Report - Round 10 - 2002 Ferrari Hillclimb Championship - Club Racing Series'

FERRARI HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP
REPORT : ROUND 10 : PRESCOTT : 31 AUGUST/ 1 SEPTEMBER 2002
By Mike Spicer

Ronnie Peterson round the old Woodcote, Rosberg round Paddock – some of the most dramatic sights I’ve ever witnessed in motor sport across the world. You don’t get that at Prescott but I’ll tell you what … sitting under this apple tree on a brilliantly hot Sunday afternoon in Prescott’s paddock must rank with the aforementioned; it even compensates for my mood as I’m driving like a nerd.

And so the regular Ferrari drivers assemble for first practice on Saturday with some welcome additions at this British Championship meeting.

First away was Maranello Concessionaires man Tony Willis, the 330 GTC fresh from the valet department and looking good, recording a steady 59.84; moving on to very much the young hot shot of the year Richard Prior on 52.93. There are many places Christopher England excels but none more so than here which showed with a 52.69, but not quick enough for easily our most experienced competitor, Geoff Dark at 52.36. Kevin Engelbrecht was comfortably ahead of Tony Willis with 59.05 which also put him ahead of Rogerson’s 355 no less. But when you think poor Peter had not had time for a course walk after coming down from Yorkshire - he didn’t even know which way the hill went so had to ad lib – under these circumstances a sub 60 second time of 59.32 was okay.

Simon Burn recorded his fastest ever time here with a useful 56.63; Spicer, hampered with chronic understeer, recorded a useless 53.97, Geoffrey Rollason, hot from unofficially shattering Jon Goodwin’s Shelsley record was in confident mood which was soon subdued when he left the traction control switched on and recorded an unprintable time (for him) in his new 360. Jon responded with a slow (by his electrifying standards) 50.98.

Second practice saw a good improvement from Willis to 58.33; Prior on a flyer flew off into the kitty litter at Pardon! England 52.65, Dark 52.41, Engelbrecht his weekend best of 58.78, Rogerson starting to use his 380 bhp, 56.90, Burn unable to maintain form, 58.24, Spicer finally sorting it out on 52.92, Rollason happier with 50.34 and Jon Goodwin on 49.76, close to Geoffrey’s record.

At this meeting all competitors were allowed a welcome third practice run - as it turned out no so welcome as nearly everyone went slower!

Sunday dawned with even better weather - the meeting progressing smoothly and a large crowd came to maybe witness Graham Wight Jnr. clinch his second successive British Hillclimb title.

Tony Willis got off to a personal best of 58.25 followed by Richard Prior on 53.15, Christopher England 52.40, Geoff Dark into the 51s with 51.37, Kevin recording nearly all his weekend’s runs in 59 something, Peter Rogerson a best of 55.72, Burn a better 56.71, Spicer trailing at 53.64, the overnight understeer remedies making no difference at all. Geoffrey Rollason much better with 50.21 and his long-time adversary Goodwin only three hundredths away from his record with 49.54.

The final runs were much the same, the exception being Prior with a stonking 52.10 – fourth on scratch – Dark less than a second away from Robin Ward’s 308 territory on 51.23, Rollason too much out of shape on 50.32 and Goodwin finally taking Rollason’s record with 49.36. Talk about a dog with two tails… and that man Wight Jnr. is the 2002 British Hillclimb Champion.

POINTS STANDING AFTER ROUND 10:

Pos.	Driver	Tipo	Points
1.	Jon Goodwin	F355GTS	134
2.	Geoff Dark	308GTB	107
3.	Richard Prior	348ts	96
4.	Mike Spicer	308GTB	90
5.	John Marshall	328GTB	58
6.	Richard Allen	F355/550M	55
7.	Chris Dixon	348tb	51
7.=	Chris England	308GTS	51
9.	Geoffrey Rollason	360 Modena	43
10.	Simon Burn	308GTB	41
11.	Brian Jackson	308GTB	39
12.	Nick Frost	348GTC	35
13.	Kevin Engelbrecht	308GT4	31
14.	Peter Hayman	512TR	24
15.	Terry Esom	F355	23
16.	Philip Whitehead	328GTB/F355B	21
16.=	Peter Rogerson	F355	21
18.	Keith Maddox	328GTS	19
18.=	John Dobson	308GT4	19
20.	Andrew Duncan	328GTS	16
20.=	Nick Taylor	Mondial 3.4t	16
22.	Jos Van de Perre	308GTS	15
22.	Jeff Simpson	246GT	13
24.	Mark Hargreaves	308GT4	10
25.	Steve Target	308GT4	7

Prescott on a summers day is a brilliant place

Many admired Rollason's 360

The Ferraris in the paddock

Jon Goodwin set a new class record

Richard Prior's 348ts

Back in the paddock

Being Prescott, there were some lovely Bugattis

Graham Wight Jnr (left) won the British Championship

pics courtesy of Simon Willis