RECORD REVIEW

With the records recently updated, it seemed a good idea to take a look at them. Pausing only to breath in sharply at the times achieved by our stars, I thought it might be fun to look at a few statistics.

2009 was a cracking year. 31 new records were set. Admitedly, 20 were in new classes, but 9 improvements is still a fast year, with Jeremy Timms (5) being the most regular “improver”.

The fastest lap record is held by Jeremy Timms at the self-proclaimed fastest track in the country, Thruxton, with an average speed of 112.57mph (2009). The expression “horses for courses” comes to mind because with its tight hairpin, you might think Mallory would favour a small but slippy and powerful car. Kat Impey’s Jedi is the fastest at Mallory on 110.78, just 0.68mph (and 0.2sec) ahead of Jeremy Timms again, Kat’s record is 2009 whereas Jeremy set his in 2008.

At the other end of the scale, discounting venues where the weather caught us out and we didn’t return in the dry, the slowest records are at Anglesey Coastal, one of the favourites of many drivers with its almost complete set of slow, medium and fast corners. Even the fastest time there, set this year, was only 85.66 mph (Neil Harrison). It’s a sign of how fast single seaters are that only one of the records we list is below the UK national speed limit, of 70mph, and that’s the Mono Formula 2000 record at Silverstone National which, you may recall, was a little damp. With zero visbility and standing water, Graham Read did well to average 64.2 mph, and a time no less than 35 seconds behind the 2 litre (dry) record! Interestingly, that 2 litre record is held by a Vauxhall Lotus and dates back to 1997, which is a bit surprising considering that we’ve visited Silverstone regularly since 1997, and had some decent weather there, and the tyres haven’t got worse. However, I wasn’t around in 1997 so I’m sure there were good reasons why that record has stood so long.

1997 isn’t the oldest record by a long way. We have 2 going back to 1987, though in fairness both of those (Francis Philips 1600 Phoenix 001B and David Cox March 793) are on the Brands GP circuit which we haven’t raced on for a long time and which I’m personally not sure I would like to race on now unless it had a safety upgrade. 2 unusual records are Peter Cocks's 1600 records at Lydden (1995) and Silverstone Stowe(1996). We haven't been to Lydden for siome years, and I didn't realise we had ever done a Stowe meeting. There isn't another class with a Stowe record. Of the regular circuits, Donington (Kevin Pope, Reynard SF82 1600) has been held since 1989.

So who’s got the most records? The top 8 are:

In fairness, whilst both Stephen Brookes and Graham Read have some excellent times, they would probably want me to say that their records were won this year in thin classes – just Stephen and fellow director Peter Whitmore (1400 Thruxton record holder) in the 1400’s and just Graham in Mono Formula 2000 until Kevin Mason pitched up. 1400 will continue next year– drop a Hayabusa, without injury to self or engine, somebody please- but Mono Formula 2000 will not be around, so Graham looks to be etched in the record books.

Mono 1000 was also new, but it was a fiercely fought series, with record honours shared equally by Chris Woodhouse and Kat Impey, Arty Cameron sneaking under the wire at Thruxton.

Count the 2litre records and you will only find 9 for Jeremy Timms, 2 of his records are from his 1600 days. Only him, Geoff Fern and Jim Timms hold records in 2 classes.

Finally, what make of car should you buy if you want to beat the records? Easy, I hear you say, Dallara or possibly JKS / Speads. Well, not quite. The top 7 are:

Reynard score highly because of the FVL (some of which weren’t made by Reynard but were designed by them) whilst Van Diemen are represented in no less than 4 classes, from the humble FF1600 to Jonathan Lewis’s mighty Comtec.

Which records will be broken next year? Nobody can say, but one thing is certain. Come the first race of next year, a couple of full grids will be trying hard both for victory and for new records.

Tony Cotton

Pix Andrew Cliffe and Nigel Bland

2 Mono Record Breakers in one picture - Jeremy Timms leads Neil Harrison

Graham Read holds 5 Mono Formula records

Nick Anstruther took 4 Classic records

Stehen Brookes holds 6 out of 7 Mono 1400 records

Arty Cameron got the Thruxton record on his only 2009 outing

If you don't want to go back to the main menu to see the records, here are links and, if you fancy working out your own stats, the spreadsheet with them all on:

1000

1400

1600

1800

2000 Classic

2000 Formula

2000

Spreadsheet