Race Report - Round 1 - Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge - Club Racing Series'

GOODYEAR MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
RACE REPORT : ROUND 1 : DONINGTON PARK : 11 APRIL 1999

Davids' Day

The opening round of the 1999 Ferrari Challenge produced one of the best races ever seen in the series. The influx of eleven 355 Challenge cars, the new-found reliability of the flat 12s, as well as the sheer speed of the F50, produced a tremendously tight race, with constant passing manoeuvres and a finish which had the top eight cars separated by just nine seconds.

Qualifying saw the Zest Racing Testarossa of Colin Davids firmly on pole, followed by the two 355/Ch's of Neil Woodford and John Seale. Of the other likely front runners, Ian Hetherington's F50 was forced to qualify out of session following a clutch failure and this meant he had to start from the back of the grid with a 10 second penalty. The reigning champion, Stuart Bowler (F40) qualified fourth but felt that his car was not running properly due to the last minute installation of an air by-pass pipe by series scrutineer, John May. Somewhat piqued, Bowler elected not to race and thus deprived the large crowd of the field's most exciting tipo.

In the "O" class, qualifying was quickly resolved when Fred Moss took his F355 round almost five seconds quicker than the next placed car, the similar tipo of David Ashburn.

At the start, Woodford out-dragged Davids into Redgate but the mighty Testarossa soon blasted into a lead it was never to lose to the finish, giving Davids his first ever GMFC win. The battle behind, however, was fierce, with the F512M of Alan Cosby pushing into fourth place just behind the Seale/Woodford squabble. The next group of 355/Ch's of Rory Fordyce, Marco Attard and Nicky Paul-Barron followed nose to tail and the entire group often fanned out three abreast for the dive into Redgate.

Both Woodford and Cosby had quick offs following some robust driving by Seale, but behind them was lurking an even greater menace: Ian Hetherington, having started his F50 from the back of the grid, was really flying up the field, powering his way past the Challenge cars on the last lap and finishing just three seconds behind Davids winning Testarossa. The finishing order behind these two was Seale, Attard, the recovering Cosby, Fordyce and Paul-Barron. Woodford finished a disappointed 8th but his talent will undoubtedly secure him a front-running place this season.

The "O" class was easily taken by Fred Moss, who finished 12th overall and some 24 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, David Ashburn. A new class lap record, some four seconds quicker than before, served further notice that Moss will be a difficult man to beat this year.

A great start to the season!

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