Monoposto Championship, Oulton Park, 1600 and 1800, 9 August 2008

The meeting at Oulton Park was disappointing. Writing a report of the incident packed few laps is difficult & inevitably this report is biased towards those competitors that I spoke to in the paddock during the day.

1600 Qualifying

The 1600 regenmeister was David Davies with Ewan Sergison & Tony Cotton following in his wake. Dave Brady was going well at his favourite circuit. Ian Hughes had a heroic lap according to David Parkinson (c'est magnifique mais ill ne pas la chasse) before the ex-Ray Dackombe Agent got away from him and he returned to the paddock to remove the turf and put a new setup onto the car. Brian Jones was out on slicks, it must have been like an outing in a paddle-less canoe, he failed to record a time due to spinning just after Knickerbrook. Chris Anstruther was taking appropriate care (having bounced the sturdy little FVJ off the tyres on Friday) but Richard Evans damaged his smart Lola and did not make the race. Geoff Fern had withdrawn his entry, his 1600 Van Diemen lacking an engine. Peter Knipe’s miserable season continued with yet another suspension failure on the Quest, this time it was a spring mounting. The Quest was withdrawn and as its trailer had run a wheel bearing on the way to the circuit the outfit departed on a rescue lorry. Peter Beasley’s Renault was another 1600 with problems, a failed clutch.

1800 Qualifying

All entries were present and correct but Rupert Reader only got as far as Knickerbrook before knocking a rear corner off his Van Diemen in what may have been a multiple car incident. With the assistance of Equipe Anstruther his car was rebuilt for the race and he started at the back of the grid.

Jim Timms splashed round very effectively to head the 1800 grid in 2:24s only 11s slower than the lap record. Geoff Pashley was next up after extrapolating a time from the plainly ludicrous 5:11s originally allocated by the timekeepers. Peter Bragg was third in class, his spectacular exit from the timesheets, after two laps, the result of covering much of the route between the Warwick Bridge and Lodge backwards, this left his Mygale in a curious and dangerous position bringing out the red flags. Patrick Huston, Bill Janson, Douglas McLay & Jock Sergison formed a compact group on the grid but were separated from each other by at least a second but given the conditions this was of academic interest.

1600/1800 Race

David Davies excellent qualifying went for nothing as he bogged down or stalled on the grid. Patrick & David Parkinson touched wheels in avoidance and Dave Brady all but rammed the stationary Formula Renault. One driver (who remains nameless to avoid the attention of the MSA) claims to have briefly engaged reverse to disentangle himself from the melee. In the brief time available Peter Bragg overtook Jim Timms and Geoff Pashley. This trio forming a compact group with the leading 1600s of Ewan Sergison and Tony Cotton, the latter somewhat perplexed to find himself leading the 1600 class at the end of lap 1. Normal service was resumed when Ewan took the lead at Island Bend.

David Parkinson was circulating in isolation as third 1600, while Bill Janson's 1800 was racing Dave Brady's fourth placed 1600. Several 1800s and a 1200 separated this pair from Chris Anstruther who was rapidly being caught by the recovering Renault of David Davies. Ian Hughes had rendered the Agent driveable and he had worked his way to head Rupert Reader’s 1800. Brian Jones, now on wets completed the field.

In two laps Patrick had managed to spin down the order and then out of the race.

Jim Timm's 1800 was disqualified on a technicality at post race scrutineering promoting the 1800 of Bill Janson to third followed by Jock Sergison, chased by Doug McLay and Rupert Reader.

Patrick Huston

The abortive restart (see second article "Oulton Disappointments")

David Davies (© lazy picture googling plc)

Richard Evans exits practice.

Regemeister David Davies in wet practice

Jim Timms, Tony Cotton and Geoff Pashley

Author Patrick Huston

All pictures by kind permission of Andrew Cliffe, except one by Conservative Party. Guess which. Full gallery on the mono site, high res versions available for purchase.