PIRELLI
MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
RACE REPORT : ROUNDS 7 & 8 : MAGNY COURS
: 28-30 JUNE 2002
PADDOCK STORIES |
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- The Magny Cours meeting was obviously completely focused on the FIA
Sportscar Championship and it was with some trepidation that one wondered
how the Ferraris supporting act would be treated. In the event they
were generously handled, with good paddock space, friendly organisers
and even got bottles of ice cold water at the parc ferme at the end
of each race.
- Being a double-header with lots of points and with some prominent
drivers missing, the Championship tables have been turned a little on
their head. Richard Smeeton has slipped one point in front of Gary Culver
to lead the "S" class - something that Oliver Morley could
have been doing had he not had his various misfortunes at Castle Combe
and Magny Cours. In the "C" class both Robin Ward and Graham
Reeder have jumped ahead of the non-competing Richard Stevens. Robin
was not intending to do much of the season but surely he must now be
sorely tempted to continue to wrap up the Challenge class?
- The amount of track time arranged by John Swift was, er, generous.
There was a one hour session on Thursday, two sessions on Friday, two
sessions on Saturday followed by the two Q sessions and then on Sunday,
of course, were the two races. John Taylor set the trip meter on his
360 and completed no less than 500 kms of track time over the weekend.
Compare that with an average English clubbie.
- As for the Taylors: firstly, Sue distracted a lot of drivers on the
pit wall, and then she got done by the local flics for doing 186kph
in her Ferrari in a bit of a limit. €750 was the penalty. Some
have suggested she should race the 360 instead of John........
- Again there were a couple of drivers in the running for the Wilkinson
Driver of the Day award but it eventually went to Chris Catt who had
driven a pair of very determined races.
- The electrical problems of Oliver Morley's 360/Ch caused much frustration
at the race track. Phone calls were made to here, there and everywhere
trying to get parts and SD2 programmes but it was all to no avail. It
even took a long time back home before the fault was found - a simple
breakdown in part of the wiring loom. A long way to go and not even
take part in the qualifying sessions, never mind the race.
- Potentially alarming but in the event amusing : Les Charneca noticed
smoke pouring from the engine of his 355 during free practice and pulled
up in front of some fire marshals to get it all doused. Mike Edmonds
then noticed the same from his 355 but unfortunately chose to pull up
at the same marshals. There was then an orderly queue of smouldering
Ferraris as the marshals first dealt with one and then the other.
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