Report - Round 3 - 2006 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship - Club Racing Series'

It was with eager anticipation that I headed down the M5 to Gloucestershire for the first European round of the PFHC, having missed the first two "flyaway" rounds in Essex and Jersey. The weather forecast looked promising and there's no better day's motorsport than a sunny May Prescott.

The Editor kindly met me at the gate with a ticket, thus saving me 14 quid. Despite this entry fee, the car park was jammed and I enviously followed in a nice Caterham, then noticed to my astonishment that now even these archetypical road racers have those anti-wind mesh screens at the back of the cockpit in case the wig flies off.

There was a good entry of 14 cars including the leading Championship protagonists Geoff Dark (308GTB), Richard Prior (348ts) and Nick 'Chav' Taylor, who'd embellished his lovely 348GTC with some blinding bling. It was nice to see yet another new face, Sergio Ransford, joining the Series in his 308GTB. The Ferrari camp looked good with gleaming cars and Andrew Holman's Ferrari flag flying proudly. With Pirelli bunting, most of the drivers and camp followers wearing Pirelli hats and the cars with their Pirelli "number plates", everyone was doing their bit for the Series' sponsor.

Practice had taken place the day before with two dry runs and one wet. Nick Taylor was the only one into the 50s, with Geoff Dark second in his 308GTB ahead of Christian Mineeff making his 2006 Series debut in his 328GTB.

Long-time Club racer Nicky Paul-Barron, his wife Viv and I headed up to the Esses for the first runs, which is a good site for photography. That run was spent looking through the camera viewfinder, so no "helpful" observations chaps, but it was impossible not to notice that both Taylor and Mineeff had huuge lock-ups going into Ettore's. Richard Prior came out on top with a 51.15, with Nick Taylor second (51.30) and Geoff Dark third on 51.59, which gave him thus far the all-important 20 Championship points.

There then followed the inevitable post-run round of driver excuses. Swifty claimed that he had been handicapped because Anne had left their luggage in the car. Nick Taylor said his ABS had failed, and David Tomlin (355) came up with a raft of excuses including no. 4 (Armco very close), no. 7(k) (drive chain came off), which he can't really use anymore.

For the second runs the PBs and I were joined by FOC Committee Member Richard Preece and wife Angela. Both were very keen spectators as they have acquired a 308GT4 in which Richard is about to make his PFHC debut. Colin Campbell (246GT) had broken 70 seconds for the first time on his first run and he made a huge improvement to 67.87 on his second run to win the Handicap. Mike Spicer (328GTB) was next up but was slightly slower; interestingly exactly half of the field were slower on their second runs and half quicker. David Hathaway (348ts) was one who was slower, though by only two hundredths, as was Swifty (355) by five hundredths, which suggests that their luggage must have negative weight!

David Tomlin continued to knock big lumps off his time on his first visit to the hill, his final time of 52.38 secs. being over three seconds quicker than his first practice run, and this with a missed gear (excuse no. 3). Andrew Holman hurled his Mondial QV around with his customary brio, generating loads of tyre squeal, but looked slow on the exit of Pardon and his second run time was slightly slower than his first. Andrew had an in-car video so you can share his runs with him, there's some nice external footage too - there's a link at the end of the report.

Sergio Ransford improved substantially to 57.69 to finish 12th both outright and after PEPs, though it emerged in conversation that he's "not that innocent", to quote the former popette Miss Spears, having owned a number of desirable cars in the past, including a twin-cam Ginetta G12. We hope to see him at more events this year. Christian Mineeff was clearly trying hard, though was maybe overcautious into Ettore's, understandably anxious to avoid another lock-up, which he managed; however both fronts did lock as he braked for Pardon (so there's nothing wrong with the corner weights) but his time of 51.63 brought a vital improvement.

Richard Prior took an ultra-tight line at Ettore's, rattling over the inside kerb, but had a nice line at Pardon and so must have been disappointed to be slower, his first run time leaving him in second place overall at close of play. Geoff Dark understeered very wide on the exit of Ettores, but was still only seven hundredths slower than his first run time, which gave him third on the road just four-hundredths ahead of Mineeff.

Nick Taylor had everything to go for and delivered, he looked easily the quickest, the impression enhanced by the splendid howl from his 348GTC's exhaust. His second run stopped the clocks at 50.08 which gave him a comfortable outright victory. Brian Jackson's yellow 308 was quick and smooth and looked particularly quick up to and into the Esses. Even though he was slightly slower this time, his first run gave him 7th overall, just seven hundredths behind Swifty. Pauline Goodwin (328GTB) was disappointed by her second run, and was angry with herself for concentrating more on the display clocks at the startline than her run! However, she made a useful improvement over her previous best time and finished 10th overall and on PEPs.

We now had a reasonable idea who had finished where on scratch but that is really only the start of things. Back in the paddock, calculators, mobile phones, abacuses, fag packets and biros were deployed to try to work out the all important PEPs, points and prizes. There was general agreement that Nick Taylor had got the 20 points, Geoff Dark 17 and Mineeff 15 for third. What that no-one realised is that Brian Jackson had taken 13 points for fourth, moving Richard Prior down to fifth, he being encumbered by the reigning Champ's +1%. One other thing I've only just worked out is that if it had rained after the first run, we would have had a 308 1-2 with Dark ahead of Jackson!

This all meant that Geoff Dark maintains his two point lead at the head of the table, though now from Nick Taylor who moved ahead of Richard Prior. The Series is next Harewood Hill in Yorkshire where there's always a huge entry of Ferraris at a fantastic venue.

Finally, I was lucky enough to follow a Type 35 Bugatti for some of the way home from Prescott and admire the beauty and simplicity of its lines. It was able to keep up easily with modern traffic - what a wonderful car! Its occupants were wearing serious all-weather suits and goggles, no silly mesh screen behind the cockpit for them!