Barry commented “it was one of the most testing things i have ever done, both physically and mentally as the heat was very strong – it compares to when i was training my hardest, when i was competing in the British Formula Renault Championship in 2002 and 2003 and had a personal trainer – only as this was an endurance event you had to keep going and going… Great fun though and we beat our friends who were also competing!!”

Back to the planning and organisation for the BTCC hospitality at Knockhill in August for the Sime Racing squad.

The 2007 Scottish Fiesta Newcomers Champion decided the time was right to progress up a championship after he had such a strong debut year in the Scottish Motor Racing scene last year.  Scott has again employed Paisley based motorsport specialists; Sime Racing & Engineering, to oversee his 2008 campaign.  Team owners Jimmy and Barry Sime have been kept busy in the off season sourcing a suitable Mini Cooper racecar for Scott to use and to ensure it complied with the Scottish Championship’s rules.

Morrison had his first taste of Mini Cooper power two weeks ago at an official test session at Knockhill and adapted well to the different driving style required.  Last weekend saw him back on track on the Saturday for a few more practise laps, before the official qualifying session early Sunday morning.  This decided the starting grid for race one and on a wet track Scott qualified a credible 8^th out of the 17 cars entered on the first weekend of the season.

Sunday was the first time that the championship was running to a Touring Car style triple race format which crams plenty of on track action into racedays and Sunday was no different.  The distinctive FHM liveried Cooper made a great start in the first 8 lap race, held in damp conditions, and was soon up to 7^th place.  Morrison held position for the remainder of the opening encounter, as did much of the top ten, most probably a case of the drivers aware that they had two more races left to run in this packed raceday!

The finishing positions of race one dictated the starting grid order for race two, and so Scott lined up 7^th in what was now a pretty dry track in the early afternoon.  Despite making a good start, one of his contemporaries also making the move up from the Fiesta Championship (Andrew Winchester from Aberdeen) overtook Scott on lap one.  Scott picks up the story: “After being ahead of Andrew all weekend I was keen to get back past him as soon as possible.  I was perhaps just a little too eager as I hit a couple of kerbs on lap two while lining up an move and this damaged a driveshaft which meant no drive and race over!”.  Not only had the driveshaft failed, but it had also smashed the back of the engine, which meant it was just too much work involved to repair before the start of race three.

Barry Sime summarised the weekend: “Scott had settled in well and the championship is certainly going to be hotly contested amongst the top ten or so drivers.  It was extremely unfortunate for the driveshaft to break and cause the extra damage, as we had a spare engine with us ready to install – the way the timetable worked though time any major repairs were always going to be impossible.  We weren’t the only car who couldn’t make the third race, with others requiring gearbox repairs also absent form race three.  The foundations are set for a great season though and it’s a long road till the final round in October.”

The off season period was also busy for Sime Racing as they dominated a recent Scottish Motor Racing Club karting “friendly” where several Scottish racing drivers met, including champions of the Mini series, past and present, and resulted in Barry Sime coming out on top at the end of the night and Scott Morrison finish in third overall.  Barry commented: “It is great to blow the cobwebs off and make the competition sit up and take notice of Scott himself as a new and rapid addition to the series and of course for myself, proving to the competition that I’ve still got plenty of ability and experience to call upon that Scott can continue to benefit from”.  

The next race is the last weekend in April, again at Knockhill, with the triple race format – The team will be looking to bounce back at this event and get some more decent results on the board.  They will again be hosting representatives from some of the companies involved with Scott Morrison and Sime Racing, including Reid Kerr College.  The races will also be televised throughout the year on the Motors TV channel for anyone who wants to view the action and can’t make it to the events.

Successful racing driver Barry Sime and Sime Racing MD organised two teams for the popular competition. In one team he was joined by former British Formula Ford Champion, Neilston’s David Brown, together with Barrhead’s Stuart Andrew. In the other team, Sime talked his Paisley racing driver protégé Scott Morrison into entering a team together with his brother Ryan Morrison of Nu Trend Floors and local chef Alan Ferguson. Both teams entered the hotly contested “professional” race which was held as a Le Mans style race with three drivers from each team sharing one kart and racing for 75 minutes, with the winning team being the one with the kart that has covered the most distance.

The “pro” race has become a who’s who in Scottish Motor racing over the years, when all the racing drivers get together for this competition in an effort to keep sharp, have some fun away from the pressure of the main racing season and most of all raise money for the children in West central Scotland at Christmas time.

The well deserving Charity has been busy at work since 1981 helping families in difficult circumstances to help give their children a positive Christmas experience. Barry first got involved with the charity, through Radio Clyde in 2000 and has been helping every year since. Barry commented “One highlight over the last few years was when Sir Tom Hunter bid several thousand pounds for me to instruct him round Knockhill racing circuit which was absolutely fantastic. This year our teams collectively raised just over £1,100 and the event itself raised around £10,000 all of which goes directly to the charity as Scotkart kindly donate their karts and facilities for the event for free.”

The race was extremely hectic and despite the “off season” timing, most of the drivers were taking the competition very seriously with each keen to win overall. As it was, the main Sime Racing team dragged the kart into contention for the overall win, but with a couple of professional foul’s when the kart was hit into the tyres, Barry, David and Stuart finished an extremely close third, with ironically one of the ex SRE Motorsport/Sime Racing drivers just taking the win. Morrison’s kart meanwhile was not too far behind rounding out the top five, with the two amateur drivers in that team putting in a solid drive to aid Scott on his way.

Barry and the whole Sime Racing team are in the process of working on Morrison’s new racing project which will be announced in due course, but will see Scott move up the Motorsport ladder in 2008. Watch this space!

Call Barry Sime on 0141 585 9260 or email info@simeracing.co.uk

* If you do not see what you need please try motorsportads.co.uk

The Clyde 1 DJs joined 20 other teams in putting the peddle to the metal at Scotkart, Cambuslang.

The standard of racing was incredibly high with only half a lap separating the top four teams in the professional race.  The Cash for Kids Grand Prix also saw the Scotkart lap record smashed not once, but three times as the Sime Racing Team took the fastest lap at 29.74 seconds.

Michael Doyle Racing took the chequered flag in the professional race completing 145 laps in the 75 minute race.  SAC Racing and Sime Racing took second and third respectively.

Catch Me If You Can won the amateur grand prix by completing 134 laps in the same race length.  Second and third place were taken by The Terrible Trio and Taggarts Tarts.

Stewart Matthews, Director, Scotkart said:
“The Scotkart Cash for Kids Grand Prix was incredibly successful raising nearly £7,000 for the charity.  Although this is a fun event some of the racing was of an incredibly high quality with our track record being broken by three different teams on the night.

The event, two La-mans Team Endurance Races, took place on Monday 3 December.  Competitors, in teams of three, could enter either the fun race for amateurs or compete against world-class drivers in the professional race.

Radio Clyde DJs George Bowie and Des McLean with fellow team mates Duncan Leven (Radio Clyde Production) and Paul Saunders (Programme Director) also enjoyed a high-octane evening of entertainment.

The 29-year-old Buddie will be competing at Knockhill in the final two races of the Scottish Fiesta Championship and goes into these last races with a healthy 22-point lead in the Newcomers Championship.

Although he’s not home and dry yet as there are 50 points still to play for, the championship will be his if he finishes in front of his nearest rival – Willie Davidson – in race one.

And that feat will taste even sweeter given that Davidson works at Knockhill full-time as one of the circuit mechanics and so has an intimate knowledge of the Fife track.

Morrison called on the services of Paisley’s other motor racing driver Barry Sime and his father Jimmy last year after winning a competition in FHM Magazine as the Sports Car Driver of the Year.

After he sold his prize of a Vauxhall Astra VXR to fund the purchase of his Fiesta racing car, Sime Racing have been preparing and running the car at races throughout 2007.

He secured a stunning fifth place on his debut and has continued to drive well during the season, giving the more seasoned competitors a real run for their money.

Morrison, who owns a private and commercial flooring business, Stanley Flooring, is also fighting it out for a podium spot in the overall championship.

He is currently sitting in fourth – just one point behind Houston-based racer Colin McKinnon.

However, Morrison is the man on the move, having had a very successful last race meeting, where he finished in second and third to outscore McKinnon considerably.

Morrison said: “It has been a great learning year and I am determined to lift the Newcomers Championship on Sunday. Finishing high up in the overall championship will also be great.

“The guys at Sime Racing have done a fantastic job in preparing the car to be reliable and fast. On top of that, Barry in particular has been an excellent driver coach.

“He has given me the benefit of his extensive experience, not only at Knockhill, but also at some of the tracks that we’ve visited in England.”

Sime believes there is plenty left in Morrison’s tank, not only for this Sunday but for future contests too.

He added: “Scott’s performance at the last race was by far his best of the year, which shows he is learning and listening all the time.

“All things being equal, he should be able to carry that momentum into this weekend, which will stand him in good stead for the sponsorship meetings over the winter and set him up for an overall championship assault next year.”

The omens are also good for Morrison as the only other podium visitors last time out were Eaglesham’s Scott Fraser and Aberdeen’s Andrew Winchester – the drivers who were first and second in the championship last year and who are also fighting it out for the top two places once again.

At Knockhill, Morrison will also be busy entertaining some of the guests who have supported him this season, which include Nu-Trend Flooring, Linwood-based Network Signs and FHM Magazine.

Reid Kerr College will also be represented on the Fiesta XR2 race car this weekend and are a long-term supporter of Barry and the Sime Racing team.

Original Article from icrenfrewshire 

Paisley based Barry Sime Racing and Engineering offers companies sponsorship packages for one race meeting or a whole season. Sponsors get to display their branding on Barry’s racecar, his race suit and helmet, team outfits and track signage. This is coupled with press, radio and television coverage and VIP corporate hospitality for clients, who can experience a day amongst the next breed of Formula One racing drivers.

Getting to pole position is as vital for Barry, as it is for his targeted clients, the new wave of e-commerce entrepreneurs. Barry Sime Racing and Engineering offers a prime target audience for his sponsors as the average spectator of Formula Ford is aged 18 to 44, in full time employment and earning £25,000 per year.

Barry recently joined the Aztec International Racing Team, which has 10 drivers in the British Formula Ford line-up, two of them Scottish. Each driver pays towards his ride in the Aztec team and the non-profit, professional racing outfit prepares the single seater Formula Ford cars at their base in the UK, and transports them, a pit crew and a hospitality team to race events countrywide.

Motorsport became a passion and a potential career, when at age 14, Barry competed in his first go-kart race. Together with his father, a qualified mechanic and ex racing driver, Barry has spent the last six years preparing, maintaining and transporting racecars to meetings across the country.

Existing on a tight budget, the enterprising racing driver has competed in numerous formulas throughout Britain and at 18 won both the Scottish Super Series Karting Championship and the The Scottish Open Championship.

To help him turn professional and give him the right start, Barry approached First Business, the business start-up initiative of Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire and the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT). First Business assisted him with the compilation of a business plan and helped to research key target audiences through their Business Information shop, and gain exposure at networking events.

Commenting on his new business, Barry Sime, said, “Like any entrepreneur, I want to become the best I can be, hopefully getting selected for Formula One. My new business is the perfect marketing tool for budding entrepreneurs who need exposure. I have the determination and confidence to make 2001 my best year yet, and a responsibility to my sponsors to get a lot of wins.”

Andy Booth, First Business, said, “This is Barry’s chance to make his mark on the motorsport world, the next few years are crucial. He has the drive and determination to win, but needs backing. With his new business he is offering the right package at the right time and keeping himself in the game.”

- ENDS -

For further information please contact Juliette Cassidy or Neil Smith at David Budge Associates on Tel: 01698 540111, or Fax: 01698 540222.

Notes to Editors:

For further information about Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, visit the website at: www.scottish-enterprise.com/renfrewshire .

Date: 20 July 2000

Author: david.cannon@scotent.co.uk