche. Another Ferrari slipping down the order was the FF Corse car, Mark McAllistair having acquiited himself well in his first rolling start, but now suffering at the hands of the vastly more experienced competition around him. Sadly, the car would be retired after just 15 laps, not allowing Rob Barff to make his impression on the race.

Calum Lockie had started the Strata21 BMW from the pit lane, and was now carving his way through the Production field, whilst the Clarke/Gibson and Agyeton/Kane BMWs were both retirements in the opening laps of the race.

Ten laps in. and Geddie emerged in the lead, with Gamski down to fourth. “I had a spin – the Porsche made a move down the inside, but then let me go, but I spun. It was all very clean, and there was no contact” admitted the big Pole later. Geddie then began to romp away –  15 laps in, 15 seconds in front, with Neil Huggins in the 7-litre Topcats Marcos second, in front of Tim Hood’s Sagaris third, then Gamski, and Headlam’s little Elise heading the Class 3 runners. Gino Ussi headed the Production contingent, with Steve Wood’s Mustang behind, and Lockie – no more or less than you should expect from him – already up to third.

Some moves were on the way though – Lockie deposed the Mustang for second in Production, and Gamski got in front of Hood, but this was to be short-lived, for Witt’s determination to recover had attracted the attention of the officials, and the first of several penalties for “all four wheels off the circuit”, a 2010 addition to the notorious Blue Book.

The MJC Ferrari was back down to fourth again after the drive-through, though it was only a matter of a few laps before the yellow Sagaris was re-passed. Aaron Scott, meanwhile, had slipped down to 16th in his reluctant, enforced game plan, and Gino Ussi was responding to any advances being made by Calum Lockie’s BMW.   

Gino made his pit stop early though, just 40 minutes into the race, gallingly just two laps prior to a Safety Car period. Sam Head’s grape-coloured Sagaris had been parked on the grass on the outside of Riches, its brakes locked, and needed recovery. This initiated a flurry of pit stops, including most of the front-runners, maybe just a little earlier than planned, but with Ussi taking the opportunity for a second stop already. Glyn Geddie came in from the lead, and dad Jim managed to retain that position after the stop had been made, though through unconventional circumstances. As the Apex Tubulars Porsche approached the pit exit, the red light was showing, though the safety car train was just coming into the Russell chicane. Geddie Snr. hesitated, then jumped the light. The team beat the stewards to it, going to the officials and ‘fessing up , but while the penalty was deliberated, the Porsche still topped the scoresheet, with non-stopper Javier Morcillo, in the Azteca 996 now in second place.

The Safety Car came in on lap 40, and straight away, Keith Robinson, now installed in the MJC Ferrari 430, was on the tail of the #26 Marcos, now in the hands of Raphael Fiorentino. Within four laps, Robinson had deposed both the Marcos and Morcillo’s Porsche, and was now in pursuit of Jim Geddie, who’s advantage had been diminished by a stop/go penalty for his red light infringement.  Robinson’s pursuit took in a set of fastest laps, and, once the Apex Porsche was taken – going into Riches on lap 51, with two and three-quarter hours still to go, the race for the lead was over.

The penalties were flying thick and fast in Production – Gino Ussi losing his lead, and Gary Furst enduring a drive-through, then a stop/go for separate incidents in his Mitsubishi.

Aaron Scott brought the JMH Ferrari in for its first stop, the car’s enforced sedate pace allowing a little better fuel economy. Arwyn Williams was kitted-up and ready to go, but the car was pushed into the garage for attention. The Azteca Porsche also made its first stop, with Manuel Cintrano taking over the driving, and Jim Geddie dropped down to fifth after calling in again. 

The MJC Ferrari made another stop, after just 45 minutes, and came to a rest on the pit apron just seconds before the SC boards went out for the second time, for a clash, and what appeared to be a small fire, at the start of Coram Curve. Vigilant MN reporter Lewis Beales was talking to the right people at the right time, and got the full story straight away; Arwyn Williams, back out in the JMH Ferrari, had laid a trail of oil round from the chicane down to Coram, and parked the car. Cintrano was a passenger in the Azteca Porsche when he hit the oil, the resulting spin collecting the luckless Geddie.  With three cars involved, and several hundred yards of cement dust to be laid, this could be a long caution. For the Production contingent, there was less than half an hour to go.

Robinson pitted again, barely a few laps after his last stop, and the team dumped the maximum allowable 25 litres of fuel in – a strong tactical move.

The Azteca Porsche was hastily re-fettled after recovery, and ex-Alonso race engineer Neil Garner’s team got the machine back out, though missing some of its left-rear quarter, and with a gloriously noisy exhaust note, the lap times after the caution was lifted suggesting that Morcillo was back behind the wheel. The Apex Porsche and JMH Ferrari, however, were going no further.

Still under caution, the Production race came to an end. Paul White, having taken over the BMW from Lockie, was in the lead until ten minutes from the end, when he pitted to refuel, mindful of the strategic advantage moving into the second phase of the four-hour GT race, which they were contesting. This did, however, queer the pitch for the Production result, since they were penalised two laps for breaching the 15-minute refuelling curfew.  Gino Ussi thus re-acquired the lead that he had maintained for much of the afternoon, a well-deserved win for the Italian/Australian and the hard-working Geoff Steel team. The Mick Mercer/Gary Smith Ginetta came home second, a fine result after the disaster at Snetterton last time out, and the White/Lockie BMW was classified third, but not for long. As they raced on, the team were in discussion with the officials, and the mutual decision was made to scratch them from the Production results altogether. “We’re OK with it – we’re now Class 3 in Britcar, the four-hour race is what we’re really interested in” admitted Calum.
This elevated the CBT/Eurotech Mustang to the final podium spot, Mike Jordan having completed the final stint upon his return from Silverstone.

The Cunningham’s Seat Supercopa was fourth in class, the duo unable to match the front runners this time out. Novices Sanders and Dougall were impressive in their taking of the Class 2 win, though they were an Invitation entry, and the top points were bagged by Dave and Jason Cox in the Race Car Spares Ford Escort Turbo, against considerable adversity, it must be said, Denchy and the boys doing a great job managing the usual gearbox problems, and a new fuel pressure issue. Ginetta Cup regulars Peter and Matt Smith split the Class 2 podium in their G50, finishing just two seconds ahead of the Bullrun Seat of David Green and Richard Adams, with the Ian Lawson/Anthony Wilds BMW 320i bagging the third-placed class points.  Invitation entries finishing at this point were the Honda Accord of Andre Severs and Peter Rigg, and the Hooper/Paveley/Wilds Mazda. Racing on were the White/Lockie BMW, the Mildenhall/Ticehurst MX5, the BPM Seat, and endurance fanatics Brunswick, with veteran campaigner Martin Parsons, Nick Gooch and Dominic Malone sharing the driving.

The GT race was still only half-way through, though, so time to catch-up with who was left to run the final two hours.

Gamski and Robinson had a lead that they would keep to the end, but second place was being disputed between the Class 2 Topcats Mantis and the Jones family Porsche. The three sons of BGT Champions David and Godfrey had been quietly, modestly, and unemotionally getting on with the job, always there or thereabouts, and, as soon as the caution was lifted, Gareth Jones took the plain-white Porsche past the Mantis.  The #36 Topcats Marcos was next up, heading the Class 3 runners, Owen O’Neill now in charge, after earlier stints by Henry Fletcher and Jon Harrison, whilst the newly-reclassified Strata21 BMW was fourth overall. Now in an impressive sixth place, after barely troubling the timekeepers in the early stages, was the Bailey/Schulz Ferrari 430, provisionally claiming the final Class 3 podium place. The Hood/Tonge/Dowling TVR was still circulating, and the similar Glynn/Head machine later re-appeared after a 79-lap break for repairs to the brake master cylinder, and an overheating diff. Both cars, sadly, would end the race parked in the pit garages.  Also back out  was the Johnson and Johnson Ginetta, after a lengthy break for gearbox repairs, and Ian Stinton’s Harrier was now having a trouble-free run after losing 45 minutes whilst a snapped gear lever was re-fabricated.

Witt Gamski took over the MJC Ferrari for a run to the flag, 45 minutes from the end, and the Jones Porsche and Topcats #26 Marcos swapped and re-swapped second place as final pit stops were made, though Topcats team boss Warren Gilbert was conscious of the long, dark shadow of late retirement that has blighted the teams’ results of late; “Too much as happened towards the end of races lately, so we’re not pushing now”. O’Neill, though, was having to respond to Paul White’s advances for the Class 3 win, though the class points were assured.

Final drama ensued when White, after a spin, brought the BMW into the pits for fuel just ten minutes from the end. With a strong sense of déjà vu, another two-lap penalty was slapped on the Strata21 team, demoting them to sixth, and third in the Class 3 standings. “We had no option” said Lockie after the race, “Paul made a little mistake, then we had fuel pressure problems- we just had to fuel the car to make the flag”.

The Orbital Sound Lotus was cruising during the closing laps too – were they out of fuel?
“It was an oil surge” countered Jamie Stanley, and it was strange that this was the first time this season that the team has not claimed a class podium finish; by dint of their registered status, they claimed the second-placed points haul, though.

So the fifth win in a row for MJC, wrapping up the Class 1 championship title in the process, though the overall crown is still very much up for grabs. Witt Gamski put the win down to “consistency, the quality of the car and the skill of the team”, whilst MJC factotum Peter Livesey, was the most vocal as the team celebrated.  “It was all down to our strategy and quick thinking - Keith radioed-in as he passed the crash at Coram, and reckoned there would definitely be a safety car, so we got him in just before the boards went out, and put in 50 litres. Then we fuelled the maximum 25 litres a few laps later under the caution, without getting held at the pit exit. We’d all like to dedicate this win to Tony Merry, who was a good friend of the team, and died of cancer last week”. 

Gareth, Morgan and Philip Jones were shoulder-shruggingly nonchalant of their magnificent run to second place in the Eurotech Porsche, claiming Class 2 victory, putting it down to the reliability of the car. We should see more of this trio, though they will not be split, and will only contest races long enough for three meaningful stints – Rockingham, at the end of August, beckons, subject to finances.

Topcats claimed third and fourth places, the Class 2 machine heading the Class 3 variant home, both posting maximum class points in their quest for titles. Newcomer Paul Bailey let pro-driver Andy Schulz take the final stint in his Ferrari 430, after a solid run through the order, though the closing stages to fifth overall, and second in Class 3, were hardly plain sailing; “The tyres were gone, we had no brakes, and all the warning lights were flashing” admitted Schulz.  

The three Production invitees rounded out the top ten.  Mark Ticehurst and Owen Mildenhall, in separate conversations, echoed each-others thoughts on their finish in the little open-topped Mazda MX5; “Eighth position in a GT race, in a road car running on slicks!” Sam Hignett’s Jota outfit had done a stunning job, though, and this was a precursor to the Britcar 24 hours in October

Ashley Woodman and Owen Thomas were back to their ”excited schoolkid” personae with their new Seat Supercopa , assisted by Greg Noble, though the edge was taken off it somewhat by Owen feeling distinctly unwell during his stint, and the team searching for fumes leaking into the cabin. “We eventually checked the medication I’m currently taking, which stated it may cause motion sickness – I’ll need to get that changed” he said.

The Brunswick team managed a superbly controlled endurance race as only Giles Groombridge and Dave Ashford can, and the BMW 130’s line up of Parsons, Gooch and relative novice Malone are gelling into a solid team.  Still running at the end, though unclassified, were the Harrier, and the Johnson’s Ginetta, though the Azteca Porsche had been parked on the pit apron, having done the mandatory 40% of the race distance to claim some championship points.

STEVE WOOD