PIRELLI MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE

• What is happening to the PMFC? The numbers were way down and there was no sign of the tie-up with Formula Palmer Audi and the marketing effort that was going to accompany this. Instead of racing in the PMFC people have found other series for their Ferraris, partly the British GT Championship but also the burgeoning Britcar series which indeed had a 360/Ch as the overall winner at the last event, but even so there are many 360 and 355 Challenges still tucked up in people's garages.
  
  
• When the timetable for the race day was first issued to the PMFC runners there was horror - because of the low number of starters the races would be amalgamated with a category called Global Lights or something.... These little critters, motorcycle-powered, were about as quick as a 360/Ch, but so small that they couldn't be seen from a 360 and so light that a 360 parked on top of one would not have been a good idea. Luckily, the driver's protests were heeded and the races were separated again.
  
  
• Kevin Riley, of course, is also doing the European 360 Challenge in 2005 but in two date clashes has selected to concentrate on the PMFC series. The European boys were out at Hockenheim on the same day, which is a bit of a contrast to the tight confines of Oulton. Kevin did admit that he found the combination of a narrow track and narrow strips of grass and then a hard barrier to be a little intimidating.
  
  
• When Ted Reddick clouted the bank in the second qualifying session he caused a fair bit of damage to the car and it was really touch and go as to whether it would all be fixed in time for the first race. It was a last minute effort and the 360 just squeaked into the collection area as the rest of the cars went round on their warm-up lap. All compliments to Jason and the other JMH lads for a monumental repair session which was much admired by the crowd that had gathered round the team's awning.
  
  
• Phil Nuttall's bash into the Druids tyrewall looked nasty at first. It was high speed stuff, so much so that the tyres lifted the car up and put it on top of the barrier, possibly saving everything from an even greater impact. About the only funny thing was Phil stepping from the car to realise that he was five foot up in the air - and already on the wrong side of the armco.
  
  
• The late start to the second PMFC race was all down to the Palmer Audi hooligans, who caused so much damage to themselves in their first race that their second race was postponed to give them more repair time. Well, it was a Palmer-owned circuit so he could easily call the shots..... It also meant that poor ol' Gary Culver, already getting a bit worn out from all his qualifying and racing in both formula classic and PMFC, had to sprint straight from winning the classic race in his 328 to the collection area where Dave & Debs had his 360 waiting for the next one.
  
  
• Having had a dream weekend, Charlie White ran up a massive mobile phone bill after he won the "C" class in the second race. He was never off it from the moment he crossed the line and was still excitedly yacking away when he was called up to receive his award. It would be cheaper, Charlie, to get all your mates to come to the meetings......
  
  

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Clerk of the Course briefing: 'Racing is not a contact sport'. For once it worked

Different interpretations of the rear wing regs

Ted caused the JMH boys some hard work

...but just managed to get into the collection area in time

Could you imagine a 360 parked on one of these little things?!

No idea what Kevin was thinking of with this helmet

Charlie had a dream weekend - and it shows

.....and his car wrested the 'Highest In The Air' award from Team Culver

pics by Simon Cooke & CMdigicams