The Parkinson Line.....at Donington

The 1600 premier class field saw the return of Jeremy Timms for the first time in several years. The field was further swollen by Jason Timms also returning after a long absence. So a hearty welcome back to the Timms boys. For anyone who doesn’t know, Jeremy is the son of Bob Timms, a long time Mono racer, whilst Jason is the son of Jim Timms who, as everyone knows, now competes in the 2000 classics. Jim and Bob are brothers which makes Jason and Jeremy cousins. I’m totally mixed up now.

I’ve lost the result sheet for the Saturday qualifying but it was Nigel Davers on pole followed by the Timms boys, me, Tony Davies and Eddie Guest. Alright, I didn’t lose it, I threw it away. I was seven seconds slower than Nigel and six seconds slower than the Timms boys. The older I get the better I used to be. Or maybe not.

I quite enjoyed the race though I never saw another 1600. After the first lap when everything had settled down I found myself behind the two 1800 cars of Douglas McLay and Jock Sergison. I followed them for several laps and when Jock hassled past Doug and pushed him wide it gave me my chance to get past also. Near the end Jock made an error and enabled me to go past.

Nigel won the 1600 and I finished a totally undeserved second due to the Timms boys both parking up to admire the scenery as is laid down in the 1600 rules wot i rote. Slightly incorrect as Jason only parked up after Nigel had pushed him off down near the chicane on to the start/finish straight. Speaking to Nigel later, he told me that he had been summoned to see the Clerk of the Course who listened to what he had to say before showing him a video of the action and then putting two points on his license to accompany the points he got for a similar offence at the last meeting of 2010 at Silverstone. These points last a year and when a total of twelve is reached an automatic ban is imposed. He cheered up a bit when I told him that he’s still got eight points left so he can push another four guys off before the end of the season. Eddie was the third and last finisher as Tony Davies retired after eight laps. The only bright side from my point of view was that I managed to cut the seven second deficit to four seconds. So half a million miles away instead of a million.

A group of us had a meal that night at the Nags Head. The Timms/Fern clan were also there with Jason and Nigel sitting at the same table so any problems must have been resolved quite amicably. Nigel did have a fork stuck in his head but with today’s fashions re nipple piercing and studs through the nose etc it could just be the latest thing for young men about town. At our table several of us had French Onion soup as a starter. When we’d finished, Sara Hughes asked Michael Dale why he’d left all the onion at one side of the dish. He said, “I don’t like onions”. It’s the way he tells them.

I saw a colleague of Michael Wilkinson and asked him when Michael would be back. You will remember that he crashed his Formula Renault at Snetterton. Anyway Michael’s students have built up two tin tops and Michael was racing one of them. He runs the Motorsport course at Milton Keynes College and seems to have one hell of a job. Students build the cars and he races them.

I was also talking to Nick Catzanaro on Sunday morning. He tells me that his son Dane and son in law Richard should both be out at Brands Hatch in their Formula Renaults.

Sunday qualifying saw Michael Dale pull in with a broken transmission. The car was pushed to the awning and Ian Hughes, Jock Sergison and mechanic Big Phil got the car off the ground to check on the problem. Simon Davey also added his knowledge and soon the problem was diagnosed. To check, Jock and Phil removed the rear suspension and gearbox covers and proved the diagnosis was correct. A broken input shaft. It was nice to see people willing to help a fellow competitor. Simon peddled all round the paddock in the unlikely event that anyone had a spare. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. What a nice bunch of people there are in Mono. Ewen Sergison was on holiday but if he’d have been there he’d have been right in the thick of it. Jock had brought the Sergison garage van which says on the back door, next to the Avit sign, “We worry about your car so you don’t have to”. I was going to add in red marker, “Unless we’ve p---ed off to Egypt”.

Whilst we’re talking about the kindness of Mono guys, thanks to Simon Davey and the Fern crew who got my van started on Sunday when the battery decided it wasn’t playing.
Speaking to Nigel Davers again he tells me that his boss, a guy by the name of Matt Jordan, will compete at Brands Hatch in a Formula Vauxhall and intends doing several other meetings. So welcome Matt and hope you enjoy Brands.

Sunday qualifying saw Nigel on pole from Jeremy from Jason. All in the 1.16s. I thought I’d really narrowed the gap before the results showed that I’d finished with a 1.20 in fifth place behind Martin Short, a guest driver who managed a 1.19. Eddie Guest brought up the rear as Tony Davies had departed on Saturday night due to engine problems and not wanting to have to pay for dinner in a hotel when perfectly good bacon sandwiches could be obtained from the guy in the caravan parked in the lay by.

The rain started as the Mono 2 litre cars assembled and the start was delayed so that wet tyres could be fitted. Someone else will report on the race but sympathies to Richard Purcell who I understand spun whilst successfully catching something that was falling off his car. On Saturday he’d had a brilliant drive and was challenging Tristan for the lead when a throttle body failure slowed the car.

It continued to rain as the 1600s assembled and we were led out on two green flag laps. For me the race was boring as after the first lap or so I couldn’t see another 1600 car in front or behind. I followed an 1800 for a while, driver unknown, and pulled up in a position to pass and then thought better of it so dropped back enough to keep out of the spray and played follow my leader. Hardly racing driver material I hear you say quite correctly but my car went on the trailer in one piece and there was no way on this earth that I was going to catch anyone I couldn’t even see. Jeremy was leading the overall race until a spin put him into second place. This was an overall second place and he won the 1600 class from Jason, Nigel, guest Martin with myself and Eddie bringing up the rear.

It will be interesting in the future to see how races go between the likes of Jeremy, who has put in some stunning performances in the Dallara over the past couple of years, Jason who we are not that well acquainted with recently but is obviously very fast and Nigel who has performed remarkably since beginning only last year. My main concern for the future is that a Jasper, Jack and Joe Timms don’t appear at the next meeting.

David Parkinson

Disclaimer: The above represents only the unofficial view of the writer and not of the Monoposto Racing Club in any way whatsover.

As David says above, Welcome, Matt.

Jeremy Timms, VanDiemen RF87

Nigel Davers using all the road

Jason Timms Lola T644E

DP has adopted a stylish new line in headwear which is sure to cause a fashion sensation.

Clumsily photoshopped pictuire of Ewen, intended to give the impression he is holidaying in a part of Egypt which has tanks. Doncaster on a Friday night is much scarier