HI HO, HI HO, TO MALLORY WE GO!
The Dunlop TVR Challenge is certain to bring the noise this Saturday – Photo: George Carter
For the first time since 2010, we’re heading to Leicestershire for a day’s racing at the wonderful Mallory Park circuit. Two series from our stable will be there to provide touring car and sports car action, along with a few friends from Monoposto and HRDC to help keep the day entertaining and exciting.
First of all, we’ll be seeing the terrific tandem take to the track that is the Toyo Tires Honda VTEC Challenge, coupled with the adorable yet feisty Smart 4Two Cup. Run as a non-points scoring series, the Honda VTECs allow a wide range of performance cars from the Japanese marque to duke it out for supremacy. Expect plenty of Integras, Accords and Civics, including Marc Kemp’s ex-BTCC Civic racer that always provides fearsome opposition.
Sharing the spotlight will be the Smart 4Twos, who also run without points scores. As well as adding a fun variety of single make racing, the Smarts have been taking to the track since 2011. Small, punchy and an absolute blast to watch, these little rockets allows experienced racers a chance to try something out of the ordinary and young racers looking to build racecraft skill in a unique and competitive environment. One driver to watch for is Simon Horrobin, who is also a frequent frontrunner in the Jam-Sport Fiesta Championship.
Alongside them on the bill will be the thunderous and brutish best of British that is the Dunlop TVR Challenge. Featuring Blackpool’s finest, there’s never a dull moment when these bad boys are out on track together. Fifteen cars across 4 classes are expected this weekend, including some heavy hitting machines. These include a trio of Sagaris’, one of which being Tim Hood’s mighty 7-litre example, along with four of the infamous Tuscans that graced their own one make championships in years gone by. These cars are loud, proud and full of charisma!
In support, we’ve got some single seaters of all shapes and sizes with the Monopostos. In this championship, you’ll find everything from Formula Jedis and bewinged Formula Fords, to Vauxhall Lotus and Formula 3. With a rich history and background, Monopostos have always been a cost-effective way of going open wheel racing and with several classes to cater for all manner of machines, engines and capacities. This weekend sees racing as part of the 3-part Tiedeman Trophy, in honour of the Monoposto Club founder Frank Tiedeman who passed away in 2013. Expect them to race hard in his honour, as any single seater racer should.
The rest of our raceday is filled by our good friends at HRDC. Julius Thurgood and his motley crew of historic racers will be out to play with 3 separate races that sound nothing short of mouth-watering. If you’re a fan of anything classic, then the Allstars race should suit you down to the ground. This race features a real pick ‘n mix of GTs and touring cars from the period, with marques such as Porsche, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Austin, MG and Jaguar all represented. Two notable drivers to look out for in particular will be entrepreneur and TV star Theo Paphitis from BBC’s Dragon’s Den in his Ford Anglia, along with guitar and rock legend Chris Rea who competes in all 3 HRDC series this weekend but pilots a Morris Minor in this one.
Rea will also feature in his Austin A35 in the other two events. The first of which is a first of its kind – the HRDC Academy “Flying A Trophy”. This race features nothing but Austin A30s and A35s in two different specifications – the lower powered Academy class cars and the more spritely Speedwell variants, which pack 135hp underneath their tiny bonnets. Watch out for key drivers in each, one of which being Neil Brown, known more so in BTCC engine circles, as he brings along his A35 Speedwell that’s wonderfully dubbed the “Powerful Peanut”!
Last but certainly not least, it’ll be time to relive the heydays of saloon car racing from the 50s with the Touring Greats. A full grid of 30+ cars is expected across 7 classes, so with a circuit like Mallory Park, it’ll be nothing but door-to-door action all the way! Expect more of the classic “David-vs-Goliath” battles up and down the field as giant Jaguars and Ford Galaxies fight for space on the straights, while the magical little Fiat Abarths and Minis run rings around them in the corners. It’s set to be one heck of a show, no matter the result.
It’s looking pretty good on the weather forecast, with lovely sunshine predicted throughout the morning and early afternoon, with a little bit of cloud moving in towards the latter part of the day and temperatures hitting 15 degrees maximum. Sounds just about perfect, doesn’t it? If you want the full details, it’ll be here at MALLORY PARK WEATHER.
Plus, the provisional timetable, final instructions and entry list are all found at MALLORY PARK RACEDAY.
Scott Woodwiss
