Donnington 5/6 May Top Hat meeting

Does anyone have the details for all the races this weekend, I know the Top Hat and GTA Challenge is on Monday but would be interested in knwoing what else is on that day as incredibaly competitors only have details of their own race! So I have no idea what else is there, any help?

Originally posted by simon drabble
Does anyone have the details for all the races this weekend, I know the Top Hat and GTA Challenge is on Monday but would be interested in knwoing what else is on that day as incredibaly competitors only have details of their own race! So I have no idea what else is there, any help?

hi Simon,

We should be able to cobble this between us, as you are racing Monday and me on Sunday. If you look on the back of your transporter pass it gives a parking map for the different races. Mine (for Sunday) has - 50's historic touring car enduro, Best of British & Spirit of MG, Cloth Cap 50's & 60's enduro, 7 challenge, A7 triple challenge, 750 Formula, Formula Vee and Historic Formula 2.

Your pass (for Monday) should give the races for that day.

Incidentally, the new 50's touring cars looks good. As well as us (in a 100E) there are Zephyrs, A40's & A35's, Jag Mk.1, Magnettes, Alfa 1900SS, Rapiers, Aurelia B20, Riley 1.5's, Minors, Jag Mk7, Austin Mk7, Lincoln Cosmopolitan, Chevy 150 & Dauphine. Included are Norman Grimshaw and Barrie Williams in a Minor! Argh!

See you there - will you be there on Sunday as well?

Sunday is a bit political as I promised my wife I would stay at home! The downside of having a wife who finds racing boring!
Shame as I think yours sounds the more interesting day! Somebody told me on Saturday that Norman Grimshaw is building an A35, the mind boggles!
Presumably Michael Pressley's Mk 1 will be hot favourite? Mk 1's could have a rennaissance as the potential Goodwood and 50's Touring Car winners. Nick Bleaney's Riley might have problems getting there sadl. y it was parked up in a cloud of smoke on Saturday.
Are you staying for Monday? and is it on the National or GP like last time?

Originally posted by simon drabble
Sunday is a bit political as I promised my wife I would stay at home! The downside of having a wife who finds racing boring!
Shame as I think yours sounds the more interesting day! Somebody told me on Saturday that Norman Grimshaw is building an A35, the mind boggles!
Presumably Michael Pressley's Mk 1 will be hot favourite? Mk 1's could have a rennaissance as the potential Goodwood and 50's Touring Car winners. Nick Bleaney's Riley might have problems getting there sadl. y it was parked up in a cloud of smoke on Saturday.
Are you staying for Monday? and is it on the National or GP like last time?

Yep I heard the same about Norman. The Minor is bad enough, but in an A35 he'll take some beating. I agree with your conclusion on Michael as well. Sad to hear about Nick - terminal?

Got some more info off the Donington website
http://www.donington.co.uk/
It turns out that EuroBoss are racing, which should be tops - includes Herta's 99 Indycar, ex-Alesi Ferrari, Schumacher Benetton etc. Other races on Mon include Formula 4, Roadsports and Stock Hatch.

We'll certainly be there on Monday as spectators, and may well help out in the pits for Top Hat if anyone needs us. As the ticket shows the assembly area to be on the Melbourne loop I'd guess its national this time, but I'm not sure. From a spectating point of view I hope its the GP, from a driving point of view I hope its the national!

there are some very good drivers in yr series driving some very ordinary sounding cars! Somehow I feel that they will not look ordinary! I am quite envious really.
Re Nick I am not sure but when I saw him leaving he looked understandably hacked off with life. The new additions to the grid where, as you said, in some cases very quick.
in respect to help I am sure your offer will be snapped up! I see that they have fianlly updated the HRSR website to include Donington a few weeks ago. Seems like you had a close race with an Alfa! Thanks for the Donington Link I will try that now

Good luck at Donington this weekend - almost (but not quite!) wish we were racing there and not Spa as the programme sounds terrific! Look out for Louise and Jason Kennedy and their beautiful TVR Griffith. Think it is the first race of the season for them in the beast.

Sadly I will miss them as they will be there on Sunday. I hope they get on well with it, they were both very helpful to me when I started racing as we were all in the same series at the time. It will be quite a challenge after the Lancia's but they are both good drivers so I am sure they will be up at the sharp end quite quickly!
Good luck at Spa, it is a track worthy of all that is said about it and I cant wait til Sept when we are out there.
So do you race a Formula Junior as well as F3?

The full race card is online on Bolide at
H+H Historic race Weekend (http://www.bolide.co.uk/actions/gsearch.taf?page=0205052472)

If yiou hear a loud rumbling noise during the weekend that'll be Jason and Louise firing up the TVR - great stuff!

is that an Orange Griffith? if it is, its awsome, saw it at Thruxton about 18 months ago, beautiful, and very fast.

No - Jason & Louise's car is a red Griffith with a white Cobra stripe. We were playing in it at Bentwaters last weekend and we'll have a few snaps up on Bolide soon

I saw a nice dark blue Cortina Mk I with a white side flash in Brighton a couple of days ago, and could swear it said Throbnozzle Racing on it - was that your car?

Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

yes it was, thats my everyday shag-heap!

thanks for that info. I have been testing the journey on the Multi Map on yr site and am really surprised to see it sends me there via M25 and M1 (I live very close to Thruxton) rather than up A34; M40 and M42 as I was going to go. If anyone has any views as to which way is quicker I would be grateful as I am going up and down in the day so I want the quickest route possible!!

Joe

You should be racing it!!!

My TR is nearly ready to go racing - I'm helping Peter Young in Hove (ICS 01273 719719) prep the car. He does the work and I stand around getting in the way...

We got the rollcage and one seat in last Friday night ready for Saturday at Bentwaters. We had a great time there hooning around

And Simon, if your wife thinks racing's boring, make her watch a few Grand Prix - they really _are_ boring, and after that she'll be begging to come to Spa to watch some real (historic) racing!


Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

her main problem is the inability to spend at meetings! Curously she is happy to come to Dijon with me in October if we do the 6 hour down there, funny that??!!! Spa and Chimay will be boys weekends!!!!!
Are you going with your camera to Donington on both days? or is yr pro English bias limiting you to Sunday only!!!

I'll be there both days...

But tell me more about the Dijon 6-Hour race - who's the organiser and what cars are eligible? Is there a website for it?

Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

Nick

I bought a MK1 GT to build to race, and had a 1600E MK2 as a near mint everyday car, Mr Kipling drove up my derrier and the insurance co wrote it off. the funds bought that MK1, which has a very solid but tatty looking shell, but had been rebuilt with knackered 1600E bits, and a bodged engine, i bought a 1700 crossflow from a Caterham. I made a new sump, and chucked it in, am now rebuilding/reconning the running gear as I go, just back axle to do now.

the plan is to use it as a test car on the road, try and learn something about suspension set ups on the spaghetti junction outside Shoreham!

I am tempted to fit the cage and abuse it . . . . .
the 1600E is now fully healed as well, for a whopping £50 (and a few hours)

6 hour in Dijon is run by VdeV racing in France. They have a season of Long distance races. Sadly the others clash with Top Hat dates but this one doesnt and will be a great way to end the season!

Joe

1 - Fit that cage
2 - take ARDS course
3 - take out second (or third) mortgage
4 - GO RACING!!!


Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

Originally posted by simon drabble
thanks for that info. I have been testing the journey on the Multi Map on yr site and am really surprised to see it sends me there via M25 and M1 (I live very close to Thruxton) rather than up A34; M40 and M42 as I was going to go. If anyone has any views as to which way is quicker I would be grateful as I am going up and down in the day so I want the quickest route possible!!
Assuming your course is Andover(ish) to Donington, the route you suggested (A34/M40/M42) has to be the only one. Going in to the M25 then up the M1 must be much longer, and the traffic's sure to be heavier. I used to live in Bournemouth and travel regularly to Silverstone, Donington etc. Via Newbury (even in pre-bypass days)and Oxford was the only way to go.

Nick, the mortgage is already under consideration, only problem is I have nowhere to keep a trailer, so I may need to find/buy another garage . . . . .financial suicide in the interests of having a bloody good laugh.

lets do it!

I had assumed that was the way to go and was v surprised to be steered round M25. You have gvn me the confidence to stick to my original plan, thanks!!

Hi Bolide and Simon D. Sounds like Donington was fun. We went to Spa - absolutely p***ed down from Friday to Sunday night and the Tecno still has its fuel problem but I came in 3rd. First podium visit - still celebrating!

Anyone have any idea of the route from the ferry at Bilbao to Pau - we are racing there weekend after next and need a route that has been travelled...

well done sounds like yr w/e went a lot better than mine (I dnf with a blown head gasket) am afraid I cant help re Pau

Jenny, is that PAu in Cataluna? if so, its on my auto route . . . .I can post details

theres a Pau in Aquataine France on the way to Cataluna as well, and one in Italy, if that makes it any harder

Come on chaps this is the historic racing area - surely you should all know that Pau is in South West France and the circuit has been used since before I was born by almost all formulae - not that I expect you to know when I was born however....

The only answer to Route Planning is viaMichelin.com - it's brilliant for this kind of thing. It says 158 mi in 2h25 for Bilbao to Pau - and it even knows about the racetrack at Pau

viaMichelin.com (http://www.viamichelin.com)


Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

cool, better than Auto-lost

might use it to plot a Cortina friendly route to Lemans, avoid hoards of TVR's!

viaMichelin is next week's Bolide Website of the Week (http://ww.bolide.co.uk/actions/directory.taf?type=wow)

If we're permitted a blatant plug, I'll say that our Website of the Week (http://ww.bolide.co.uk/actions/directory.taf?type=wow) lists some of the most useful & interesting websites around - particularly for those interested in Classic Motorsport

And the week after next it'll be Ten Tenths....



Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk (http://www.bolide.co.uk)

Zafarelly, the Pau I need is the one with the race circuit! I assume in France not Spain as it is French side of the Pyrenees...

Jenny, Ive twigged that now, it just seemed odd that there are two Paus so close together. its about 150 miles from Bilbao, so about 40 minutes, with trailer!

have you sorted a map?

Does anyone know of any racing at the weekend? - am at a loose end (Steve seeing his daughter) so thought it might be good to watch something or even pit for someone - UK pref!

zefarelly, thanks for info re Pau - so about 50 mins in the transporter then?! Anyone else going out there?

I just read the Ten-Tenths T&Cs and no, I'm not allowed to post blatant plugs

So my apologies!


Nick Froome

Hey, Nick, you're featuring 10/10th on your site next week so it sounds like an appropriate little back scratching exercise to me! Bolide is a great site and has really developed well in the past 18 months that I've visited it. (If you can't plug it, Nick, I can!)

Originally posted by Jenny
Does anyone know of any racing at the weekend? - am at a loose end

BRSCC at Oulton on Saturday - bit far for you, though!:)

Thanx DaveB but have to collect stuff on Saturday so Sunday will be the play day this weekend!