Round 1 Rockingham Speedway - 12th April 2003
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
The 2003 Classic Clubmans Championship kicked off on the historic circuit at Rockingham, running with Fuelforce sponsorship for the first time. The sponsorship is new, but the status quo has not changed, as last year’s three class winners each started their campaigns with a win.
Twenty one cars had entered the first race of the year, but a late cancellation by Tom Commander saw the number reduced to twenty, by the time the day dawned cold and bright and the sun started to shine over the massive grandstand
Practice
Nine A-Sport, seven B-Sport and a disappointing three F1300 cars took to the track for practice in a rather haphazard way, as practice started with no prior warning, actually they were posing for photographs, catching many drivers out of their cars. Nonetheless, it was Ray Harper first into the groove; with a time 4.5 seconds underneath the lap record and 5.5 seconds clear of second place man Graham Onion.  Mike Evans was third, even though a stuck throttle aborted his practice session and a word to the wise from several marshals that he should think about wearing overalls in brown corduroy in the future, closely followed by an improving Gavin Childs. Anthony Denham was a superb fifth and first F1300 and it was good to see the Myers Special take the other third row slot, Finlay “what right turn” Basson driving like he was featuring in ‘Days of Thunder’!  The B-Sport pole went to last year’s champion, Peter Harper and alongside him, on the fourth row was Richard Hypher in the F1300 RAE., learning the track for the first time.  The first of Richard Marshall’s four Vegantune cars was next. This was Iain Morton in Richard’s Mark 14 Mallock. Alongside Iain on the fifth row, was Vaughan Thomas, still learning the circuit after last year’s crash during the Haggispeed Trophy race. Dave Facer was next up, third in class, withy a very suspect gearbox. Third gear for each of the hairpins is not conducive to quick times! On the outside of row six, should have been Geoff Cogan in his A-Sport Gryphon, but a broken piston meant an early bath and the long run home to Cheshire. Row seven belonged to Colum McCabe in the second Vegantune car and Mike Gurr in the ex David Gibson Mark 18.  Row eight saw the real surprise. David Childs in the Phantom. Still jetlagged? Apparently not, a puncture cut his practice short, before he got up to speed. Joining him on the row, was the ever reliable Ian Mitchell in the old faithful IM1. Steve Chaplin and Phil O’Halloran brought up the rear, split by Ian Jacobs in the Mark Pierce Centaur, Ian also suffering an early puncture. Greg Robertson practised out of session and was therefore relegated to the final row.
Race
	With two of the quick A-Sports near the back of the grid, there was certain to be fireworks as the lights changed to green. Everyone got away cleanly, with the exception of poor Iain Morton, who broke a driveshaft leaving the line. Luckily everybody missed him and the field disappeared around turn one without incident.
Jacobs’ and Childs senior’s progress on that first lap was meteoric, but it was Ray Harper in a clear lead as they crossed the line for the first time, followed by Mike Evans and Graham Onion. Anthony Denham had a comfortable class lead in the Doris and Pete Harper looked similarly untroubled in class B.
As the race approached half distance, Ray was still comfortably in front, but David Childs was making real progress. Anthony Denham was untroubled in F1300, but the B-Sport battle had started to heat up. By lap five, Dave Facer was right on Pete Harpers tail as they drafted down the straight. A ‘Days of Thunder’ tactic kept Dave at bay that lap, but there would be other chances. On lap six, Dave dived low and they crossed the line side by side. Any thoughts of a close encounter at the chicane disappeared, as Dave’s engine let go in a big way and he coasted to a stop between turns one and two.
On the same lap, Mike Gurr coasted to a stop just past the chicane, also with suspected engine maladies.
The front of the race was now getting really interesting. By lap eight, David Childs was through to second and starting to loom large in Rays mirrors. Ian Jacobs had also made rapid progress. He was up to fourth and starting to worry Mike Evans, who was having his own problems with a sticking throttle and lousy brakes.
On lap nine, Ray’s diff let go and he spun, allowing David through into a lead he wasn’t to lose. Mike Evans hung onto second, three seconds to the good, from Ian Jacobs in the Centaur.  Graham Onion had a lonely run in fourth, whilst Finlay Basson and Gavin Childs fought hard for fifth and sixth respectively.
Anthony Denham was in seventh overall and a comfortable F1300 class winner, followed by Vaughan Thomas, the last A-Sport runner home.
Peter Harper had eased back and comfortably picked up the B-Sport win. Colum McCabe, in his first Clubmans race, was ecstatic in second and Ian Mitchell was a bemused third. The Vegantune paring of Steve Chaplin and Phil Ohalloran were fourth and fifth in class respectively.
The F1300 cars of Greg Robertson and Richard Hypher both retired on lap eight, leaving only one F1300 finisher. This lead to an embarrassing situation, as to what to do with the trophies! Even after the committee had decided to present them to the non finishers, they then couldn’t decide who had retired first!
Greg accepted third, happy in the knowledge, that he had just significantly lowered the F1300 lap record. Dave Facer’s only consolation was lowering his own B-Sport lap record, prior to his crankshaft crying enough.
And so on to Oulton, in two weeks for round two. Thankfully, the Easter break should give those with major engine traumas, time to rebuild  (and refinance!)
For those posing the question why is the Demonic Perm doing the race report?? Tony Harman was unable to get his car sorted in time (don’t know why, he’s known the starting date for months!!) So you should have Karen back for Oulton.
Sue Facer (with help from Hazel and Rachel)