FUELFORCE CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2005
CHILDS PLAY!
In a real race of attrition, it was David Childs, driving Gavin’s Gryphon, who emerged victorious overall, whilst Class B was dominated by Mark Charteris in his pristine Mk.20.
Entry
A slightly disappointing number of cars made the trip to the home of the British Grand Prix, for the first round of the 2005 championship. For the first time ever, there were no Formula 1300 cars entered, so the race was to be a straight fight within Classes A & B.
One real positive note, was that Class A included two complete newcomers to Classic Clubmans. Andrew Marler, having his first championship race in the Diamond, and ex motorbike racer, Steve Campbell, in the unique left hand drive Raffo. Among the seven Class A regulars, it was great to see Geoff Cogan making a welcome return and interesting to see, how David Childs squeezed into son Gavin’s Gryphon, his own Phantom being not quite ready.
Only five cars in Class B, but this shouldn’t disguise the amount of work that has been going on throughout the winter months. All five cars had engine rebuilds and two sported completely new paint jobs. Mark Charteris’s car looked superb in Mercedes Black, whilst Dave Facer’s bright orange Mallock looked all the better for its winter respray, apparently it needed doing anyway it wasn’t just tarted up for the dinner dance.
Practice
All fourteen cars took to the track for practice without problems and it was the old stager, Malcolm Jackson who soon headed the timesheets. Malcolm was the only runner to break the one minute mark, as he secured pole with a 59.87 sec.s.
Joining him on the front row, was the ever improving Antt Denham in the Doris, with a problem free run and a time just over the minute. In third place was newcomer Andrew Marler, the only other runner in the 60 second bracket.
Three runners were in the 61 sec. range. David Childs was the first of these, joining Andrew Marler on Row 2. Peter Harper and an ever improving Morgan Burgess were the other two, forming up on Row 3.
Steve Campbell was the only runner in the 62’s, with a trouble free run to take the inside spot on row 4. Joining him was Geoff Cogan, with a time in the 63’s.
Graham Onion was the final A-Class car, on the inside of Row 5. He was joined by the first Class B car, Mark Charteris, lapping a full second under the lap record. (The shape of things to come?). Alan Davenport was the 2nd. Class B car, albeit a full 1.3 seconds adrift. He was joined on Row 6 by Dave Facer. Dave picked up a misfire half way through, curtailing his session. He was also suffering from a major gearbox oil leak.
Row 7 consisted of Steve Chaplin and Tony Harman. Steve was thankful for a trouble free run. Tony on the other hand, decided to do his bit for world pollution by not putting enough fuel in the car! (I thought you would have learned from the trackday Tony!)
Race
As the lights went out, Antt Denham seemed to get the better of Malcolm on pole and stole the lead into Copse. These two were closely followed by DC and Andrew Marler. Pete Harper coasted to a stop with a broken throttle cable, allowing Morgan Burgess and Steve Campbell into 5th. and 6th.
In the B-Sport race, it was Mark Charteris who got away sharply, never to be seen again by the rest of the field. Dave Facer was having a snooze as the lights went out, so it was Alan Davenport in 2nd. followed by Steve Chaplin and Tony Harman.
At the end of the first lap it was Jackson and Denham, almost as one. A small gap ensued, to Childs and Marler, who were also involved in a ferocious battle. Then came Burgess, closely followed by Campbell, Geoff Cogan and Graham Onion. Mark Charteris was well clear in B-Sport. Davenport was an equally secure 2nd. Chaplin 3rd. Harman 4th. and Facer bringing up the rear with a very sick sounding car.
Antt and Malc swapped places at the front whilst Marler and Childs fought hard over third. In B-Sport, Facer got by Harman and set off after Chaplin, albeit with a chronic misfire.
The race settled down and by half distance, the field had spread out, but there was a series of individual duels in full fling. The battle at the front remained as fierce as ever, as was the battle for third. A battle for fifth. was also developing, as Steve Campbell pushed himself up onto Morgan Burgess’s tail. The rest of the field was a little more strung out, except that Facer had got up to Chaplin and they swapped places a couple of times.
Then on lap nine it all changed. Malcolm Jackson, whose clutch had been slipping more and more, suddenly lost drive and pulled off to retire. Antt’s engine had been smoking for some time (nasty habit, Chris should look into) and it suddenly cried ‘enough!’*(loosely translated) This left the Marler/Childs battle as the fight for the lead.
Then on lap 13 Andrew Marler’s engine (we think it was the engine) ventilated itself at Luffield, leaving DC with a comfortable cushion at the front. This was how it finished, DC taking the flag some 22 seconds clear, of what had become a fierce fight for second. Morgan Burgess (much to his dedicated pit crews delight) held his nerve and finished 0.3 secs. clear of Steve Campbell. Geoff Cogan came home 4th. after a quiet race and Graham Onion was the final A-Sport runner home.
Mark Charteris was the comfortable B-Sport winner, the last unlapped runner, some 38 secs clear of second place. Alan Davenport was an equally comfortable 2nd. some 20 secs. Clear of the squabble for 3rd. This was won by Steve Chaplin, coming home less than a second clear of Dave Facer. Tony Harman was the final runner home, just avoiding being lapped for the second time.
Hope to see more of you lovely drivers out at Mallory
Sue ‘bighair’ Facer
David Childs changed from his own Phantom to son Gavin’s Gryphon for the opening round of the Fuelforce Classic Clubmans Championship at Silverstone, and promptly won what became a race of attrition.
Malcolm Jackson’s Mallock secured pole over Antony Denham’s Doris, by 0.419s, with Andrew Marler’s Diamond a further half second back in third. “There’s more to come if I can get Copse right,” said Jackson. “I just hope I can stick with Malcolm,” replied Denham.
While former champion Peter Harper found his Mallock plagued with oversteer down in fifth behind Childs, former Superbike racer Steve Campbell prepared for his car racing debut from seventh in the newly rebuilt Raffo, a second behind Morgan Burgess. Mark Charteris headed the class B runners from fellow Mallock drivers Alan Davenport and Dave Facer.
At the start Jackson srtuggled to get away and was forced to slot into third behind Denham and Marler. Once he was up to pace, Jackson took Marler for second on lap two and by the end of the following was reeling in Denham. Childs started to threaten Marler for third, while Geoff Cogan and Campbell had a couple of exchanges for fifth, before Campbell got established.
All the way down the field there were dices, in particular Burgess and Graham Onion for seventh. While Charteris was fairly dominant at the head of class B, Davenport managed to consolidate second after an early spin, leaving Steve Chaplin and Facer battling for third.
Overall Denham successfully defended his lead from Jackson, until lap seven. But before Jackson could consider increasing his lead, he was forced pitwards with clutch failure. “I think it was slipping from the start,” he said. Denham was also in trouble, “I think it’s e a piston. I couldn’t believe it, I saw Malcolm slow and then I did,” he said. Marler and Childs had already been running side by side on occasions for third, but their duel was now for the lead and just as frantic.
Marler led from Brooklands with two laps to go, only for Childs to respond again a lap later, but as Marler prepared for his last lap attack he suddenly slowed. “I was getting slower and slower after Becketts, then a big bang. That’s the way to end my first Clubmans race for over 30 years with a big hole in the engine,” he said.
Childs was left with a clear run to the flag, “I was a bit lucky wasn’t I,” he concluded. Having battled his way clear of Onion, Burgess came with a late charge to pip Campbell for second on the last lap. “That’s not bad in only my second class A race,”he reckoned. Onion followed Campbell home fourth, after Cogan spun at Brooklands on the last lap and Chaplin successfully held off Facer to follow Charteris and davenport home in class B. Tony Harman’s Haggispeed completed the finishers.
Issued by Peter Scherer for the Clubmans Register April 17th 2005. Contact 01332 362577/07802 853244 or peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk