HIGH FIVE FOR MITTELL CARS AFTER CLEAN SWEEP
Scott Mittell’s maiden Bikesports victory presaged a stunning five from five as the 750 Motor Club’s annual International Circuit weekend featured Southampton-based Mittell Cars scale new heights with Ian Mittell’s continuously-evolved Suzuki Gsxr-powered designs. “A fantastic team result,” beamed Scott.
One year after his breakthrough
RGB Sports 1000 win here, ‘Chippy’ Wesemael closed on the title with another fine double – the second a marque one-two over Danny Andrew, third behind Spire’s Richard Morris on Saturday. That spurred Scott Mittell on to complete his Bikesports treble in the slick-shod centre-seater.
A fortnight’s toil by Mittell Sr creating a larger rear diffuser for the lone MC-41R enabled Scott to scream through Abbey flat and shake off ex-formula 3 racer Charles Hall (Radical SR3 RSX) each time. Former Locost and RGB champion Mittell lapped inside 63 seconds, his 1m02.88s best a 105.92mph average.
Best of the rest was Ash Hicklin, whose joy at two thirds was dulled when he spun to avoid revolving points leader Joe Stables at Abbey in the third stampede and was collected by Aaron Bailey, which necessitated a safety car.
Rescheduled last in the hope that savage crosswinds would subside, Saturday’s
Formula Vee jostlefest was a corker in which aspiring champ Graham Gant aced Danny Hands, Craig Pollard, John Hughes and Ben Miloudi, the quintet split by 1.03s after a scrupulously clean contest. Sunday’s race was equally tough but less ruly, Miloudi leaping off Hands after a clash at Vale. Miloudi broke, but again Gant’s torquey engine helped him back from fourth to win in the unique Worm’s Eye View from Pollard and Hands (GACS).
Sport Specials poleman Andy Hiley’s Chronos beat Eclipse trio Paul Boyd, Paul Collingwood and Martin Gambling – his car repaired having been tripped into the pitwall during qualifying – and Austen Greenway’s Elite Pulse in race one. Stewart Mutch’s MEV retired from the pack with a front corner askew but was fixed for the exceedingly wet finale.
After Collingwood pitted and the surviving Eclipses rotated, Hiley was clear. But Mutch, trialling new treaded tyres, lapped “The Flying Brick” ever quicker. “I couldn’t see anything, but when Stewart arrived he was too quick for me,” said Hiley. Both hands shaken aloft at the chequer showed Mutch’s joy as his ungainly-looking machine trounced very serious kit for a famous victory. “I had so much grip,” he grinned.
Was a Classic Stock Hatch surprise on the cards when James Haslehurst, whose previous best result was seventh at Mallory Park, qualified on pole? The Peugeot 205 driver led Saturday’s opening lap but was stopped by an electrical glitch, leaving Lee Scott and Marcus Ward (Ford Fiesta Xr2is) to pip Pug stalwart Matt Rozier, whose dad Derek’s 205 careered off at Stowe sans a rear wheel.
Haslehurst was back on P1 for Sunday’s stanza, spiced up by rain and a safety car interlude after Andy Philpotts’ XR2I was flicked into the pitwall, which deflated Haslehurst’s hard-earned cushion. Again he kept his nerve, repelling stout challenges from the success-ballasted Rozier Jr and Scott– holders of eight titles – on the dash to the flag.
James Bark’s unbeaten Clio 182 venue record ended when he holed his sump over the kerbs at Farm in Sunday’s hairy opener and slewed to a smoky halt. Points leader Ryan Polley was relieved to win after an engine change. Returnee Jack Kingsbury was second, from on-form Scott Edgar. Polley outran Don De Graaff and Kingsbury in a tamer sequel.
Ben Rushworth’s Hot Hatch double was fortuitous. A massive spin when his Honda Integra’s tailgate flew off approaching Stowe enabled Chris Southcott (Peugeot 205) to rasp past on Saturday, only for his engine to blow. Stephen Sawley and Gary Prebble chased in Honda Civics. Sawley’s engine threw a rod on Sunday, so Prebble grabbed second.
Pontyclun’s Keith Butcher topped Sunday’s Welsh miscellanies in his gorgeous Audi R8 LMS, but “turned the traction control and ABS right up” to keep the slick-shod beast ahead of
Chris Everill’s newly-acquired Ginetta G50 in the rain-soaked second outing. Dave Cockell gave Butcher an early fright before his Ford Escort Cosworth haemorrhaged oil after a kerbing.