Monday, May 14, 2007
Oval and Out - June 2007
Paul Lund had a winning start to the Dunlop Maxx Sport Cup at Snetterton. Racing his Alfa Romeo 147 he qualified on class pole position and went on to take the two race wins. The championship is already being hailed as a feeder to the British Touring Car Championship and boasts an impressive mixture of cars which of course is good for spectators when a lot of people are arguing that there are too many one make series around.
The big oval season got underway with a belter of a meeting at Rockingham. Well done to everyone involved including the BRSCC who put together a terrific race programme for the weekend. There was something for everyone with the traditional circuit racing from the Mighty Minis, Fiats, Alfas, Silhouettes and LMA Saloons and of course the SCSA V8 Trophy and the Pickups.
Looking at the Stock Car entry this year I got the feeling that everyone on the grid was there for the right reason and with the right intentions. They did well too. The two races showed us some spectacular side by side pack running and then some serious challenging for places as evidenced by Shane Brereton’s attempt at the lead on turn four which resulted in him spinning and clipping the infamous turn four wall. Colin White and Hunter Abbott were very evenly matched and I reckon Hunter could bag a maiden win in June! Make sure you’re there to see if I’m right. The June meeting also includes Legends Cars and Mazda Max 5s.
The Pickups got off to a great start as well although Steve Dobbs is going to get some stick for being involved in the two biggest shunts of the weekend. The flying Kiwi’s Truck was in light contact with Gavin Seager on turn four early in race one and the aftermath caused the retirements of Phil White and Richard Grindrod. In race two, contact with Mark Willis left the 65 machine badly damaged and the team are now struggling to make the road course races that take place between now and the next Rock meeting. A few drivers posted career fastest laps at this meeting which is always good to see – particularly at the first meeting of the season. Gavin Seager was one of those and he’ll be pleased with that as his team has undergone a lot of personnel changes over the last few weeks. John Stant, Richard Novell and Steve Pearce were the other drivers setting personal bests. The Pickup rookie championship looks like being a three way affair with Neil Tressler leading at the moment after Arnie Arnold’s non start in the second race at the Rock. Ex Karter Paul Saunders will join in from the Croft meeting and he will soon grab some points I am sure.
Getting back to the Rockingham programme Jo Polley was out of luck in the Mighty Minis after a ding in testing and did not rediscover her form from the opening round (where she qualified fourth). Elsewhere on the National racing scene Stefan Hodgetts bagged another Clio win in the Sean Brown car (at Thruxton) whilst Sean will be pleased with his son Daniel’s progress in T-Cars as he won at Snetterton recently (young William Buller winning the other race to complete a good meeting for the short oval rooted lads). Neil Bray took a class win in his Ford Capri at Mallory Park in May. Former Stock Rodder Ken Selfe was at the same meeting racing in a production BMW and took a creditable 9th place from 28 starters.
Another young driver to watch out for as his career unfolds is Aiden Hills, the son of ex 2 litre hot rod and Legends Cars driver Daren. Aiden has been competing in Honda Cadet karting and recently won the ‘O’ Plate (British Championship in a quality entry up at the PFI facility near Nottingham. Also racing was another talented young driver with oval genes – Bobby Thompson – son of ex PRI Superstox, Sprint Car and Legends driver Paul. Bobby did not have the best of meetings at PFI but will soon add to the ‘Ace of Clubs’ inter-circuit championship he won last season.
Ex Superstox racer David Methley has for some time been making a name for himself on the long circuits racing historics and has recently made his debut in Formula One. This was at the confusingly named “Grand Prix Masters” event at Donington. I say confusing as many of you will be aware of the similarly named series featuring former grand prix stars like Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and Derek Warwick. The version that David Methley is racing in is one for old cars rather than ‘past master’ drivers and I have to say is probably the one that appeals to me more as it gives you a chance to watch some ‘real’ F1 cars racing from the days when each manufacturer’s design looked totally different. For the record David was racing in a March 761 (which was the model raced by the likes of ‘Super Swede’ Ronnie Peterson during James Hunt’s championship winning season) and finished an excellent fourth from 23 starters.
Looking through the British Formula 3 championship results recently I spotted the name of Alistair Jackson racing in the National Class. How many of you remember the visit of the Northern Irish Superstox in the mid seventies when a driver of the same name lapped the entire field including the likes of Dave Pierce? Well the young lad racing Formula 3 is the son of the seventies driver. ‘Jacko’ went on to race hot rods but not with as much success as a certain Ormond Christie who was also part of the NI team at that Wimbledon meeting.
A couple of months back I mentioned that BBC Radio Two presenter Johnnie Walker (a former Superstox, Stock Saloon and Midget racer) was putting together his autobiography and I can tell you that by the time you read this column the book will have been published. Johnnie Walker – The Autobiography is published by Michael Joseph Ltd.
The big oval season got underway with a belter of a meeting at Rockingham. Well done to everyone involved including the BRSCC who put together a terrific race programme for the weekend. There was something for everyone with the traditional circuit racing from the Mighty Minis, Fiats, Alfas, Silhouettes and LMA Saloons and of course the SCSA V8 Trophy and the Pickups.
Looking at the Stock Car entry this year I got the feeling that everyone on the grid was there for the right reason and with the right intentions. They did well too. The two races showed us some spectacular side by side pack running and then some serious challenging for places as evidenced by Shane Brereton’s attempt at the lead on turn four which resulted in him spinning and clipping the infamous turn four wall. Colin White and Hunter Abbott were very evenly matched and I reckon Hunter could bag a maiden win in June! Make sure you’re there to see if I’m right. The June meeting also includes Legends Cars and Mazda Max 5s.
The Pickups got off to a great start as well although Steve Dobbs is going to get some stick for being involved in the two biggest shunts of the weekend. The flying Kiwi’s Truck was in light contact with Gavin Seager on turn four early in race one and the aftermath caused the retirements of Phil White and Richard Grindrod. In race two, contact with Mark Willis left the 65 machine badly damaged and the team are now struggling to make the road course races that take place between now and the next Rock meeting. A few drivers posted career fastest laps at this meeting which is always good to see – particularly at the first meeting of the season. Gavin Seager was one of those and he’ll be pleased with that as his team has undergone a lot of personnel changes over the last few weeks. John Stant, Richard Novell and Steve Pearce were the other drivers setting personal bests. The Pickup rookie championship looks like being a three way affair with Neil Tressler leading at the moment after Arnie Arnold’s non start in the second race at the Rock. Ex Karter Paul Saunders will join in from the Croft meeting and he will soon grab some points I am sure.
Getting back to the Rockingham programme Jo Polley was out of luck in the Mighty Minis after a ding in testing and did not rediscover her form from the opening round (where she qualified fourth). Elsewhere on the National racing scene Stefan Hodgetts bagged another Clio win in the Sean Brown car (at Thruxton) whilst Sean will be pleased with his son Daniel’s progress in T-Cars as he won at Snetterton recently (young William Buller winning the other race to complete a good meeting for the short oval rooted lads). Neil Bray took a class win in his Ford Capri at Mallory Park in May. Former Stock Rodder Ken Selfe was at the same meeting racing in a production BMW and took a creditable 9th place from 28 starters.
Another young driver to watch out for as his career unfolds is Aiden Hills, the son of ex 2 litre hot rod and Legends Cars driver Daren. Aiden has been competing in Honda Cadet karting and recently won the ‘O’ Plate (British Championship in a quality entry up at the PFI facility near Nottingham. Also racing was another talented young driver with oval genes – Bobby Thompson – son of ex PRI Superstox, Sprint Car and Legends driver Paul. Bobby did not have the best of meetings at PFI but will soon add to the ‘Ace of Clubs’ inter-circuit championship he won last season.
Ex Superstox racer David Methley has for some time been making a name for himself on the long circuits racing historics and has recently made his debut in Formula One. This was at the confusingly named “Grand Prix Masters” event at Donington. I say confusing as many of you will be aware of the similarly named series featuring former grand prix stars like Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and Derek Warwick. The version that David Methley is racing in is one for old cars rather than ‘past master’ drivers and I have to say is probably the one that appeals to me more as it gives you a chance to watch some ‘real’ F1 cars racing from the days when each manufacturer’s design looked totally different. For the record David was racing in a March 761 (which was the model raced by the likes of ‘Super Swede’ Ronnie Peterson during James Hunt’s championship winning season) and finished an excellent fourth from 23 starters.
Looking through the British Formula 3 championship results recently I spotted the name of Alistair Jackson racing in the National Class. How many of you remember the visit of the Northern Irish Superstox in the mid seventies when a driver of the same name lapped the entire field including the likes of Dave Pierce? Well the young lad racing Formula 3 is the son of the seventies driver. ‘Jacko’ went on to race hot rods but not with as much success as a certain Ormond Christie who was also part of the NI team at that Wimbledon meeting.
A couple of months back I mentioned that BBC Radio Two presenter Johnnie Walker (a former Superstox, Stock Saloon and Midget racer) was putting together his autobiography and I can tell you that by the time you read this column the book will have been published. Johnnie Walker – The Autobiography is published by Michael Joseph Ltd.
# posted by RJ Neil @ 3:24 AM 
