North West Centre Sports / Saloon Championship 2007
Supported by Ace Vehicle Deliveries / Hillside of Heywood
Round seven, Croft, July 14th, 2007
Returning to Croft after a years absence, the
threat of rain held off as Mark Primett and Paul Dobson had a titanic battle for
outright victory. Both had share of the lead, but running with no rear bodywork
after a touch at the Hairpin, Primett had the edge, just!
After the morning qualifying session Primett
secured pole by three tenths from Graham Taylor’s Westfield. “It was slippery
later on, but the car went well,” he said Simon Allaway’s Wildcat Esprit was
third best on it’s seasonal debut. “My van died on the way here, I spent the
whole session bedding in new suspension, but it still needs a few tweeks,” he
said.
Chris Allanson had the only Mini Monte Carlo on
show, and completed the second row. “I played with the ant- rollbar, its quite
close at the front though isn’t it,” he said. Richard Winter’s Banks Europa 62
GTR was next up, with Duncan Aukland’s Rover 3500SE. “I was bedding myself in,
but the new brakes work now and it was good until oil went down,” said Duncan.
Mike Ellis’ Renault Clio shared row four with
James Aukland’s Ford Capri. “It was good fun, greasy but seemed Ok for me,” said
James. Phil Hall’s Banks Europa was ninth, but ended the session with a heavy
off at the Jim Clark Esses. “I was unsighted and hadn’t seen the oil. I spun and
thought I was missing the tyres, then it went again sideways into the tyre wall
and the rear bodywork came off,” he explained.
Nick Pakes’ Banks Europa completed the top 10.
“We still haven’t cured the misfire and have replaced almost everything. Plus I
am getting front wheel vibration and strange tyre wear,” he explained. Down in
an uncharacteristic 11th was Paul Dobson with his Mazda RX7. “I lost the boost
pipe on the second lap, pitted and then it popped off again,” he explained.
Antony Wilson’s Metro and Bob Claxton trusty
Renault 21 Turbo were next, before a troubled Kevin Cryer lined his Caterham up
in 14th. “It didn’t want to rev above 4500 and I couldn’t even do the noise test
properly,” he said. A later diagnosis showed water had got into the throttle
workings.
“I am lulling them all into a false sense of
security, plus I feel safe at the back,” said Ralph Underwood. But he had Brian
Allen’s XR2i keeping him company and Paul Sampson’s Suzuki SC100 which failed to
set a time.
GRID
*PRIMETT
WINTER HALL CLAXTON SAMPSON
ALLAWAY ELLIS DOBSON
UNDERWOOD
TAYLOR D.AUKLAND PAKES CRYER
ALLANSON
J.AUKLAND WILSON ALLEN
With Allaway’s Esprit
falling victim to a blown headgasket and Hall’s Europa failing to get out,
despite sterling efforts through the lunch break, the grid was down to 15 for
the race.
As the lights went out, Taylor was left at the
start.”It just stalled,” he said. Allanson hit the front and charged through
Clervaux with Primett, Winter and Duncan Aukland on his tail, and Dobson already
up to fifth.
Primett had the lead into Tower, “I had to
remember that Paul and Kevin would be coming through from the back, so not to
hang around,” said the new leader. His forecast was correct as Dobson took
Aukland into Tower and Winter out of Sunny, to end the opening lap in third
behind Primett and Allanson.
Allanson did his best to hold on but had no
response when Dobson powered ahead on the bottom straight, before ending lap
three in Primett’s wheeltracks, and slipping ahead into the Complex. Duncan
Aukland was next to challenge Allanson, but Cryer was catching them both. Winter
had also demoted Allanson, as the top three began to go clear.
James Aukland began to close on seventh place
Ellis, leaving Wilson and Underwood completing the top 10 after Claxton fell
back.
At the front it was wheel to wheel for the lead,
Primett slipped inside Dobson at Tower before they exited side by side, but
Dobson still had the power to stay ahead on the run to Sunny. Their duel
continued to rage and Primett finally got back ahead lap nine, after running
side by side through the Complex to the Hairpin.
Two laps later a similar confrontation led to
contact at the Hairpin, with Primett’s rear bodywork flying off as he past the
pits. Primett had the edge over the last two laps to take his second outright
win, but Dobson remained a constant threat. “We both had tyres going off, but I
think I drove my best two laps on the last two,” said Primett. “Yes I destroyed
my tyres, but it was fantastic, really good. It’s the first time Mark and I have
had a real battle together. I hung back at the end though, in case anything else
came off his car,” replied Dobson.
Winter held onto third but had to fight off a
determined Cryer to do it. “I resigned myself to third, but saw Kevin closing in
with four laps left. I had lost second gear and the car wouldn’t respond, so I
just floored it on the straights,” said Winter.
Cryer had to battle his way past the duelling
Allanson and Aukland before pursuing Winter, which took until lap nine. “A
cracking race, even when I caught Richard I wasn’t confident of getting past. I
couldn’t live with him on the straights,” he reckoned.
Allanson managed to kept Aukland at bay for
fifth, “a great scrap with Duncan, side by side through Tower three times,” he
said. Ellis reclaimed seventh after a mid race exchange with James Aukland, who
survived all race without a spin, until the final Hairpin!
Pakes got the better of Wilson for ninth in the
closing laps, despite struggling with his chronic misfire throughout. “It had
lost compression,” he confirmed. Underwood, Claxton and Allen completed the
finishers, with Taylor retiring after seven laps overheating, and Sampson after
five with a spin.
RESULT
1 Mark Primett (Banks Europa) 13 laps in
20m34.301s (80.57mph);
2 Paul Dobson (Mazda RX7) 20m36.054s;
3 Richard Winter (Banks Europa 62GTR);
4 Kevin Cryer (Caterham Seven);
5 Chris Allanson (Z Cars Mini Monte Carlo);
6 Duncan Aukland (Rover 3500SE);
7 Mike Ellis (Renault Clio);
8 James Aukland (Ford Capri);
9 Nick Pakes (Banks Europa);
10 Anthony Wilson (Austin Metro);
11 Ralph Underwood (Triumph TR7 V8);
12 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo);
13 Brian Allen (Ford Fiesta XR2i).
Class A: 1 Winter; 2 J.Aukland; no other
starters.
Class B: 1 Cryer; no other finishers.
Class C: 1 Allanson; no other finishers.
Class D: 1 Dobson; 2 D.Aukland; 3 Underwood; 4 Claxton; no other starters.
Class E: 1 Primett; 2 Ellis; 3 Pakes; 4 Allen. no other starters.
Class F: 1 Wilson; no other starters. Fastest lap: Primett 1m32.866s
(82.37mph).
Issued by Peter Scherer for BARC (NW) July 17th,
2007.
