FIA Lurani Trophy 2020

We have taken the decision, to officially cancel the FIA Lurani Trophy 2020.

The spirit of the FIA Lurani Trophy has always been that it is an International Competition, and even if pockets of Europe are able to open and try to find their feet again in public events and business, it is unlikely that competitors from all sides of Europe, let alone the globe, would be able to freely attend what races may find viability and a rescheduled date.

If or when any racing does take place this year, we will of course still do the events that we have in our calendar, however they will be run instead as stand-alone non championship events.

With imaginative hope, we look forward to the FIA Lurani Trophy 2021 Season.

Someday We’ll be Together again : )

In the meantime, here’s something to hopefully put a smile on your faces, click on the link, enter the password FJHRA (in capitals) and sing along.

With many thanks to Nick Pitt for putting the video together, and of course the brilliant members who agreed to take part!

https://vimeo.com/409851637

Keeping smiling!

Dear FJHRA,

I started my last newsflash just three weeks ago by saying;

“We always say it, but FJHRA really is about the family feel spirit and there was such a happy and sociable atmosphere at Race Retro, with people sharing plans for the season and looking forward to what is set to be a truly brilliant year for us.”

In the beginning there was some disappointment that events were starting to disappear from the calendar, but the energy of the world has rightly switched its focus to concentrating on protecting those precious and vulnerable people around us, by staying home and staying strong.

To those of you who have the virus, we send the very best of wishes for your return to health, to those of you with businesses and livelihoods in the balance, we send our strength, and to our friends in Italy, our founding fatherland, who have been in lockdown some time now, I am pleased that messages still arrive from you with a sense of humour.

FJ Office

I’ve always worked from home and I’m still doing just that, so if you need an ear, a giggle or a virtual hug, I’m at my desk from 10am – 4pm UK time weekdays.

I have updated our website to show which events are officially postponed as of today, and will continue to update as and when; https://formulajunior.com/2020-fjhra-calendar/

FJ Magazine

We already got a good start to the next FJ Magazine that was originally due out in July, so we thought we’d bring it forward and get one out to you as soon as possible instead.

If you have started some content or now find yourself with the time to write something you’ve had in mind a while, please get in touch by return, so I can give you a print deadline!

Take care everyone, and keep smiling!

A three car battle for the lead in both heats had the crowds cheering the little Formula Juniors. Past Champion Bruno Weibel played dark horse on both occasions, but with some brilliant manoeuvring outflanked both Manfredo Rossi di Montelera and ex-F3000 racer Mark Shaw to take the two wins, just as Mark was working out how far he needed to keep ahead for an aggregate win! Mark and Manfredo shared a second and third each, while three times Le Mans winner Marco Werner had clutch trouble from his front row slot in Race 1 and worked his way from the back of the pack to 8th, bettering this with a good fifth in Race 2.

Current champion Colin Nursey (Lotus 18) was locked in wheel to wheel combat throughout both heats with Lurani newcomer Crispian Besley in his BMC powered Cooper T56 for Class C honours and Class D was a repeat with Sir John Chisholm ( Gemini 3A) in a race long battle in Race 1 with Ivo Gockmann in the Australian built Jolus, Daniele Salodini took Front-engined honours in the classic Taraschi but star entry was ex-hillclimber Malcolm Wishart giving the time warp Faranda its first serious race for over 30 years.

Proceedings for Hockenheim had really started weeks before when entries closed, and it became clear that, almost for the first time, except for Nurburgring, there was a vast oversubscription of entry for a Lurani round, and the carefully honed selection process would come into play, leaving all the Classic Team Lotus run cars and both Caroline Rossi and team mate Pietro Vergnano amongst those very disappointed; but yet multi Le Mans winner Marco Werner had not even entered on time and was nearly last reserve, yet by actually turning up – albeit to satisfy sponsorship and film commitments – he eventually got onto both grids, and in a front row grid slot to boot

On track, free dedicated FJ practice on Thursday evening saw 27 of the cars out including the guest F3 of Robert Retzlaff, who was running in the rolling museum single seater demonstration. Poor Gunther Leidig was an early pit visitor with diff trouble, ending his track time for the weekend. Mark Shaw’s pit stop was more measured, he lapping consistently throughout, behind returnee Pierre Tonetti and in company with Andrea Guarino, Bruno Ferrari and Retzlaff

Official qualifying was enlivened by Peter Fenichel stopping after the hairpin with gear selection problems. Manoeuvred behind the barriers, he got out, fixed it, leapt back, rejoined the track and then had a quick pit stop to tighten his belts! Urs Muller had a clutch problem, but up front Manfredo  and Marco Werner were significantly faster than Bruno and Marc Shaw

Manfredo led race one for the first lap, then Bruno slipped ahead, and it was Bruno leading for three laps, then Manfredo again, then Mark for a couple, and finally Bruno when it mattered!!! Tonetti held station for the rest of the race after disposing of Stephan Rey’s Lola, while a little way behind was an  exciting duel between Ivo Gockeman’s Jolus and Sir John Chisholm in the Mk 3A Gemini. Hans Hildebrink was an early spinner, and was lucky not to be hit by following cars, while David Drew in the Ausper pitted terminally on the warming up lap, with no brakes, letting Jonathan Fyda as first reserve out to join the fray

With Marco secure on the grid, and no more reserves, Duncan rejoined the fray for Race 2.

DCPR

 

Dear FJHRA,

Wow – 2020 is going to be quite a year for FJ!!

We opened the first of our entries last week, and already over 120 members have entered at least one race for this season!

Entries

As announced to all drivers [FJHRA Newsflashes 2020/2 and 2020/3], the entries are already open for the following events on our new entry system for this season; www.purplelap.com

For those of you who are missing the ability to see who is already entered, don’t worry, it will be available very soon.

If you’re not sure if you’ve entered, you will have had an automatic email from the system confirming your entry, so if you didn’t get one, I suggest you try again – but check first in your profile!

• April; 3 – 5^th; Paul Ricard (22 entries to date) – First come first served
• April 24^th – 26^th; Hockenheim Historic (50 entries to date) – Official Closing date: 18^th February. Entries selected according to FIA Lurani Trophy Regulations
• July 31^st – August 2^nd; Silverstone Classic (49 entries to date) – first come first served

Also now open are;

• April 3^rd; UK Championship Opener – Snetterton [testing available on the Friday]; Entries via HSCC: online.hscc.org.uk
• May 30^th – 31^st; Pau GP Historique – first come first served

Opening soon;

• May 1^st – 3^rd: Donington Historic Festival – including Cooper T56 celebration
• August 1^st – 2^nd: Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix – FJ grid

The full 2020 FJ calendar is here; https://formulajunior.com/2020-fjhra-calendar/

Race Retro; 21^st – 23^rd February

Our traditional pre-season social is next weekend, and this year we’re delighted to be celebrating the Lotus 18, 60 years after the debut of the prototype on Boxing Day 1959 at Brands Hatch, and its dominance in Formula Junior Racing in 1960.

Classic Team Lotus are very kindly providing their car for the stand, and we’d love to invite anyone connected to the Lotus 18 to join us!

If you raced a Lotus 18 in Period, Past or Present, please do try to join us during the weekend, especially, if possible, on Saturday at 11am, when we’ll do a photo shoot and press feature.

The HSCC are kindly hosting us on their stand as usual in the centre of the main hall, so come along for a chat, get your copy of the latest FJ magazine, and catch up on all the news!

There are no special ticket deals, but the advance tickets are cheaper; www.raceretro.com

We’™ll be staying at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth – if anyone wants to join us for dinner/drinks one evening, just let me know!

Silverstone Classic Media Preview Test Day – Wednesday 29^th April

There is a free test day combined with the Media day open to anyone entered for the event; https://www.silverstoneclassic.com/competitor-info/preview-day-testing

While testing on the Classic’s Media Day is offered free, donations in support of the official event charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK, are welcomed. A link enabling all drivers to donate is included on the above page.

Minardi Day/ The Formula Junior Italian Job; 24^th – 26^th April; IMOLA

During the same weekend at our FIA Lurani Trophy opener at Hockenheim, our founding father Count Lurani, will be celebrated at Imola during the Minardi Days.

Here is some further information;

The Formula Junior Italian Job is a non-competitive event to bring together especially the Italian junior built between 1958 and 1961. It wants to be an award dedicated to Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi exposing the 24/25/26 of April, in the boxes of the circuit of Imola, the various models of about 40 Italian manufacturers. We will have available in the three days 5 slots of 25 minutes dedicated to us that will allow, who will want, to test his car on the track, test the car or simply review that beautiful track.

During the Historic Minardi Day there will also be many Formula 1, sport prototypes, Lotus Elise and more. There will be an exhibition with photographs of the time and set up the first Memorial  Giovanni Lurani – Tazio Nuvolari with Cica Lurani who will be the President of the jury who will award the most beautiful junior preserved, the best restored and the most technically innovative.

For more information and registration: press@scuderiatazionuvolariitalia.it  / –  Mobile:+39 349 503 0293 / http://minardiday.it

FJ Magazine – back copies

If anyone is new to FJ in recent years / missing any earlier FJ magazines, we have a number of spare copies of previous issues we’d be glad to pass on to you, so please get in touch with the numbers of the ones you are missing. A donation towards postage would be welcomed.

New Motorsport UK Licence Names

As you’ll have noticed, the names of the UK licences have changed this season, so just to clarify;

• National B has been replaced by Inter Club which allows you to race in the UK only.
• National A has been replaced by National, which allows you to race at any event which has been registered as NEAFP [National Event Authorised Foreign Participation], regulations permitting.

So for FJ racing the minimum requirements are;

• Inter Club; UK and Front Engined Championship races in the UK
• National; European Non-Championship and UK Championship Races; ie Paul Ricard, Pau, Copenhagen, Spa
• International; Minimum grading of Int D required for the FIA Lurani Trophy, including the UK round.

Car movements in and out of the UK

We have been asked by a number of you if there are any changes relating to Brexit, the answer being;

The UK government have approved into law all existing EU laws until 31.12.2020, so there will be zero change until that date, and as for after that date, no agreements have yet been made.

MSV Circuit Improvements;

A number of MSV circuits have been getting some attention over the winter, so we thought we’d share some of the info;

Brands Hatch

The runoff area at Clearways is being extensively re-profiled over the winter break as the Armco barriers and debris fencing are moved further away from the circuit. The gravel trap has been significantly extended in order to increase its effectiveness.
The improvement will be noticeable to competitors on both two and four wheels as the chance of an impact with the barriers on the outside of the circuit will be decreased.
Spectators will still be able to watch around the outside of the final section of the lap with a raised viewing area currently being constructed.

Oulton Park:
On-track alterations include the installation of new concrete run-off at Old Hall and Lodge to improve safety for both cars and motorcycles.
Other tweaks to the circuit include extensive barrier renewal and improvements at Old Hall, Clay Hill, Shell and Druids, as well as kerb upgrades at Cascades, Knickerbrook and Lodge.
Away from the track itself the venue has undergone some off-circuit resurfacing, whilst the paddock toilet facilities have been upgraded.
In the longer term, the circuit will also begin work later this season on a new large campsite toilet and shower facility with an evening entertainment area.

Donington Park:

On the track itself, concrete run-off sections beyond the kerbing at Redgate and the Old Hairpin have been extended over the winter, ensuring these areas will look neater throughout the year. Meanwhile, several new tyre barrier stretches been installed around the circuit, while drainage has been improved at the Craner Curves and Old Hairpin. Another new development is the installation of LED safety lighting at key locations around the track, which will display the various warning lights and signals for competitors and participants on track. A number of marshal posts are due to be upgraded during the summer too, continuing the process that began prior to the 2018 season.

Snetterton

The newly installed and realigned barriers along the circuit’s iconic Bentley Straight have been completed in time for the first track activity of the year.

Front Engined Grid;

An excellent 20 cars appeared for Front-engined qualifying at the Historic Festival at Donington Park. The sensation was Niall Murray who repeated his form of a month earlier by taking pole by over a second from Alex Morton. A further second back was Michael Hibberd’s Lola Mk2 with the second row of the grid completed by Nick Taylor (Elva 100), whilst Chris Drake (Terrier) was only to be found lurking mid-grid.

Race 1 was very eventful. Niall led the first nine laps until he pulled into the pits with differential trouble, New Zealand visitor Nigel Russell spinning on his dropped oil. After a brief Safety Car period, a battle for second then raged between Michael Hibberd (Lola Mk2) and Alex Morton but a trip up the chicane escape road for Hibberd’s Lola left Morton clear in second from Nick Taylor (Elva 100). Incidentally, Michael’s BRJ 11 has one of the longest histories in HFJ racing, appearing in the hands of Norman Hillwood in the very first HFJ race in 1975 season and was raced extensively for Norman by Roy Drew and Brian Urlwin up to 1983, then it went Continental racing in the hands of first Hugo Studer and then Jorg Tobler before Dietrich Merkel bought it in 1999, racing it until 2016 after which it passed to Michael.

Potential front-runner Jonathon Hughes was eliminated by misfiring, having had diff trouble in qualifying whilst Drake ended fifth. Unfortunately Stephen Potts had a big crash in the yellow Sadler and was seen no more in 2019.

For Sunday’s race Hughes was missing as he had gone to the Scottish 6 Days motor cycle trial and it lost Justin Fleming (Lola Mk2) to the McLeans gravel trap on the first lap. It was de la Roche who quickly went clear as Chris Drake (Terrier) worked ahead of Murray for second and Hibberd retired the Lola with brake issues. Nigel Russell and Graham Barron went out when Nigel spun and Graham could not avoid him. Iain Rowley had a drive in Nicholas Daunt’s Taraschi but, having won Class A on Saturday, engine trouble denied him a finish. This left Martin Sheppard to win class A from Roger Woodbridge’s rarely seen Volpini.

Richard Page/DCPR

 

Rear Engined Grid;

In the rear engined grid, Cameron Jackson (Brabham BT2) was unstoppable; having qualified fastest by 0.9, he twice powered his Brabham into clear first lap leads. The result marked three perfect weekends to date this season for Jackson with pole, win and fastest lap in three different cars. On Saturday, Pete Morton led the chase for five laps, but then Richard Bradley was through and just held on to the flag. Behind these two was an even more intense battle between the Lotus of Richard Wilson in the blue 27 and the gold 20 of Simon Diffey: Wilson got ahead after four laps, and thereafter they were passing the pits almost side by side every time. Class D leader Dave Watkins (Elfin) eventually disposed of an increasingly uncomfortable Peter Anstiss (20/22), but Andrew Taylor, leading Class C was too far ahead to be caught.

Casualties included Robin Longdon (Lola Mk3) who spun off due to an oil leak and an early exit for the attractive Dolphin of Geoff Underwood when another wheel departed.

Richard Bradley clinched second again on Sunday but only when Pete Morton had to park the Lightning/Envoyette after a bolt came out of the gear linkage. Adrian Russell (Lotus 22) came third, having headed Bradley for the first three laps. Taylor and Watkins were, again, the class C and D winners but they were rather humbled by Niall Murray who had another outing in the John Arnold prepared Elva 100 and led the two rear-engined cars across the line. Peter Anstiss was unwell on Sunday and it was planned that son Tom would drive. He signed on and was all kitted-up but not quite in time to get out for a lap behind the safety car in a break, so sadly could not start. Chris Drake ended his race beached in the gravel.

Richard Page/DCPR

Forecasts of heavy rain were fortunately wide of the mark, so apart from a prize donation to Colin McKay for being the 20th entry (in his Gemini Mk2), and a generous purchase by Elaine Mallock, the new stock of FJHRA umbrellas went unsold.

22 cars made an appearance, the De Tomaso ISIS of Mike Gregory still under rebuild, while Keith Roach’s priorities were looking after Heather, rather than exercising the Condor S II. But at least the later De Tomaso 63 of Westie Mitchell did make a welcome reappearance, but, unused for over a year while Frazer Nash activities had intervened, there was a mysterious noise from the Colotti gearbox direction, and Westie wisely decided to examine at leisure rather than risk another expensive failure.

Qualifying was on a wet track, but with a dry line and damp patches off piste and Chris Drake, benefitting from Thursday testing, was in superb form, just behind Stuart Roach’s rear-engined Mk4 Alexis on discs. Iain Rowley in Ian Robinson’s Mk5 Lola and Anthony Binnington, making a welcome appearance in his late-model Cooper T67, were happy behind these two. Andrew Taylor had an off on his own, slowing lap times for a while as the yellow flag was displayed. Andrew Turvey in the ex-David Baker MRP Lola was going impressively well, while Keith Pickering’s Britannia sat out the remainder of the session parked up at Avon Rise having paid a brief visit to the barriers, damage was limited to bodywork, subsequently repaired with help from Stuart Roach..

It was John Hutchison Senior’s turn to test out Envoy 006 but being delayed at the airport, he missed practice, however having raced here within the last year, the Stewards were able to place him on the grid, which would be missing Bill Grimshaw, when, pushing his car after practice, activated a heart problem and he was rushed off to hospital in Bristol. Fortunately, all in time and Bill was to leave the ward early the following week.

With the circuit near fully dry for the race, it was Stuart Roach’s Alexis Mk4, freshly back from its successful podium outing at Monza, that led the remarkable front-engined Terrier T4/1 of Chris Drake, never more than a few seconds apart, for a race-long duel, with Iain Rowley driving M Ian Robinson’s historic and so original Lola Mk5 BRJ 49 making up for a slow start into the last place on the post-race rostrum. Anthony Binnington’s T67 Cooper with 6-speed ERSA (I wish I had a chance to use them on all circuits!) was beaten by Ray Mallock, who certainly had the bit between his teeth, but it was a close shout across the line.

Adrian Herbert in the ex-John Surtees Lotus 18, having his annual FJ outing was doing well mid-field, and towards the tail-end, Ian Robinson held Duncan at bay for the whole race, with Craig McWilliam getting by both of them to chase Australian Bill Hemming, who had got off the plane and driven straight from the airport to pick up his Tojeiro from Terry van de Zee.

DCPR