CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2006

Race report, Thruxton  on Saturday the 6^th May

From the Correspondent in the Commentary Box...

CLIFF ROBERTSON

My wife is the person to blame for the weather at Thruxton.  As it had been hot and sunny for two or three days she took the sun barrier and the weather was consequently wet and cold.  At least the rain was of a lesser volume than last year when the main straight had a stream flowing over it!

Malcom Jackson, who took a second and a half off his lap record, secured pole position early in qualifying before the rain slowed things up.  Peter Harper was alongside him even after breaking a rear wing mount though his time was almost two seconds from Malcolm's.

Mike Hickson was third fastest though his gearbox was misbehaving and refusing to change up out of second.  Alongside him was Denham the Younger whilst the third row had Steve Campbell edging out Gavin Childs.

The slightly overgeared F1300 Batten of Jared Wood headed row four from David Child's Phantom, now owned and piloted by Steve Chaplin.  Steve was raving about the car but wondered why it suddenly started to feel different.  The cause was found to be the rear wing which had decided to change its angle.

Peter Carter was next up ahead of Ray Harper who was happier with his new Mallock than his new helmet which seemed to have a vision slot which was at a slightly different height from his eyes.  Now that could have been exciting!

Eleventh and first "B" Sport was Mark Charteris after a quick spin at the back of the circuit and Ray Mallock was beside him with a misfire that was being blamed on fuel pressure.  After his previous close race here with Malcolm Jackson it was a shame to find him so far down the grid and slowest of the "A" Sports.

Row seven was filled with "B" Sport Mallocks, Barry Webb a second faster than newcomer Clive Wood who was the third person on the grid to suffer with rear wing mounting problems.  Ian Mitchell, not in one of his own creations at this race, was headed by Alan Davenport while Mike Gurr and newcomer John Deane-Bowers were at the back of the queue. Mike hadn't driven his car for a year while newcomer John, in Steve Chaplin's old car, had only ever had a few races before in a Renault 5 and that was when Noah was in short trousers.

Between practice and the late Classic Clubmans race I managed to watch our newcomer Clive Wood win the FF2000 race.  The speed he carried through the chicane was impressive and he looks as if he could be a real threat in "B" Sports when he gets used to the Mallock.

Previous races had made a dry line by the time the Classic Clubmans race started and the sky had the decency not to leak during the race.  So how did each of the protagonists fare? Malcolm Jackson got the drop on Peter Harper at the start and held the lead comfortably throughout the race to take the chequered flag and leave the lap record in tatters.  Peter Harper stayed in touch with Malcolm till his engine dropped onto three cylinders and he retired to the pits before the halfway point in the race was reached. Peter’s retirement allowed Mike Hickson to finish in second place after a bit of place swapping with Antony Denham.  Young Antony had outdragged Mike at the start when the immaculate Mallock’s gearbox had complained about changing gear once again but a fluffy engine in Antony’s Doris and an energetic drive from Mike had settled second place in Mike’s favour.

From fifth on the grid, Steve Campbell dropped behind Gavin Childs and spent some time playing with the bunch of “A” Sport cars that Gavin headed.  He worked his way through them to finish fifth and will be far nearer the front of the order once he gets his tyre compound sorted to his satisfaction.  Gavin was going well in the Gryphon and enjoyed a good battling race to finish sixth.  Jared Wood, in the sole F1300 car, mixed it with the more powerful “A” Sport cars but finished well back after a spin and a cautionary pitstop.  From eighth on the grid Steve Chaplin, now with his rear wing fixed at the correct angle, worked his way forward to finish fourth and win the Driver of the Day award on his first time out in the car.  Peter Carter retired with a puncture and Ray Mallock drove through the field on the first lap but then fell back with a bad dose of lethargy in the engine.  Ray Harper was the last of the “A” class finishers in his Mallock (not Mallork or Phantom P79 Mr Barc).  This multi-race winner will be back at the front once he gets the hang of the Mallock, a decent engine and a helmet that allows him to see where he is going!

In the “B” Sport class Mark Charteris did a “Malcolm Jackson” and ran away at the front.  I am looking forward to seeing his skill at the wheel when he slots an “A” Sport engine in his Mallock later this year.  2004 champion Barry Webb was a clear second in class while third was squabbled over all race by Ian Mitchell and Alan Davenport with Alan getting the third position on the class podium.  Mike Gurr and debutant John Deane-Bowers completed the field; both pleased to have trouble free races after long spells away from the joy of driving round in circles.

And so to the next race at Brands Hatch for the double header at the CSMA meeting where we have those things called spectators!