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PIRELLI
MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
RACE REPORT : ROUND 7 : DONINGTON : 10
JUNE 2001
PADDOCK STORIES
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- Richard Allen has some nice cars but they do not all get out to
play often enough. This can result in some unreliability. Added to
this, they probably have a memory. Memory tells them that hard work
only lasts a minute or so - just from the bottom of the hill to the
top, in fact. This memory was to plague Richard over the weekend.
In qualifying he managed only four laps before the wick went out and
in the race this was reduced to two laps! Not very good - must try
harder.
- Some of the drivers had been out the day before in the AMOC Open
race, plus some others had entered the Inter-Marque race and had already
had a qualifying session for this early on Sunday morning. This extra
track time certainly helps. When added to the fact that many were
testing on Thursday, it does leave the weekend racer on a tight budget
at a serious disadvantage - was ever thus. Motor racing is a very
tough mistress and has no respect for fair play.
- Poor Steve Young, who is on a very steep learning curve in his first
season, entered the Open race on Saturday, which included a downpour
mid-race. This caught him out, which resulted in heavy damage to his
355. Not to be deterred, he then arranged to hire David Ashburn's
"O" class 355 for Sunday's activities. During the Inter-Marque
qualifying .... yup - more tank tape. As I said, not fair. Both David
Ashburn's mechanic and Mark Leighton did stirling work on the car
to get it out in our race and they are to be congratulated.
- Gary Culver really deserves high praise - not only for his high
level of performance but also in the way that he and his family go
racing. No antics, no prima donnas, just nice folk doing a great job.
- Thought from the day - our championship remains one of UK racing's
best kept secrets. The cars look and sound great, the racing is good
and the grid size is generally at least on a par with other championships
- but with 6.00 p.m. start times only the die-hards get to see it.
- Alan Cosby's gearbox in the 512 can probably now stand all the strains
and stresses of moving the car forwards. Remember how in the past
seasons the shafts used to snap like carrots? Son Ben, however, had
a backwards moment in an earlier race. Did this cause the problems
which stopped Alan from having a result?
- Half the season's gone and there is not a lot of excitement left
in the championship tables. Richard Smeeton is opponentless in the
"O" class, Gary Culver seems matchless in the "C"
class and, unless he drops it back still, Ian Hetherington is looking
safe in the "S" class but, in place of any class battles,
the tussles for the race lead are keeping everyone on their toes.
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