"Ferrari Racing Days" was certainly the biggest meeting that our Pirelli Ferrari formula classic series has been involved in to date, and everyone involved was keen to make a good impression. The downside of attending a big meeting is of course the race times that you are allocated (if you are a supporting act). It was therefore no surprise to see a most inconvenient schedule. Both qualifying sessions were to be on Friday. Saturday was to see no classic activity whatsoever. On Sunday our two races were to top and tail the day's racing at 09.20 and 17.40 hrs. In other words the first race, before anyone had arrived, and the second one as everyone was leaving! I say everyone, but a significant feature of the weekend was the empty grandstands. The meeting was not well promoted and it was sad to see such an opportunity missed.

The last time that the club supported a major race meeting at Silverstone was the Coys historic meeting over ten years ago. Then we put 40 cars on a wonderful grid. Times have changed of course, but still we managed some decent numbers this time. 23 cars took to the track for the first qualifying session. There were three Group 1 cars, ten Group 2 and ten Group 3. It was particularly good to see David Cottingham who entered his beautiful 250 TR recreation in Group 1. The session was interrupted by Fred Honnor’s 308 GT4 which popped an oil hose leaving a considerable slick. By the time that this had been cleared up, and the session restarted, most cars only managed four or five laps before the chequered flag. The order was a bit all over the place as a result.

Qualifying session two, for race two, had no incidents and the resultant grid order was a better reflection of true position. The top four cars were all from Group 3. Culver, Jenkins, Spicer and Reeder. Next up was a most impressive Richard Allen from David Tomlin, Simon Bartholomew, Swifty and Nigel Jenkins. Marco Pullen rounded up the top ten in his very recently acquired, left hand drive 328 GTB.

Saturday was a rest day, so to follow the theme let's tell a couple of stories. Marco had of course somewhat "adjusted the lines" of his very quick Mondial at Mallory. Not wanting to miss the fun he had found a Swiss LHD 328 GTB and got it bought. To be fair this lovely red car was a minter and a bit too good to race. Still, boys will be boys, and in no time the car was changed to Marco black with yellow stripes. QV London were given the task of preparing the car for racing, a job they completed in ten days! The car looked very racy and the only fault was a set of Koni dampers that had been incorrectly set by outside contractors - a great job by QV.

As mentioned the Honnor GT4 had disgraced itself in Q1 with a detached oil hose but that was only half the story. The oil had caught fire making a bit of a mess of the engine bay etc. To make matters worse the engine had been starved of oil long enough to run the bottom end bearings. End of play? Not a bit of it! Fred must be made of pretty tuff stuff. Between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning Fred had removed the engine and the rebuilt the bottom end, on his own and with no previous experience of a 308 engine rebuild! With almost no sleep he was back on duty for the very early race on Sunday.

I wish this story had a happy ending but unfortunately it doesn’t. The same oil hose failed on Sunday in race 1 at the other end, leaving a similar oil slick and bringing out the red flags! After consultations with our Series Scrutineer, John May, Fred elected to retire the car for the weekend. We all applaud Fred’s efforts to get the car back on track I am sure, but the fact is that this second oil slick very nearly wrote off Pauline Goodwin’s 328. She had an amazing escape from a high speed spin on the exit of Woodcote. This is not the only recent case of poor preparation putting others at risk. It is something we all need to take very seriously.

Race 1
This race was cut short by the aforementioned oil slick. At the front it looked like Gary Culver had everything nicely covered. Graham Reeder’s drive from a lowly 12th in qualifying, to fourth overall was notable though. Marco Pullen also managed a remarkable 18th to seventh. Not a race to remember frankly, and only credited with five laps.

Race 2
Those few who managed to stay until the end of play on Sunday saw one of the best races of the weekend. The qualifying for race 2 had been un-interrupted and everyone was roughly in the right position. The track was dry and the sun was out.

First away was Mr. Culver from Mike Spicer, William Jenkins, Graham Reeder and David Tomlin. The ex. Mustard Group 3 308 GTB of William Jenkins was in fine fettle. This car is potentially the fastest on the grid in my view, but we only seem to see it’s true pace from time to time. By lap 5 it was 2nd, and on lap 6 it took the lead from Gary Culver. Some had considered that Gary had been sandbagging this weekend – now we would find out his true speed.

By now the top four of Jenkins, Culver, Spicer and Reeder had broken away from the chasing pack. All four cars are in Group 3 and this was perhaps the clearest indication of their advantage that we have yet seen. This was great racing and it was difficult to predict the finishing order. Gary didn’t seem to have anything extra in the tank, and it looked like being William’s race. It would have been too, if it wasn’t for a backmarker coming into Copse for the last time. Somehow William just didn’t manage to get things right and spun his lead, and the race win, away. This was such a shame as he really deserved the top slot. So, it was that man Culver yet again from a revived Reeder, Spicer and the recovered Jenkins. In Group 2 it was David Tomlin in "Rosie" from Richard Allen, Marco Pullen, Simon Bartholomew and Nigel Jenkins.

Looking at the fastest laps over the week-end I found something quite remarkable. This is a long lap. However the difference in fastest lap time between the three fastest drivers (Culver, Spicer and Jenkins) is 2/10ths! Quite amazing. G.C. – 2:18.6, M.S. – 2:18.7, W.J. – 2:18.8.

I have concentrated a little on the race leaders. However I must say that the racing throughout the field was really hot. There were lots of dices, and lots of very hot, tired and happy drivers in parc fermé at race end. This is just as it should be.

Our classic series is looking pretty healthy at the moment. These things take time to get going, but there are enough cars on the grid, and being prepared, to feel pretty happy about the future. I do feel that there are improvements to be made on the social side – not enough paddock BBQs etc. but this is easy to sort. We do however need the powers-that-be to leave well alone. Combining with 'Open' may have been sensible at Spa, but the invitation for Rockingham was, I feel, misguided.

We should not ask classic to bail out 'Open', and drivers don’t need the distraction. 'Open' will succeed or fail, but we must encourage classic to reach its full potential unimpeded.

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You certainly have to give Fred top marks for effort!

Race 1

The race was on at sparrow's cough!

Culver won the shortened race. Note the oil slick

Race 2

Tandy won Group 1 in his 275GTB

Marco had QV severely interfere with a pristine road 328

David Cottingham gamely raced his 250TR re-creation

Could only be Slirosne

Bartholomew's 328 was beaten to Group 2 honours...

...by David Tomlin in "Rosie"

Sixth was another good result for RA

Pauline Goodwin survived a massive spin on Honnor's oil in R1 to race in R2

More close action as Atkinson-Willes scraps with Evers and Whitman

pics by Simon Cooke. Go to his website to buy hi-res prints