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 Sprints and 
  Hillclimbs
Lemans 24 Hours
Sprints and Hillclimbs
I am a member of the Sevenoaks and District Motor Club. Over the last 4 years I have done a number of Sprints. These along with Hillclimbs are events run against the clock at locations such as motor racing tracks, airfields, private estates etc. Cars are grouped together depending on their engines sizes and level of modifications. The events typically cost from £45 to £85 and you normally get 2 practise runs and 2 timed runs, sometimes 3. You can enter with a standard road legal car. All you need is a ~£25 license, a crash helmet and some flame retardant overalls at ~£80 so it is a fairly cheap way to get into competitive motorsport.

The engine size splits are up to 1.4 litres, 1.4 to 2 litre and over 2 litres. There are other rules for turbo powered cars and diesels. Then you have the modification levels starting with road going production (Class A) where you can do a certain amount of changes to your engine and suspension but must retain most of the interior. Then you have modified production (Class C) which is for cars that do not have to be road registered. They can be fully stripped out and you can do pretty much what you want to the engine as long as you retain the original block. There are other classes for single seaters, kit cars, rally cars etc.

I have competed in a standard Visa GTi and ZX 16v in the standard/road going 1.4 to 2 litre class A2. I run the ex group N Visa GTi in the modified production class 1.4 to 2 litre C7. I originally used it for 2 sprints in 2002 with its 1.6 8v 115bhp engine before changing this to a 1.9 16v ~170bhp from a BX 16v. It then went off the road for 2 years until 2005 when I competed a number of times with faily good results including a couple of 2nd places in class and a best of 24th overall. For 2006 the handling, grip and brakes have all been modified in the pursuit of class wins.

Results

Date  Location Class Car Pos Class Pos Overall

2001

11/03/01 Lydden A2 Visa GTi 1.6 4/5  61/83

20/05/01

Hethel  A2  Visa GTi 1.6 4/4   

2002

06/05/02 Lydden A2 ZX 16v 3/4  43/53

19/05/02

Hethel  D10  Visa GTi 1.6  5/6  95/102
26/05/02 North Weald D10 Visa GTi 1.6 4/5  25/61
29/06/02 Goodwood A2 ZX 16v  Crash  
26/08/02 Wethersfield D10  Visa GTi 16v 3/7  71/94
20/10/02 North Weald D10  Visa GTi 16v 2/5   

2003

10/08/03 North Weald A2 ZX 16v 2/9  47/65

2004

08/08/04 North Weald A2 ZX 16v 6/11  57/66

2005

10/04/05 North Weald C7 (~D10) Golf GTi 16v 2/6  28/58
07/05/05 Snetterton C7 Visa GTi 16v 2/5  68/94
08/05/05 Debden C7 Visa GTi 16v 2/4   
16/06/05 Abingdon C7 Visa GTi 16v 5/10  80/142 
21/08/05 North Weald C7 Visa GTi 16v 4/13  26/69 
24/09/05 Longleat C7 Visa GTi 16v 11/13   
02/10/05 Debden C7 Visa GTi 16v 3/6   
29/10/05 Lydden C7 Visa GTi 16v 4/10  24/71 

2006

02/04/06 North Weald C7 Visa GTi 16v 3/4  22/52
23/04/06 Longcross C7 Visa GTi 16v 4/10  28/121
14/05/06 Debden C7 Visa GTi 16v 1/4 37/101 
10/06/06 Abingdon C7 Visa GTi 16v 3/11 75/144 
17/06/06 Lydden C7 Visa GTi 16v 4/6 63/102 
01/07/06 Castle Combe C3 (~C7) Visa GTi 16v 13/17 97/162 
19/08/06 Goodwood C7 Visa GTi 16v 2/6 32/55
20/08/06 North Weald C8 Lotus Sunbeam 6/7 22/61
23/09/06 Longleat C7 Visa GTi 16v 3/5  
01/10/06 Debden C7 Visa GTi 16v 1/4 21/94
07/10/06 Lydden C7 Visa GTi 16v 5/8 38/61
28/10/06 Lydden C7 Visa GTi 16v 7/10 23/68

2007

19/05/07 Goodwood 7 Visa GTi 16v 3/6  32/82
09/06/07 Abingdon 7 Visa GTi 16v 2/5  59/134
15/06/07 Debden 7 Visa GTi 16v 1/10  19/76
26/08/07 North Weald 7 Visa GTi 16v 1/8  11/56
26/08/07 North Weald 8 Lotus Sunbeam 6/9  20/56
06/10/07 Lydden 7 Visa GTi 16v 4/9  35/58
07/10/07 Debden 7 Visa GTi 16v 1/8  32/94
27/10/07 Lydden 7 Visa GTi 16v 3/6