The future is orange for Simon McD

Snetterton - 26 April 1998

A new year of the challenge began on 26 April at Snetterton in Norfolk. This year there are some forty contestants currently enlisted to race and we welcomed three new racers to the first event of the season – in Class D David Sherman and Leigh Sebba and in Class E Jeremy Holden; best of luck to you all.

The day began dry and bright, dimming slightly during practice. As this was the first race of the calendar everyone was very keen to get started and many cars were running with untested mechanical / bodywork improvements attained over the winter months. Simon McDermott sporting a very distinctively coloured car with an orange body, blue cowl and full roll cage.

The day started early for Rick Lloyd’s mechanic. He had received Rick’s car back at 11.30 pm from a hastily arranged visit to Libra Motive and then had the privilege of working right through the night to correct an oil pressure problem.

Practice was a mere six laps. We fielded twenty five cars, an excellent turnout for our first event. Practice went relatively well for most competitors: Chris Springall was delighted with his performance having not driven his car since August 31st last year; Jeremy Holden complained of having a sticking clutch and Chas Windridge outbraked himself at the end of Revetts straight, headed for the run off but couldn’t find his way between the closely spaced tyre wall. His car was damaged as a result although only superficially. Our only real casualty was Class E runner Jim Deacon who limped home on the last lap with low oil pressure in his Plus Four Supersports.

Peter Garland won pole position putting in a commanding performance and pushing Simon Mcdermott in to second place.

We were race number five, but during race three the weather took a turn for the worse when the heavens opened for a fifteen minute downpour and all racing was stopped shortly afterwards. Our race started at three fifteen with conditions slowly improving – the track beginning to show a dry line although it was still very wet in parts.

Peter Garland was very unfortunate to be ordered off the grid and pole position when a marshall saw oil leaking from his car. Simon McDermott though made a good start with Keith Ahlers making a super start closely followed by Class B runners Malcolm Paul and Grahame Walker.

On reaching the esses Chas Windridge, who was racing on dry tyres, spun, blocking the racing line for a few vital seconds whilst trying a little to hard to stay in touch with Simon McDermott. Class D racers Chris Acklam and Simon Orebi Gann enjoyed their own battle from the off. At lap two Chris had managed to pass Peter Horsman and get right behind Simon. All was well until lap five when Simon spun at the esses which enabled Chris to pass. Much the same could be said for Class D runner Chris Springall in his Plus Eight and Class E runner John Clarke in his Plus Four Supersports, who fought each other until the end, with Chris coming home in front. Peter Horsman also made an excellent start and even though Jack Bellinger was driving like a demon, defending his line superbly, Peter still found a route past. Chas Windridge rejoined behind Mary Lindsay and in front of Tony Howard in the SLR. Peter Sargeant had a try at passing Class B contender Phil Brown but was unsuccesful. Simon McDermott was pulling out a convincing lead over Keith Ahlers who was a little off line at the Esses. An exciting battle was starting to develop between the SLR of Tony Howard and the 4/4 4 seater of Chris Dady which was also to last the length of the race. Chris deserved full credit for managing to regain control of his car when briefly leaving the track at the Esses, although because of this he dropped a place to Tony. By lap four Simon McDermott had pulled out some six hundred yards over Keith Ahlers, with the next twelve cars being up to eight hundred yards further back. The cars of Malcolm Paul, Grahame Walker, James Paterson and Rick Lloyd enjoyed their own contest by staying in constant touch providing some very close, exciting racing with the occasional swapping of places.

Malcolm had decided after much deliberation to race on wet tyres. As the race progressed the track dried out which was to Malcolm’s detriment, but to Grahame’s benefit as by lap six he had managed to pass both Malcolm and Keith to finish in second place. James Paterson had also passed Malcolm by the sixth to finish third with Rick Lloyd in fifth.

Chris Dady had managed to pass Tony Howard on the bends but lost out to the superior straight line speed of the SLR, both cars having pulled out another seven hundred yards over Class D runners David Sherman, Leigh Sebba, Class E runner Jeremy Holden, Class B runner Phil Brown and Class C runners Doug Taylorson and Peter Sargeant. A further hundred yards back was David James – racing whilst still running in his new engine (an interesting concept !).

Mary drove a positive race finishing in fourteenth with Leigh Sebba succeeding to pass David Sherman to finish seventeenth. Peter Sargeant drove superbly managing to pass Jeremy, Doug and Phil to take eighteenth.

Simon McDermott achieved his first well-deserved win after his run of bad luck last year – well done. Grahame Walker won Class B with Tony Howard, James Paterson and Peter Horsman winning Classes C , D, and E consecutively.

Jon Hopkins