A healthy 19 car grid
lined at Silverstone for the opening round of this years championship. But it
was Class A newcomer and double class B Champion Mark Charteris that took the
day by storm, following his pole position with a dominant victory.
“It was fantastic,
everything has gone brilliantly after shattering the Snetterton lap record in
testing. It absolutely flew today, but I am still surprised to be on pole in
such illustrious company,” said Charteris. Malcolm Jackson shared the front row,
“Just bedding in new tyres and getting the winter rust of,” he reckoned.
Defending Champion Peter Harper was just behind and “really pleased.” Ray
Mallock completed row two in one of his rare outings. “We have got a Hillclimb
engine in it and trying new tyres. It worked really well and I got a personal
best, but so did everyone else I think,” he said.
Mike Hickson was
disappointed to be down in fifth, “I had a good run, but a lack of competency in
the driver being the only problem,” he reckoned. Antony Denham was the first
none Mallock, his Doris qualified sixth. “I am bedding in tyres, gearbox, back
axle, engine, brakes and driver following a winter rebuild,” he explained.
Row four was an all
Gryphon line up, with Gavin Childs heading Reg Powell. “It’s my first time out
for over a year, but the car still feels good,” said Powell. Ray Harper was
another to be struggling somewhat. “It was very bouncy, but I stayed out to get
track time and the destroyed the nose with it scraping,” he explained.
Clive Wood rounded
off the top ten and headed the class B runners. “It felt Ok, apart from a few
minor problems, which we can put right for the race,” he said. Robin Booth had a
misfire that restricted his laps, but he headed Keith Whyman on row six.
Dave Facer qualified
second in class B and had Bob Crozier’s A car separating him from Class B rival
Barry Webb. “That’s my quickest time around here too,” said Facer.
The rest of the grid
was made up of Ian Mitchell’s IM, Classic FF1600 racer Nigel Bancroft in the
Aerofan Special, debutant Jeremy Banks and sole class C runner Bob Yarwood.
RACE
Mallock made a flying
start to chase Charteris into Copse, with Jackson slipping into third, ahead of
Peter Harper and Childs. But for Denham the race was over in yards with a broken
halfshaft.
Charteris was really
flying as Mallock came under attack for second, Harper made it past Jackson for
third into Brooklands on the second lap, as both reigned in on Mallock.
Hickson followed
Childs in sixth, with Ray Harper seventh, while Whyman picked off Powell and
Wood to hold eighth by the end of lap three. Powell was next to retire after he
slid off on his own oil from a leaky seal.
As the lead grew
Mallock, Harper and Jackson ran nose to tail with Childs desperately trying to
hold on to. Ray Harper started to close on Hickson too for sixth, while Whyman
ran solo in eighth, followed dominant class B leader Wood.
Peter Harper’s
pursuit of Mallock paid off, when he slipped into second at Brooklands on lap
six. While Jackson found his challenge equally rewarded at the same spot two
laps later for third.
“Just awesome, I
can’t get over it,” said Charteris, after taking the flag over 10secs clear of
second man Harper. “I had a poor start. I wanted to try and stay with Mark but
my tyres had had it and I was sliding about,” Harper replied. Jackson closed on
Harper in the later laps, but had to settle for third. “It just started to
misfire when I was catching Peter,” said Jackson.
Mallock and Childs
retained fifth and sixth, “I got a good start and it was an enjoyable race, but
I just couldn’t hold off Peter or Malcolm under braking,” said Mallock. Both
Hickson and Ray Harper had slowly been catching Childs, “I lost touch under
yellows at Brooklands and had mega understeer,” explained Harper. So Hickson
held onto sixth, with Whyman taking Harper for seventh at Brooklands on the 11th
lap.
Wood was never headed
in class B and headed Crozier to complete the top ten. Webb was second in class
B but had Facer never more than a length or so behind throughout, “I kept going
and Dave followed me,” said Webb. “Barry used the traffic well though and I
couldn’t find a place to try,” replied Facer. Mitchell, Banks and Yarwood
completed the finishers.
1Mark Charteris (Mallock
Mk20B) 14 laps in 13m54.486s (99.00mph); 2 Peter Harper (Mallock Mk20B)
14m04.573s; 3 Malcolm Jackson (Mallock Mk20B) 17m46.229s; 4 Ray Mallock (Mallock
MkII); 5 Gavin Childs (Gryphon C73/75); 6 Mike Hickson (Mallock Mk20B). Class A:
1 Charteris; 2 P.Harper; 3 Jackson; 4 Mallock. Class B: 1 Clive Wood (Mallock
Mk20); 2 Barry Webb (Mallock Mk16BW); 3 Dave Facer (Mallock Mk18BW); 4 Ian
Mitchell (IM MK1). Class C: 1 Bob Yarwood (Mallock Mk8); no other starters.
Fastest lap: Charteris 58.201s (101.4mph).
Issued by
Peter Scherer for the Clubmans Register April 10th 2007. Contact
01332 362577/07802 853244 or
peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk