"It was a fantastic weekend - just what racing is all about".
Stuart returned to sprint racing for the first time in two and a half years.
"Although the car is really a class 2 car, it is set-up for Dunlop tyres and not Michelins which the other GT3 runners use, and it also has a sequential box. In class 1 the tyre choice is free and, together with the gearbox, it placed the car up against some very serious equipment in the top class ", explained Stuart. "My target for the weekend was to beat Henry (Firman). I had a 924 between Henry & I and I was very conscious of not being able to overtake it until we had crossed the line after the safety car went in. I took the 924 on the way up to Druids and then chased after Henry down Graham Hill Bend. As I came round onto Clearways I came across Henry and 4 slower cars all on the inside of the circuit so I just went to the outside and overtook the lot - it was great!"
Sunday's race was in the dry and this was the first time Stuart had started from the second row of the grid. "Aren't the start lights bright from that position!!"
This time the car was not handling so well. "I had loads of understeer due to running on old rubber so I found it very hard work. I came across 3 having a good battle and I didn't want to interfere with it". He let Brown past as he was in class 2 and concentrated on bringing the car home in 6th place overall and third in class again.

It was a lonely race 1 for Stuart and Steve after the Ultima nudged Stuart off on to the grass at Druids. Stuart pitted whilst the safety car was out and Steve continued the solid drive to bring the car home in 7th.
Race 2 was started in steady rain which eased soon after the start. The team had decided on intermediate tyres, and Steve was taking no prisoners, passing the heavily-fancied Damax Ferrari, and holding off the GKR Lotus Elise. When the rain started again, from sixth place in class, and with just a third of the race run, Steve pitted for full wets. Too early for a driver change, but while the field was under the safety car, he rejoined in the same sixth position.
Hector Lester’s Ferrari was now in sight, but the driver change needed to be effected, and with 33 minutes to go, Steve pitted to hand over to Stuart, dropping them to ninth in class. Once the pit stop window closed, Stuart was now eighth, but the Safety Car got its second outing of the race, with just 15 minutes left to run, which curtailed any immediate progress. The SC had actually picked up Stuart, but it correctly waved him past and gave him enough time to catch the back of the train. Beighton’s Marcos now seemed a realistic target, however time was running out, and with just an eight minute dash to the finish, the chequered flag fell with the orange Mantis just a second ahead.
“It was treacherous, you couldn’t see a thing,” said Steve.

Last year, Steve,Stuart and Mark Sumpter had retired from the Spa 1000km race, but only after the Golf GTI had been one of the stars of the event, especially in qualifying when it posted a time better than the winning Porsche GT3 of Tom Shrimpton and Liz Halliday to place them fourth on the grid.
"Spa is a very hard circuit for both car and driver " and with that in mind Stuart decided to go for a good result when he knew that reliability was going to be an issue, rather than spend a lot of time in testing and qualifying.
Taking the car down to line up on the grid, Stuart found the gear indicator on the dash jumping around and was registering anything from reverse to 6th when he was doing 20 mph. On the green flag lap, it didn't improve and as he lined up on the grid to start the race, and with the 5 second board showing, the dash indicated that he was in reverse.
"I knew that I had rounded the hairpin in 1st and hadn't changed gear so was praying that it was still in first!! The lights went green and the car went forward. The standing start was much better than at Brands and on a downhill slope without a hand break too. Martin Harvey in a 911 Turbo was the only car to get the better of me but as the race progressed I caught him back and finished 3 tenths behind him and 4th in class."
Sunday morning was spent trying to sort out the gear indicator problem on the dash as it had meant that every gear change had to be counted up or down.
"I was lying awake Saturday night and, instead of counting sheep to get me to sleep, it was gears", remarked Stuart.
"Again on the green flag lap, the gear indicator played up so it was going to be a guessing game to know what gear I would be in. This time, I made a Brands Hatch start and dropped four places but soon made them back on the first lap with the GT3s speed coming good on the long straights. Henry spun in front of me, which gained me a place on the road, although two laps later I allowed him to take it back as I had been shown a P4 from the pit crew of Kevin and John and didn't want to get caught up in a battle with cars in a different class. By lap 10, I was shown P3 from the lads as Paul Daniels in his 993GT2 had problems and retired and here I was in a podium position and at Spa."
It was about this time that the car started jumping out of gear in 2nd and the thoughts of a DNF started racing through his mind. At lap 12, he was shown P2 by the crew and and the next 5 laps were, or appeared, much longer than the 2.49 minutes per lap which were being shown on the dash. Finally, after 49 minutes, the chequered flag was shown and P2 in class it was with 5th overall.
" I am sure as I crossed the start/finish line the dash was showing I was still in reverse. To go back to Spa and record a 2nd was a dream come true."

 

The Golf may be making an appearance in the EERC. It was hoped the gear box would be operational in time for this weekend's race at Donington but the 20th November round at Brands Hatch looks more likely.

The Porsche set off for Bahrain last Friday for the inaugural GT Festival. As Steve is unable to take part they asked old VW Cup racing rival Nick Adcock to partner Stuart.

"It's a great opportunity and I'm really looking forward to it," said Nick, who finished sixth in this year's ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup.

"Stuart is an old friend and racing rival and when the chance came to join him and Jordan Warnock Racing in Bahrain, I leapt at it. I had planned to do the Bathurst 24-hour race but that was cancelled, so Bahrain is an excellent alternative."

Hopefully Steve will get a chance to race next year if this becomes an annual event.

The race schedule is a little different with the drivers starting 2 races each.

Thursday 25th November
09:00-10:00 qualifying 1
11:30-12:30 qualifying 2
13.55-14.30 race 1 (35 mins)

Friday 26th November
09:00-09:35 race 2 (35 mins)
10:10-10:45 race 3 (35 mins)
11:45-12:45 race 4 (60 mins)

www.gtfestival.com

http://www.cambridgebusinesstravel.co.uk for all your business travel

http://www.paragon.gb.com for Porsches

http://www.j-wracing.net for the team

http://www.britishgt.com Official GT site

Brands Hatch Porsche Open

Brands Hatch GTs

Spa Porsche Open

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Welcome to our newest member Paige Woods.

 

Steve and Stuart would like to thank Mike (Jordan) and his crew for doing a fantastic job this year in looking after them in both the British GTs and the Porsche Open and they say it has been such a privilege to have been part of an excellent team. Thanks to all the mechanics at Jordan Warnock Racing and to our supporters.

I'd also like to thank Mike, Mark, Neil and the others for putting up with me, my camera and incessant questions. Also to those photographers who passed on pictures of the boys in action.

And a very big thank you to Steve and Stuart.