Race Torque – January 2015

WELCOME to the first Race Torque for 2015.

The Club has an exciting line-up of race meetings and some really good programmes planned for this year. However the first date I am going to mention is the Race Retro show at Stoneleigh Park near Warwick (close to M40) on February 20–22. For any competitor or would-be competitor as well as anybody interested in cars it’s a really worthwhile show to visit. Many marques will be represented there, as well as many of the engineers and suppliers to the competition and sporting side of motoring.

The Club will have a stand in its usual position just inside the main entrance, where all will be welcome. In previous years we have had the pleasure of welcoming many famous names including Sir Stirling Moss, an honorary member of our Club and many, many others. John Hutchison, our newly appointed Race Competitions Secretary, will be in charge and will be delighted to see you. Many of the Championship co-ordinators will be there at various times over the show as well. Tickets are available from www.raceretro.com or at the door. Opening hours have still to be confirmed but 9.00am through to 6.00pm are the norm!

The dates for the Club meetings are now all but confirmed, and we do not expect any changes. So on March 29 we will open the proceedings at Mallory Park. This is the first day of summertime and we can only hope the weather gods take note of this! On May 2–3 we will be at Brands Hatch for our usual Bank Holiday weekend of fun, and some four weeks later we have our Donington meeting on Sunday May 31. Our major event, MGLive! is on the GP circuit at Silverstone and is June 20–21.

A gap then through to September 12, when we visit the scenic circuit at Oulton Park, and our finale at Snetterton will this year be on October 10–11. A very full calendar, with support, from most of our own Championships, at most of the rounds.

We are delighted that many of our regular guest clubs are joining us again with Porsche and Ferrari as well as our old friends the Morgans at various meetings. In particular, as we are closing for press, we are in the process of planning a major feature race at MGLive! where we plan to host the big Healeys with a full length event. Qualifying for this will be on the Saturday, and the race on the Sunday. We are working with Joe Cox of the Healey Drivers International to draw a grid by invitation for this major event; they are aware that we fielded some 58 cars for the MGB50 event a few years back, and while they do acknowledge that may be a very big ask they are very keen to put together as good a field of these charismatic cars as is possible. This should tie in nicely with the planned exhibition being put on by the Club, with Bill Price’s assistance, of 60 Years of the Abingdon Competitions Department. The men and women at Abingdon were rightly regarded in their day as the best in the world, producing race and rally winning cars and even record breakers over the time from the 1950s right into the 1970s. The display should be well worth seeing.

Many members will be pleased to learn of significant efforts being made by the Triple M Chairman, Dick Morbey, Mark Dolton, Fred Boothby and friends to produce a grid of MMM cars for a race meeting, a scene that has sadly been rather lacking at recent events. Well the Triple M Register have accepted our invitation to field just such a grid at the Brands Hatch meeting, the exact day has yet to be finalised but it will be over the weekend of May 2–3. This is terrific news and we wish them every success with their endeavours. Brands is a super circuit for the earlier cars, virtually all of the circuit is in view and while there are two straights there are some five corners as well in the 1.2 mile track. We could be in for an exciting race.

Another great year is in prospect; we hope that we will see as many members as possible supporting the Club’s major race events programme, you will be very welcome.