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Britains fastest racing cars head to Aintree for final showdown |
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Monday, 03 September 2007 |
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There is less than a week to go before Britain’s
fastest racing cars arrive at Liverpool’s world-famous
Aintree venue for the final title-deciding round of the MSA British Sprint
Championship on Saturday 8 September.
Two drivers, Matt Oliver and Dan Pickett, will go into the event tied on points
for the championship lead, each in cars capable of matching the accelerating of
modern Formula 1 machinery. In a race against the clock and setting off one at
a time, their task is simple – set a time around the Aintree course faster than
the other and be crowned the 2007 MSA British
Champion.
<*>
<*>Adding to the sense of occasion, of course,
is the fact their showdown is being staged at Aintree – home to a horse power
of a different kind, the world-famous Grand National horse race and also
previously the British F1 Grand Prix in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
<*>
<*>Pickett has led the title race for much of
the season but in the most recent round Oliver kept up his late season charge
with another victory to level peg the scores arriving at Aintree.
<*>
<*>The event promises to provide the crowds
with a great spectacle of speed. The top single-seater cars – Oliver’s is a
4-litre Gould-Judd and Picketts’ a 3.5-litre Pilbeam-Judd – produce a
staggering 670bhp (almost seven times the power of a standard road car) and are
capable of accelerating from 0-160mph inside six seconds.<* /><* />
Oliver, a 22 engineer from Maidstone in Kent, has come along way since he
started sprint competition in a lower category with a Ford Sierra in a lower said:
“You never really fully get used to the experience – controlling the cars takes
a lot of skill and it feels like being strapped inside a rocketship on
take-off. The best thing to do is look as far ahead as possible and let your
eyes take in whatever they can.
<*>
<*>“It’s a great discipline for people to get
involved in as it’s accessible and then there’s the excitement of actually
competing. I started when I was still 17 and it’s a great buzz. Also, the
Aintree circuit is a great place to stage the finals as it’s a challenging
lay-out and also steeped in motor sport history.”
<*>
<*>Pickett, a 32-year-old power station engineer
from Dorking, Surrey is hoping for a spot of
rain. He said: “Matt’s car has got just that little bit more power so a bit of
drizzle wouldn’t go amiss as that would equal it up a bit – he wouldn’t be able
to use the extra engine torque. The Aintree course is one of the quicker ones
and this is probably the most competitive field all season so I’m sure it’s
going to be a very exciting finale for the crowds.”
<*>
<*><*>Event
Details:
<*>
<*>Location: 5 Miles North of Liverpool within
the Grand National course. Approach by A59 south of M57/58 junction, then the B5148 Melling Road.
<*>Organising
Club: Liverpool Motor Club <*>(<*>www.liverpoolmotorclub.com)
<*>Championships: SBD Motorsport British Sprint
Championship; Midland Speed Championship; ANWCC Championship; Longton &
District Motor Club Championship; Nottingham Sports Car Club Championship; and
the Chester Motor Club & Liverpool Motor Club
Speed Championship.
<*>Time
Table: Practice will start at approximately 09:30 with the timed runs to follow.
There will be a lunch break at approximately 13:00.
<*>Admission: The admission price is £3.00 with accompanied children free.
<*>
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