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T R A C K
R O A D
R A C E
S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
053
750 Motor
Club
Review
Club:
750 Motor Club
Contact:
Giles Groombridge
Tel:
01332 814548
Email:
giles@750mc.co.ukNEW FORMULAE
FLOURISH IN A BUSY
2016 SEASON FOR THE
750 MOTOR CLUB
R
oyal Purple Hot Hatch
has taken up where the
previous incarnation left
off, with regulation classes now
defined by power to weight ratios
to keep competition fair and costs
affordable. Outputs are enforced
by the 750MC’s own mobile rolling
road, and the series caters for
those taking their first foray into
club motorsport, whilst also
offering a scalable development
ladder up to the 260bhp/ton
machinery that currently domi-
nates the sharp end of the field.
So far this season, the Mk6 Ford
Fiesta ST has narrowly proved to
be the tintop to beat, with differ-
ent cars piloted to overall victory
in the hands of Tom Bell, Alistair
Camp and two-time Stock Hatch
champion Shayne Deegan, but
they haven’t had an easy ride.
Retro hot hatchbacks have given
the Fords a run for their money
throughout, most notably thanks
to double race winner Matt How-
arth and his Mk3 Astra GSi from
the previous Hot Hatch genera-
tion. More recently a swarm of
BMW Compacts have not only
dominated the entry level class
but also challenged for overall
victory, thanks to 2.8 and M3-de-
rived engine conversions. Forced
induction and 4WD are not
permitted in what are relatively
open regulations, and the FWD
versus RWD layout pros and cons
make for ever more exciting com-
petition.
The Tegiwa M3 Cup now boasts
a healthy amount of range-top-
ping E46 BMWs in the Club’s
premier one-make series, which
offers GT-esque performance,
whilst staying true to the Club’s
low cost ethos. Early indications
suggested that reigning Tegiwa
Civic Cup champion Adam Shep-
herd would be the man to beat
and go head to head with MX-5
champion Brian Chandler, but as
the season progressed, Shepherd
found new rivalry not only in the
form of longstanding Honda racer
Luke Sedzikowski, but also circuit
racing novice Carl Shield. After
edging ever closer at Brands
Hatch and Croft, the North East-
based former bike racer went on
to take his first M3 Cup win at
Snetterton last month, and will
certainly be a future name to
watch.
Finally, the Club’s new Cartek
Club Enduro series has so far
offered two 2016 bouts of tempt-
ingly-affordable endurance racing
for club-level sports and saloon
cars. The two-hour season open-
er at Donington Park saw Por-
sche 928 duo Ben Demetriou and
Jonathan Evans come through to
overall victory, but not without a
pair of BMW M3-based challeng-
es, thanks to Andy Marston/Brett
Evans and Neville Anderson – the
latter sharing with Allan Gibson
in his Lotus Exige.
Cementing the fact that the se-
ries is formulated around afforda-
ble endurance, it was refreshing
to see the pairing of Steve Hew-
son and Neal Martin not only
place second in Class B (behind
Leighton Norris), but also fifth
overall in their unlikely duo of a
supercharged Peugeot 106 GTi
twinned with a VW Caddy van.
AN OLD FAVOURITE RETURNED TO THE LINE-UP OF
750 MOTOR CLUB FORMULAE FOR 2016, IN ADDITION
TO TWO UNIQUE NEW SERIES, AND IT HAS BEEN
FASCINATING TO WATCH ALL THREE DEVELOP INTO
EXCITING OFFERINGS FOR COMPETITORS AND FANS
ALIKE AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES.