Guest driver Tim Mogridge finished first in two races

Wayne Marrs won the two races on the GP circuit

With 23 cars entered is was clear everyone was keen to get back to racing again

Star driver Jim Cartwright who won Saturday's race in his 328

Brands Hatch Saturday 25 July 2020 the first PFfc race of the season and it was good to see so many cars back in action. No doubt the attraction of a rare opportunity to race on the GP circuit helped the raise the numbers and 23 cars were entered. This included welcome newcomers to the series Jago Keen and his newly acquired 308 GTB and Andy Riddoch for his first ever race in 328 GTB driven last year by Darren Mills. Robin Biesbroek appeared as a guest driver in a very original 348 Challenge which he had driven on the road from Holland to attend the meeting.

Nicky Paul-Barron is back racing again in his newly acquired 355/Ch, Paul Ugo now has a 328 GTB to race alongside the 308 GT4 of his son Charlie and Vance Kearney now has his white 355/Ch looking good and fully prepared for this late starting season. Steve Burns was in Imola so Gary Culver stood in as Series Co-ordinator for the weekend. The attention to detail of the running of the event by MSV following the well-worked guidelines of MSUK was all very good. It was certainly something of a bonus not have to go through signing on and scrutineering at the start of the meeting. That said Andy Bush was on hand to keep an eye on things with a very able assistant in the form of David Preston

Saturday Indy Circuit

Qualifying took place on a dry track in good conditions. Wayne Marrs (355/Ch) took a comfortable pole position with Tim Mogridge running as a guest in a similar car alongside him. Pete Fisk’s 550 was third just heading a very close bunch of the remaining Group Five Cars. Colin Sowter headed group 4 in his 348/Ch with Jim Cartwright very close behind him in his Group Three 328 GTB.

Race 1

The conditions would change radically for the race in the afternoon as there was steady rain as the cars lined up in the assembly area for two green flag laps before the start. For good reason the start for many was somewhat cautious but at the end of the first lap Mogridge was in the lead ahead of Marrs with Sowter up to overall 4^th place as everyone sought to get to grips with the very tricky and changing  conditions. Graham Hill bend seemed to be causing most of the problems with both Marrs and Riddock taking to the grass on exit but both were able to safely get back on track.

As the race progressed Mogridge remained in front.  The standout performance was by Jim Cartwright in his Group Three 328 GTB who was in 6^th place at the end of the first lap and by lap 5 was running behind Mogridge and kept his place despite the best attempts of Marrs behind him.

Elsewhere the notable performers in the conditions were Myles Paulton (328 GTS), Nick Cartwright (328 GTB) and Jago Keen all of whom made up places in the race. Thankfully there was no damage and no contact between the cars throughout the race which was given a very positive report from the clerk of the course.

It was great to be back racing again and the results, which of course never lie, record that Jim Cartwright won the first race of the 2020 PFfc season, although ‘guest’ Mogridge was first on the road.

Sunday Grand Prix Circuit

The Ferrari 488 Challenge track time requirement was a little shortened over the weekend and this afforded the our series not one but two races on the full Grand Prix circuit. A very rare privilege for a club racing series. Unlike Saturday afternoon the track conditions were excellent all day.

Race 2

Pole sitter Marrs made his customary poor start to allow guest driver Mogridge to take the lead. Sowter and Butler (328 GTBs) both made good starts gaining several places but lap times dropped consistently as for almost all competitors racing on the GP was a new experience and what a truly enjoyable experience it was.

Sowter lost his place to Paul-Barron on lap 3 and Butler found his mirrors full with Jim Cartwright’s 328 for a number of laps and eventually had to swop places on Lap 8. Paul Ugo in his only race of the weekend had been shadowing this pair and got past Butler a lap later.

Vance Kearney having started at the back of the grid was able to show some form and got up to 10^th place with Peter Everingham (328 GTB) very close behind him. There was some close racing at the back of the grid and William Moorwood (308 GT4) was under pressure from the quicker cars of guest Robin Biesbroek and the Group Two 308 GT4 of Richard Fenny who both got past him.

All credit then to race winner Wayne Marrs with second and third places taken Tris Simpson and Tim Walker in their 355’s. All this was followed by a distanced prize giving attended by Francesco Balli of FNE who is an enthusiastic supporter of our race series.

Race 3

The ‘Guest’ AKA Tim Mogridge took the lead at the start and held it for the whole race. Similarly, the top four cars behind him would all be in the same positions at the end of the first lap and keep them for the whole race. There was though plenty of close racing behind them helped by good starts from Sowter and Everingham.

Sowter and Paul-Barron had a very close race and it was not until the penultimate lap that the 355 got ahead of the 348. Likewise Everingham was able to keep Butler behind him for 8 laps and finished very close behind him. Burgo Wharton had a strong race in his Group Three 328 but would ultimately be overtaken by some quicker cars as they took advantage of the very fast sections on the GP loop.

Richard Fenny was going well but late in the race suffered a second drive shaft failure in exactly the same place as the first failure which forced him to retire.

So well done the front three of the PFfc, Marrs, Simpson, and Walker who repeated their performance in the earlier race on the GP circuit. Thanks should go to all who organised the meeting so well in an event which has given us all confidence to attend future meetings.

For lots more pictures of the weekend go to our Club’s Flickr pages.

Nice wheels

Robin Biesbroek with 'international trophy'

Francesco Balli of Ferrari North Europe

Scrutineers Preston and Bush

Tim Mogridge AKA 'The Guest'

Race winner Jim Cartwright

Race winner Wayne Marrs

And Tris Simpson happy with his second places