FUELFORCE CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2005
Peter Harper clinched the class A Fuelforce Classic Clubmans at Snetterton, after a hard fought battle with Antony Denham and Malcolm Jackson.
With outgoing Champion Barry Webb blowing his engine in testing, 17 cars were at Snetterton for the penultimate round of the championship. Steve Campbell’s Raffo being a notable absentee.
Peter Harper’s Mallock emerged from an overcast but dry qualifying session with pole, 0.287secs ahead of Denham’s Doris. “I had to make a stop as my new nose was flapping. The engine felt very strong though, it was pulling well, but I had a bit of oversteer,” said the poleman. “We had vibration and I don’t know where from,” replied Denham. Third placed Malcolm Jackson also found his Mallock’s handling a bit unpredictable. “It just felt a bit skittish, I was bedding in brakes but it didn’t feel sure in the corners,” he explained.
Mike Hickson was delighted with his Mallock, “It’s going well and I compromised the main straights by running a higher diff,” he said. Ray Harper was next up, but his Phantom ended the session with a broken diff input shaft and was soon on his way home. “I lost the brakes too, when the cover came off the reservoir,” he said. Darren Green completed the third row, “I was blackflagged for a loose nose and I just wasn’t brave enough. But I did more laps in the session than I have done all year,” he reckoned.
Robin Booth vowed “it couldn’t be better,” after settling his Mallock in seventh, while Peter Carter’s Phantom was another to have nose problems on the way to eighth. “The cars flying and I am under the lap record,” said top class B runner Mark Charteris, after heading row five. Alongside though Reg Powell had a few problems to sort before the race. “The engine wouldn’t drop below 5000, there was a misfire and it was difficult to get gears, plus no one to kick when I got back to the paddock,” included.
Dave Facer had hoped to be closer to class B title winner Charteris, “I was last out and struggled for a clear lap. I had too much downforce too,” he explained. Fellow class B rivals Steven Chaplin and Ian Mitchell were next up, before David Williams, making his Clubmans return after a lengthy absence. Alan Davenport, Sam Lancaster and Tony Harman completed the grid. Lancaster also lost his nose and Harman was still looking for extra pace from the Haggispeed.
Although the track was dry, there was still moisture in the air for the start of the race. Harper made an uncharacteristic error at the start, that left him chasing to retake Jackson and Hickson for second behind Denham into Riches. “It was complete brain fade,” he reckoned. Williams was left at the start with a broken driveshaft, as the field spread out on the opening lap.
Denham set a cracking pace that only Harper could live with. Jackson, Hickson and Green started to fragment as lead chasers while Carter and Booth ganged up on Powell for sixth. Booth briefly lost touch after missing a gear on la four, but was soon back into contention.
By the end of lap five Harper was inches from Denham’s gearbox and Carter finally made it past Powell into sixth. With the lead pair running in such close contention, Jackson was able to close too, to make it a three-car battle to the end. Harper made the decisive move into Riches on the sixth lap, but was never able to relax. With Jackson in their wheeltracks, at three were covered by only 0.862s at the flag. “I was quicker than Antony into Sear but he drove so well,” said Harper. “That was excellent, I don’t mind being beaten by Peter and to finish where I started was good. The brakes started to go though as for once I went full distance,” said Denham.
“I had a misfire over 7500revs, but got inside Antony a couple of times before the misfire kicked in,” said Jackson. Hickson was content with his fourth place. “It was a good start and I could hold Malcolm as far as the Esses. I had to lift and a gap opened, lap by lap it increased at the same spot,” he said. Green was delighted to see his first chequered flag of the year. “The brakes went in the assembly area and got worse, it wouldn’t stay in second gear either,” said the fourth placed man.
Powell regained sixth after Carter spun at the Esses and successfully held Booth at bay. Charteris came home eighth and first in class B, but had to play second fiddle to Facer at the start. “I couldn’t get second gear and got left. I had to work hard and got Dave at the Esses,” said the class B Champion. “I let him go as we got clear of Steve and Ian then chased, and the leaders nearly helped me get him back,” said Facer. Mitchell briefly came under threat from Chaplin before taking third in class, Lancaster pipped Davenport for 12th with a lap to go and Harman just held off the recovering Carter on the line.
Next round Silverstone, September 25th
Issued by Peter Scherer for the Clubmans Register May 16th 2005. Contact 01332 362577/07802 853244 or peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk