Chevron® Racing

Great Result For Chevrons In British GT Finale!

Chevron Racing — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:03:14 +0000

Chevron entered two GR8′s in the 2-hour final round of the British GT Championship at Silverstone yesterday and ended their first British GT season with a class win both in the race and in the championship!

The two cars driven by Jordan Witt & Anthony Reid, and David Witt & Ray Grimes, qualified 19th and 28th respectively.

In the race, a faultless performance from all four drivers resulted in a class (GTC) win and impessive 15th place overall for the lead car of Jordan Witt and Anthony Reid on a circuit where the little car suffers a distinct power disadvantage – all the cars ahead of Witt/Reid were the more powerful GT3 cars from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche etc.

Likewise, David Witt and Ray Grimes making their dubut in the series, drove a great race, bringing the #2 Chevron GR8 home in 21st overall out of 30 classified finishers.

: Ray Grimes sits on the grid at Silverstone prior to his first ever British GT stint

GR8 Featured In Spa Racing Festival Poster

Chevron Racing — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:09:34 +0000

A new poster advertising the Racing Festival at Spa Francorchamps on 30th September, 1st & 2nd October, includes David Witt’s Chevron GR8!

Click the image to enlarge in a pop-up window, then right click on that and select “view image” to open the full size image in the browser.

GT Cup Anglesey, Double Win For Jordan!

Chevron Racing — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:12:49 +0000

Chevron Racing Cars continue their giant-killing, any circuit, any conditions rich vein of form – with ‘dad & lad’ podiums in the GT Cup at a dry Anglesey Circuit this weekend, from second-in-class David Witt and double pole and race winner, Jordan Witt.

And with 2011 wins at a soaking Brands Hatch, a pole at Donington Park and pole positions and this double win at a dry Anglesey International, the Chevron GR8 has proved it’s more than a match for the Ferrari 430’s, Porsche 911 GT3’s and TVR supercars, in any weather, on short or long tracks, for a fraction of the cost – even carrying 60Kg of success ballast.

Chevron young gun, Jordan Witt, 20 – back from his terrifying 110mph, 30g shunt at Donington, in his freshly re-built GR8 GT – took pole position in qualifying and led both races from start to finish, even with the extra 60Kg ballast on board. He took the chequered flag and victory, unchallenged, by over 40-seconds in race one and by 10-seconds in race two in the revived Chevron GR8 GT. And his father, David Witt, racing in the other Chevron car, took second place in class two – making it a father and son podium celebration for the Cheshire-based team.

This double win in the dry by Jordan’s GR8 GT and David Witt’s Chevron car second place in class has silenced critics who claimed the car was ‘only good in the wet,’ after its superb win at Brands Hatch in the team’s inaugural GT Cup race at a soaked Brands Hatch in July. And, with another win and more podiums under their belt, without any technical or mechanical problems, the Chevron GR8 is proving to be as reliable as it is successful, and affordable.

Jordan Witt commented: “It’s another fantastic result for us, to be quickest in qualifying, take pole and win both races felt easy, even with the ballast and a full tank of fuel on board. We made a few small changes to the set-up after testing on Friday, and then the car was absolutely perfect – the car felt like it was on rails and it’s a great feeling, particularly at the wonderful Anglesey!

Oulton Park Gold Cup – Another Double For Burton!

Chevron Racing — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:54:14 +0000

John Burton drove his 1974 Chevron B26 to two convincing wins over Charlie Kemp’s Lola 210 in both Martini Trophy races at Oulton Park’s Bank Holiday Gold Cup meeting.

In race 1 on Sunday Burton, starting from 3rd on the grid, quickly got past Dodd’s Chevron B31 on the first lap then disposed of Kemp’s Lola going into Old Hall at the start of lap 2. From thereon it was a demonstration as Burton consistently lapped around a second faster than his nearest rival, finishing over 15 seconds in front of Charlie Kemp at the end and taking the fastest lap of the race with a 1:39.827 at an average of 97.08mph!

John Burton's Chevron B26 dominated the Martini Trophy races at Oulton Park

Race 2 on Bank Holiday Monday saw Burton starting from pole (the grid taken from the finishing positions in race 1) and leading from start to finish in another demonstration drive! Not bad for a man who celebrates his 70th Birthday this year!

Duck Race 2000!

Chevron Racing — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:27:47 +0000

Chevron Fabricator Paul Heath’s Cricket Club, Chelford Cricket Club in Cheshire ran their fund-raising duck race for the second year in succession on Bank Holiday Monday! 2000 “rubber” ducks started the race down a stream in the village. Many of Chevron’s staff, associates and friends entered ducks in the race, hoping to net the £200 prize fund, and Chevron sponsored a bridge along the course.

The Duck Race field races under the Chevron Bridge at one of the fastest sections of the course!!

With 2000 highly competitive ducks in the field there was bound to be some attrition and many of the entrants finished the day wondering who was going to foot the bill! There were some really good paddlers in the race down the rapid flowing stream…

More to come, including the official result and more pictures, later…

Donington GT Cup

Chevron Racing — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:23:13 +0000

Chevron Racing Cars rising star racer, Jordan Witt, 20, survived a massive 110mph, 30g crash in his Chevron GR8 GT on the pit straight before Redgate corner at Donington Park this weekend – but, thankfully, walked away un- scathed, proving what a safe and strong car the compact GR8 race car is, even in such a high speed racing incident.

The weekend was going perfectly for Chevron and youth race sensation Jordan Witt (www.jordanwitt.com) – with the diminutive, heritage-rich GR8 GT qualifying for its first pole position in GT Cup despite the extra 60kg of ballast the car was carrying from its win last time, again beating the Ferrari 430’s, Porsche GT3’s and other supercars.

Then, at the start of the first race, disaster struck, through no fault of his own, in an incident involving a Ferrari 430 driven by ‘Secret Millionaire’ star, Gary Eastwood at the challenging turn one, Redgate.

Jordan said: “Most unfortunately after getting into pole position, Gary Eastwood in his Ferrari 430 made contact with me, just after the start line before the first corner at ‘Redgate.’ The high-speed impact plunged me backwards into the inner circuit concrete wall. It was quite a shock. The impact data from the in-car telemetry systems shows the car was at 110mph and pulling 30g when I hit the wall. The crash energy was so high, it broke the wall in three places and sent me bouncing back across the track in front of other cars, into the outside gravel. Very fortunately, I got out with no injuries apart from a minor one to my elbow. And most sadly, the race car is a mess, but it is our intention to be back out racing at the next British GT race at Rockingham on 03/04 September.”

Gary Eastwood was black flagged by the Clerk of the Course, and after three laps, eventually came into the pits and was removed from the race. His race license was later endorsed.
Chevron’s Managing Director, Helen Bashford-Malkie said: “Obviously, it was most disappointing when Jordan had got the Chevron onto its first pole in the GT Cup and we were all very worried that he was going to be OK after such a big crash. But we were very pleased the Clerk of the Course saw fit to address such a serious accident in such a prompt and efficient manner. And, on the positive side, we were extremely pleased with how safe and secure the GR8 is in such a massive impact. Whilst the car may have looked a complete mess after hitting the wall at 110mph, and having been hit by the heavier Ferrari 430, the safety cell remained perfectly intact and our roll cage protected Jordan perfectly. I’ve seen much lesser crashes result in far more serious personal injuries in my time racing, and we are all glad Jordan is OK.”

“We are focusing now on re-building the GR8 for the next round at Rockingham, just a few days away, and hope to continue our run of success with the new, exciting GR8 race car – which is getting some great results against established names and racers. Jordan is a superb driver and we are very confident the Chevron GR8 will continue its run of success, just a few months since we launched the new race car,” Helen added.

Chevron Racing Cars made a stunning race debut in the GT Cup Championship (www.gtcup.co.uk) in August – with an inaugural victory in the ballistic Chevron GR8 GT at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit. Jordan Witt, took a huge victory – by over 11 seconds – in the second of two sprint races in the Chevron GR8 GT Car, blitzing Ferrari 430’s and Porsche 911 GT3 racers to take the chequred flag in style, in the pouring rain.

The GT Cup Championship Sprint (25 minutes) and GT Trophy Endurance Series races are designed for GT Cars with both up-and-coming racers, like Jordan, and “gentleman drivers,” like his father, David Witt – who was racing alongside his son at Brands Hatch in the Chevron Challenge Car in August. The Challenge Car runs mainly the same high specification as Jordan’s Chevron GR8 GT Car, with a re-worked version of the GT version’s full aero pack.

Unbelievably given his pace and success already, Jordan Witt has only been racing competitively for twelve months, in the Dunlop Sport MAXX Cup, Chevron GR8 Challenge and in the epic British GT Championship, in the Chevron GR8 GT. And, as well as his recent crash at Donington, the Cheshire race ace has also just recovered from a dose of the mumps and a serious bout of conjunctivitis prior to the Brands Hatch GT Cup races. But that didn’t stop him taking the c260 bhp, 750Kg Chevron GR8 GT to a historic inaugural victory in the second of the two sprint races, and getting pole position at Donington Park before the crash. The future is bright for young Witt, and the Chevron GR8.

Tim Schrick “falls in love” testing Chevron GR8 at Donington Park!

Chevron Racing — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:17:27 +0000

German racer and TV presenter, Tim Schrick said “I’ve fallen in love,” testing the award-winning Chevron GR8 Challenge Car at Donington Park circuit this week.

Tim was testing the thoroughbred GR8 ‘Gran Rapida’ race car – the first new GT Chevron race car since the original race winners created by Derek Bennett during the 60′s and 70′s – for European TV show, Turbo Automagazin, on Sport 1, and for an article in www.roadmagazine.co.uk

The talented, German, lightweight race ace soon got to grips with the talented, British, lightweight racer GR8, in perfect dry conditions on Donington Park’s 1.953-mile National Circuit, doing a best lap of 1m19s – “not at full throttle for a whole lap.” The test and TV filming took place at an RMA Track Day, with a plethora of high performance supercars and modern and historic race cars on track. Undeniably, the GR8 was the quickest car out on circuit, in Tim’s and Chevron racer, Jordan Witt’s capable hands.

After his test in the GR8 Challenge Car, Tim Schrick said: “I’ve fallen in love with this car. It’s so beautiful to drive. It’s such a nice car, and right up my street, as a racer. The grip levels are amazing. And the little car is so stable, with a stiff, direct and totally connected steering feeling. It feels very nimble, and it’s so loud and exciting inside, with a very, very nice sound from the Cosworth two-litre engine. You have 260bhp on tap and even here with these great cars on track, you can play with anyone, and not get beaten.”

He continued: “The car is so light, it’s amazing. It feels very, very stiff, which usually makes a car hard to find the limit in, but this is not the case with the Chevron, where it is very easy to know where the limit is and hold it there. It is a very, very fast car in the corners and offers really late, hard braking, with a really good feeling for the driver. The Hewland (JFR five-speed sequential) gearbox is so fast also, with an autoshift at 8,250rpm, so you waste no time at all between gears, up or down shifting. It’s just on it.”

Tim summarised: “The Chevron GR8 is a real, true race car of course. Chevron have used the best partners for suspension, brakes, engine and have created an amazing chassis… making a perfect race car package. It is very affordable too, I think. The seating position is like a Formula car, with its laid back seat; sitting so very low in the small car. It’s so loud, fast and a lot of fun. I have fallen in love with this car. It’s such a beautiful car to drive.”

The Chevron Racing team also brought along a stunning, freshly finished B19 Works car – a brand new, 2011 car, built to the same exacting standards and design that Chevron-founder, Derek Bennett had for the original in 1971. This model is powered by a Cosworth FVC 1790cc engine and comes with a Hewland FT200 gearbox, finished in a bright orange and black race livery. It costs £125,000 (+ VAT). Tim was deeply impressed with this “Old timer classic,” spending time away from the TV cameras to discuss the specification and re-build process with Chevron team members. The B19 will also feature in the Turbo Automagazin TV program and Road magazine article, both due to air later this Summer.

Chevron said: “The TV filming and Road article were great to be involved with and it was fabulous to meet Tim Schrick and see him so enthusiastic about the Chevron brand, and our race cars. We are really pleased Tim enjoyed his time behind the wheel of our new race car, the GR8, and also admiring the re-built classic Chevron B19. The GR8 has all the great Chevron DNA and heritage, but with a modern interpretation, specification and equipment, to give a 21st Century race car experience, which Tim really got. The GR8 was designed by Paul Brown and Lester Allen (of Bentley and Aston Martin fame) and is based upon the beautiful Chevron B8. We’re delighted to have seen the GR8 recognised by Evo Magazine as their track car of the year in 2010, beating a very competitive and distinguished field. And this high praise from a racer of Tim Schrick’s international standards – on a car designed, developed and brought to the race scene in under 18 months – just gives us further confidence we are getting things right, as our results in the British GT Championship do, where the GR8 is beating cars in the class above it. It’s been a great launch for the new GR8 Chevron brand and we look forward to more great race results and media praise in the months to come. And we have lots of exciting projects in the pipeline too.”

The Chevron GR8 is available in Challenge Car and GT specification, from just £55,000 (+ VAT in EU) and £70,000 (+ VAT) respectively. And, for retro racers, the B19 Works Car is available from £80,000 (+ VAT), plus engine and gearbox costs (there are several specifications available).

Chevron GR8 is track car of the year!

Chevron Racing — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:01:20 +0000

Evo has named the Chevron GR8 track car of the year for 2010. Beating off competition from Ginetta, Westfield, Lotus and Caterham – a very powerful field that just shows how good the Chevron GR8 is. Some of our favourite quotes from Evo are:

“You’re at the heart of the action in the Chevron. There’s no slack and its engine envelopes you in its angry, rip-snorting bark”

“The GR8 delivers on every level, from the way it looks to the way it sounds and goes. It’s individual and manages to mix ’60s retro with the demands of today’s trackday driver.”

Jordan Witt

Chevron Racing — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:08:39 +0000

Jordan started racing in 2010 after only taking part in track days through the winter period. His first foray into motorsport was in a BMW 120D in class B of the Dunlop Maxx Championship and won his class. He also took part in four Chevron GR8 Challenge races in 2010 winning three and second in one.

For 2011 Jordan will race in the British GT Championships with ex touring car driver Anthony Reid in the Works Chevron GR8.

For a first season Jordan has shown superb natural talent and is respected by all the drivers who have raced against him.

We look forward to a great future with Jordan as part of the Chevron family.

Richard Piper

Chevron Racing — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:08:28 +0000

McLaren M8F . 2005 Orwell Supersports Cup Champion.

In Richards first year with us he won the 2005 Orwell Supersports Cup
As overall champion he ran in 2006 with #1 on his car and in
this second year with us he finished first in class and second overall !!
In 28 races with us Richard had:
19 first places
4 second places
3 third places
3 DNF
14 fastest laps
2005 overall champion
2006 1st in class, 2nd overall

Richard´s magnificent McLaren M8F

The view all the other drivers saw in 2005