BRITCAR: Snetterton 4hrs, 17th August 2008

As the races keep getting longer, Britcar revisited Snetterton for a four-hour race. With Eclipse triumphant at their last Norfolk outing and Topcats purring along with back-to-back victories at Brands and Silverstone, the scene was set for more Mosler success.

Qualifying saw the Moslers lowering the lap times into the 1:09s. At one point towards the end, the Eclipse car their pace seemed processional, with a Beemer lodged between them. Topcats had no urge to claw their way past the other two and frustration got the better of Sean McInerney who put his foot down rather heavily and was rewarded with a blast across the grass. A quick pit trip was followed up by a flying lap that bagged the Eclipse pole position with a time of 1:06.762. Topcats nabbed the second spot to give the Moslers another Britcar front row lock-out.


So the Moslers led to field to the lights on raceday. Sean McInerney stuck the Eclipse car into a lead and eased away. Henry Taylor eventually had second spot snatched from him by an impressive-running Phil Bennet in the V8 Star Opal.

With an hour gone, both Bennett and Taylor pitted. It was the Topcats car that emerged first; in fact, the V8 Star didn;t emerge at all. A broken gear lever put paid to their race, despite some intensive garage work to get the Opal back on track. Sean McInerney brought the Eclipse car in ten minutes later and handed over to his father Michael, maintaining their lead.


As the race rolled on towards the halfway mark, a crash between Phil Dryburgh's Porsche and Leigh Smart's Ginetta G50 saw the race flagged yellow and then red; debris littered the track and the officials were concerned about Smart's condition. Fortunately, he was talking and walking and the race was restarted with just over two hours left on the clock. The Topcats Mosler had been promoted to second following Dryburgh's retirement and Eclipse, although starting from the pitlane having made a stop during the yellow flag period, held a lead over over two laps as the flags flew green again.

And so the Mosler procession started again. Eclipse lead the Topcats around again, their final splash and dash bringing both cars together onto the same lap as the race drew to a close. With thirty seconds between them on the last lap, the chequered flag was unfurled in anticipation of McInerney crossing the line. But it was the black-and-silver Mosler that crossed the line first. At the end of the pitlane, the Eclipse car was parked up. As Sean McInerney reported to be, a fuel relay had 'fried itself'. Pole position, fastest lap and leading the race for three hours and fifty-nine minutes all counted for nothing.

Cue the cliches about Topcats grinning like Cheshires who got the cream etc... three wins in a row, then, for Andrew Beaumont and Henry Taylor, with Sean and Michael McInerneys getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop like they did at Silverstone. The next Britcar event is a no-points scorer but it's a biggie - the 24hr endurance race at Silverstone. Sean McInerney told me that the team "are under some kind of curse at the moment" and have hopefully used up all their bad luck in time for that epic race.

I'll be at Silverstone to file some live reports, dodgy broadband dongle permitting, for what could be the closest Britcar 24 yet.

Photos (c) Gary Walton and P J Cherry

INTERNATIONAL GT: Valencia 26th - 27th July 2008

A Mosler finally got a run-out in the International GT as the series moved to the new dockside street circuit at Valencia. MC Competicion hired out their car to Micromed, who gave the ride tothe Renualt World Series-driving Barba brothers, Alvaro and Marco.

Earlier testing at Cheste saw the Barbas trying to literally get to grips with the demands of the Mosler compared to a single seater setup. Both commented on how the car's weight distribution under acceleration and braking presented them with particular challenges.

Having qualified towards the rear of the grid for both races, they made the most of their steep learning curve and took the Mosler up to ninth place for a time during both outings. Oil pressure problems put them back down to eighteenth place in the first race; the brothers admitted that they 'weren't competitive enough' as they slipped down the field after the driver change in the second race to finish in fourteenth.

Photos (c) www.alvarobarba.com

DUTCH SUPERCAR/MOSLER CHALLENGE: Assen 2nd-3rd August 2008

A decidedly damp Assen was the venue for the latest round of the championship. The TT circuit saw the welcome return of the Woodcock brothers, whose Mosler had been back to the Rollcentre factory for a sprinkling of pixie-dust.

Whatever it was, it seemed to do the trick as they qualified in ninth place, significantly better than on previous outings. Berry van Elk, meanwhile, seemed to be really getting the measure of his Mosler as he bagged fifth spot. Only a yellow-flagged lap denied Martin Short pole position, settling for second instead as he made the most of soft tyres on a rapidly drying track.

Race one saw Short set off in hot pursuit of the DTM Audi. He seemed to struggle for race pace, though, with the penalty ballast from Hockenheim weighing heavy. The Woodcocks were starting to look good in their ever-improving car and Berry van Elk was still keeping his nose in contention.

Eventually, Nicky Pastorelli pushed his Passat past Short. But as one Mosler fades, so another seems to shine; Berry van Elk was on a charge, stepping up through the field to challenge the ETEC Viper for second spot. Sadly, Berry overcooked it and ended up gravel-wards.

As others dropped out, the Moslers found themselves back up towards the head of the pack. Martin Short held out for fourth overall and the Mosler Challenge win, Gary and Michael Woodcock took a very credible seventh and Berry kept it together to bring the BlueBerry Mosler home in thirteenth.

Sunday brought rain, rain and more rain. With the 55-strong grid shod on wets as they assembled for the race the almost-inevitable happened - the rain stopped. Cue a mad rush to fit slicks. Then the rain starts again! Cue a mad rush to, er, do what? Many of the field plumped for grooves again, but a certain Mr Short seemed to know better. He took to the grid on intermediates, despite not too much in the way of clear sky seeming in the offing.

The choice (gamble?) paid instant dividends, though, with Martin pushing up to second from fourth by turn one. Gearbox rumblings, though, seemed to slow his progress. Both other Moslers took him early on as the weekend seemed to be finally taking its toll on the factory car. But Martin Short didn't get where he is today by sitting at the back and complaining... as the weather stayed drizzly, so his intermediates came into their own. The pretenders to his Challenge crown were hunted down and dispatched as Short surged back. He went on to take third place - yet another podium finish for the factory car - and therefore another first place in the Mosler Challenge. Berry van Elk struggled in the closing stages and failed to finish whilst the Woodcocks put in a magnificent drive to take fourth overall.

These results put Martin Short on the top of the Mosler Challenge and second in the overall championship. As the season moves on to Zandvoort in September, it's good to see the Woodcocks looking competitive, van Elk remaining eager and Martin Short doing what he does best - wringing out the results!