Chas dredges win from oil and water

Silverstone International - 23 August 1998

The penultimate round of the challenge took place at the Silverstone Summer Festival on 22/23 August. The meeting was certainly the most high profile of all the races we take part in. We were in good company with Ferrari, Porsche and the Privilege GT racing as part of the meeting as a whole. The practice sessions were held on Saturday with three races to finish the day. Sunday was 100% racing to complete the programme.

We ideally sought twenty five cars for the grid but in the event could only manage twenty three, nevertheless this was still a handsome sized grid.

The weather conditions on arrival at the circuit were dry and sunny in part.

At this meeting we were racing on the International circuit with our practice being held quite late in the day at 3.15pm. It was good to see Craig Jones back in his Morgan for his first meeting of the season. Craig provided some more competition for Matthew Wurr as only 0.755secs separated both men on the front of the grid. Following the problems incurred at the Bentley drivers meeting, Class D racer James Paterson had the injectors changed in his car which obviously did the trick as he qualified first in Class and in sixth on the grid. Class A charger Chas Windridge explored the undergrowth at Brooklands with a small spin but despite this still managed to qualify third with a 1:36.716. Fellow Class A driver Simon McDermott was seen with smoke pouring from the offside front wing and withdrew from the session. Simon had obviously scrutinised the tactics of Michael Schumacher in case such a situation was to arise. The requirement of having to complete three laps in order to attain position (other than starting at the back of the grid) was paramount and as he crossed the start finish line in the pits a third lap was completed. Simon’s problem was not as large as it first appeared as, on closer inspection, an oil leak was diagnosed from around the rocker cover, a new gasket was fitted and all was well for the race. Simon was not alone in having an oil problem. Class E runner Barry Sumner had an oil surge with oil seen dripping ‘up’. Matthew Wurr was also seen mopping oil up although luckily in small amounts. Barry’s problem was possibly enhanced by some aggressive driving during the session as when charging towards Abbey Hairpin he locked the brakes leaving his mark over a seventeen metre section of the track. Doug Taylerson had a small water leak due to a leaky hose on the radiator header tank this of course soon being rectified. Class D runner Graham White had a good session despite not having practised on Friday and having a near miss with Chris Acklam at Priory. Unfortunately on being weighed after the session his car was found to be lighter than required – 876.2 kg (should be 900 kg). The scrutineers told Graham to fill up with additional fuel in order to make the grade – it’s strange how rules seem to change from one circuit to another, after the Phil Brown incident at Donington!

Graham had a busy time prior to the meeting as Chris Springall’s car developed a gearbox problem on Friday. Graham went back to his workshops in Kent to retrieve a used replacement box, returning to fit it in time for qualifying and hoping that it would be sufficient to use during the course of the race.

Unfortunately Phil Brown and Tony Howard had a coming together at Abbey Hairpin with both cars being moderately damaged. Phil’s meeting sadly ended at this point as he had a damaged crosshead with a bent chassis. Tony’s car had a bent stub axle but with some adjustment to the track rods the front wheels were again back in line with Tony being optimistic about competing in the race proper. Both cars had bodywork damage. The race day proper started at 11.30 with our race being the last of the day scheduled at 5.45pm. The weather conditions on the day were at best described as awful with torrential rain falling. Several cars were falling by the wayside in each race that went before ours, culminating in the racing being halted for approximately twenty minutes as the track became waterlogged and cars started to aquaplane.

By 5.45 pm the racing was running a long way behind schedule with the previous three or four races running at reduced laps, consequently our race was also shortened to eight laps instead of the usual ten. Our race eventually started at approximately 6.20pm with track conditions generally damp and wet in part which was sure to make for some interesting handling of the cars. The general consensus in the paddock was to run on wet tyres.

Once the green flag lap had been completed the cars should all have assembled on the grid as usual and waited for the lights to go out. Simon McDermott, who still seems blighted by Silverstone, pulled in to the pits at this point as he thought that he could smell oil. His mechanic checked around the rocker cover. Everything was fine barring the marshal who stopped him from rejoining the race on an apparent pit lane mix up which really finished Simon’s chances in this race. Class A racer Chas Windridge made a super start pulling in front of fellow Class A driver Matthew Wurr getting behind Craig Jones but only until the Islands where he took the opportunity to pass Craig as well and take the lead. Class D runner Rick Lloyd also made another good start along with Simon Orebi Gann, unlike Keith Ahlers who didn’t. Matthew’s problems had only just begun as on this lap the gear linkage broke which inevitably made for an interesting race. Not only did he have to keep a hold of the gearstick to stop it dropping down and through to rest on the propshaft but he could only select fourth and fifth. This situation although extremely uncomfortable but was a slight improvement on that of Chris Springall whose gearbox would only retain fourth gear and kept jumping out of second. Chris retired.

At the second Chas was looking in good shape at the front with Matthew in second, Rick Lloyd had passed Craig who was holding his ground in fourth. Keith Ahlers had passed James Paterson for fifth, Class E charger Barry Sumner went in to the pits and retired at this point with low oil pressurc. Class A runner Andrew Jenkins passed Peter Sargeant with Doug Taylerson passing Tony Howard in the SLR, Simon McDermott had by now rejoined the race and brought up the rear guard.

By the third Matthew had closed Chas down with both cars pulling one hundred and fifty yards on self confessed rain meister Rick Lloyd, Keith Ahlers and James Paterson who were in close contact. Craig Jones had lost one hundred yards on this bunch with his car looking as if it were a complete handful and, as most cars were, very live at the back. The Class D runners of Simon Orebi Gann, Graham White and Chris Acklam were all involved in their own tight battle and had pulled some two hundred yards over Class E runner Peter Horsman who had Malcolm Paul and Adrian van der Kroft in tow. John Clarke was three hundred off the back of this group with the same again over Kelvin Laidlaw. Peter Sargeant and Doug Taylerson were having their usual battle when, with Peter in front, he over-cooked the corner at Brooklands and spun with Doug eaasily passing.

At the fourth Chas successfully held on to the back end at Priory to retain the lead over Matthew with a similar fate becoming of Rick Lloyd who again hold position. Whilst driving very agressively and trying to pass Keith Ahlers to ultimately stay in touch with Rick Lloyd, James Paterson ran on to the grass along the pit straight where he stayed until Copse where he skilfully gained full control and rejoined the tarmac. Simon Orebi Gann and Graham White had opened up seventy five yards over Chris Acklam. Peter Horsman had Adrian van der Kroft right behind and challenging hard. Doug Taylerson also got the back out at Priory. Simon McDermott had worked his way up the field gaining four places with Peter Sargeant making inroads to take Tony Howard in his pursuit of Doug T.

By the fifth Chas was starting to command the race with a clear hundred on Matthew with both cars a clear seven hundred over nearest contender Rick Lloyd who in turn had a hundred on the Keith Ahlers / James Paterson battle. Simon Orebi Gann and Graham White were still in very close contention with both drivers obviously enjoying the contest. Much in the same vain although farther back was the contest of Peter Horsman and Adrian van der Kroft.

The next three laps continued with the usual Class battles, Graham White successfully made a challenge on Simon Orebi Gann at the sixth. Peter Horsman still had Adrian van der Kroft right behind him and had since been joined by John Clarke, who commented after the race on how he thought that was the best race he had ever driven in on the fun factor, Simon McDermott fought his way back through the field to finish in fourteenth. Many comparisons were made after the race on the track to an ice rink – with most racers commenting that they thought oil was spilled on the track from a previous race, which added to the loss of traction.

Chas Windridge won Class A with a super drive, Malcolm Paul won B, Doug Taylerson won C, Rick Lloyd won D with Peter Horsman winning E with all winners receiving their garlands on the podium – just like Formula 1!

Our last race of the season is on the 27th September at Silverstone, see you there.

Jon Hopkins