PADDOCK STORIES

• The race commentary was appalling. Wilfully rude about Ferraris, it makes one wonder why the organisers bothered billing the day "Forza Ferrari" when they had nothing better to say than to compare some of the race cars to a Gelati ice-cream van. It is hoped that someone from the Series organisation wings a strong letter to the Oulton people and demand an apology.
  
  
• After his triumph at the previous Croft round, Peter Lowe had a disappointing outing, being one gear short in his 308GT4. Nevertheless he finished third in the "S" class and still has a mathematical chance of winning the "S" class championship, depending upon the results of the final two rounds.
  
  
• David Ingram-Hill was not in the usual 355 but had reverted back to "Rosie", his 328GTB. This ended up with a bizarre spin in the second heat, when the anti-theft device inadvertently came on and switched off the engine, locked the doors, wound up the windows and cut off the power brakes! Having missed the scenery during his spin, David was not pleased when the marshalls pulled back his car and clunked it into the barriers.
  
  
• Ever a model of consistency, Nicky Paul-Barron's race time in Heat 1 was 22:58.4 and in Heat 2 22:58.6. Even better: his best lap in Heat 1 was 1:52.62 and in Heat 2 1:52.63. That, by the way, was three seconds below the existing "C" class record.
  
  
• David Ashburn had a couple of goes at hiring a Challenge car for the race whilst his own 355 was still being fixed. Ben Orza's 355/Ch was first recruited but the transporter broke down on the M6 on the way to the Friday test day. Resourcefully, Ashburn tried to drive the racer up the M6 to Oulton but a lack of oil pressure and no brakes made it just as well it never got there. A telephone call later secured Graham Reeder's yellow 355/Ch, which was quickly rushed up to Oulton in time.
  
  
• Paul Teo had his first-ever race in the 308GTB. This had been prepared by the QV boys, Mick and Phil, as a track day special but had never seen race action before. Regularly used on the road, it had an entertaining dice with the similar yellow 308 of Duncan McKay in the second heat. Brought back some nice feelings of nostalgia, watching a pair of old 308s dicing between themselves.
  

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