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Black Ph1 172 and Monaco 172 - Castle Combe



Both spotted today at the Combe, tidy Black Ph1 172 (pretty rare sight) and a Monaco 172 in Quarry Car Park.

I came home after the biggest crash possibly ever witnessed at Combe (Simon Norris in his Evo, crashed with one of the other Evos, both drivers ok I believe but the new pit-lane fencing probably saved a few officials lives)
 
no way he has smashed up that evo

No this is a slightly more race-able car, none of that Time Attack nonsense! Putting out about 500bhp I think, he runs it in the Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship.

I'll put some photos up later tonight but here is the car...

204660470-L.jpg
 
taken by a mate today

What happened to Chrissy (106)? Didn't see that.

Also which car did Simon tangle with, the Civic? I saw it happen but was on the opposite side so hard to see exactly what was going on, just a car flying through the air and tonnes of smoke everywhere.
 
  Seat Leon Cupra R
i think the second evo was infact chrissy's 106 to be honest mate from from what i was told unless there were 3 vehicles involved on camp!

i wasnt working today so cant tell you.
 
  53 Clio's & counting
ah fair enough matey,it said over the tannoy that it involved another evo,and i was watching 4 evo's at the front,then we heard the crash,then only 2 came past? maybe it was me dreaming lol
 
The monaco 172 could have been deedee's if it was on a Y plate, she said she was going up there today as Chrissy was racing.
 
  Seat Leon Cupra R
think that red and black thing used to be the start/stop lights that sit on the catch fence! thats going to hurt tomorrow!
 
s***s me up big time seeing those pics, that fence was only installed last winter. God only knows what would have happened if this occured a year ago, not even worth thinking about.

Speed differential in the Saloons has got to be looked at for next season, massive grids is great but not when you have 500bhp+ Evos lapping 106s/Minis more than once in a 15 lap race. This is the second huge incident this year involving the Evos (although previous one was two tangling together) which have been frighteningly close to being fatal...more worringly for spectators/officals rather than drivers who are relatively well protected.

I love Combe for being open, having no run off and for the fact that you can get so close to the action, but when things like this happen you feel a lot safer 100m from the track at somewhere like Silverstone.
 
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Clart

ClioSport Club Member
looks like it was totally his own fault too. Poor 106 was just minding his own business!
 
Why are the 500 bhp Evo's not in with the Special GT's??

Needs to be addressed by the CCRC imo
 
  Seat Leon Cupra R
there is a discussion on the combe forum saying that anything above 500odd should be in with the gt's but it'll probably be in the same situation but with the evo's being the slowest on track too!

good thing the catch fence was installed! hate the damn thing as cant see the sodding cars on test/race when working on the wall!
 
Why are the 500 bhp Evo's not in with the Special GT's??

Needs to be addressed by the CCRC imo

Indeed, but the Evos power is gained within the fairly strict regs that everyone works by, it's only when they are highly modified that they would need to move to GTs. Tim Hanlon nearly kept up with the Evos at the last meeting in his Ibiza 1.8, in no small part to him being a very very good racing driver, the time he gained in the corners was huge.

At the end of the day though it comes to down to driving ability...look at how Mr Norris gained his track position...

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a394/MartinMees/?action=view&current=Mov00235-1.flv

It was his second ever race iirc, driving a 500bhp Evo in one of the most competitive single-circuit series in the country, he's had numerous incidents at Combe before and not even in race situations.
 
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  53 Clio's & counting
looks like he turned in a fraction to early,then ran wide,would have been ok if the 106 wasnt there,

important thing though is everyones ok,metal can be replaced
 
  106 GTi
Yeap Monaco was Dee's. I have just spotted myself in the picture behind Chrissy's car in the Parc Ferme.

Was a horrible looking crash, Dee and myself where watching between Folly and Avon Rise when it happened, was busy taking pics when I saw the Evo in the air, as it came down we realised it was ontop of another car and it was Chrissy's and we ran.

Luckily by the time we got start finish line, Chrissy had walked out of the car and was on her way (walking) to the medical centre to be checked out.

The Evo's lapping 20 seconds a lap faster than everything else there is not good, argueably much to fast for the other classes. The main problem is the crap driving loads of understeer through the bends by some drivers all season and then using the power advantage everywhere else. The driving standards by some of them has been appalling all year, and Norris could have avoided the causing the accident. Only his second race in the championship I believe.

Even the marshall's commented how they new he came up and drove badly on track days.

Luckily due to some help from other teams we borrowed a trailer and got the car home last night (is driven to the circuit for races) was great how everyone helped out, while the arrogant t**t Norris stood laughing and posing in parc ferme next to his car for his crowd of fans laughing, poseing and joking after causing an accident that could have killed someone. Though I guess for him it will be pocket change for him to fix unlike the 106 which had Ian and Chrissy had spent all there hard earned to build, and the saving to rebuild will start.

At least Chrissy is fine and walked out of it and the little 106 faired much better than the Evo.
 
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^^^ Completely agree (as do most of the Combe regulars), the fact that he should have been giving the place back to Prebble before Camp because he completely cut Bobbies chicane is just another reason why it could and should have been avoided.

This on top of the other huge Evo crash this season has got to mean things are seriously looked at, at the end of the day only a fence built 8 months ago stopped this from being a horrific disaster. I think most could cope without 4 or 5 Class A (4WD) cars if it means the other 35+ cars can continue to enjoy what has traditionally been a very very enjoyable race series.
 
  Mk1 Ph2 1.4 RT !FOR SALE!
What an arsehole. If the gap isnt there don't try to go through it.
Absolutely awful driving, he should pay for the 106.
 
  Seat Leon Cupra R
it wasnt the first and wont be the last one to almost clear the circuit and land in spectator areas! have seen various photos of another accident a few years ago on a set track day for a top club where a car left the circuit at rise and eventually came to a hault 50m later on a marshals post on quarry corner!
 
  106 GTi
I was not aware of his Bobbies move till the early hours of the morning when I got home.

I dread to think what would have happened with out that fence was not there, or if his car had landed more ontop of Chrissy rather than just coming down on the bonnet.

With you on that, as soon as the Evos put there lights on to start lapping everything else all the drivers start having to look behind them rather than race. Bring back the closer racing for sure.
 
  106 GTi
Chrissy Lewis was driving her 106 GTi and was hit by Simon Norris in his Mitsibushi Evo 6, which went up in the air and landed back down on Chrissy.
 
Just goes to show "you can have all the gear, but no idea"

Endorsement time for Mr Norris I feel.
 


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