Congratulations to Ray Mallock on his 4th place in the Martini Trophy race at Thruxton today with a F/L under our record at 1.15.028. Huge commiserations to Mark Charteris who, having passed an Osella for 3rd, did a good impression of modern day F1 and ran out of fuel. Mark's F/L was an amazing 1.14.846

Congratulations to both Ray and Mark.
I 'watched' it in real time on the HSCC's impressive live timing, intrigued to follow the race unfolding lap by lap. The pictures are so much better than on the radio.
Does anyone know if Peter Needham, in a Tiga in the same race, is the one who built and drove the Splinter-Vauxhall Clubmans car at Harewood etc?
Mike

The few times that I switch the telly on these days I invariably end up shouting at it and switching off - however, I've now found the much better entertainment of real-time lap timing on the HSCC site. Marvellous - similar to TV in that I was shouting, but at my computer instead. This time though with excited anticipation of Mark and Ray's moves through the field, and lap times, as I waited for them to cross the timing beam each lap. To be recommended for people who "can't be arsed" to drive for hours on end, stand in a freezing cold airfield, and listen to a muffled commentary whilst not knowing the lap times.

Splinter-Vauxhall Clubmans car? Tell us more Mike - I've not heard of either the driver or car.

What I hadn't spotted until today was that Ray's qualifying lap was also a 1.14 slightly under Mark's race F/L.
Michael Mallock racing today (Sunday) from 2nd on grid at 100mph lap in the Ff Mk9.

Some commentators are better muffled. Others can be informative and entertaining, particularly when verging on the slanderous..........

The Splinter is illustrated in this Harewood program - apologies for long link but CBA to tinyurl it). It had several unconventional bits of engineering, as I recall, went well but I only recall it running in hillclimbs and sprints.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fharewoodhillhistory.co.uk%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2F3288%2F30%2FProgrammes-1993-18th-July.pdf&ei=REdYUZXZCqaL7AaE04DoDw&usg=AFQjCNFu3l1Z6AZrQds4edoS2Mx35nH8ng&sig2=0cl1P3_bH3T51wH_R7h-gA

Mike

Great to hear you following live timing @ the hscc events Chris! Think you can imagen now how i follow Clubmans races over here! Next week i'll sit behind my computer @ live timing for Donington. Great to hear our Clubmans friends are doing so well in the HSCC races!

Hello Onno
Not so good for Michael Mallock on the front row in the Historic FF race in the Mark9 unfortunately today, because his steering went wonky going through Church on the first lap and he wisely retired. Such a shame after his 2nd position 100mph lap in qualifying yesterday.

You can't have it all Chris, but i know the speed of the mk9 and Micheal remembering he has beaten all of my friends with more modern Formula Ford's @ the Walter Hayes Trophee some years ago.

Looks like the rear bodywork of the "Splinter" has melted down....

Thanks to McD for the reference to the Harewood programme.

Did anybody else notice the number of Clubmans cars present and that split pretty evenly between Mallocks and Visions?

In particular I noted Pete Harper in his Vision being in 6th place in the Leaders Championship, David Grace in 8th, while entered at the event was Russ Pickering -Wyd's Dad!- in his Vision among others....

The Splinter was a quick little car - very minimalist & lightweight. I think Pete Needham built two of them, and both were written off. (seem to remember one meeting its end in the Shelsley esses, & think the other was over the finish at Loton) Pete Needham also built a series nice little kit type cars called "Shelsley"s.

That Harewood programme is a great find - I see that I was there in the 500cc class..... don't think I'd even fit in a 500 these days!

Tom

Sorry I missed you in there Tom!!!

You seem to have given good reasons only to spectate at hillclimbs!!!!

You ought to publish your calendar of events this year somewhere here so that we can try and arrange a Clubmans collective to come and watch with baited breath -oddly I always that sounded remarkably like bad breath, so perhaps re-describe as 'watch in awe'!!