Fressingfield Oily Rag Club Newsletter October 2019 FORC: “A loose affiliation of motor sport enthusiasts”. Visit to Classic Team Lotus: Wednesday 30th October - Update As we go to press this event is fully booked. If you wish to register as a reserve please email your interest to Steve on [email protected]. Classic Team Lotus HQ is not a museum. Fortunately for us, now that the racing season has ended we are visiting when the race-shop is starting off- season rebuilds. This is a working area so have regard for partially dismantled racing cars, equipment, etc. The cars held upstairs are not museum exhibits and therefore are not parked behind barriers so please respect this when making your way around. For the above reasons and having regard to the usual Health & Safety regulations the minimum age for this event is fifteen years. In this months FORC Newsletter * Classic Team Lotus Visit: update * Flyer: Johnny Mowlem * Contents * From the Editorial Desk * Johnny Mowlem Preview * News from the black-stuff * Sprint Report * Obituary * Calendar * Footnote to Peter Windsor evening * Advertising – Businesses who support FORC The View From The Editorial Desk The FORC out-door season ended with the Peter Andrews Sprint on the Snetterton 100 circuit on 21st September. It was a glorious day both from the much remarked on range of cars entered and the weather. We can't offer these events without your support so many thanks to all competitors. We all owe a vote of thanks to our marshals who made sure everyone got their runs; not forgetting the Javelin Team. Thanks boys and girls. Wednesday 25th September, saw our indoor season kick off with An Evening with Peter Windsor. From feedback from every Oily Ragger I've met since the only problem is that you want more! He has promised to return! I know I keep harping on about change (at FORC). The idea of slipping in the visit to Classic Team Lotus instead of a Stradbroke talk has obviously won your approval. It is sold out with over three weeks still to go! We are working on other projects – you have been warned! The 2020 guest speaker programme is coming together. FORC membership has increased and new friends often say “I wish I had been a member when you had so and so at Stradbroke”. Sadly some of our 100 plus 'back catalogue' are no longer with us but we would like your ideas for one or two you would like us to persuade back...not from 'the other side' though! That's all from me for now. See you at Hethel and at Stradbroke for Johnny Mowlem on 20th November. Safe and enjoyable Oily Ragging Steve November Meeting Preview Johnny Mowlem at FORC Wednesday 20th November Look through the FORC Roll of Honour and there are many names with past careers as drivers in high level international motor sport. However, there aren't that many who were currently competing at the time of their visit. Our November guest, Johnny Mowlem, is currently racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) GTE Am class in the Red River Sport/AF Corse Ferrari 488GTE Evo. In between times, in an exhaustive programme, they manage to compete in other endurance races outside the WEC too! Considered to be among the worlds elite sportscar drivers, Johnny’s career embraces racing at Le Mans, Spa, Daytona, Sebring, Mosport, Laguna Seca, Shanghai, in Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Ginetta, Lola, Oreca, Aston Martin, and more. Johnny has much to tell us. He began his career in single seaters up to Formula 3 level, chosen personally by Jackie Stewart for his "staircase of talent" team, alongside Dario Franchitti, Allan McNish and Gil de Ferran. Moving to sportscars in 1996, he won the British Porsche Cup Class 1 championship, gaining international recognition the following year when he won all 17 races of the British Porsche Cup. He has gone on to be a race, class, and championship winner in all the major international sportscar series. This is a rare opportunity, not to be missed for the warm up film he has supplied alone...so come early! Booking is now open! News from the black-stuff: how the FORC racers have been doing ..... Jez Clarke: HSCC 70's Road-Sports Champion, had a dramatic season in the 'Gold Leaf ' imaged Lotus Elan. Described up to August in the last Newsletter. Jez takes up the story: Finally to Brands Hatch 21/22 September, where we set overall pole position, won our class and set fastest lap which strengthened our championship and then, despite spinning out of race win contention in the final race, finished 2nd which gave enough points to take an unassailable championship lead. Throughout the year it's been non stop working on the car in between races, with specialist help from R H Motorsport (Letchworth), continued product support from Nimbus Motorsport, a superb engine from Damico Race Engines of East Harling, race parts and advice from Universal Racing Services of Wattlefield, tyre swaps and tyre replacements by Woolleys of Hingham, and excellent fabrications by Competition Fabrications all who have been great supporters of our cause throughout the year. Courtesy Martin Stitchener PiccAddo Photograpy It is a team effort. Thanks to Sara and Julian, we worked really hard and kept going even when the cards were stacked against us, it's amazing to realise that it has finally paid off. Congratulations back to back champion Jez. James Clarke (No relation to Jez) – National Formula Ford James has now completed the last 3 rounds of the Avon Tyres National Formula Ford Championship, the last round taking place at Brands Hatch 28/29 September in very changeable conditions. Brief reports on the previous rounds from Malcolm: Kirkistown – interesting first visit to Northern Ireland! The circuit is very quick, and a tow is essential for a fast lap. Qualified 8th, but in race 1 worked his way up to 2nd challenging for the lead, before being hit from behind and spinning, finishing 6th. Worse was to come – race 2 running 3rd into the final lap, a misjudgement under braking resulted in front wishbone damage and a visit to the gravel, and race 3 working his way from the back of the field, was hit from behind again, sustaining rear wishbone damage. Courtesy Tom Maxwell In the Kirskiston Chicane Silverstone National – Some Silverstone specialists added to the field, testing for the Walter Hayes later in the year. Did well to qualify 5th, and there were 3 frenetic races, James coming in 6th, 8th & 7th. Race 2 was particularly lively, with 10 cars constantly changing position and 3 cars regularly going into Brooklands side-by-side. James ran 2nd at one point, but got shuffled back to 8th at the flag – nail-biting to watch. Brands Hatch Indy - quick all weekend, despite changeable conditions. Qualified 7th, came 5th in race 1 on the Saturday in the dry. Sunday was wet early on Race 2 James came 14th in the wet, race 3 started damp and dried to finish 3rd, so a good podium to finish the season and a really solid weekend. James was 3rd in the championship standings going into the last race. Final championship positions have yet to be declared. However, we think he has come 4th, since his rival got fastest lap - worth the 2 points to overtake James in the championship. Very tight! Unfortunately budget limitations mean James won’t be doing the Festival or Walter Hayes, but attention has now turned to 2020, and maybe a move into GTs. Tom Griffiths (BMW Compact Cup): At the September Silverstone double header Tom qualified in P2 three hundredths off pole! He led Race 1 from the start and despite heavy pressure from double champion Steven Dailly crossed the line three tenths ahead for the win. Starting Race 2 from pole position Tom was beaten off the line by Dailly but took the lead at Beckett's. Despite the close attentions of Dailly Tom led all the way and actually increased his lead at the start of the final lap. With the race in the bag Tom made a small but costly mistake at the final Luffield corner to allow Dailly to draw alongside and in a race to the line side by side Dailly took the win by 3 hundredths of a second! Courtesy Jon Elsey First corner action from Silverstone: Tom in car 16, last rounds are at Donington on 19.10.2019. The 7th Peter Andrews Sprint Snetterton Saturday 21st September A good day. Wasn't it the Duke of Wellington who referred to victory at the Battle of Waterloo as a 'Close Run Thing'? Weather wise Saturday 21st could not have been better but if memory serves me right it really hasn't been as good since. Battles a plenty developed as competitors studied their lap times and went out to see about lopping a little more time off. We had fifty-two starters on the day with the widest range of cars and experience imaginable.. John Gregson set Fastest Time of the Day in the Jedi Mk 4 after Nigel Fleming's challenge for three FTD's in a row was stymied by broken piston rings on one cylinder in the Sylva Striker. Sandwiched between them in second place was Sam Cook in his TGM Pulsar, another bike engined machine. The top three were covered by less than 7/10's of a second! John Gregson (Jedi Mk4) set FTD This years award of the Peter Andrews Shield was made to Paul Scott.