A look back to the Aston Martin Owners Club race meeting held at Snetterton in August 2019. The meeting saw a six race card along with Aston Martin owners meeting up with their cars in the paddock leading to an impressive display of cars ranging from pre-war to the current day. There was also a special display from Stratton Motor Company that included not only road cars but also Aston Martin race cars including the rare Nimrod-Aston Martin Group C car from the 1980’s.   

The racing saw all ages of race cars covered ranging from Pre-war right up to the latest Aston Martin Vulcan supercar. The AMOC Imtermarque Championship combined with the Aston Martin GT4 Championship for 45 minute race. The grid saw BMW’s. Porsche’s an a Ferrari take on the Aston Martins. After 45 minutes of racing it was a narrow win for Chris Kemp in his Aston Martin Vantage GT4 finishing just over a second ahead of Edward Leigh driving a BMW M3 GT4. Following on from this was a pair of races for the Equipe Racing Challenge both 40 minutes in duration. The first race was for the Equipe GTS A and saw the likes of MG, Lotus, Austin-Healey, Triumph and Turner competing. It was a dominant display from Tom Smith in his MG B  taking the win by 36 seconds from Neil Fisher in his Austin-Healey Seabring Sprite. The second race was for Pre-63 and GTS B classes and saw a 45 car grid. This race was a closer affair seeing a number of Austin-Healey’s in the lead battle. At the end of 40 minutes it was Mark Holme in his 3000 Mk.2 win by eight seconds from Richard Hywell-Evans, also driving a Healey 3000. 

Seen by many as the main event of the day the GT Challenge may have seen a small grid but some interesting cars were to compete. There was an Aston Martin Vulcan supercar in its camouflage livery likened to that found on a Vulcan bomber while an Aston Martin Vantage GT2 would be driven by rising BTCC star Jake Hill. They would be joined by Ferrari, Porsche, Ginetta and a TCR spec VW Golf. Qualifying for the 50 minute race saw pole for the Vulcan of Stepanovs and Tomkins three seconds clear of the Vantage driven by Whight and Hill. The early stages in dry conditions saw the Vulcan pull away into a lead leaving the Vantage to battle for second place with the Ferrari 458 of Nigel Jenkins. With each car having to make a mandatory pit-stop it was Jenkins who went in first making an early stop and staying behind the wheel. Three laps later it was Whight in the Vantage who made the stop handing over to Hill as the Vulcan continued. Electing to stop late the Vulcan pitted on lap 13 rejoining in second just ahead of Hill with Jenkins Ferrari now leading but light rain had made the track greasy. With the Vulcan unable to use its power advantage Hill was soon past and challenging Jenkins for the lead. Three laps later Hill was in the lead he would not loose,  pulling away to win by 30 seconds from Jenkins Ferrari who in turn was 30 seconds ahead of the Vulcan. 

 

The Jack Fairman. Mike Hawthorne and Innis Ireland Cups combined for one 30-minute race. Another diverse grid saw Jaguars, Lotus, Cooper, Aston Martin among the marques competing. Starting from pole position in his Lotus 15 Roger Wills took an clear win by over a minute with Anthony Ditheridge in his Cooper Monaco winning a close battle for second with John Young’s Jaguar Mk.1. Closing the day’s on-track events was the Pre-war Team Challenge run over 20-minutes. Six cars competing in teams of two took part with the bast combined result winning. After seven laps it was John Polson in his Talbot AV105 that took the win on-track, his team-mate David Lewis in his Alvis Silver Eagle failed to finish the race. This saw the Bentley team of Clive Morley, Bentley 3/4, and David Ayre, Bentley eigtht-litre two-seater, take the team win with Aston Martin second. 

Gary Malkin 

Photo Galleries;

AMOC Intermarque & GT4 Challenge;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2722757241325084

AMOC Equipe;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2722757241325084

GT Challenge;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2723533401247468

Jack Fairman, Mike Hawthorne & Innis Ireland Cup;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2723562957911179

AMOC Pre-war Challenge;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2723573894576752

Paddock;

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=2061747147426100&set=a.2724250164509125

Gary Malkin