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A Double Top & Bullseye to Close the Book
on Group 1 Touring Cars
Mazda RX7
We were looking for two race wins in both Group 1 Touring Cars, and Pre-93 Touring
Cars of course, but one of Stacy’s key aims was to take back the lap record
at the circuit – set by none other than the late great Gerry Marshall in
none other than our very own Mazda RX7. Since the cars are in the same specification
Gerry and Stacy would effectively be going back to back, and we reckon this was
really about Stacy giving a few people a clear message and a poke in the eye
before he left.. ;-)
Stacy elected to stay in Group 1 configuration for both Group 1 and Pre-93 qualifying,
and after scrubbing everything in during Group 1, he was quickly under the lap
record pace in the Pre-93 stint. This put him second on the grid for both races.
Group 1
Brian Stevens was on pole in Group 1 in his mighty V12 Jaguar XJS, and with Stacy
looking to sign off from Group 1 after this season, this looked like being
the final show down. The lap record looked unlikely though, due to a huge quantity
of oil all around the fast Druids corner and into Lodge.
Stacy got a fantastic start and slipped into
the lead for the first few laps, when he was overcame by the XJS on the
long haul from the hairpin to Knickerbrook.
Stacy got alongside at both Druids, and Lodge, but couldn’t make it stick
as the power of the XJS told. Stacy then backed off into Lodge Corner to ensure
he would have an unimpeded exit while early on the power. This tucked him up
behind the Jaguar as they climbed through Deers Leap, and onto the start finish
straight coming close by us on the pitwall. As they went into Old Hall, he jinked
to the right and left his braking until the very last moment, securing the lead
with a move up the inside. |
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Stacy Vickers on the Group 1 podium |
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Brian fought back by sticking to the Mazda’s
tail through Cascades, and then using that long haul from the hairpin to
Knickerbrook to retake the place. Stacy hounded the Jag at both Druids,
and again performing a manoeuvre at Old Hall in front of the pit crew but
this time with a much harder squeeze from the now forewarned Stevens.
This time around the hairpin Brian used too much right foot which caused
a time sapping powerslide, giving Stacy the chance to get into Knickerbrook
first. He then committed fully with a clear track, and secured both the
win and also the elusive lap record. (The latter of which he was actually
more pleased about..) . |
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Stacy & the WGT crew |
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Pre-93
In Pre-93 the pace setter was VW ace Ken Lark in his Corrado VR6. Stacy
once again got his starts hooked up and was first going into Old Hall with Ken
rooted
to his tail. A lap later Ken got under the RX7 at the hairpin and they ran
the length of the straight to Knickerbrook door handle to door handle before
Stacy conceded the place and tucked in behind.
Both of them broke away from
the pack, and fought hard through every corner with both Stacy and Ken swapping
the lead. Finally Stacy repeated his Old Hall
manoeuvre and took the win by a little under half a second from the VR6. Ken
secured outright fastest lap.
Third overall was a surging Craig Willcocks in
his Sierra Cosworth, and taking the class A class win after pressuring Brian
Stevens’ XJS, out for a
second outing as Stacy was, into a mistake. After only a couple of races Craig
was very close to the leaders pace, and we fully expect him to be joining the
front runners very regularly next season. Graham Myers brought his Cosworth
home in 4th place.
Summary
So there we have it, two great races
and a new lap record – previously
set by a legendary saloon car driver in our own machine in its current
spec. Yes we’ve got a great well sorted and reliable car, but
we’ve also got a driver who can drive it like it should be driven
(and indeed could sort it in the first place)..
Richard |
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Stacy Vickers, Ken Lark and Craig Jamieson on the podium |
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Final word to Stacy:
It was the very strong pre-season publicity from competitors “not
turning up to come second” which motivated us into a full season of
racing this year, and right now that seems a very long time ago.
It’s been an interesting season with some really enjoyable days, although
it has been a little unnecessarily low rent at times. We did what we could
to appease people, notably when it was suggested our alloy gearbox casing
was outside of the spirit of the regulations, we publicly changed it to a
steel one – even though the club committee did not require us to. We
then went on to break 4 more lap records with the steel casing, and in fact
found it was a reliability improvement as we don’t have to repair the
weaker alloy casings any more.
This you’ll note did not get quite as much coverage as the initial
noise suggesting this somehow procured us an advantage.. Neither did the
variously illegal bodywork, ineligible cars, questionable modifications way
outside of the spirit of the regulations, and indeed openly illegal suspension
on the chasing competitors cars. Rather than air this in public we decided
to keep a level of dignified counsel and still stand by that approach, while
in the meantime Win Percy was having his BTCC RX7 triumphs of 1980 and 1981
airbrushed out of history as it was apparently a ‘sports car’ – an
XJS although not in period (they both conform to the internal requirements
of a saloon car, and were homologated as such by the way..), is strangely
not an issue however. Warped logic, an attempt to destabilise, or maybe just
sour grapes for spoiling their party? Who knows, but those that matter, know
the facts.
On a brighter note we’ve now taken 9 lap records across the country,
gained a 100% class winning record in 2007, and a 3rd Group 1 championship
is now in the bag – and this is something which simply requires support.
I really must thank Dave, Brian, Richard, Caroline and Me Julie, as well
as Will and Clare McAteer. Tom’s been funny too! I owe them a debt.
Following
Oulton Park we were scrutineered with the engine measured using calibrated
tools, and given a clean bill of health (rotaries can be checked
for Group 1 eligibility by measuring the housings externally), and then post
release from Parc Ferme we volunteered the car to be sealed and stripped
at a later date. This we feel is the best way to close the book on Group
1, and we can look forward to Pre-93 in 2008.
That series has gone from strength
to strength since the start of the year, with over 40 entries at Donington
and 30 starters at Oulton Park. From the
opener where I was beaten in both races by John Willcocks in his BMW M3 it
was clear there was a challenge to meet. At the front we also have Ken Lark
who is always on the edge in his monster of a Corrado VR6, and then Craig
Jamieson and Graham Myers in their newly turned out Sierra Cosworths. There
are also at least another 3 cars we know are coming out next year who are
expected to be in this leading throng, so make no mistake – if you
have an off day in Pre-93 you could well be 10th.. That, as they say, is
where it’s at!
Stacy
www.pre93touringcars.com
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