Snetterton sunshine was the order of the day for the second round of Britcar a 150 minute race which would see Eclipse favourites after their win last year but with plenty of competition snapping at their heels.
Everyone was expecting the Eclipse Mosler and MJC to be the leading lights in the qualifying session, but the Topcats’ entered Marcos Mantis initially topped the timing screens, then Aaron Scott in the Ferrari 430 for JHM, and a safety car coming out 20 minutes into the session. Sean McInerney managed to rejoin the field just behind Keith Robinson, and hustled behind him, until he took the lead at Sears Corner and qualified on pole with a 1.07.191 to Robinson’s 1.07.
With Sean making a fine start and taking the front position, it look as if it was going to be a great race. The Eclipse Mosler established a 30 second lead over Brady, who was by turn struggling to stay ahead of Huggins, who himself had grip issues. By lap 30, Eclipse had lapped the entire field. Coming in for the first refuel stop saw a litany of problems for the Eclipse, with the airjacks failing, and the car going back on track on old rubber. This took its toll on the placings and the team were soon forced back into the pits with a shredded rear tyre. The Eclipse mechanics tried damage limitation using manual jacks. In the event, the Mosler was released back into the pit lane after a lengthy struggle, having only changed the damaged tyre.
As the race progressed down towards the final quarter, more disaster was to strike the luckless Mosler. As father Michael McInerney overtook a BMW to make up on the leaders from eighth place, when he went spinning out under the bridge going into the Esses. Later, Sean McInerney revealed damage from the earlier puncture had dislodged wheel arch componentry which then collapsed sending him off like a top.
And just to add insult to injury, as the car was being towed back through the pit lane, it managed to rip the front of the car off. All in, probably a weekend that the Eclipse team might want to chalk up to experience.
Everyone was expecting the Eclipse Mosler and MJC to be the leading lights in the qualifying session, but the Topcats’ entered Marcos Mantis initially topped the timing screens, then Aaron Scott in the Ferrari 430 for JHM, and a safety car coming out 20 minutes into the session. Sean McInerney managed to rejoin the field just behind Keith Robinson, and hustled behind him, until he took the lead at Sears Corner and qualified on pole with a 1.07.191 to Robinson’s 1.07.
With Sean making a fine start and taking the front position, it look as if it was going to be a great race. The Eclipse Mosler established a 30 second lead over Brady, who was by turn struggling to stay ahead of Huggins, who himself had grip issues. By lap 30, Eclipse had lapped the entire field. Coming in for the first refuel stop saw a litany of problems for the Eclipse, with the airjacks failing, and the car going back on track on old rubber. This took its toll on the placings and the team were soon forced back into the pits with a shredded rear tyre. The Eclipse mechanics tried damage limitation using manual jacks. In the event, the Mosler was released back into the pit lane after a lengthy struggle, having only changed the damaged tyre.
As the race progressed down towards the final quarter, more disaster was to strike the luckless Mosler. As father Michael McInerney overtook a BMW to make up on the leaders from eighth place, when he went spinning out under the bridge going into the Esses. Later, Sean McInerney revealed damage from the earlier puncture had dislodged wheel arch componentry which then collapsed sending him off like a top.
And just to add insult to injury, as the car was being towed back through the pit lane, it managed to rip the front of the car off. All in, probably a weekend that the Eclipse team might want to chalk up to experience.
