April and Snetterton saw the first proper endurance race of the Britcar season with a 4 hour adventure around the flat, fast Norfolk track. The lead Class 1 Dodge Viper with regular drivers Mike Gardiner and Alex Mortimer was joined in the team's Honda Civic Type-R by team regular Paul Fenton and Rob Hedley.
Although the warm-up was wet the afternoon qualifying session was dry. With transmission problems and curtailed running the team's Viper could only qualify in 9th place. For the Class 4 Civic outright pace was never going to work so Paul and Rob settled for 29th on the 30 car grid and for playing a long game.
Race day started grey but cleared up as the day progressed. Mike started the Viper and was making steady progress in the early stages of the race. Around about the first pitstops the Viper came in with an engine misfire problem, later analysis would indicate a failed fuel regulator, but by then the race was over for the lead car.
By contrast the Civic, using its fuel economy, ran over two hours without stopping and steadily progressed up the leader board as others dropped out or endured their own dramas. As the last car to stop, Paul handed over to Rob in class lead and already comfortably into the top 20. In the final ninety minutes ex-F1 driver Mike Wilds managed to overhaul the civic with a fortuitous stop under a late safety car. The little Honda finished 10th overall and 2nd in class, humbling many big budget Porsche and Ferrari outfits. Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey being the catch phrase of the day.
The strong result for the Honda could not overshadow the disappointment with the Viper.
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Contact: Richard Moore - 07939 569027 or Paul Fenton - 07801 417931 |