Report - Round 9 - 2006 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship - Club Racing Series'

It felt a little odd coming to Loton Park half-way through a double-header as everyone else had half the meeting behind them, but a Group Hug from the racers' wives soon banished my sense of isolation. It probably did something for the ten other blokes who followed too; they were nothing to do with the PFHC but thought it looked like good craic!

Saturday reporter Dave Clark briefed me excitedly on the previous day's sport; from what I could make out there was a Ferrari clean sweep and "yacannawhackitman"! Thirteen out of the seventeen who had competed the previous day stayed on for the second half of the double-header, RA being the most notable absentee. As an Essex asylum-seeker now living in Suffolk, apparently the terms and conditions of his asylum preclude him spending more than one night away from the camp. But Barry Wood (308) came to join in the Sunday fun, bringing the field up to fourteen.

When I arrived the competitors were already up the hill having completed their first practice run, but I learned that Barry Wood had gone off, adding to the previous day's incidents - and the day had only just started. On P2 Nick Taylor (348GTC) spun off in Museum and broke his front bumper. This was the first time I could recollect him ever spinning let alone damaging anything. He was joined in the grass by Richard Prior (348ts) who understeered off at the end of Cedar Straight, fortunately without damage. Chris Butler (355) was a good two seconds off his previous day's time, which meant that Christian Mineeff (328) was quickest after the finish of practice.

Gooders led the hunt for broken GTC bumper bits, enough were found so that, with the aid of the inevitable tank-tape, the full aero package was restored to Nick's car.

All day the weather conditions swung between sunny and hot and overcast and cold, with the odd spit of rain which fortunately didn't affect things too much on the track.

Sergio Ransford (308) led the field away for the first competition run and his time of 71.11 turned out to be his best of the day. David Tomlin (355) looked to be getting to grips with the venue - this weekend was the first time he'd competed here. He didn't brake at all in the Keepers complex and he recorded the splendid time of 62.58 which gave him second place for the time being (eventually ending up fourth). It's surely only a matter of time before his first win.

Pauline Goodwin's run in her 328 looked good. She was driving with her customary aggression but this looked more together and flowed better. Sure enough the time confirmed this impression, she'd gone straight into the "67s" from her previous best in the "69s". Missing out a whole second is always a great feeling and PG was justifiably delighted.

It was distinctly raining by now and this may well have contributed towards Andy Grier's "off" at Loggerheads, though he regained the track and completed his run. Next up was Christian Mineeff. He had been troubled with brake-locking all weekend and this run was no exception with huge plumes of smoke billowing from both front tyres as he braked into Triangle. He repeated the process at the end of the straight and flat-spotted both fronts, which left him in fifth place, not a happy bunny and considering a switch to NASCAR....

Geoff Dark was next up and his time of 63.58 proved to be his best of the day. This was only five hundredths slower than his time the day before, which suggests that the 308m just wouldn't go any faster. This was not a good weekend for him compared to his usual high standards, finishing 6th O/A and 4th after PEPs on both days.

Richard Prior (348ts) was uncharacteristically smooth though he still took loads of kerb at Triangle, he carried good speed into the right-hander before Keeper's - no hint of brake lights (or fog lights as he has insisted in the past). Richard's 62.66 proved to be his best of the day and eventually he ended up fifth.

Nick Taylor's 348GTC sounded magnificent as always. He was on the rev-limiter for a long time before Triangle but had a good line round the corner, interestingly the car lifts the inside front wheel on this corner. This taut tipo rewards controlled aggression with sharp turn-in, late apexing and getting the throttle open early on the exit. Nick was the first into the 61's with a 61.29.

By contrast the softer-sprung 355 seems to suit Chris Butler's smooth style, though he did have a bit of a rear-end lurch on the exit of Triangle and his 62.62 left Taylor in the lead. Last up was Jon Goodwin, whose pedalling of the Lusso can best be described as "spirited", though at times it's a bit like watching your granny breakdance. I'm not sure "Lucy" enjoys it, but Gooders does and so do the spectators.

The usual post-run calculator bashing revealed that Nick Taylor was in the lead so far on PEPs, from Gooders, with Geoff Dark in third.

It was overcast for the second runs with the odd spit of rain but not enough to make any difference. David Hathaway improved to 68.50, his last being best run of the weekend which is always satisfying. David Tomlin missed the apex of Triangle and was slower. Swifty was a good bit quicker recording a 65.25. PG was slightly slower, but Barry Wood knocked over a second off his first run time. Mark Buckland was a bit subdued but still improved to a 68.35, but this meant him going home to the North East in disgrace, having been beaten by a lass!

Andy Grier's poor weekend came to a sudden end when he went off on the notorious Cedar Straight, there was some damage but happily none to Andy, though what would happen when he got home would be another story. Christian Mineeff was red-flagged, Geoff Dark's rear end was a bit wayward at Keepers and he was slower. Richard Prior drove with lots of attack, but was also slower by half a second. Nick Taylor was miles too fast into Triangle and missed the apex completely, his time nine-tenths slower, so could Chris Butler do him?

First the red-flagged Mineeff took his run. He was ready for the lock-up into Triangle and consequently didn't look to have lost too much time, carried good speed into the Keepers complex and improved substantially to 62.57. Chris Butler improved too, but could not break into the 61's so Sunday belonged to Taylor.

Finally, we had the breakdancing oldies, Gooders and Lucy proceeding up the hill in a series of twitches, hops, lurches, trips across the kerb and wheels on the grass, accompanied by sundry whirring, clunking and vrooming noises. Great fun to watch, but ultimately slower. When asked if he'd considered whether a smoother approach might conceivably be advantageous he said he'd tried it on his second run the day before and it was two-hundredths slower, so where's the fun in that?

The overall result after the two runs gave Taylor first and 20 points. Nick demonstrated well the old adage "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", not letting his defeat the previous day or his practice shunt get to him. Butler was second, Mineeff's determined second run efforts elevated him to third place overall and the second place 17 points, with Gooders taking home the 15 points for third.

With dropped scores now coming into effect (best 8 from 15 rounds), the weekend's endeavours meant that Nick Taylor took the lead in the title chase from Geoff Dark. With events coming thick and fast, further analysis is pointless as it will be out of date by the time you read it!

PS

On a personal note, thanks to all those who helped me search fruitlessly for the tiny bit of my camera which holds the strap on. When I changed the batteries next time, I heard a tinkling noise, took the camera apart and there it was!