2005 Race results

Sports/Saloon Car Championship

ROUND NINE, MALLORY PARK, AUGUST 7TH

Sadly just 15 cars appeared for the one and only visit to Mallory Park this season. Nevertheless, the sharp end of the field was very competitive indeed although nobody could stop Ian Hall taking yet another win in his mighty Darrian.

Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) banked a quick time on his first flying lap of qualifying. When Mark Campbell's Lotus Elan aced that a few minutes later, and then improved still further to a 47.149s effort on his fourth lap, Hall had to summon up something very special. He responded by turning in two successive laps in the 46s bracket, the second being timed at 46.290s. Nobody was able to match that, so Hall would be starting the race from pole position.

"I've had an oil leak problem for the last three meetings and it has been a nightmare trying to find," Hall explained. "I didn't want to do too many laps just in case, but I seem to have cured it." The only other problems Ian reported were a minor misfire through the Devil's Elbow, the use of too many revs because he still had the Anglesey gear ratios in, and finding his way back into the paddock after the session...

Campbell remained second fastest, with third eventually going the way of Mike Blomfield (Ford Sierra). Robert Pritchard had initially held that slot in his Caterham but Blomfield found that he had something in reserve - and although he got ever-quicker as the session wore on, he could not challenge Campbell's time.

The man who qualified on the inside of row two would not be able to start the race, for a rod went through the side of the engine block at the half-way point in the session and he was forced to park up the Banks Europa. That left John Garnett (BMW M3) as the fastest Class E car on his return following season long engine maladies, albeit just three-tenths faster then Denis Crompton's E3 Evo.

It was similarly close in Class D as Tony Brass (BMW M3) fractionally beat Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE) to eighth on the grid. "It was a bit understeery in the middle of Gerard's but I think that was the track, not me," reckoned Aukland.

Richard Winter (Banks Europa) completed the top ten, ahead of Nick Pakes (Europa), Graham Taylor (Westfield), a struggling Martin Brockhouse (Elan), seasonal debutant Phill Simpson (Sierra XR4i) and Phil Hall (Europa).

GRID

*I. Hall Primett (n/s) Aukland Brockhouse

Blomfield Crompton Pakes P. Hall

Campbell Garnett Winter Simpson

Pritchard Brass Taylor

Fourteen cars took to the grid, with Primett's Europa the only one missing. When the red lights went out, however, just 13 cars got away as Phil Hall's Banks Europa was stranded on the grid with clutch problems. With such a short lap at Mallory, the race was immediately red-flagged to avoid the field stumbling across the stricken car at racing speed.

The stoppage was bad news for Pritchard, who had made a superb getaway and was leading Hall - who took a few moments to get the power down - into the Esses by the time the flags appeared.

Fortunately, Pritchard was able to get the best start at the second time of asking as well, and went from fourth to third by the time the field arrived at Gerard's Bend. This time, though, Hall had an immediate answer and he drove all the way around the outside of Pritchard through the long right-hander to reclaim the lead. At the end of lap one it was Hall leading Pritchard, Campbell and Blomfield, and that set the tone for the race.

Although Ian never built a huge lead - he didn't need to - he was always comfortably in control of the race, and eventually enjoyed a victory margin of a shade under two seconds. "After Robert had demonstrated his start the first time, I had to get him on the outside before he could block me," said Hall, who thwarted his earlier misfire problems by changing up slightly earlier at Devil's Elbow. "All I could see in my mirrors was red."

That red was a great three-car fight between Pritchard, Campbell and Blomfield. The gap between the trio varied lap-by-lap, although as the race wore on it was clear that Blomfield was increasingly threatening Campbell. Each had their stronger parts of the circuit, but eventually Blomfield's 6.7-litre Chevrolet engine allowed him to storm through into Gerard's Bend. He then set off in pursuit of Pritchard, but it proved to be a chase in vain.

"The front left tyre has destroyed itself completely," rued Campbell, who had to settled for fourth place. "It was understeering very badly - I turned into a corner and I was ten feet from where I wanted to be. Gerard's is normally my best part of the circuit and today it was my poorest.

"You really need wings around this circuit," reckoned Pritchard, who also struggled with understeer. "If I hadn't got in front of Mark and Mike at the start I would have been well back," he added. Blomfield, meanwhile was just happy to take the chequered flag. "At least we have finished for a change, it held together this time," he said.

In Class E, Crompton made the better start but Garnett took the class lead on the second lap. Although Crompton was able to stay with him for a few laps, eventually Garnett ran out a convincing winner in fifth overall. Likewise, Brass prevailed in Class D but only after Aukland had headed him for the opening five laps. "My race was fine apart from getting fifth when I meant to get third and letting him through," said a sheepish Aukland. "He got two good starts," admitted Brass.

Winter brought his Class F Europa home in ninth overall, with Taylor's Westfield closing towards the end. Pakes had an exuberant spin at the hairpin on lap two and was eliminated, promoting both Brockhouse and Simpson, who completed the ten finishers.

RESULTS

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) 13 laps in 10m23.379s (101.35mph); 2 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall) 10m25.223s; 3 Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra); 4 Mark Campbell (Lotus Elan); 5 John Garnett (BMW M3); 6 Denis Crompton (BMW M3); 7 Tony Brass (BMW M3); 8 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE); 9 Richard Winter (Banks Europa);

10 Graham Taylor (Westfield SEi); 11 Martin Brockhouse (Lotus Elan); 12 Phill Simpson (Ford Sierra XR4i). Fastest lap: Hall 46.252s (105.07mph) record. Class A: 1 Hall; 2 Blomfield; no other starters. Class B: 1 Pritchard; 2 Campbell; 3 Taylor. Class C: 1 Brockhouse; no other starters. Class D: 1 Brass; 2 Aukland; 3 Simpson. Class E: 1 Garnett; 2 Crompton; no other finishers. Class F: 1 Winter; no other starters.

NEXT ROUND OULTON PARK, AUGUST 20TH

PUBLISHED BY PETER SCHERER FOR BARC (NW) AUGUST 11TH 2005, CONTACT 01332 362577/07802 853244 or peter@scher.freeserve.co.uk