This was a celebratory event hosted by the BARC in conjunction with the Nottingham Sports Car Club. It was 50 yrs to the day that the first car race meeting at Mallory was held. The circuit owner Chris Meek is a long time friend of our Club and has raced with us in the past. We are always made welcome at “the friendly circuit”. The first ever Maranello Ferrari Challenge race was held there in 1986. Twenty years later, who would have thought it? Yes I was there as a spectator and our man Swifty was there in the race – in the same blue 308! Unfortunately this time around it was all too much for the old blue car, which retired with a suspected head gasket failure in first qualifying.

As seems common these days there were ex. Ferrari race people all around the place. Simon & Georgina Clark were there – Simon with his BARC hat on. Crispian Besley was in the Formula Junior race and Mike Haigh actually won the Top Hat race in an Austin A40.

I have mixed feelings about the place. As a spectator there are excellent viewing places, yes. But you will be standing knee high in mud and to get your car into the car park on a wet day is like an assault course. As for the toilets! From a driver’s viewpoint there is not much going on really. It is a short lap which seems pretty straightforward but, as we have seen in the past, Mallory can bite.

The day was wet, windy and cold in general although first qualifying for this double header was held in the only dry conditions of the day. The 15 car grid was lead by Graham Reeder from Simon Bartholemew, Gary Culver and Mike Spicer – all in 328s. We did have a good turn out of oldies, cars that is – we always have a good turn out of old drivers. Ross Warburton brought along his 275 GTB as did new boy Steve Tandy. Colin Cambell’s Dino was present and Stuart Anderson had driven his 250 TRC replica to the track as he lives locally.

Race one was a cracker and actually drew applause from the toffs in the BARC hospitality suite where I was stationed – well somebody has to drink the bubbly! In the wet and slippery conditions pole man Reeder was a little slow away and it looked like he would be swamped by Culver and Spicer. However at the end of lap one it was Reeder, Culver & Spicer and that is how it ended. This does not however convey how exciting this race was to watch.

Graham and Gary were never more than a few lengths apart and Gary got his nose in front on more than one occasion. It was close hard racing and very fair at all times. A pleasure to watch and I know would have been great fun to be a part of – where is that copy of Auto Trader? With Bartholmew’s early exit (he lost 4 cylinders on the warm up lap) the first three lapped the rest of the field. Notable however was the drive of Steve Tandy (275 GTB) who posted the fourth quickest time – very impressive.

There was a separate qualifying session for race 2 which showed Culver on pole from Reeder, Spicer and that man Tandy, who in these tricky conditions was ahead of some much more modern machinery. Just a quick note on the 275s for all you oldie lovers. Ross Warburton’s car is a left hand drive long nose 2 cam with ally body and 6 carbs. It is an “interim” car with some interesting features such as external filler but no torque tube. The Steve Tandy car is a right hand drive 2 cam in steel with a three carb engine. It is however a torque tube model. The car was just back from doing Tour Auto and is due to race at Catalunya later in the year. It is these cars' amazing flexibility of use and the availability of events which underpins their high values.

Right, anorak off – back to business. Race 2 was held in drying conditions and even some sunshine. Gary lead away from pole but Reeder, who must have had three shredded wheat, held on to take the lead into Gerrards from an outside line. Not to be outdone when they came into the same long right hander on lap 2 Gary went round the outside to take the lead – wow! This was set for another classic, but the race was marred by an unfortunate off for the experienced and popular Stuart Anderson in his beautiful TR replica. Taking a tight line to allow racing room for another competitor Stuart just lost it on the entry to the start finish line.

The car spun and collected the grass bank on the outside of the track. Stuart races this car without belts and sustained a broken arm and shoulder in the incident. In modern commercial racing nobody takes any notice of accidents anymore – just buy a new shell and rebuild. It is just part of the overall budget – like changing the pot plants outside the motor home. But to club racers often racing their pride and joy on basically a zero budget this is heartbreaking stuff. The race continued but to anyone with a soul the spirit was gone. News on driver is that he is fine generally, just a bit fed up. The car will be back of course, cars can be fixed, but it may take some time. I know I will join all my fellow competitors and friends in wishing Stuart a speedy recovery and return to the circuit.

The race finished in the order Culver, Reeder, a lonely Spicer, and a very impressive Tandy.

Next outing is Donington on Sunday June 4th where we have both classic and Open races. In classic expect another Reeder-Culver dice hopefully joined by William Jenkins, Mike Spicer and Simon Bartholomew. Open will be very interesting as well with the 355s battling the fast but fragile older modified cars, so do come along and say hello – or better still enter it!

Sadly, Stuart Anderson and lovely TR replica were both a bit damaged	Peter Hitchman only finished R1...	..wheareas Peter Moseley brought his 308 home twice	Honours equal for Reeder (l) and Culver (r)

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Spicer (r) out-dragged Culver from the start of R1 to go neck-to-neck with Reeder ...

...but it wasn't to last, Gary got past and had a race-long battle with Reeder, but to no avail

Spicer had a couple of lonely third places

Marco Pullen took an excellent fourth in R1

Lovely and interesting, the 275 of Ross Warburton

John Shirley and his Mondial came all the way from Scotland to compete

It brightened up for R2

The Culver and Reeder Show continued, but with roles reversed

Line astern down the pit straight

Steve Tandy drove his 275 to an impressive fourth in R2

Slim Whitman's famous 308

A maximum of 24 Ferrari cylinders with Ray Hanson's more modern dozen in front

Simon Bartholemew's 328 failed in R1, but took fifth in R2

pics by Simon Cooke