North West Centre Sports / Saloon Championship 2009
Supported by "Performance and economy chip tuning"

Rounds 1&2, Oulton Park, March 28th, 2009

It was another huge turnout for this years opening double header at Oulton Park, with 31 cars vying for the grid. As in 2008 the weather did its best to make an impact and after dry qualifying it was Alastair Chalmers’ Caterham CSR that claimed victory in round one as the rain fell.

But there was no repeat for Chalmers in the drier second race, as both he and Mike Blomfield’s Sierra crashed heavily under lappery at Druids, gifting Paul Dobson a surprise win as the red flags flew.

Chalmers claimed pole by nearly two seconds from Dobson’s Mazda RX7. “It was a nice clear run, just a case of fuel it and go,” he said. “I have made a few changes, like a new paint job and more aerodynamic mirrors, but it felt good and I had loads of grip,” Dobson replied.

Blomfield’s Sierra headed row two, “we have just got it fixed after last year,” he said. He had works MK Indy driver Chris Maries alongside. “There was no real power bottom end, but we are making a few tweaks,” he reckoned.

Heading the third row was returnee Mark Campbell, having totally rebuilt his Lotus Elan. “It’s the first time out in the car for two years, so it’s more of a shakedown. We had a small oil leak and a slight brake problem though,” he explained.

Former co-sponsor Dennis Crompton was next up, but was disappointed with his BMW M3. “I have still got the same vibration in fifth and sixth gear as I had last year,” he explained.

Although Rob Chalmers’s Caterham should have been seventh, he was sidelined with a blown engine. “I had spun at Cascades and got back in the groove before there was loads of smoke at Lodge, so I pulled off,” he said. It hadn’t been a good week for Chalmers Jnr, as he had also broken his road cars gearbox and had a hospital stay. Not even his Jenson Button overall’s could change his luck!

Robert Spencer was therefore alone on the fourth row in his Stuart Taylor Locosaki, just ahead of sponsor Ric Wood, in his newly acquired Audi V8 Star.”We have only had the car a few days and apart from painting it we haven’t done a thing. It needs transforming, but it’s got a lot of potential,” said Ric, who aims to race it in the Dutch Supercars.

Chris Allanson’s Z Cars Mini was alongside Wood, “we finished it last night, more horse power, different tyres and more to come. We are already quicker than last year,” he reckoned.

Darren Smith’s TVR Tuscan and Paul Woolfitt’s Z Cars Mini shared row six, Smith is planning to contest the whole championship this year. Kevin Cryer damaged his Caterham’s nose, but lined up on the next row with debutant Danny Keenan in the second MK Indy.

Cam Forbes’ Westfield and Jeremy Snowden’s Z Cars Mini completed row eight. “I will just take it as it comes again,” reckoned Snowden.

Three former Vauxhall Vectra Challenge cars were entered and Derek Kelly-Cooper was the best of them, heading row nine. He had better luck than David Hinde, whose clutch failed the night before. Colin Robinson MKI Escort was next, before a minute’s gap to Peter Wann’s Westfield.

Another newcomer was Andy Robey. The ex Fiesta Challenge racer having his first race for a few years in a BMW M3, converted from a road car and only finished on the eve of the race. “I had no brakes, no set up and lots to do,” said Andy.

Phil Hall’s Banks Europa was out for the first time with a sequential gearbox. “I had a few selection problems, but it’s flying,” he said. The second Vectra should have been next to him, but Dave Rawlins had an off and holed his radiator, so joined the absentees.

Dave Maries’ Westfield and Bob Claxton’s Renault 21 Turbo shared row 12, while the rest of the grid was made up of Brian Allen’s XR2i, Anthony Hayes’ Mini, John Spencer’s Peugeot 205 Gti, Graham Brindley’s Escort, John Morris’ Peugeot 206 Silhouette, Lee Jones’ Mini and Evan Morris’ XR2.

GRID

Dobson A.Chalmers+

C.Maries Blomfield

Crompton Campbell

R.Spencer R.Chalmers

Allanson Wood

Woolfit Smith

Keenan Cryer

Snowden Forbes

Robinson Kelly-Cooper

Robey Wann

Rawlins Hall

Claxton D.Maries

Hayes Allen

Brindley J.Spencer

Jones J.Morris

E.Morris

RACE ONE

With Rob Chalmers, Rawlins and Evan Morris absent, it was a 28 car line up for the season opener, but Wood elected to start from the pitlane as the rain had continue to fall.

As the lights went out Chalmers led the charge through Old Hall, from Dobson, Maries and Blomfield. Dobson’s first challenge paid off as Chalmers overshot at Island, while Allanson came charging into third as they headed for Knickerbrook. But for Campbell it was all over as he pitted after one lap.

Blomfield was quickly under pressure from Smith, as it became evident his Sierra was struggling for grip in the conditions.

Dobson and Chalmers were starting to go clear by the end of the second lap, as Maries was back up to fourth and chasing Allanson after a spin at Island. Both Smith and Kelly-Cooper had made it past Blomfield, as Spencer, Snowden and Robey closed in too. Cryer was just outside the top ten with a safe distance to Hall, after Forbes spun at Deer Leap.

The battle for third became even closer and on some occasions too close. Maries made it through at Cascades but spun again down to seventh, while Allanson also lost out to Smith as they crested Deer Leap. Not known for giving in easily, Allanson retook exiting Old Hall and they shared a couple more exchanges before Smith was able to consolidate.

The rain begin to get heavier as Chalmers closed in again to challenge Dobson’s lead. Maries had picked off Kelly-Cooper and Spencer and began to ease ever closer to another conflict with Allanson. As the Z cars chief upped his pace, he began to close on Smith again, but Maries continued to loom ever closer in his mirrors.

Chalmers made his move at Cascades on the 10th lap, and by the exit of Island he was in front. “I lost third gear just before Alastair caught me,” Dobson explained. But it was Chalmers win by 0.849secs. “I was tentative at the start but then started to close on Paul. We both outbraked ourselves at Island, but Paul did it once more than me,” he said.

Smith held onto a clear third. “It was an auspicious start to my season, so nice to get such a good result. I didn’t even know I was third though,” he explained.

Maries claimed fourth minus his front bodywork, after more skirmishes with Allanson. “I spun twice at Island, but wasn’t happy with the contact I had with Chris on a couple of occasions. The final time I got chopped at Cascades, so didn’t back off, hit him and lost my bodywork,” Maries explained. He was later endorsed for the latter.

Allanson still came home fifth, with Kelly-Cooper taking a class win in sixth. “I knew it would be good in the wet,” said the Vectra driver.

Robert Spencer held onto seventh with Snowden eighth and a surprised second in class. “I was on my own and just stayed out of trouble,” he explained.

Crompton recovered from a first lap spin at Island to finish ninth. “Chris Allanson had hit me on the start and then pushed me out at Island, so I had to wait until everyone gone to rejoin,” he said.

Robey completed the top ten, well clear of Blomfield. “There was just no grip, but when I saw Ric Wood closing on me at the end I drove a very wide car,” added the Sierra driver.

Wolfitt’s Mini followed Wood home 13th, while Cryer was disappointed to be down in 14th. “It was just awful, I really struggled for grip,” he said.

Keenan lost out to Phil Hall when his engine expired on the last lap. “I got hit twice by someone and still had a few gear problems,” said Hall.

Jones dropped back from a skirmish with Hall after clutch problems, but still made 16th, while Claxton, Wann, Allen, Dave Maries, John Spencer, Hayes and Brindley all made it to the end too.

RESULTS

1 Alastair Chalmers (Caterham CSR (13 laps in 23m08.053s (75.05mph); 2 Paul Dobson (Mazda RX7) 23m08.902s; 3 Darren Smith (TVR Tuscan); 4 Chris Maries (MK Indy Busa); 5 Chris Allanson (Z Cars Mini); 6 Derek Kelly-Cooper (Vauxhall Vectra); 7 Robert Spencer (Stuart Taylor Locosaki); 8 Jeremy Snowden (Z Cars Mini); 9 Dennis Crompton (BMW M3 E30); 10 Andy Robey (BMW M3). Class A: 1 Smith; 2 Snowden; 3 Michael Blomfield (Ford Sierra) 4 Ric Wood (Audi V8 Star); 5 Graham Brindley (Ford Escort). Class B: 1 A.Chalmers; 2 Kevin Cryer (Caterham 7); 3 Peter Wann (Westfield SEi); 4 Dave Maries (Westfield SEi). Class C: 1 C.Maries; 2 Allanson; 3 R.Spencer; 4 Paul Woolfit (Z Cars Mini); 5 Lee Jones (Mini). Class D: 1 Dobson; 2 Robey; 3 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo); no other starters. Class E: 1 Kelly-Cooper; 2 Crompton; 3 Brian Allen (Ford Fiesta XR2i); no other starters. Class F: 1 Phil Hall (Banks Europa); 2 John Spencer (Peugeot 205 Gti); 3 Anthony Hayes (Mini); no other starters. Fastest lap: Chris Maries 1m41.915s (78.63mph).

RACE TWO

Dobson A.Chalmers+

C.Maries Blomfield

R.Chalmers Campbell

Crompton R.Spencer

Smith Allanson

Woolfit Wood

Keenan Cryer

Snowden Forbes

Robinson Kelly-Cooper

Robey Wann

Rawlins Hall

Claxton D.Maries

Hayes Allen

J.Morris J.Spencer

Jones Brindley

E.Morris

RACE TWO

Although both Rawlins and Evan Morris made it out for the second race, Keenan joined Rob Chalmers on the sidelines for race two, as 29 cars lined up on a now dry track.

It was Chalmers that headed a very close start again, from Dobson, Blomfield, Maries and Allanson, while Campbell was spun at Old Hall. Allanson darted past Maries into Island, closely followed by Spencer, Kelly-Cooper, Snowden and Robey.

As the lead trio eased clear again on the second lap, Robey’s race ended with an off at Cascades. “It was 99% my own fault,” he admitted.

Maries took Allanson into Lodge and Spencer soon followed, before mounting his own challenge for Maries fourth place.

The dry track allowed Blomfield to use all 6.7 litres of his Sierra’s power, taking Dobson into Knickerbrook on the fourth lap, before leading Chalmers over the line at the end of lap four. Wood was also on full song and picked off Allanson, but was promoted to fourth a lap later, when Maries spun into retirement. “A Bottom wishbone broke and it turned right before Knickerbrook,” said Maries.

Spencer continued his good run in a strong fifth, after he slipped past Allanson, while Smith and Cryer both ran solo in seventh and eighth.

Campbell worked his way back after his earlier spin, taking Forbes for ninth on lap six, both well clear of John Morris’ Peugeot and Crompton.

Dobson had kept the pressure on Chalmers for second place after Blomfield built a lead, but when he started to drop back, Chalmers set his sights on a second win and closed down Blomfield’s advantage.

The lead pair were nose to tail on the 10th lap when they arrived at Druids. “I indicated where I wanted them to go,” said Lee Jones, “at that speed I didn’t his indication,” Blomfield replied. The Sierra clipped the Mini and took the wheel arch off, before spinning and going airborne, as the unsighted Chalmers piled into him.

“It was hard to tell what happened it was so fast. Mike was on the grass, I had nowhere to go and both cars are wrecked,” he said.

With the race red flagged, Dobson was a surprised winner. “I had a standard gearbox back in and the clutch was slipping, so yes it was a surprise,” he said. Wood and Spencer completed the podium. “It just ran like clockwork, even better than in the rain in the first race,” Spencer added.

Allanson was fourth and although Smith held fifth, Cryer had begun to make inroads when the race was stopped. “It’s a result and nothing was broken said Smith. “So much different in the dry, no problems at all,” Cryer replied. The start was enough for me, I just wanted to head Mike Blomfield for a while and I did, said Allanson.

Although Campbell had pitted as the red flags came out, he was classified seventh, with Forbes, Morris and Crompton completing the top 10.

Kelly-Cooper was classified 11th on the lead lap, with Wann and Rawlins fairly spread behind. Claxton retained 14th but had Brindley closing too at the end. Robinson, Hall, Jones, Allen, Dave Maries, Hayes and John Spencer all made it to the flag. “I was pleased to finish after my gearbox broke and left me in sixth,” said Hall.

RESULTS

1 Paul Dobson (Mazda RX7) 8 laps in 12m24.794s (86.07mph); 2 Ric Wood (Audi V8 Star) 12m47.883s; 33 Robert Spencer (Stuart Taylor Locosaki); 4 Chris Allanson (Z Cars Mini); 5 Darren Smith (TVR Tuscan); 6 Kevin Cryer (Caterham 7); 7 Mark Campbell (Lotus Elan); 8 Cam Forbes (Westfield SEiW); 9 John Morris (Peugeot 206 Silhouette); 10 Dennis Crompton (BMW M3 E30). Class A: 1 Wood; 2 Smith; 3 Graham Brindley (Ford Escort); no other finishers: Class B: 1 Cryer; 2 Campbell; 3 Cam Forbes; 4 Morris; 5 Peter Wann (Westfield SEi); 6 Colin Robinson (Ford Escort MKI);7 Dave Maries (Westfield SEi). Class C: 1 Spencer; 2 Allanson; 3 Lee Jones (Mini); no other finishers. Class D: 1 Dobson; 2 Dave Rawlins (Vauxhall Vectra); 3 Bob Claxton (Renault 21 Turbo); no other finishers. Class E: 1 Crompton; 2 Derek Kelly-Cooper (Vauxhall Vectra); 4 Brian Allen (Ford Fiesta XR2i); no other finishers. Class F: 1 Phil Hall (Banks Europa); 2 Anthony Hayes (Mini); 3 John Spencer (Peugeot 205 Gti); no other starters. Fastest lap: Dobson 1m31.069s (87.99mph).

Issued by Peter Scherer for BARC (NW) March 30th, 2009.