360 Motor Racing Club Snetterton 6hr This Weekend!

This weekend sees the annual endurance race we have all been waiting for – the 360MRC 6 hour…Paddock42 caught up with Claire Smith from the club to see how the meeting is shaping up…

Paddock42: Hi Claire, nothing like a quick interview as your preparing for the big event! How was the take up for this years meeting?

“We had 30 provisional entries this year, but like many things we have had some attrition and now we only see 23 take the start. If you ask me why that many drop out I would have to say that I don’t think people realise what it takes to put a car on a grid for a six hour race. Its not the entry fee its what else goes into it and when they add it up …if a couple of their friends say no, then its a big ask and that coupled with the Holiday Season sees the excuses come in! But that’s motorsport for ya!”

Paddock42: We appreciate the organisation that goes in to a meeting like this, what have been the challenges for this years race?

“Its been tough over the last few days for us because our number one Clerk David Brice was taken ill this week and is in hospital, it was a great shock to us, Elaine his wife was all apologetic which is typical of her and we were like “don’t be daft …don’t worry about it – he is the important thing!”. It means they miss this race for the first time and we all at 360 and the whole team including the marshals etc will miss them and wish then all the very best for a speedy recovery. We are fortunate though because, our dear friend Julian Floyd who clerks the Fun Cup and indeed The Silverstone Classic has agreed to step in after I begged him for hours on the telephone. It will be like old times actually with Julian and I’m looking forward to working with him again and we love him and thank him for stepping in.”

“Luther Blissett, who usually drives our safety car said “Sorry I wanna do the race itself!”

Paddock42: The meeting is a favourite for many, are there faces old and new coming back this year?

“Wow we have had a lot return to us, and we see several coming back including Rikki Cann in Rosie the Aston, with the exception of the first 360 he has been with us every race including the baby 360 – he won the 360 in 2011. Carey Lewis and Midway Motorsport return this year with an ex championship Rover 216GTI, this is the car that won a round of applause in the video because they changed an engine and got it back out on track. Carey is also bringing another Rover (a Tomcat) as well. It is great to see Les Ely come back to the fold in that beautiful BMW 2000…lovely car and a smashing guy ..really good to see him back. and of course, 360 wouldn’t be the same without Ed Simpson. But we also have Nick Jarvis return in a Golf GTi Mk2 ….”

“New faces…well we welcome The Sim Family racing with us for the first time with an Austin A40, father and two daughters…good to see the girls having a go. We were very pleased to help out Riseden Properties who wanted to help Brooklands College, so they will be supporting two cars, a Fiesta and Malcolm Macadams in his Mazda. And we must say a MASSIVE hello to Luther Blissett, who usually drives our safety car but said “Sorry Claire…I wanna do the race itself!” ..I cant argue with that !”

“We have the two charity cars entered and once again our very good friends at Radio Le Mans will be in the commentary box as well as the cars…with some very special guest drivers all in aid of our chosen charity, Cancer Research…it means a lot to me personally this year, but also there are several people I know within Motorsport and elsewhere who are suffering or have suffered because of cancer…so its a great cause for us.”

“A favourite, that is the one I think stands a good chance, is the 330Diesel M Sport of Mike Watsons. It was supposed to be in last year but it had problems, this year its good to go and to be honest, I don’t think you can get much better for an Enduro. Its not the fastest but its no slouch and its a true workhorse, I drove my one from southern Spain to London non stop for 22 hours and the average speed for that trip read 85 when I got it home…it didn’t bat an eyelid…so watch out for it!”

“We don’t have BTCC antics in our race, I will come down like a tonne of bricks on anyone who drives like that – its not a sprint!”

Paddock42: There several classes on the grid – what type of racers can we expect to see?

“Well I hope motor racers !! Seriously multi classes is what we like and what we promote. Remember you have some professional drivers out there and you also have novices, but the main thing that is always said is that first and foremost they are there to have fun, We don’t have BTCC antics in our race, I will come down like a tonne of bricks on anyone who drives like that – its not a sprint! This year there are several M3’s but you cannot rule out anything, will be good to see the GT6 make a show. The Relay class looks like its going to be fun…we will have to see what happens though.”

Looking forward to seeing Roger Williams (Mr Willhire) again, he will be dropping the national flag to start the six hour, I got to interview him for the programme, he is a great guy, good laugh and partly responsible for the 360 ever coming about.”

Paddock42: There are always lots of people involved in a meeting like this – anybody you would like to thank?

” Id like to say a massive thank you to Ten Tenths, they are our rock who keep us going, Radio Le Mans, Eve and John Paul Tarsey and the whole team, for believing in us and supporting us every year …he only was gonna stay for an hour – now he’s in the race AGAIN! Dunkie and Jules, always working behind the scenes, to Carol for making sure our paperwork is all ok and in the correct place, to John Smith, without you this would never have happened and most of all to the girls and boys in Orange not just for our race but for all the racing …. you know we couldn’t do it without you.. and I thank you on behalf of anyone who loves the thrill of Motorsport..Ta”

Paddock42: Many thanks Claire have a great meeting and we looking forward to publishing the results next week!

For more info on this great meeting go to www.360mrc.com.

All images courtesy of the 360 MRC.

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