PIRELLI MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE

• It is getting to that time of year when rumours start floating around the paddock about what people are up to next. Phil Burton is looking with interest at the British GT scene in his 360 and stories' have it that he will already be out at the Brands Hatch round this year, with Fluxie co-driving. Ted Reddick, having sewn up the "C" class championship this year in some style is said to be contemplating a 360/Ch for next year but, as always, it will all depend on sponsorship. Peter Sowerby is talking about European 360s and Marco Attard is thinking about taking a rest after a couple of hectic seasons. But then he always says that.
  
  
• It's been a few weeks since the last PMFC rounds but even without races some managed to bash their cars in the intervening period. David Back's 360/Ch was chucked into the barriers at Donington during a test session by Neil Woodford (remember him?) and Kevin Riley managed to do the same to his 360 at Castle Combe. Fortunately both were repaired in time but only barely finished off. Tricky things on the limit, these 360s, if you're not quite prepared for what they can do to you.
  
  
• Speaking of Riley, his 360 had a frustrating and intermittent engine fault throughout the meeting, occassionally not accepting any throttle input. That explains his up and down lap times, including a poor grid position. Little time to get the car ready from its pretty big bash may have been an explanation for it.
  
  
• David Back was proudly showing a photo of himself leading Sowerby's 360 but couldn't quite tell which corner it was taken at. Unfortunately someone then pointed out that it was Clearways at Brands Hatch - when Marco Attard was driving Back's car....... The picture quickly disappeared again.
  
  
• Graham Reeder seemed to have a very quiet race in part 1 but it turns out that in the kerfuffle at Quarry someone bent one of his exhaust pipes upwards, which blew red hot air on to his gearbox hydraulics and thoroughly cooked the system. With the pipe fixed he went a whole lot quicker in the second race.
  
  
• Having done a few test days in the spare Burton 360/Ch, John Proctor was really thrown in at the deep end but did well. He never got the chance to quietly drive around on his racing debut but instead had to battle with all sorts in both races. He kept it nicely together, stayed calm, and was deservedly awarded the Wilkinson 'Driver of the Day' bowl.
  

• The Castle Combe organisers always like a good Ferrari race and this year the whole meeting was once more billed as the Ferrari Race Day, with Ferraris on the programme's front cover and lots of coverage inside. Some good and varied racing categories also helped to draw a huge crowd on to Castle Combe's excellent spectator banks.

Can we charge them for this?	Others envied all the sponsors on the Furness car	Ted wonders why everyone is looking	Looks like Vince has now got a regular drive

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Burton - British GT next year?

Extra battle stripes on Riley's poor old 360

Come Back Marco

Graham Reeder had a hot time in R1 - wonder if the 'tache is fireproof?

Proctor won the 'Driver of the Day' award on his racing debut

pics by PG, Simon Cooke & CMdigicams