Change of scene for Jackson
Former Caterham Vauxhall racer and Classic F3 champion Simon Jackson had a change of scene at Snetterton after acquiring a Sunbeam Alpine to race in Historic Road Sports .
Barter ’ s Christmas surprise
Julian Barter returned to racing his well-known TVR 3000M at Snetterton after the car was rebuilt and repaired for him as a surprise by his family . After five years away from the TVR , which was a former 70s Road Sports championship winner , Julian was amazed to be told on Christmas Day that his father Charles and his partner Elizabeth had arranged for the car to be re-prepared by Ian Daniels Racing . Julian , who only raced once in 2019 in a borrowed Lotus Elan , had not raced his
Simon Jackson in the Sunbeam Alpine
The father of prolific historic winner Cam said that he fancied having a car that he could tinker with himself and was less work to run and operate than the single-seaters .
Previously , Jackson has raced in Caterham Vauxhalls and a Thunder Saloons Vauxhall Astra back in the 1980s but in the last 20 years has concentrated on single seaters . “ It is a bit of a departure ,” he said about racing the Alpine open top after the roof came off in qualifying .
TVR for five years . “ It had been in a barn for those five years ,” he said . “ Everyone kept it a secret and I knew nothing about it . Then they presented me with a photo book at Christmas showing the car being re-prepared . Ian did a fair bit of work on it !”
Pre-season testing amounted to the drive across the paddock to the assembly area and he then qualified ninth and finished eighth in the 25-minute race . “ I just wanted to finish at Snetterton ,” he said .
Briefs
n Ex-pat Brit Mike Mitchell is hoping to arrange a permanent memorial to racing Scot Gerry Birrell in the town of Rouen in France . Rising star Birrell was killed on the road circuit during qualifying for a Formula 2 race there in 1973 and Mitchell would like to find support to fund a marble or granite memorial to remember a lost talent . He can be contacted via mike . lynne . mitchell @ wanadoo . fr
n Max Bartell rejoined the Historic Formula Ford grid at Snetterton in the rare March 709 owned by Ross Drybrough and raced last year by Cam Jackson . Bartell ’ s own racing programme with his Merlyn Mk20 is going to be curtailed by the arrival of a first baby for his wife Georgia in July and so Drybrough offered him a couple of races in the March in the meantime .
n Well known racer Sarah Bennett-Baggs and Doug Howard have created Historic Motorsport TV to give our branch of the sport a further boost . The world ’ s first dedicated channel to historic racing has the goal of spreading the excitement of Historic Racing to the world , to engage younger generations and ensure the legacy of historic racing . Find out more at historicmotorsport . tv
The Tecno squad at Donington
n Three Tecno F2 cars will be on the grid this year in Historic Formula 2 , marking the first time since the early 1970s that three of the Italian chassis have raced together . This season , Chris Lillingston-Price and Julian Stokes are going to be joined by Andy Langridge in a third Tecno . All three cars were on show at Donington Park for the season opener over Easter .
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