2005 Race results

Sports/Saloon Car Championship

Rounds 5 and 6, Croft, 25th / 26th June 2005

First Race (Round 5)

Unlike last years visit to Croft, a driver friendly timetable and double-header brought out a healthy 21 car entry.   It was cloudy but dry for the mornings qualifying session and it was once again the seasons pacesetter Ian Hall securing pole in his Darrian by over 1.5 seconds.   “We had another oil leak though, but thought we had cured it after the last Oulton race,” he said.

Making a return to the series on his home track, Mark Campbell completed the front row with his Elan.   “Well everything seems OK now, after I had decided to miss a couple of rounds to get the car sorted,” said Mark.   Just behind Campbell was the Caterham Vauxhall of Robert Pritchard, who was initially disappointed with his time.   “It’s much better than I expected as I am keeping my new rubber for the race.   There’s a lot more to come,” he said.   Michael Blomfield on the other hand was forced to make a quick dash home to get a new set of tyres, after his Sierra failed to get within 2.5 seconds of pole.

Mark Primett’s Banks Europa led a trio of class E contenders in fifth overall.   “The changes we made make it predictably sideways now, it’s a solid sort of set up.   Oh, and the exhaust fell off too!” he explained.   Denis Crompton ended the session in tears, after a fuel leak into his BMW M3 accumulated in the boot.   Just behind Crompton was the second BMW of John Garnett, making a return to the championship after an engine rebuild.   But the temperature had soared and with the M3 on three cylinders, the new engine cried enough.

On his first visit to Croft Kevin Cryer was “fairly happy” to qualify his Caterham in eighth, before a two second gap back to Tony Brass’s M3.   Richard Winter completed the top ten with his Banks Europa.  “I scared myself at Clervaux though when I tried it flat.   It was quick but I only just stayed on, but overall the car went exceptionally well,” he said.

A disappointing 11th was the Rover 3500SE of defending champion Duncan Aukland.   “It oversteered without warning and the dampers have shot it,” he reckoned.   Richard Hargreaves was “pleasantly surprised” with his time in the Honda Civic Type R, while Nick Pakes had a fairly good run, despite struggling for second gear in his Banks Europa.   The ever entertaining James Aukland had a fairly conservative session in his Capri.   “I didn’t hit anything and only went on the grass once,” he explained.   He had the guesting TR8 of Martin Lofthouse qualifying alongside.

Phil Hall is still struggling to get to grips with his new car.   “I am faster than I have ever been here, but so was everyone else.  I will have to speed up for the race though,” he declared.   Graeme Smith’s Caterham and Paul Brown’s Mini completed the ninth row, with Martin Brockhouse struggling with a fouled plug in his Elan heading the tenth.   After a four year absence Simon Allaway was back on the grid with his V8 Wildcat Esprit, and Bob Claxton’s Renault 21 Turbo completed the line-up.

Two cars failed to make it out onto the grid, as Allaway’s Esprit refused to start in the assembly area with a flat battery, joining Garnett’s BMW on the sidelines.

The skies had brightened and the temperature risen as the grid formed up.   From the green light Pritchard made a terrific start to lead Hall, Blomfield, Campbell, Crompton, Primett and Cryer through Clervaux.   By the end of the opening lap the lead quartet had already stretched the field considerably.   “I got the lead as everyone seemed to sit there when the lights changed,” said Pritchard.

With the top four continuing to pull away, Primett started his racelong attack on Crompton for fifth, with Cryer waiting in the wings.   Brass had already shown a clean pair of heels to the Rover of defending Champion Aukland and was destined for a lonely race in eighth.

Hall made his first move on Pritchard’s lead at the Hairpin on lap two, but the Caterham had it covered.   But after running line astern through the Complex a lap later, Blomfield started to attack and snatched second through the chicane, before harassing Pritchard again at the hairpin.   Campbell continued to keep the leaders in sight, while behind him Crompton still managed to hold Primett and Cryer at bay.

Blomfield made his move on lap six and immediately began to open up a lead.   A lap later Hall began to attack Pritchard for second at the Complex as Campbell had closed in again.   The Elan drivers push proved to be a little too much, as he spun at Sunny but still safely retained his place.

With a lap to go Blomfield suddenly slowed and Pritchard surged back in front.   As the Sierra reached the Complex he was touring and pulled straight into the paddock.   “The exhaust wrap came off and took off a plug lead, then burnt through the breather and fired the fumes, which then caused the heat to blow the oil tank apart,” he explained.   “It was really handling well and I had beaten my own lap record,” he added.

Hall seized the opportunity to press Pritchard over the last lap and when the Caterham backed off for the oil at the Complex, Hall kept his foot in and went around the outside to seal another win.   “I had tried the same place before but Robert had always moved over on me,” said Hall.   “Maybe I was too cautious when I saw the oil,” Pritchard replied.

Campbell retained third and Crompton fought off a last lap attack from Primett at the Complex, which briefly saw Cryer split the duo.   “I just held my breath looking for Mark.   He tried to overtake, undertake and go over the top I think for the whole race,” said Crompton.   “I was having to go into lower gears because I was quicker than Denis in the corners.   My best race of the season though,” reckoned Primett.   “There was just nothing between us at all,” added Cryer.   Was he waiting for his rivals to take each other off?   “Yes of course,” he admitted.

Behind the solitary Brass Pakes saw off initial challenges from Hargreaves and Winter, but found the Europa team boss a shadow for much of the latter part of the race, after they all demoted Duncan Aukland who spun at Hawthorn.   James Aukland briefly headed Winter too, until he saw a spinning Campbell at Sunny and nearly followed suit, but he rounded off the top ten and beat brother Duncan.

“At least I got past Duncan this time, because he spun,” said Pakes.   “I lost time at the start when I was boxed in, could have hit Richard but thought I had better not hit another Europa,” said Aukland J.   Hargreaves just missed out on a top ten finish, but was well clear of Aukland D.   Martin Brockhouse “staggered” his way to the finish, while Paul Brown’s Mini shook off the fast starting Phil Hall.   The “babe” finally dropped to 16th near the end, when Lofthouse’s TR8 got by.   Smith and Claxton completed the finishes.   “I made a good start, but almost everyone then drove past me,” said Phil.

RESULTS

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) 10 laps in 14m36.856s (87.32mph)
2 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall) 14m37.392s
3 Mark Campbell (Lotus Elan)
4 Denis Crompton (BMW M3 Evo)
5 Mark Primett (Banks Europa)
6 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven)
7 Tony Brass (BMW M3 E36)
8 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa)
9 Richard Winter (Banks Europa)
10 James Aukland (Ford Capri)
11 Richard Hargreaves (Honda Civic Type R)
12 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE)
13 Martin Brockhouse (Lotus Elan)
14 Paul Brown (Mini)
15 Martin Lofthouse (Triumph TR8)
16 Phil Hall (Banks Europa)
17 Graeme Smith (Caterham)
18 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo)

Fastest lap: Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra RS500) 1m25.664s (89.38mph) RECORD.

Class A: 1 I.Hall; 2 J.Aukland; 3 Lofthouse; no other finishers.
Class B: 1Pritchard; 2 Campbell; 3 Cryer; other starters.
Class C: 1 Brockhouse; 2 Smith; no other starters.
Class D: 1 Brass; 2 D.Aukland 3 Claxton; no other starters.
Class E: 1 Crompton; 2 Primett; 3 Pakes; 4 Hargreaves; no other starters.
Class F: 1 Winter; 2 P.Hall; 3 Brown; no other starters.

Second Race (Round 6)

Blomfield was a surprise returnee to the grid for Sunday’s race, but with Brown failing to line up it was 19 starters.   Once again Pritchard flew off into the lead, from Hall and Campbell, before a slight gap preceded Primett, Crompton, Cryer and Pakes.   Campbell soon grabbed second and chased Pritchard through Sunny, but all the time Blomfield was charging through the rest of the field from the back of the grid.

Hall reclaimed second into the Complex on lap two and Blomfield had made it into fifth by Tower and fourth by the end of the lap.   With Primett trying to build a cushion between himself and Crompton for fifth, Cryer had his chance to challenge the BMW driver too.   As Pakes held onto eighth, Brass, James Aukland, Winter and Duncan Aukland ran in close formation, before a gap back to Phil Hall who was the best of the rest.

Pritchard was under tremendous pressure for the lead at they charged through Barcroft on lap three, and Hall powered the Darrian ahead into Sunny.   Cryer made it past Crompton for sixth into Clervaux on the fourth lap, but Primett was too far ahead to be a realistic target.   After Pakes had lost second gear at the Hairpin, Brass was able to consolidate eighth, as the Europa driver lost out to James Aukland too by the end of lap five.

Blomfield had run steadily in fourth since lap two, but suddenly started to slow again.   He held his place until the penultimate lap when Primett got by, with Cryer following a lap later.   “It was the exhaust again, it melted the battery and I had no real power,” he said.   So Hall was left to celebrate his first visit to Croft for 29 years with a double victory, which he celebrated by spinning as he made his way back to the pits.   Pritchard was left to settle for a comfortable second over Campbell, with Primett completing the top four.   “It took three quick laps to shake-off Denis, but I had to keep my eye on Kevin towards the end,” said Primett.   Blomfield nursed his ailing car home behind Cryer for sixth, leaving Crompton to settle for seventh.   “The temperature was a bit high, but Kevin just had the edge to outbrake me,” he explained.

Brass’s class winning BMW was another solitary finisher in eighth and after Winter’s car went sick on the last lap, James Aukland and Pakes came back to complete the top ten.   “I drove my heart out in that race,” said James after beating brother Duncan for the second time!   “I lost all my ground when second gear went,” explained Pakes.   “I just couldn’t do anything about them,” declared Duncan.

Martin’s Brockhouse and Lofthouse were next home before Winter’s ailing Europa still held on for a class win over Phil Hall.    Claxton completed the finishers once more, after Hargreaves had expired at the Hairpin on lap eight and both Smith and Allaway pitted after the first lap.

RESULTS

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98GTR) 10 laps in 14m36.467s (87.36mph)
2 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall) 14m46.252s
3 Mark Campbell (Lotus Elan)
4 Mark Primett (Banks Europa)
5 Kevin Cryer (Caterham)
6 Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra RS500)
7 Denis Crompton (BMW M3 Evo)
8 Tony Brass (BMW M3 E36)
9 James Aukland (Ford Capri)
10 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa)
11 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE)
12 Martin Brockhouse (Lotus Elan)
13 Martin Lofthouse (Triumph TR8)
14 Richard Winter (Banks Europa)
15 Phil Hall (Banks Europa)
16 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo)

Fastest lap: Ian Hall 1m25.095s (89.98mph) RECORD

Class A: 1 I.Hall; 2 Blomfield; 3 J.Aukland; 4 Lofthouse; no other finishers
Class B: 1 Pritchard; 2 Campbell; 3 Cryer; no other starters
Class C: 1 Brockhouse; no other finishers
Class D: 1 Brass; 2 D.Aukland; Claxton; no other starters.
Class E: 1 Primett; 2 Crompton; 3 Pakes; no other finishers.
Class F: 1 Winter; 2 P.Hall; no other starters.