32 replies to this topic

[enduro81]

Hi, I have seen some mention in a couple of threads of XJR10/11s being used in club competition by David Appleby and Brian Chatfield. Can anyone tell me what series these were racing in and what years? They must have been awesome in club events!

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

Hi, I have seen some mention in a couple of threads of XJR10/11s being used in club competition by David Appleby and Brian Chatfield. Can anyone tell me what series these were racing in and what years? They must have been awesome in club events!

IIRC GT EVENTS AT CASTLE COOMBE , I THINK HE RAN AN UNRACED TWR VARIANT ALSO.

[simonlewisbooks]

Yes it was Castle Combe Special GTs circa 1991-2-3. Chatfield had a lot of trouble with the noise limits on his white painted, atmo (6R4) engined, previously unraced IMSA spec XJR17.

Dave Appleby was a regular winner in the yellow turbo XJR10. Previously he, Derek Tyndall, Rob Dennis and Sam Nelson had all raced MG 6R4s in the series when it was more Special Saloon/Modsport based. As time went on ever more sports racers crept in and began to dominate.

One or two other pukka GpC and C2 cars made ocassional visits including at least one Tiga. Derek Tyndall also had an XJR10 in Silk Cut livery sat in his garage but didn't race it, using the engine in his Thundersaloon "Escat" Escort which made various appearances in the Combe series with ever wilder bodywork, wheel spats, winglets and all sorts of things that didn't help it's general underlying problem of unreliability.

Another serious piece of kit was F3000 driver Dave Coyne's DFV-engined Lancia Stratos clone....

Happy days! I'll see if I can find some photos - certainly took quite a few at the time!

[enduro81]

Yes it was Castle Combe Special GTs circa 1991-2-3. Chatfield had a lot of trouble with the noise limits on his white painted, atmo (6R4) engined, previously unraced IMSA spec XJR17.

Dave Appleby was a regular winner in the yellow turbo XJR10. Previously he, Derek Tyndall, Rob Dennis and Sam Nelson had all raced MG 6R4s in the series when it was more Special Saloon/Modsport based. As time went on ever more sports racers crept in and began to dominate.

One or two other pukka GpC and C2 cars made ocassional visits including at least one Tiga. Derek Tyndall also had an XJR10 in Silk Cut livery sat in his garage but didn't race it, using the engine in his Thundersaloon "Escat" Escort which made various appearances in the Combe series with ever wilder bodywork, wheel spats, winglets and all sorts of things that didn't help it's general underlying problem of unreliability.

Another serious piece of kit was F3000 driver Dave Coyne's DFV-engined Lancia Stratos clone....

Happy days! I'll see if I can find some photos - certainly took quite a few at the time!

Simon, photos would be great. My interest is in Group C cars and I had no idea that these cars were runing before the Group C historic series was started.

I have heard about the Stratos based on the Argo (anyone know which chassis was used?) and would love to know the history of the cars involved.

cheers, Geoff

[Mallory Dan]

Simon, photos would be great. My interest is in Group C cars and I had no idea that these cars were runing before the Group C historic series was started.

I have heard about the Stratos based on the Argo (anyone know which chassis was used?) and would love to know the history of the cars involved.

cheers, Geoff

Geoff, there were a good few C1 cars in Thundersports from 1983, eg the Birrane C100, the Grid S1, the TLD Tiga GC85 off top of head.

[Nordic]

The Bovis RMR Aston Nimrod, Bartlett Lola 610, and Escosse also appeared in thundersports at various times as well.

in hindsight what a wonderful series that was.

[enduro81]

Hi, I agree that Thundersports was a very overlooked series in its day, I can't believe I only attended a couple of races. Got to virtually all the UK Group C races though.

I have most of the Autosport Thundersports race reports (and those of the British C2 series - another series I mainly missed out on at the time) to remind me of what I missed! Any pics posted showing these would be greatly appreciated. Foolishly I lost a bit of interest after the 'big bangers' were replaced by the 3.5-litre cars, cars which I love now.

Now, I tend to waste much too much time trying to identify which car did what and who owned it next etc. Probably never get definitive answers but its interesting trying!

[taylov]

One of the IMSA XJR-16 Jaguars turned up in an Interserie race at Jarama in 1995 driven, I think by Euser.

Tony

[enduro81]

One of the IMSA XJR-16 Jaguars turned up in an Interserie race at Jarama in 1995 driven, I think by Euser.

Tony

Thanks for that, I will try to find more details. The Interserie must be the ultimate for odd ball cars. Very poorly reported in the UK but a very interesting series.

Geoff

[simonlewisbooks]

Not yet had chance to hunt out the Appleby and Chatfield photos but here's a poor photo from a trashed little 110 neg of John Bartlett's Lola T610 at Thruxton during the Thundersports event in , I think, 1985 - it was the day Foulston's T530 blew a head gasket in practice and didn't, for once, actually start, let alone win!


Other group C cars that ran in the series included Robin Smith's Chevron B36-based Simpson C2 which was destroyed in practice for the first Superprix in Birmingham when it hit a barrier that had been vandalised the night before. The bolts were missing and the joint in the armco simply opened up with the exposed end sliceing through the tub and fuel tank.....

Here's the car earlier in the day




And at the same event was Holman Blackburn's C2 Harrier...

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 30 September 2010 - 22:29.

[Thundersports]

Geoff, there were a good few C1 cars in Thundersports from 1983, eg the Birrane C100, the Grid S1, the TLD Tiga GC85 off top of head.

The TLD Tiga was a C2 car.

[Thundersports]

The Interserie series is vastly underated as there were some real gems that used to appear..........That Harrier reminds me of a first hand experience of how crap they were! On the Interserie subject does anyone else remember Del Bennetts "scorpion" C1 car............

[Dan333SP]

Anyone have pics of the IMSA GTP Nissan from '87 or '88 that ran in the Interseries in 1991? IIRC, it was called "Elvis" and had quite a race at Hockenheim until it blew a tire, though it was never a challenge for the Joest 962s the rest of the year.

[simonlewisbooks]

Here's the first two I found of Chatfield in the XJR17. In this case it's Castle Combe May 3 1993




Not a sight you often saw : Mallock & XJR in the same race ....
Can't remember the name of the Mallock driver. I think the engine was a BDA or BDG and no, it isn't being lapped...



I have some paddock shots still to locate, and some of Dave Appleby but I'm away at Prescott Hillclimb this weekend so it'll be Monday before I get chance to have another look.

[taylov]

Thanks for that, I will try to find more details. The Interserie must be the ultimate for odd ball cars. Very poorly reported in the UK but a very interesting series.
Geoff

Here's the only photo that I've seen of the 1995 Jarama race - from the following season's programme cover for the Interserie round at Brands.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

#6 "Frederico Careca" Penske-Buick
#57 Cor Euser RGN Jaguar XJR-16
#8 Ranieri Randaccio FI Fondmetal
#58 Robbie Sterling Lola 92/10
#51 Tomas Saldana Kremer CK7
#30 Walter Lechner Lola Horag HSB Audi
#3 at rear left Karl-Heinz Becker F1 Minardi

Some fabulous machinery and further back out of shot were a Spice C2, and a F1 Footwork FA12 among others. Two Porsche 962s practiced but did not race. One of these was entered by Heinz-Jorgen Dahmen who was the last driver to campaign a 962 in a FIA series.

The "Can-Am" former F1 cars were soon to lose their "mudguards" and reverted to their original spec in order to enter the new BOSS races from 1996 onwards and with their loss, Interserie struggled on for just a couple of years. It survives today as a club level Formula Libre in Germany and Austria.

Tony

Edited by taylov, 01 October 2010 - 12:46.

[enduro81]

Thanks guys, the info and pictures are great. This is giving me a lot of new leads to follow up.

Can anyone think of any other threads for info on Interseries, Thundersports, BRDC C2 etc (obviously I know of Racing Sportscars - excellent site).

Please feel free to carry on posting your pictures!! Most of the smaller sports car races only ever had coverage of select cars so it is great to see photos from people who were there.

Cheers
Geoff

[taylov]

Geoff,

For all Interserie data try http://www.classicsc...serie_home.html

Detailed entries and race results for every event 1970 - 2000.

Returning to your original post, here's Jaguar heaven.

tony



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited by taylov, 01 October 2010 - 16:29.

[enduro81]

Tony, I must have walked up and down there for hours. Apparently there was some racing going on as well but I didn't see too much!! I generally try to get to as many of the historic C races as I can just to see what appears.

Thanks for the results link, I had forgotten about that.

I regard myself as a bit of a Group C/GTP nut but I am constantly amazed at the diversity of the classes. The rules seemed to have inspired everybody to build a car, and surely the idea of a fuel economy formula is just as valid today, if not more so.

Geoff

[simonlewisbooks]

As promised....

Combe in May 1993....

Chatfield's XJR17





Combe October 1993....

David Appleby in the XJR10




Dave Coyne in the DFV Argo(?)'Lancis Stratos' (squint in a bad light and you can just about recognize it as a Lancia...one of the less convincing 'silhouette's I think?)




The Tiga Group C2 car - no idea who the driver was but it has an Interserie sticker on the tail...



and again in July 94 (I had forgotten it appeared twice)

[Mallory Dan]

The TLD Tiga was a C2 car.

Started off as a Group C car, rather than a 'Junior'...

[Thundersports]

The pictured Tiga is Tony Dunderdale. Mallory Dan TLDs Tiga only ran in Thundersports in C2 configuration.

[simonlewisbooks]

The pictured Tiga is Tony Dunderdale.

That names does ring a bell. Cheers.

[enduro81]

[quote name='simonlewisbooks' date='Oct 4 2010, 10:45' post='4624638']
As promised....

Great pictures Simon, and thanks for keeping the camera out in the pouring rain!
Could you tell me what series these were competing in?

Geoff

[simonlewisbooks]

Great pictures Simon, and thanks for keeping the camera out in the pouring rain!
Could you tell me what series these were competing in?

Geoff

Just the circuit's own " Special GT" series Geoff, sponsored at the time by Mobile Windscreen's who's MD was George Douglas. He was a regular racer at the circuit , mostly with a Ginetta and I think one-time series champion in a Rover V8 engined Tiga S2000 chassis with "Skoda" bodywork.
The the same car was raced with great success by Alistair Fenwick, Phil Lomas (below) and Erling Jenson - all of whom were front runners



The car chasing him is, IIRC, Nigel Greensall's Chevy powered Ultima (below) (EDIT - I got "The wrong Nigel" this was Nigel James who held the GT lap record for some time)



I may be wrong about that being Greensall (EDIT- I was, see above!) who went on to set the outright circuit lap record in a BOSS series race at Combe with a Tyrrell at 130mph+.
That was before they blighted the place with chicanes
Rather like John Cobb's mark at Brooklands, it will stand forever.

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 06 January 2011 - 09:40.

[simonlewisbooks]

A couple more photos of Chatfield in the XJR 17 from May 30 1993


At the end of Farm straight where the chicane is not located


Round the outside of Mike Hill's Dutton-Rover V8 at Old Paddock - what a bizarre mix, an IMSA car passes a Q-car....

[castlecombe nutter]

A couple more photos of Chatfield in the XJR 17 from May 30 1993


At the end of Farm straight where the chicane is not located


Round the outside of Mike Hill's Dutton-Rover V8 at Old Paddock - what a bizarre mix, an IMSA car passes a Q-car....

Hi all
Come by this by chance,great to look back on pictures of the Combe gt series,takes me back.Going back to the picture of the guy in the Mallock.I think it is Melvyn Coon (Lydden Hill regular) who did well on his rare Combe visits.Been a regular at Combe since 1972,so would love to help anybody with information if needed.
ps Simon love the Combe libre forum,remember you racing there as well.

[simonlewisbooks]

Hi all
Come by this by chance,great to look back on pictures of the Combe gt series,takes me back.Going back to the picture of the guy in the Mallock.I think it is Melvyn Coon (Lydden Hill regular) who did well on his rare Combe visits.Been a regular at Combe since 1972,so would love to help anybody with information if needed.
ps Simon love the Combe libre forum,remember you racing there as well.

Cheers mate! Glad you like the site. One on the Combe GT series in under construction at the moment. I'll post a link when it's up and running.

Melvyn Coon, that's the chap! That Mallock was a bit of a weapon with a BDG in the front I recall. Happy days.

[andy97]

Not a sight you often saw : Mallock & XJR in the same race ....
Can't remember the name of the Mallock driver. I think the engine was a BDA or BDG and no, it isn't being lapped...

Melvin Coon

Mallock Mk 24 with a 2.1 litre Cosworth BDG I believe. An Ex Will Hoy/ Hugh Chamberlain car, I think.

[simonlewisbooks]

Melvin Coon

Mallock Mk 24 with a 2.1 litre Cosworth BDG I believe. An Ex Will Hoy/ Hugh Chamberlain car, I think.

You're right Andy, I've since found mention of the Mallock being ex Hoy. More photos from the series(including several more clubmans cars) on my Castle Combe Special GT website.

Lots of stuff to add to the site very shortly, thanks to TNF's LaSarthe, who has generously sent me a CD full of Special GT photos from the 1980s. I'm a little tied-up at the moment but plan to do some more work on it over the next few weeks if I can. I've already incorporated a lot of his Lotus, Imp, MG 6R4 and Skoda photos.

[andy97]

You're right Andy, I've since found mention of the Mallock being ex Hoy. More photos from the series(including several more clubmans cars) on my Castle Combe Special GT website.

Lots of stuff to add to the site very shortly, thanks to TNF's LaSarthe, who has generously sent me a CD full of Special GT photos from the 1980s. I'm a little tied-up at the moment but plan to do some more work on it over the next few weeks if I can. I've already incorporated a lot of his Lotus, Imp, MG 6R4 and Skoda photos.

The Mallock was up for sale recently & I understand that it may have gone to Australia, which is a shame.

Oh & by the way, I have just ahd a look at your Castle Combe GT photo & some very nice photos of some fantastic cars, there. Just to be o/t for a moment, I am hoping to see some of the Special Saloon "Skodas", "Imps" etc etc out again soon as the CSCC is organising a Special Saloons/ Modsports/ Thundersaloons Revival race at Mallory park on August Bank Holiday monday. We look to have 40 people interested in the 20 grid slots! Cars that ran in the above series are invited. Baby Bertha will be in the race along with the ex Mick Hill "VW" & many other iconic cars.

Edited by andy97, 21 April 2011 - 11:18.

[Duc-Man]

Sorry for getting OT here: Could somebody pleas explain to an idiot from the continent (me!) what clubman cars are or were?
A PM or link to a different thread here would be appreciated.

[Tim Murray]

There's a Wiki article about them which seems fairly accurate to me, but I'm no expert:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubmans

[Duc-Man]

There's a Wiki article about them which seems fairly accurate to me, but I'm no expert:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubmans

Thank you. Clubmans seem to be fun to me.