Historic Sports/Touring Car Challenge

[Schrodes]

The Historic Sports/Touring Car Challenge
Grand Valley Speedway​

The Historic Sports/Touring Car Challenge was held last weekend as a support category for the Formula GT celebration meeting. The Formula GT cars were in the limelight all weekend with stars and champions from the past and present taking part in demonstration races in current and historic Formula GT cars. The Sports and Touring cars, however, were still very popular with the spectators putting on a great show across all three classes with racing which was highly competitive in contrast to the F GT races.

The classes competing were Division 1, Division 2a and Division 2b. Each class had three races. The first race was five laps around the short circuit, the second race was two laps around the long circuit and the third race was five laps around the long circuit. Since this meeting was not a round of the championship, the GT Planet Historic Racing Association introduced a new concept for race two, a mechanics’ race. Each car owner had to nominate one of their mechanics to participate in race two. As expected with these rare machines, all mechanics drove within their ability and the cars returned to the pits in as good condition as they left. Individual lap times were not recorded for the mechanics races, only the overall race time.

Before we look at the weekend’s results let’s have a look at the layout of the Grand Valley Speedway. The Main Straight has a slight left kink at the end before Bridgestone Potenza Turn.


The track then goes over the Northern Crossing, the pit access road which goes under the track. Then comes the fast left, right, left series of bends known as The Dogleg.


The Dogleg leads down to the right hand hairpin at Corporate Corner. Don’t the corporate areas always get the best views. The corporate tents get to see all the action from The Dogleg down the hill into the hard braking area before Corporate Corner and all the action up the hill out of the corner. For those who get a bit bored with the on-track action, there are bars and lounge areas in the tents where you can see all the racing action on the big screens and the back of the tents have spectacular views of the lake behind the circuit. Corporate Corner was not so much filled with corporate guests this weekend as it was full of motorsport identities from around the world who were here for this classic meeting.


The following section of track is known as Lakeside as the track follows the waterline of the lake. The final corner of Lakeside leads to the first tunnel of the track which is currently unsponsored.


A good exit from Lakeside can set up a passing opportunity at the exit of the tunnel into The Cutting. The Cutting is the section where the land has been cut away to create the intersection where the short circuit veers off to the right. The main circuit bends around to the left and heads into Motul Tunnel.


Following Motul Tunnel is the bridge that takes the track over the inlet for the smaller lake.


After the bridge is Lookout Tunnel, not named so because of the view if the driver decided to stop the car and get out but because there is actually a lookout above the track. The views are spectacular as you look into the valley and over the farming areas.


The next section is the left right chicane, then the right hander at Family Turn which leads back onto the main straight.


As previously mentioned three classes participated in the sports and touring car races. Division 1 is for cars that are basically purpose built race cars. Div 1 cars must keep the same layout as their original cars but are allowed upgrades to the engine, suspension and driveline, and racing tyres are permitted. Cars produce around 500 to 530 horsepower. Div 1 cars are sometimes called Improved Production. Division 2 is split into two classes, a and b. Div 2 cars are also the same layout as the road-going version but are closer to production cars. Some minor improvements are allowed and parity adjustments are required at times. Div 2 cars are sometimes called Series Production.

Points for the weekends racing were weighted for each race. Points were awarded down to fourteenth position. Race three was worth the most points while race two, the mechanics’ race was worth the least points. The first race for each class was on Saturday afternoon while race two was on Sunday morning and race three was on Sunday afternoon just before the F GT demo run of past champions and their winning cars.

Friday’s practice session saw some drivers come unstuck as they struggled to come to grips with the green surface. It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that the track started to produce some grip when the F GT cars had had a few sessions and began laying some rubber down. Indeed the Sports/Touring Cars were not the only ones having problems on the slippery surface. The 1967 F GT World Championship winning car was heavily damaged when the driver overestimated the grip level at Lakeside and slid the car into the concrete wall. The 1989 Toyota 88C-V, which was taking part in the Prototype demonstration runs, also sustained severe damage at The Dogleg when the right rear tyre dropped off the road and turned the car sharp left into the fence. Both drivers were unhurt and the cars are expected to be repairable.


The Stingray and the Super Bee got stuck in the sand trap in Friday's practice session.

Div 2b

Div 2b had the biggest field and was hotly contested. Nissan were expected to do well as eight of the 29 competitors were Nissans.

Div 2b Race 1

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 1965 ----- 1.14.151 ----- 6.23.485 -----36
2. ----- Alpine A110 1600S 1973 ----- 1.14.958 ----- -1.095 ----- 30
3. ----- Alpine A310 1600VE 1973 ----- 1.15.053 ----- -2.066 ----- 25
4. ----- Nissan Skyline HT 2000 GT-R 1970 ----- 1.15.317 ----- -2.242 ----- 22
5. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R 1973 ----- 1.15.229 ----- -2.763 ----- 20
6. ----- BMW 2002 Turbo 1973 ----- 1.15.048 ----- -2.796 ----- 18
7. ----- Isuzu 117 Coupe 1968 ----- 1.15.148 ----- -4.405 ----- 16
8. ----- Lancia Stratos 1973 ----- 1.15.482 ----- -4.505 ----- 15
9. ----- Toyota 2000GT 1967 ----- 1.15.969 ----- -4.642 ----- 13
10. ----- Mercedes 300 SL 1954 ----- 1.15.755 ----- -4.764 ----- 12
11. ----- Isuzu Bellett 1600 GT-R 1969 ----- 1.15.556 ----- -5.599 ----- 9
12. ----- Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto 1966 ----- 1.15.992 ----- -6.280 ----- 8
13. ----- Nissan Fairlady 2000 1968 ----- 1.16.214 ----- -7.822 ----- 6
14. ----- Lotus Europa Special 1971 ----- 1.14.621 ----- -7.865 ----- 5
15. ----- Toyota Celica 1600 GT 1970 ----- 1.16.440 ----- -8.242 ----- 0
16. ----- Mazda 110S 1968 ----- 1.16.165 ----- -8.489 ----- 0
17. ----- Nissan 240 ZG 1971 ----- 1.16.135 ----- -8.780 ----- 0
18. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale 1963 ----- 1.16.788 ----- -8.931 ----- 0
19. ----- Nissan Silvia 1965 ----- 1.16.165 ----- -8.973 ----- 0
20. ----- Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR 1973 ----- 1.16.792 ----- -9.492 ----- 0
21. ----- Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 ----- 1.16.099 ----- -9.902 ----- 0
22. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-B 1967 ----- 1.17.025 ----- -10.257 ----- 0
23. ----- Ginetta G4 1964 ----- 1.15.930 ----- -11.238 ----- 0
24. ----- Lotus Elan S1 1962 ----- 1.17.102 ----- -12.290 ----- 0
25. ----- Mitsubishi Galant GTO MR 1970 ----- 1.16.347 ----- -13.255 ----- 0
26. ----- Nissan Bluebird 1600 Deluxe 1969 ----- 1.18.335 ----- -17.989 ----- 0
27. ----- Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S 1970 ----- 1.18.837 ----- -18.797 ----- 0
28. ----- Marcos Mini Marcos GT 1970 ----- 1.18.901 ----- -23.442 ----- 0
29. ----- Nissan Skyline 1500 Deluxe 1963 ----- 1.20.261 ----- -28.322 ----- 0​

The Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 looked like settling for second position but a lightning fast last lap allowed him to catch and pass the A110 1600S and pull out a one second advantage before the line. This was the fastest lap of the race. The Europa Special will be disappointed with fourteenth position, the last point scoring place. The Europa Special was holding second place to the A110 1600S when a mistake on lap three lost him many positions but he was able to fight back and claim the last points. The G4 put in some respectable lap times in the last few laps and was able to claim a few positions but not before taking a few laps getting used to the brakes. For such a light car the driver was amazed at how poor the braking performance was and joked that someone may have put bicycle brakes in before the race.



The G4 had brake problems in race one.


The Galant shows you don't need big horsepower to smoke the tyres.

Div 2b Race 2

Pos. ----- Car ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Lancia Stratos 1973 ----- 4.52.888 ----- 24
2. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 1965 ----- -0.812 ----- 20
3. ----- Nissan Skyline HT 2000 GT-R 1970 ----- -1.757 ----- 17
4. ----- Lotus Europa Special 1971 ----- -2.186 ----- 15
5. ----- BMW 2002 Turbo 1973 ----- -2.247 ----- 13
6. ----- Alpine A310 1600VE 1973 ----- -3.214 ----- 12
7. ----- Isuzu 117 Coupe 1968 ----- -3.616 ----- 11
8. ----- Nissan Silvia 1965 ----- -5.213 ----- 10
9. ----- Nissan Fairlady 2000 1968 ----- -5.560 ----- 9
10. ----- Alpine A110 1600S 1973 ----- -6.595 ----- 8
11. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale 1963 ----- -6.606 ----- 6
12. ----- Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto 1966 ----- -6.786 ----- 5
13. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R 1973 ----- -7.457 ----- 4
14. ----- Nissan 240 ZG 1971 ----- -7.902 ----- 3
15. ----- Mazda 110S 1968 ----- -9.040 ----- 0
16. ----- Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 ----- -9.073 ----- 0
17. ----- Isuzu Bellett 1600 GT-R 1969 ----- -9.373 ----- 0
18. ----- Toyota Celica 1600 GT 1970 ----- -10.206 ----- 0
19. ----- Toyota 2000 GT 1967 ----- -10.277 ----- 0
20. ----- Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR 1973 ----- -10.917 ----- 0
21. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-B 1967 ----- -11.675 ----- 0
22. ----- Mitsubishi Galant GTO MR 1970 ----- -12.472 ----- 0
23. ----- Lotus Elan S1 1962 ----- -15.106 ----- 0
24. ----- Nissan Bluebird 1600 Deluxe 1969 ----- -15.182 ----- 0
25. ----- Mercedes 300 SL 1954 ----- -19.703 ----- 0
26. ----- Marcos Mini Marcos GT 1970 ----- -20.739 ----- 0
27. ----- Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S 1970 ----- -22.533 ----- 0
28. ----- Nissan Skyline 1500 Deluxe 1963 ----- -23.983 ----- 0
29. ----- Ginetta G4 1964 ----- -35.413 ----- 0​

Now that the mechanic has raced the car and had a couple of minor excursions to the grass, the brakes on the G4 might get a closer look between races. It was a close race with 28 cars being separated by just 24 seconds.


Div 2b Race 3

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R 1973 ----- 2.12.972 ----- 11.14.624 ----- 72
2. ----- Lotus Europa Special 1971 ----- 2.12.876 ----- -0.029 ----- 60
3. ----- Lancia Stratos 1973 ----- 2.13.105 ----- -0.313 ----- 51
4. ----- Alpine A310 1600VE 1973 ----- 2.12.615 ----- -0.907 ----- 45
5. ----- Nissan Skyline HT 2000 GT-R 1970 ----- 2.13.098 ----- -2.238 ----- 39
6. ----- Alpine A110 1600S 1973 ----- 2.13.211 ----- -2.827 ----- 33
7. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 1965 ----- 2.13.813 ----- -3.299 ----- 30
8. ----- BMW 2002 Turbo 1973 ----- 2.13.967 ----- -3.938 ----- 27
9. ----- Isuzu 117 Coupe 1968 ----- 2.13.748 ----- -4.300 ----- 24
10. ----- Toyota 2000 GT 1967 ----- 2.13.984 ----- -4.441 ----- 18
11. ----- Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 ----- 2.12.952 ----- -5.170 ----- 15
12. ----- Nissan Fairlady 2000 1968 ----- 2.13.695 ----- -5.568 ----- 12
13. ----- Ginetta G4 1964 ----- 2.14.173 ----- -8.389 ----- 9
14. ----- Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint Speciale 1963 ----- 2.14.959 ----- -8.894 ----- 6
15. ----- Toyota Celica 1600 GT 1970 ----- 2.14.597 ----- -9.242 ----- 0
16. ----- Nissan 240 ZG 1971 ----- 2.14.742 ----- -9.354 ----- 0
17. ----- Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto 1966 ----- 2.15.122 ----- -10.637 ----- 0
18. ----- Isuzu Bellett 1600 GT-R 1969 ----- 2.15.262 ----- -10.675 ----- 0
19. ----- Mercedes 300 SL 1954 ----- 2.15.484 ----- -11.604 ----- 0
20. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-B 1967 ----- 2.15.669 ----- -11.832 ----- 0
21. ----- Mazda 110S 1968 ----- 2.15.137 ----- -13.795 ----- 0
22. ----- Mitsubishi Galant GTO MR 1970 ----- 2.16.078 ----- -14.423 ----- 0
23. ----- Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR 1973 ----- 2.14.450 ----- -17.204 ----- 0
24. ----- Nissan Silvia 1965 ----- 2.16.528 ----- -18.682 ----- 0
25. ----- Lotus Elan S1 1962 ----- 2.15.831 ----- -18.751 ----- 0
26. ----- Nissan Bluebird 1600 Deluxe 1969 ----- 2.18.569 ----- -26.915 ----- 0
27. ----- Marcos Mini Marcos GT 1970 ----- 2.21.520 ----- -46.202 ----- 0
28. ----- Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S 1970 ----- 2.20.324 ----- -49.151 ----- 0
29. ----- Nissan Skyline 1500 Deluxe 1963 ----- 2.22.900 ----- -50.043 ----- 0​

Congratulations must go to the G4 and the Spitfire for their first point-scoring finish of the weekend and to the A310 for the fastest lap of the race. The Lancer lost around nine seconds on lap four when another competitor moved over on him on the main straight and sent him for a wild ride. Five whole spins later he was pointing in the right direction and continued the race undamaged but lost the chance of a possible point scoring finish. The 1300 Coupe was pushing hard trying to make up some time on a poor start on lap one when he jumped the kerb in the Motul Tunnel and turned the car around. A mention must go to the Bellett and the Spider for a fantastic race. They were separated by a tissue paper the whole race and crossed the line just 0.038 seconds apart. Their laps were remarkably consistent with each lap within 0.5 seconds over the five laps.




Div 2b Final Points

Pos. ----- Car ----- Points
1. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R 1973 ----- 96
2. ----- Lancia Stratos 1973 ----- 90
3. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 1965 ----- 86
4. ----- Alpine A310 1600VE 1973 ----- 82
5. ----- Lotus Europa Special 1971 ----- 80
6. ----- Nissan Skyline HT 2000 GT-R 1970 ----- 78
7. ----- Alpine A110 1600S 1973 ----- 71
8. ----- BMW 2002 Turbo 1973 ----- 58
9. ----- Isuzu 117 Coupe 1968 ----- 51
10. ----- Toyota 2000GT 1967 ----- 31
11. ----- Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto 1966 ----- 28
12. ----- Nissan Fairlady 2000 1968 ----- 27
13. ----- Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 ----- 15
14. ----- Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale 1963 ----- 12
15. ----- Mercedes 300 SL 1954 ----- 12
16. ----- Nissan Silvia 1965 ----- 10
17. ----- Ginetta G4 1964 ----- 9
18. ----- Isuzu Bellett 1600 GT-R 1969 ----- 9
19. ----- Nissan 240 ZG 1971 ----- 3
20. ----- Toyota Celica 1600 GT 1970 ----- 0
21. ----- Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-B 1967 ----- 0
22. ----- Mazda 110S 1968 ----- 0
23. ----- Mitsubishi Galant GTO MR 1970 ----- 0
24. ----- Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR 1973 ----- 0
25. ----- Lotus Elan S1 1962 ----- 0
26. ----- Nissan Bluebird 1600 Deluxe 1969 ----- 0
27. ----- Marcos Mini Marcos GT 1970 ----- 0
28. ----- Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S 1970 ----- 0
29. ----- Nissan Skyline 1500 Deluxe 1963 ----- 0​

Congratulations to the Skyline 2000 GT-R for the overall win and to the Stratos for a good comeback after a poor Race 1. The Giulia may be wondering what could have been after a poor effort in Race 3 left him in seventh position. His effort in Race 3 looks to have cost him the overall win, finishing ten points behind the Skyline 2000 GT-R, but finishing 52 points behind in the third race. The Celica gets a new set of tyres courtesy of Bridgestone for being the first non-point scoring finisher.

Div 2a

Div 2 is split into two classes. The two classes run under the same rules but are split due to the large field in class b. Div 2a had fourteen entries and were to run with Div 1 but there was plenty of time in the program for them to have a separate race. Chevrolet were expected to dominate as five of the competitors were Chevs.

Div 2a Race 1

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 1.12.304 ----- 6.9.074 ----- 36
2. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 1.12.301 ----- -0.211 ----- 30
3. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 1.12.229 ----- -0.596 ----- 25
4. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 1.12.510 ----- -0.685 ----- 22
5. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 1.12.281 ----- -1.499 ----- 20
6. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 1.12.356 ----- -1.692 ----- 18
7. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 1.12.660 ----- -2.330 ----- 16
8. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 1.12.301 ----- -2.353 ----- 15
9. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 1.12.541 ----- -2.561 ----- 13
10. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 1.12.967 ----- -2.651 ----- 12
11. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 1.13.361 ----- -4.935 ----- 9
12. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 1.13.320 ----- -5.793 ----- 8
13. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 1.13.127 ----- -7.640 ----- 6
14. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 1.13.871 ----- -9.272 ----- 5​

It was a good start to the weekend for the Super Bird taking the race win and the Super Bee for the fastest lap. With the fastest lap for the top ten cars all in the one minute, twelve second band, Div 2a will be won by whoever can keep their laps quick and consistent.




Div 2a Race 2

Pos. ----- Car ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 4.45.896 ----- 24
2. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- -0.029 ----- 20
3. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- -1.406 ----- 17
4. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- -2.313 ----- 15
5. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1067 ----- -2.938 ----- 13
6. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- -4.167 ----- 12
7. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- -4.483 ----- 11
8. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- -4.547 ----- 10
9. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- -5.170 ----- 9
10. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- -6.134 ----- 8
11. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- -6.401 ----- 6
12. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- -7.032 ----- 5
13. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- -7.719 ----- 4
14. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- -9.630 ----- 3​

Two wins in a row puts the Super Bird in a great position to take out the weekends racing heading into the third race. The Interceptor made a huge effort to take the win in the last corner but just didn’t have the drive out of the corner of the more powerful Super Bird. The E-Type did well to finish ahead of other more fancied and more powerful cars.



Div 2a Race 3

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 2.08.466 ----- 10.49.981 ----- 72
2. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 2.08.481 ----- -0.112 ----- 60
3. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 2.08.298 ----- -0.887 ----- 51
4. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 2.08.076 ----- -2.219 ----- 45
5. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 2.08.498 ----- -2.776 ----- 39
6. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 2.08.083 ----- -3.175 ----- 33
7. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 2.09.279 ----- -4.395 ----- 30
8. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 2.08.459 ----- -4.842 ----- 27
9. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 2.08.950 ----- -5.440 ----- 24
10. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 2.09.403 ----- -6.116 ----- 18
11. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 2.09.982 ----- -7.848 ----- 15
12. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 2.09.151 ----- -8.017 ----- 12
13. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 2.09.950 ----- -9.287 ----- 9
14. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 2.10.162 ----- -13.422 ----- 6​

The Super Bird will be bitterly disappointed with race three. The final points tally may show that the mistake on lap two cost him the overall win. The Camaro SS will be happy improving one spot on the race one result. It was a close call for the fastest lap. The Interceptor claimed the fastest lap by just 0.007 seconds over the Cuda. It is an encouraging sign for the Cuda who was expected to do well this weekend but could only manage eleventh and thirteenth positions in races one and two.




Div 2a Final Points

Pos. ----- Car ----- Points
1. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 112
2. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 92
3. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 87
4. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 77
5. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 72
6. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 66
7. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 64
8. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 53
9. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 50
10. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 46
11. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 43
12. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 28
13. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 26
14. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 17​

Excessive wheel spin at the start and an incident on lap two certainly destroyed any chance the Super Bird had of claiming the win. It was a sensational weekend from the Interceptor with two fourths and a second helping him claim the last step on the podium, but the silverware goes to the Camaro SS with high placings in both the top point scoring races giving him the overall win, 20 points ahead of the GT 350R.

Div 1

Div 1 is the glamour class in the Historic Sports and Touring Car Challenge. With big horsepower engines, racing slick tyres, racing suspensions and transmissions, big brakes and straight through exhausts these cars look and sound like the premier racing division for the GT Planet Historic Racing Association.

Div 1 Race 1

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 1.03.672 ----- 5.24.969 ----- 36
2. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 1.03.882 ----- -1.011 ----- 30
3. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 1.03.746 ----- -1.456 ----- 25
4. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 1.04.192 ----- -1.874 ----- 22
5. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 1.03.705 ----- -2.341 ----- 20
6. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 1.03.746 ----- -4.951 ----- 18
7. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 1.04.610 ----- -5.318 ----- 16
8. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 1.04.995 ----- -6.436 ----- 15
9. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 1.04.630 ----- -6.498 ----- 13
10. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 1.04.673 ----- -6.597 ----- 12
11. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 1.04.086 ----- -6.685 ----- 9
12. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 1.04.323 ----- -8.424 ----- 8
13. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 1.05.407 ----- -9.985 ----- 6
14. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 1.05.820 ----- -18.056 ----- 5​

The Cuda had a solid start to the meeting with fastest lap and victory in race one. The Super Bird and the Super Bee had a coming-together on lap three where the short circuit rejoins the main circuit at Lakeside. The Super Bird was passing down the inside but left the braking too late, locked the fronts and made light contact with the Super Bee, forcing both cars wide and narrowly avoiding contact with the wall. The E-Type and Corvette Coupe were jostling for position on the run toward Bridgestone Potenza Turn when the Corvette ran wide, dropping a wheel into the grass under brakes, and went for a wild ride across the grass, back across the track and into the sand. He was able to rejoin the track but lost eight seconds to the E-Type.




Div 1 Race 2

Pos. ----- Car ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 4.13.918 ----- 24
2. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- -1.547 ----- 20
3. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- -3.478 ----- 17
4. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- -4.039 ----- 15
5. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- -4.203 ----- 13
6. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- -5.666 ----- 12
7. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- -6.427 ----- 11
8. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- -6.559 ----- 10
9. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- -6.865 ----- 9
10. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- -7.969 ----- 8
11. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- -8.266 ----- 6
12. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- -8.654 ----- 5
13. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- -9.287 ----- 4
14. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- -11.422 ----- 3​

The mechanics certainly were taking care with these high powered machines. One who might have been taking a little less care was the driver of the Corvette Coupe making his way into ninth position.



Div 1 Race 3

Pos. ----- Car ----- Fastest Lap ----- Gap ----- Points
1. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 1.52.469 ----- 9.32.090 ----- 72
2. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 1.52.847 ----- -0.215 ----- 60
3. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 1.53.175 ----- -2.842 ----- 51
4. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 1.53.652 ----- -3.403 ----- 45
5. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 1.53.199 ----- -3.822 ----- 39
6. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 1.53.878 ----- -5.826 ----- 33
7. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 1.54.110 ----- -6.573 ----- 30
8. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 1.54.353 ----- -7.306 ----- 27
9. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 1.54.661 ----- -8.255 ----- 24
10. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 1.54.797 ----- -9.774 ----- 18
11. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 1.54.630 ----- -10.328 ----- 15
12. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 1.54.502 ----- -15.353 ----- 12
13. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 1.55.658 ----- -17.002 ----- 9
14. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 1.56.160 ----- -19.837 ----- 6​

The Cuda demonstrates the result of being off line through The Dogleg.



The Camaro Z/28 should have finished closer to the Chevelle but for an excursion to the sandpit on lap three. The mistake cost about five seconds which he wasn’t able to pull back. The E-Type made a mistake at the exit of Lookout Tunnell on lap three. The car drifted wide and the left rear slid onto the grass edge sending the Jag on a 360 Degrees spin. The driver did a good job keeping the car off the wall and continuing the chase losing just three seconds. The Camaro SS saved the best for last taking the fastest lap and the race win.

Div 1 Final Points

Pos. ----- Car ----- Points
1. ----- Mercury Cougar XR-7 1967 ----- 114
2. ----- Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 ----- 109
3. ----- Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Pack 1971 ----- 80
4. ----- Shelby Mustang GT 350R 1965 ----- 77
5. ----- Jensen Interceptor Mk III 1974 ----- 77
6. ----- Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO 1964 ----- 72
7. ----- Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi 1971 ----- 52
8. ----- Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 1970 ----- 46
9. ----- Dodge Charger 440 R/T 1970 ----- 44
10. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 1969 ----- 41
11. ----- Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 302 1969 ----- 41
12. ----- Plymouth Super Bird 1970 ----- 39
13. ----- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) 1963 ----- 23
14. ----- Jaguar E-Type Coupe 1961 ----- 15​

The Camaro SS fought hard to get past the Cougar on the last lap of race three but he needed the Cougar to finish lower to claim the overall victory. Although second place secured the victory for the Cougar he wasn’t going to settle for second. When the Camaro SS snuck past at the Cutting he kept the pressure on all the way to the line.

Congratulations must go to all divisions of the Historic Sports and Touring Car Challenge for close, exciting and safe racing over the weekend. The GT Planet Historic Racing Association put on a great show over the weekend and the enthusiasts showed their support and appreciation by turning up in great numbers over the two days. It was an encouraging sign for the newly formed GTPHRA who were criticized for the sweeping changes they made to the historic classes after taking over from the Historic Racing Car Club. Some spectators were disappointed that the Buick Special and the Cobras from Shelby and AC were not included in the Div 1 races. Unfortunately these two cars proved to be too quick for the new parity formula the GTPHRA has put in place for the historic sports and touring car classes. Also missing from the meeting was Div 2c. Div 2c is for the less powerful cars like the little Fiats, Hondas and Volkswagens. But the performance differences across the field have been too great for the officials and some of the cars are struggling with reliability once adjustments like weight and higher engine revs are applied. Officials hope to have these issues sorted for future meetings. Exciting times are approaching for the historic classes with soon to be announced championships and support events at major race meetings.

 

[TheCracker]

Great write-up Schrodes 👍 - nice to see you representing the Historics

- Looks like it was a whole load of work - did you B-spec it?

Well worthy of some rep - unfortunately i need to spread it around a bit more first

 

[Schrodes]

Thanks Cracker
Only the mechanics races were done in B-Spec and that was done to mix up the results a bit.
It was a fair bit of work but I just did a bit here and a bit there. I started it just after a Historic Trans-Am series you might remember.

Bugger, I just realised there is a picture of a Vette under the 2b results.

 

[Smallhorses]

Wow! Excellent report Schrodes! 👍
Love the fictional race meeting format, and the fact that you used more or less all of the historics is excellent.
Great pictures too!
Definitely +Rep worthy post!

 

[Moloch_horridus]

Great report - which series did you run all this in or was it all in aracde mode?

 

[Schrodes]

Great report - which series did you run all this in or was it all in aracde mode?

It was all GT Mode. I think it's called Race Meeting. When you select the track there is Free Practice, Race Meeting, Photo Drive and Family Cup. The mechanics races were B-Speced Family Cup races. The other races were done in Race Meeting. Went on the out lap, stopped at the line, waited for the other five cars and started when the fifth car crossed the line so all the times include whatever mishaps and battles were had with those other cars.

Love the fictional race meeting format, and the fact that you used more or less all of the historics is excellent.

It was disappointing the Cobras and the Buick were too quick. The Cobras were too light, even with 200kg ballast and the Buick was too powerful. The cars in Div 1 were in the 500-530hp range and the Buick comes with 600hp or more and the Cobra's hp was good but was still a few hundred kilograms lighter than the others. Div 2c couldn't work either. The cars will be very difficult to match. I think it was the Honda S800 with nearly 70hp where the Beetle and the Karmann Ghia had around 40hp while the Fiats were around 20hp and I couldn't get the slower cars up to speed or put enough weight in the faster cars to slow them down.

 

[Vash666]

I like the historic cars very much and enjoyed reading thru your write-up. Plenty of good pictures also, +rep for your efforts.

 

[Touring Mars]

*insert speech here*



Great job, very imaginative and a great example of how to add yet another dimension to the game 👍

 

[Fireball27]

It was all GT Mode. I think it's called Race Meeting. When you select the track there is Free Practice, Race Meeting, Photo Drive and Family Cup. The mechanics races were B-Speced Family Cup races. The other races were done in Race Meeting. Went on the out lap, stopped at the line, waited for the other five cars and started when the fifth car crossed the line so all the times include whatever mishaps and battles were had with those other cars.

It was disappointing the Cobras and the Buick were too quick. The Cobras were too light, even with 200kg ballast and the Buick was too powerful. The cars in Div 1 were in the 500-530hp range and the Buick comes with 600hp or more and the Cobra's hp was good but was still a few hundred kilograms lighter than the others. Div 2c couldn't work either. The cars will be very difficult to match. I think it was the Honda S800 with nearly 70hp where the Beetle and the Karmann Ghia had around 40hp while the Fiats were around 20hp and I couldn't get the slower cars up to speed or put enough weight in the faster cars to slow them down.

So the game just happend to line up a bunch of muscle cars with the one you picked??... I don't get it.. the game nearly never chooses the cars you actually want to race against.

 

[Schrodes]

So the game just happend to line up a bunch of muscle cars with the one you picked??... I don't get it.. the game nearly never chooses the cars you actually want to race against.

In some of the race meetings with the Div 2a and Div 1 cars there was another one or two historic cars in the field, but the others competitors were whatever the game picked. Apart from the mechanic's races, I drove all the cars in their five lap races against whatever cars were randomly picked, some of those random cars were historic cars. I then added the five lap times together for each car and that gave me that cars race time.
The method I used one of the methods used for On Line Racing here on GT Planet. It allows you to complete a certain race distance with other cars so you can still have battles for position but once you add up all the times and arrange the results and positions you can make it look as though there were 29 cars in the race.
I hope that explains it properly.

 

[socomplayer2]

Very nice and therough (sp?) report. I was just wondering why you put those steelies on all those cars lol.

 

[Schrodes]

I was just wondering why you put those steelies on all those cars lol.

I'm a bit obsessed with putting Minilites on the 1964-1975 era cars.