Race Report - Rounds 5 & 6 - 2004 Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge - Club Racing Series'

It is always a bit of an honour for the PMFC to take part in the Spa Ferrari Days. After all, the Shell Historics and the European 360s generally considered themselves to be a bit precious. In past years with our old "M" class racers there were always a few disdainful looks at the clouds of smoke pouring from some of these over-stressed Ferraris but, these days, using Factory-standard Challenge cars of the 355 and 360 variety, we are considered quite civilised.

With PMFC entries being a little down this season any way, it was a pleasant surprise to see 16 cars make the trip for what is a long and relatively expensive weekend. The entry was fairly evenly split between the 360s and the 355s and the undoubted winner would come from either Marco Attard or Peter Sowerby in the big class, with Ted Reddick the firm favourite amongst the 355s. To make up the field there were four so-called Class "B" entrants, with previous winner Louis Machiels in a thundering F40 expected to do well. The DRM team, which normally competes in the British GT Championship, had brought along a 360 for Adam Wilcox to drive.

There was only one qualifying session to count for both races, one of which was to take place on late Saturday afternoon and the other slightly earlier on Sunday afternoon.

What with all the off-track excursions during pre-race testing (see Paddock Stories) it was a fairly battered and dented bunch of cars which turned up at the ungodly hour of 8.30 on Saturday morning to decide on grid places. The two Class "B" runners (not eligible for PMFC points) were quickest, with Machiels' F40 just a tiny smidgeon ahead of Adam Wilcox's 360. Third overall and first of the PMFC runners was Sowerby, less than a second ahead of Attard. Terry Coleman (360/Ch) was next, ahead of the similar tipos of Kevin Riley, David Back and Bo McCormick.

Amongst the 355 "C" class David Dove was quickest, ahead of Witt Gamski, Vince Woodman and Les Charneca. Poor Ted Reddick had a terminal engine failure when his oil pump chain broke and lots of horrible stuff happened inside the engine.

Qualifying was also anything put peaceful with a number of incidents. David Back took his 360 into the barriers yet again, as did Alan Newton. Kevin Riley suffered a drive shaft failure. Mike Furness didn't even take part in the Q session. Having already damaged his 355 during pre-qualifying he needed more time to get some of the dings and dents fixed. He would be ready for the race. Phil Burton was also forced to miss qualifying with a migraine attack and would have to start the race from the back of the grid.

Perfect Ardennes weather was still around as the grid formed up on Saturday at 6.30pm for the first PMFC race .

As the lights went out Wilcox took the lead from Sowerby and Attard, with the F40 of Machiels bogging down and being slow away. As they poured through Eau Rouge Charneca and Dove made contact in their 355s and the latter had to retire with a pulled out tyre valve. The F40 soon got going and passed first Attard and then Sowerby to latch on to the back of Wilcox's yellow 360, which was despatched into second place a lap later.

Amongst the PMFC runners Sowerby had Attard right on his tail and then, after a gap, David Back ahead of the battling trio of Coleman, Riley and Bo McCormick. Burton was making up places hand-over-fist from his back of the grid start and was soon closing on this trio.

Witt Gamski was leading the "C" class, ahead of Charneca and Woodman, although the latter then pulled into the pits to repair some bodywork damage following contact with Pierre Schroeder's 360/Ch.

At the front Attard slipped past Sowerby on lap four but was not able to pull out much of a lead whilst Back stayed in a lonely third place. The next bunch then managed to tangle as Riley attempted to pass Coleman in an untidy manoevre, spun and was promptly collected by McCormick's 360. Both retired.

After eight laps the chequered flag came out and Machiels was the overall winner ahead of Wilcox; Attard came next, the first of the PMFC runners, just over a second ahead of Sowerby with Back almost a minute in arrears. Phil Burton had driven a great catch-up race to finish just three seconds behind Back and then came Coleman another three seconds in arrears. Gamski took a great "C" class win, his first ever, just narrowly ahead of Charneca, with Mike Reeder third in the class.

The Machiels' F40 was missing from the grid as it formed up for the second race on Sunday mid afternoon. Apparently an oil leak had proved unfixable.

This left the race wide open for Wilcox's 360 and indeed he shot into a lead and disappeared up the road.

Behind, Attard and Sowerby were nose to tail once more with Coleman next, chased by Riley, Back, Vaglietti (in a "B" class 360) and Schroeder. Amazingly the "C" class was already being led by Ted Reddick who overnight had arranged for Graham Reeder's yellow 355 to be shipped out from England to replace his own irreparably damaged car.

Dove again retired his 355 on the first lap when a water hose pulled off. Newton and Nuttall also retired following heavy contact at La Source. Would anyone be left?

Whilst Wilcox had a lonely run at the front , at the head of the PMFC field Attard and Sowerby were getting uncomfortably close, with wing mirrors rubbing and other tense stuff. As they rushed up Eau Rouge side by side Sowerby's car suddenly spun, possibly as result of contact, whilst Attard was able to disappear from the scene. Sowerby recovered to resume the chase but he was left in a distant and angry second place.

Attard therefore collected his second win of the weekend, ahead of Sowerby again, while Terry Coleman produced an excellent result a tiny fraction ahead of Riley, with Phil Burton again chasing hard from the back of the field to finish sixth overall but fifth of the PMFC runners.

Reddick made the overnight rush of getting another car worthwhile by winning the "C" class but only by a few seconds ahead of the previous day's winner Witt Gamski. Woodman finished third in this class, ahead of Furness and Mike Reeder.