V8’s eclipsed by Sunbeam
Boysie Thurtle was denied a double victory as the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus of Joss Ronchetti and Phil Seaman took victory in Sunday’s enduro as the Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge raced alongside the BTCC at Snetterton over the weekend (1/2 Aug).
The large contingent of fans who stayed on to watch the two races were rewarded with two cracking displays of ‘on the edge’ action on a lovely weekend at the Norfolk circuit.
Qualifying
Qualifying saw two cars in the 1m13s at the top with Boysie and Arthur Thurtle putting their Camaro on poll with a 1m 13.144. The Sunbeam Tiger of Cochran and Fildes was .254 behind. The second row consisted of The Ronchetti/Seaman Sunbeam Lotus and Chris Scragg's Aston V8 some 1.5 seconds adrift. The rest of the field were fairly well spaced out with a second between each of the next 5 competitors. Harvey Death brought out his radical 2600cc ‘Mini Cooper’ which managed a 1m20s in it’s first run for 12th spot but promised much more.
Race One
Arthur was a man on a mission and took the mighty 650 bhp Camaro into an early lead, which had grown, to 8 seconds by lap 5. The chasing Joss Ronchetti (Sunbeam Lotus) had problems and pulled off on lap 5 leaving Jackie Cochrane (Sunbeam Tiger) to take up second place only for the Tiger to retire with gear linkage problems on lap 15. This left Chris Scragg chasing the Camaro which now had Boysie Thurtle at the helm. The gap proved just too big to bridge and Boysie came home a comfortable winner. The Scragg Aston V8 was a lonely second and Phil Hollins and Peter Horsman’s Morgan Plus 8 took third.
A race long battle between Ian McCallum and John Bussell (Aston Martin DB5) and the DBSV8 Aston of Bob Searles and Sky Sports presenter Tony Jardine went to the DB5 by 2 seconds.
Robin ‘sideways’ North entertained the crowds by getting his monster Ford Falcon into impossible angles before saving it (most of the time). His daughter Zoe unfortunately couldn’t join the fun as the engine in her Sunbeam Tiger failed during qualifying.
Class C was won by the Bull/Coyne Jaguar E Type and the Ford Escort Mk 1 of Tim Glover and Rikki Cann took Class A.
Race one – 24 laps
1 Arthur Thurtle / Boysie Thurtle (Chevrolet Camaro) 31m 07.960s (90.28mph); 2 Chris Scragg (Aston Martin V8); +30.270s; 3 Phil Hollins / Peter Horsman (Morgan Plus 8); 4 Ian McCallum / John Bussell (Aston Martin DB5); 5 Bob Searles /Tony Jardine (Aston Martin DBS V8); 6 Grahame Bull / David Coyne (Jaguar E Type); 7 Richard Cooke / Simon Verschueren (VW Golf Gti); 8 John Shoesmith (Chevrolet Camaro); 9 David Falkingham (Triumph TR7); 10 Robin North (Ford Falcon). Class winners: Arthur and Boysie Thurtle; McCallum/Bussell; Bull/Coyne; Glover/Cann. Fastest lap: Cochrane/Fildes 1m13.051s (96.19mph).
Race two
As the Heritage GT cars made their way to the holding area the HiQ British Touring Cars were entertaining the huge crowds, which were enjoying the Norfolk sunshine. Watching them, it was amazing to think that some of those historic cars waiting their turn could have qualified near to the front row of their modern counterpart - such is the excellence within the series. It was hardly surprising then, to see Boysie Thurtle, the winner of the previous race, swagger like John Wayne towards the Aston he was now to share with Chris Scragg. A comment was made that perhaps the reason for his gait was the size of certain parts of his anatomy needed to drive the car; he replied they were likely to shrink to nothing during the race!
While Boysie had the confidence, Roger Bennington was understandably nervous as he climbed into the monster 650bhp Camaro of the Thurtles. His first race for two years and having to start it on pole next to Chris Scragg who was keen to demonstrate to his watching wife that all that time and money spent on racing was worthwhile was going to be hard.
Roger took the chain of cars around and the race was on. Straight away it was evident that the very rapid Sunbeam Tiger of Cochrane/Fildes and the Lotus Sunbeam of Ronchetti/Seaman who had both been forced to start at the back meant business as they charged up through the field.
Incredibly within a few laps Chris Scragg led followed by Roger Bennington, Phil Hollins and then Joss Rochetti now already in fourth and Jackie Cochrane’s Tiger with more pulling power than a lottery winning ticket carried the chase.
When the pit window opened all the lead cars pitted except Joss Ronchetti. The order didn’t change although a long stop for the Tiger to change the steering wheel for the lofty Jonathan Fildes put them some 30 seconds behind the leader. Jonathan gave chase putting in a fastest lap of 1.12.796 some 3 seconds faster than the Aston.
Elsewhere in the field the new radical mini of the Deaths had got into the groove and lapped its more conservative cousin and the Morgan piloted by Peter Horsman battled hard with the blue Camaro, which now had Arthur Thurtle driving. The pair sliding out of Russell, the Camaro still spinning half way up the straight, much to the joy of the spectators. Horsman later managed the inside line out of Coram and, once clear, pulled away but could not catch those in front.
The leaders could do little about the pace of the Tiger, which took one after the other until it eventually hit the front. It looked like the positions were settled but then there was the announcement that the second placed Aston had a drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Then on lap 24 the unfortunate Tiger retired for the second race in a row, spinning on its own oil in the esses.
When Boysie Thurtle finally took the penalty he returned only losing the one place but couldn’t catch the flying Sunbeam Lotus who came home a worthy winner.
Race 2 report by John Dickson, Heritage driver of orange Cobra, forced to spectate once again.
Race two – 31 laps:
1 Joss Ronchetti / Phil Seaman (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus); 40m 36.670s (89.40 mph); 2 Chris Scragg / Boysie Thurtle (Aston Martin V8) +19.387s; 3 Phil Hollins / Peter Horsman (Morgan Plus 8); 4 Arthur Thurtle / Roger Bennington (Chevrolet Camaro); 5 Ian McCallum / John Bussell (Aston Martin DB5); 6 Bob Searles /Tony Jardine (Aston Martin DBS V8); 7 John Shoesmith/ Ray Barrow (Chevrolet Camaro); 8 Harvey Death (Mini Cooper S); 9 Grahame Bull / David Coyne (Jaguar E Type); 10 Richard Cooke / Simon Verschueren (VW Golf Gti); Class winners: Ronchetti/Seaman; McCallum/Bussell; Bull/Coyne; Clive Death. Fastest lap: Cochrane/Fildes 1m12.796s (96.53mph).
Photos: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Download full results as a PDF file
