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

Round two, Mallory Park, April 15th, 2007

Former Champion Ian Hall was a welcome returnee, but his Darrian was once again joined by a fairly sparse grid for the first away day of the season.

Despite the race being prematurely halted after an incident at Gerards, there was plenty of action. Hall having to work hard from the back of the grid to secure his win.

The top four cars all qualified inside 0.551secs, with Hall just taking pole. “I was getting an oil surge at Gerards as usual, but this was my first time out since a sprint last October,” he said. Mark Primett was alongside, only 0.083secs down. “With not getting any laps in at Oulton I am still bedding myself back in. I had an oil seal on the pump go when I came testing here to,” he explained.

Third quickest was Classic Thunder frontrunner Joss Ronchetti in his indecently quick Talbot Sunbeam, sharing the second row with the ever quickening and now slick shod Mazda RX7 of Paul Dobson. “I was trying too hard and had a big off backwards at Gerards. I was just inches from the tyre wall,” he confirmed.

Pete Edwards’ “quickest Mini in the World” was next up, with Chris Maries back in the Z Cars Mini. “The water pump broke we think, it got very hot after six laps, so it’s a possible air lock. But we got the power back in a straightline, that was great,” said Maries.

Graham Taylor’s Westfield and Chris Allanson’s Z Cars Mini shared row four. “That was Ok for my first time at Mallory,” said Allanson.

Graham Brindley’s Escort Turbo was ninth quickest, but had managed to leave most if it’s oil liberally around the track. He was followed by another returnee, Phil Hall’s Banks Europa. “It’s my first time out since last August. It’s a fresh engine and we will have to see if I can still do it,” he said. In 11TH Graham Wynn was hoping to have cured the misfire on his Z Cars Mini, “it seemed to lose power on the back straight though,” he said.

Ralph Underwood still had temperature problems with his TR7 V8. “It’s borderline, but everything else is fine now,” he reckoned. Former Rallyman Geoff Davies was making his circuit racing debut with his 16V engined Mini, while Brian Allen’s Fiesta and Ade Vickers Capri completed the runners. 1I only did two laps and either the crank or big end has gone, it’s critical,” said Vickers.

GRID

+I.HALL          EDWARDS                   BRINDLEY                  DAVIES

              RONCHETTI          TAYLOR                 WYNN                    VICKERS

PRIMETT         MARIES                       P.HALL                     ALLEN

               DOBSON              ALLANSON             UNDERWOOD

With both Brindley and Vickers eliminated during qualifying, it was 13 car line up that came to the grid. But further dramas left Primett on his own at the front, after Hall peeled off into the service road. “I had difficulty getting it into gear after clutch problems, and didn’t think it was safe to start at the front,” he explained.

As the lights went out Primett, led Maries, Ronchetti, Edwards, Allanson and Dobson through Gerards, but Maries was soon attacking and led into Devils Elbow. Dobson ousted Allanson for fifth, while Taylor, Phil Hall, Davies and the rapidly closing Ian Hall completed the top ten.

The top five started to make a break on the second lap, but with Hall’s Darrian up to eighth, the respite was soon over. Ronchetti snatched third into Gerards on lap three and was on Maries tail when they braked for Shaws. While Dobson and Edwards ran side by side for fourth, Hall’s charge soon had them in sight too. “I was trying to catch the Mini all the time and sometimes I tried a bit too hard,” said Dobson.

Further down the order Allanson had slowed and lost seventh to Taylor, as the gap to the top six continued to grow.

Into Gerards for the fifth time Hall took both Edwards and Dobson, but at the same time Ronchetti became the new leader. Having lost the lead Maries came under attack from Primett, before his Mini slowed and headed for the pits. “It got too hot after four laps, that was it and I had to pit,” Maries explained.

Primett had his sights set on Ronchetti’s lead, but Hall was closing all the time and stormed into second on the Stebbe Straight on lap six.

A lap later Hall led and started to ease clear, but Ronchetti still had Primett in his wheeltracks. Edwards continued to keep Dobson at a safe distance for fourth, with Allanson still holding sixth, from Taylor, Phil Hall, Underwood, Wynn, Davies and Allen. “I lost some ground when I went off line to avoid Graham’s oil,” said Allanson.

As Taylor started to slow, Allanson and Phil Hall closed in. While Ian Hall cruised to build on his lead, the second place fight came to an abrupt end when Primett spun on Taylor’s oil, and was collected by the unsighted Davies. “I spun on Graham’s oil going into Gerards, sometimes I get going again, but the Mini had nowhere to go and hit me,” explained Primett. “I was first on the scene and there were bits everywhere,” said Brian Allen.

With the race red flagged Ronchetti and Edwards filled the podium places on the road, but a yellow flag penalty dropped Edwards to fourth in favour of Dobson. Allanson and Phil Hall rounded off the top six, “I past Chris on the oil but only for a minute though, I think my engine might have run bearing too though,” said Phil Hall. Underwood was seventh, “I got a finish that was the thing and had fun with the Mini’s,” he said. Taylor limped home eighth, “I had a mechanical problem for the first couple of laps and just toured round in top gear with the temperature still off the dial,” he explained. Wynn and Allen completed the finishers, after avoiding most of the trouble.

RESULT

1 Ian Hall (Darrian T98 GTR)10 laps in 8m30.148s (95.24mph);
2 Joss Ronchetti (Talbot Sunbeam) 8m39.430s;
3 Paul Dobson (Mazda RX7);
4 Pete Edwards (Mini Clubman);
5 Chris Allanson (Z Cars Mini);
6 Phil Hall (Banks Europa);
7 Ralph Underwood (Triumph TR7 V8);
8 Graham Taylor (Westfield SEi);
9 Graham Wynn (Z Cars Mini);
10 Brian Allen (Ford Fiesta XR2i).

Class A: 1 I.Hall; no other starters.
Class B: 1 Edwards; 2 Taylor; no other finishers.
Class C: 1 Wynn; no other starters.
Class D: 1 Ronchetti; 2 Dobson; 3 Underwood; no other starters.
Class E: 1 Allanson; 2 Allen; no other finishers.
Class F: 1 P.Hall; no other starters.

Fastest lap: I.Hall 48.266s (100.7mph).

Issued by Peter Scherer for BARC (NW) April 18th, 2007.