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

Continuing the unfortunate trend of low numbers, just nine cars turned up for morning qualifying at the blazing hot circuit with not a cloud in the sky. There were four 360/Chs, with all the drivers we had come to expect this year, and five 355/Chs.

Quickest on the time sheets was surprisingly not Gary Culver but Graham Reeder, who put his 360 on pole just 0.3 seconds ahead of Gary. Kevin Riley and David Dove filled the next two spots, although the latter made the field even smaller when he became a non-starter with a clutch problem.

Amongst the 355s Ted Reddick was the quickest ahead of Witt Gamski and then a splendid effort from relative newcomer Charlie White. Les Charneca was sharing his 355 with Phil Nuttall, with Les doing the first race and Phil the second. Mike Reeder brought up the tail end of the grid.

Race One

In searing hot conditions the poor drivers had to strap themselves into their cars for the midday start of the first race. In deference to some 360 drivers' inability to get their cars off the grid rolling starts had now been introduced and Graham Reeder took maximum advantage as he slowly led the field up to the starting line and then gunned it away, catching the rest by surprise. He held a narrow lead ahead of Culver and Riley but then slid wide coming out of Russells Chicane the first time round. In an instant Culver was through and away.

Reddick led the 355s, with Gamski trying hard to keep up, followed by Charneca and White. Mike Reeder had already retired his 355 on the opening lap with a Lambda sensor fault. We were now down to seven cars.

Culver gently stroked it away at the front of the field with Reeder slowly extricating himself from the clutches of Riley and then came a long gap to the 355s, with Gamski gamely hanging on to the tail of Reddick. Charneca spun twice at Russells due to ABS failure and wisely decided to pull in to the pits and retire on lap 9. We were now down to six.

In the second half Graham Reeder caught right up with Culver again but there was no way through and at the 20 minute race distance that is the way they finished - about a second apart. Riley was third, about half a minute behind, and Reddick won the "C" class but only just from Gamski, who finished just 0.2 seconds behind.

Just to make the field even sparser White retired his 355 with two laps to go with a broken suspension ball joint. There were just five finishers.

Race Two

Both Mike Reeder's and Les Charneca's 355s had been fixed in time for the second race so we had seven starters with, this time, Phil Nuttall in the Charneca car.

At the rolling start Reeder again moved into the lead, this time followed by Riley, with Culver in third. Reddick again led the 355s but had Gamski over-so close on his tail looking for a way past. On the second lap of this 20 minute race Nuttall retired the 355 with a loose undertray.

At the front Reeder, Riley and Culver ran nose to tail for the first six laps until Culver moved into second and then, three laps later, smoothly moved by Reeder to take the lead. Once released he set the fastest lap as he built up a gap of a few seconds from his pursuers. On lap 12, however, Reeder's 360 ground to a halt with a broken driveshaft flange, allowing Riley back up into second place, which he held to the finish.

Reddick and Gamski had a fabulous dice in the 355 class, with the latter on several occasions attempting to get by but there was nothing doing. Mike Reeder was the final classified finisher in fifth place with his 355 spluttering round for the last few laps as the engine again reverted to four cylinders.

Although it had been a very sparse grid at least the racing at the head of the two classes was good and close and for his two strong drives Ted Reddick received the Wilkinson Driver of the Day award.