Daily Archives: July 26, 2015

Happy Birthday Cheryl – Marcos Mantis GT2

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After the successes of the Rover V8 powered Mantula Rover based Marcos LM400, LM500 and LM600 GT cars which won the 1995, 1996 and 2000 British GT Championships Marcos announced the Dunlop sponsored spec Mantis Challenge in 1998 with spec normally aspirated quad cam Ford V8 motors.

Marcos Mantis GT2, Britcar, Castle Combe

In 2002 racers Warren and Charlotte Gilbert (nee Osborn) established Topcats Racing in Westcott, Buckinghamshire which has become a leading contender on the British Endurance GT seen and a leading independent service center for Caterham, Corvette, Lotus, Marcos and Mosler cars offering everything from a full service to an LS7 engine transplant.

Marcos Mantis GT2, Britcar, Castle Combe

Today’s featured Britcar Class 2 Marcos Mantis is built around a space frame with a fiberglass body and is powered by a standard LS7, 7 litre / 427 cui V8 engine mapped to produce 505hp on 98 octane unleaded fuel which is transmitted to the rear wheels through a 6 speed Holinger sequential gearbox.

Marcos Mantis GT2, Head, Tilley, Britcar, Castle Combe

Additional features include electric power steering, quick fill fuel tanks, quick lift air jacks and spec 18″ Dunlop slick or wet tyres on center lock wheels, four of which can be changed in 22 seconds.

Marcos Mantis GT2, Britcar, Castle Combe

With a weight of 1050 kgs / 2315 lbs the car will reach 60mph in an ear splitting 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph.

Marcos Mantis GT2, Head, Tilley, Britcar, Castle Combe

Sam Head and Kyle Tilley drove the #26 car entry for most of 2011 and they are seen above at Castle Combe on the 27th of August where they finished a low 20th overall from a more representative 8th on the grid, this a month after Henry Fletcher and Raphael Fiorentino had finished 2nd overall and 1st in Class 2 at Spa.

At the seasons end the Topcats Class 3, 50 hp less, #36 Mantis finished 2nd in the Britcar Championship with Owen O Neill, Henry Fletcher, Jon Harrison and Raphael Fiorentino all taking turns at the wheel during the season and the #36 was classified 3rd with Jeff Wyatt replacing Kyle for one round at Snetterton and Neil Huggins and Jon Harrison being the cars drivers in the championship final at Brands Hatch.

Topcats appear to have retired their LS7 powered Mantis cars from competition at the end of 2012 after their 2 cars both now running in Class 2 finished 3rd and 11th in the Britcar Championship.

Wishing Cheryl a Happy Birthday.

Thanks for joining me on this “Happy Birthday Cheryl” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Desse. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Unreliable and Slow – BRM P201/05

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At the end of 1974 Rubery Owen pulled the plug on BRM, after initial BRM backer Alfred Owen had died earlier in the year. This should have meant the end of BRM but some how the team former manager Louis Stanley took on ownership and saved the team going into the 1975 season.

BRM P201, John Fenning, BRM Day, Bourne,

After Mike Wilds impressed everyone in the opening two races of the season, except Louis, Bob Evans was taken on as a replacement and the team appeared with today’s featured chassis #P201/05 painted patriotic red, white and blue and with a wide wing on the nose at the non championship International Trophy at Silverstone.

BRM P201, BRM Day, Bourne,

Bob finished 10th on this cars debut event and in four more attempts with this chassis finished a best 13th in the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix.

BRM P201, John Fenning, BRM Day, Bourne,

With a lack of funds Stanley BRM were recycling the best bits of their engines to keep their cars running and predictably this made the cars increasingly slow and unreliable.

BRM P201, John Fenning, BRM Day, Bourne,

After failing to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix, missing the British Grand Prix completing just one lap of the Austrian Grand Prix Bob qualified 20th for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

BRM P201, John Fenning, BRM Day, Bourne,

However #P201/05 never left the grid on it’s final public appearance due to an electrical issue and the BRM’s failed to show up at the last two races of the season.

BRM P201, BRM Day, Bourne,

Louis Stanely entered the older #P201/04 for Ian Ashley at the 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix where the car inevitably retired after qualifying on the back row of the grid and #P201/04 was wheeled out once more at the 1977 South African Grand Prix where Larry Perkins qualified 22nd and finished a surprise 15th.

John Fenning is seen in these photo’s at the wheel of #P201/05, at BRM Day Bourne, which now has a 1974 style shovel nose and airbox and is painted in the 1974 green and silver livery.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unreliable and Slow” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Marcos Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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