Race Report - Rounds 12 & 13 - 2004 Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge - Club Racing Series'

Fortunately quite a few weeks had elapsed since the last PMFC rounds at Brands, giving everyone a bit of a breather and a chance to get their race cars back together again after the hectic mid-season rush of races.

This was a double-header, with two separate qualifying sessions each deciding one of the grids. All the season's stalwarts were there, led by Marco Attard and Peter Sowerby in their Damax-run 360/Chs, with Sowerby able to tie the championship up at this meeting if he got the right result. Phil Burton (360/Ch) still had a mathematical chance and would clearly try everything to stop the championship slipping from his grasp.

The second Burton-owned 360/Ch would be driven by series newcomer and "boyfriend-in-law" John Proctor, who rightly expressed some nervousness ahead of his racing debut. Eight 355/Chs were entered and whilst Ted Reddick was surely the favourite he was going to be kept very honest by Witt Gamski, David Dove, Les Charneca and Vince Woodman, amongst others. It all looked set for some good and close racing.

The first qualifying session early in the morning for this one day meeting had Sowerby achieve a relatively easy pole, ahead of Attard, Burton and Castle Combe specialist Graham Reeder (360/Ch). The similar tipos of Bo McCormick and John Proctor came next but Kevin Riley was down in an uncharacteristic ninth place due to a engine hesitation. Amongst the 355s Ted Reddick was quickest, just a smidgeon ahead of Woodman, Furness and Gamski.

The second qualifying session was not entirely dissimilar as far as the 360s were concerned, with Sowerby taking pole ahead of Attard, Burton and Reeder but Gamski got a real flier in his 355 to finish fifth overall and first in the "C" class. His time was way over a second quicker than Reddick had achieved in the first session. Woodman was second quickest ahead of Reddick and Dove.

It was supposed to be an all-dry day but as the cars formed up in the collection area a cloud suddenly stopped overhead and drizzle began to fall. One or two wheel braces were being fingered but the clouds disappeared as quickly as they had arrived and it all remained dry for the first race.

The run into Quarry corner immediately after the start is always a nerve-racking time and sure enough a number of people got it all wrong as the pack crested the rise and started to slam on the brakes. It is not clear how many separate accidents there were but Phil Burton spun off, Gamski and McCormick got bashed into retirement and several others were involved as well.

At the end of the first lap Sowerby and Attard hurtled by nose to tail, followed by Riley (from ninth on the grid) and Proctor, with Dove and Furness at the front of the "C" class. Burton recovered from the first corner fracas and came through dead last, a long way behind.

Sowerby and Attard immediately drew out a big lead from Riley, who would have the most lonely of races with no-one either in front or behind him. Fourth place was hotly disputed between Reeder, Dove, Furness and a rapidly closing Reddick. On successive laps he overtook the three ahead of him to move up into fourth overall. Burton had already caught the back of the field and began to move up the order.

By lap seven Sowerby and Attard, still running just inches apart, had pulled out a half minute advantage over Riley, who was similarly far ahead of the class-leading Reddick. Behind him was a great battle between debutante Proctor, Dove and Furness, who were beginning to be caught by a hard-charging Burton. On lap ten (of 12) Burton was right amongst this bunch, passed them very quickly and smoothly and set off after Reddick, who was just a few seconds up the road in fourth place.

Then, on the penultimate lap, it all went wrong for Sowerby. Admitting to it being all his own fault he went into Tower too quickly, had a quick spin and re-gained the track but, of course, by this time Attard was well away in the lead. A lap later the chequered flag came out, with Attard thankful at this gifted win, a disappointed Sowerby in second and a very lonely Riley in third. Reddick held on to fourth place overall, but only just from Burton, and took an easy "C" class win ahead of Dove, who finished sixth overall. Proctor had to learn about racing the hard way and was involved in a furious dice all the way but kept it clean and tidy to finish seventh overall and fifth in his class.

Unfortunately the first race incident had left McCormick and Gamski with damage that could not be fixed in time for the second race so they became non-starters.

The remainder, however, were raring to go on the grid for the late afternoon start and this time everyone treated Quarry with a bit more respect and managed to get round. Sowerby was again up front but this time Burton had squeezed ahead of Attard; Riley and Graham Reeder were next, with Proctor, Reddick and Woodman already scrapping furiously. Les Charneca's 355 held a lonely 8th place but behind came another furious pack of cars led by Mike Reeder, Back, Furness, Dove and Keith Sprules.

Although Sowerby continued to lead, Burton was still only a length or two behind, with Attard a few more lengths down in third place. On the fourth lap, however, Attard crept slowly into the pits to retire with a broken drive flange. This elevated Riley into third but he was soon caught by Graham Reeder's 360, who moved ahead on the seventh lap as Riley's engine faltered momentarily, a problem he had been experiencing all day long.

Behind these four Reddick was leading the "C" class but had Proctor, Woodman and Charneca right on his tail, with Dove and Back having a close race, and just a little behind another three-car train consisting of Mike Reeder, Furness and Sprules

. At the front Sowerby edged away ever-so slightly from Burton and then came a big gap back to Graham Reeder, who had a recovering Riley right on his tail looking for a way past. Reddick looked comfortable in fifth place overall and had pulled out a little lead ahead of Proctor, who was having to do some desperate driving to keep ahead of Woodman and Charneca. Although a modest-sized field there was some excellent racing going on.

This time Sowerby made no mistakes and he crossed the chequered flag a second and a half ahead of Burton and with that win he made sure of the Maranello championship. Reeder and Riley flashed across the line together and had to be separated by a stopwatch - it was just 0.2 secs between them - and Reddick finished in fifth to take yet another "C" class win. John Proctor was sixth overall but again just inches ahead of the "C" class cars of Woodman and Charneca.