April 7th-8th | Series | Championship | Car | Placing / Fastest lap |
Donington Masters | Gentlemen Drivers | Masters | TVR Griffith 200 | 5th Place Fastest lap 1:20.472 |
April 7th-8th | Series | Championship | Car | Placing / Fastest lap |
Donington Masters | Pre 66 | Masters | BMW 1800 TiSa | 15th Place Fastest lap 1:26.211 |
Race Report
Masters Race Weekend: Donington Park. England. April 7/8 2023
Barton Racing Opens 2023 Season In Style
After the traditional winter lay-off everybody in the Donington paddock agreed, it was good to be back. The Barton Racing TVR Griffith and BMW TiSA, lovingly prepared by Nigel and Tom Bridger, looked stunning, while Harry Barton, along with co-driver Ollie Reuben, were also looking sharp, fit for purpose, and raring to go. With two races in prospect and the weather forecast set fair over both days the team had every right to feel optimistic.
Race 1. MastersGentlemen Drivers. 90 Minutes
Second on the grid behind top drivers Spiers and Greensall in qualifying. Not bad at all. Thirty-three cars, including five TVRs lined up at the actual race start. Our plan? Stay away from trouble. It almost worked, unfortunately Ollie was forced into the gravel by a wayward back marker on lap five, dropping him down the order. Nevertheless by half distance our Griffith was back on the pace, holding a solid fifth overall and sounding fantastic. Harry continued to reel off the laps, showing great consistency, crossing the finish line just forty two seconds behind the fourth placed Giles Dawson Elan. A perfect first race of the season.
Race 2. Masters Pre 66 Touring Cars. 60 Minutes.
This was always going to be a brave move for Harry, pitching his BMW TiSA against a whole host of Mustangs, and Falcons, not to mention the odd Lotus Cortina, prepped to the extreme and driven by the likes of Alex Brundle, Sam Tordoff and Steve Soper. Never mind, what will be will be. Twenty four starters, all but two Ford powered. After a manic race where seemingly track limits failed to exist Harry took fifteenth place overall, a well derived class win, and another cup for the mantelpiece.