Auto racing enthusiasts who stayed at Snetterton last Sunday to see the revived Autosport 3 Hours event were rewarded with an unpredictable and exciting contest. The race, scheduled to last for 180 minutes, started with a pole position margin of 2.6 seconds. Despite this, the wet track caused by a change in weather allowed TVR Griffith to be less effective with its V8 power, thereby favoring more nimble cars. The two outstanding performers around the 200 circuit were Oli Webb and Nigel Greensall.
Webb and Greensall Stand Out in the Contest
Webb, a 32-year-old professional driver, proved his skill by driving a two-liter Porsche 911, showing competence in handling cars that are different from his usual “office.” Despite qualifying 8.6 seconds off pole and 17.5 mph down through the speed trap in practice, Webb drove the car brilliantly, leading for much of the race. Greensall, on the other hand, showed impressive commitment in such conditions, making a significant charge that got him onto the same lap.
Strategic Pitstops Give Porsche 911 a Chance of Victory
Strategy played a crucial role in giving the Porsche 911 a chance of victory. Webb made the first of the car’s pitstops, handing over to owner Guy Ziser, during a safety car period that arrived just as the pit window opened. The TVR and front-running Lotus Elans did not, giving the Porsche an advantage of over a lap when the others finally stopped. Ziser was not as rapid as Webb but was consistent, eventually losing out to soloist Horatio Fitz-Simon’s Elan and the TVR as the two-hour mark approached. However, Ziser reacted faster than the other frontrunners and dived in to hand back to Webb, putting the Porsche back in front.
Final Safety Car Brings Greensall Within Range
The race was finely poised until a final safety car brought Greensall within range. While Fitz-Simon pressured Webb, Greensall closed in, taking the lead with just under 25 minutes remaining, followed by Fitz-Simon. The top three finished covered by 41 seconds, and there were five different types of cars in the top six, ranging from the fourth-placed TVR to the Morgan +4 in fifth.
The driving standards were pretty high, except for the small number of drivers who ran down the escape road at Brundle and then turned around to rejoin while facing the oncoming traffic coming down Bentley Straight. Nonetheless, the mix of little and large in the conditions made this an enthralling contest. The first era of the event lasted eight editions (1957-64) and winners included the great Jim Clark. The second era lasted for nine (2007-15) and was won by several of the top names in historic motorsport. It would be nice to stretch those numbers a little further, even if having a double Formula 1 champion on the winners’ list this time might be pushing it a bit.
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