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 FERRARI HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP Speed hillclimbers spend most of their competitive events looking up at the sky to try to ascertain if they are going to stay on the black stuff or not but at Curborough (Britain’s leading sprint course) there’s no need - it’s always wet! But on August 18th the Ferrari drivers got away with it and had four dry runs. A mixed bunch of 11 drivers in our class, some highly experienced and some new boys who had a few rapid surprises up their Nomex sleeves. First practice - as ever, Jon Goodwin was in a class all by himself it seemed - the rest of us followed Jon and Brian Jackson (running the 355 Challenge which is not eligible for FHCC points). So, officially it was Dark second and Spicer third and more or less the same for the second practice run but Spicer, second and Dark third after too much effort at the first corner. Similar problems for Prior and Dixon’s 348s saw them slip to the back of the field, Dixon spinning off completely. Nice to see John Dobson back with us now, with big rear brakes to complement big fronts, which saw the GT4 a useful sub-40 in the second run. And so to the afternoon’s timed runs. A slight shower after lunch soon dried and we were away. Kevin Engelbrecht was slightly slower than his best practice run with 43.11, although the GT4 was looking so clean it would surely have taken the Paddock Cup if we had had one! Kevin was followed by old hand John Marshall going very well on 38.49, then the two young pretenders Dixon and Prior (although Dixon’s maturity and race experience, it seems, might not qualify him for this title) in their 348s – 37.79 and 37.46 was a worry to the 308s of Spicer and Dark at 37.33 and 37.31 – all very close. John Dobson, 100th slower than practice at 39.74, followed by Peter Rogerson, the left-hooker 355 on 40.35. Goodwin stormed round in spectacular fashion, taking kerbs and grass, the back sliding, the 40-valve motor howling in a time smashing his own record of 35.19, this being the fastest roadgoing time of the day (not counting the ‘Locaterfields’, of course). Next should have been Peter Hayman but alas the 512 was still not ready from its Prescott accident. Simon Burn was trying hard – the 308 over-steering wildly on its unsuitable metric Michelins but it didn’t worry him as he slid round on opposite lock every run. Jackson’s completely contrasting style realised 36.45. And so to the final runs. Engelbrecht was slightly slower, Marshall slightly quicker, Dixon a terrific 37.24, maybe the fastest ever Ferrari time by a first-timer at this venue, but pipped by Richard Prior’s equally impressive 36.90, a time that is the fourth quickest ever. (I mention again with a 0% handicap these 348s could be the way to go.) Next up, Spicer trying for less start line wheel spin, instead almost stalled and slipped back with 37.60, not so Dark who was to put himself in third position on scratch with 37.12, Dobson and Rogerson quicker on 39.36 and 39.53, Goodwin 100th slower at 35.20, it didn’t matter though. Simon Burn, more cautious at the first corner, improved to 41.08 rounding off with the ineligible Jackson at 36.83. RESULTS : to follow
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