UK Legends Championship 2012 – Round 3 & 4

The 2012 UK Legends Championship rolled into the home of British motorsport at Silverstone during the Bank Holiday weekend.

The Horley based Nathan Anthony Racing team continued on from where they left off at Brands Hatch with Lawrence Davey winning 5 out of the 6 races and only missing out on a ‘full-house’ of 6 out of 6 wins by just 0.03secs with Lawrence taking the 2nd place on the podium in the final race of the weekend.

The result leaves Lawrence 585 points in the lead of the championship with two rounds down and six to go.

In a weekend of challenging luck, team owner/driver: Nathan Anthony overcame some mechanical issues and produced a stunning performance.
Starting from pit lane, Nathan produced the drive of the weekend and overtook 12 cars on his way to 14th place and in the process set his weekends best lap time.

The Silverstone weekend also saw the debut of Tonbridge based Deme Cordell with the First4Vans.Com team.
With the 2012 season being his first in the Legends racing series, Deme finished the weekend with a career best of 12th in the final race of leaving him just 45 points of the lead in the 2012 Legends Rookie Championship.

With a 5 week gap until the next outing, the team heads back to Horley to strip the cars down for a re-build in preparation for the next round at the picturesque coastal circuit of Anglesey, in North Wales.

Nathan Anthony racing are sponsored by Horley based First4Vans.Com (part of the Nathan Anthony group of companies).

First4Vans.Com is Piaggio Commercial Vehicles only authorised dealer for London and the South-East.

Davey’s Brands Double Is The Stuff Of Legends

First4Vans sponsored Lawrence Davey should be nicknamed First4Legends after he raced past his rivals to win a
thrilling final last Saturday.

At the start of the big race Martin Lucas, one of four Belgians to grace the giant grid, burst through from the third row to lead Matthew Pape, Nathan Anthony and Nick Brace into Paddock.

Brace the hit the front to lead from Lucas, Anthony and Eliot Bunn, who was really making progress before the
safety car was deployed because David Jones’s stranded car had blocked the exit of the Graham Hill Bend.

The entire field telescoped into a tight, seething mass as Davey looked for a way through.

Soon after racing resumed the safety car was out again: John Mickel had spun at the apex of Druids and collected Nick Brace’s son Dean.

As soon as it peeled off into the pits Davey charged through to the front chased by Bunn. These two fought all the way to the flag but at the finish Davey was still just in front.

James Holman moved up to finish third ahead of Ben Power and ‘Faster Guy’ Guy Fastres.

On Sunday Davey went even better when he started the final from the 10th row of the grid – and yet by the end of the second lap was through to the lead.

Once in front he pulled away on a very wet track and went on to win by 10 seconds from Nick Brace, with Power third.

Report by Kerry Dunlop

RESULTS – SATURDAY FINAL (14 LAPS)
1. Lawrence Davey
2. Eliot Bunn
3. James Holman

HEAT 1 (4 LAPS)
1. Lawrence Davey
2. Richard Pocklington
3. Fastres

HEAT 2 (10 LAPS)
1. John Mickel
2. Eliot Bunn
3. Lawrence Davey

RESULTS – SUNDAY FINAL (12 LAPS)
1. Lawrence Davey
2. Nick Brace
3. Power

HEAT 1 (10 LAPS)
1. John Mickel
2. Lawrence Davey
3. Eliot Bunn

HEAT 2 (10 LAPS)
1. Richard Pocklington
2. Lawrence Davey
3. Dean Brace

First4Vans.com

First4Vans.com are proud to sponsor the Nathan Anthony Racing team. This is their first official marketing platform.

First4Vans.com offer a wide range of commercial vehicles where high quality, reliability and customer satisfaction are standard.

First4Vans.com specialise in high quality, one owner, service history vehicles in excellent condition.

Pre-delivery inspection, finance, warranties and after sales back-up is included with every vehicle.

Earthpound.com

The latest online auction site, Earthpound.com, were proud to sponsor the Smart Motorsport team at the final rounds at Brands Hatch. This was their first official marketing platform. It was a huge success with Earthpoound.com giving away free gifts to all race goers, and backed by a great set of results on the track, giving both Smart Motorsport and Earthpound.com a great end to the Season.

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The Italian Job

Phil Cooper head of Legends Europe has recently secured a new distribution deal for Italy. As 600 Racings preferred builder Smart Motor Sport are pleased to announce that we are currently preparing 7 Legends Cars as their first order to be completed for this championship. The cars are a mix of sedan and coupe models and are running a standard 1250 cc engine. Phil Cooper intends on rolling out more Legend cars in to Italy and other European countries.

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Pembrey 8th October

The Smart Motorsport, www.getanewvan.com team have made the long  journey to Pembrey, South Wales. This weekend will see the drivers compete in 6 races over the weekend.

Race 1……………..

Lawrence finishes 2nd!!

Race 1 saw Nathan Anthony start on the 2nd row, with Paul Simmons start on the 3rd row. Jess Gwynne started on the 6th row with Lawrence Davey starting on the last row.

On the start Paul Simmons lost an oil line covered the track in oil. This meaning that Paul’s race only lasted 4 corners. 

Nathan Anthony made a good start and was sitting in 3rd position untill he was passed by Team mate Lawrence Davey on lap 2. Nathan hit the oil while running in 4th position and spun off the track. Once he rejoined the track Nathan had lost a lot of positions and a recovery drive saw him finish in 10th place.

Jess Gwynne had a steady start from the 6th row and had a race long battle with Dave Ward and Steve Whitelegg. This battle saw Jess swapping positions and driving well to record a 13th place finish.

Lawrence Davey started from the last row of the grid. Before the race the rain came down and Lawrence decided to change onto almost wet tires. This was infact the wrong choice as the drizzle stopped. Lawrence drove from 16th to cross the line in 3rd on lap 2.  A number of laps later saw the tires over heat and Lawrence had no grip. The last 3 laps saw Lawrence drive steady to record a 2nd place finish.

Race 2………………..

With the first race grids reversed, Lawrence Davey started on the front row. Jess started on row 3 with Nathan and Paul starting at the back of the field.

Lawrence got a good start, and came out of the 1st corner in 2nd place.  Lawrence was having a good race with Dean Brace untill Brace lost all gears coming out of turn 1. This putting Lawrence in the lead. This left a 3 car train racig for the lead with Lawrence heading Mickel and Morton. On the last lap Mickel passed Lawrence down the back straight. Lawrence went straight back for the fight for the lead but doing so, got stuck on the back bumper of Mickel and this threw Lawrence off the track. Lawrence finished the race in 3rd whist on the grass.

Jess put her 3rd row start to good use and had a good race untill she was knocked off the track. This didnt phase Jess and she got her head down and fought through the field to pick another top 10 finish.

Nathan started at the very back of the field and on his fight though the field, he had a coming together with Nick Brace. Sufferig with car damage Nathan limped on to finish 15th.

Paul who also started at the back of the field, put his bad luck from race 1 behind him and had a good race with Nathan. Paul was putting Nathan under a lot of pressure but couldnt find a way past and fnished 16th.

Race 3………………..

With a DNF Paul started on pole position with Nathan on his bumper on row 2. Jess was on row 4 and Lawrence was on the very last row.

With a good start Paul headed the field into turn 1 from Nathan. At the end of the first lap Paul was in 3rd and the saftey car was called. On the restart Paul and Dean Brace had a coming together into turn 1 and Paul had to retire due to damage on his car.

Nathan started on row 2 and was leading when the saftey car came out. On the restart Nathan headed the field into turn 1 and was able to avoid the carnage behind him. The race was red flagged and this ment Nathan had to lead the field again on the restart. After a hard fight through the race, Nathan was hit by Steven Treherne and suffered further damage on his car. Although the car wasnt handling, Nathan was still able to finish 9th.

Jess who started on row 4 got a good start and had made up a couuple of places but as they entered turn 4, Jess was spun along with a couple of other cars. During the spin Jess had suffered damage to her steering so was unable to finish the race.

Lawrence started on the last row, due to picking up a lot of points from the heats got a very fast start and was sitting in 5th when the saftey car came out at the end of the 1st lap. On the restart, Lawrence managed to miss the spun cars of Paul Simmons, Nick and Dean Brace and was in 2nd behind Nathan. The red flags came out and Lawrence was re gridded to 4th. By lap 3 Lawrence was in 2nd chasing Dean Brace hard untill Brace made a mistake and Lawrence found his way into the lead. A race long battle with Peter Morton kept Lawrence busy, but it was Lawrence who came out on top over the line. This race win had ment Lawrence won the overall day and has closed within 500 points to the championship leader.

Next round Pembrey 8th/9th October

The Smart Motorsport/www.getanewvan.com Legends Cars racing team, are making the long drive to Pembrey, South Wales for rounds 13 and 14 of the Championship.  

2010 Legends Cars Champion Lawrence Davey (car #1) is currently sitting in 4th place in the championship and after closing 530 points on championship leader at the last round, another good weekend can see Lawrence jump into the top 3 in the championship.

Nathan Anthony (car # 29) is currently sitting in 13th place, 200 points behind 10th place. 200 points sounds a lot but in Legends Cars thats just 1 race worth of points. Nathan has also entered his car in the Team championship, which he is currently leading. Nathan can become the 2011 Legends Cars Team Champion at Pembrey.

Jess Gwynne (car # 39) has settled in well since joining Smart Motorsport mid season and has found her self picking up regular top 10 finishing positions. Jess currently sits in 16th place but with her current form, Jess could jump up the table by the end of the year.

Paul Simmons (car # 9) who has competed in a select number of rounds is sitting in 20th place, but is gaining more experience at each meeting. Last round at Mallory Park saw Paul pick up his best finish to date, a 6th place finish.

Good luck to all our drivers this weekend and we will be publishing all updates and results after every race.

Also a big Thank You to our partners who help the team and drivers throughout the season.  www.getanewvan.com , Blue Lizard Signs and Aim Higher.

Davey Closes In On Lead at Croft

Team Smart Motorsport/getanewvan.com made the long trip north to the technically demanding Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire to compete for honours in rounds 7 & 8 of the UK Legends Racing series over the May Bank Holiday weekend (28/29 May).

Spirits were high after a strong team showing at the previous rounds at Silverstone, and both Davey and Anthony set good race times during qualifying, posting the fourth and fifth fastest lap times ahead of the opening race. Unfortunately for Paul Simmons, his run of bad luck appeared to have followed him on the long trip north, and a first lap incident left him unable to post a time.

For the opening Heat, Simmons and Anthony lined up third and fourth with Davey occupying a slot on the ninth row of the grid. Nonplussed by this, Davey made an excellent start from the lights and fought hard for position as he battled through the field towards the main action with the leaders. Then, on lap six, Davey’s engine inexplicably lost power allowing the pack to filter past the defending champion as he struggled to bring his car home in 18th. Anthony and Simmons fared much better, Anthony scoring another top ten finish with Simmons just behind in 11th spot.

Davey’s engine was back running on all four cylinders for Heat 2, allowing the Hooley based rider to battle for a well deserved fifth at the flag after a race-long fight with championship leader Treherne and John Mickel.

Anthony, starting from the back of the grid for Heat 2 had a tough race, just managing to pip Whitelegg to 13th across the line. Paul Simmons faced another stiff challenge, and after a mid-field incident failed to finish the Heat, the damage such that he would be forced to sit out the Final.

Laurence Davey saved his best until last for Round 7, storming through the pack he clung to the tail of Treherne to claim his first podium finish of the day in a brilliant second place. Meanwhile, teammate Anthony had made a good start off the grid but a little over enthusiasm with the throttle saw him briefly take to the grass before planting his wheels back on the black stuff to come home in 17th.

With a new day and the three races of round 8 ahead of them came new hope of success. In Heat 1, Davey continued where he left on in Saturday’s Final, battling with Mickel and Treherne at the sharp end to finish second.

Anthony put in the race of his life, fighting hard with the mid-field drivers and was very pleased to score another top ten with ninth. Meanwhile, Simmons had worked through the night to repair his damaged car but struggled with a race set-up and retired from proceedings on lap 5.

The second Heat would prove to be the most disastrous of the season for the Smart Motorsport/getanewvan.com trio. Davey struggled and finished 18th, while Anthony was involved in a first lap crash whilst driving hard to gain third place. Simmons once again retired after opting for a non-competitive race set-up.

Paul Simmons took to the stands for the Final, a mixture of car damage and set-up issues forcing him to become a spectator for the main event of the day. Davey took the bull by the horns, using his vast experience to claim another podium finish just behind pole-sitter and race winner Brace and Mickel. Anthony came home in tenth, pleased with his overall result and weekend’s performances.

Despite a mixed bag of results around Croft’s demanding 2.1-mile course, reigning champion Davey has moved closer to the top of the table and heads to rounds 9 & 10 at Anglesey in Wales (2/3 July) in a very strong third position.

Croft Results

Round 7

Heat 1: 1. Mickel, 2. Treherne, 3. Belcher, 10. ANTHONY, 11. SIMMONS, 18. DAVEY
Heat 2: 1. Treherne, 2. Belcher, 3. Mickel, 5. DAVEY, 13. ANTHONY, DNF SIMMONS
FINAL: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Power, 17. ANTHONY, DNS SIMMONS

Round 8
Heat 1: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Mickel, 9. ANTHONY, 20. SIMMONS
Heat 2: 1. Mickel, 2. Morton, 3. Brace, 18. DAVEY, DNF SIMMONS, DNF ANTHONY
FINAL: 1. Brace, 2. Mickel, 3. DAVEY, 10. ANTHONY, DNS SIMMONS

Strong Weekend At Silverstone

Smart Motorsport’s Laurence Davey has now closed the gap on the leading trio of drivers in the 2011 UK Legends Championship. The Hooley-based driver scored a series of podium finishes during the difficult conditions in rounds 5 & 6 at Silverstone (7-8 May).

The Smart Motorsport/getanewvan.com team entered Silverstone in a vey strong position, but weather conditions on the Saturday were not in the teams favour, hampering progress throughout practice and qualifying around the National Circuit. The persistent rain left the asphalt in a slippery and treacherous condidtion, however, Laurence Davey set about the task to qualify in third position.

Teammates, Nathan Anthony and Paul Simmons were not so lucky. Anthony struggled to find an optimum set-up and had to settle for 15th, while Paul Simmons failed to gain enough heat in his tyres on the cold wet track, only managng to post the 18th fastest time.

As the lights went out for the opening Heat, Davey set the pace and looked to have regained every ounce of his 2010 championship winning form as he took the chequered flag in second place.

Anthony suffered through a wrong tyre selection post race on the wet but drying track. Spinning off the circuit on lap 4, Anthony regained his composure to cross the line in 19, one place behind teammate Simmons.

Davey once again set the pace in Heat Two, swapping places throughout a hard-fought race with Treherne who pipped the reigning champion to the post on the final lap.

Anthony, starting from the back of the grid, matched the lap times of the top three runners, but with heavy traffic ahead had to settle for 14th. Simmons, now with a good race set-up, kept up with the leading pack through proceedings to claim 12th.

The Smart Motorsport team went in to the Round 5 Final in a positive mood, with all three drivers confident with an excellent set-up. Davey just missed out on hattrick of podiums, taking the flag glued to the bumper of third-placed John Mickel.

Anthony, now in fine form, stayed with the top ten and finished 7th. His hard work did not go unnoticed, as the Horley driver was awarded the accolade of ‘Driver of the Day’, along with 200 points to his season’s tally.

Simmonds remained under pressure with the mid-field runners and finished 12th, securing valuable championship points.

Better weather conditions greeted the drivers on Sunday for Round 6 and with it, a substantial gathering of points for the Smart Motorsport team.

In Heat 1, Davey powered his Ford Coupe Legend through from the back of the pack, and after many position changes in the top 5 he finished in a respectful 4th.

Anthony did not get the start that he wanted and just missed the top ten, finishing 11th. Simmonds pushed Anthony over the finish line coming home 12th.

Davey once again showed championship winning form in Heat 2, his quick and smooth driving style elevating his outfit to another second placed finish.

After a hard-fought heat, Anthony forced himself back inside the top ten with 9th. Simmons was not so lucky, but despite being caught in a race incident, was happy to cross the line in 21st.

The Round 6 Final was to prove to be the most successful of the season in terms of points and team finishing position. It looked as if it may all go pear-shaped as a collision between two cars on the second lap saw a total of seven drivers eleminated at an early stage.

Miraculously, the Smart Motorspot trio came through unscathed. Davey finished 2nd, Anthony 5th and Simmonds 7th, to round off a great effort by the whole team over a difficult weekend. Davey now moves into 4th, just a handful of points from championship leader Stephen Treherne with 10 rounds still to go.

Pending an inquiry into the incidents at Silverstone, officials examined evidence before releasing Round 5 results on 14 May. Round 6 results will be made available in due course.

The team now heads to one of the most physically and technically demanding circuits on the calendar Croft in North Yorkshire, for rounds 7 & 8 over the May Bank Holiday weekend (28-29th May).

Silverstone National Race Results:

Round 5

Heat 1: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Pocklington, 18. SIMMONS, 19. ANTHONY

Heat 2: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Brace, 12. SIMMONS, 14. ANTHONY

FINAL: 1. Treherne, 2. Brace, 3. Mickel, 4. DAVEY, 7. ANTHONY, 12. SIMMONS

Round 6

Results held pending official enquiry.

Championship Standings:

1. Treherne (2640), 2. Brace (2340), 3. Mickel (2155), 4. DAVEY (2015), 11. ANTHONY (1355), 18. SIMMONS (755)

Catch all the action from Silverstone on Motors TV – Sky 413, Virgin Media 545

Round 5: Friday 27 May 6.55pm

Round 6: Friday 3 June 6.55pm

Check TV listings for further screening times.

Davey Strengthens Defence…

Davey Strengthens Defence Of His Crown

Race fans were treated to an Easter Weekend spectacular as the Legends series blazed a trail around the hallowed asphalt of Donington Park, Leicestershire for rounds 3 & 4 of the 2011 UK Legends National championship (23/24 April).

Smart Motorsport/Getanewvan.com’s Laurence Davey strengthened the defence of his 2010 crown with a series of solid podium performances, and despite two non-finishes due to technical problems has secured a top five early season position.

Nathan Anthony started the opening race of the weekend in pole position but as he launched from the lights became boxed out on the entry to Redgate. Despite this being Anthony’s first time at Donington, he drove a fast-paced race to stick with the leading pack to cross the line in a 7th, collecting 130 points.

Davey, battling through the field, passed teammate Anthony on lap 3 and set about hunting down race leader Treherne. Powering his Smart Motorsport/Getanewvan.com machine through the closing laps, Davey scored a well deserved 2nd place.

Paul Simmons’ run of bad luck carried over from the opening weekend of the season at Brands Hatch, suffering a drive shaft failure on the opening lap that forced the number 9 car out of contention.

As the air temperature rose, so the on-track action heated up with the second heat. Anthony was involved in a first corner incident, coming together with Eliot Bunn in car no.41 and was eliminated from the action. Davey, making a great start from midway down the grid locked horns with race leaders Treherne and Brace. After a series of lead changes, Davey finally managed to split the dominant pair of the weekend to finish on the second step of the podium. Simmons’ luck finally improved, and after avoiding the first corner incident stayed trouble free for the remainder of the race to finish in 14th.

The Round 3 Final saw Simmons make a strong start from pole to lead the opening exchanges for the first four laps as the drivers behind him jostled for position. The chasing pack, including his teammates Davey and Anthony continued to apply the pressure on the no.9 Smart Motorsport/Getanewvan.com outfit but through a determined drive Simmons posted his highest finish of the season to date in a commendable seventh. A strong weekend for Simmons saw him amass another 500 points for his championship cause.

The tide of bad luck appeared to have shifted within the team as Davey, fighting for the lead, blew an engine and his chances of a third successive podium finish. Anthony was locked in a mid-pack battle that saw him take the chequered flag in 9th, collecting more valuable championship points for the championship and the Smart Motorsport/getanewvan.com team.

With Round 4 taking place on the Sunday, the Smart Motorposrt trio of Davey, Anthony and Simmons looked for brighter fortune as they searched for improved finishing positions and more points.

Davey started the opening heat from the back of the grid, but with a fresh engine onboard made short work of the field ahead to cross the finish line in 4th. Nathan Anthony also made a solid start from the lights and running an incident-free race was pleased to bring the Smart Motorsport/Getanewvan.com Ford Coupe home in ninth. Paul Simmons was close behind, in 11th, after winning out on a photo finish call by the stewards.

Technical problems would strike again in the second Heat, forcing defending champion, Davey to retire on the opening lap. Anthony, starting from mid-grid ran a clean and consistent race. Jostling for position throughout the latter stages, Anthony’s persistence and determination prevailed bringing his car home in 8th. Simmons’ run of improved good fortune continued as he scored his second top ten finish of the weekend.

Drama unfolded yet again in the finale. Anthony’s Smart Motorsport/Getanewvan.com car was shunted from behind in the final corner of lap one. However, despite sustaining considerable damage to the front suspension and the car being rendered almost undrivable, Anthony battled on to secure 30 valuable championship points with a 17th placed finish.

Paul Simmons’ weekend took a step backwards in the final. Avoiding the first lap melee, the no.9 car was forced wide, into the gravel and retirement from proceedings two laps later. A stronger weekend for Simmons saw him amass another 500 points for his championship cause. With his engine running sweetly once again, Davey steered clear of the opening lap incident to bring his car home in sixth for an eighth place overall for the day and a further 305 points towards his season total.

Silverstone in Northamptonshire will host rounds 5 & 6 over the weekend of 7/8 May.

Donington Park Race Results:

Round 3

Heat 1: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Belcher, 7. ANTHONY, DNF SIMMONS

Heat 2: 1. Treherne, 2. DAVEY, 3. Mickel, 14. SIMMONS, DNF ANTHONY

FINAL: 1. Brace, 2. Treherne, 3. Power, 7. SIMMONS, 9. ANTHONY, DNF DAVEY

Round 4

Heat 1: 1. Treherne, 2. Brace, 3. Bell, 4. DAVEY, 9. ANTHONY, 11. SIMMONS

Heat 2: 1. Brace, 2. Power, 3. Treherne, 8. ANTHONY, 10. SIMMONS, DNF DAVEY

FINAL: 1. Brace, 2. Treherne, 3. Mickel, 6. DAVEY, 17. ANTHONY, DNF SIMMONS

Championship Standings:

1. Treherne (2040), 2. Brace (1865), 3. Mickel (1675), 5. DAVEY (1485), 10. ANTHONY (1155), 18. SIMMONS (575)

Catch all the action on Motors TV – Sky 413, Virgin Media 545

Round 3: Friday 13 May