September Sprint 2007

[speedsport]

Marshals needed urgently

Thanks to the Promenade Stages Rally moving forward a week onto the same date as our September Sprint, and race events taking place at both Oulton Park & Anglesey on the same day, we are very short of marshals for the 8th September Sprint at Aintree.

Can you help? Please contact [e-mail]

[MiG45]

Wouldn't want to miss this one, the national sprint championship will be decided this year at Aintree. Which marshal post will give the best trackside viewpoint?

[speedsport]

Although the finish line is the only post from which you can see both the times & the car speed displays, realistically, every marshal post will provide a superb view of proceedings.

I have seen the provisional entry list, and we certainly have most of the top cars in the UK taking part. It looks as though there is currently a tie for first place in the Championship, and that at least the next 6 positions are all up for grabs too. It should be a great day!

This event is the last round in the British Championship, so it looks as though whoever wins our event also wins the Championship. It's going to be a most exciting event.

Will John Garnett's lap record tumble? It has stood unbroken at 37.19secs since Sept 2000; if it's going to be beaten, then this could be the meeting where it happens.
Be there or you may miss history being made!

[sprintman]

The battle for the overall lead in the British Sprint Championship could not be closer with Dan Pickett and Matt Oliver being tied on points going into the final round at Aintree on Saturday. The two youngsters have been trading fastest times all season and the tension has been building to this last round head to head battle. There is a complication which could make the battle even more complex - the entry of Roy Dawson, last year’s champion. Roy has been having a sabbatical due to pressure of work but is now hell bent on setting a new course record and will provide a stern test for the two contenders. Another potential test for Oliver & Pickett will be the entry of the two Stewart Robbs. The farther and son team from Scotland have been running in selected rounds this season and whilst in Ulster last month picked up their latest rocket-ship, the ex-Moran/Leinster Pilbeam MP88. Expect the two Scots to be on the pace and challenging for the run-off victory.
The two-litre class will also throw up some interesting battles; Mark Smith is secure in third place overall but in recent events has been off the pace, whilst David Sims and Terry Holmes have been battling hard to retain their places in the Top Twelve for next season. Two ‘new’ cars to look out for are Mike Musson’s turbocharged Force and Tony Ellis’ Megapin; both drivers have been having teething troubles but are regarded as Aintree specialists. Last year the event was plagued with bad weather and Emma Williams surprised a lot of people when she set the second fastest time of the day.
Further contenders to look out for are Nick Algar, who has dominated the 1600cc Racing Car division this season; Tom Potter, who is the uncrowned king of the 1100cc Racing Cars but will have stern local opposition; and Simon Bainbridge in the awesome but fragile 4.2 litre, twin turbocharged, 4 wheel drive Audi TT Replica.
This final round looks likely to be the most hotly contested Sprint Championship round of the season and should make for a fascinating day of speed eventing especially if it is dry when speeds in the region of 180 mph should be recorded through the finishing line.

SBD Motorsport British Sprint Championship
1= Dan Pickett & Matt Oliver 118 pts
3 Mark Smith 89 pts
4 Nick Algar 76 pts
5 Bill Oliver 73 pts
6 Tom Potter 73 pts
7 Kevin Lealan 64 pts
8 Stewart Robb Snr 59 pts
9 Steve Miles 56 pts
10 Dave Sims 53 pts
11 Terry Holmes 52 pts
12 Andrew Platt 44 pts

So with 1st & 2nd being 'in dispute' do not over look the battle for 4th down to 11th all of which can change dependant upon the result!

[sprintman]

Just 48 Hours to go until Liverpool Motor Club run the Final Round of the SBD Motorsport British Sprint Championship.

It is going to be a nail-biting day with so much at stake, be there you will be kicking yourself if you are not!

[sprintman]

Well the Magic Radio phone-in has given as the two winners and they will be 'enjoying' a trip round the track just before the lunch-break. Hopefully the additional exposure will see more spectators and a chance to recruit more club members etc.

Get there early to avoid disappointment!

[quigonjay]

thanks for a fantastic day guys ;D

[celox]

I'd also like to thank you all for a good day. Special thanks to Ron for all his help and also Steve Walker. I plan to do more sprints in the future.

[speedsport]

What a fantastic day! ;D OK it wasn't warm & sunny like the weather forecasters suggested, but it didn't slow things down at all.
134 cars, 2x practice, 2x timed runs, 2x top 12 run-offs, then another timed run, followed by yet another run for those who hadn't run out of fuel by this time. And we still finished before 5pm.
Is our start time crew the best in the business? I doubt that there's another event in the country that can beat their amazing achievement of 688 starts in the day.

As for John Garnett's outright circuit record of 37.19secs set 7 years ago, was it beaten? You bet it was. I'll have to see the run by run results but I think that it was bettered at least 4 times during the day. Fortunately Mr Garnett was there to see it fall, otherwise I'm sure he'd never have believed it. And what is the new record? Well I'm waiting to see the final details posted on our results page tomorrow, but fair to say that the record fell by a substantial margin thanks to Roy Dawson's incredible run(s).

** Having looked at the results, John Garnetts Sept 2000 record was broken no fewer than 8 times during the day, 3 times in the main event, and a further 5 times during the top 12 run-offs. Absolutely amazing!! The new outright record now stands at 36.03secs, recorded in one of the top 12 run offs. See www.liverpoolmotorclub.com/download.htm **

And most grateful thanks to all our marshals. We were a bit thin on the ground, but many many thanks to those of you who supported us. A truly great job, thank you so much.

[sprintman]

Speedsport forgot to mention the 4 new class records set by:

Stuart Nelson; Simon Bainbridge; Nick Algar; and Roy Dawson.

It was the best Top 12 Run-off I have seen all season!!!

It was a delight to commentate on the spectacle.

As for the start-line crew they were averaging over 100 starts per hour throughout the day! There is only one other venue/organising club that comes close - Three Sisters & Longton & DMC yet I doubt they could maintain that rate throughout the day!!!