North West Centre Sports / Saloon Championship 2007
Supported by Ace Vehicle Deliveries / Hillside of Heywood

Round One, Oulton Park, March 31st, 2007

It was all to play for with none of the previous title winners lining up for the opening round of the season. But a reasonable 19 car grid set out for qualifying, and not surprisingly it was Ric Wood’s ex DTM Opel Astra that claimed pole. Alastair Chalmers shared the front row with his Caterham R400. “I am doing a few rounds this year, along with 750MC 7’s, Caterham Challenge and Eurocup,” he explained. “I didn’t get it to fire up cleanly, so changed a plug and still needed a push start as the battery kept losing charge,” he added.
 

Patrick Smyth’s Elan was next up, sharing row two with Graham Taylor’s Westfield. “I was lucky, there was a bolt missing from my rear caliper, but we found it before I went out and borrowed one from Brian Allen,” he said.

Fifth quickest was Richard Winter, back in his 2 litre 16V Supercharged Banks Europa 62GTR for the first time since it’s startline shunt three years ago. “I lost boost from the supercharger in the closing laps, loose bolts had stripped the teeth off the drive,” he explained.

Z Cars Mini chief Chris Allanson was next up, “this year we have got a real race car, not just a demo one we can race,” he said.

With Duncan absent while he recovers from his leg injury, it was left to James to uphold the Aukland family name. “I spun at Lodge as there was oil down I reckon, nothing to do with my driving. The car is fine, but I won’t get out again until Anglesey in July,” said the Capri driver.

Kevin Cryer was down in a lowly eighth in his Caterham, after clutch problems. “It was going after two or three laps, so I just did what I had to and came in, I think it was a seal,” he reckoned. Former XR and Stock Hatch racer Stuart Pearson also had a run out in his new Ginetta G20R, qualifying ninth best. “it’s just a shakedown really for the Ginetta Championship opening round at Oulton,” he said.

Completing the top ten was Nick Pakes, who was “fairly happy” with his Banks Europa. Chris Maries was rather less contented after a troublesome run in his Z Cars Mini. “We have started the year just like last year, handling problems and even with a better engine it won’t go,” he explained, before electing to change to his Locost Ninja for the race.  Adrian Vickers’ Capri was also back, while Graeme Smith was disappointed to have only two laps under his belt, after his Caterham had a plug lead come off. He returned to the paddock, but missed the rest of the session.

Ralph Underwood’s TR7 V8 has a troublesome time too. “The temperature gauge read 130, so I hoped it was faulty, plus it will be better when the brakes work,” he said. Paul Dobson’s Mazda RX7 was also off the pace down in 15th, while Westfield racer Peter Wann explained his qualifying form, “I think I am allergic to adrenaline and have a serious lack of skill.” Completing the line up were Brian Allen, whose Fiesta wouldn’t run on full throttle, Graham Wynn, a debutant in another Z Cars Mini and Mark Primett, who spun off after one lap. “I got over exited and lost it at Druids. It was a lovely pirouette though, but with no charge in the battery I stayed there for the rest of the session,” said the Europa driver.

GRID

+WOOD                WINTER                   PEARSON           SMITH                 ALLEN

              SMYTH                     AUKLAND              MARIES                DOBSON     PRIMETT

 CHALMERS          ALLANSON                 PAKES                UNDERWOOD        WYNN

              TAYLOR                   CRYER                   VICKERS               WANN

Primett was the only absentee from qualifying, after his Europa’s oil pump had failed. But the line up was reduced still further after a dramatic startline shunt. Wood had stated on numerous occasions that his Astra would be slow away from a standing start. As the lights went out, Smyth snaked to go around the poleman, lost the car and struck the luckless Pakes in the side. As Wann backed off, his Westfield was truck by Underwood, launching the TR7 V8 over it’s rear wing and puncturing the rear tyre. All four were out on the spot as the red lights halted the proceedings. “Patrick came past me on full power and I think he just lost it on cold tyres,” said Wood.
 

So the 14 survivors reformed the grid and were soon back in action. With Wood still easing into his pace, Allanson flew through to lead into Old Hall, from Chalmers, Taylor and Wood. But Chalmers was ahead by Fosters, and Wood followed, before taking his Astra ahead at Lodge. Taylor had also ousted Allanson for third before the end of the opening lap, with Winter next in line to challenge the erstwhile leader. Aukland headed the rest, from Maries, Vickers and Smith, with Pearson rounding off the top ten.

Winter eased into fourth and after Maries demoted Aukland for sixth, both formed an orderly queue behind Allanson. “I just couldn’t hold them off with a 1300, and tyres that take two laps to warm up. Great start though, “said Allanson.

Dobson was also charging through the field and made four places to end his second lap to eighth, while Vickers and Cryer struggled to stay in touch.

As Wood eased himself further into the distance, Maries took fifth exiting Old Hall on the third lap and although Aukland followed, he started to lose ground on the Locost and they became split by Dobson, who was still making up for lost time.

Dobson note only shook off Aukland, he had the better of Maries and Winter too by the end of lap four. With the top three well clear though, all the action was for the lower places. The Caterham’s of Smith and Cryer both retired after three laps and were soon joined by Allen. “It ate the air cleaner,” he explained.

While Wood lapped the whole field to take a dominant win, the battle for second went down to the wire. Taylor had one attempt to take Chalmers at Fosters but lost ground, “I almost ran into him and had to overshoot,” he explained. But into Lodge on the penultimate lap the Westfield man tried again and emerged with success on this occasion. “I closed on the straight and just braked a bit later,” said Taylor. “I couldn’t go quicker as my battery was losing charge again towards the end,” replied Chalmers.

Winter had started to close again on Dobson, until he had to pit with five laps remaining, “it threw the oil pump belt. I was definitely catching Paul. I had let him by at Druids early on and then just tried to stick with him,” said Winter.

Maries held onto fifth, “it was enjoyable as I hadn’t race the car since Cadwell last year, a bit stiff though,” he explained. After his flying start Allanson held onto sixth, while Pearson and Wynn’s misfiring Mini were the only other classified finishers.

Neither Aukland nor Vickers managed to reach the flag in their Capri’s. “I ran out of talent at Druids, oversteered off and spent the rest of the race with the marshals, “explained Vickers. “I just tried too hard at Fosters, was heavy on the kerb on the inside and then hit the outside kerb before rattling down the Armco,” said Aukland.

RESULT

1 Ric Wood (Opel Astra) 19 laps in 20m13.793s (93.207mph);
2 Graham Taylor (Westfield SEi) 18m;
3 Alastair Chalmers (Caterham R400 Superlight)
4 Paul Dobson (Mazda RX7);
5 Chris Maries (Locost Ninja);
6 Chris Allanson (Z Cars Mini);
7 Stuart Pearson (Ginetta G20R);
8 Graham Wynn (Z Cars Mini).

Class A: 1 Wood; no other finishers.
Class B: 1 Taylor; 2 Chalmers; no other finishers.
Class C: 1 Wynn; no other starters.
Class D: 1 Dobson; 2 Maries; no other finishers.
Class E: 1 Allanson 2 Pearson. No other finishers.

Fastest lap: Wood 1m01.776 s (96.387mph).