SVG Motor Sport News
SVG Motorsport have had an amazingly successful year in 2011.
The season kicked off at Oulton Park with Andy Johnson (Golf GTI) and Mark Hope (VW Vento) representing SVG Motorsport. The SVG Motorsport Pre ’93 Saloon Championship was the closest race of the day showing that SVG can put on a great show as well as prepare great cars. Mark had a good steady race and brought the car home in the points.
Andy won his class in the Hammerite Classic Group One race and so started the title attack for 2011.
Next up was Snetterton using the new 300 layout for the first time. SVG fielded 4 cars with Andy and Mark being joined by Andrew Busby (BMW M3) and Chris Bright (BMW 325i) both cars are featured on our examples pages.
Andrew Busby came home 5th overall with 3rd in class, Mark continued to add to his points total, and Chris won class D with fastest lap. In Group One Andy won the class in both races and set fastest laps.
Now to Brands Hatch, one of the best loved circuits in the country. SVG put up a field of 6 cars and 7 drivers (see our front page) with the addition of Nick Haldane (Renault Clio) and Tom Dommett (sharing the Golf GTI with Andy). In Pre 66 Adam Burstow joined the SVG clan to race his beautiful Alfa Giulia and in the double header managed 3rd in class both times.
Saturday’s best race was a tense duel for the lead in the SVG Motorsport Pre ’93 Saloon Championship between series newcomer Colin Tester (Ford Sierra-Cosworth) and Jack Stanford. Again the SVG Motorsport name being associated with great racing.
The SVG boys didn’t disappoint either. In race one Mark and Nick took 2nd in class with Chris and Tom winning their classes. Andrew had a technical problem and had to retire. The SVG boys worked their magic having to go off site to get some welding carried out and fixed the car for race two.
In the SVG race 2 Andrew turned his weekend around and won class C with Mark coming in second. Chris, Tom, and Nick, all won their classes. This put Chris in the joint lead of the SVG Motorsport Pre ‘93 Saloon Championship with Andy Davies on 33 points each.
In Group One Andy had yet another class win and was now second overall to 2010 Champion Steve Cripps. SVG went home with 5 class wins on the day, testament to the preparation of the cars as much as the driver skills.
Onto the CTCRC’s own meeting at Mallory Park. Saturday saw one of the biggest downpours to hit a CTCRC meeting in many years with ducks walking around the paddock between the race cars. SVG Motorsport fielded 5 cars and with Nick and Mark not being present Tom swapped to the Renault Clio.
Luckily the weather improved and allowed some fantastic racing across all championships each of which had a double header.
Adam had an off in race one and damaged the front offside of the Alfa. The SVG support team worked on the car Saturday evening and had it back out on Sunday to provide another 3rd in class for Adam.
In Group One Andy also had problems in the first race but again the car was fixed so a class win was achieved on Sunday.
In the SVG Pre 93 races Andy managed 2 class wins with Chris and Andrew getting a class win and second place each. This moved Chris into the lead of the SVG Motorsport Championship.
Down to deepest Wales for rounds 7 & 8 at Pembrey. The SVG Motorsport Pre ‘93 Saloon Championship continued to thrill the crowds with the winners being just 0.458s apart at the flag in race one.
Another good weekend for SVG Motorsport with double headers all round. Andy had 2 class wins and was closing the gap on Steve Cripps in the overall Group One Championship.
In Pre 93 Chris had 2 class wins and was awarded driver of the day. Andrew and Tom both secured two 2nd in class.
The Championship now moved to Thruxton the fastest UK circuit. In Classic Group One Andy managed a class win but was kept honest by an ever improving George Young,
In the SVG Motorsport Pre 93 race Andrew was hampered by only have 3 out of 5 gears after qualifying. He elected to start from the pit lane and still finished second in class after a multi lap dice with Chris who went on to win his class. Nick made a welcome return and continued to add to his point’s total.
The drivers converged on Lincolnshire for the penultimate meeting of the year at the ‘mini Nürburgring’. Due to other drivers commitments only Andy and Chris ventured to this great track.
Andy went out and secured another class win in Classic Group One which got him in a position to take the overall title from Steve Cripps.
Chris had a brake problem in practice and went off into the Armco. Some frantic work from the SVG support team got the car back to Scrutineering and out for qualifying. Chris went on to win the class and set a new lap record in the afternoon thus extending the overall lead of the Championship.
The final races at Rockingham saw an October day hotter than the summer. The Classic Group One race was combined with the Autoglym Post Historic race and we had the strange situation of David Howard (Jaguar XJ12) clinching the Post Historic title and Andy Johnson taking the Group One title both in the same race.
SVG Motorsport Pre ’93 Touring Cars had two races and the title leader Chris only needed one point to secure it, but in racing nothing can be taken for granted and after a misfire throughout the day meant he only managed to obtain that one point.
Andrew had returned for the Rockingham races and clinched two 3rd in class thus giving him 5th in the overall SVG Championship.
To summarise an amazing year for SVG Motorsport this is what was achieved.
Andy Johnson – Golf GTI
Hammerite Classic Group One Championship Winner
Hammerite Classic Group One Class D Winner
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class E Winner
Andrew Busby – BMW E30 M3
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Championship 5th overall
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class C 2nd place
Chris Bright – BMW E30 325i
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Championship Winner
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class D Winner
Nick Haldane – Renault Clio
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class H Winner
Tom Dommett – Golf GTI
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class E 2nd place
Mark Hope – VW Vento
SVG Motorsport pre ’93 Saloon Class B 4th place
2010 Season Review
Now the 2010 racing season has now finished we reflect on some highsand lows through out another successful year.
Team boss, Andy Johnson and his crew have had a busy season,visiting ten or so circuits and various shows with their own and customercars. On the racing front, Andy has himself had a busy season. A goodrun in the teams MK1 Volkswagen Golf resulted the class D title inthe Group 1 Touring Car Championship and second spot in class E of theSVG Motor Sport sponsored Pre93 Touring Car Championship. A couple ofoutings in the Toyota Corona also saw Andy finish second in class inthe Classic and Historic Touring Cars.
It has been another successful season for our customers too. After afew early season problems Andrew Busby finished second in class C ofthe Pre93 Touring Car Championship in his BMW M3. Newcomer Tom Dommet,driving the SVG prepared BMW 325i, foundhimself a little off the pace in the early part of the season. Havingonly just made the step up from trackdays he would go on to finish theyear third in class. Also driving an SVG prepared BMW325i was Chris Bright. After getting acclimatised to his new mount agood run from Thruxton onwards saw Chris take second in class D for thePre93 Tourers.
Elsewhere,other SVG customers where having a good season too. Keith Wrightand his Morris Minor took third in class E of the Classic and HistoricSaloons and Luc Wilson and his A40 took class D honours in the samechampionship.
SVG Motorsport hasagain won a Best Prepared Car award!
The award was received at the annual Classic Touring Car Racing Club’saward evening. This time it was for the E30 M3 which SVG Motorsport prepareand run for Andrew Busby in the Pre-93 category.
A delighted Andrew said “This award is testimony to thehard work and dedication of everyone at SVG Motorsport and to the veryhigh standards which they continue to achieve. I am extremely pleasedfor all the team.”
Read about Andrews Busby’s BMW E30 M3
SVG Motorsport tosponsor CTCRC Pre93 Championship for 2010
SVG Motorsport boss Andy Johnson has signed a deal to be title sponsorfor the forthcoming 2010 Classic Touring Car Racing Clubs Pre 93 TouringCar championship.
Johnson said “This is a great opportunity to sponsor oneof the best supported CTCRC championships and one I consider will gofrom strength to strength over the next few years.”