2005 Race results

Sports/Saloon Car Championship

Round 2, Donington Park, 24th April 2005

For the first time for many years the Championship headed south for the second round at Donington Park.   Although a capacity entry was anticipated, it was a 21 car field that set out for qualifying in fairly sunny conditions.

Despite having last raced at Donington 25 years ago in the circuits own GT Championship, Ian Hall wasted no time in blowing away the cobwebs.   His Darrian T98 GTR secured pole by well over a second.   "I forgot just how many apexes there were on the Craner Curves, so it got a bit exciting at the Old Hairpin," he said.

Having withdrawn from the first round after qualifying, Michael Blomfield’s Sierra was second quickest.  "I could do with higher gearing, I am on the rev limiter under the Dunlop Bridge and had to back off," he explained.

Never having been accused of holding back, Robert Pritchard’s Caterham just held off Ric Wood’s Calibra to head row two, while it was a disappointed Mark Campbell next up in his Elan.   "I am just not happy. I didn’t seem to have the speed and maybe I have been concentrating on developing the wrong things with suspension and gearbox," he reckoned.   Alongside though on his first visit to Donington, Kevin Cryer was "pleased really" with his time in the Caterham.

For once defending champion Duncan Aukland had some pressure from within his class.   Tony Brass brought along his BMW M3 and was only 0.281s adrift of Aukland’s Rover 3500SE.   "I was still amazed to be so far up though," said Aukland.

Dennis Crompton’s BMW M3 Evo was next up, with an all too familiar problem.   "I spent money on fantastic brakes and still they don’t work.   They were OK for the first two laps, because I was bedding them in.   I am also running in a newly rebuilt engine," he said.

Mark Primett was another to be out in a new Banks Europa.   "The engine is brilliant, but I felt lost here and reckoned I messed every lap up," he said.

Row six was an all Banks Europa affair with boss Richard Winter heading Nick Pakes.   "I thought I could remember the circuit after seven years.   I had lots of grip but was lifting the front wheels through the corners," said Winter.   "I spun at Redgate and have nothing else to say," said Pakes.

After contesting Hillclimbs and Sprints for over thirty years, Richard Hargreaves decided to make his circuit racing debut, with the Honda Civic Type R that took Paul McMillan to last years Hot Hatch title.   Alongside him Graham Taylor had severe oversteer in his Westfield, "the engine kept cutting out too before I got to top speed," he said.

Occasional visitor Rhodri Hughes brought out his BMW 325i and headed the eighth row, with Phil Hall’s Banks Europa alongside.   "I had a Sunday drive while I’m learning the car," he said.   "Everything seemed to work," reckoned Jeremy Coates after qualifying his Rover SD1 in 17th, while a guesting Peter Gorrie had "great fun" in his under powered Banks Europa.   The grid was completed by Alan Collinson’s Rover SD1, "still proving troublesome", Bob Claxton’s Renault 21 Turbo and Simon Mellard’s Citroen Saxo

The Race

With no casualties after qualifying, all 21 cars made it to the grid for the start.   From the greenlight Hall rocketed away, to head Pritchard, Blomfield and Wood into Redgate, while Primett was left at the start.

Campbell made it a five-car break on the opening lap, while Cryer, Crompton and Aukland ran in close formation for sixth.   A lap later Hall had made good his escape, as Blomfield powered ahead of Pritchard into second.   Campbell had slipped back to a solitary fifth, while Crompton briefly nosed ahead of Cryer for sixth, before overshooting the chicane.   Aukland was on hand to slip ahead of the BMW, while behind them Pakes had Primett reeling him in after an astonishing recovery.  Wood’s Calibra settled to a good pace and was able sneak past Pritchard into the chicane on lap three.   Crompton managed to retake seventh from Aukland, but had Primett on his tail after he had demoted Europa team mate Pakes.

There was no time to ease up for Pakes still, as Winter and Taylor began to catch too.   Although Hall was easing away from the chasers, Wood closed up on Blomfield, but the Sierra driver was quick to respond.   Crompton made a break in sixth, as his previous duellist Cryer was the next target for Primett’s charge.

Aukland had accepted defeat as far Primett was concerned, only to have Brass’s BMW bearing down on him.   Winter suddenly found himself alone in his battle with Pakes, after Taylor fell of the fifth lap.   "I tried to pass Richard at Redgate, took my eye off the apex then spun and stalled," he said.   Having looked fairly settled, there was suddenly movement at the head of the field, with Pritchard starting to close on Wood again.   The response was swift from the Calibra driver, who reeled in Blomfield and snatched second amongst the backmarkers on the Craner Curves.

Over the closing laps Wood made an impression on Hall, but the Darrian had enough in hand to retain a fairly comfortable lead.   "It was a good start and everything went well," said the victor.   Blomfield slipped behind Pritchard again with a lap to go, but the Sierra came charging back to snatch the place at Coppice on the last lap.   "I thought I had the ultimate prize there, just for a moment," said Pritchard.

On returning to the paddock Blomfield found the reason for his struggle, both front tyres were stripped on the inside.    "It started after six laps, if I had known they were that bad I would have pitted," he said.   "There was something seriously wrong with my car," said fifth placed Campbell.   "It’s never been that bad," he added.   Cryer survived his racelong duel with Crompton to retain sixth, although both had Primett’s Europa threatening for a while.   "It was a great race dicing all the time," said Cryer.   "I kept winding the front brake balance up and the car was cutting out in the corners. I would pull away from Kevin and then he was back," said Crompton.

Primett’s challenge ended in the gravel on lap 10.   "I got a bit excited catching Dennis and Kevin and went for it at McLeans.   As they went wide I got squeezed, then I had a lap of madness following Mike Blomfield.   He went wide at McLeans and I went wider and off," he explained.

Brass and Aukland continued their duel for the entire race too, before Brass inflicted a rare class defeat on the defending champion.   "That was the best race I have had for a long time, even though he beat me," said Aukland.

Winter claimed tenth after Pakes spun at Redgate on the last lap, recovering to take 12th behind debutant Hargreaves.   Phil Hall was shadowed all the way to the flag by Hughes and Claxton shook off the Rover’s of Coates and Collinson as the race wore on.   Coates consolidated 16th, "I particularly enjoyed taking the Saxo around the outside at Redgate," he said.   With Collinson’s car getting slower, Gorrie stole 17th on the last lap, leaving Mellard to follow Collinson home as the final finisher.

RESULTS

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) 13 laps in 16M05.698s (94.74mph)
2 Ric Wood (Vauxhall Calibra) 16m07.690s
3 Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra RS500)
4 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall) 21m49.997s
5 Mark Campbell (Lotus Elan)
6 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven)
7 Dennis Crompton (BMW M3 Evo)
8 Tony Brass (NMW M3 E36)
9 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE)
10 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa)
11 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven)
12 Richard Winter (Banks Europa)
13 Richard Hargreaves (Honda Civic Type R)
14 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa)
15 Phil Hall (Banks Europa)
16 Rhodri Hughes (BMW 325i)
17 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo)
18 Jeremy Coates (Rover SD1)
19 Peter Gorrie (Banks Europa)
20 Alan Collinson (Rover SD1)
21 Simon Mellard (Citroen Saxo).

Fastest lap: Ian Hall 1m12.476s (97.22mph).

Class A: 1 I.Hall; 2 Wood; 3 Blomfield; no other starters.
Class B: 1 Pritchard; 2 Campbell; 3 Cryer; no other finishers.
Class C: 1 Pakes; no other starters.
Class D: 1 Brass; 2 Aukland; 3 Claxton; 4 Coates; 5 Collinson; no other starters.
Class E: 1 Crompton; 2 Hargreaves; 3 Hughes; no other finishers.
Class F: 1 Winter; 2 P.Hall; 3 Gorrie; 4 Mellard; no other starters.