HSCC Snetterton 200 2019

The Historic Sports Car Club staged their annual meeting at Snetterton using the traditional 200 circuit. Five formulas were scheduled to compete, each with qualifying session and two races during the day.

First up it was the HSCC Historic Touring Car Championship with an entry dominated by Ford’s with ten of the fourteen competing from the manufacturer. Taking a clear pole-position in qualifying was Jonathan Evans in his Ford Mustang joined on the front row by Richard Belcher in the first of a number of Ford Lotus Cortina’s taking part. In the day’s first race it was Belcher who made the better start leading the opening lap before Evans made his way past to take the lead. As Evans built a small lead Belcher was left to hold off the challenge of Roger Stanford, also in a Cortina, and Bob Bullen in his Ford Anglia. The trio battled early on and by mid-race Bullen was into a solid third challenging Belcher. At the flag it was a win but just under a second for Evans with Belcher just holding off Bullen for second place. With Bullen being given a ten-second penalty for a jump start this dropping him to fourth overall third place went to Stanford, al the top four taking their respective class wins while class E went to current champion Adrian Oliver in his Hillman Imp finishing seventh overall. The second race later in the day saw Evans take the lead from the start, again challenged by Belcher who took the lead on the eighth lap. Evans began to drop back, retiring two laps later as Bullen and Stanford completed the top three at the end of the race. Again it was Oliver who took class E honours in sixth place.

The Classic Formula 3 Championship were joined in their race buy some of the URS Classic Formula Ford 2000 competitors. It was Paul Smith who took pole in his Ralt RT3 narrowly from Adrian Langridge in his March 803 whilst third place went to fastest Formula Ford 2000, the Van Diemen RF82 of Ben Stiles. Pole man Smith got the better start to lead as Langridge slotted into second place and challenging. On lap four Langridge took his chance and moved into the lead immediately opening a gap as Smith defended the challenge from David Thorburn, also in an RT3, and Jon Finch in a Ralt RT1. At the flag Smith had held onto second place but was disqualified post-race elevating Finch to second and Thorburn third. Behind them in Formula Ford 2000 it was a hard thought race between Steve Mellish and Chris Levy, both in Van Diemen’s for the win as pole man Stiles retired. It was Mellish who held in to win finishing fifth overall with Levy in sixth. Race two saw Langridge start from pole, taking the lead from the start and going on to win by eight seconds. Behind it was Finch and Thorburn battling for the remaining podium places and it was Thorburn who this time finished second with Finch third. Finishing fourth was Chris Levy who got the better of Mellish by some five second to win the Formula Ford 2000 race. Further singer-seater action was provided by the HSCC Historic Formula Ford Championship where current Champion Cameron Jackson was again in top form taking pole position in his 1971 Pallister/Winklemann WDF2. From the start Jackson was in a lead he would not loose as former Champion Callum Grant came from sixth on the grid to finish second in his Merlyn. Also driving a Merlyn in third was Benjamin Tusting while in fifth place and winning the over 50’s class was Rob Smith, also in a Merlyn. In race two Jackson won again from pole maintaining his winning start to the season as again Grant was second with Tusting third. Finishing fourth and winning the over 50’s class was Gislian Genecand driving a 1970 Crossle 16F.

The HSCC Historic Road Sports Championship were joined for their races by invited competitors from the 70’s Road Sports Championship. Pole position for race one went to the AC Cobra of Kevin Kivlochan, joined on the front row by the Morgan Plus 8 of Robyn Pearce. Nic Strong in his Marcos 3000GT was fastest of the 70’s runners in eleventh. From the lights it was Kivlochan who took the lead with Pearce into second but the Morgan had nothing to challenge the Cobra as Kivlocan took a dominant win. Some eleven seconds back in second at the end of the twenty-minute race was Pearce while in third it was class C winner Jonathan Rose in his Lotus Elan S1. Finishing in ninth overall it was Strong who came home to win the 70’s class. It was the same again for race two as Kivlochan took a second dominant win at the wheel of his Cobra while behind it was Roger Lee in his Lotus Seven S2 who came from fourth to take second with Rose third. In ninth overall it was the Ferrari 308 of Jai Sharma who this time took the honours in the 70’s class. The final formula racing was the HSCC Classic Clubmans Championship where Clive Wood qualified on pole in his Mallock Mk20b. Taking the lead on the opening lap and also driving a Mallock Mk20b was Alan Cook but it was short lived as Wood re-took the lead on lap two. Having opened a gap of some seventeen seconds over Cook lap eleven saw Wood retire from the race as Cook inherited the lead. At the flag it was an easy win for Cook over the Phantom P80 of Anthony Denhan in second with Adrian Holey third in a Mallock Mk20b. Finishing fifth was John Muirhead who won class B in his Mallock Mk.18. Race two saw pace-setter Wood start from tenth on the grid and it took until lap six for him to take the lead from early race leader Denham. At the flag it was Denham second with Cook third as sixth place Dave Facer won class B in his Mallock Mk.18BW.