Report - Round 2 - 2006 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship - Club Racing Series'

A long haul for this season's Round Two over in Jersey which attracted a remarkable field of fifteen Ferraris – remarkable in content too, with Jon Goodwin's choice and very collectable 250GT Lusso and Leon Bachelier's vast F512M to spice up the Ferrari mix. Scanning the others in the Ferrari class, there looked likely to be a close battle for the scratch win between the 348GTC of Nick Taylor and the 348ts of 2005 Champion Richard Prior. Maybe one or two of the F355s entered might get amongst them, and certainly the smaller tipos being driven by Geoff Dark and Mike Spicer could upset the order at the front - Bouley is certainly not a power hill with not a straight to be seen anywhere.

Bouley Bay is a mother of a hillclimb, held on a closed public road winding back up the hill from the harbour and small beach. The paddock is idyllic, on the sea wall, opposite the Water's Edge Hotel with little else besides a spectacular view of a Mediterranean blue sea. The starting line is opposite the pub terrace and steeper than any encountered elsewhere. Away from the line there is just time to snatch second before entering a very tight left hander that immediately leads in to a tight right – these corners mostly hemmed in by walls and buildings.

Away from here is the fastest part of the course but it is still nothing like straight, sweeping left and right in third gear. It is fast past “Jon's John” the toilet cabin sited by the scene of Goodwin's big drama – the occasion in 2004 when he wished he had fitted a chain saw rather than a timing strut on his 360. This part of the course has trees literally growing out of the side of the road, encouraging some circumspection at the wheel. Back to second through another tight but flowing left, then flat out up to the notorious Radio hairpin – the road swooping right and left and the camber with it.

Radio is hard right and really needs first – get it wrong and a rocky vertical bank will seriously challenge your sheet metal. Another quick blast in second from here takes you up to the last hairpin and then the finish very soon after. Although Bouley has more solid scenery than seen on any UK hill, it is wider than most, being a real road and a line can be taken.

There had been plenty of time the before Easter Monday for the Ferrari drivers to run their cars up the hill and get the hang of it, albeit at greatly reduced speeds. Even so those with previous Bouley form obviously had some advantage. The organising Jersey Motor Cycle & Light Car Club have to hand back the road by 9pm - we were signed on by 7.30am and for a change had loads of time to put on comp numbers and Pirelli stickers. Assembled in the paddock on the sea wall, the weather was great and things looked good, with two practice and three competitive runs promised assuming no unforeseen delays. The paddock is inevitably very cramped, and with no return road a fairly complex system is needed to get every car back in the right place for the next run. This was explained at the mandatory drivers briefing, together with a suggestion that the Ferrari drivers should exercise some caution after what happened last time here....

Despite carrying competition numbers in the two hundred region, the Ferraris were the first class away led by David Hathaway and his 348ts. Just a few Ferraris later there was big drama with an off reported and the call for the breakdown truck. Mike Spicer, new to Bouley, had misjudged the entry to the first left hander – easily done and he is not the first, but he did it in some style, locking up and overshooting completely, going straight in to a nice green shed. The shed moved three feet off its mountings and looked a bit sorry as a result. If there was someone inside they must have seen Mike coming and escaped in time! After the dust had settled and the splintered planks cleared it seemed to be not so bad. Mike's 328GTB had a buckled front wing and some bumper damage but nothing that would stop him carrying on. Subsequently he is now known as Two Sheds.

Richard Prior was fastest on this first run but at the close of practice it was Nick Taylor fresh from two outright race wins with an AC Cobra at Snetterton a couple of days before who headed the time sheet. He had his 348GTC on 52.42 with Prior close at 52.62. More close together were Richard Allen (F355) at 53.30 and Geoff Dark (308GTB) on 53.32 – a time ahead of Taylor's after PEP application, and John Marshall had his 328GTB in touch with 53.90. Of the Bouley newcomers it was the ebullient Charlie White who topped the times taking up his F355 ragtop in a very creditable 54.11.

Mike Spicer now driving with due care and attention was on 55.70, whilst Andrew Holman who really wrings the neck of his Mondial QV was already on 57.38. Pauline Goodwin knows to be daring when the going gets dangerous and was close behind Andrew on 57.74, having survived a straight on moment at the top hairpin on P1. John Swift took his sleek metallic black F355 in an exploratory 58.25, just ahead of Peter Rogerson - his F355 was at 58.84, followed by Jon Goodwin feeling his way with the Lusso. Peter Hitchman (Mondial 3.4t), David Hathaway and Leon Bachelier were also on their first Bouley and their times were all around the minute mark.

Three competitive runs were taken and the third, late in the afternoon when it was cooler, was slower for most of the Ferraris. From the first Nick Taylor took the lead, initially heading Prior with Dark moving in to third overall. On this first run Andrew Holman trying too hard with his Mondial QV lost it at the last hairpin but fortunately avoided scenery contact. The fastest six cars all put in their best on the second run, Nick Taylor with a well measured performance turned in 51.03 with his handsome 348GTC. Richard Allen moved his F355 in to second on 51.69, just a whisker ahead of Richard Prior, his 348ts stopping the clock at 51.72. Geoff Dark really extracted the last ounce of performance out of his well sorted 308GTB with a remarkable time of 52.16 – just enough to get inside Taylor on points to claim the coveted 20.

Back at the front of the running order David Hathaway was having a tough time. No sooner had we got back in the paddock from the slip road assembly area than he had to get on the start line. New here he kept his nose clean and got down to 58.18. Leon Bachelier had the toughest task of all – his F512M besides being immense, has no power steering and he had a serious workout going up Bouley five times. Improving with every run and showing a nice line through Radio, Leon finished up at 58.08 to win the Club handicap. Bouley Ferrari class record holder Jon Goodwin was really wringing the neck of his recently acquired 250GT Lusso, lifting the inside rear wheel on the hairpins and losing momentum due to lack of a limited slip diff. His best was his first run at 57.37.

Andrew Holman was having a close contest with both Peter Rogerson and Peter Hitchman – he topped out at 56.79 with Rogerson just ahead on 56.60 and Hitchman on 56.51. Pauline Goodwin meanwhile was making really good progress with well judged improvements, knocking around a second off each run. Her third run time of 55.62 was quite exceptional, all the more so for a Bouley newcomer and took second in the Club handicap. John Swift, whose immaculate F355 was much admired by the spectators, was careful at first finding his way and like Pauline went faster every time culminating in 54.43. A chastened Mike Spicer was never going to be on the money with his 328 after the shed incident, and he went home with a best of 53.76. John Marshall, a man who has done time at Bouley, took his 328GTB up in an excellent 53.22, and was only just headed by Charlie White. Easily the fastest of the newcomers to Bouley, Charlie was a big attraction in his open F355 and drove with his usual brio to record 53.15.

This gets us back to the front of the field, so congratulations to Nick on winning the Ferrari class, to Geoff on taking a very useful maximum points and to Leon for winning the handicap competition.