Race Report SEMSEC at Lydden - 17/07/05

After the teams trip to Brands Hatch for the Fastest Mini In The World race it was back to championship business and a hot Lydden Hill for the next round of the SEMSEC series.  There were some notable changes since the last SEMSEC round, the Metro was back after its sabbatical and the Mini was sporting new 13” wheels shod with Avon tyres – the meeting would be the first time the car had run with this configuration. 

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge 

The Metro headed out for qualifying in the midst of a large pack of cars and spent the early laps of the session lapping slowly to create a gap so that a clear flying lap could be achieved.  The Metro had barely begun to put in some serious laps when the session was halted to allow the recovery of a stranded vehicle, this however worked out well for the Metro as it found itself at the head of the field for the restart.  With the session underway once more the Metro was on the pace straight away and recorded some impressive lap times qualifying 1^st in class and well up amongst the Radicals on the grid. 

A good start in the race saw the Metro heading into the first corner amongst the sports specials and holding its starting position.  Over the following laps an intense battle developed between the Metro and one of the Radicals, the Metro initially holding the advantage with the Radical trying desperately to pass.  Finally the Radical found a way past the Metro only to be immediately re-passed as the Metro was able to duck inside and get the power down earlier. 

It looked like the battle would rage until the chequered flag fell but the thrilling spectacle was cut short when the Metro suffered a ball joint failure on the run into the hairpin that pitched the car off the track and into retirement.  Fortunately the Metro wasn’t too badly damaged in the impact with the tyre wall and the driver was pronounced fit to continue with the afternoons racing. 

Saloon & Sports Championship 

With the Mini sporting its new wheel and tyre combination a few laps were needed to bed the tyres in and also to adjust to the new handling characteristics of the car.  These laps were also an ideal opportunity to show the hire car the correct lines to use on the circuit so the two Minis circulated together. 

With the tyres bedded in the hire car was left to fend for itself as the Mini picked up the pace and began to lower the lap times.  As the session progressed it became clear that the new Avon tyres were a step forward and the Mini was responding well to them.  The proof of this was in the times – the Mini had qualified on pole! 

As the lights went out at the start of the race the Mini was overhauled on the run to the first corner by an Escort, as ever the Mini showed no signs of giving up without a fight and immediately latched onto the bumper of the hard charging Escort.  Throughout the rest of the race the two cars were never more than a few metres apart, the nimble Mini snapping away at the heels of the larger Escort and attacking from all angles.  Although the Mini was able to get within sniffing distance of the Escort it was unable to find a way past and the Escort hung on for the win with the Mini crossing the line to take an impressive second overall and a class win. 

Despite the disappointment of the Metros early exit the team can be well satisfied with their days work.  The Metro again showed that it has truly stunning performance and incredible presence both on and off the circuit.  New wheels and the switch to Avon tyres helped the Mini along to another great result and the team is hoping for further improvements as the car is adapted to take advantage of the increased grip available.  In addition to running the Mini and the Metro for the day the team also ran the hire car for the day – a full complement of Bill Richards Racing cars were nestled under the awning for the day. 

P.S. A message from members of the BRR crew:

"The team would like to thank everyone for their concern and offers of help - particularly Peter Wilks and 'The Sarah Munns Team'."

'Fastest Mini In The World Race' at Brands Hatch - 11/07/05 

The team headed to Brands Hatch for the 2005 Fastest Mini In The World race with all three cars – the Metro would be racing whilst the two Minis would be on display in the paddock.  The race marked the return to action of the Metro following its long layoff, the distinctive silhouette resplendent in its new Piper colour scheme. 

After giving the car a final check over the Metro headed out onto the circuit for its qualifying session, the early laps of the session being used as installation laps to ensure that the various elements of the car were functioning correctly.  Satisfied that all was well the Metro began to pick up the pace and the lap times began to fall.  The car performed faultlessly throughout the session – a fact that was reflected in the timesheets as the Metro claimed a superb pole position for the first race! 

As the lights went out to start the race a binding brake caused the Metro to lose three positions as the more powerful cars behind were able to out drag the Metro on the run to the first corner.  As ever though the Metro was soon chasing hard and almost immediately regained one of the lost positions.  After a brief tussle with a MINI the Metro took advantage of its superior handling and braking to make a decisive move and set off in hot pursuit of the leader. 

The Metro began to hunt down the leader lap by lap and was soon snapping at the heels of the space-framed Mini.  The two cars then began a thrilling battle with each playing to their strengths, the Metro being the superior car under braking and through corners with the Mini having better straight-line speed.  The battle raged for several laps with the Metro seeming to be in the ascendancy and forcing the Mini to take defensive lines. 

The crowd were robbed a thrilling climax to the race when the Metro fell away from the Mini and pulled into the paddock.  The Metro had got into the slipstream of the Mini on the long straight and the radiator had been starved of its flow of cold air, this factor combined with the high ambient temperatures caused the engine temperatures to climb to unacceptable levels and the Metro had no option but to pull back into the paddock. 

The team was confident that they would be able to get the car ready for the second race although the Metro would have to start from the back of the grid.  However, when conducting the post-race checks on the car one of the rear radius arms was found to be damaged and it was decided that it would be unsafe to send the Metro out to take part in the second race. 

The team asked the organisers if the race Mini could be used in the second race as a substitute for the Metro – a role it’s fulfilled with gusto both in the previous years Fastest Mini Race and at SEMSEC meetings during the Metros absence.  Unfortunately the teams request was turned down on health and safety grounds as it was deemed unsafe for a driver of Bills vast experience to start amongst the slower cars at the back of the grid, the team had no option but to withdraw from the second race. 

Despite recording a DNF the Metro showed that it has the pace to compete with the best, not only did it qualify on pole position but it also recorded the fastest lap of either of the races.  So whilst the Metro may not have claimed the Fastest Mini In The World title it did prove itself to be the quickest car over a single lap – a superb performance from the little 1280cc powered Metro against some exceedingly powerful opposition. 

BARC Track & Race Cars Saloon Championship goes to France - 04/07/05

The latest round of the Track & Race Cars championship saw the team heading to foreign lands and the ‘Circuit de Croix en Ternois’ in France. 

After arriving at the circuit the team set up camp and walked the circuit to assess the condition of the circuit and to determine the optimum line through the corners.  The general view was that the circuit would be challenging to drive but would also be a great drivers circuit. 

Qualifying 

Overnight rain resulted in a wet track but with the rain holding off there was a good chance a dry line would appear before the Mini went out for qualifying.  The tyre choice was left as late as possible and sure enough a drying line appeared on the circuit and the Mini was sent out on slicks for its qualifying session. 

The early laps of the session were used to learn the circuit, this process was aided by following the lines used by cars that had tested on the circuit the previous day.  The Minis pace increased throughout the session as it became more familiar with the track layout. 

The qualifying session also included a brief stop to assess the tyre wear rates as the track surface appeared to be very abrasive when the team had walked the circuit.  Returning to the circuit the Mini put in some more quick laps before the session ended.  The Mini qualified 1^st in class amid a pack of more powerful cars – a great performance given the limited track time available to learn the circuit. 

Race 1 

The race one drama started before the Mini even went out on track, as the team received the call to bring the Mini to the assembly area they flicked the starter switch only for the starter motor to expire!  A quick delve into the parts boxes produced a spare unit that was attached to the Mini in double quick time, the Mini fired up first time and headed off to the assembly area ready to form up on the grid. 

A good start saw the Mini running side by side with a Cosworth into the first corner, whilst the Mini initially held the advantage the Cosworth had the inside line for the second corner and was able to hold the Mini at bay.  The Mini was able to stay with the Cosworth through the tight infield section of the circuit and was close enough coming out of the final hairpin to be able to get a tow down the straight. 

It became clear that the Mini would need to get past the Cosworth as soon as possible as other cars in the Minis class were starting to close in on the battling pair.  The Mini attempted to take the inside line into a corner but made contact with the heavyweight Cosworth and damaged its steering.  Subsequent laps saw the now ill handling Mini fighting to retain its position in class although as the race progressed this became harder ad harder.  After holding off the attackers for several laps the Mini finally succumbed as the flying Peugeot 205 got past, the Mini was subsequently passed by another car in its class – a Bill Richards powered Mini! 

The Mini battled on gainfully to the end of the race and took a hard earned 3^rd in class, a great result given the extent of the handling problems – the team had work to do before the second race. 

Race 2 

Before the car could be sent out for the second race the handling problems from the first race had to be addressed, after ensuring that the steering was still intact and safe to use the team set about re-aligning the wheels and preparing the Mini for the race.  Once satisfied that the car was ready to go the team sent the Mini on its way. 

Another good start saw the Mini gain a place going into the first corner and join battle with its regular sparring partner – the Peugeot 205.  Another superb tussle ensued with the two cars trading places lap by lap, as the dog fight progressed throughout the race other cars joined the fray but the chief protagonists remained the Mini and the 205 and gradually the other challengers fell away from the duelling pair. 

The outcome of the race was in doubt until the very last lap when the 205 was able to edge away as the coil on the Mini began to give trouble.  On the approach to the final corner the coil finally gave up the ghost and the Minis engine cut out!  It would have been cruel if the Mini had been denied a finish by such a short distance, but with the finish line in sight a solution was at hand.  With the engine now producing none of its usual 160+ horse power it had to rely on 1 Bill power to get to the finish  - after pushing the car round the final corner and down the straight to the line Bill was able to record another 3^rd in class. 

Bills determination in getting the Mini across the line showed his ‘never give in’ attitude shining through as well as his determination to record a finish – something that the watching crowd seemed to appreciate as Bill crossed the line to great cheers and applause. 

It was another action packed weekend and anther good one for the team, the Mini performed well and again was involved in the most intense on track action helping to provide a great spectacle for those watching from the banking.  The combination of superb race action and determination in the face of adversity also earned Bill the Driver of the race award for the second race of the day! 

Finally, the team would like to thank all those who made the weekend what it was, special thanks must go to the marshals for making the trip out to France and also to Richard Brent not only for the part he played in the on track action but also for helping recover the Mini to the paddock after the second race.

P.S. A message from members of the BRR crew:

"The Bill Richards Racing Team would like to say hello, and thank you to all our friends that we spent a great weekend with! Thank you to 'Mr Peugeot 205' for running to our rescue, we really appreciated that.

And a HUGE thank you to Team Wilks Racing (Pete, Jane, Brian and Maria) for: going to so much trouble to move their campers to make room for us in the paddock at Croix, for keeping us laughing the whole weekend, the ice creams and for pushing our car back for us."

Race Report - SEMSEC at Lydden - 04/06/05

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge Race (Classes C-G) 

As the Metro nears the end of its rebuild the Mini was fulfilling its role as a stand in for possibly the last time.  Qualifying saw the Mini using the opening laps to bed in a new set of brake pads before building up to full qualifying speed.  After six laps the Mini returned to the paddock – having set some good lap times it was considered prudent to conserve the tyres for the race.  The times recorded were good enough to put the Mini on the front row of the grid alongside the pole sitter – a great performance considering the limited numbers of laps used. 

Between qualifying and the race the heavens opened!  A brief but heavy shower saw the track conditions change drastically, with the rain over and the sky clear the team was faced with a dilemma – take the safe option and go out on wet tyres or gamble on a dry line appearing and put the Mini out on slicks.  With the decision to go on slicks made the Mini headed out onto the circuit, as the grid formed up it became apparent that the Mini was the only car on slicks!  The rest of the field playing safe and opting for treaded wet tyres.  To further highlight the treacherous nature of the track the pole sitting Caterham span on the first of the two green flag laps before the race had even started! 

As the lights went out to start the race the Mini initially got away well and lead into the first corner but was soon passed by a BMW that was making full use of its heavily treaded wet tyres.  The first half of the race saw the BMW extend its advantage over the Mini to over nine seconds, with the track still damp the Mini had to take a more conservative line through the corners.  Gradually a drying line appeared on the track and the Mini began to close the BMWs advantage – as the dry line became more pronounced the Mini took huge chunks of time out of the BMW every lap.  It soon became clear that the slick shod Mini was now very much the dominant force in the race, on the penultimate lap the Mini drew alongside and then passed the BMW.  Once in front the Mini was able to stretch its advantage and take the chequered flag for a win that was well deserved after an inspired tyre choice and well measured race. 

SEMSEC Saloon & Sports Car Championship Race 

After some changes were made to the suspension setup the Mini headed out for its second qualifying session of the day.  A very busy session saw the Mini struggle to get a clear lap that would allow it to demonstrate its ultimate pace.  The lap times recorded in the session were good enough for 5^th overall on the grid. 

With no further rainfall between the races there was no issue with tyre choice for the Minis second race of the day and the car was sent out on slicks.  A good start saw the Mini immediately gain a place on the run down to the first corner.  The leading trio gradually edged away from the Mini that held 4^th place comfortably for the majority of the race.  In the closing stages a Cosworth finally managed to close down the Mini and force its way past, as ever the Mini refused to concede easily and on several occasions ran side by side with the Cosworth but was unable to retake the place.  The Mini crossed the line in 5^th place to take another class win after a sterling performance.

Race Report - SEMSEC at Lydden - 04/06/05

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge Race (Classes C-G) 

As the Metro nears the end of its rebuild the Mini was fulfilling its role as a stand in for possibly the last time.  Qualifying saw the Mini using the opening laps to bed in a new set of brake pads before building up to full qualifying speed.  After six laps the Mini returned to the paddock – having set some good lap times it was considered prudent to conserve the tyres for the race.  The times recorded were good enough to put the Mini on the front row of the grid alongside the pole sitter – a great performance considering the limited numbers of laps used. 

Between qualifying and the race the heavens opened!  A brief but heavy shower saw the track conditions change drastically, with the rain over and the sky clear the team was faced with a dilemma – take the safe option and go out on wet tyres or gamble on a dry line appearing and put the Mini out on slicks.  With the decision to go on slicks made the Mini headed out onto the circuit, as the grid formed up it became apparent that the Mini was the only car on slicks!  The rest of the field playing safe and opting for treaded wet tyres.  To further highlight the treacherous nature of the track the pole sitting Caterham span on the first of the two green flag laps before the race had even started! 

As the lights went out to start the race the Mini initially got away well and lead into the first corner but was soon passed by a BMW that was making full use of its heavily treaded wet tyres.  The first half of the race saw the BMW extend its advantage over the Mini to over nine seconds, with the track still damp the Mini had to take a more conservative line through the corners.  Gradually a drying line appeared on the track and the Mini began to close the BMWs advantage – as the dry line became more pronounced the Mini took huge chunks of time out of the BMW every lap.  It soon became clear that the slick shod Mini was now very much the dominant force in the race, on the penultimate lap the Mini drew alongside and then passed the BMW.  Once in front the Mini was able to stretch its advantage and take the chequered flag for a win that was well deserved after an inspired tyre choice and well measured race. 

SEMSEC Saloon & Sports Car Championship Race 

After some changes were made to the suspension setup the Mini headed out for its second qualifying session of the day.  A very busy session saw the Mini struggle to get a clear lap that would allow it to demonstrate its ultimate pace.  The lap times recorded in the session were good enough for 5^th overall on the grid. 

With no further rainfall between the races there was no issue with tyre choice for the Minis second race of the day and the car was sent out on slicks.  A good start saw the Mini immediately gain a place on the run down to the first corner.  The leading trio gradually edged away from the Mini that held 4^th place comfortably for the majority of the race.  In the closing stages a Cosworth finally managed to close down the Mini and force its way past, as ever the Mini refused to concede easily and on several occasions ran side by side with the Cosworth but was unable to retake the place.  The Mini crossed the line in 5^th place to take another class win after a sterling performance.

Race Report - BARC at Lydden - 22/05/05

BARC Track & Race Cars Saloon Championship

This was the first visit of the season to Lydden for the Track & Race Car championship – the venue introducing a new twist to the series in the form of split grids based on championship class.  Classes A and C would run together in one set of races with classes B, D and E also running together. 

Qualifying 

The early morning rain had cleared but the track was still damp on a number of corners as the Minis qualifying session began.  After building some tyre temperature over the initial laps of the session the Mini began to put in some good consistent times despite never getting a totally clear lap.  With one eye on the race to come the Mini returned to the paddock part way through qualifying for a quick pit stop!  The team put new tyres onto the car so that the rest of the session could be used to scrub in the tyres ready for the race.  

As the session closed the Mini returned to the paddock once more having done a sterling job – qualifying 3^rd on the grid and 2^nd in class.  Behind the pole sitter the times were incredibly close – a sign of things to come…..

Race 1 

Rolling starts were once again the order of the day, the cars doing two sighting laps behind the pace car.  With the pace car returning to the paddock it was game on – the Mini getting a good run across the line and comfortably holding 3^rd place into the first corner.  Almost immediately the Mini joined battle with its Silverstone adversary – the Peugeot 205.  For the duration of the race the two cars were never separated by more than a couple of lengths, the Mini frequently getting its nose alongside the 205 but never quite being able to edge ahead. 

With the chequered flag in sight the Mini lost a place to a hard charging Cosworth as a back marker slowed the Minis exit from the final corner.  The Mini crossed the line in 4^th place overall and 2^nd in class – a good result and a great race that was enjoyed by all those watching.  However, the best was yet to come! 

Race 2 

The starting order for the second race was determined by the finishing order of the first so the Mini lined up 4^th behind the pace car.  Another good break from the Mini saw it holding 4^th into the first corner as part of a train of five cars nose to tail.  From this moment right up to the time the chequered flag fell there wasn’t a lap that passed without at least one overtaking move in this pack! 

The Mini fought its way up into a superb 2^nd place and was putting on a superb driving display when disaster struck – as the pack came to lap slower traffic a back marker inadvertently forced the Mini onto the grass at over 100mph!  Fortunately the Mini was able to return to the tarmac and continue but a number of places had been lost. 

Having lost ground to the leading pack the Mini then turned in a superb fighting comeback – gradually the Mini closed the gap to the leading pack once more, at times taking corners on two wheels!  The aggressive driving brought the pack back into the clutches of the Mini and slowly but surely the Mini began to pick off the cars ahead, finally latching on to the tail of the 205 once more.  With battle now firmly rejoined the Mini and 205 swapped positions for the remainder of the race the two cars frequently alongside one another – the racing hard but fair as the two cars sought an advantage.  

The chequered flag fell with the 205 crossing the line fractions of a second ahead of the Mini – the two cars rightly being cheered home by the spectators who had been thoroughly entertained from lights to flag by the Mini in what must have been one of the most entertaining races seen for a long time. 

It was another great weekend for the team, the Mini had gone into the weekend leading the championship and achieved another good set of results from the two races.  The Mini may not have won its class on the day but it certainly won some new supporters in the paddock and the team received a lot of positive comments from spectators, officials and other competitors who enjoyed the great racing spectacle provided by the Mini. 

Photos of the weekends racing - 04/05/05

Rather than just include these photos as part of the race report - these are so good as to warrant their own item. Many thanks to Matt Haney for taking these shots - (click on the thumbnail images to see the full sized photos)

Race Report - SEMSEC at Lydden - 02/05/05

After the teams exploits at Silverstone the Mini was prepared for the Lydden meeting in double quick time, due to the short timeframe available the engine power loss issue had not been investigated so the Mini would run ‘as is’ with the diagnostics taking place in the days following the SEMSEC meeting. 

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge Race (Classes C-G) 

With the Metro nearing the end of its rebuild the Mini was making another appearance with its distinctive spoiler in the quest for championship points.  With the Minis focus being largely on its own race it was sent out for qualifying on new tyres – the aim being to scrub them in for use in the subsequent qualifying session and its own race.  A clear run through qualifying saw the Mini set a number of quick lap times before returning to the paddock early.  The times posted were good enough for 3^rd on the grid – a creditable performance. 

With all eyes on the Minis second race of the afternoon it was sent out on well scrubbed tyres to allow the team to save the best tyres for the following race.  With this in mind the team decided not to try and attack the Caterhams that has qualified ahead but hold position and collect the points available.  A good start saw the Mini away well from the line and it headed into the first corner hotly pursued by a BMW MINI, the two cars battled hard for several laps but the newer machine could not find a way past the wily Mini and eventually fell away.  The Mini could not rest however as a Westfield began to close the gap to the Mini.  The Mini was again able to resist the pressure and crossed the line for a well deserved 3^rd place finish after a superb display of defensive driving. 

SEMSEC Saloon & Sports Car Championship Race 

The team made some minor adjustments to the suspension settings before sending the Mini out for its qualifying session in an attempt to tune the handling of the car.  These changes coupled with the fresh tyres saw the Mini posting faster times than its previous session.  After a trouble free run with few problems with traffic the Mini returned to the paddock early to allow the team to prepare the Mini for the subsequent races.  The quickest lap recorded was good enough for another 3^rd place on the grid. 

After some early pressure in the first corner the Mini able to hold its position over the opening lap, the front running trio then began to pull away from the chasing pack – a significant gap opening up to the rest of the field.  The three pace setters were nose to tail for a number of laps before the Escort finally managed to overtake the Midget that had held the lead from the start – as the Midget tried to fight back the Mini took advantage and sneaked past to grab second.  Once ahead of the Midget the Mini began to pull away and was soon crawling over the bootlid of the race leading Escort.  Before the Mini had the opportunity to attack the Escort the race was stopped -  another vehicle had had a heavy impact with the tyre wall after leaving the circuit and the result was declared.  This gave the Mini a second place overall and a class win – a great result. 

Race Report - BARC at Silverstone - 30/04/05

BARC Track & Race Cars Saloon Championship

The second round of the BARC Track & Race Car Championship took the team to Silverstone – home of the British Grand Prix (although the Mini would be racing on the shorter ‘National’ circuit configuration.  The Mini had been on the rolling road in the days prior to the races and had been found to be suffering from a slight drop in the expected power returns – this caused the team some anxiety as Silverstone is a recognised power circuit and there was no time to rectify the problem. 

Qualifying 

The early morning mist had not cleared as quickly as expected and there were several damp areas of tarmac on the circuit for qualifying, the team opted to send the Mini out with a dry bias to the setup although some concessions were made to allow for the damp.  Once out on the circuit the Mini was quickly up to speed and the lap times were very consistent throughout the qualifying session.  As expected however, the power deficit had a noticeable impact on the times but those recorded were good enough for 3^rd in class and 14^th overall from a field of 32 – a great effort. 

Race 1 

The opening lap was action packed as the Mini lost a place on the run to the first corner, ran side by side down to the hairpin then regained its lost position on the following straight before starting to home in on the cars ahead.  The Mini chased down and caught a Peugeot 205, the two cars going wheel to wheel through the hairpin and all the way through the complex.  Exiting the complex the Mini was close enough to the 205 to get a good tow down the main start/finish straight by sitting in the slipstream of the 205.  Ducking out of the tow at the end of the straight the Mini was able to outbrake the 205 into the first corner.  Once ahead the Mini started to pull away from the 205 and romped home for a class win and an overall 8^th place! 

Race 2 

The starting positions for the second race were determined by the finishing positions of the first race so the Mini would be at the sharp end of the grid.  A good start saw the Mini holding position for the opening laps, there then followed an epic battle with the Peugeot 205 – the first race had been exciting but it proved to be a mere prelude to what was about to occur.  For the remainder of the race the Mini and 205 traded positions, the two cars never more than a few lengths apart and often running side by side as they each sought a decisive advantage.  Despite the closeness of the vehicles and the intensity of the racing the conduct from both parties was exemplary – the racing was hard fought but fair to the end.  The two cars crossed the line less than a second apart, the 205 narrowly edging the Mini into 2^nd place in class. 

Latest from Jim and Juliette in Luxembourg - 26/04/05 

Our good friends at Luxembourg have taken delivery of their latest vehicle, a beautiful 1967 Morris Mini Cooper 'S'. Collected by Juliette from the Bill Richards Racing HQ at Ashford, the Mini now has a fresh engine, straight cut gears as well as modifications to the suspension and interior. Jim hopes to be using it for some classic rallying and its first two engagements will be the 'Tour de Luxembourg' on May 5th and then the 'Saar-Lor-Lux' Rally on May 27-29. Jim has assured that he will keep us posted as to how they get on so we hope to add some progress reports in the future, Good luck Jim and Juliette from all the team

Race Report - BARC at Brands Hatch - 16/04/05

BARC Track & Race Cars Saloon Championship 

The team had another trip to Brands Hatch for the first round of the BARC Track & Race Car Saloon Championship – a championship that promises big grids and lively racing with some serious machinery on show.  The Mini was back to full health after sterling work from Piper Cams to provide a camshaft of the desired specification to a very tight timescale. 

Qualifying 

The Mini spent the early laps bedding in a new set of brake pads before increasing the pace and setting some impressive lap times.  Traffic was a problem throughout the session but the Mini found enough clear air to set a time that put it at the head of its class and a superb 8^th overall on the grid. 

Race 1 

After a rolling start the Mini held its position well for the opening laps, however some of the more powerful machinery that had qualified behind the Mini was able to get ahead on the long start/finish straight.  This was of little concern as the Mini was concentrating on maintaining its position at the front of its class – a task that it was performing brilliantly and continued to do so to the chequered flag taking the class win and 11^th overall. 

Race 2 

With starting positions decided by the finishing order of the first race the Mini found itself again heading its class but with another car in its class alongside it on the grid.  After another rolling start the Mini was momentarily held up by a slow reacting car directly in its path, this allowed its immediate rival to pass the Mini into the first corner.  The following laps saw the Mini regain a lost place and latch onto the tail of the class leading Peugeot 205, a couple of laps later the Mini was able to execute a fine move under braking into the Druids hairpin and retake the class lead.  Once in front the Mini was able to open up a gap to the chasing 205 that was also having to defend itself against further overtakes.  The Mini crossed the line for another class win and a top ten overall finish. 

Race Report - SEMSEC at Lydden - 09/04/05

After the teams successful trip to Brands Hatch the racing returned to the more familiar venue of Lydden Hill. With the Brands engine problem having been diagnosed as a worn camshaft the Mini would be running with a near standard camshaft as a direct replacement could not be sourced in the time available.  

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge Race (Classes C-F) 

With the Metro still sidelined the Mini was again called into action in its 'supersub' role.  Qualifying saw the Mini making good use of the relatively clear track to set some impressive laptimes minimising the impact of the camshaft change.  The Mini qualified 3^rd on the grid and first of the steel shelled cars. 

The start of the race saw a brief tussle with a BMW MINI but the classic older design held the advantage through the early laps and began to increase its lead over its newer rival.  Once the gap had reached a comfortable level the Mini was able to ease off and cruise to an excellent 3^rd place behind the Caterhams – the Mini was the only steel shelled car not to be lapped by the lightweight specials! 

SEMSEC Saloon & Sports Car Championship Race 

A very busy qualifying session with lots of traffic resulted in slower lap times than had been achieved in the previous qualifying session.  When the Mini finally found some clear air however it put in a blistering lap that earned it a fine 3^rd place on the grid.  After some minor contact with a slower car the Mini returned to the paddock for a quick check over before the races. 

A great start saw the Mini head into the first corner on the bumpers of the lead pair, by the end of the first lap the front 3 had pulled a significant gap out over the rest of the field and this continued to grow throughout the race.  The leading pair of Escorts appeared to employ some team tactics to thwart the canny Mini, one holding the Mini back whilst the other made good its escape.  The Mini was swarming all over the rear of the trailing Escort that by now was having to take increasingly defensive lines to resist the Minis persistent pressure.  The pace of the leading trio was such that it was only a matter of time before they started to lap backmarkers – this would be the ideal time for the Mini to make a decisive move.  Coming out of the hairpin the Escort ran wide whilst trying to negotiate a gaggle of slower traffic, however before the Mini could press home its advantage, one of the backmarkers span off the circuit and had a very heavy impact with the tyre wall bringing out the red flags to stop the race.  The result was declared and the Mini had to settle for a 3^rd place finish and a class win. 

First race of the year - Brands Hatch (02/04/05) - 04/04/05

The first meeting of the season saw a trip away from the ‘home’ circuit of Lydden Hill with the team making the short journey to Brands Hatch to compete on the ‘Indy’ circuit. 

The venue wasn’t the only change – the Mini was sporting a number of experimental features as it continues its development role.  The suspension setup has been changed again as the search for handling perfection continues and the team was also evaluating a new type of brake pad. (Latest photos will be added when they become available - webmaster)

South East Sports & Saloon Car Challenge 

The start of the season has come around just that little bit too soon for the Metro as it returns to fighting fitness so the Mini was back in the supersub role it performed so admirably last season.  Fortunately the Mini was quick straight out of the box, the lap times coming down lap on lap but the team felt there was a good deal more to come and that the experimental brake pads weren’t providing the stopping power required.  Despite this reservation the Mini qualified second in class on the grid at the sharp end of the pack of steel shelled cars. 

A slow getaway from the start saw the Mini drop a number of places by the first corner, however, the Mini possesses the ability to fight back and was heading its class (and the steel shelled cars) by the end of the first lap.  The gap to the chasing pack increased over the following laps until the Mini had a comfortable cushion, once in control the Mini was able to dictate the pace and collected a comfortable class win. 

Saloon & Sports Car Championship 

Following the brake issue in the first session the team opted to change the brake pads back to the more familiar compound before the car was sent out for qualifying.  With the brakes now more effective the Mini was able to set quicker times than the first session despite the amount of traffic encountered. The times were good enough for 1^st in class and 4^th overall on the grid – all the more impressive given the power advantage held by a number of cars behind. 

A better start saw the Mini holding its position for the opening laps being chased by the pack, eventually the sheer power of the following Morgan +8 saw it pass the Mini.  However, this wasn’t the end of the episode as the Mini hung on to the Morgan for several laps and caused it some troubling moments as the Mini crawled all over its bootlid.  After a number of laps of Morgan worrying the Mini again backed off and controlled its pace, the class lead was comfortable and increasing so there was no need to push too hard.  Towards the end of the race the engine developed a slight misfire but the lead built up was sufficient for this not to be a concern.  The Mini finished the race with a class win and a very creditable 5^th overall. 

Updated Fixture list and Latest News - 31/03/05

For those of you that like to plan well ahead, we thought that we ought to make you aware of a change in this years fixture list. SEMSEC (South East Motor Sports Enthusiasts Club) have had to change the date of one of their races, I think the original date was the 25th September (the day after our annual outing to Coombe so it's a bit of a relief that it's gone as it means less rushing about for the team !) The rearranged date is now the 9th October, so the date list that was originally circulated to all was incorrect - it's always a tricky decision whether to get the dates out quick or to wait for all the fine tuning to sort itself out!

The team are off to Brands Hatch tomorrow with just the Mini (although as is traditional, it's a mad rush to get it ready). The team are still waiting for the Metro's newly refurbished BDA powerplant to be returned and the body shell is currently with those nice people at MC Motors who are sorting out the full respray prior to the Metro's trip to the sign writers for its new array of Piper Cams graphics

John Morrow is trying to raise the profile of the team's attempt on the 2006 Monte Carlo Rallye Historique, to this end there are now T-shirts available from John's USA based weblog site. The weblog which includes tales of this years event has become quite popular and includes links back to this site. The Monte Carlo Rally Historique was recently featured on 'Motors TV' and the current issue of MiniWorld also features an article about the event including pictures of Bill and John. The quest for sponsors continues so if you able to help the team, please contact Bill Richards Racing via the 'Contact Us' page on this site or direct to John Morrow via the link on his weblog:

  http://self-preservationsociety.blogspot.com/

Monte Carlo Rallye Historique - The Rally Report and John's Weblog - 22/02/05

For those of you who don't know about weblogs (or blogging as it has become known), it is a 'sort-of' on-line diary and John now has one that includes his rally reports so please click on the following link and you can visit his weblog complete with photos of this years Monte Carlo Rallye Historique:

http://self-preservationsociety.blogspot.com/

The teams disappointment at not completing this years rally seems to have made then even more determined to succeed next year, hence John's car is not for sale and has now been recovered to the UK where the team are already trying to plan their assault on next years event. Obviously this kind of venture is impossible without financial support and to this end the quest for sponsors has already started, the team have already spoken with:

Premier One Vision Computers Ltd

Rupert Mathieu

This years attempt on the Monte would not have been possible without fine work from the team's intrepid support crew, Juliette, Jim and Steffan from the Luxembourg Mini Club (Mighty Mini Frenn). As John says, "During the week of the rally, they acted as mechanics, refuellers, navigators, travel agents, logisticians, strategists, caterers, translators, administrators, meteorologists, psychologists, rescuers and general minders. They were out in freezing weather at all hours either checking the car and the route ahead. They never once complained despite driving their own rally and were probably under more stress than the either Bill or myself. Furthermore they were always cheerful and encouraging. I can never really thank them enough. Actually I believe Bill and I will try to express our gratitude by doing the rally again next year (yes, guys, we'll need you again in 2006) and show them that we can really live up to our potential and that their faith in us was justified".

Now that the team have returned home the disappointment is beginning to fade and there is already a feeling that an awful lot of lessons have been learnt. Hopefully, if the team succeed in getting an entry for the 2006 event, they will use their experience to mount a more competitive attempt 

 

Monte Carlo Rallye Historique - The return - 07/02/05

John and Bill flew back from Monaco after their abortive attempt on this years event and arrangements are being made to get John's Mini back to the UK. John's whiplash injury was only very mild and Bill's damaged wrist appears to be on the mend - at one time it was thought to be broken after the team's encounter with a French cliff on the final stages of the rally. John has now returned to Seattle and photos and reports are will now begin to appear on this site. This first photo is a real gem - click on the thumbnail image to see the full sized image, this features the team storming the Col de L'Echarasson on the St Jean en Royans stage. John was full of compliments of Bill's driving in the snow and suggests that he deserves to be called "Stig". The reports should make interesting reading and the photos should be well worth waiting for....

Bill and John crash out of the Monte Carlo Rallye - 02/02/05

The Monte Carlo Rallye Historique finished for Bill and John on stage 12 when the Mini hit a patch of ice and the car hit a cliff. The car was too badly damaged to continue and team are understandably very disappointed but neither Bill nor John sustained any major damage although John has mild whiplash and I'm sure both will be feeling a bit bruised and battered. Our thanks go out to Jim and Juliet Wirtz for their sterling efforts during the event, they are currently trying to source enough components to get the car rolling again.

Tonight is the gala prize giving dinner in Monaco, hopefully the team will feel well enough to go out and have a good time. The event should be notable just for the fact that Bill will be seen wearing a Tuxedo.

We were hoping to be receiving reports directly from the team via a wireless connection on John's laptop computer however the team have struggled to get a signal in the Monaco area and a full report on the event will be published as soon as it becomes available   

For more information about the rally please visit the official Automobile Club de Monaco site here