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Challenge Series 2018 – Round 5 at Donington Park
The VSCC played host to Round 5 of the 2018 Morgan Three Wheeler Club Challenge Series running under ACU rules. Simon Edwards campaigned his Super Aero in 2 VSCC Races and won awards in each.
History was made when a 5 Speeder won the Challenge Race, admittedly by a mere 4/100ths of a second.
Twelve three wheelers entered but misfortune hit Tom Cowley during practice and Sue Darbyshire retired at the end of lap 1 after dropping a valve. She was leading the race at the time. Iain Stewart and Phil Bridge, driving Tony Quinn’s Touring Mod. MX2 also failed to finish.
History was made when a 5 Speeder won the Challenge Race, admittedly by a mere 4/100ths of a second. And it did take a 2.1 litre Stage 3 upgrade and disc brakes to beat Chas. Reynolds!
We’ve got quite a few reports from competitors. Click on the logo next to the one you want to read:
Chas. Reynolds shares his thoughts on the day
The entries for the Morgan Only Race at Donington on 24/06/18 were very low. My 2 Speeder racer was out of action (due to a broken crankcase). So, to make up numbers – I entered a standard 1930 LTOW 2 Speeder which I had recently bought at auction. This Morgan had not been running for more than 10 years, but after some intense re-commissioning it fired up beautifully for the first time 2 days before the race. My practice session was taken very gently as the car had only covered 5 miles distance in the previous 10 years. Although it was the only standard car entered, it showed some promise. Looked like it might have had a bit of fun with Cathy’s F-Type (touring modified) and maybe even annoyed Jim Edwards in the Mark Walker / Super Aero Racer.
The start of the race was decided with the slowest at the front and fastest at the rear. This is great with vehicles having a speed difference of about 10% and it makes for an exciting start. But with the massive variation in performance between Standard, Modified and Racing Morgan’s and a speed difference of around 100%. That start felt a bit scary.
I have racing at Donington for more than 25 years (my fastest lap being 1:34 @ 74.2 mph) and I don’t intimidate easily. However, when those lights went out – that grid suddenly looked very angry. Especially when viewed from the slowest vehicle sitting on the front row – about to be gobbled up. I made a reasonable start, but quickly realised that if I hit the clutch to change into 2nd. there was a high risk of my car or its wheels getting “rear ended” by the ensuing mass. So, I stayed in first gear until the bulk of the grid had shot past. But that was far too long and I damaged the engine (probably bent valves). So my race was over in less than 10 seconds.
A split start could have been good. Allowing the slow group to depart 5 seconds ahead of the faster ones. But hey – in hindsight it was all great fun and I remember thinking (for the first time) how glad I was that there were only 12 entries.
Phil & Lesley Reaney did a sterling job (as always). Credit also to the track marshals who suffered all day in the blistering temperature in their thick fireproof overalls.
Lots of spectators and marshals approaching me afterwards and commented on what a fabulous race – with an amazingly close finish.