2005 Race results

Sports/Saloon Car Championship

Round 4, Oulton Park, 4th June 2005

A return trip to Oulton Park for the fourth round of this years championship brought out 23 cars for qualifying.    Michael Blomfield comfortably headed Ian Hall’s Darrian in the fight for pole, his Sierra RS500 1.879s up on the Bristolian.  "It got slippery towards the end as someone had put coolant down, but up until then it was a clean run and felt good," said Mike.   "The engine was running on seven cylinders and I found a major oil leak.  I had only rebuilt the engine after Cadwell too," replied Ian.

Robert Pritchard’s Caterham Vauxhall was next up, with Mark Primett’s Banks Europa alongside.  "No real problems, it really sits down when you put the power on, so maybe needs to be a bit more stable," said Mark.

A delighted Kevin Cryer headed row three in his Caterham, 0.5 secs clear of Denis Crompton’s BMW M3.  "The gearbox was only finished at 11.30pm on the eve of qualifying.  I changed the ratios and went slower," he reckoned.   Former Sprint ace John Garnett shared the row with his ex Johnny Cecotto DTM BMW M3.

Patrick Smyth was eighth best in the ex Richard Ward Lotus Elan.   "The car was Ok, but I am a bit rusty," he said as he prepared for his seasonal debut.   Richard Casey’s Clio was considerably further down the grid that his only other outing in the opening round of the year, lining up on the fifth row with the Team Griffin Racing Dodge Viper of former XR2 Champion Neil Waterworth.  The Viper only managed four laps due to noise problems.

Duncan Aukland found himself sidelined before the end of the session after his Rover 3500SE broke the throttle cable.   Nick Pakes managed his now customary spin in the Banks Europa, Old Hall this time.   "Just wait for the race," he said.   Graham Taylor’s Westfield was just behind, sharing the seventh row with Europa Engineering boss and championship leader Richard Winter.   "Just went well as normal and it’s still fun," reckoned Winter.

Westfield guest Brian Small was next up with James "sideways" Aukland’s Capri, "exciting and quick," he declared.   Richard Hargreaves had problems with his ex Paul McMillan Hot Hatch Championship winning Honda Civic Type R, but for once Alan Collinson’s Rover SD1 didn’t.   "It’s getting better and I felt I could now start to drive it properly," he said.   Phil Hall was still "making progress" with his new Banks Europa, but Jeremy Coates’ Rover SD1 had problems too.   "I think I have caught it off Alan Collinson, it stops pulling at 5000rpm," he explained.

Completing the grid were Rhodri Hughes (BMW 325i), Charles Newton’s Ford Mondeo V6 and Shane Crumpler’s Nissan Sunny Gti_R.   "I had an ecu problem, it was pushing too much oil through and bypassing the turbo," he said.

The Race

With both Smyth and Crumpler failing to show in the assembly area, 21 cars lined up for the start.   Hall, Blomfield, Pritchard and Primett made equally good starts and had made a sizeable break by the end of the opening lap.   Cryer held fifth but had Crompton on his tail, as the rest of the field started to spread out.

Blomfield was quick to attack for the lead and almost slipped inside Hall at Old Hall on the second lap.   Pritchard and Primett were both secure in third and fourth, but down in fifth Crompton had managed to ease past Cryer as Garnett started to close.

Into Knickerbrook Blomfield sailed into the lead and immediately pulled clear, as Hall’s engine lapsed onto seven cylinders again.   With Cryer regaining fifth on lap three, Crompton had the image of Garnett’s BMW continuing to loom larger in his mirrors.

On lap five Hall’s engine was suddenly back on full song.   He not only closed the gap back to Blomfield, but smashed the lap record too.   With the rest of the top seven looking fairly settled, the fight for eighth began to intensify, with Casey, Duncan Aukland and Taylor in close formation.   Aukland started to fall back by lap seven, after losing out to Taylor on the previous lap.

During lappery through Cascades, Hall seized his chance and reclaimed the lead.   "I thought Michael seemed to slow a bit too," said Hall.   Once ahead there was no looking back, and at the flag he had pulled out 2.787secs.   A disappointed Blomfield felt that there was only one reason he lost out.   "With the weight it’s carrying it just won’t go any faster."   Pritchard was the only other unlapped runner in third    "It was a bit lonely today but I least I kept it on the black stuff this time," he said.

Primett managed to hold onto fourth, but had Cryer threatening for much of the second half.   "I had a problem with fuel pressure after four laps and the warning light was on.   But seeing Kevin right behind certainly bucked me up," he said.   "I thought I was on for it with Mark for a while, that’s my best result," Cryer replied.

Crompton saw off Garnett’s challenge to retain sixth, but had a side by side duel with Taylor for eighth.   "I overshot it at island on the last lap and just sailed on," said Taylor.   Casey therefore clinched eighth with Aukland heading the recovering Westfield driver too.

Winter took another class win as Small separated him from class rival Phil Hall.   Coates managed to survive to the finish, with Hughes, Newton and Hargreaves completing the finishers,

Waterworth’s sick Viper retired to the pits after two laps and Pakes went out after James Aukland hit him at Island on the fourth lap.   "After James helped me round the silencer was pushed onto the gear selector and I couldn’t get a gear," he explained.   Collinson and James Aukland were the other non-finishers.

RESULTS

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) 15 laps in 22m17.025s (89.90Mph)
2 Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra RS500) 22m19.812s
3 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall)
4 Mark Primett (Banks Europa)
5 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven)
6 Denis Crompton (BMW M3 Evo)
7 John Garnett (BMW M3)
8 Richard Casey (Renault Clio)
9 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE)
10 Graham Taylor (Westfield SEi)
11 Richard Winter (Banks Europa)
12 Brian Small (Westfield SE)
13 Phil Hall (Banks Europa)
14 Jeremy Coates (Rover SD1)
15 Rhodri Hughes (BMW 325i Sport)
16 Charles Newton (Eurocar V6)
17 Richard Hargreaves (Honda Civic Type R)

Fastest lap: Ian Hall 1m26.054 (93.12mph)

Class A: 1 I.Hall; 2 Blomfield 3 Newton. no other finishers.
Class B: 1Pritchard; 2 Cryer; 3 Taylor; 4 Small; no other starters.
Class C: no starters.
Class D: 1 D.Aukland 2 Coates; no other finishers.
Class E: 1 Primett; 2 Crompton; 3 Garnett; 4 Casey; 5 Hughes; 6 Hargreaves.
Class F: 1 Winter; 2 P.Hall; no other starters.