GADGET TEAM HAS THE TOOLS TO WIN
Team Gadget Racing won the Classic 2CV 24 Hours at Snetterton after holding off a late challenge from the Tete Rouge Crisis team.
The Gadget team last won the event in 2008 and has been waiting for another ever since but Tom
Perry, Lien Davies, Ainslie Bousfield and double series champion Simon Clarke were able to deliver victory this time around.
The race itself was dominated by two European Bmw-engined cars; rather like Le Mans, the prototypes streak away into the distance leaving the other classes to run their own races. The BNLL 2 car of Michel Crespin, Mehdi-rik Bouchereau, Philippe Denis and Claude Crespin defeated the faster sister car of Philippe Courtois/yves de Kelper/mathieu Devos due to the latter spending a lengthy period in the pits and doing well to work its way back up to second.
Gadget Racing was fourth overall, behind the two BNLL cars and the Mini of Slarky Malarky, made up of Mighty Minis regulars. Tete Rouge was fifth, having regained the place from Mini runners-up Team Toyshed.
Just two hours from the end, Gadget had looked under threat from Tete Rouge. The Gadget car was ahead by one-and-a-half laps, its lead having been reduced by a drivethrough penalty for overtaking under a safety car. Tete Rouge was gaining and what was more, had completed its scheduled pitstops, while Gadget still had one to go. If Tete Rouge had not suffered contact and slowed, Gadget’s victory would not have been assured.
The favourite, Team Lion 1, finished seventh and third 2CV. Multiple race winner Pete
Sparrow’s team hoped to avenge its defeat at the hands of Beacon Downe in last year’s 24 Hours. Both teams spent considerable time in the pits and Lion 1 was especially impressive in coming back from last after a timing issue necessitated an overnight engine change. Prior to the timing going awry, Lion had been up there with Gadget and Tete Rouge and it was fitting that they finished next to each other in the standings.
The race win was out of reach for Sparrow, but he still had a title to retain. His nearest rival, Nick Crispin of GS Racing, needed to finish second for a chance at the championship but he and his team-mates were eighth, just behind Lion.
For such a long race, there were remarkably few retirements, due to the snap-together nature of the 2CVS and Minis that made up the field. Mini team APO Sport led its class early on but had to pack up due to a porous cylinder head, although Lyford Racing’s Mini just got itself classified by reappearing for the last couple of laps. The Burton 2CV prototype of Gascard Racing Organisation only managed 14 laps before expiring for good. The unluckiest classified car was probably that of Hollis Racing, which finished despite a roll in the night, at least one fire and mechanical issues. No Sleep Til Sunday rolled a Mini but it hardly affected the handling, according to team member Lisette Ogborn.
The drivers of all-female team Blueberry Tarts were just glad to finish and Jelly Snake Racing just avoided stripping the engine from a team member’s 2CV van in order to get to the chequered flag.