Chris Beighton Wins AMOC 2002 Championship -

Lighthouse Anglo-American Thoroughbred Challenge Series

Chris Beighton took the 2002 Anglo American series Championship in fine style, amassing a points total on the way that won’t be

matched for some time! Having tucked away a couple class wins in recent years, Chris with race engineer Jon Finnemore, stormed

through this season taking 6 wins and one second from the 7 rounds completed (2 being cancelled). Closer to home Chris took

the winners laurels for both rounds of the Chasestead Sunbeam Challenge (for Tigers & Alpines) winning in pretty spectacular fashion

the second round at Brands Hatch in September and by so doing scooping the quite magnificent ‘Mike Windebank Memorial Trophy’

generously donated by Mike’s family.

The following digest of each race gives a good idea of how Chris with his team built their outright Championship victory for which I am

grateful to the contributors noted. Chris tells me he has put together a new race team for 2003 which will run as "Team Tiger" and

more news on this plus a link to Chris Beighton's "Team Tiger" will be posted shortly.

 

WELL DONE CHRIS AND JON

Round 1 – Mallory Park, April 28th. With thanks to the Ralph Avis website and Anon

“In race 5 at an absolutely soaking wet Mallory Park, Ralph Avis managed a strong third place behind the extremely quick Tiger of

Chris Beighton. This was despite not being able to see much through a badly misted screen! Mike Adams took the winners spoils but

only after a crafty last minute change to wet tyres in the holding area. This enabled him to come home a full sixteen seconds in front

of the Tiger who posted posted the fastest lap of the race at 1:01:407. " A strong drive by Chris Dratcott saw him in to 4th spot".

 

 

Top six results for Round 1

1

6

Mike Adams

Jaguar E Type

2

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

3

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

4

27

Christopher Draycott

Sunbeam Alpine V

5

37

Justin Maeers

Triumph TR3

6

66

Luke Wos

Reliant Scimitar GTE

Chasestead Sunbeam Challenge – May 6th. With thanks to the Rod Birley website

“Rod was entered to race a Tiger owned by Chris Weedon of Barwell Motorsport. It has a 4.7ltr or 289 cubic inch small block Ford V8

engine. 13 inch wheels, disc brakes on the front and drums on rear. Four speed gear box, 0-60 in 3 weeks, no seriously, we don't

really know but somewhere in the region of 5 seconds. One of 120 known to be left in the country and partaking in a race with 14

other Tigers. Imagine the rumble!

Practice for race one was in Chris's Tiger and put Rod second on the grid beside Beighton in his super quick Tiger. This car has

discs all round, a bigger engine at a full 5 ltrs and is much lighter in weight.

The second ever running of the Chasestead Sunbeam Challenge for Tigers and Alpines was a rolling start led off on the green flag by

an Aston Martin Vantage. This serenely pulled into the pit lane and Chris Beighton held the field along the straight. The lights went

from red to green and he was away up and over the horizon into Paddock. As they came round to complete the first lap it was Rod in

the lead and no sign of Beighton! He had over cooked it out back somewhere and fallen back quite a few places. However, it was only

a matter of time before he retook the lead in the 15 minute long race. At one point he opened a gap of around 10 seconds and

seemed to have a mechanical problem. This was our assumption because there was blue smoke coming from the rear and Rod was

catching at a rate of a second a lap. Not so, later Chris said he simply eased off and that the smoke was as a result of oil going back

onto the exhaust. It gace Rod and incentive though, 'cos he could see Beighton now and wa driving the nuts & bolts off the Tiger, he

could smell a possible win. Never did maybe next time!"

Top six places

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

2

38

Rod Birley

Sunbeam Tiger

3

39

David Smallridge

Sunbeam Tiger

4

99

John 'Bomber' Harrison

Sunbeam Tiger

5

42

Simon James

Sunbeam Tiger

6

32

Tristan Bradfield

Sunbeam Tiger

Round 2 – Brands Hatch, May 6th. With thanks to Autosport and Anon.

"May bank holiday saw rain, wind, brilliant sunshine and some classic racing. Sunbeam Tiger racer Chris Beighton was a busy man,

winning two races on Sunday and adding a third on Monday. A large contingent of Tigers took on the Anglo field and whilst the

weather did for several entries, Chris Beighton having launched his Tiger at the start never had to look back and drove to his first win

of the season." David Smallridge (sponsor of the earlier Chasestead Sunbeam Challenge) pushed hard to pick up a deserved 5th.

Top six results for Round 2

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

2

6

Mike Adams

Jaguar E Type

3

17

Roddy Feilden

Chevrolet Camaro

4

39

Jim Forrester

Marcos 1800 GT

5

93

David Smallridge

Sunbeam Tiger

6

84

Don Salvage

Aston Martin DB4

Round 3 – Oulton Park, May 25th. With thanks to Motorsports News

“A damp track ensured that Chris Beighton was unable to unleash the full potential of his Sunbeam Tiger. Although he lead for most

of the Anglo-American race, a second lap spin by Mike Adams’ Jaguar E-Type at the foot of Clay Hill released Stephen Garner’s

Caterham and Ralph Avis’ Shelby GT350 to battle for second place. Garner piled the pressure on Beighton and nosed ahead into

Island on the seventh lap. Over Hilltop they were side by side, but Beighton went back in front as they braked for Knickerbrook and

stayed there for the remaining lap. Avis snatched second as Garner slowed out of Deer Leap!, the Caterham slowed allowing Ralph to

take 2nd place." John 'Bomber' Harrison had a great race in his Tiger coming home a strong 6th.”

 Top six results for Round 3

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

2

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

3

83

Stephen Gardner

Caterham Lotus Seven

4

6

Mike Adams

Jaguar E Type

5

39

Jim Forrester

Marcos 1800 GT

6

42

John 'Bomber' Harrison

Sunbeam Tiger

Round 4 – Snetterton, June 9th. With thanks to AMOC.

“Race 5 The Lighthouse Anglo-American Thoroughbred Challenge Race was as exciting as ever. Chris Beighton’s stunning

orange and black Tiger was on pole with Alec Hammond alongside with his Camaro Z28. Alec was a surprise starter

admitting to a “whining gear box rather than a whining driver for a change” in practice. Ralph Avis and Peter Hallford made

up the second row with that fast E-type of Mark Wright being the next Anglo car. Chris didn’t get it all his own way as Ralph’s Shelby

Mustang shuck past Hammond's Camaro but was unable to catch the winning Tiger finishing some five seconds adrift at the flag."

Top six results for Round 4

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

2

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

3

45

Alec Hammond

Chevrolet Camaro

4

26

Peter Hallford

Chevrolet Camaro

5

68

Mark Wright

Jaguar E Type

6

99

Simon James

Sunbeam Tiger

Round 5 – Mallory Park, June 30th.

Mallory Park - After a successful practice session, Chris was lying first on the grid, Alex Hammond in his Camaro was second and

Ralp Avis with his Shelby was third. After the lunch period in the second race of the day, a serious incident occurred involving a Alfa

Sud and another car. The Alfa landed up in the wall and very sadly the driver sustained fatal injuries. No further racing took place

Round 6 – Mallory Park, July 14th. With thanks to Ralph Avid and Anon.

“Sunday 14th July saw scorching weather at the Yokohama Classic Meeting at Mallory Park. Qualifying second, Ralph was in a good

position at the start. As usual Chris Beighton pulled away into the distance leaving Ralph only Mark Wright to battle with. The race

finished with Ralph in second place and the E Type of Mark Wright a close third.  Predictably, fastest lap of the day went to Chris

Beighton in his Tiger. “ His domination of this year’s Anglo series has put his overall Championship win beyond doubt.

The man should be crowned now.

(Interesting footnote read elsewhere - Chris Beighton’s latest Sunbeam Tiger ‘Evo 3’ caused a stir in the Roadsports race, until he

spun the five-litre monster at the Esses. “I’m a big fan of those foam barriers - the car was hardly damaged,” said Beighton, whose

priority is the AMOC Anglo-American Challenge)

Top Six Results for round 6

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

2

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

3

68

Mark Wright

E Type Jaguar

4

28

Pete Halford

Chevrolet Camaro

5

1

James Paterson

Morgan + 8

6

40

Tim Bryan

Morgan + 8

Round 7 - The Rockingham meeting was cancelled.

 

Round 8 – Silverstone, 28th September. With thanks to Anon and Ralf Avis website.

Chris Beighton was peerless in the Anglo American Challenge as he powered to his 6th consecutive win of the season. His complete mastery of this year’s Anglo series has been a joy to behold and his outright 2002 Championship victory today is completely justified.

 

"The actual race was fairly un-eventful. It began with a rolling start and Ralph followed Chris Beighton for about the first three or four

laps. Beighton's Tiger gradually pulled ahead of Ralph, so Ralph eased up knowing there wasn't anyone behind him and finished the race in second place. Steve Beighton in his Marcos Mantis was running third at one point but he came off on the last lap"

Top six Results for Round 8

1

81

Chris Beighton 

Sunbeam Tiger

2

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

3

6

Mike Adams

Jaguar E Type

4

24

Rupert West

Ford Mustang

5

87

Andrew Marler

Lotus Elan

6

46

Harry Wyndham

Jaguar E Type

Round 9 – Donington Park, October 12th. With thanks to Autosport.

“Chris Beighton signed off his title-winning season with another victory in his Sunbeam Tiger. ‘Chris was just gone’,

accepted runner up Alec Hammond.”

 Top six Results for Round 9

1

81

Chris Beighton

Sunbeam Tiger

Championship Winner

2

45

Alec Hammond

Chevrolet Camaro

 

3

12

Ralph Avis

Shelby Mustang GT350

Class C Runner Up

4

63

Andrew Marler

Lotus Elan

 

5

38

John Young

Sunbeam Tiger

 

6

68

Mark Wright

Jaguar E-Type

 

Chris will not be taking part in the Anglo American Challenge again next season so that he can concentrate on other series including

Endurance in the UK and in Europe and competing with other cars in the 'Stable' such as Tony Eckford's Lister Le Mans Tiger.

More Later.

 

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