Mallory Park

Mallory Park 14th July 2002

To the amazement of all concerned the weather for the Mallory Park round of the MMCC was glorious. A festival atmosphere pervaded the grassy spectator banks for the inaugural race meeting organised by The Morgan Sports Car Club and sponsored by Yokohama Motorsports. In the pits the smell of sun cream almost competed with that of oil and exhaust fumes. But despite the sun, the usual pre-practice nerves were still evident as the cars rolled off to scrutineering.

Twenty-eight cars were out for practice, which meant that it was virtually impossible to have a clear lap on such a tight circuit. Simon OG was the first casualty when his car lost power and, following a swift visit to the pits, he returned to limp very slowly around to qualify.

On the third practice lap Chris A came across Phil B and David alongside one another as they came down the Stebbe Straight. David tucked in behind Phil so Chris began to overtake them both, when David, who had not seen Chris, pulled out and caught Chris with his spinners which removed the rims and the tyres and lifted the car into the air. Chris’s racing for the day stopped when he came to a halt facing anti-clockwise in the tyre wall at the Lake Esses. The chassis was found to be undamaged but the steering was broken. David also limped back to the pits a very upset man as he has only had two incidents in fifteen years.

Class A was an enormous class of eleven drivers. As the session lengthened many of the class A drivers felt that their tyres were going off. Matthew felt it was his engine which was going off, as despite all the love and attention that he has heaped upon it, to say nothing of the money, the engine was not pulling smoothly and the left bank of plugs oiled up, so he came in early. Adam Jones, driving his Dad’s car for the first time in the series, really enjoyed himself, but as he is a regular part of the scene he didn’t seem new. As Tim had already practised in the previous practice he really concentrated on enjoying the circuit. Unfortunately for Barry Sumner another “guest” driver, his clutch went, so the Black Sheep was loaded back onto her trailer without a race. Phil McK has now purchased class A brakes, which he bedded in during practice and therefore qualified towards the top of the second half of the field. Simon McD’s return to racing was a cause for celebration as he actually finished practice on the flag without any recourse to the pits and his car still working.

In class B, Chas developed a horrible misfire between 6500 and 7500 so spent lots of time sorting that out in between practice and the race. James P was determined to make Peter H work hard in the race and qualified just ahead of him. James had practised in the Anglo-American race so the rivalry was on between the two, the twiddly track suiting James’ car.

Andy G delighted himself by qualifying first in class C, ahead of Paul B, but as he had developed a misfire on the last lap as he was going out of the hairpin his elation was somewhat tempered. Chris Dady, with his mended wrist strapped up for support, was driving carefully around to regain confidence after his own accident when he found himself a close spectator of the Chris/David incident but remained unfazed. As Chris A’s car was being loaded onto Chas’s trailer Brett and his fellow mechanics were cannibalising it for wires with which to make Simon OG’s race worthy.

Of the four contenders of Class D, two drove uneventfully round while Mary broke off her gear leaver as it sheared in her hand and Kelvin lost the sync on third gear as he drove out to practice. Barry generously donated The Black Sheep’s gear lever to Mary when attempts to fashion a new one in true Blue Peter style failed. Kelvin just joined his family for a picnic knowing that replacing a gearbox is a rather longer job than the few hours between practice and race, deciding to leave it to chance instead.

Another “guest” competitor, Stephen Wheatley qualified three places ahead of the mournful David to lead class E.

Keith was on pole with Rick second but a second behind, with Simon McD in third and only just behind him. Matthew was fourth, James leading class B in fifth and Peter H in sixth. Andy in tenth place led class C, Jack in twentieth led class D with Stephen W leading class E from twenty fifth place.

There was little time for repairs, rebuilds or restoration work as Morgan drivers were represented in four of the nine races of the day, giving the huge crowd of Morgan Sports Car Club lots of partisan interest. It did mean that your scribe had to resort to interviewing people through the holding area wire so you will have to excuse any errors or omissions.

The start of the race at Mallory is always nerve racking for the supporters and this proved no exception. Andy’s car died as he tried to leave the pits so he didn’t even make it to the start line and his chance to head up his class. Rick got a fantastic start to take the lead, while Simon had a terrible start, sliding sideways and threatening to spin until he was stopped by Peter’s car at the cost of some of Peter’s paintwork. Peter was ahead of James P but as they diced towards the corner James P got ahead of him. At the end of the first lap Keith managed to out brake Rick into the Esses to take the lead leaving Rick and Matthew to slow each other down with their own tussle. James P was in fourth with Peter hot on his heels in fifth. James Edge in sixth with Paul B close behind.

On the second lap Rick had an excursion onto the grass at Gerard’s giving Matthew the opportunity he needed to sneak through and indeed he stayed ahead for the rest of the race. James P oubtraked himself and went straight on and over the grass at the Lake Esses allowing Edge, Peter, Paul B and Simon McD to whiz through.

The fourth lap proved to be disastrous for some: firstly Paul B followed by Chris W approached the start of the hairpin with Paul rather overdriving his car up the hill in an attempt to stay with James, he lost it in the gravel, ran wide, crossed the track and flipped slightly up into the air. A huge amount of dust was thrown up into the air and all the following cars took evasive action while the spectators on the grassy knowle just had to wait for the cars to come around the hairpin and around the chicane to see which ivory car had left the track. Paul also lost his exhaust in the process (it was later retrieved and re-affixed). Peter H had retained the lead over James P for two laps when he became the second casualty as his engine died, which of course meant that he retired and probably also lost the chance of a class championship, so he wasn’t a happy bunny.

With Paul B off the track Paul C now led the class for the first time in his racing career. He had a good dice with Phil McK (class A), managing to keep him back until lap fifteen, when Phil overtook to be replaced by Simon OG as chief hounder. Simon OG arrived behind Paul having used the length of the race to make his way up the field. Although Paul C kept him back for three laps Simon eventually went neck and neck with him into Gerrards and came out first. Simon then set about making up a few more places, ultimately settling for one place by overtaking Tim. Tim himself spent the race having little spars with various people keeping Adam Jones behind him for five laps until Adam pulled away under the total bridge on the tenth lap.

Leigh who is also in class C, but thinks of himself as an honorary member of class D (!?!) was delighted to keep Jack at bay for the entire race. Jack himself had a good start and was enjoying driving a car which had been fettled by Rob Wells instead of himself and still seemed to be going well. Phil G and Mary spent at least ten laps swapping places until eventually Phil found himself running out of fuel and dropped back but not before some red paint found its way onto his wing - he had joined the ranks of Mary’s conquests. Kelvin, despite nursing his car around with restricted gears, managed to stay behind Jack for the entire race finishing ten seconds behind Jack and twenty-four ahead of Mary.

Stephen W had a great return race, staying ahead of Phil B and David and then, once David had overtaken Phil, keeping David at bay until the line.

At the front, the faster class A cars were providing the crowd with plenty of excitement. As Matthew and Rick were engaged in their own battles Keith extended his lead so much that he seemed to be half a lap ahead by the end of a copy book race. He lapped the first of the back markers on the fourth lap and while the faster cars put in twenty-four laps the slowest managed twenty. Keith was almost thirty seconds ahead at the flag. Following his first excursion onto the grass on lap two, when Matthew overtook him into Gerrards, Rick was unable to retake Matthew, staying behind him until the twenty third lap when he had another spot of lawn mowing and was overtaken by Simon McD who held the position until the flag on lap twenty Four.

Keith was obviously delighted with his comprehensive victory only complaining that his tyres got harder and harder. Matthew seemed to have put his engine worries behind him to finish second but with soft tyres. Simon was third and had recovered from his awful start by lap four chasing Edge until he got James into the hairpin on lap twenty one and then Rick two laps later to finish third. Rick was fourth with Edge fifth. Edge too was ecstatic about the race, particularly as he felt that after ten years of trying, he had at last managed to get all his temperatures correct. It must have been down to his Mum’s excellent picnic!

James P was seventh and lead class B, also taking fastest lap. Simon OG in eleventh took class C, a fine achievement as he had come from the back, but not fastest lap which went to the demon Burry. Jack in seventeenth place took class D and fastest lap and Stephen W in twenty-first place took both class E and fastest lap.

As MMCC drivers were well represented in other races our prize giving was held right at the end of the day. Rick had one win over Keith to uphold his honour, while Keith went home with armfuls of trophies including the driver of the day’s bottle of champagne.

There is just time for some sun, sea and relaxation before the next round towards the end of August so keep fettling and see you soon.

Ruth Horsman