DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

The castings for the GT brakes are now being completed.

Initial batch is 10 pairs of which I will have three pairs.

I'd not driven the 356 since it had been put on the rolling road and Ian had 'found' another 27 horsepower. And it's been a while since I had driven on a new race track and had forgotten the horrible anxiety that comes with a new circuit - Castle Combe is also famously fast. It retains it's provincial feel and happily avoided modern development so has retained much of it's period charm but this also means it doesn't have much in the way of run off and has no gravel traps. Make a mistake here and you're likely doing triple figures when you touch the grass. From there it's just a short (passenger) ride into the tyre covered armco. I'd not even had time to familiarise myself with the circuit layout using Youtube footage, so the first couple of laps of qualifying were as much about finding out which way the corners went as anything. I'd entered the Jon Gross Memorial Historic Aston Martin race, which also had cars he had raced in period (hence the 356), and then Ian and I were entered for the FISCaR (Fifties Sports Car Club) race which is always a great one because of the contemporary competition and lack of hotrods. From looking at previous race reports we expected a fair lap time to be about 1:40. Somewhat surprisingly we qualified 15th from 26 with a 1:34 lap and Castle Combe served up a beautiful autumn day - sunny and dry, no wind but mild temperatures, so we were hoping for a lovely days racing.The grid for the first race was a fairly eclectic mixture of Aston Martins, from DB3S, DBMk111, to DB2/4's and Ulsters. The invitation class included us, a Jaguar XK150, AC Bristol, a couple of Austin Healeys, an Elva Courier, and my favourite, one of only six Alfa Romeo Disco Volante's and the only one with the 3 litre race motor, what a beautiful car.

So to the race - we always gain a few places at the start and this was no different: a lovely patinated silver/grey AM DB2/4 and AM Ulster were in front of me, but there was a 356-sized gap between them so I figure I will slot right up the middle. The start is traditional with the wave of the British flag, so I dial up 5,000rpm and as his hand comes down I sidestep the clutch. The car lurches forward with a lot more zest than I'm used to and I twitch the wheel momentarily to avoid ramming the back of the DB2/4. I sneak between them and a DB4 also falls to the 356 sword. We're gaining on a lovely DB3S and another DB4 and I put the cars nose between the two of them. The driver of the DB3S doesn't realise I'm there and begins to drift left to widen his approach into Folly, squeezing me, so I lift off momentarily and with the loss of momentum the overtaking opportunity is gone. We crest Avon Rise, a very fast left hander just before quarry corner and the DB3S is forced to take a tighter line because I'm on his left but he's got more grunt than I have and I can't make an outside overtake stick. We race down to the first chicane and the battles commence. The Clerk of the Course warned that the chicanes are closer than they look as you come down the straight and he's not wrong! There's an involuntary 'oh shite' from me as I have to brake and heel and toe, change gear and turn in all in one continuous movement as I've misjudged it and the back of the 356 duly steps out of line. There's a big slide and we're now on the rumble strip on the other side of the track, trying to stay off the grass. Touch that and it's good night nurse. The DB2/4 I had passed is now right on my bumper and we drag race down the final section of the course, him using every bit of horsepower his 2.9 litre motor can muster. Over the start/finish and oh my gosh this is fast now. Into fourth and we touch 120mph before coming up to Quarry again. I've left my braking as late as I dare because of the DB2/4 and touch the brakes as the car crests Avon Rise. Of course with the suspension now unloaded and all the weight transferred forwards, the rear is invited to swap ends with the front and we have one of those 'oh crikey' moments as the car gets all out of shape at a huge speed. It's one of those heart in mouth moments but I manage to hang onto the place but then have to tighten my line to keep the Aston from getting his nose up the inside as we come through the corner. There's a lot of ooh-ah, ooh-ah as I desperately try to keep from falling off the track onto the grass at a ludicrous turn of speed, but I manage to do that and keep the DB2/4 behind me. And this is how the race unfolds for the next 30 long minutes: a proper old tussle that runs for the entire race like this. At times all I can see in my mirror is the windscreen of the DB2/4 so that tells you how close he is: miss a gear change and he will hit me. I try every trick I know to avoid him overtaking me, without resorting to behaviour inconsistent with being a gentleman and sportsman. It's pretty hard to make a 356 big unless you get it sideways, which I inadvertently do a couple of times. Taking a tighter line into a corner to avoid him sneaking up the inside means I just have less momentum out the other side and he then crawls all over me like a bad rash as we race up the next straight. Tellingly in the past he would've simply outgunned me, but 27 extra horsepower in a 780 kg car counts for quite a bit and this time he can only stay with me.

Nick Mason has fielded a trio of Aston Martin Ulsters for his wife and daughters to drive (as you do) and they are having a nice old race amongst themselves, bumbling about at the back. Situations like this where faster cars come upon slower ones are always tricky as you have to instantly judge whether the slower driver has seen you, how they will react and whether they will hold the racing line irrespective of speed differential or give you space. It's not an experience I have very often racing the 356 as it's usually the other way around! The first Ulster is easy as there's plenty of space on the straight, the second I make the decision for them by sticking the nose of the 356 alongside before we brake for the fast right hander that is camp corner, but the third proves a lot more tricky. As we come upon the second chicane Mrs Mason seems to have a momentary lapse of concentration, running wide onto the rumble strip and then goes onto the grass! By now I am almost alongside her, so if she tries to rejoin the circuit with a tug of the wheel it will dig in and she'll spear sideways onto the track and I'll T-bone her. I suddenly have the horrible thought that Nick Mason probably has a better lawyer than I do, but thankfully she keeps the Ulster straight and after mowing the grass and bumping about for what seems an eternity, she rejoins the circuit with only her pride dented, and I dash past. All the while the DB2/4 is still crawling all over me trying to find a way past! My last lap is my best with a 1:32.0 from being pushed so hard but it's the end of the season and we've not changed the brake shoes all year. In Ian's defence he checks them prior to every race, but there must be an exponential drop-off in the wear pattern, as I can feel the brakes going away rapidly. I flash past the finish line taking 13th place and the fastest under two litre car in the race which is tremendously satisfying, but knowing there wasn't another lap in the car at this crazy sort of pace.

When everything has cooled down Ian goes over the car and we've a fraction of an inch on the leading edge of both shoes, so there's no way we will be racing on them. Rather frustratingly I have a spare set of brand new shoes in the bus, which is sitting at home as I'd brought the modern car to get to the circuit quickly that morning. So Ian has done four and a half hours to get there and got 5 laps in qualifying. He's very gracious about it and dismisses my apologies with the remark that 'that's racing' but I still feel for him. So we resort to watching the FISCaR race from Quarry corner to see how its done by the quick guys. With lots of brave pills it looks. And then a lovely red Aston DB2/4 has a rear wheel hub shear and the car abruptly drops onto the Tarmac and then obviously runs over the wheel, flipping the rear of the car up into the air while he's still doing the better part of 60mph. It's a heart in the mouth moment, praying he doesn't roll it as it's now sideways and a barrel roll at this speed coming into the tight right hander will be awful. Thankfully it stays upright and ends up on the grass, from where the driver clambers out. Phew!

We decamp to a pub for dinner after a well earned glass of bubbly in the FISCaR tent and reflect on the days race and indeed the season itself. It really does feel as though we've now earned our stripes and the right to sit quietly but confidently on the grid, knowing we have a good little race car with drivers who are beginning to build some appreciation of what to do now. There's still lots to learn and we still have more development for the car planned, but we've earned our place on the grid and in the paddock. Thanks again to Ian for his partnership and Mav for crewing all year. (Thanks to Pete Shattock of crewing at Castle Combe )

Photos to follow...

Excellent write up and what was obviously a GREAT race - Congrats - You should have been a journalist

Mike Smith wrote:Excellent write up and what was obviously a GREAT race - Congrats - You should have been a journalist

Now that's another story...

Great report and the revitalised car sounds great, but hard luck for Ian with the brakes.

Great write-up Steve. I'd love to be doing what you're doing so your blow by blow accounts allow me to live it vicariously - thanks for taking the time to share

Great read and well done on an excellent season.

Kind regards.

Awesome stuff

Thanks for sharing.

Really enjoyed reading that, and as a spectator I can say that your efforts were very much appreciated, the Aston lost its rear wheel directly in front of our position at Quarry, my heart was in my mouth, goodnesss knows what the driver felt...Still he seemed good natured about it once he was out of the car. The spinning Ace and Healey which both nearly collected the stationary Aston made him flinch though...

Another excellent classic event and very good value to attend .

Andy

I agree with you Andy, Castle Combe put on a great little meeting and it's good to have as our local track. And, as usual, what a gripping race report Steve. Here's another shot of your little race car defying the "might" of the big Astons.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the warm words everyone - I really enjoy writing the race reports as it gives me an excuse to relive the race a second time. Andy I'd forgotten about the Healey and Ace - how they missed each other I don't know!

The thing that struck me about Jeremy's excellent photo is the heat haze from the rear of the 356 distorting the armco! Plus the fact that the 356 is nice and flat despite the fact that we're now turning into the corner, unlike the barge like heave we used to experience!

The race calendar for next year is already in the diary: Donington Historic Festival, Silverstone Classic, Spa Classic, Autosport 3 hour, plus the Spa six hour if money and time permits.

Happy chappies!

The grid…


When the flag drops! Note how much ground Steve made up in the blink of an eye!!


You couldn't get a fag paper between them for most of the race (sorry for crap photo!)
Look at the angle of the Aston's front wheel. The strain in the wire wheel must be immense.


Brake linings looking slightly (!) the worse for wear:

It's a 356 race at Donington Festival next year with the three DDK affiliated cars.

We will be using Pre A in Pre 63.

Brakes should be sorted and power sorted on all three cars.

Now have to talk Bill Stevens and Tom Pead into doing it.

Will Stevens was very quick at Paul Ricard at weekend in SC.

Reality check for all of us.We want to sort some E Types as they get very upset.

Our main event will be Oldtimers GP where all the Germans turn up with there fancy cars and two races.

Thanks Keith, great to get some more photos of the race. Look how the back of the 356 squats as I drop the clutch, but it was worth it! Three cars off the start line and another two if the gap hadn't closed! The camber angle on that Aston was just like the red one that broke a hub - I can't believe the angle, especially when they have slight negative camber when static. Something is flexing in a major way on those Astons!

Looking forward to the Donington Festival John, it will be great to race against other 356's.

Cheers,
Steve