Sean and Michael McInerney, assisted by Phil Keen, made it two wins on the trot in the Eclipse-run Ferrari 430, in Donington’s four-hour race, that had a very different complexion to the previous round at Rockingham.
Four hours, after negotiations with the MSA, became a race of two halves; the governing body had developed a wariness of the Britcar procedure of flagging-off the Production race part-way through the sanctioned GT championship, the compromise for this round being a full chequered flag for all competitors at the two-hour mark, and the immediate deployment of the Safety Car once the last runner had crossed the line, enabling the Production competitors to safely leave the circuit. The Safety Car would then circulate for as few laps as possible until it was safe to continue, then let the field go green again. In effect, a four-hour race with safety car period, but, because of the display of the mid-point chequered flag, described as pair of two-hour races.
The longer race gave the opportunity for some ringers to be drafted in, chief amongst these being the addition of Aston Martin Racing boss John Gaw into the MJC squad, though, it seemed, not at a good time. Having suffered electronic issues in Friday testing, the team’s red and white Ferrari 430 spent the first half of the 50-minute qualifying session in the garage, having a new drive shaft fitted. Gaw put in a time that would bag eighth place on the grid, but the planned engine servicing that was due immediately after the race was pulled-ahead somewhat when Keith Robinson entered the pit lane with a plume of blue-grey smoke emitting from the rear of the car. The plan was to have taken the engine down to the Michellotto factory for an interim rebuild on the Monday after the race, but, with dropped valves and deformed pistons, this looked likely to be terminal, but you should never doubt the resolve of true racers. With very few engines in the world - some said four, others a dozen - with the identical ecu and mapping characteristics, it was a stroke of luck that Dutch Supercar team Veka Racing had the exact engine sitting as a spare in their truck. A Saturday evening of negotiation culminated in a lease deal, and by Sunday breakfast the MJC Ferrari was re-engined and ready to roll, an installation lap behind the safety car getting the nod of approval from a beaming Keith Robinson.
The Eclipse Ferrari had an atypical early session too, the team bolting on wet tyres in anticipation of the downpours that had blighted the earlier qualifying sessions, and it wouldn’t be until late into the 50 minutes that a place on the second row was claimed.
Up front, Javier Morcillo, in the Azteca Mosler shared with Manuel Cintrano, bagged pole at 1:06.798, a full one and a quarter seconds ahead of the revelation of the race, the self-built Praga R4S of Dutch Supercar regulars Racing4Slovakia, with car builder Dick Kvetnansky sharing the drive with young hotshoe Martin Sedlak.
The pack was almost alongside the Safety Car as it peeled into the pitlane for the start of the race, and Morcillo took the lead from pole, whilst, in the melee into Redgate, Calum Lockie’s Mosler allegedly took a nudge, causing the duck-bill of the car to slice under the rear valance of the Eclipse Ferrari in front as they all hit the braking zone; “I was launched” exclaimed Michael McInerney later. Making a storming start was Adam Wilcox in the MacG Racing Ultima, scything through a wide, empty gap left by cars choosing either side of the track, but it was Morcillo who led as they crossed the line for the first time, ahead of Kvetnansky in the Praga, Aaron Scott’s Viper, John Gaw in the MJC Ferrari, a recovering Lockie, McInerney in a similar condition and sporting a flapping rear diffuser, and Bob Berridge in the Aquilla.
Within five laps the leaders had caught the tail end of the Production runners, and Lockie, having already dealt with Gaw, made an all-too-easy move on Scott down the inside at Redgate, it becoming clear just a moment later that the Viper was struggling, and once again taking an unplanned pit stop early in the race. This time, rim failure on the front right had caused the tyre to deflate, dropping them to 10th place as the mandatory “ballasted” 105-second pit-stop timing was observed.
There was an early pit stop, too, for the Ultima – an ignition coil had fallen onto the exhaust and burnt through - and Michael Millard’s Prosport (depping for the usual Rapier, which was awaiting an engine rebuild). This was to be the first of several stops before the car was retired after doing 51 laps. The Ultima, though, was fixed rapidly, though now way down the order. Posting the first retirement, once again, was the luckless Orbital Sound team, Chris Headlam driving the yellow Lotus Elise straight into the garage with clutch failure just 24 laps in.
Moving up now was Bob Berridge, taking the first stint in Nigel Mustill’s Aquilla, and the vastly experienced historic driver getting past the second-placed Praga, and holding the position until an issue, and an atypically slow 1:53 lap dropped him back down to fifth place.
Simon Atkinson pitted the #28 Lamborghini fairly early, then again some 10 minutes later, by which time, at 45 minutes into the race, the dual-Hyabusa engined Praga made the first of its stops. A good time, at this point to review the positions; Morcillo’s Mosler, 45 seconds ahead of Lockie’s similar, but newer machine, Gaw in the MJC Ferrari, Berridge’s Aquilla, Michael McInerney, Jay Shepherd moving steadily up in the Hawthorn’s Porsche997, then the Topcats twins running in formation, Kyle Tilley in the “big green” Marcos ahead of returnee Raphael Fiorentino in the less developed Class 3 car. This was something of a pivotal moment for Tilley, leading Class 2 and getting to grips with the car, but it was to go sour in the second hour of the race, when a broken alternator lead caused a misfire. Ten minutes were lost while the problem was fixed, and Sam Head rejoined.
The closing of the first hour saw fuel stops made in earnest – there seemed to be no attempts at economy drives, as in previous races. Even Morcillo, who has hitherto stretched the Mosler out to 90 minutes, was in after 70 minutes, leaving Jon Gaw to lead in the re-engined MJC 430. This wasn’t, though, a scheduled stop for the Azteca Mosler, and it was pushed into the garage; “I lost fifth, then sixth gear, then the paddle shift – I don’t think we can fix it” rued the Spaniard.
Gaw stayed out on track, whilst other late-stoppers included Fiorentino, now a stunning third overall, Gareth Jones, keeping his head down in the Eurotech-run Porsche 997, Martin Byford, the leading Class 2 runner in the Bullrun Ferrari 360, and Paul McClean, in the glorious GT Classics Porsche993. In fact, Gaw eked out nearly 90 minutes before he pitted the Ferrari, handing over to Witt Gamski for an atypical middle stint. “I came here with a job to do, and I’ve done it – I brought the car in from the lead, though the tyres were coming and going to me” said the Scot confidently. Perrhaps he spoke too soon, though, for the officials had deemed that he was a little too hasty entering the pits, and slapped a draconian two-lap penalty on the MJC team. Others incurring the similar wrath of the men in serious trousers were the Fiona James/Neil Huggins Lamborghini, and the Stark Racing Ginetta G55 of Ian Stinton and marque boss Lawrence Tomlinson; the Ginetta had been lapping consistently, but never really in the hunt, and what Stinton described as a “bit of fun, really” sadly ended 103 laps into the race. Surprisingly thirsty, the Horsepower Racing Ferrari 430 Challenge of Paul Bailey and Andy Schulz was already on a five-stop strategy, and a penalty for them, incurred during one of their already-numerous stops, compounded the problem. Schulz had been visibly pushing the narrow-tyred, poorly-handling car to its limits.
A shake-up following further pit stops now saw the Eclipse Ferrari 430 – just the one stop so far, and with guest driver Phil Keen (fresh from piloting the Neil Garner FLM entry at Spa the previous day)now at the wheel – assume the lead, with Witt Gamski second, but losing around five seconds a lap. It came to a head for Witt just before the half-way mark, as he tried to pass a skirmishing Marcos and Lamborghini on the outside of Redgate. There was contact, and the Ferrari spun onto the grass on the inside of the corner; it was a while before he could safely regain the track, and he immediately pitted for checks, before rejoining, now down in eighth place, and two laps further down again .
The two-hour mark came, 99 laps on the board and the Production runners safely pulled-off under the Safety Car , which stayed out a little longer than anticipated as the marshals dusted some oil at the chicane. Lap 103, and the caution was lifted, with the Bullrun Ferrari 360 into the pits straight away, followed next time around by Keen in the 430, handing over to Sean McInerney.
Further pit stops for the Lotus Exige of Dan Norris Jones/Fulvio Mussi, which had been stealthily working its way through, and the Hawthorns Porsche 997, Rod Barrett taking over from Jan Persson, but neither would go much further, though; the Lotus pulled off, and the satin-black Porsche was out after 114 laps, the recurring fuel surge problems still dogging the Neil Garner-run car, as Rod explained: “ We had fuel surge issues on the test day but these increased over the race weekend from surge at 40 ltrs to 50 plus as one pump after another started to give up the ghost, and then the whole lot packed up, and the risk to the engine was too great, having gone into lean mode. It wasn't all negative however, as we managed to find the elusive base set up we had been searching for with the new Nitro dampers, so that was good news “
Bad news, too, for the MacG Racing Ultima; the rapid machine had recovered well from its earlier woes, but became the next retirement; “We had two hours of running on the pace, with two excellent pitstops, and recovered from 33rd up to 12th by the end of the safety car period. We then managed to overtake all but the top two guys after the safety car, only for the UJ on the driveshaft to snap” explained car builder/driver Jonny MacGregor.
Philip Jones pitted the Eurotech Porsche from third position, having had a trouble-free run as always, handing over to cousin Morgan, and Keith Robinson was plugging away to reduce the deficit in the MJC Ferrari 430, whilst, at the front, Sean McInerney held a lap’s sway over Paul White in the Mosler as the third hour ticked over. The Horsepower Racing Ferrari 430 was the next casualty, Paul Bailey bringing the car smokily to a rest on the grass near the Old Hairpin.
It was generally now settled at the front – Eclipse leading, with Sean McInerney in for the duration now, the White/Lockie Mosler a lap adrift, and the Slovakian Praga having relinquished third to the GT3 Racing Viper after a longish stop for oil and brake alignment. Owen O’Neill, in the #36 Topcats Marcos, had been giving the Praga a run for its money, the pair circulating together for several laps, but the bigger Topcats machine was in trouble, as Kyle Tilley recounted later ; Sam Head had us up fourth h in class, and we were very hopeful of still claiming a class podium on fuel strategy. Then, with seventy minutes remaining the car lost drive, thankfully at the end of the pitlane. The marshals pushed the car back down the pitlane and the team set about diagnosing and solving the problem-a broken differential. Thirty minutes later I was back in the car, setting the car’s fastest lap and desperately trying to get the car back within the 80% of the winner’s time rule. Sadly this was something we missed out on by 18 seconds!”
As the race drew to a close, there were woes for a pair of Ferraris – The Bullrun machine came to a halt at the Craner Curves, and Keith Robinson was crawling around in the MJC FerrarI, some 30 seconds off the pace, in a desperate attempt to finish the race after the fuel stop window had closed 15 minutes from the end. He came home fifth, but lost a further lap to the Viper and Praga in front of him.
At the front, Lockie got a lap back on the cruising Eclipse Ferrari, but had been in no position to challenge; “We’re just not quick enough, and the problem for the Mosler is fuel consumption. The Ferraris are so efficient they do one stop less than us. Without their problem, Eclipse would have been two laps ahead of us and that’s another pitstop ”rued the Scot after the race, whilst Sean McInerney confirmed that he had nursed the car home; ” We had to back off considerably since we took the rear section off the car after getting hit, and it cracked an exhaust manifold, so we couldn’t let too much heat build in the back of the car”.
Behind the top five, Class 3 victors Gareth, Philip and Morgan Jones got all of their drive shaft issues out of the way in Friday testing, and once more proved that a consistent pace and driver skill are the secret of stealthy success in endurance racing.
The Backdraft Lamborghinis didn’t appear to fare as well as previous races, but nevertheless completed the Class 2 podium; the #28 car of Simon Atkinson and Alistair MacKinnon ran steadily to second, whilst Neil Huggins shared #27 with regular pilot Fiona James, the car sustaining front-end damage which took several pit stops to fix.
Former Britcar regular Raphael Fiorentino had a stunning drive in the #36 Topcats Marcos, and he and Owen O’Neill claimed second in Class 3, whilst the glorious invitation entry Porsche 993 RSR of
Peter Fairbairn, Paul McLean and Tony Littlejohn took the final class podium spot.
The Aquilla, marque importer Nigel Mustill sharing the drive with Bob Berridge, finished 12th after encountering gearbox issues along the way, but Berridge showed the machine’s capabilities between the problems.
Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship results – Round 2, Donington Park
1 (1) Sean McInerney / Michael McInerney, Eclipse Motorsport, Ferrari 430 GTC, 191 laps, 4:00:18.737
2 (1) Paul White / Callum Lockie, Strata 21, Mosler MT900R, +51.988
3 (2) Aaron Scott / Craig Wilkins, GT3 Racing, Dodge Viper, +2 laps
4 (1i) Dick Kvetnansky / Martin Sedlak, Race4Slovakia, Praga R4S, +2 laps
5 (1) Witt Gamski / Keith Robinson / John Gaw, Ferrari F430 GTC, +3 laps
6 (3) Morgan Jones / Phillip Jones / Gareth Jones, Eurotech Racing, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, +4 laps
7 (2) Simon Atkinson / Alistair MacKinnon, Backdraft Motorsport, Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, +5 laps
8 (2) Fiona James / Ben Huggins, Backdraft Motorsport, Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, +12 laps
9 (3) Owen O’Neill / Raphael Fiorentino, Topcats, Marcos Mantis GT3, +14 laps
10 (3i) Peter Fairbairn / Tony Littlejohn / Paul McLean, GT Classics, Porsche 993 RSR, +16 laps
11 (2) David Green / Richard Adams / Martin Byford, Bullrun, Ferrari 360, +21 laps
12 (1) Nigel Mustill / Bob Berridge, Wessex Vehicles, Aquilla CR1, +25 laps
Not classified
(2) Sam Head / Kyle Tiley, Topcats, Marcos Mantis, 151 laps
(3) Paul Bailey / Andy Schultz, Horsepower Racing, Ferrari 430 Challenge, 129 laps
(3) Rod Barrett / Jan Persson / Jay Shepherd, Hawthorns Motorsport, Porsche 997 Cup, 114 laps
(1) Jonathan MacGregor / Adam Wilcox, MacG Racing, Ultima GTR, 113 laps
(3) Dan Norris-Jones / Fulvio Mussi, Priocept Racing, Lotus Exige, 107 laps
(3i) Ian Stinton / Lawrence Tomlinson, Stark Racing, Ginetta G55, 103 laps
(1) Javier Morcillo / Manuel Cintrano, Azteca Motorsport, Mosler MT900 GT3, 58 laps
(1) Ian Heward / Michael Millard, Flar-Six.co.uk, Rapier 6 SR2, 51 laps
(3) Chris Headlam / Jamie Stanley, Orbital Sound, Lotus Elise Series 1, 28 laps
Next round: 11/12 June, Thruxton
Watch Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship highlights on Motors TV.
Steve Wood
Follow Motors TV on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube
International
