Equipe Classic Racing: Cadwell Park Race Report

Classic Cadwell as Equipe Entertains 

The challenging and scenic Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire laid on an entertaining day’s racing on Saturday with some memorable action and great individual performances. All our saloon and sportscar categories were in action, and the day didn’t disappoint with all seven races having their highlights and great racing right to the end of the meeting.
 
Equipe MG Cup   

First race of the day was for the Equipe MG Cup and pole sitter Jack Chapman got away well in his ZR170 to lead at the end of the first lap from Dennis Robinson, only to pull off the circuit before limping round to retire. That left Robinson with an advantage over the rest headed by Ashley Ward’s ZS180, but on a charge from the sixth row of the grid was Cal Moore, into fourth by lap four and lapping quickly.
 
Four laps later Moore was into second with Robinson out of touch at the front, and a train of battling care right with Moore. Robinson won in his ZR180, Moore second from Woodward, Tony Wigley and Dan Ludlow.
 
“That’s my first real win for a few years,” said Robinson. “I warmed the tyres up really savagely and it paid off, I got a good start, pulled a little gap and let the rest squabble!”
 
The second 20-minute race in the afternoon saw Robinson complete the double another win, never headed as he eased away form the pack. This time the driver on a charge was Keith Egar in his slick-shod MG Midget, from eighth on the grid he was sixth at the end of lap one and then set about picking off the cars ahead.
 
Heading into the pit straight to start lap five Egar passed Wigley just before crossing the start/finish line and Woodward just after to gain two slots, and was into second past Moore as they started lap seven. By then Robinson was too far ahead, but Egar claimed second from Moore and Woodward.
 
“I wasn’t expecting to win that one, I got a good start and kept my foot in,” said Robinson. I’m here today for my friend Andrew Gill, he sadly passed away at just 43, and this is for you Gilly.”

Race 1 Result -
1st - Dennis Robinson - MG ZR170
2nd - Cal Moore - MG ZR170
3rd - Ashley Woodward - MG ZR180

Race 2 Result -
1st - Dennis Robinson - MG ZR170
2nd - Keith Egar - MG Midget
3rd - Cal Moore - MG ZR170
 
Equipe GTS   

The Equipe GTS field had their first pitstop race of the season and Rob Cull made a great start when the lights went out in his TVR Grantura and opened a gap on the opening lap to head the field from Dominic Mooney, who had Trevor Buckley right with him, Simon Cripps closing in from fourth. Cull was setting an unmatchable pace at the front to pull away, while Buckley claimed second on lap two but couldn’t shake off Mooney and Cripps in an entertaining battle.
 
Cull had a good lead when he pitted at the end of lap 11, most of the front group also pitting on that lap other than Cripps, now second, who then took the lead. It was short lived advantage however as the MGB was out the race just a few laps later. Once all the stops had been made it was Cull well clear and on course to repeat his Cadwell Park win of 2023, which he duly completed, Buckley’s MGB second and the MG Ashley GT of Mooney third.
 
“That was harder than it looked!” said Cull. “I know I had a lead but round here you just can’t back off otherwise you go off.”

Race Result -
1st - Rob Cull - TVR Grantura Mk III
2nd - Trevor Buckley - MG B Roadster
3rd - Dominic Mooney - MG Ashley GT
 
Equipe BCV8   

The two 20-minute Equipe BCV8 races were both superb, putting on a great show for the Cadwell Park spectators. Jordan Spencer and Jack Rawles had their V8s on the front row for race one, but it was James Wheeler who nailed the start and blasted into an early lead from the second row of the grid.
 
Wheeler led but was never more than a second clear of the squabbling pack behind, and Spencer was back with him on lap six and alongside at one point before losing ground. That let Rawles attack from second, and after several laps of great racing Rawles went wide heading up to the Mountain and spun, the race being stopped and Wheeler winning from Russell McCarthy and Spencer.
 
“That was one of the best races I’ve ever had!” said Wheeler.  “Jack and Jordan were all over me, and I knew Jack would have go late on, I could see him getting closer and closer, shame he ended up on the grass – an amazing race.”
 
Their second race provided a fitting end to a good day’s racing, Spencer this time getting away well from pole, although Rawles got wheelspin off the line and fell back to fourth at the end of lap one. It was a train of five cars at the front, Wheeler getting past Spencer for the lead on lap five as Rawles worked his way back up the order.
 
The order shuffled as Wheeler was out on lap seven and Rawles came round ahead from McCarthy and Spencer, and despite McCarthy closing the gap in the final race it was a win for Rawles with Spencer third.
 
“I driven other cars round here but nothing is like a V8 round Cadwell Park!” said Rawles. “I only bought this car as I watched them race here last year, and 140mph in one of these cars is amazing at Cadwell”

Race 1 Result -
1st - James Wheeler - MG B GTV8
2nd - Russell McCarthy - MG B GTV8
3rd - Jordan Spencer - MG B GTV8

Race 2 Result -
1st - Jack Rawles - MG B GTV8
2nd - Russell McCarthy - MG B GTV8
3rd - Jordan Spencer - MG B GTV8
 
Equipe Libre Plus   

The Equipe Libre Plus race featured a great mix of cars from the Libre, 50s, Pre’63 and 70s fields, and it was the Ford Escort of Mark Lucock on pole with Graham Moss alongside on his Cobra Daytona. Moss used the power of the Daytona to lead them away, with Richard Hodson slotting into second in his diminutive Lotus Mk VI. Moss retired on lap four which put Hodson in the lead, Lucock second with a five second advantage over Brian Caudwell in third, the later already up from tenth on the grid and flying in his Cobra. Past Lucock on lap six, he closed in on the Lotus and was into the lead on lap seven.
 
Martin Reynolds claimed third from Lucock in his Mustang on lap 10, the pair then making their pitstops at the end of lap 11, Lucock sadly not being able to rejoin. The leader was in a lap later, and Hodson the lap after that to hand over to Charles Angrave.
 
Caudwell was stretching his lead at the front with Reynolds now in second, the Lotus losing time in the pits, but was greeted by the safety car on lap 18 with a car stopped at Coppice, and as the clock ticked down the race finished behind the safety car, Moss winning from Reynolds and Angrave, Jamie Boot fourth in his TVR.
 
“What a thoroughly enjoyable race!” said Caudwell. “It’s a great track and you can steer the Cobra on the throttle which really works round here.”

Race Result -
1st - Brian Caudwell - AC Cobra
2nd - Martin Reynolds - Ford Mustang Mach 1
3rd - Charles Angrave & Richard Hodson - Lotus Mk VI   

Equipe Libre   

With many cars from the Libre Plus race back out for the Libre race then it was always going be battle rejoined and the field didn’t disappoint. Caudwell was on pole with Angrave alongside starting the Lotus Mk VI, and they got away in that order, Andrew Cahill who had been getting quicker race by race coining round third in his Lotus Elan.
 
Cahill was into second on lap three but was hit with a ten second penalty for an out of position start, but couldn’t shake off Angrave who stayed right with him. Caudwell pitted form the lead at the end of lap 13, both Lotus racers coming in a lap later, Angrave with a longer stop as he handed over to Richard Hodson, fourth placed Jamie Boot also pitting his TVR Griffith.
 
Caudwell eased away to extend his lead over the final laps for his second win of the day, while Hodson set about chasing down Cahill and getting within the ten seconds he needed to claim second. Hodson got close enough to seal the spot with Cahill thus taking third, as behind Boot held off the energetically driven Mini of Ed Keen to take fourth.

Race Result -
1st - Brian Caudwell - AC Cobra
2nd - Charles Angrave & Richard Hodson - Lotus Mk VI
3rd - Andrew Cahill - Lotus Elan   

Next meeting for Equipe Classic Racing sees us on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in front of what will be a big crowd on May 4th and 5th.
 
This is followed by two of our premier events at Oulton Park in May18th and the Equipe Summer Classic at Silverstone GP on June 8/9th
 
Come and join us.   
Warm regards