Race Report - Rounds 10 & 11 - 2004 Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge - Club Racing Series'

The first qualifying session for the intrepid six PMFC and four Ffc racers who made it to Spa for the very last PMFC round started on time at 10 o’clock. On a scale of 0 to 10, the rain was around 7, with poor visibility and an averagely slippery track.

With so few cars on the track no-one got into real trouble although there were slides and spins as the limits of grip were explored. Q1 was to decide the grid positions for the first race later in the day, and the timesheets revealed that Graham Reeder (360/Ch) had claimed pole by less than half a second from – wait for it – Witt Gamski in his C class F355/Ch. A more circumspect Gary Culver recorded the third quickest time with the second 360 while Richard Atkinson-Willes (R A-W) used his track day knowledge to good purpose to claim the quickest time of the Ffc contingent. By the time Q2 arrived the track was still very wet but the rain had eased and visibility had improved. Pole man this time was Culver, who turned in a lap a full 5 seconds faster than rival Reeder.

Race One
After lunch the rain had stopped and by the time our first race was due – the last of the afternoon, at 17.40 – the track was almost dry although care would be needed if one had to veer off the racing line.

Following the parade lap the grid formed up behind the pace car. This would be the first time that the Ffc drivers would have experienced a rolling start. There were no problems and, as soon as the red lights were extinguished, all the drivers buried their throttle feet to the floor and screamed after Graham Reeder into Eau Rouge.

Graham was still leading after the first tour, with Culver looking menacing in his mirrors. Then, after a brief interval, it was Gamski with Mike Reeder in close attendance followed by White and, some distance behind, Nuttall.

In 7th overall and leading the Ffc brigade came Nicky Paul-Barron and it was clear that the hired Reeder Bros. 328GTB that he was driving had so much more performance than the other classic cars that, short of its wheels falling off, it was going to win. However, having a great time in finding out who was going to be second were Richard A-W and your scribe, tied together now as they would be for the whole race. At a discreet distance behind this pair came Didier Benaroya in his smart Mondial rag top.

On the second lap came the first surprise. Culver had a big lead, not over Reeder as we might have expected but over Gamski. Then Reeder's 360 hove slowly into view, pulled into the pits, and its embarrassed driver asked if anybody had any petrol. Scuderia Pewsey had overlooked the fairly important task of refueling before the race! Fortunately a Dutch driver answered the cry for help and a few litres of petrol were poured into Graham’s stricken machine and the car was driven ignominiously back into the race.

While this little diversion was going on in the pits, those fortunate to have gas in their tanks were cementing their positions on the track. Increasingly big gaps were developing between the first three: Culver – Gamski – Reeder M. In fourth but coming under pressure from Nuttall, was White. Then, out on his own, was N P-B.

The only real scrap was the Atkinson-Willes/Swift battle and this, certainly for the contestants, was an enormously enjoyable contest. R A-W’s 308GT4 was on fast freeze and Richard was driving it at 11/10ths, opposite locking at most of the corners in an impressive display of car control. The lead changed on every other lap until finally, on the last circuit, the old 308 went ahead going through Eau Rouge and held a narrow advantage to the end (the interval between the cars at the flag was 0.7 seconds).

On the eighth and last lap the unlucky Nuttall, having taken Charlie White and made progress in his chase of Mike Reeder, went straight on at Rivage 1, the difficult downhill 180º corner. The 355 ploughed at high speed through the gravel and ended up hitting the barriers with some force. Much to Phil’s consternation it rather looked like the 355’s ABS system had failed again, just as it had at Oulton Park in the first race of the season.

Race Two
The weather on Sunday day was fine and sunny – a welcome respite from Saturday’s rainy beginnings. The PMFC race was timed for mid-afternoon. The green flag lap was accomplished without incident and, when the red lights went out at the grandstands, Gary Culver powered through Eau Rouge to take an immediate lead. In second, but losing ground all the while, was Reeder G, and in third was Witt Gamski, holding a useful advantage over Reeder M and cheerful Charlie White. As in the first race, Nicky P-B was unchallenged at the head of the little group of classic cars.

R2 produced a repeat of the R1 RAW/Swifty scrap. Rarely more than a length apart, the GT4 and 308GTB were clearly providing almost identical performance. Behind these two battling Ferraris, Benaroya was getting ever quicker with the cabriolet Mondial.

From that first lap, most of the race positions didn’t change. Graham Reeder’s 360 developed a rear wheel bearing problem on lap 2 and its effect on the brakes – the pads are continually knocked off the discs – prevented Graham from offering much competition to the race leader. In his efforts to catch Mike Reeder, White had a spin at La Source hairpin followed by a wobble at Bus Stop – he clearly was trying his utmost.

On lap 4, Swift squeezed past Richard A-W at Les Combes and enjoyed a brief time in Classic 2nd, but one lap later Richard, exploring all the track and most of the surrounding grass around Bus Stop, regained his position in a kamikaze attack

On the very last lap Gary lost all his oil, but the 360/Ch. held out to the end and he took the top spot on the podium with Gamski and Paul-Barron being class winners.

Summing up this last PMFC essay to our very favourite Spa-Francorchamps circuit we could say it was a pity that not more drivers took the opportunity to take part in this final race, because it had been hugely enjoyable for those who made the journey. It is fair to say that, with the possible exception of the luckless Les Charneca and Phil Nuttall, everybody left Belgium with a big smile on their face, which, after all, is what it’s all about.