September 3rd 2008

The winner of the Silverstone GP circuit race on September 20 will be this year’s recipient of the Kevin Griffiths Trophy. Kevin’s brother Simon plans to be present, with several other members of the family, to make the presentation.

Anyone who has not yet entered Silverstone is asked to do so as soon as possible so that the paperwork can be kept tidy and all entries appear in the programme. In addition, it would make life easier if all entry fees could now be paid by cheque (made out to ARCA) as the payment for the grid has now been made and any entries by credit card would have to be refunded to us by Britcar.

Competitors who are present on Friday afternoon at Anglesey might like to take advantage of the Drivers Briefing for the weekend scheduled in the Cafeteria at 5.30 p.m. There will also be briefings on Saturday morning at 9.00 and 9.45 a.m. It is mandatory for all drivers to attend one of the three briefings. AND DON’T FORGET TO TAKE LOTS OF BOTTLED WATER!

August 22nd 2008

The full provisional timetable for our October 12th "Time Attack" meeting at Snetterton can be viewed by clicking here.

Qualifying (20 mins) at 10:45

Race (20 mins) at 15:55

August 21st 2008

The latest Snetterton entry list can be found elsewhere on the website. Nick Gooch, who was "Driver of the Day" last time out at Rockingham has entered Class D but we have unfortunately lost Tim Hayes for this meeting. The addition of Alastair Iles (147 GTA) and Kevin Evans (GTV) has produced the largest Class C entry of the year, Alastair and Kevin joining Michael Walsh and Barry McMahon in their 3 litre 155s and Ron Davidson with his GTV. Alastair's 147 was seen testing (suspension and to see if its Silverstone overheating had been cured) at Snetterton yesterday, Calum Lockie and Graham Heels also having a turn at the wheel. Graham did a handful of shakedown laps in the new Bianco renta Class E 156 which will make its first race appearance at Anglesey.

It is good to see Richard Salt returning to Class E for the first time since Cadwell where his 145 Cloverleaf was badly damaged, He will join 9 other cars in an excellent Snetterton Class E field. After a major engine problem at the end of the Silverstone race, Chris Bentley should be back with another engine which was due to be fitted by Alfatune today. "If it starts OK we'll be there"!

Chris Snowdon is entered with the Lahoma 33 16v to which John Sismey has given complete mechanical rebuild since finishing 2nd at Rockingham. "It won't have turned a wheel before Monday qualifying" says Chris.

Anyone around Snetterton on Sunday morning will see several ex Alfa Championship competitors competing in the 4 hour Beetle Fun Cup. The Connell family, father Ian and sons Richard and Marc, will be sharing their usual SPAR car while Bryn Griffiths (brother of John) will be racing alongside Ted Reddick who raced a JSM 156 with us back in 2000.

The Anglesey meeting (September 6/7) will be run on the all new 2.1 mile International circuit, the longest of the three versions available. The timetable is as follows -

August 13th 2008

John Monk has e-mailed to say that several scrutineers at Silverstone last Sunday with long memories took the trouble to say to him that they thought the standard of presentation of the whole series was excellent. "I enjoyed the reflected glory" he says "and think this ought to be passed on to competitors as, believe me, it doesn't happen often!"

Class E continues to expand. At Silverstone we saw the first appearance of Chris Bentley's 146Ti in Class E specification, the changes to enable it to move from Class D having been carried out by Gus Lambrou at Alfatune. Chris found the re-fitting of ABS the most difficult thing to get used to initially. In the race he finished a strong 5th, despite an engine problem right at the end. It was good to see Paul Buckley having his first outing of the year in his Avon Racing prepared 156, taking 4th in class plus fastest lap. Paul's next appearance will be at the Anglesey double-header (September 6/7).

A new Class E car, due to run at Snetterton (August 25),  is the Avon renta' 156. This was tested by Clive Hodgkin on the Silverstone GP circuit last night with satisfactory results and will be driven at Snetterton by none other than previous Avon regular, Sam Laird. Sam says that he has not totally given up hopes of racing his supercharged 75 3.0 V6 Class A car at some point but is really looking forward to trying something different and to "just getting back on the track".

The Bianco 156 renta' is also making good progress and the plan is for it to make its debut at Anglesey where it will be shared by two brothers who are new to the Championship, one of whom has had some previous racing experience.

Well done Paul Plant and Timothy Perry who, on the Tuesday before Silverstone, took part in the Daytona 100 Karting event at Milton Keynes and won it! Paul reports "There were 24 entries which included 4 from the Honda F1 team, fully kitted out in their overalls and custom helmets (they even had their names along the side and on the strap of their overalls), two entrants from current Britcar drivers and various other people well known in motorsport. The conditions were similar, if not worse than when
we raced at Combe, with massive puddles and virtually no traction at all. After 2 hours of racing, totalling 57 laps, Team Alfaracer came out on top by over 30 seconds despite a 3 minute pitstop! So during the celebrations there was lots of 'check out Alfaracer.com'. It was an extremely wet but enjoyable event for all, although the Honda boys were not too pleased!"

Sometime Alfa Championship racer Sean Woodard and his co-driver Simon Ward had an excellent run with their 33 1.7  in a wet 40 minute CSCC "Tin Tops" race at Oulton Park last weekend, finishing fourth in a 22 car field. 5th was another ex Alfa driver, Robert Dyball (Alfetta GTV 1990/91) in his Honda Civic.

August 8th 2008

Congratulations to Montse and Alastair Iles on the birth of Hermione Ellen on Monday August 4th. Montse and Alastair have been busy, having moved house only 4 days earlier!

July 21st 2008

A Championship Panel meeting took place as notified last Thursday (July 17) and all members apart from Lee Penn ( at an A1GP/Ferrari test session) and David Hughes (stepping down) were present. Five names were put forward for the vacant position on the Panel and it was finally agreed that the place would be offered to Neil Smith who now joins Julian Birley, Graham Heels, Clive Hodgkin, Lee Penn, David Thomas, Gary Walker and Michael Lindsay.

Amongst other matters discussed was the class structure for 2009 which will remain unchanged. However, some concern was expressed that neither Class B nor Class C had shown the hoped-for growth during the current year. Both these classes would be closely monitored next season.

The number of race meetings, circuits, spread of dates and double headers was also discussed and it was generally agreed that the number of meetings should be reduced from 13 in 2008 to (probably) 11 in 2009, two of which would be double headers. If possible, double headers should be held over two days rather than one. It was agreed that in planning the calendar, visits the same circuit more than twice in the year should be avoided. The Panel will also be taking a look at possible changes to the points structure and associated Sporting Regulations for 2009 onwards.

Entry Forms for our championship round on the Silverstone GP circuit (September 19/20) have now been sent to around 85 potential competitors. The entry fee is £250 and all completed forms should be sent to Michael Lindsay, 97 High Street, Linton, Cambridge CB21 4JT. We have a provisional timetable with qualifying (25 minutes) at 5.35 pm on the Friday afternoon and the race (also 25 minutes) at 11.45 on the Saturday. This, of course, is part of the support programme for the Britcar 24 Hour race which starts at 4.30 on the Saturday. However, those staying at the circuit will be able to get a feel for racing at night by watching Friday night qualifying from 8pm to 10pm.

This year's Annual Dinner/Dance & Prize Giving will take place on Saturday, November 29 at Sedgebrook Hall, Chapel Brampton near Northampton. More details in due course but please put the date in your diary now!

June 27th 2008

The next meeting of the Championship Panel will take place on Thursday, July 17. Anyone wishing to have an item included on the agenda is asked to e-mail Michael Lindsay on unabated@tesco.net with details of the subject that you think needs to be discussed.

It was good to see a number of temporarily non racing Alfa drivers at Brands including Panel Member Julian Birley, Keith Waite (helping out Steve Fox), Nick Suiter (collecting parts from Neil Smith for his Class B 146), Tom Allen (currently doing the Boeing 747 pilot’s training with BA), Richard Wilkins (supporting Phil Astell), John Day, Rebecca Draper and Nev Simpson (working on the next tweak to baby Scott’s pram suspension – it already has coil over dampers!). And then we must not forget Ian Brookfield who had his hands full tending the Spur Motorsports 33s.

Entries so far for Rockingham include three cars from Spur Motorsport – Mel Healey (33 16v), Chris Healey and Matt Daly (33 8v’s). All of them were rather “in the wars” at Brands so they will be hoping for a more straightforward day. Nick Gooch returns to Class D with his Brunswick prepared 33 8v while the 16v version of Steve Fletcher – 3rd last time out at Oulton – will also be there. Both Matt Daly and Paul Plant will be hoping to close the points gap between themselves and Class D leader Emma Karwacki.

Robin Eyre-Maunsell’s 75 3 litre has been repaired following the damage incurred at Castle Combe and will re-appear in Class A at Rockingham. Chris Snowdon is due to re-appear in the Lahoma 33 16v for which we hear that John Sismey has bought some new wets! The only other Class A entry at the moment is Nick Anderson who enjoyed his first race with the 33 8v after non starting at Cadwell and Snetterton. 6th overall was a good result after such little previous running with the car.

Alfa Romeo are about to reviitalise Alfa GT sales by bringing back the Cloverleaf name to the UK market as it introduces four upgraded versions. Top of the range will be the 1.9JTDM16v Cloverleaf with 170 bhp engine and the Q2 limited slip differential. All models will feature 18” double spoke alloy wheels, red brake callipers and satin effect front grille and door mirrors. They go on sale on July 1 and will be available in Alfa Red, Carbonio Black or Atlantico Blue. Prices go from £18,980 to £21.980.

June 14th 2008

Entries for Brands Hatch have continued to drift in over the last few days, bringing us to a comfortable 30 car grid. The latest to enter was Phil Astell who we have not seen since Castle Combe last July. However, he now has the black ex Dean Spurr 33 fitted with the 16v engine from his previous yellow 33. A 33 16v due to reappear is that of James Burland whose first race this will be for a couple of years. James tested the car, prepared as ever by Bianco, at Brands earlier this week and seemed to settle back in the groove very quickly. Also testing was the ex Graham Seager 155 now owned by Barry McMahon. The car suffered a broken clutch but we are told that it will be back in action by Sunday.

We had not expected to see Michael Walsh’s 155 at Brands after it suffered major frontal damage after an incident at Castle Combe on May 26 but it seems that repairs have already been completed and Michael expects to be raring to go.

Another car in the wars was Keith Williams 145 Cloverleaf that crashed while Keith was leading the first class E race at Cadwell. The rebuild was complicated by damage that also been done to the engine but Clive Hodgkin took it to Bruntingthorpe yesterday evening and reports that all is well, so Keith will be  one of 10 Class E cars in the Brands entry. Also returning is Philip Ellwood who has not raced his 156 since Silverstone where he retired. After his success at Castle Combe, Will Inglis is hoping for another good run although he might welcome some rain again – not that most other people will!

Missing from Brands is Chris Bentley who is racing on the same day in the 4 hour Beetle Cup race at Anglesey. Should enable him to get in plenty of practice on the new circuit before we go there in September.

Disappointing news from Gareth Haywood is that continuing problems with getting the engine management sorted for the 24v engine now fitted to his 156 means that we won’t be seeing it in action until Silverstone in August, Gareth having to miss Rockingham as he is on holiday then.

Timothy Perry took the opportunity for some Rockingham acclimatisation last weekend when he competed in the Toyo Tires Racing Saloons race with his 33 16v. He qualified an excellent 7th in the 38 car field and finished 11th in the race with a fastest lap in 1’43.204”.

One we missed – the ever busy Chris Snowdon took a fine win in the Sports 2000  1 hour race on the Silverstone National Circuit on May 31 driving a Carbir with owner Martin Ellis

June 2nd 2008

We thought you my all like to see one of the new baby cards send to Becki and Nev Simpson following the recent birth of Scott.

May 28th 2008

It was good to see Steve Dymoke at Castle Combe on Monday. He says that he plans to get back to competing over the next few months, probably starting with a couple of events at Prescott with his “Bertie” before rejoining the championship with the 146 towards the end of the season.

Gethin Llewellyn was helping Bianco at Combe and telling us about his plans to race in Class D later in the year with a 33 16v – the ex Alan Hudd shell fitted with a new engine. Those who recall Gethin’s brief spell in the Championship in 2004 when he drove an Alfasud Ti fitted with a 1.7 8v engine, taking two seconds at Pembrey and a third at Brands, will be expecting some strong performances. His target is to have the car ready for Rockingham where Mark James is also expected to have his first outing of the year, his 33 now having a 16v engine to replace the successful 8v.

Ian and Kelly Stapleton upheld the tradition of bringing children to race meetings at the first possible opportunity when 27 day old Asha appeared at Castle Combe, well wrapped up against the elements!

Rumour has it that James Burland will return to the Championship at Brands Hatch with his 33 16v. James missed the whole of 2007 and most of 2006 but should still be a strong contender in Class D.

Clive Hodgkin seemed confident at Combe that Keith Williams’ 145 Cloverleaf would be ready for Brands Hatch while an entry is also expected for the similar car of Phill Snelling.

Mike Roberts rang to confirm that he has bought Tim Newman’s Class E spec 145 Cloverleaf. He plans to make his first appearance with the car at Anglesey (September 6/7)

John Symes enjoyed a strong day at Brands Masters Meeting on Saturday when he won his class with the GT Junior 2 litre in both the Stars of the 70s and Allcomers races, running some 70 minutes in the process without missing a beat. There were several ex Alfa races in action over the weekend including Roberto Giordanelli who took 2nd place in the “Cloth Cap” race with his Lotus Elan and Danny Wright who won the GP 60s race in a Brabham BT23,  Simon Diffey coming home 5th in the same event with a Cooper T86.

Steve Fox e-mailed to say that he is going to have a one-off outing at Brands with his Alfasud Sprint. “The engine is complete and ready to be moved from the back garden to the front garden for installation (I wonder how many people left in the championship are still building engines in the garden!”). Steve’s well known van has been sold to a Christian Charity and should be somewhere in Africa by now. So effectively he has a new sponsor in the shape of Waterfall Garage Services in Wimbledon who apart from bodywork, tyre fitting, repairs and servicing also run one of SW London and North Surrey’s busiest recovery services “so hopefully I have answered the transport question for Brands!”.

May 21st 2008

It was good to see Richard Salt at Oulton on Saturday. His damaged 145 is at present waiting for Gus Lambrou (Alfatune) to find a slot in his schedule to repair it. However, that will inevitably dent Richard's budget and we may not see him back until much later in the season.

Rumour has it that Graham Seager is planning to build a GTV 24v for Class C. His current may be sold in the near future to Barry McMahon, a friend of Michael Walsh and Ron Davidson. If all the arrangements can be made in time, Barry plans to race it for the first time at Brands on June 15.

Another with GTV plans, Shaun Hazlewood, was an enthusiastic spectator at Snetterton on May 4 and reports steady progress on his car's preparation although the departure of the entire Brunswick team to Germany for the Nurburgring 24 Hours may delay work on the engine and gearbox. If it survives the 'Ring, the Brunswick 156 may be raced in the second half of the year by Nick Gooch in Class B.

Easytrack Tim Newman's "ready to race" 145 Cloverleaf was being offered for sale at Oulton at a bargain price of £3250. Serious interest was being shown by Mike Roberts who last raced with us in 1996.

After his fine class win and second overall at Oulton, Chris Snowdon was hoping to race the Lahoma 33 at Castle Combe, but clashing commitments mean that its next appearance will be at Rockingham on July 13.

Having missed Oulton, it looks as though Keith Williams will not be at Castle Combe either. The shell of his 145 has been repaired but the engine also sustained damage in the Cadwell accident and this has delayed getting the car back to race fitness.

Championship supporters may have been wondering what has happened to Andy Millar, David Thomas and the ex Ray Mears 33 Turbo. Andy is at present working on a contract with the banking arm of Tata which requires occasional visits to India while David is involved in the setting up of a huge new farming enterprise in the Ukraine. He is responsible for organising the maintenance of the many vehicles being used (both very large and - not quite so large!).

Another addition to the baby ranks! Congratulations of Saara and Kevin Reynolds on the safe
arrival of Markku Juha Michael on May 12. "Alert from the moment he arrived" writes Kevin. Didn't comment on his own state after a few disturbed (??) nights! No doubt, though, it will put the 33 on the back burner for a while.

May 8th 2008

Message from Diana Lindsay –

Dear Alfa Championship,

Thank you all for the beautiful flowers which Michael brought back with him from Snetterton. My new hip is making good progress and I look forward to being back at race meetings later in the summer.

Diana

May 2nd 2008

More baby news! Congratulations to Ian & Kelly Stapleton on the birth of Asha Rae at 5:48 pm on April 30th weighing 5lbs 14oz. Ian says "Note the initials AR (Alfa Romeo) was this intentional?".

April 30th 2008

Congratulations to Becki and Nev Simpson on the safe arrival of their son Scott. Coming on top of a house move and a new job for Nev, they have been having a pretty busy time. Becki reckons that getting the engine back in the Alfetta might now stand a chance of moving up the priority list as they have been missing us all!

Dean Spurr had a very successful weekend at Brands Hatch, winning both BMW Production Cup races at the Classic Sports Car Club meeting, which started with capacity grids.

After running in the opening round of the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup at Snetterton, Paul Lund has concluded that the series has made little progress since last year in attracting more competitors and has decided to sell his 147. The car is basically to Alfa Class E spec apart from the suspension which would need to be changed back from coil-over dampers. Its fastest lap at Snetterton was a 1’ 29.107”. Anyone interested in the car should give Paul a call on 07775 918284

April 18th 2008

Competitors are asked to note that although we are running at Oulton Park and Castle Combe with the MG Car Club and Castle Combe Racing Club respectively, entry forms should be sent to the BRSCC in the normal way.

Qualifying at Snetterton (May 4) will take place at 11 a.m. and our 20 minute race at 3.00 p.m. As yet, we do not have a provisional timetable for Oulton (May 17) but Castle Combe (May 26) will see qualifying at 9.55 a.m. with a race at 2.00 p.m.

Early entries for Snetterton include Alastair Iles (147 GTA), Robert Buchele (33 8v), Ray Foley (156), Chris Oxborough and Robin Eyre-Maunsell with their Avon Racing 75 3 litres and Will Inglis (145 Cloverleaf). Those intending to race are asked to get their entries in as soon as possible. The meeting is only two weeks away don’t forget!

Peak Alfa are trying hard to finish the 155 3 litre V6 12v that Mike Walsh will be racing in Class C this year and they are optimistic that it will be ready for Snetterton. Its new orange colour scheme will be hard to miss we are told! Hopefully, Ron Davidson will also be at Snetterton with his GTV.

After his success at Cadwell, Matt Daly is hoping to do as many rounds as possible for the rest of the season. If testing goes according to plan, there should be three Spur Motorsports 33s at Snetterton, Mel Healey, with the ex Chris Baker 8v,  joining Matt and her father Chris. Ian Brookfield can quickly see his chances of preparing and racing 164 this year all but disappearing!

The Lahoma 33  and the BLS car of Bryan Shrubb will both miss Snetterton but should be back for Oulton Park. Another we are not expecting in Norfolk is Ian Stapleton as May 4 is the “due date” for the arrival of no.1 Stapleton junior.

April 10th 2008

Competitors in Class E who had their engines and gearboxes sealed at Silverstone are asked to note that we have passed this information to the Clerk of the Course at Cadwell in a single letter. This means that each driver does not have to do so individually which will reduce the amount of paperwork flying around on what is going to be a busy day.

Michael Lindsay asks that everyone racing at Cadwell should park in the area designated in the paddock plan in Final Instructions. This will make communication with competitors that much easier.

One of the last entries to be received was that of Chris Snowdon for a second car – John Norrington’s 145 Cloverleaf – which he will race in Class E. As he is also driving the Lahoma 33 in Class A, Chris is going to have a pretty hectic time!

Matt Daly was also a late addition – he was due to celebrate his 21st birthday on Saturday night but with his gearbox now selecting all its gears again there wasn’t much choice about where he would rather be. Let’s hope he is rewarded accordingly!

Chris Bentley is being supported this year by Alfa Romeo main dealers Dewe in Brighouse. His ex Graham Heels 146 has now been rebuilt, for the second time in 12 months, by Italia Autosport and, having missed the opening round as he was away ski-ing, Chris would like a good bag of points at Cadwell to get his season underway.

Good to welcome back John Symes who will be racing the Bianco Auto Developments “historic” Alfasud Ti in Class B. He enjoys the challenge of Cadwell and is there for the fun although as the car is used to doing much longer races, we wouldn’t bet against him ending up with a trophy by the end of the day if others fall by the wayside.

Missing from the Championship is still Tim Lewis but he told us today that he is well on the way to sorting out his head gasket problem and has also revised the gearing to fit in with the new characteristics of the supercharged boxer engine. He fully expects to be ready for Snetterton on May 4.

Kevin Evans is the only representative of Class C  at Cadwell with his 3 litre GTV but he could find the (reduced) points available useful at the end of the season.

April 2nd 2008

We were very sad to hear that Maggie Dymoke, wife of Class A competitor Stephen, had died at the weekend. This followed a chest infection that was complicated by a lowering of her immune system after treatment for a brain tumour earlier in the year. Maggie was a lovely, warm lady who had encouraged Stephen's return to racing last year and we were happy to have been able to enjoy her company at the dinner/dance and prize giving in November. We send our condolences to Stephen, and to family and friends in their loss.

March 29th 2008

Eligibility Scrutineer John Monk was busy at Silverstone. During the day he sealed the engines and gearboxes of all the Class E cars present and was also seen measuring Class A rear wings.

The Easter Monday Castle Combe meeting saw John Strickland take an excellent 6th overall and class win in the Toyo Saloons race. As the next car home in the class finished 21st, you could say it was pretty clearcut! Also racing was Martin Williams who hasn’t been out in his 75 3 litre for a couple of years. He was competing in the pre 1993 Production Saloons event in which he took a 3rd in class.

At the moment there is provision for split grids at Cadwell Park on April 12. However this will only be possible if competitors get their entries in as soon as possible before the timetable is finalised. The maximum number of starters is 28, so if we have to revert to a single grid there may well be some disappointed drivers. One idea is run Class E on its own but again that will only be possible if sufficient entries materialise.

There is a possibility that John Symes will drive the Bianco Alfasud Ti at Cadwell. A confirmed entry is Len Brock in the 75 Twin Spark he shares with Tom Allen, the car now benefiting from better brakes in accordance with the revised regulations affecting this model. Nick Anderson has also entered the ex Alex Heynes/Keith Turner/John Liddle Class A 33 8v. Preparation is now in the hands of Brunswick. Nick and his wife were interested visitors to round 1 at Silverstone.

March 20th 2008

A few pictures of Phil Donaghy's ex-Fabrizio Giovanardi 156 Super Touring car that Phil and John Clonis drove to 5th place in the EERC's Production S1 race at Silverstone yesterday.

March 20th 2008

Absent from Silverstone will be Tim Lewis whose, now supercharged, Boxer engine blew out all its water testing at Snetterton yesterday (Ray Foley’s following 156 was the recipient Tim told us in a phone call afterwards). However, while it was running, on a damp track, Tim described the car as “stonkingly quick”.

This brings our numbers down to 35. Graham Seager was in doubt at one point but has now confirmed he will be there, as will John Griffiths with his Class B 156. It is certainly going to be interesting to see who emerges at the front end of the grid. Tyre temperatures (or lack of them!) will have a strong part to play while if the track is wet everyone should remember Neil Smith’s performances at Oulton Park last year. There may well be some surprises……

The BRSCC have agreed that Alfa Championship qualifying and racing at Snetterton over the early May Bank Holiday will all be on the Sunday (May 4).

March 19th 2008

Graham Presley and Alastair Iles were seen testing at Silverstone last weekend. Graham suffered a broken drive shaft after just half a lap – a left over from the Round 1 accident a year ago and so the chase is on to find a replacement. Anyone who has a pile of 75 driveshafts sitting in a corner of their garage (!) should give Graham a call on 07768 605774. Graham says that the new colour scheme is a smart white, red and blue.

Everyone is looking forward to seeing how Alastair Iles’ new 147 GTA performs although it won’t have its proper suspension set-up in time for Silverstone. Can’t miss the colour scheme though!

John Griffiths called to let us know that he is planning to be at Silverstone. His 156 has more power now but then, as he says, “Neil (Smith) has got some more as well!”

Alfa Romeo have come up with some strange names for their cars over the years and there appeared to be quite a choice for the new model that will go head to head with the BMW built Mini. “Junior” was the favourite title it seemed but instead Alfa have come up with something totally different – “Mi.To” , presumably pronounced “Mee.toe” which is a combination of Milano and Torino. The car will use all a range of engines that range from 90 to 155 bhp, both petrol and diesel, including small capacity turbos. Oh Dear – that’s another re-write of the Class E regs then!

Model enthusiasts should keep an eye out for the M4 Alfa Romeo range which started to appear a couple of years ago. They were quick to come up with a model of James Thompson’s 2007 WTCC 156 and their recent list includes the 33 Stradale, which we cannot recall being modelled before, and a current 159 with colour scheme apparently used in the Australian Production Saloon championship. The quality is excellent and the price less than a Minichamp equivalent.

Louise West has been testing at Oulton with her Class B 33 8v but suffered a misfire which seemed difficult to pinpoint at the circuit. The car is now red with larger diameter black wheels and Louise is confident that with father Peter’s help it will be on going well by Silverstone.

March 16th 2008

Alastair Iles' Class C 147 GTA will be racing at Silverstone on Saturday. The car is almost race ready and was shaken down by Alastair during a track day at a very wet Silverstone today.

Phil Donaghy reports that he has finally managed to get out in his 156 Super Touring car. The car, which will be raced at Silverstone on Easter Saturday in the Britcar Production S1 race, was tested at Oulton Park.

Depite lots of red flag interuptions Phil says he was very happy with the car once he was able to get sufficient heat into the tyres. Phil reported "The car is a country mile away from the 145 and after I finally mastered not to stall the thing from starting the day was very encouraging".

Phil wasn't the only person at Oulton who was pleased to see the 156 out though. A certain Fabrizio Giovanardi was there testing for Vauxhall and when he saw the car he came running out of the pit garages and jumped into the car and pasionately showed his love of his old car. Phil was certainly left with the impression that Fabrizio would rather have been testing the Alfa!

March 8th 2008

Seven championship competitors took the opportunity to run yesterday (Friday March 7) at the final Silverstone International test available before Easter. Class E was well represented by Graham Heels (147), the 156s of Chris Finch, Philip Ellwood and Sarah Heels and the very smart (and easy to spot!) yellow and black 145 of Martin Jones. Chris Healey was running his Class D 33 16v (with revised colour scheme) while Steve Dymoke was having another outing with his Class A 146. Graham Heels was trying his uprated ECU for the first time and he was hoping that the glitches of 2007 were a thing of the past. By the end of the day, he had worked down to lap record pace, despite the extra amount of concentration needed with so many very quick cars from GT and Britcar series around. Martin Jones, despite only running in his engine, expressed himself happy with his new mount. Out of luck was the returning Chris Finch who has been building up a new 156 over the winter, with the help of Bianco. The car suffered a leaking crankshaft oil seal after just three laps and a replacement fitted during the lunch break failed to solve the problem. Michael Lindsay and Clive and Christine Hodgkin were there to keep an eye on what was happening as were Eligibility Scrutineer John Monk and Alan Meaker from Toyo. John was on hand primarily to discuss scrutineering matters following a number of changes that have been implemented for 2008.

The Easter Silverstone entry has now reached 32, with two weeks still to go, the latest additions being Steve Fletcher (Class D 33 16v), Tony Russell (Class D 33 8v), Neil Smith (Class B 156 2.0), Chris Finch and Philip Ellwood (Class E 156s) and Emma Karwacki (Class D 33 16v).

A recent contribution to the Forum by Phil Donaghy indicated that he might run his 156 SuperTurismo in a couple of Alfa races this year “just to see how it compares”. His main programme will involve Britcar Production series and we understand that John Clonis might be sharing the car with him. There is no word about the future of Phil’s rebuilt Championship winning 145. Might he bring it out for the odd Alfa race as well?

March 6th 2008

Registrations for the Championship have now topped the 50 mark. There are several well known names missing although we know that they intend to race this year. Rachel Page will be pleased to hear from you!  

It is good to see that Graham Presley will be back in action, his 75 Turbo now repainted white (if his Silverstone entry form is to be believed). Perhaps he has been trawling through various Alfa Corse liveries from the late 80s!  Another returning 75 driver is Chris Oxborough, his Avon prepared car joining the similar 75s of Clive Hodgkin and Robin Eyre-Maunsell in Class A. Robin has also acquired the ex Jeff Kite 75 Twin Spark and that may be driven at some point in the year by Peter Guy L’Amie.

The BRSCC have increased our entry fees by the minimum amount possible this year – generally by just £5. However, they have been able to peg the Cadwell double header on April 12 at the same rate as in 2007 - £295. Full details of entry fees are available on the BRSCC entry pack which can be found elsewhere on the site.

There will be a Drivers briefing at Silverstone , after qualifying – 12.00 pm in the Jimmy Brown Centre which can be found above the pits via a staircase halfway between Race Control and the pedestrian bridge.

Adie Hawkins has been sent a photograph of what may turn out to be the sister car to his 33. It has recently been rebuilt and is now in Holland. It has many of the features of Adie’s car including centre-lock wheels, rear calipers, on-board jacking system and dash.

Paul Paggiosi has bought the ex Angus Cunningham 156 that was recently for sale on ebay. The car started life here in the hands of Jackie Osborne and Graham Scott (painted in a strange green and blue combination), running mainly in the Auto Italia Championship, although its last appearance in Graham’s hands was in the Alfa Championship Silverstone International race in April 2004. Angus Cunningham used the car in four rounds of the Castle Combe Championship in 2007 but has now moved on to another project. Paul Paggioisi plans to do some track days initially and to develop the 156 in conjunction with long-time friend Jano Djelalian, whose company Autodelta Services has built some fairly stunning “added performance” versions of production Alfas, mostly recently the GT and Brera. If all goes well, Paul will race in Class B later in the year.

Roger Evans tells us that he hopes to be racing at Silverstone but is still waiting for several small but vital parts for the latest version of his Class A GTV. Failing that, he definitely plans to be at Cadwell. Gareth Haywood is still building the 2.5 V6 24v destined for his 156 and will definitely not make the first round.

Remember Micky Bolton? Over a 13 year period between 1983 and 1996 he was a frequent competitor in the Alfa Championship, his speciality being victory in the handicap races that were still the norm in his first year. His Alfettas were also always easy to spot in a number of colourful liveries! We recently heard from his wife Ruth that daughter Harriet is eager to race and that Micky is busy preparing another Alfetta GTV for her. We have said that she is always welcome to race with us but suspect that she may end up in one of the classic saloon series such as Top Hat.

February 23rd 2008

At the time of “going to press”, registrations had reached 49, with four weeks to go before Easter. We will publish a list in the near future. As emphasised elsewhere on the website, it is essential that competitors are registered for the Championship (with ARCA) and that their BRSCC membership is up to date. This is part of the Championship Regulations under paragraphs 1.4.1 to 1.4.3 It is also essential that applications for a Competition Licence are not left to the last minute- the new credit card style licences take longer to process. Not having any of these items in place will render an entry unacceptable.

It is good to hear that the 33 8v last raced by Alex Heynes has at last found a new home and will be raced by Nick Anderson in Class A in 2008. Nick (not the same Nick Anderson that raced with us between 1993 and 1998) has not raced for some 10 years but before that had some success in a number of cars, in particular a Triumph TR6. His 33 has a long history in the Alfa Championship, having been built originally by John Liddle (well known as the Parts Box 33 as it had the same orange with black Alfa decals colour scheme as the official spare parts boxes). In John’s hands (his last race with it was in 1991) it was supercharged but this was discarded by subsequent owner Keith Turner. Sadly Keith was unable to race it much due to ill health and it was sold on to Alex Heynes. Well known Harlow preparer Mark Fish will be involved in the preparation of the car for Nick who hopes to have it all ready in time for the opening round at Silverstone.

Michael Lindsay visited the new Brunswick workshops near Ely earlier in this week and was able to photograph the Class A 146 (with Dave Ashford) which had tested successfully at Silverstone recently. His impressions were that the car (which apparently weights only 800kg) looked very small on its lowered suspension. Awaiting an engine and gearbox was a black 156 which, apart from a possible entry in the Nurburgring 24 Hours may also appear in Class B of the Alfa Championship (driver t.b.a!). Outside was Shaun Hazlewood’s GTV 3.0 24v which is destined for Class C and which he acquired from a dealer for another make who had had it traded in and just wanted to get rid of the car for what appeared to be very little money! Apart from needing some new bushes in the gear linkage and a few scuffs on the bodywork it seemed ready to drive away. Shaun will be starting the basic preparation soon while Brunswick will look after the engine and gearbox.

Steven Griffin has e-mailed to say that his GTV6 (another visitor to Brunswick of late) has been brought back from its more radical spec. “The rear end has been returned to near standard and the suspension has been set up as raced in period” he writes. “The trawl of magazine articles and old internet pics has been very well used. The bodywork has been refreshed and she looks very nice again. With a new foam filled original fuel tank, she should run for about an hour or so”. The original plan was to do the Nurburgring Youngtimer but having been given some tickets for the Monaco GP the same weekend, that has been put on hold. The aim now is to do the CSCC’s Future Classics series and Steven hopes that the car will run strongly against the other 70s and 80s cars taking part. He can also race his Formula Renault Monoposto at the same meetings. Sadly, this means that for the first time in 10 years, Steven will not be registering for the Alfa Championship, however we wish him well with the GTV6.

Ray Foley sent us a few comments on Silverstone track day outing – “…..unfortunately I met Lee Dixon, the ex Arsenal and England Footballer driving an Elise belonging to Lotus. I need a new door and the sill pulled out but it is not the end of the world. Think his film crew must have some good footage but I imagine the Lotus instructor probably doesn’t want to watch it!”. All being well Ray plans to be Back at Silverstone for the opening round.

February 19th 2008

Although we knew that Diana Banks had been ill for some time, necessitating regular trips from home in Devon to the Marsden Hospital in Sutton for treatment, it still came as a considerable shock to hear from Richard that she had died on Sunday following a rapid deterioration of her condition. As the telephone voice of Alfaholics, Diana was well known to so many Alfa people, in particular Giulia 105 owners, while her presence at many events and race meetings in support of Richard and sons Andrew and Max (both Alfa Championship racers on occasions) brought her into contact with a wider circle over the years. Her opinions were always forthright but she remained a loyal friend at all times and a real backbone of the family’s various endeavours. As Richard said of Diana on Sunday in relation to her illness “she has certainly fought the good fight” – we shall miss her and send our condolences to Richard, Andrew and Max at this difficult time. The photo below shows Diana beside one the beloved Giulias at Cadwell in 1998 with Andrew (left), Richard (behind her) and two friends.

February 13th 2008

Plans are being discussed with Toyo to mark all control tyres supplied to the Championship to ensure that they come through the approved ordering and delivery process. This will allow them to monitor more accurately the number of tyres we use. It is likely that marked tyres will become mandatory for 2009. Competitors are also reminded that the only acceptable compound is marked GG (see accompanying photo). Tyres marked SG (a softer, hillclimb tyre) are not legal for Alfa racing.

Stephen Dymoke has sent some more news on his testing with the 146 at Silverstone last week –“Did 2 laps pottering around at 5000 revs just to bed everything in and the clutch jammed – slave cylinder stuck wide open. Happened when I spun at Abbey due to cold tyres and damp/green track. Fixed quickly by Dave (Ashford) and team, and proved to be the only technical problem that occurred during the day. Gradually wound the car up after playing around with tyre pressures etc, and ended up finding that it didn’t like running under 6000 rpm at all. Sounds like a cooker being dragged across cobbles. Much happier between 6000 and 9000 rpm. Occasionally blipped up to “nine” in second and third, otherwise stuck to around “eight”. Final stint at around 2.30 showed that the car went very well (overtaking a Lotus Exige and slow GT3s with no bother at all). Unfortunately a new resident to Silverstone has arrived and creates a huge fuss with any event going on so an ultra vigilant tester failed the car on a 105db drive-by test. We were black flagged and unable to reduce the induction noise – you can hear it well before you see it! One of the things we will have to sort out for Easter…..Times were difficult to gauge due to the weather etc, even so it is obviously bloody quick and easily beats the Sud into a cocked hat. I reckon Tim and Adie will have some more serious competition!”

John Norrington is planning to run the 145 Cloverleaf he shares with Chris Cousins in the VSCC Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone on February 23. This is an event that features cars from many different eras, so John may find himself running alongside a T35 Bugatti, BMW 1800 Ti or Blower Bentley. He tells me that the 145 is actually for sale as Chris has decided not to race it due to other commitments. It is prepared to Class E spec, with much of the work done by Chris Snowdon. The price is likely to be around £6000. John Norrington can be contacted on 07831-853120.

Keith Williams has e-mailed to say that he will be continuing with his 145 in the coming season. Phil Snelling had been thinking about building up an Alfasud to have some “fun”, but he now also has a 145 which he is looking at as a possible Class E car instead.

Exciting news for Class C is that long time Alfa racer Shaun Hazlewood is planning a return to the Championship later in the year with a GTV 3 litre 24v with a fuller season in view for 2009 if all goes well. The car is currently with Brunswick and it is hoped to get it prepared in time for the Silverstone GP circuit round in September. Shaun was the winner of Class F in 2006 after finishing third the previous Year. For 2007 he decided that a new challenge was required, moving into Sports 2000, but somehow it never quite worked out for him. Welcome back!

February 8th 2008

We received some sad news from Terry Davies (who raced a modified 33 with us between 1988 and 1995) that Alwyn Kershaw, a longtime part of the Alfa fraternity in the UK had died on Wednesday. He was in his mid 70s. For many years Alwyn ran the Alfa garage in York that bore his name and was much involved with Roger Kay both before and after his championship winning years with the 75 3 litre in 1990. Later he also helped Tim Lumb with his modified-production 33. Never afraid to express his views he was always well liked and respected, with a wealth of Alfa knowledge. Michael Lindsay reporting in the AROC magazine when Alfa Romeo Dealer Team competed with two Alfasuds and a 2000GTV in the  1975 RAC Rally: “We were very lucky in being able to use Alwyn Kershaw’s excellent facilities in York and for this we were extremely grateful. It’s not very easy having a load of virtual strangers suddenly invading your premises but I am sure that all members of the Team would wish to thank Alwyn and his staff for their help, often at awkward hours, their forbearance and interest while we were there”. The archives again came up with a photograph of Alwyn (right) with Roger and David Kay after one of the class wins in Roger’s championship year. Our condolences go to Liz and all the family.

We were sorry to hear that Maggie Dymoke had been in hospital for a serious operation. Stephen is going to be administering some t.l.c for quite a while and has disposed of some of his “toys” including the two Ducati bikes as a result. Our best wishes go to Maggie as she recuperates. However, Stephen does still hope to race in 2008  and was actually able to test the Brunswick built 146 Class A car on the Silverstone GP circuit yesterday. It was mainly a systems check and apart from being thrown off the circuit for being too noisy, all seemed to go well. Stephen went home with a smile on his face anyway!

Also testing was Ray Foley’s 156 which was also driven for a few laps by Dave Ashford who expressed himself much impressed apart from the ABS which he thinks the Panel should scrap! Later, Ray’s day was brought to an end by another car which chose the 156 as a braking aid. He now needs a new door.

Having looked at the calendar, Lee Penn reckons that he will able to fit Brands, the Silverstone National and GP, Anglesey and Donington into his busy Ferrari schedule. He now has the ex Jonny Heynes 33 8v, of course, which has been undergoing much revision over the winter.

Tim Hayes hopes to compete in at least 6 rounds this year, possibly 8, starting with the opening race on March 22 and certainly including out visit to the Silverstone GP circuit in September.

Nick Suiter continues to work on his 146 with the eventual intention of running it in Class B. Neil Smith has supplied cams, pistons, rods and other components but as Nick has just moved house, and we know what this can do to one’s budget, it may not be until later 2008 or even 2009 that the car actually races again.

Gareth Haywood has fitted a 2.5 24v V6 to his 156, replacing the previous 2 litre unit. The car will remain in Class B and hopefully will allow Gareth to challenge for regular podiums during the coming year. With 2.5 V6 roadcars being readily available at low prices, this could prove a good route for other competitors in the future.

February 6th 2008

Email sent to ARCA drivers by Michael Lindsay on 5th February :

Dear Alfa Competitor,

I am sending this e-mail to all competitors as our website hosting company currently has some technical problem that is stopping Graham from updating the site – hence nothing new since January 22.

However, I wanted to tell everyone about some changes/additions to the calendar which have developed in the past few days. Firstly, much to our irritation a non motorsport interest with a big cheque book has persuaded Donington to let them have the weekend of October 25 / 26. We have now been moved to November 1 / 2 and the meeting will also include a Britcar night race on the Saturday evening plus a barbecue and fireworks.

Much better news is that the negotiations I have been carrying on with Britcar for several weeks have now borne fruit and they are able to accommodate us during their Silverstone 24 Hour race weekend in September. We shall therefore have a 25 minute qualifying session on the Friday afternoon (September 19) with a 25 minute race on Saturday (September 20).

Before I knew about Silverstone, I had already accepted a date at Snetterton (yes, I know it will be our third visit there) on October 12, otherwise we would have had an 8 week gap between Anglesey and Donington. This date now splits the 6 week break between Silverstone and the final round. This particular Snetterton meeting is unusual in that is being run in conjunction with Time Attack whose main aim seems to be how quickly can we make a powerful but beautifully prepared monsters go round any given circuit although it is more timed track day than sprint. If you want to know more, take a look at www.timeattack.co.uk

As a result of the extra races, the number of dropped scores in 2008 will be increased from two to three.

If you have any news about your plans for the coming season, please let us have them so that they can be used when the website is up and running again – hopefully very soon.

January 22nd 2008

Those who have been Alfa Championship watchers over the past decade will certainly remember Brian Thorp who raced in Class F between 1999 and 2001. After finishing second to overall championship winner Dave Ashford in 1999, he went on to dominate the class in 2000 and narrowly missed snatching that year’s overall title from Enzo Buscaglia. It was, therefore, with considerable interested that we noted an article in the Property (!) section of last weekend’s “Mail on Sunday” which reported that Brian and his wife Sam were about to sell their Manor House near Evesham and move to something more modest near Lake Garda. Reason? Their 15 year old son James has been making a name for himself in European Karting circles, finishing third in the 2007 Junior Championship, and is planning a move to the Senior level for 2008 with Team Maranello in a quest to emulate Lewis Hamilton which is likely to be costly. James used to accompany Brian to many of his Alfa races so we saw him quite often as a bright 7 year old and our archives produced a picture of him at Mallory in 2000 with the year’s two stars, father Brian and champion Enzo. We wish him luck and no doubt “AutoSprint” will keep us up to date with his progress.

Louise West has e-mailed to say that she has put her Class E aspirations on hold, at least for 2008, and will continue with her Class B 33 8v. Her best result last season was a fine third in class and 12th overall, having started near the back of the grid, at Silverstone in August. With the help of father Peter, as usual, she hopes to upgrade to a 16v engine at some point in the season.

Wayne Ashford will not be racing in the Alfa Championship in 2008 as he and Rachel are expecting their first child in the summer – many congratulations. It may be sad for Wayne’s supporters that his press-on style will be absent from our grids but he has not given up racing altogether as he has bought a Kart. He reckons it will be more accommodating to his modest budget! The plan is to compete in the TKM Championship kicking off in just under two weeks time at Rye House, near Harlow. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my 2 years racing in Alfas, I have learnt so much about driving and myself – I wouldn’t have changed anything (apart from my natural ability to break gearboxes). What I hope will happen is that karting will tidy up my driving, so that I am not so lairy – if I hang it out sideways in karts then I will be nowhere, so I have to learn to keep it tidy) – and when I return to car racing hopefully I will be a better driver and will certainly be aiming for more class wins (at least I got that monkey off my back!)

January 16th 2008

The Alfa Championship’s corner of the BRSCC stand at “Autosport International”, featuring Graham Heels’ 147, was often a busy place during the four days of the Show. Graham was on hand throughout being kept company by Michael Lindsay on Thursday and Friday’s trade days and by his wife Andrea on Saturday and Sunday. Interestingly, Graham reckoned that Sunday was the best day for genuine enquiries from potential new competitors.

Of particular importance on Friday was a visit by Jeremy Wales and Philip Clay who confirmed Alfashop’s continuing role as our title sponsor for a third season. They plan to increase their visible presence at meetings by bringing along one of their Alfashop liveried vans which will act as a focal point alongside the Lindsay motorhome and they plan to have available a number of basic items to assist competitors should they need, for a example, a new 156 clutch or brake pads. In additional they are always happy to bring parts ordered beforehand.

Among the many visitors to the stand we welcomed Martin Jones and Sarah Heels, Martin having taken the opportunity to buy a new trailer and some snazzy driving gloves as his enthusiasm for his 145 Cloverleaf grows apace. Tom Allen and Len Brock came along to check the additional “freedoms” we have allowed for the 75 Twin Spark in Class D, Tom also saying that he had been investigating the latest in on-board cameras. Ian Brookfield, Matt Daly, Joanne, Kevin and Tom Eastwood all arrived together. Ian was disappointed to hear that the Oulton Park date had been moved to May 17 as he had received an invitation to take his 164 to Spa for what would probably be its only race of the year. The parts are all ready to start the rebuild of Matt Daly’s 33 (seriously damaged at Snetterton last October) while Tom Eastwood can’t wait for the season to begin! He has a new 145 Cloverleaf to run in Class E.

Martin Parsons, called in to tell us that he was hoping to arrange a few races in the Belgian Endurance Saloon Championship. Around the same time, his old Gatwick Alfa team mate, Ron Davidson appeared with Michael Walsh. Ron’s GTV is being re-shelled by Peak Alfa and Michael was very enthusiastic about the 155 3 litre that he plans to race in a full Class C season. A close friend could also join later with another GTV. Andy Page spent quite a time on the stand, saying he couldn’t find anything to spend his money on!  Chris Healey and Gary Orchard appeared on Friday, Chris confirming that Spur has bought Chris Baker’s 33 8v, last seen at Oulton Park in 2005. Chris and Mel will test both cars before the season starts but the betting is that Mel will end up driving the 16v version. Alastair and Montse Iles were busy discussing 147s with Graham Heels, Alastair reporting good progress with the 147 GTA that he will be running in Class C.

CR Scuderia Racing, the new team set up by Chris Niarchos and Andrew Kirkaldy, to contest the FIA and British GT Championships with several Ferrari 430s was something of a honeypot during the Show with Lee Penn on hand as one of the team’s senior engineers. Some of the figures quoted by Lee for the cost of the cars, spares and a season long race deal were somewhat eye-opening but Lee assured that the level of interest was high. Adie Hawkins and Ian Stapleton had delivered Lee’s Class A 33 8v to home before coming on to the Show. Andy Page was delighted to receive a CRS T shirt even if he couldn’t afford a drive!! Tony Soper was busy on the LMA stand, promoting Eurosaloons with Stuart Cumming and co-ordinator Sara Pryce.

Stephen Dymoke was at the Show saying that he hopes to be testing the Brunswick built Class A 146 in February, probably at Silverstone. Others we were happy to see included Phil Donaghy, Alan Meaker from Toyo, Keith and Lynne Waite, Tom Shrubb and David Cannard, Gus Lambrou, Graham Lay, Tony Russell, Ian Fisher, David Hughes, Chris Bentley, Roger Evans and Joy Fairy, Kevin and Brian Evans, Gareth Haywood, Kevin Reynolds, Phil Snelling, Gary Walker, Harry White, Chris Finch, Bryn Griffiths and Colm Flannagan.

We had a call from Dave Ashford today telling us that the Brunswick team had managed to finish in the Dubai 24 Hours last weekend – 52nd overall (out of 90 starters) and 4th in class. In addition to Dave, the driving crew had included Nick Gooch and Giles Groombridge. Had they had a better re-fuelling system, they reckoned that a finish higher up the order was possible. Biggest problem seemed to have been (during one of Dave’s night stints) that of the lights going out when the brakes were applied! On a circuit with little in the way of marker points, this made life somewhat difficult. Departure from Dubai was made impossible by the arrival of President Bush, everything being cordoned off so that nobody could get to the airport to catch their flights!

The January 2 issue of “Autocar” carried a fascinating insight into the future plans for the Alfa Romeo brand under the leadership of new CEO Luca de Meo. Of great interest to the UK market will be the arrival of the new “Junior”  in 2009 which will have a range of new mouth-watering small engines, including a 1.4 litre petrol turbo producing some 180 bhp. The car will be targeting the BMW Mini with a base price of £11,000 although no-one reckons you will ever get a car with no options, so realistically this is probably £15,000.

The 159 is due to go on a diet for 2009 as it is generally reckoned as being too heavy. The 147 replacement may not get here until 2010 but will almost certainly be a larger car, nearer in size to the 156. Of considerable interest to big Alfa fans is the 166 replacement which could well be based on the aluminimum Jaguar XF chassis. Computer generated pictures of the final car make it a “must have” if you are dedicated 166 owner – if you could afford it, of course!!

41 8C Competiziones are apparently destined for the UK. How many will actually be registered for the road and how many will just be stored as investment opportunities (like the SZ) remains to be seen. SMMT figures reported a 41% increase in UK Alfa sales in 2007 but this was from a low 2006 base. New models such as the Junior are urgently needed.

Alfa Romeo Owners Club has issued the dates for its 2008 events and, significantly, National Alfa Day is missing. Spring Alfa Day (April 13) in Chatham Docks will be expanded and there will be a track based “AROC live” on August 31. In between, the AROC Concours will be held at the “Auto Italia” Day on June 1 at Stanford Hall, for so long the National Alfa Day venue. Click Here for details.

January 9th 2008

It's showtime - well almost. This was the BRSCC stand at the Autosport International show at lunchtime today - and it was far more complete than many of the other stands!

December 10th 2007

The Championship Panel will be holding a meeting in Borehamwood (Herts) next Monday (a.m.) to “sign off” the Regulations for 2008. Any competitor who has a last minute suggestion that  they wish to have discussed would be welcome to attend although space is limited. Please ring Michael Lindsay for details on 01223-891219 if you want to be there, Alternatively, you can send him an e-mail outlining any ideas you may have. The bottom line is that the Regs must go to the BRSCC/MSA the following day.

December 9th 2007

For news on the last ever appearance of N. Technology Alfa 156s please Click Here

November 29th 2007

At last Saturday’s very successful Association Dinner/Dance and Prize Giving, Michael Lindsay was happy to announce that Jeremy Wales at Alfashop had signified his intention to continue his company’s title sponsorship of the Championship into a third year. Michael was also able to give a very provisional list of 2008 racedates (which have already appeared on the Home Page) indicating a return to both Donington and Anglesey and confirming that the opening round would be at Silverstone (International) on Easter Saturday, March 22.

During the evening, a number of special awards were presented:

The “meet the panel” gathering during the afternoon before the dinner generated a number of proposals for discussion and probable inclusion in the 2008 regulations. Those regarding aerodynamic devices and lights in Class A have already been notified to competitors but we are also nearer to defining the ECU, rolling road and sealing rules for Class E, the roll cage regulations and action regarding driving standards.

We hear that Wayne Ashford has now sold his 33 16v but unfortunately, to begin with anyway, it will only be used for track days. Wayne’s own plans for 2008 should become clear early in the New Year

November 21st 2007

Phil Donaghy was presented with the first of his championship winner’s trophies by Bernard Cotterell at the BRSCC’s annual dinner/dance and prize giving at Stratford on Avon last Saturday.

Members of the Championship Panel will be on hand between 2 pm and 4 pm at Sedgebrook Hall on Saturday to discuss any matters relating to the Championship with drivers and preparers. So if you have anything you wish to put forward, whether it be for the Sporting or Technical Regulations, don’t miss the opportunity. Coffee and biscuits will be available all afternoon.

We have some excellent prizes for this year’s raffle, including a set of control tyres (or slicks to equivalent value), donated by Toyo, a BRSCC entry fee voucher and the latest edition (just published) of the superb and heavyweight (!) two volumwe  “Alfa Romeo Production Cars from 1910 by Stefano D’Amico and Maurizio Tabucchi. This comes courtesy of Roger Evans at Peak Alfa. There will also be reduced entry fee voucher from the first round of the 2008 Championship and some of the latest 1/43rd Alfa offerings from Minichamps, one of which is the 8C Competizione.

News from the North! Peak Alfa have been busy…… Ron Davidson’s GTV which was one of the many cars badly damaged at Snetterton is being rebuilt using Roger Evans existing Class A shell. Roger’s car for 2008 is being constructed around a spare shell that he already had and the outcome should certainly be lighter. The 3.8 engine will also feature throttle bodies for the first time. Michael Walsh’s 155 is also at Peak Alfa and part of the plan is to fit a 3 litre 12v engine for Class C. In the meantime, Graham Seager’s 155 is at Alfa Restorations for a necessary rebuild.

Meanwhile, were are told that Gus Lambrou has been hard at work straightening the two 145s of Richard Salt and Phil Donaghy, and the 156 of Dave Hughes that were all damaged (and in the case of Phil and Dave’s cars thought to be written off!) at Snetterton. It seems that they are all now up and running for the 2008 season although Phil is hoping to move up to Class A and his 145 may be for sale.

Congratulations to James Thompson who came so close to winning the 2007 WTCC title. In the end he had to be satisfied with third after the two hard fought Macau races but as he said afterwards for such a low budget team, with virtually no testing during the season, to grab a championship podium was a fantastic result. The 156 thus brings its participation in major international championships to a close.

November 15th 2007

Championship Co-ordinator, Michael Lindsay, has returned from his travels and is already very encouraged by the number of projects already emerging for 2008. Top of the list is Alastair Iles’ plan to run a 147 GTA in Class C. He already has the car and work is underway to prepare it in time for the opening round on Easter Saturday at Silverstone. Alastair’s Class D 33 8v has gone to the previous owner of the 147, Rob Bushell, who will be joining the Championship next season.

While parents Kevin and Joanne were away with the Heels' enjoying an end of season weekend in Hamburg, young Tom Eastwood went out and bought a 145 Cloverleaf to race in Class E in 2008. Another colour scheme for Joanne to work on then! That brings to 6 the number of 145s we know about that should be racing in E next year – the others being the cars of Richard Salt, Keith Williams, Martin Jones, Will Inglis and Chris Cousins. Chris Finch is planning a return to the Championship although in his case it will be with a 156.

After two seasons in the Renault Clio Championship, it looks as though Mel Healey will be returning for a year in Alfas. At present she doesn’t have a car but the search is underway for something to run in D. Failing that, father Chris might find his drive in the Spur 33 16v under threat!

2007 Championship runner-up and Class B winner Neil Smith is planning to continue in B next season with his 156. Emma Karwacki aims to have a full season in D with her 33 16v. This follows a couple of strong drives at Silverstone and Brands that were not rewarded with the results she deserved due to engine problems.

There are rumours that 2007 Champion Phil Donaghy is planning a move to either Class A or B for 2008. He is apparently looking at a number of 156 options.

Sounds as though Tim Lewis is going down the supercharged route with his Alfasud Sprint. The 2006 Champion had a more difficult 2007 season although he still took five overall wins, including the final rounds at Brands Hatch and Snetterton.

Both of Julian Birley’s Class A 75s are for sale – his familiar red V6 24v car and the ex Nick Humphrey 2.0 Turbo in the old Totip colours. Ideally, Julian would like to sell one and keep the other so that he could still race occasionally as and when other commitments permit. Anyone interested should call him on 07775-796566.

This weekend sees the final outing of the N Technology 156s when the 2007 WTCC title is settled in Macau. James Thompson has an outside chance of lifting the driver’s championship for the first time and will have help from local hot-shoe Andre Couto who also raced for the team there in 2005. Couto replaces Thompson’s regular team mate Olivier Tielemans for this event. With a 12 point deficit to make up to current leaders Yvan Muller (Seat) and

Andy Priaulx (BMW) it is a tall order but then look what happened to Kimi Raikkonen in Brazil! Thompson has raced four times at Macau with 4th place his best finish. Alfa may be ending their association with the WTCC but N.Technology are not and it would appear that a new association with Honda is on the cards for 2008.

October 30th 2007

The Championship Stewards met on Monday evening (29th October) to consider the appeal against the final championship points table issued on October 18 that had been lodged by Neil Smith.

The decision of the Stewards was that the points has been allocated correctly and therefore the appeal failed and the championship points table was declared as final.

Therefore Phil Donaghy is confirmed as the 2007 Champion with Neil Smith as the runner-up.

October 28th 2007

We can now confirm that the opening race of the 2008 season will again be with our friends from EERC (Britcar) on Easter Saturday, March 22 at Silverstone, using the International Circuit. The only other confirmed date at present is Bank Holiday Monday, May 26 when we shall be returning to Castle Combe. It looks as though Donington will be back on the calendar plus a visit to the much heralded new Anglesey circuit, probably in early September.

Congratulations to Stephen Dymoke who has been awarded the prestigious Peter Stubberfield Trophy by the Bugatti Owners Club. "I don't quite know why" said Stephen but he has been competing with his Alfasud Ti at Prescott which, of course, is the home of the Bugatti club.

Alfa Romeo have now officially announced that they will not be competing in the 2008 World Touring Car Championship having seen out their three year commitment to the FIA. Over the past few decades there has rarely been a year without Alfa participation at the highest levels of Touring Car racing - European Touring Car Championship, DTM, ITCC and WTCC - and the marque will be sorely missed. Let us hope that James Thompson and N Technology can go out in a blaze of glory at Macau and win this year's WTCC title, despite all the odds being stacked against them. But then look at what Kimi Raikkonen did!

PROPOSED CHAMPIONSHIP RULE CHANGES FOR 2008. Among the changes proposed for the coming season are a number that affect Class A.  At its meeting on October 24 the Panel decided to restrict the width of rear wings to a maximum of 160 cm. However, they would still have to remain within the plan view of the vehicle. Front splitters/spoilers should not extend more than 4 inches in front of the lowermost point of the front panel and must follow the contours of the front of the car. There must be no additional aerodynamic devices above the wheel centre line of the vehicle.

We have been concerned that the rules regarding headlights on class A cars have been "stretched" somewhat.  In future at least one legal headlight must function on each side of the car. It need not necessarily be of Alfa Romeo origin but it must be in the standard position. Headlights or coloured perspex covers that reduce the amount of light being shown will not be permitted. This is essentially a safety issue as in 2008 we shall be asking all drivers in modified or Class B cars who are lapping slower cars to have their headlights on.

There will be some tidying up of the regulations for Class E in 2008 with particular emphasis on sealing ECUs, engine and gearboxes and visits to the rolling road. We have a new type of seal to use on ECUs. In addition to separate sealing, engine blocks will also be sealed to gearboxes. All cars must have been to the rolling road before the first time they race, otherwise their points will be regarded as provisional.

Clarification will be given regarding roll cages and we are also very concerned that the current regulations regarding seats is not being met by all competitors. This is a matter of essential driver safety.

During 2008 we shall also be giving much closer attention to driving standards and those drivers who are persistently involved in on-track incidents will be put under official observation and could, if they are subsequently reported to the Clerk of the Course for transgressions, find themselves losing their "invitation to race".

There will be additions to the Sporting Regulations to formalise the way in which we deal with the kind of circumstances that occurred at Snetterton on October 14.

October 25th 2007

An official appeal against the final championship points table issued on October 18 has been lodged by Neil Smith. The appeal will be considered by the Championship Stewards when they have all the necessary paperwork and a decision made as soon as possible which will be posted on the web site.

We are pleased to report that Graham Heels has accepted an invitation to join the Championship Panel at a meeting held on October 24. He has been a regular competitor since 1989, starting with an Alfasud Ti and then racing a 33, 146 Ti and most recently a Class E 147 He was the overall champion in 2003 and was responsible for the relaunching the ARCA web site two years ago and moving it forward to its present much envied position. Graham’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the Championship is well known and he will certainly be a strong addition to the panel for the future.

Much of the Panel meeting was devoted to the rules for 2008 and more detail will be given on this after the weekend. In the meantime, we are able to confirm that the basic class structure will remain unchanged for next year.

All Championship enquiries or queries between October 29 and November 11 should be referred to Clive Hodgkin on 01572-823514 or to Gary Walker on 01293-821843 (daytime Monday to Friday).

John Norrington e-mailed to tell us that Chris Snowdon had won the Historic Sports 2000 Championship after the final round at Brands Hatch last weekend. “Not bad for a 50 year old!” said John. He also said that Chris Cousins has been doing some more track days with the Class E 145 Cloverleaf that he was hoping to race in the last three rounds this year and will certainly be racing it with us in 2008.

A couple of notable achievements at Snetterton on October 14 – Steve Fox at last managed to get some points on the board with his Alfasud Sprint while Louise West finished a race at Snetterton for the first time. It has always been her bogey circuit so there celebrations in the West camp, particularly after dirt in a carburettor and spilling fuel had nearly scuppered her chances earlier in the day.

It looks as though we shall have at least one car at the “Autosport” Show. However, in order to make the most of the opportunity we are keen to hear from those connected with the Championship as drivers, preparers or non racing members, who would be willing to give up their time to be on a stand or stands for all or part of the four day show. If you are interested in helping, please e-mail the Championship Co-ordinator on unabated@tesco.net or Graham Heels on 01483-834383 or via email at graham@heels.me.uk

October 24th 2007

Brunswick Automotive haved moved to the following address:

Brunswick Automotive
Unit 1
Ashley Park
Common Road
Witchford
Cambridgeshire
CB6 2HZ

Tel: 01353 668840

They also tell us they have also purchased an ex-Super Production Alfa 156 (pictured) which will be readied for the 2008 Nurburgring & Silverstone 24 Hour Races, the car will also be available for hire for Class B of the 2008 ARCA series. One potential driver is Nick Gooch who is looking to drive something a bit faster than his 8 valve Class D car next year.

October 12th 2007

Alan Meaker from Toyo, who many competitors met earlier in the year, will be coming to Snetterton on Sunday and looks forward to having discussions on drivers’ experiences with the Toyo control tyres during the current season. The existing agreement with Toyo has two more years to run.

After a couple of scintillating drives at Monza last weekend when he took two third places in his N.Technology 156, James Thompson goes to Macau at the beginning of November as one of six drivers who have a mathematical chance of taking the WTCC title. James is currently fourth,  12 points behind joint leaders, Seat driver Yvan Muller and BMW driver Andy Pr