CHAMPIONS CROWNED AS HSCC HEADS TO BRANDS
Championship titles for Cameron Jackson and Adrian Langridge topped an entertaining day of Historic Sports Car Club action on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.
While Langridge bagged his first Classic Formula 3 crown with a brace of wins, Jackson retained his Historic FF1600 title even though his view for the two races largely comprised the gearbox of Richard Tarling’s Jamun. Not to be outdone, the 70s Road Sports turned on two barnstormers topped by Will Leverett winning from the back of the grid.
Langridge arrived at Brands with one hand on the CF3 title and a fresh engine in the family March 803. But he didn’t want to cruise around and take safe points, he wanted to try and win races. His day in the sunshine achieved both goals.
In the opener, Langridge was under serious attack from the flu-ridden Steve Maxted (Ralt RT3) and it got so close that Maxted bent a front fin on the back of the March under braking for Druids. Two laps later the fin came off completely and Maxted slipped back into the clutches of the RT3S of Paul Smith and David Thorburn. Maxted held on, but worse was to come in the second race.
While Langridge fired into the lead, Maxted was slow away after a switch drama and spent the race fighting back up to third on Smith’s tail. “It feels good, but I got a bit lucky as Steve managed to help me out,” said new champion Langridge.
Ben Stiles blitzed the FF2000 pack but the second race proved beyond any doubt that a Van Diemen RF82 does not have the grip of a Ralt RT3 after a lurid spin while chasing Maxted into Clearways.
Just as he had on the Brands Grand Prix track in June, Tarling parachuted back into Historic FF1600 to give Jackson a hard time. In both races, the Jamun got off the line best and, despite two relentless pursuits by Jackson, Tarling made it three wins from three starts.
In the opener, restarted after a spinning Clive Richards was mounted by Simon Toyne at Graham Hill Bend, Jackson really had his hands full as Linton Stutely went with them in his Royale. Late-race traffic cost Stutely a shot at moving up, but he was back with them at the flag.
A broken engine mount sidelined Stutely early in the second race but Jackson didn’t have it any easier as
Pierre Livingston went with the two leaders. “I sat behind Richard to block Pierre when I should probably have had a go to overtake Richard,” said Jackson, who duly sealed his second title.
Both 70s Road Sports races were superb as up to five cars contested the lead. First time around, Charles Barter managed to wriggle his Datsun 240Z to the head of the pack as Dave Karaskas had his best race in the championship so far to take second in his TVR 3000M. John Williams (Porsche 911), championship favourite Jeremy Clark (Lotus Elan) and Mark Leverett (Elan) made up the pack. For the second race, Leverett handed his Elan to son Will as Will’s Lotus Europa was still broken from Oulton Park.
The young Leverett started from the back of the grid and hared up the order to slice through the battling lead pack and take a famous victory. Williams thought he’d done the hard work until the white Elan appeared in his mirrors, while Karaskas took third from recovering spinner Clark and Barter parked the 240Z with more engine woes.
Andrew Park made the eight-hour trek from the Lake District worthwhile with a double win in Historic FF2000 to close in on a fourth straight title. Ian Pearson was the big threat but was fortunate to retain second when the race was halted just after he’d had a wild ride through the gravel at an oily Paddock in the opener. Park had a slightly easier time in the second race as Nelson Rowe again completed the podium.
Mark Martin dropped in from Masters to bag both Historic Touring Car races in his Ford Lotus Cortina but left it late in the second race after passing Richard Belcher at Clearways on the final lap when the former leader went in just too deep.