Race Classification BMW 1800 TiSa Race

Race Classification BMW 2002 Ti Race 1

Race Classification BMW 2002 Ti Race 2

Race Classification TVR Griffith 200

Race Report

Spa Six Hours 27 September-1 October 2023

 

Some Rain. But a Lot of Sunshine For Barton Racing.

 

With three cars and four races over two days, including the Spa Six Hours of Endurance, it was always going to be a very busy schedule for everyone, especially when you dial in mid-week practice sessions and qualifying x 3. Harry was entered in two 30 minute Belcar races, one Friday, one Saturday, in the BMW 2002, plus Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars, a one hour race, also on Saturday, in the BMW 1800 TiSA. Finally, as if this wasn’t enough, at four o’clock on Saturday he was out again, driving the Barton Racing TVR Griffith in the Spa Six Hour Endurance Race, along with Ollie Reuben and Nigel Greensall. As he had chosen to do the opening two hour stint, no doubt this was going to be the toughest weekend yet in Harry’s career.

 

Weather for Wednesday testing was kind and all three cars behaved well. In Bellcar qualifying Harry finished up a comfortable twenty-fourth on a grid of forty-nine, and in the first race on Friday he excelled, finishing 13th overall, and third in class on a soaked track. Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars qualifying was also on Friday and Harry again did well, 16th on the grid for next day’s race. Frankly Saturday started off badly for Barton Racing, the BMW left on the start-line in the Masters race with gear selection problems. However, the second Bellcar race saw the BMW 2002 at its best on a dry track, finished 23rd against some very stiff opposition.

 

This left Barton Racing with just the one race left, the daunting, challenging and very competitive Spa Six Hours of Endurance. During qualifying the TVR was sounding magnificent, purring its way around the the 7km track. But it was chucking it down with rain, so after final adjustments the car was parked up and the team retired for an early night. The race start was set at 15.50 hrs on Saturday. Nigh on one hundred cars lined up for the start with our TVR number 38 almost halfway down the field in 33rd slot leaving Harry with only a faint view of the front line Ford GT40s. Our ambition for Harry in his first Six Hours was to finish, with luck, maybe in the top twenty. Ha. Our three drivers all played a blinder, as did the Reuben Racing pit crew. After six long hours Barton Racing’s TVR Griffith flashed across the line in tenth place overall, and second in class. Amazingly Harry’s opening 2 hour, twenty minute stint, had lifted our car frommid-field into the top five before a series of safety cars intervened.

 

Next comes the HSCC Guards Trophy Race (14 October) followed on the 21st October by the MRL Pall Mall Cup, both at Silverstone. And then its off to Portugal for the last Masters race weekend of the European season just a week later.

 

Keep up with all Barton Racing activities via www.barton-racing.com and their various social media platforms.