PIRELLI MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
REPORT : ROUND 14 : SNETTERTON : 5/6 OCTOBER 2002

And so to the final race of the season - a two-heat affair somewhere in the wilds of Norfolk called Snetterton. Although the main championship placings had already been decided there were still one or two decent positions up for grabs. Chris Catt could still nab second place in the "C" class away from the hors-de-combat Richard Stevens and Oliver Morley also had a mathematical chance of second behind Gary Gulver in the "S" category. A reasonable entry was received, although one or two no-shows blighted the picture. Ian Hetherington, having given up on his 550 Maranello, never turned up for his drive in David Ward's 360/Ch and Robert Carrington's similar tipo was also there but without driver.

Qualifying for the 17-car grid took place on Saturday morning and the surprise was to see series newcomer Lewis Carter in one of Stewart Roden's 360/Chs grab pole from Oliver Morley (360/Ch) and Gordon Riddell in the second of the Roden-run cars. Phil Burton was in an excellent fourth place ahead of Richard Smeeton and Terry Coleman, all of them in 360/Chs.

It was not until seventh place on the grid that the first of the 355s appeared, that of Chris Catt, with Robin Ward and Ted Reddick next quickest in this competitive class. There were just three "O" class runners and John Taylor (360M) took his customary place at the front.

Heat 1

360/Chs are notoriously difficult to get off the line and sure enough on his first racing start in one Carter got it wrong. He was engulfed by four or five cars and Morley moved into the lead closely followed by Riddell, Reddick (up from 10th!) and Coleman. Carter's tardy get-away had caused a number of close avoidances on the grid and the field was truly mixed up.

Morley and Riddell ran away nose to tail but Carter quickly gave chase and was up behind the leading duo by lap four. Coleman had a quick spin which put him at the very end of the field but Smeeton, who had also dropped back at the start, was up into fourth place albeit a distance behind the leading trio and he was followed by Ted Reddick, leading the "C" class and driving his socks off. Chris Catt, who needed to score maximum class points in this class to secure second in the championship, was dropping further and further behind and Robin Ward sat dutifully behind his team-mate, not wishing to take any points away.

On the sixth lap (of 12) the leading Morley suddenly slowed and pulled into the pits to retire with engine failure on his 360. This put Riddell into the lead but he had Carter right on the back of his tail. Although it looked as though they were having a tussle, Carter clearly had no intention of passing his team-mate. The latter's quickest lap (and new record) was nearly 2 seconds quicker....

Smeeton continued in his lonely third place, followed at an equal distance by Reddick, but on lap 11 we suddenly lost Chris Catt in a frightening accident when a ball joint failed in his suspension. The car went into the barriers very hard but Catt emerged with just a shaking and a stiff shoulder. Ward was then able to put the hammer down but there was insufficient time to catch Reddick for the class win.

Although much attention focused on the excitement at the front of the "S" and "C" classes, there was plenty going on behind. Cale and Burton had a mighty tussle and Cale squeezed through to the front but then had a quick spin which popped him just behind the recovering Terry Coleman and into 8th place. Witt Gamski and Steven Young (both in 355/Chs) battled for the entire race with Gamski finishing less than a second ahead but perhaps the closest dice was between the two 328s of perennial combatants Mike Furness and Richard Allen. Furness won this time but Heat 2 was going to be another matter.......

Heat 2

Morley's 360/Ch was obviously a non-starter following its engine problems but David Ward's similar tipo, standing lonely and unused on its trailer, was borrowed for Heat 2. A special dispensation was granted by the race stewards to allow Morley to change cars from one heat to the next.

Sunday afternoon was again bright and breezy but there were one or two dark clouds swirling around. The two Roden 360s of Riddell and Carter formed up on the front row but Morley of course had to start from the back of the grid in his replacement car.

This time when the lights went green Carter made no mistake and shot straight into the lead, conscious that he would have a hard-trying Morley working his way up from the back of the grid.

And so he was. On the first lap he was up to 8th and by the third lap Morley was up to 5th. Soon he was up to the third placed Smeeton and slipped past to begin his pursuit of second placed man, Riddell. Carter in the meantime had disappeared into the distance at the front and had already opened up a 12 second lead over Riddell.

Behind the leading 360/Chs Robin Ward had settled into a comfortable fifth overall and first in "C" class with Mark Cale and Phil Burton repeating their Heat 1 battle, although they were soon joined by Reddick's 355. Coleman had his usual spin but re-joined without losing too much time to make a four car train in the order Burton, Reddick, Cale and Coleman who held places six through to nine. In tenth place Duncan McKay was holding off Witt Gamski and they were followed at a distance by the "O" class leading 360 Modena of John Taylor. Allen and Furness had a repeat of their Heat 1 tussle, except that this time it was Allen who maintained the lead throughout, although on the aggregate of both races Furness just got the nod.

At the chequered flag Carter was in an easy lead followed by Riddell, who still had three seconds in hand over Morley. Smeeton finished fourth, with Ward fifth and "C" class winner. John Taylor cruised round to his customary "O" class win.

After adding up the aggregate times of the two heats Lewis Carter took the overall win ahead of Gordon Riddell. With his first heat retirement Morley gathered just five points, which left him in fourth place in the championship. Robin Ward took maximum points in "C" class whilst Chris Catt's accident meant that he too was unable to improve his championship position and remaind in third place in the "C" class championship.

Overall a pair of very good races. Gordon Riddell, for his two strong drives, was named the Wilkinson Driver of the Meeting.

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Qualifying brought out the early birds

In the assembly area before the off

Morley lead Heat 1 until the engine popped

Ted Reddick took a great C-class win in the first race

Catt's day ended early, hard up against the barriers

Close stuff throughout the field

A quiet weekend for Richard Smeeton

Riddell and Carter won a heat each

Allen and Furness had their usual 328 battle

Bored, John Taylor decides to go for a spin

In Heat 2, Morley tries to make up places

Ward emerged as overall C-class winner

Duncan went home happy with a brace of 3rds

pics by Paul/Fotografia Corse, Simon Cooke & CMdigicams