FUELFORCE CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2005
Peter Harper continued his strong finale to the season, with a lights to flag win at Donington Park, from pole position.
Harper’s Mallock pipped Malcolm Jackson’s similar car by 0.261secs after qualifying. “It seemed fast enough, but I came in early as there was a lot of oil down,” said Jackson. Ray Harper’s Phantom headed the next row. “I messed up my braking at Coppice, went into the gravel and then the oil was down,” he explained. Although fourth best, Mike Hickson found his Mallock a handful. “It was new tyres in their first heat cycle, it was all over the place,” he said.
David Childs put his Phantom in fifth, with Antony Denham’s Doris alongside. “I had a misfire from the start after running in the engine, we need a full electrical service,” he reckoned. Finley Bason (Myers Special) and Steve Campbell (Raffo) shared row four, “I never got a clear lap and a plug lead came off again after three,” said Campbell.
Reg Powell’s Gryphon Pink Panther and Mark Charteris’s class B leading Mallock completed the top ten. “I was pleased with that on my first visit to Donington,” said Charteris. Peter Carter (Phantom), Graham Onion (Mallock) and Gavin Childs (Gryphon) were next up, with outgoing champion Barry Webb making his classic seasonal debut with 14th and second in class B. “It felt slow but there was plenty of grip,” said Webb.
Morgan Burgess’s class A car just held off Dave Facer’s class B challenger on row eight, closely followed by Jared Wood’s class D Batten and Ian Mitchell’s IM. Mike Evans was down in a lowly 19th after problems with a new engine and Alan Davenport found two spins at the chicane and an off at McLeans limiting him to 20th. “I don’t think I found the cars limit, but I did the drivers,” he said.
Steve Chaplin’s Mallock headed the next row, with race debutant Robert Beazer alongside. The 26 car line up was completed by Sam Lancaster, Stephen Clamp, Tony Harman and Simon Andrew. Clamp ended the session however with a holed block in his Drat F1300, and Harman has an oil leak from a loose union. Andrew’s first visit to Donington was restricted to three laps, after a delay in getting out.
With Carter’s Phantom joining Clamp as a casualty of qualifying, there were still 23 starters that came to the grid. As the red lights were extinguished, Harper rocketed away from pole, to head Jackson into Redgate, with Denham slotting into third.
The lead pair soon broke clear, leaving Denham in a lonely third. Ray Harper charged past David Childs for fourth on lap two, leaving Childs to fend off Hickson’s advances.
Jackson continued to press for the lead, but Harper had every move covered. Campbell was unable to stick with Hickson in his pursuit of Childs and had to settle back in seventh after one brief advance. Bason work his way from 11th on the opening lap to demote Gavin Childs from eight on lap four, while Onion settled in tenth after Evans pursuit was exhausted.
Harper continued his faultless drive over the remaining laps, as the flag was displayed one lap early confirming his win but only 0.261 secs. “I don’t think Malcolm would have got past with an extra lap,” reckoned Harper. “I thought I might have had the edge among the backmarkers, but we were so equal today,” Jackson replied.
Denham followed the lead pair at a distance, “I’m just over the moon to finish, never mind on the podium,” he said. Ray Harper consolidated fourth place over David Childs and Hickson. “I had terrible oil pressure problems and watched the gauge all through, so I lost a bit of concentration,” said Childs. “I lost ground with a grassy excursion at McLeans on the first lap,” said seventh placed Campbell. Bason, Gavin Childs and Onion rounded off the top ten.
As the sole class D starter, Wood survived to take 11th overall, after demoting Powell on lap six. Charteris had a couple of exchanges with Webb before settling class B. “He got me on the Craners and I got him back at McLeans a couple of laps later,” he explained. Burgess’s class A split the duo at the flag.
Facer took third in class B, well clear of Mitchell, while Chaplin held onto fifth from Beazer. Davenport, Andrew, Harman and Lancaster completed the finishers, with only Evans failing to take the flag. “The engine was better in the race, but still not right,” he confirmed.
Next round Snetterton, September 11th
Issued by Peter Scherer for the Clubmans Register May 16th 2005. Contact 01332 362577/07802 853244 or peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk