CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
A healthy 18 cars lined up at Thruxton for qualifying for the opening round of this years championship. With showers forecast for the afternoon there was a sense of eagerness to re-familarise with circuit, or in some cases see it for the first time.
Malcolm Jackson’s Mallock Mk2B had over three seconds in hand on pole for part of the session, before setting his final benchmark 1.792 seconds clear. “I pitted towards the end when it started to get greasy. It took a couple of laps to warm up and then I just went for it,” he explained.
Sharing the front row was Peter Harper’s Mallock, which finished with a broken nose frame and rear wing support,” “and oil surge,” he added.
Mike Hickson was next, “I can’t get second and third gears,” he said as he struggles to settle with his Mallock’s new gearbox. Doris was alongside with Antony Denham somewhat cautious about his prospects. “Well it’s still going,” he said. Steve Campbell’s immaculate Raffo shared the third row with Gavin Childs Phantom. “Fairly happy with fifth but got a bit of understeer,” said Steve.
Once again Jared Wood had no one to play with in class D, as his Batten got amongst the class A with seventh best time. Alongside Steve Chaplin was having his first run with the ex David Childs class A Phantom. Peter Carter’s Phantom was ninth with Ray Harper alongside, in his first Mallock outing since the 2003 Birkett. “It’s unpredictable and the back end isn’t gripping and it’s moving around a lot. I think it needs more rear wing,” he explained.
Defending Champion Mark Charteris set the pace again in class B, while he awaits his graduation to class A. “No problems at all,” he reckoned. Sharing the sixth was Ray Mallock, on one of his four planned outings for the year. “I had a fuel feed problem and it stopped the engine revving,” he explained. Barry Webb was next up and second in class B, “I had made a note last year which diff to use. But it was no good so I need a note not to use it. These are real excuses,” he insisted.
After a lengthy absence from Clubmans racing Clive Wood was back with a Mallock Mk20B, while Alan Davenport (Mallock), Ian Mitchell (IM) and the Mallock’s of Mike Gurr and debutant John Deane-Bowers completed the grid.
There were no casualties from qualifying and so all 18 cars lined up on a virtually dry track, after earlier showers had subsided.
As the lights went out Jackson held his advantage from pole, to head the field through Allard, from Peter Harper, Denham, Hickson and Childs, with Mallock flying through to fifth by the end of the opening lap.
Jackson was already stretching the lead on the second lap, with the top five well clear. Hickson took Denham for third, having lost out to the Doris initially. “Anthony got me on the second to third gear change, there was a long pause as he went past me,” Hickson explained. Carter pitted with a front puncture to become the first retirement and Mallock was in a solitary fifth after Denham latched back onto Hickson’s tail. Childs headed a five car train for sixth.
Having picked off Ray Harper on the second lap, Chaplin eased his way past Childs on lap three and began to set his sights on Mallock.
Although Charteris was dominating class B from Wood, Webb, Davenport and Mitchell were nose tail for third in class.
Jackson’s lead was further increased when Peter Harper pitted after five laps. “It went onto three cylinders, hopefully it’s just a plug,” he said. Hickson and Denham moved up into the podium places while the six car battle for sixth arrived at the chicane as one. Mallock was swamped as he struggled for power, Childs, Chaplin and Campbell all went by on the exit.
Denham started to lose ground on Hickson on lap six, “it got fuelly and fluffy sort of, well not right,” Denham tried to explain. Chaplin made it past Childs for fourth on lap six, with Campbell poised to follow. Into Cobb a lap later Campbell went through, while Wood pitted after a spin.
Campbell had Chaplin as his next target, but the class A debutant was in no mood to surrender. While Jackson cruised home over the remaining laps, Hickson and Denham held station to complete the podium finishers. “If you have the lead you have to make the most of it and break away, as you don’t know what’s going to happen behind, “said a philosophical race winner. Chaplin held onto fourth, “better than expected even though it was understeering a bit,” he reckoned.
Campbell was a little disappointed with fifth, “I had a good start and then lost about six places by braking too early for the Complex. I got alongside Chaplin, but always on the wrong side,” he explained. Childs held onto fifth after a late attack from Jared Wood. “I was losing time out of the Complex every lap, it was just flat and wouldn’t pick up,” he said. “It was either hitting Gavin or going for kerb and grass, so I chose the soft option and spun over the kerbs. I pitted because I thought the rear wing looked damaged,” he said after taking the flag in the pitlane.
Wood’s demise put Mallock back into seventh, with Ray Harper eighth. “It did go quicker than in qualifying, so it gave me a bit of confidence,” said Ray.
Charteris was ninth and took class B over Webb by eight seconds. Davenport and Mitchell completed the top three in class. The Batten was classified in 13th place, with Gurr and Dean-Bowers completing the finishers.
Next round Brands, May 27th/28th
Issued by Peter Scherer for the Clubmans Register May 16th 2005. Contact 01332 362577/07802 853244 or peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk