GOODYEAR MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
RACE REPORT : ROUND 10 : SILVERSTONE

PADDOCK STORIES

• As ever a wet track is a good leveller. In qualifying there were 8 seconds between 'M' and 'O' class poles but by the time it was wet on Sunday Gary Culver's 'O' class quickest lap was only three seconds slower than Andy Christopher's quickest in the Modified class. Is there anyone willing to bet that an 'O' car will one day win the race?

• Newcomers to the Series again fared well. Neil Woodford, in his most attractive blue 355/Ch, brought in unraced from the Far East, qualified and raced impressively until put out by a collision with Bowler's wayward F40, which was just ricocheting off the Fordyce Testarossa. Some circuit manners need improving. Clive Jackson, boss of Pogson's sponsor - Global Beach, took it easy in practice in his 'O' class 355 but ran strongly in the race to finish sixth in the class ahead of, oh dear, John Pogson.

• Speaking of which, it was good to see Poggy back in action after his Donington shunt, with the 355/Ch repaired as promised. Still in some discomfort from his accident, he qualified well in fourth, but got caught out by a wrong tyre choice in the race.

• Inevitably at this latter part of any season the whinges start about the tipo doing the winning. Seems it is easier to slow down a quicker car rather than speed up a not so quick one. No doubt the Tech and Regs Committee will have its combined ears bent.

• Beware of magazine road testers. David Ashburn had lent his F355GTS to Auto Italia's Roberto Giardinelli, who promptly stuffed it into the wall at Donington, causing David to be a Silverstone non-starter.

• Question heard in the hospitality marque: Will Viagra decimate Ferrari sales? Are there any marketing types out there who could maybe comment on substitutional elasticity.

• A meeting of the Tech & Regs Committee has now been scheduled to take place on 15th September. If you have any suggestions, proposals, complaints, whinges etc. please send them to the Club's Competition Director, John Swift, on email Cs.Man@btinternet.com well prior to the meeting so that there is time to circulate them amongst the Committee members.