Report - Round 1 - 2005 Ferrari Hillclimb Championship - Club Racing Series'

After the long winter lay-off everyone was glad to get back into action again for the start of the 2005 Championship. Relying on the tried and tested formula there had been no regulation changes and only some mild tinkering with the PEP (Performance Equaliser Percentage) factors. The 355's penalty was reduced by 0.25% from the previous year and both 308s and 328s had received a boost of half a percent. These minor adjustments were not thought to make much of a difference in the overall scheme of things, but one gambling gent said he's put his money on another Dark championship.....

Easter was early this year and the prospects for fine weather looked a bit slim, but nevertheless an excellent 15-car Ferrari class turned up on Easter Sunday for this first-ever double-header meeting. All the leading entrants were there, with the exception of 2003 Champion Nick Frost and Mike Spicer, who's concentrating on formula classic this year. The field was joined by three complete novices: Pauline Goodwin (328), Mark Buckland (Mondial t Cabriolet) and Charlie White (355 Spider).

Sure enough, as everyone began to arrive in the paddock in the morning, the drizzle started and that is the way it stayed all day long.

The first practice runs were taken with some caution, although later runners discovered a surprising amount of grip. The newcomers headed off into the murk first, with White on an 85sec run, Buckland on an eyebrow-raising 75 and Pauline Goodwin on a 79. The three members of the Hitchman clan then splashed their way to the top and, with Mineeff (328) and Dark (308) both down in the 74s, times started coming down nicely. Richard Allen (355) ended up quickest on a 72.37 ahead of 2004 Champion Nick Taylor (Mondial t) on a 73.65 and Richard Prior (348) on a 73.85. Chris Butler (worried by a slipping clutch on his 355) spun at Loggerheads without touching the scenery but failed to get a time on his favourite hill.

The incessant rain dominated the second practice runs and a number of Ferraris fell off the road, including Lorraine Hitchman, Allen and Mineeff, who managed to park his 328 on top of Bachelier's Bank. Quickest on the second runs was Dark on a 71.88; he always goes well in the wet but also benefited from being red-flagged near the top of the hill as a result of Mineeff's spin and was able to take a re-run. Prior, Jon Goodwin (355 GTS) and Butler all followed in close succession. Newcomer Buckland continued to amaze with a superb time of 72.78 on a hill he had never seen before this meeting.

The very late lunch break gave everyone the clear message that the meeting was going to run out of time. There were innumerable incidents on the slippery track, although few had any solid contact with the scenery. Shortly before the Ferraris came out for their first competitive runs it was announced that due to a time curfew there would be no second runs. Everything would therefore depend on just one run up the hill.

The steady rain had by now produced quite a grippy track surface and times were expected to come down noticeably from the practice runs. Charlie White led away and produced an excellent 73 second run but was then immediately bettered by Buckland on a 71. Pauline Goodwin also improved dramatically and knocked a further four seconds off her best practice run to end up on 74 seconds. Of the three Hitchmans who ran next Chris was the quickest in his 355 ahead of dad Peter (Mondial t) on a 78 and wife Lorraine on an 82. Mineeff almost made it to the top this time but spun away an otherwise rapid run at the very last corner, which again gave Dark the benefit of a red flag and a re-run. Taylor was one of only two to get below 70 seconds and his 69.44 was the winning run, ahead of Goodwin on 69.91 (including a half-spin at the top) and Prior on 70.31. Dark took his re-run and edged into fourth spot with 70.52 and then came a very tightly packed trio in the order Allen, Butler and Buckland, with Andy Grier's 328 just a smidgeon clear of White.

With the PEP factors applied it was Dark who took the maximum 20 Championship points but only narrowly ahead of Taylor, who of course is running an extra 1% penalty this year for being the reigning champion.

It was a shame that only one run had been allowed because there was some good and close racing going on. Of the many spinners none had come away with any damage but with no doubt a bit of extra wisdom to reflect upon. As all the competitors gathered in the paddock for the prize-giving the heavens truly opened in a torrential downpour - just the thing you want in the middle of packing up time!

Everyone had their fingers crossed that the second part of the double-header, on tomorrow's Easter Monday, would produce some dry weather......... read on.