Loton Park saw the 2004 Ferrari Hill Climb Championship reach the half-way stage. After the poor entry at Doune, the class was back to respectable numbers. Fourteen entered, but Geoff Rollason's on-off retirement must have been in an "on" phase as he didn't turn up. Marco Pullen couldn't get any brake discs in Essex for his Mondial (Capri's don't fit) and John Marshall was a non-starter too.

The remaining 11 included all the leading runners, including most frequent winner, Jon Goodwin (355) and Series’ leader Richard Prior (348ts). Richard Allen was re-united with his faithful 328 after it had been re-united with its right rear wheel.

Team Butler had a fraught time getting to Loton as the 355’s alternator packed up en route, which necessitated a call to the RAC and the spending of money (always a painful experience for an accountant) on a new battery, the location of which in the 355 leads one to believe that it was a Friday afternoon afterthought by Luigi the Designer!

Nick Taylor must be the Chris Amon of Ferrari formula classic at the moment, having run out of brakes whilst in the lead at Oulton Park and out of petrol at Brands Hatch when in second place! Mike Spicer (328), who inherited Nick’s second place at Brands, was red-flagged on his first practice run at Loton, having left the line on a red light. A kindly Clerk of the Course suggested that his visibility might be improved if he took off his Brands' laurels. Barbara was relieved, as she said they were a bit scratchy in bed.

On the second practice runs, Richard Prior spun off at “Loggerheads” and there was a distinct crunch as his new front bumper broke – it had only just been repaired after Jersey. Some of the spectating wives said they were always more worried about the car after such incidents, but one said she was always more worried about the bloke – claiming that it’s easier to get a decent car than a decent bloke.

The day had started wet, but it was nicely dry for the first competition runs; the shriek of tortured tyres and smell of burning rubber heralding Jon Goodwin’s arrival at the start line. In approved Loton Park fashion, he took lots of kerb and carried plenty of speed through the two corners before the straight, on his way to 61.77 secs, which was good enough for the lead (and the win as it turned out), though some way off his record.

Barry Wood (308 GTS) was next up, looking smooth but trying hard, to record 68.51, though he was beaten by Andy Grier (328) who recorded 67.07, both competing in only their second event of the year. Geoff Dark (308 GTB) hustled his “smaller-engined tipo” (as RA says we must now call them), to an impressive 63.98, but Richard Prior was understandably a little subdued, stopping the clocks on 65.18.

Chris Butler (355) pressed Gooders very hard at Doune, where it was the first visit to the hill for both of them. He was a little further behind at Loton, recording a 62.48, but this was Chris's first visit to Loton too, unlike JG. Leon Bachelier’s 512M looked and sounded magnificent but it was evident in practice that it was still locking the front brakes. Unfortunately, on his first competition run, he went straight on at the end of Cedar Straight, damaged the front end and had to retire, though whether the brakes were a contributory factor is not clear.

RA followed and was red flagged, as was Nick Taylor, the latter taking no chances after his fine at Harewood, pulling right off the track. Both returned to the start line, started their runs and were red-flagged again! This clearly did not worry Taylor, as he was mighty on his run, with an oversteering lurch round “Loggerheads” and the tail out round Triangle, he powered to an impressive 62.75, third on the road and first after PEPs; in fact, his warmed-up brakes and tyres may have helped. RA had two goes at braking for Triangle and ended up on 65.76, slower than his old adversary, Geoff Dark.

With all of the surviving competitors having one run under their belts, we looked forward to fireworks on the next runs. Then......... it rained and that was that! Jon Goodwin was nearly 2½ seconds faster than Nick Taylor, who just pipped Chris Butler for second place in the wet. At the other end of the scale, Colin Campbell’s venerable Dino just broke 102 seconds.

So the meeting concluded with a slight air of anti-climax, but were the FHCC boys and their camp followers disheartened? No! Most repaired to the bar where, to their surprise, they were the sole occupants - then someone remembered the prize giving...

After the last tankard had been collected and the last marshal thanked, several of the FHCC competitors returned to the camp site for a barbie and a few beers. There was another Loton meeting the next day and the suggestion of maybe a double-header next year was enthusiastically greeted, especially if bonus points were to be awarded to those doing both meetings.

So, at the halfway stage of the Championship, Richard Prior holds the lead, but starts to drop scores from now on. Jon Goodwin has won outright whenever he’s appeared in his 355, but has yet to take maximum points at an event – maybe the combination of hillclimbing, circuit racing, cycling across the Atlantic, canoeing up Everest, etc. is a bit too much. Geoff Dark has returned to form this year and combining racing with hillclimbing doesn't seem to be hurting Nick Taylor and Mike Spicer. Chris Butler is a good bet for future wins but struggles against the 355’s PEPs; there is also the prospect of ’03 Champion Nick Frost taking points off the regulars at one or two future events. The Championship could go any way - which is reflected by the average points scored per meeting:-

• Nick Taylor - 17
• Geoff Dark - 16
• Richard Prior - 15
• Jon Goodwin - 15

Finally, I'd like to apologise to the those who took pictures with my camera, the data acquisition/storage interface was un-optimal (I accidentally deleted the pics). I told the Editor that the rain had made the chips go soggy - a concept he can grasp.

Click here to return to the Ferrari Hill Climb Championship page.

A respectable entry, but the PHR boys wouldn't be impressed by the parking

Focus and intense concentration are essential factors in hillclimbing

Gooders was delighted to get his hands on a decent car at last

Prior takes his practice shunt like a man

Contrast Campbell's Dino...

...with its big sister, driven by Barry Wood

Leon's day ended unhappily

Chris Butler took another second place...

...to the irrepressible Jon Goodwin

Well, Loton Park is nearly in Wales

Geoff Dark turns in to Triangle

RA was re-united with his trusty 328

Mike Spicer slithers round Triangle

A hard-charging Nick Taylor took the PEPs win

Mrs Dixon's wee bairn

pics by Ali Dixon & CMdigicams