The Bill Richards Racing team returned to the Brands Hatch circuit for the latest rounds of the Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship. This would be the teams first appearance at Brands Hatch since the Clubman was destroyed in an accident at the circuit in April.

Qualifying

The overnight rain had cleared by the time the Clubman headed out for the qualifying session, the team was anxious to get a good number of laps under their belt in the Clubmans return to Brands Hatch to lay any demons to rest ahead of the two races. After scrubbing in the new Avon slicks the Clubman began its qualifying session in earnest.

It soon became clear however that all was not well with the Clubman as the lap times weren’t approaching those expected, the Clubman ducked into the pitlane for the team to assess the situation. The problem was diagnosed as a leaking oil seal that resulted in the clutch slipping and therefore the car was not able to transfer power effectively to the wheels. The Clubman returned to the paddock so that the team could rectify the problem before the first race of the day.

Race 1

Between qualifying and the race the team replaced the defective oil seal and the Clubman was sent out to race with a clean bill of health. The compromised qualifying session would see the Clubman starting from a lowly 19th position. From the rolling start the Clubman immediately set about making progress through the field swiftly dispatching a Peugeot 205 and Renault Megane on the first lap. The second lap was equally impressive with an Integra and Nova falling victim to the rampaging Clubman.

The Clubmans charge through the field continued as the rejuvenated machine reeled in its rivals, next to fall was an Escort and shortly afterwards the Clubman scythed passed a Fiesta to take the class lead. Before the end of the race the Clubman had time to pass a turbo charged Golf, Impreza and Sierra Cosworth. Taking the chequered flag in 9th position overall the Clubman had staged a remarkable comeback with a scintillating performance.

Race 2

Following the Race 1 heroics the Clubman would start the second race of the day from 9th position – directly behind its usual sparring partner – a red Peugeot 205. As the race got underway the Clubman latched onto the bootlid of the French machine and sought a way past. The two cars circulated separated by inches and quickly closed the gap to the Peugeot 306 ahead, the two cars driven on by the intensity of their duel. The 306 was caught and passed as the Clubman remained stuck to the bootlid of the 205.

Only the intervention of the safety car interrupted the dogfight between the two cars, the introduction of the safety car causing some confusion as it picked up the wrong car when it joined the circuit. After several laps behind the safety car and some re-shuffling of the field to position the race leader directly behind the safety car the race got underway once more.

From the restart all the way to the chequered flag the Clubman continually harassed the 205 but was unable to find a way past as the red machine took a defensive line through the corners. The Clubman took the flag in 7th place overall and 1st in class to round off a successful weekend.

Whilst the qualifying session didn’t go as planned the team worked hard to ensure that the Clubman was ready for the races and it delivered in style with two class wins and the fastest lap in class in both races (also setting a new personal best lap time). In addition Bill received the “Driver of the day” award for his performances during the two races. The team will now begin preparations for the next race meeting.

The Bill Richards Racing team headed north to Snetterton for the latest rounds of the Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship. Qualifying would take place on the Saturday with the two races scheduled for Sunday allowing the teams plenty of time to fettle their cars between qualifying and the race. The Snetterton circuit is noted as being a power circuit and with the Clubman fielding the smallest engine in the field the team were apprehensive as to the cars competitiveness on the circuit.

Qualifying

The overnight rain had cleared by the time the Clubman made its way to the assembly area for the qualifying session and it was therefore running a full dry setup and was fitted with slicks all round. At the allotted start time of the session the heavens opened and the circuit was soon awash, the Clubman elected to put in the required number of laps to qualify for the race and then return to the pitlane for wet tyres. The treacherous circuit conditions saw the Clubman tiptoe around the circuit for several laps before it ducked into the pits.

The weather eased off once more as the Clubman entered the pits and the team elected to fit a split wet/dry combination of tyres in the hope that the circuit would dry rapidly in the second part of the session and the split set up would allow the most competitive time to be set. By the end of the session the Clubman was posting consistent lap times and would see itself lining up in the middle of the pack for the first race.

Race 1

Sunday dawned dry and there was no prospect of rain for the first race at least so the Clubman was sent out for the first race again on a fully dry setup. From the rolling start the Clubman immediately gained ground passing an Integra and a stricken Alfa Romeo. Consolidating its position over the opening lap the Clubman then set its sights on the cars ahead with a turbo charged Golf the first victim. The Golf held a significant power advantage over the diminutive Clubman but the Clubman held the advantage through the slower sections and soon forged ahead and began to pull away.

The Clubmans progress through the field was halted when it came up against an ex-touring car Renault Megane, the French machine fended off the Clubmans attacks and was positioned well on the circuit to prevent the charging Clubman passing. The two cars circulated nose to tail and several times the Clubman was able to draw alongside the yellow machine but each time the Megane steadfastly held the racing line and thwarted the Clubman time and again. The duel continued until the chequered flag fell, the two cars flashed across the line separated by a tenth of a second with the Megane taking the class win from the impressive Clubman.

Race 2

With starting positions decided by the outcome of the first race the battle between the Clubman and the Megane would restart the second the race got underway. As expected the racing was as fierce and clean as it had been in the first race, both the Clubman and the Megane drove impeccably as the two cars continued to be separated by fractionsof a second. The battle was briefly interrupted by a supercharged Peugeot making its way through the field from the back of the grid having failed to finish the first race.

Once the interloper had departed the main players resumed their duel with the Clubman once again trying to find a way through. Persistence finally paid off and the Clubman sliced past the Megane to take the class lead. The Renaults fightback was unfortunately cut short as its engine expired on the following lap. With the class lead secure the Clubman eased off in the closing stages of the race to preserve the car and it took the chequered flag in 8th position overall.

The team can be thoroughly satisfied with the weekends work, the Clubman performed heroics on a circuit that theoretically doesn’t suit the cars strengths taking a class win and a second in class as well as smashing the class record for the circuit. Once again the Clubman punched above its weight and was involved in some of the most intense racing of the weekend with the battles with the Megane being a particular highlight. The team will now begin preparations for the next meeting – at Brands Hatch on the 15th of August.

The Bill Richards Racing team headed to Lydden Hill for the latest round of the Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship. This meeting marked the teams return to the championship having missed the previous rounds following the accident at Brands Hatch in April. Thanks to the generosity of the teams Sponsors and assistance from various friends of the team the new Clubman had been completed in short order and was ready for action.

Final fettling of the car took place at the circuit and the untried car went through the scrutineering process with no problems. After undergoing a final checkover the team was satisfied that the new Clubman was ready for action although given that the car had yet to turn a wheel expectations were naturally kept in check.

Qualifying

The sight of the Clubman heading out onto the sun bathed circuit for qualifying was a satisfying sight for the team and marked a welcome return to action. As the Clubman had not been tested prior to qualifying the early laps of the session were used for basic checks and to give the car a brief shakedown to ensure everything was working as expected. As the session progressed the Clubman picked up the pace and began to post some representative lap times. Finding clear air on the circuit the times were fast and consistent with the new car performing well. The Clubman ended the session 5th overall on the grid only 5 thousandths of a second behind the car ahead (in fact a group of 4 cars including the Clubman was covered by less than 2 tenths of a second). The team was ecstatic with the performance of the Clubman – the untested car had turned in a superb performance and set about making some minor set up changes ahead of the first race.

Race 1

A non-starting car promoted the Clubman to 4th position before the first race got underway but from the rolling start the Clubman was beaten into the first corner by a fast starting Renault Megane. Slotting in behind the French machine the Clubman sought to regain the lost position and immediately set about trying to pass. For a number of laps the Clubman harried the Megane and several times drew alongside but the Megane was well positioned on the circuit and resisted the Clubmans attacks. Finally the Clubman was able to make a move on the Megane going into Chessons and once ahead pulled away from the now ailing Megane.

Having dispensed with the Renault the Clubman quickly closed the gap to its familiar adversary in the shape of a Peugeot 205. The two cars circulated nose to tail with the Clubman applying unrelenting pressure to the 205 as the duelling pair spurred each other on and closed the gap to the leaders. Getting a good exit from the Devils Elbow the Clubman was able to make a successful pass and snatch 3rd place away from the Peugeot. Initially the Peugeot fought back and attempted to regain the lost position but as the race continued both the 205 and Clubman eased off to save the cars for the second race – the hot ambient temperatures had already taken their toll on other competitors. At the chequered flag the Clubman was 3rd on the road and 1st in class – a superb result for its first race outing.

Race 2

Starting from 3rd on the grid for the second race the Clubman was setting its sights firmly on taking 2nd position from the Subaru Impreza ahead. A good start saw the Clubman immediately on the offensive and latching onto the bootlid of the Impreza. The turbo charged machine held the initial advantage but soon had its mirrors full of Clubman as the smaller machine snapped away at its heels.

Each car sought to play to their strengths and time and again the Clubman was able to get alongside the Impreza but couldn’t make the move stick. As the race wore on the battle continued unabated, the Clubman allowing the Impreza no respite with the cars separated by inches. Finally the Clubmans persistence paid off as it got a better exit from Paddock and passed the Impreza as the cars ran down towards Chessons. Once ahead the Clubman sought to fend off the Impreza as the roles were reversed for the final part of the race. The Clubman stayed ahead of the Impreza to take the chequered flag 2nd overall and 1st in class after another superb race performance.

The team can be rightly proud of their days work, the new car ran faultlessly throughout the day in demanding conditions – a testimony to the teams workmanship and build quality of the new machine. To qualify first in class, take two class wins, two fastest laps and a second and third place overall is a superb result and a deserved reward for the effort that has gone into getting the new car onto the circuit for this meeting. Both races also showed once again that the Clubman can compete with more powerful cars and that races involving the Clubman are never dull with clean hard fought action throughout.

The team would once again like thank all their sponsors and supporters for all their help in getting the new car on track so soon after the accident at Brands Hatch. Without their generous support this result would not have been possible. A big thank you must also go to everyone that came over to see the team in the paddock – it’s good to be back!

The SEMSEC meeting at Lydden Hill marked Bills return to competitive action following the accident at Brands Hatch during April. With the new Clubman build progressing apace the days race duties would be undertaken by the teams venerable Metro Special Saloon.

With Bill still feeling the effects of the Brands accident the team elected to run a shortened qualifying session. After some initial sighting laps the Metro was brought up to speed and began posting competitive times. Returning to the paddock the Metro sat out the end of the session but had done enough during its time on circuit to secure pole position for the first race.

The first race saw the Metro beaten off the line but the Duratec powerplant soon hauled the Metro back into contention. The Metro soon regained its position at the head of the field and stayed out in front for the remainder of the race taking the chequered flag and securing pole position for the second race of the day.

SEMSEC are running longer races for the second race of the day this season – this would prove to be a stern test of both man and machine with the Metro being a physically demanding car to drive. Once again the Metro lost out on the run to the first corner but as in the first race was able to get on terms with its opponents quickly and regain the lost positions. The second race may have been longer than the first but the end result was the same with the Metro taking the victory after an impressive drive.

The team can be very satisfied with the days efforts – the Metro took pole position and two outright race victories proving once again that it may be old but it is still a very competitive piece of machinery. Possibly more importantly though was Bills successful return to competitive action proving that despite the severity of the accident at Brands Hatch he has lost none of his speed or racecraft. The team would also like to extend their congratulations to Bill Richards Racing customers Mary Grinham and Tristam Barden for taking class wins in their respective classes.

The SEMSEC season continued at the regular venue of Lydden Hill with the Metro on duty once more for the team. Having impressed at Brands Hatch the team was confident the Metros good form would continue at Lydden Hill and headed into the meeting full of confidence. With little time between the opening meetings of the season the Metro was largely unchanged from its previous outing apart from using a new compound of Avon tyres for the meeting.

Qualifying saw the Metro immediately on the pace and the lap times were consistent throughout the session. The result was impressive with the Metro taking pole position by nearly a second and setting itself up perfectly for the races to come.

A superb start in the first race saw the Metro heading the field and it maintained this position to the chequered flag in a measured performance and superb demonstration of managing race pace. The Metro raced within its capabilities and kept a steady gap to the chasing pack increasing the pace when necessary to maintain its advantage. The second race saw the Metro beaten to the first corner by a Ginetta and a Subaru Impreza, the Metro set about consolidating 3rd position on the opening lap before going on the offensive. Within three laps the Metro had scythed past both the Ginetta and the Impreza and once again set about asserting its authority over the field. The Metro took the chequered flag at the head of the field for the second time to complete a clean sweep for the day – pole position, 2 race (and class) wins and 2 fastest laps. An impressive performance and an ominous one for its rivals as there is more performance to be unlocked from the veteran Metro.

Running alongside the DMN Championship at Brands Hatch the SEMSEC season starter offered the Bill Richards Racing Team the chance to give “Bessie” (the teams Special Saloon Metro) an outing on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The car is proceeding apace with its upgrade and test program – Brands Hatch would see the team running a new gearbox.

The qualifying session was used largely as a shakedown session for the new gearbox as the team assessed the installation and function of the box. The longer gearbox casing had also required some changes to the steering geometry of the car and the impact of these changes on the handling was also closely monitored throughout the session. The times recorded during the session would see the Metro starting mid-pack in an eclectic field of machinery.

Between qualifying and the races the team made some minor setup changes and adjusted the throttle to allow a wider range of the available power to be used. The Metro ran faultlessly in both races with the lap times falling steadily when the car was able to run in clear air. The races yielded a pair of 3rd in class results – an admirable result on the Metros return to competitive action.

The team can take a lot of positives away from the Metros outing, the engine delivered good power throughout and the new gearbox generally worked well but will require a minor modification to deliver its true potential. The Avon tyres used will be sent back to Avon for analysis as the team strives to refine its tyre options on the lightweight Metro (getting heat cycles through the rear tyres in particular is a challenge in such a lightweight car). Avon have proved invaluable in this process as they continue to offer the best compounds available backed up with exceptional technical assistance.

The 2010 season started for the Bill Richards Racing team at Brands Hatch with the opening rounds of the BARC Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship. The large entry promised some frenetic racing and the Clubman would be competing in its higher class for the first time. Confident that the upgrades performed over the off season would bring dividends the team went into the meeting in buoyant mood.

Qualifying

Heading out onto a damp but drying circuit the Clubman spent the early part of the session building tyre and brake temperature as well as making note of where the damp areas of the track were so as to not be caught out by the varying levels of grip available.

As the session progressed the Clubman increased its pace and the lap times began to fall, the Clubman was particularly quick through Clearways and was gaining time over some of the more powerful cars through this long corner where the circuit was still damp. The session ended with the Clubman qualifying 7th overall – a superb performance that put the diminutive machine ahead of some far more powerful opposition.

Race 1

Rolling starts were the order of the day for the DMN races and the Clubman lost out on the charge to the first corner – being passed by a brace of Peugeots. The Clubman tucked in behind them on the run up to the hairpin at Druids and set about the task of regaining its position. With a decisive move the Clubman swiftly despatched the first of the Peugeots and latched onto the bootlid of its perennial adversary – the second Peugeot.

The Clubman and Peugeot circulated nose to tail separated by inches as the two evenly matched cars fought another epic duel. Time and again the Clubman was able to pull alongside the Peugeot but it was unable to make the moves stick. As the laps wound down the pair caught and passed an ailing Escort Cosworth before they themselves came under pressure from a Subaru Impreza that was recovering from a troubled qualifying session. The four wheel drive turbo charged machine passed both the Clubman and Peugeot leaving the battling pair to continue their fight to the flag. The race ended with the Peugeot flashing across the line marginally ahead of the Clubman, the two cars drawing praise from the commentary team for their close and cleanly fought battle, both cars taking their respective class wins.

Race 2

Starting positions for the second race were determined by the finishing positions from the first race so the Clubman would once again be at the sharp end of the grid and immediately embroiled in action with the Peugeot. As the race got underway the field headed into Paddock Hill bend where chaos ensued – a Skyline at the front of the pack ran wide and into the gravel causing mayhem behind. The Clubman capitalised by passing a Cosworth powered Escort that had been baulked by the wayward Skyline.

The Clubman soon gained another position as the Peugeot was forced to pit due to a flapping bonnet – the opening phase of the race had seen the Clubman climb to an exceptional 6th position overall! With many cars out of position owing to the first lap incidents there was action throughout the field as the quicker cars began their recovery drives. The Clubman was caught and passed by a supercharged Peugeot 306 and an Escort WRC before becoming embroiled in a battle with a SEAT Leon. The two cars each sought the advantage with the Clubman taking defensive lines through the corners to repel the SEATs advances although eventually the Clubman succumbed. The closely contested duel had allowed the Cosworth Escort to close on the pair and it swept past them both in quick succession completing its recovery.

As the race neared its conclusion the Clubman was once again battling with the SEAT and the two cars were soon ducking past back markers as they went a lap up on the tail enders. The Clubman made better progress through the traffic and used this advantage to put a move on the SEAT to regain its position. The chequered flag fell with the Clubman 9th overall and first in class.

The Clubman started the season in superb style taking a pair of class wins and top ten finishes in a very competitive field, the teams hard work over the winter ensured that that car ran reliably throughout. The team will now prepare the car for the next rounds of the DMN championship that will again take place at Brands Hatch.

The 2010 season promises to be a busy one for the Bill Richards Racing team with the Clubman and Metro both in competitive action. The Clubman will once again be running in the BARC Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship where it will face its biggest challenge to date. Rule changes for the new season see the Clubman move up a class whilst many of its direct competitors from the previous year move down a class! (The Clubman being the only car in the 2009 field to fall foul of one particular rule change regarding non-standard heads fitted to engines.) The change puts the diminutive clubman up against much larger capacity cars and it will be at a considerable disadvantage as a result.

The team considered a number of options including running a reduced capacity engine (and therefore effectively running in the same class as 2009) or returning to using the multiple championship winning BRR 8 Port engine. However these options would result in slower lap times and the team rejected this as they focus on wringing ever more speed from the current chassis and engine combination. The coming season may not provide the Clubman with as many class wins but Mini lap records are firmly in its sights for the upcoming year and on the shorter circuits the Clubman will be sure to give the front runners a wake up call!

In addition to the main focus of the DMN Championship the Clubman will make selected appearances at SEMSEC meetings where the Metro will also make appearances. The BARC Intermarque series will also see the Metro in action at selected rounds. In addition to a full seasons racing programme Bill will be continuing in his role as the MSA approved instructor at Lydden Hill circuit where he will pass on some of his unmatched knowledge of the circuit to those on track days at the Kent circuit.

The Bill Richards Racing team can look back on 2009 as another highly successful season. The Clubman carried out the vast majority of the teams racing throughout the year and ended the season second overall in the highly competitive BARC Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship, winning its class in style having dominated throughout the year despite running the smallest capacity engine in the class. As ever the battling Clubman earned the respect of competitors and spectators alike with its tenacious style and stunning performances throughout the year making it one of the most recognisable cars on the grid and providing a constant draw in the paddock.

The Clubman also enjoyed considerable success in the SEMSEC series where it battled with an eclectic selection of machinery and often put far more powerful machinery to shame. Despite mssing several events due to date clashes the Clubman won Class 2 of the SEMSEC Sports & Saloon Car Championship. A further highlight for the team came with the Clubmans total domination of the “Fastest Mini In The World race”, winning its qualifiers and going on to win the final by a huge margin.

2009 also saw the return of the teams Special Saloon Metro, the re-engined machine taking a brace of wins on its competitive return. The Metro will undergo further improvements throughout 2010 as the project continues.

The teams success throughout the season could not have been achieved without the support of our sponsors and the relationships that the team has built with them.

The team returned to Brands Hatch for the finals rounds of the Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship as part of an impressive bill including the end of year Truck Superprix ensuring a healthy crowd for the last meeting of the season.
Going into the final meeting the Clubman was locked in a dogfight for second position in the championship with a number of contenders in with a realistic chance of finishing in the runners up position. The Clubman would need to bag a brace of class wins to take the runner up position.

Qualifying

After steady rain throughout the early part of the day the weather improved prior to the qualifying session and the decision was made to send the Clubman out on slicks as the track would improve throughout the session and with no further rain likely the wet tyres would overheat as the track dried. The Clubman began the session cautiously looking to build tyre temperature before committing to a hot lap. Track conditions continued to improve and the Clubmans times came down as the circuit dried, however the session was cut short as a SEAT went off at Paddock Hill Bend and the session was red flagged to allow the recovery of the stranded car.

The recovery was delayed and the decision was taken not to run the rest of the qualifying session – this was a major setback for the Clubman and other slick shod competitors that would have reaped the benefits of the drying track in the closing stages of the qualifying session. The curtailed session saw the Clubman lining up mid grid and 3rd in class ensuring there was plenty of work to do during the races.

Race 1

By the time of the first race the circuit was dry and the impressive grid all lined up on slick tyres. The Clubman got a good get away from the rolling start and held position on a busy opening lap tucking in behind its two class rivals who were immediately ahead. The opening phase of the race was interrupted by the safety car that was deployed to allow the recovery of a rolled Fiesta but when the action got back underway the Clubman was straight onto the offensive.

The Clubman soon cut past its class rival Escort and set about the Nova ahead. Another decisive move saw the Clubman take the position from the Nova and take the class lead. With its rivals now in line astern behind it the Clubman set about opening a gap and was soon gaining on an Astra and BMW MINI ahead. The Clubman sought to get some cars between itself and its class rivals and was soon able to pass the MINI and close onto the Astras bootlid. The two cars went wheel to wheel as each looked for a decisive advantage, the battle went one way and then the other with the two cars separated by inches. The Clubman finally scythed past and was able to close the door on the Astra preventing it regaining the position. The Clubman held off the Astra to take the chequered flag and with it a class win.

Race 2

Having checked the points positions after the first race the Clubman could guarantee second overall with another class win and the race strategy was devised accordingly. The Clubman would be starting at the front of its class thanks to the result of the first race so the Clubman would only need to hold off its class rivals to take second, no risks were to be taken getting involved in dogfights with cars from other classes especially as the track slippery due to the weather and detritus from the trucks.

The Clubman made a cautious start electing not to take any risks on the opening lap and was passed by the BMW MINI and Astra. With its class rivals also dropping positions the Clubman was comfortably leading the class and was able to control its race pace and take no unnecessary risks allowing others to pass without risking contact. The controlled approach saw the Clubman take the chequered flag for its second class win of the meeting finishing comfortably ahead of its class rivals.

The points collected during the weekend cemented the Clubmans position as Class D champion and also secure second overall in the Championship, a superb result for the team and their sponsors after an intense season of racing. The Clubman has once again proved to be a thorn in the side of larger more powerful machinery, the team will now begin the off season maintenance programs on the competition cars in readiness for next season.