Race Report - Rounds 4&5 - 2007 Pirelli Ferrari Open - Club Racing Series'

After a fairly lengthy period of inactivity the cars in the Pirelli Ferrari Open were back in business again, this time at Rockingham Motor Speedway. The Speedway’s original owners’ "vision" was to construct a banked oval that would attract cars that run in the Champ Car series in the States – they raced here twice then never came back. A variety of different road layouts were built within the peripheral oval track which can be linked, rather like a Scalextric set, to the main oval. However, all these various pieces of track suffer from being rather artificial and tortuous, and are poor substitutes for most traditional circuits and not generally liked by racers.

The infrastructure at Rockingham features mind-boggling multi-tiered grandstands capable of accommodating 50,000 spectators, who can view all the action from their seats. There is simply nothing in this country that compares with it, but they now stand largely empty – an expensive folly.

Most of us might have expected that a race meeting organised for the middle of summer would be blessed with fine weather. However, this is England 2007. When we arrived early on Saturday morning the vast stands were wreathed in spooky mist.

The Ferrari field should have numbered a half-reasonable 14 cars, but with various depletions this was down to ten; this included Graham Reeder who was subbing for injured brother Mike. They took the track for the 9.25am qualifying session on a wet track with rain drizzling down.

One of the problems for the drivers was lack of visibility and several were caught out. Some coped well with the nasty conditions, with Mark I’Anson capturing pole position in his F355 Challenge car. However, he only just made top spot because Marco Pullen was only 0.3 seconds behind to claim the other front row spot in his 328. However he heard a nasty clonking noise on the overrun and after disassembling the end of the gearbox, teeth were found to be missing from one of the gear wheels and hasty arrangements were made to get a replacement set from London. Marco was given permission to use his classic 328 for the first race albeit starting from the back of the grid. Having a spare Ferrari in the truck is always an advantage!

Despite fitful rain in the morning, the surface on the oval section looked pretty dry. The popular choice was slicks, however there were those who didn’t: Edge, Rowley and Marrs wanted to make sure they finished and collected signatures and opted for wet weather tyres - what a good idea that proved to be!

Race One
When the safety car pulled in and the lights went out for the first race it was the poleman I’Anson who led the field followed by Reeder, Marrs and Bourn. It was evident that the slick- shod cars were struggling for grip on the infield and those conservative drivers on wets were going to have a field day.

Marrs was settling down to a lap time of around 1:49, a speed none of the others could match. He took the lead from I’Anson on lap 3 and wasn’t to lose it for the rest of the race. In third spot but having great difficulty in keeping his car on the island, was Reeder, who forfeited his place to Edge on lap 5. In 5th at this time was Bourn, being tracked by a comfortable looking Rowley. Cosby, who had been languishing in 7th place and looking unhappy, pulled into the pits on lap 7 to retire. At the back, Pullen was leading Watson until the latter stopped with a broken alternator/water pump belt.

By two thirds distance Edge was going like a train in 3rd and making ground on I’Anson. He made a bid to take second spot just as I’Anson got seriously sideways. Edge took to the grass to avoid making contact and his glorious chance of a podium finish had disappeared, He got his car back onto the circuit but ended the race in sixth. With all this, Reeder suddenly found himself in second place just ahead of Ed Bourn, who couldn’t quite catch him.

After the allotted race duration of 20 minutes, the chequered flag came out at lap 11 to greet an exuberant Wayne Marrs, recording his very first victory. Some 17 seconds in arrears came the next four cars, almost together and in the order Reeder, Bourn, Rowley and I’Anson.

There were over three hours before the second PFO race, during which time the weather bucked up considerably. It was hardly summer sunshine but at least the track dried out completely and there was never any doubt that slicks would be the appropriate rubber this time.

The good news for Marco Pullen was that the replacement drop gears for his “Open” 328 had arrived in good time and were quickly fitted by QV. The bad news was that the organisers ruled that he would have to start from the back of the grid, despite reverting to the car in which he had qualified second.

Race Two
From the rolling start it appeared that pole man I’Anson hesitated a little, not really knowing whether he should squirt off as soon as the lights were extinguished as Reeder was lagging some way behind. Although he led the field significantly, at the very first corner he outbraked himself and went straight on.

Reeder gratefully took over at the front, chased by Cosby, Bourn, Marrs and a fast starting Rowley. I’Anson was now dead last.

For the next seven laps it was all about Reeder. He was simply walking away from the opposition, consistently lapping in around 1:31 compared to the 1:34s of the quickest of his pursuers. Sadly for Graham, it all ended on lap 8. A sudden cloud of steam burst from the engine compartment signalled something very wrong and he parked up on the grass verge and that was the end of his race.

Meanwhile Pullen had been making good progress through the field and by lap 3 had caught up with 4th placed Simpson. For the next three or four laps these two had a splendid struggle, with Simpson, having been passed by young Marco, really getting the hammer down and re passing in some exciting manoeuvres. This fight for third place ended when Simpson brought the blue 328 slowly into the pit lane, having seen the temperature gauges needles moving into potentially expensive areas of their dials.

Pullen closed relentlessly on leader Cosby until, on lap 11, he was right on the 512’s tail. The big flat-12 engined Ferrari of Cosby was blisteringly quick on the outer banked section of the circuit, where the prodigious power could be unleashed. However, as soon as the two cars got into the infield section of track, the more nimble 328 came into its own.

On the penultimate lap Pullen led by a car’s length and was just in front into the left-hand hairpin off the outer track. He made a slight mistake and went wide, allowing Cossie to just get ahead again. The two went nose-to-tail round the twisting section, Cosby resolutely giving no opportunity to Marco. And then, with Cosby still ahead as they turned back onto the home straight, we all knew that he couldn’t be beaten in the sprint to the finishing line.

What a terrific race it had been! Edward Bourn brought his 355 over the line to take third overall and victory in Class ‘C’, followed by I’Anson, who had made a good recovery after his early error, in 4th. A surprise trophy winner was Len Watson, whose main reason for being here was just to get Clerk of the Course’s signatures for licence upgrading purposes.

The second PFO race had been quite the most exciting Ferrari race to watch for some time. If we can only increase the size of the field – and this is really down to the competitors themselves – the future of the series should be assured.