Round two, Donington Park, May 07, 2006

There was more than double the opening round entry at Donington, for the second round of this years championship. The overcast but dry session gave reigning champion Ian Hall another pole position in his Darrian T98 GTR. “It didn’t feel that good really, it was sliding about a lot,” he said. Sharing the front row was Robert Pritchard, his Caterham Vauxhall 2.337s behind. “It was fine, I had new tyres on the nearside, nothing else,” he said.

The awesome Vauxhall Calibra of Rik Wood was next up, with Simon Allaway’s Wildcat Lotus Esprit V8 alongside. “I lost the gears, the oil temperature was too high and the front spoiler broke,” said Simon, who was forced to withdraw from the afternoons race.

“It’s my first time at Donington since I did the XR Challenge six years ago, and so far so good,” said John Garnett after qualifying his BMW M3 fifth. Completing the third row Kevin Cryer felt everything was “OK” with his Caterham. “A bit slippery, but not too bad,” he added.

The evergreen Chris Maries headed the next row with the Locost Ninja, “everything seemed to work, but I was on the rev limiter,” he commented. Alongside was a guesting Peter Gorrie in Robert Pritchard’s spare Caterham. “Following Robert’s generosity in letting me drive the car, the experience left me speechless. It’s very lively and fast enough for me,” he reckoned.

Richard Winter was another to find it slippery in his Banks Europa. “I nearly fell off at every corner,” he said. Paul Sheard was next to Winter with an ex Eurocar Mondeo V6. “We were late going out due to a wiring problem with the brake lights, so missed the early laps,” he explained.

“My new seat slowed me up,” reckoned Nick Pakes, after qualifying his Banks Europa 11th. Shane Crumpler made a welcome return to the championship, completing row six in his Nissan Sunny GTi-R. “I’m still running it in really. I have got a revised rollbar, plus new wheels and tyres, so yes it’s improved,” he confirmed.

Graeme Smith was “pleased to be so far up the grid” in his Caterham, heading row seven, with Phil Hall’s Banks Europa. “I had a misfire for the last four laps, so I am changing the plugs for the race,” he said. Bob Claxton’s Renault 21 Turbo was “bedding in tyres,”while Peter Wann’s Westfield was “making progress,” after not hitting anything or spinning according to the driver.

Graham Taylor was taking things steady with a new clutch in his Westfield, while Peter Duke (Mazda MX5), Brian Allen (Fiesta XR2i), Ralph Underwood (TR7 V8) and Mark Primett’s Banks Europa completed the qualifiers.

“I boiled it, but we think the water pump is running the wrong way,” said Underwood, who was the second casualty from the mornings session. “I had a hose come off on the way out and had water running over my tyres. I couldn’t get fifth gear and the car hadn’t turned a wheel before the start after it’s rebuild,” explained Primett
 

GRID

With Allaway and Underwood sidelined, 19 cars lined up for the start. Pritchard rocketed away to head Hall, Garnett, Cryer and Wood into Redgate. The lead duo built up a big first lap lead and under the Dunlop Bridge they ran side by side. Hall went for the inside line at the chicane and just squeezed through to lead. “I decided I was going for it straight away, because I didn’t want to be in Robert’s spray,” he explained.

By the end of the first lap Wood had charged into third, with Maries up to fourth. Garnett, Cryer and Sheard followed close behind, with Gorrie heading the next group.

Wood began to make inroads on the leaders on the second lap, while Garnett ousted Maries for fourth. Further back Gorrie had Winter and Crumpler poised to challenge for eighth. As Hall upped his pace, the gap to Pritchard grew, as Winter started to shadow Gorrie, Crumpler came under attack from Claxton at the chicane.

By the end of lap four the lead quartet had begun to spread out, while Cryer started to edge towards Maries’ fifth spot. Sheard was on his own in seventh, and with Gorrie overshooting the chicane, Winter, Crumpler and Claxton all went by.

Primett’s progress brought him onto Smith’s tail, after shaking off Pakes, while the rest of the field began to spread too.

Hall continued to ease himself clear, but Pritchard had Wood edging closer as the laps went by. But it was midfield where most of the action continued. Crumpler shook off Claxton, and started to threaten Winter through McLeans on lap five, while Primett shot past Claxton into the chicane on the same lap. A lap later Primett’s charge took him past Crumpler at the Old Hairpin and Winter under the Dunlop Bridge, but two laps later he was parked up with a flat battery.

By lap seven Wood had got close enough to Pritchard to challenge for second, but had to wait another two laps before making his move. “He got me into Coppice and then spun, I had to back off a bit to avoid hitting him,” said Pritchard. “There was a bit of traffic, I weaved through and got ahead and had a bit of a moment, touched the kerb and spun,” replied Wood. Although a strong comeback followed, Pritchard retained second, albeit over 12 seconds adrift of Hall’s race winning Darrian.

Garnett retained a solitary fourth,” my first time in anger with this car in the wet,” he confirmed. Cryer finally got the better of Maries from the chicane on lap 10. “That was fun, driver and car were good today, but I did have a moment waving Robert past,” said Maries. “I took a while to get the feel of it, but then it felt comfortable,” replied Cryer.

Sheard’s lonely race netted seventh. “Five year old concrete wets, could do better,” he reckoned. Crumpler consolidated eighth after getting past Winter on the tenth lap. “That was fun, it really went well,” he said. “I could stay with Shane except on the really wet bits, then all hell broke loose and he got away,” explained Winter.

Another couple of laps and I would have had Richard after my slow start,” reckoned 10th placed Pakes. Claxton and Smith were next up, before the multi spinning Gorrie came home in 13th. “I got to know where to expect understeer, oversteer and where to spin by the end,” he explained.

Phil Hall, Duke, Wann, Taylor and Allen completed the finishers.

Results

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR) 14 laps in 20m18.988s (80.83mph);
2 Robert Pritchard (Caterham Vauxhall) 20m31.485s;
3 Ric Wood (Vauxhall Calibra);
4 John Garnett (BMW M3 E30);
5 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven);
6 Chris Maries (Locost Ninja);
7 Paul Sheard (Ford Mondeo)
8 Shane Crumpler (Nissan Sunny Gti-R);
9 Richard Winter (Banks Europa);
10 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa);
11 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo);
12 Graeme Smith (Caterham Graduate);
13 Peter Gorrie (Caterham Vauxhall);
14 Phil Hall (Banks Europa);
15 Peter Duke (Mazda MX5);
16 Peter Wann (Westfield SEi);
17 Graham Taylor (Westfield SEi)
18 Brian Allen (Ford Fiesta XR2i).

Fastest lap: Hall 1m23.562s (84.32mph).