CLASSIC CLUBMANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2007
Wells On Fire! Red Adair Called!
The highlight of an action packed double header, was the stoppage of race one, due to the F1300 Wells, being driven by Anttt Denham, bursting into flames at the end of Senna straight. Anttt escaped without injury, but the Wells needed serious attention!
Honours were shared in Class A, with a victory apiece for Pete Harper and Mark Charteris. The Class B spoils went to Clive Wood, despite the close attentions of Dave Facer.
Entry
The original entry of twenty cars was reduced to eighteen after Saturday testing, when Keith Whyman’s engine ventilated itself and Bob Crozier had an ‘argument’ with another car, resulting in significant damage. The split was 10 A-Sport, 4 B-Sport, 3 F1300’s (The highest number all year!) and the lone pre 1970 car of Bob Yarwood.
Antony Denham was giving Dad Chris’s F1300 Wells its first run of the season and it was good to see Steve Chaplin back, after vertigo kept him out of the Phantom at Oulton.
Qualifying
The format for Classic Clubmans, was the same as last year, with one practise session and two races compressed into the Sunday. The major difference however, was that the grid for the second race was determined by fastest laps in the first race, not finishing positions.
The day started so early, that most sensible people were still in bed, when the cars took to the track for practise. Nonetheless, the frontrunners were going for it early and it was Mark Charteris who snatched pole, the only person under the magic 1 min. 10 sec. bracket. Pete Harper joined Mark on the front row, a water leak causing a slight misfire. Pete was still a full second clear of Malcolm Jackson in 3rd. and Steve Chaplin in 4th.
Gavin Childs was on the inside of row 3, on new Dunlops for probably the first time in his life! (He’s obviously not old enough to have needed a new set of rubber yet) He was joined by Ewan Bason in the Myers, although some 3 seconds slower.
The first of the F1300 runners, Jared Wood shared row 4 with Robin Booth. Robin’s complaint was that the brakes were too good! (I’ve never heard that before Robin, and if you’re going as fast as possible why do you need brakes anyway).
Geoff Cogan in the Gryphon shared row 5 with Anttt in the Wells, which has sat on a trailer for two years. And it is also left hand drive, so it took some getting used to (they all look like they sit in the centre to me).
Ian Mitchell was on row 6 in the CTG complaining of a rubbing nose (hope he used a hanky!). He was joined by the leading B-Sport runner, Clive Woods. Clive fluffed a gear change at Sear and did his clutch no favours, so he came in early.
The B-Sports of Dave Facer and John Deane-Bowers were on row 7. Dave was scrubbing in new tyres and John is still getting to grips with the momentum issues associated with B-Sport. (What are ‘momentum issues’??)
Row 8 saw an unusually slow Ray Harper and Mike Sales. Ray put the bad handling down to tyres, whilst Mike had an ‘off piste’ moment and bent a mudguard stay.
The final row comprised of Bob Yarwood in the lone Class C entry and Ash Seymour in the F1300 Tasman. Bob had starter motor issues, but otherwise OK. Ash is still getting to grips with the handling characteristics of the rear engined Tasman.
Race 1
The first race was just before lunch and it was warm and dry as the cars came to the grid. (All except Ewan Bason, who got the time wrong and missed the start completely while he trawled around the local d.i.y. centres for exhaust stuffing-he had declined my offer of tights and socks)!
Pete’s misfire had cleared, but Mark seemed to have inherited it, so it was Pete who grabbed the lead when the lights went out. Everybody behaved themselves through the first two bends and it was Pete with a clear lead as the cars headed off down Senna straight for the first time. Malcolm Jackson and Steve Chaplin followed Pete past Marks ailing Mallock on Senna straight, leaving Mark to fight off Gavin Childs for fourth.
In Class B, it was Dave Facer who got a flyer from the inside of row 6 and he headed the class onto the back straight, with John Deane-Bowers pushing Clive Wood hard.
At the end of lap one, it was Pete from Malcolm and Steve, followed by Mark and Gavin. There was a good scrap for Class D honours between Jared Wood and Anttt and these were followed by Geoff Cogan.
A little further back there was a good battle going on between Ray Harper, Ian Mitchell and Robin Booth and then came the scrap for B-Sport honours with Dave just holding off Clive and John. Then came Mike Sales, pursued by Bob Yarwood and Ash Seymour.
As the race settled down, Pete established a small comfort zone between himself and Malcolm and Steve. Ray Harper was making progress from the back and soon got the better of Robin Booth and Ian Mitchell. In Class B, the lead changed on lap 2, as Clive dived inside of Dave at the Esses.
Some oil appeared on the entrance to Sear and this caught out Ray Harper and Dave Facer. Then on lap 6, the Wells was seen, going down Senna straight with flames licking out from under the bonnet. Anttt quickly pulled the car off and jumped out VERY quickly (sensible lad) as the marshals set about trying to extinguish the fire, which was now burning fiercely.
On the same lap, Mikes Sales’s Phantom suddenly lost it’s nearside rear wheel as he exited the Esses and the wheel overtook him on the run up to the Bombhole!
The Clerk of the Course dispatched the fire truck to help the marshals save as much of the Wells as possible and the field found itself racing the truck up Senna straight. Very sensibly, the race was allowed to just exceed half distance and then a halt was call to proceedings with the red flag. The result was declared at the end of lap 7.
Pete won the race by just over three seconds from Malcolm, with Steve Chaplin a comfortable 3rd Mark struggled home in 4th ahead of Gavin and Class D winner, Jared Wood. Geoff Cogan was next up, comfortably ahead of the squabble between Ray Harper, Ian Mitchell and Robin Booth.
After Dave’s spin, Clive easily took the B-Sport honours, with Dave recovering in 2nd and John 3rd. Mike Sales was credited with 4th in class, followed by Class C winner, Bob Yarwood and the Tasman of Ash Seymour.
Fastest lap also meant pole for race two and was therefore worth double points. Malcolm Jackson took that honour in Class A, whilst Clive Wood took it in Class B, albeit by just 4/100’s of a second!
Race 2
Neither Anttt nor Mike (three wheels on my wagon) Sales could get their cars repaired for race 2, so 16 cars lined up for their second race of the day. Fortunately, this time Ewan Bason had reacquainted himself with the schedule and took up his position at the back of the field.
Clive Wood was also a little fortunate to be on the grid. He had an accident in his FF2000 car in the race immediately before, luckily with no personal injury and he was able to get back to the paddock as the race had been stopped. Had he been stranded out on the circuit, or the medical centre, it may have been a different story…
Once again, the field got away cleanly at the lights. Mark Charteris had hooked up well from third on the grid and by the time they reached the Esses for the first time, he had the lead. Pete hung onto second from Malcolm, closely followed by Steve Chaplin and Gavin Childs.
In Class B, once again Dave Facer went onto the straight in front, but poor exit speed from Sear allowed Clive Wood to slipstream to the front by the Esses.
At the end of lap one, it was Mark from Pete and Malcolm, Steve and Gavin. Ray Harper was up to 6th followed by Geoff Cogan, Robin Booth, Jared Wood and Ian Mitchell.
Ewan Bason was next up, already progressing from the back of the grid just ahead of Clive . Clive was already stretching his advantage over Dave Facer and John Deane-Bowers.
Bob Yarwood was next, pulling away from Ash Seymour.
The pattern of the race quickly emerged. Mark established a small cushion for Pete and Malcolm, who were battling furiously for second place. Steve and Gavin were having lonely races in 4thand 5th, respectively, whilst Ray Harper had pulled out a small gap Geoff, Robin, Jared and Ian. Ewan, having cleared the B-Sport battle, was alone in 11th and Clive was extending his lead over Dave.
Just before half distance, we lost the first of the two retirees. Geoff Cogan had picked up a puncture and pulled off at Riches. The 2nd retiree was Bob Yarwood, who pulled off with no electrics two laps later.
Into the second half of the race and interest focused onto three distinct dices. The battle for second between Pete and Malcolm, the inter-class battle between Robin and Jared and the B-Sport lead battle where Dave was rapidly pulling Clive back in, having lost ground early.
There were no more major incidents or accidents, so at the flag it was Mark, comfortably clear of Pete and Malcolm. Malcolm had briefly snatched second, but Pete clawed it back by the last lap. Steve was lonely in 4th and Gavin equally lonely in 5th. Ray Harper was solid in 6th just ahead of Robin in 7th who used his extra power to keep ahead of the Class D winner, Jared Wood in 8th.
Ian Mitchell was the last unlapped runner in 9th and Ewan was the final A-Sport finisher in 10th.
Clive just hung on for the B-Sport win, beating Dave to the flag by just 0.5 sec.
John was 3rd in Class B, albeit a long way adrift and Ash was the final finisher in 14th overall.
Mark Charteris claimed fastest lap in Class A and once again, Clive Wood sneaked it in Class B, this time by just 6/100’s of a second!
The driver of the day award went to Jared Wood for mixing it (and beating!) many of the Class A competitors. Mechanic of the day was awarded to Andrew Harper for his sterling efforts in keeping the Harper brothers on the track.
One story from race one. As the cars were readied for the track, Ian Mitchell couldn’t find his gloves. They were nowhere to be seen and he was getting very wound up about it. Anyway, the truth came out at the end of qualifying. As Ian got out of his car, he realised where his gloves were. He’d been sitting on them!
So now we go to Anglesey for the last round on October 13th similar situations exist in both Classes A & B. Pete Harper and Clive Wood would appear to have their respective classes sown up, but they both must finish at Anglesey, in order to be sure of their respective championships. If they fail and Mark Charteris and Dave Facer can sneak wins, then both classes could be very close.
On paper, the new Anglesey circuit looks a cracker. At 2.1 miles it is longer than Snetterton and it looks a whole lot busier. Well, there’s certainly four guys who must make the journey, so let’s all support the formula and make the trip for the last round.
Don’t be daunted by the distance – it’s not the journey that counts, it’s the arriving that matters. It will be a great day and you all have Sunday to recover at home.
See you at Anglesey
Lots of love
Susie Fxxxxxxxxxx
The Demonic Perm
P.S. Don’t forget to book your tickets and hotel rooms for the dinner/dance awards bash on NOVEMBER 10th