The entry for the Classic race was pretty good at 22 cars, although sadly there were no Gp1 Ferraris this time. This number of cars is probably enough for the Indy’s ultra-short 1.2 mile lap length.

All the usual suspects were on parade, with a last minute entry from Peter Fisk with his Mondial. The cars were split into 12 Gp2 standard Ferraris and 10 Gp3 ‘lightly modified’ ones. It is interesting that this season there has been very little difference in performance between the two groups.

After a couple of weeks of beautiful warm and sunny weather, it was Sod’s Law that things would change for this weekend. The day started off overcast and unpromising, and by the time the PFfc qualifying came round, just after 9 o’clock, rain started to fall making the track slippery.

Due to a recurrence of his troubles at Snetterton, when some elements of the flywheel ignition system became detached, Nigel Jenkins (328GTB) was unable to join the 15-minute session, so just 21 cars set off into the spray.

As usual the pace setter was Gary Culver (328GTB), who set a pole position time of 58.595 sec. Marco Pullen was 0.4 seconds behind to take the other front row spot with Nicky Paul-Barron in third, recording an almost identical time. Hillclimb specialist Chris Butler was right on the money and just a soupçon behind fellow hillclimber David Tomlin’s similar Gp2 328GTB.

The weather showed no sign of improving. The rain continued to pour down and the track conditions remained decidedly wet. Although he hadn’t formally qualified, the Clerk of the Course smiled on Nigel Jenkins and he was allowed to start from the back of the grid without a time penalty. Sharing this ignominious position on the back row was Swifty, troubled both with back pain and oil pressure problems.

Because qualifying had been in the wet and therefore deemed to have been no change in conditions, an extra green flag lap wasn’t given. It was difficult to get any heat into the tyres before the start lights were extinguished and the 22 car grid surged into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. The order at the front was Culver – Pullen – Paul-Barron – Butler – Tomlin, with Gary perceptibly moving ahead of his pursuers.

Then the inevitable happened. First Fisk went straight on at Druids, embedding his Mondial in the gravel, closely followed by Honnor, who careered off the track on the exit to Paddock Hill, well and truly beaching his 308GTB. Both cars were in dangerous positions and on lap 4 out came the red flags to stop the race.

The remainder of the field toured round at slow speed for a couple of laps before being brought to a halt in the start/finish area. The cars were assembled in roughly the positions they were in prior to the stoppage and we waited for some 17 minutes while the two stricken Ferraris were recovered.

The restart, following another green flag lap, once again saw Culver maintain his pole position although now it was Tomlin who was in second and N P-B just behind. Pullen’s 328 had a recurrence of gear selection problems at the start and was down in 8th place.

Further down the field a hugely entertaining struggle between the GT4s of John Watts, Richard Fenny and William Morwood was taking place. Watts was the quickest of the bunch but managed to understeer off the course – but then continued – as he exited Clark Curve.

Pullen got into his stride and by lap 6 had caught up with Nicky P-B. However, as they approached the dreaded Druids, Pullen made a bid on the inside, locked up under braking on the wet track, and the two cars made fairly heavy contact. Despite their cars’ disfigured bodywork, both drivers continued. On the same lap William Jenkins’s race ended as he skidded into the gravel trap at the same place. Chris Goddard and Richard Allen also had a close call here, with the latter managing to avoid contact by taking to the grass.

It was non-stop action all the way, with the race reduced to just 11 minutes - or 10 laps - in view of the earlier stoppage.

At the end it was Gary Culver who took the chequered flag, some 7 seconds ahead of Gp2 winner David Tomlin. In third was Nicky, a couple of seconds ahead of Chris Butler. Pullen’s Gp3 car beat Peter Everingham’s Gp2 328GTS by less than a car’s length to snap up 5th overall.

Sorry folks, there aren't any pics...

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