The final round of the 2022 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship took place (as is usual these days) at Curborough Sprint Course.   With Steve Thompson’s withdrawal from action, the entry list consisted of 11 cars of interestingly diverse tipos.  However, when the day arrived, there were three non-arrivals.  Mark Wibberley had scratched when the organisers informed him he was a “reserve” entry, even though he had entered two weeks prior to the closing date (but they super efficiently took his entry fee) and Rain Hitchman’s 430 Spider threw a fit by coughing black smoke and spitting oil when she attempted to set off for Curborough.  And the third absentee was the unfortunate Tony Attwood, whose 308GT4 came to a halt en route with water pump failure. The net effect was a modest total of eight Ferraris to do battle.

If there was an underlying theme for this meeting, it would be ‘Delays’.  There seemed to be a delay attached to every stage of the meeting for reasons that weren’t obvious, and even the start of our practice runs was late, despite the fact that all our competitors were commendably on time into the paddock.  Eventually P1 commenced under bright skies (the forecast was for dry conditions all day).  One or two reported the track was slightly slippery, and Pauline Goodwin found this out to her cost when her 328GTB snapped out of line as she entered the 180° loop on the return to the Finish line.  The car hit a kerb, and the sideways thrust spun the car almost harmlessly onto the grass.  However, in so doing a rear tyre parted company with the wheel and prevented Pauline driving back to the paddock.  Eventually it was manhandled onto a trailer for transportation back to the paddock, after – you guessed it – a very long delay.  When they eventually restarted, the rest of the class had better fortune, with Dave Snelson (F430) taking P1 about a second and a half off rival John Kennedy’s time in his very healthy California T.  A similar margin separated rivals Preece and Mullins in their shrill 360 Modenas.  For some unknown reason, Steve Nunney (348ts) was recorded as a ‘fail’ despite being initially given a time.

Pauline’s car was lifted up and its errant tyre refitted, although a single-seater driver’s borrowed quick-lift jack looked a bit second-hand afterwards.  P2 times were generally an improvement although Snelson’s 430 had a leery moment which cost a couple of seconds to sort out.  Kennedy had no such problem as he set the quickest time in 65.07 – marginally under his handicap target. It was Steve Nunney’s first time at Curborough and he sensibly took things easy as he got to grips with the rather complicated layout of the course.

Then it was time for the lunch break – always worth waiting for here.  The cheery ladies behind the counter invariably serve up some tasty dishes, as witness the queues of marshals and other officials awaiting their turn.  For well under a tenner you can refuel for the rest of the day.

So, after another long break, the official runs began.  The Ferraris were well down the order of running, so again there was much kicking of heels.  Snelson’s 65.23 set the pace although it was somewhat adrift from his best time here.  A determined Kennedy was just a tenth or so in arrears, his California T clocking a remarkable 111mph over the line – significantly faster than anyone else.  Gary Mullins was making good progress in the clash of the 360s, and looking a potential danger to Richard Preece.  Pauline G. had settled down after her tyre saga and again showed the boys how to get off the line rapidly.

We retreated to the paddock, where Pauline generously treated us and the marshals to slices of her famous home-made fruit cake: delicious.  Richard Preece’s beautifully presented F360 Modena was selected as the best turned out Ferrari.  And with more time lost – now it was due to a competitor’s battery seemingly leaking its contents – the final runs of the day came around.

With a slightly cooler track, could improvements be made in R2?    Dave Snelson’s 66.02 (slower) seemed to suggest ‘no’, but then Mullins found some extra momentum (and a time of 69.06) to take the initiative away from Preece by a slender 0.46 sec.  Pauline wasn’t far behind to underline her splendid 2022 Classic victory.  Newcomer Nunney drove well to (almost) beat his handicap time, collecting the day’s FOC Handicap Award.  But then John Kennedy shot off the line in an impressive run to try to take the honours on Scratch.  His car looked spectacular as it excitedly flashed its lights whenever the brakes were applied, and the display on the control tower showed his finishing speed was again a mighty 111mph.  And then the time came up: a winning 65.22.  It was John’s second overall victory of the season and he didn’t hesitate to phone Mama in Miami to give her the sensational news.

Despite the irritations I have mentioned, it was a great end to the 2022 season.  After Anne Swift had hastily calculated all the provisional data, we were able to congratulate Dave on winning the Championship yet again, and Pauline the Classic division.  Roll on 2023 – let it be just as exciting.

Shelsley Walsh, the grand-daddy of all speed hillclimbs, was the venue for the penultimate round of the 2022 Championship. The meeting was styled appropriately ‘Harvest Festival’.  The weather – always an important factor at any motor sport event – was forecast to be fine and dry.  And so it proved, but with temperatures quite a lot cooler than the scorching ones of recent weeks.  The paddock seemed to be a bit quieter than usual, perhaps because many championships have been resolved by this time of the year, including our own.

The Ferrari entry was just six cars after Champion elect Dave Snelson withdrew (serious leg injury to his favourite dog) and Steve Thompson’s car was hors de combat after its misadventure at Prescott two weeks earlier.  We were allocated a space in the paddock where we haven’t been previously, which presented some difficulties because our wide cars are incompatible with the spacing of the traditional Shelsley timber upright supports to the pits.  We therefore had to park our cars forward of the spaces we were given.  Flags in the paddock were sadly fluttering at half-mast as a mark of respect to the death of Her Majesty the Queen, and later on there would be a minute’s silence observed.

First practice for the Ferraris got off to a smooth start, with John Kennedy not unexpectedly posting the quickest time (36.29) in his rapid California T albeit slower than his previous times here.  The other times were similarly a bit exploratory although the track surface was clearly in good condition.  There was a long delay before our cars were called up for P2, caused by several off-course excursions by earlier classes.  In particular a bright yellow Triumph came to a sudden halt on the hill; as a result, the car was seriously bent although happily its driver was unhurt.  Jon G had a moment of panic when an annoying wasp defeated all his efforts to remove it from the Lusso’s cockpit.  Ferrari times were generally quicker although no one bettered their handicap target.

A couple of officials from the organising club, MAC, were enveigled to judge our ‘best presented car’ for the Paddock Cup competition.  They selected Jon Goodwin’s beautiful 250 GT Lusso without much hesitation, after one look at its magnificently sparkling engine bay.  However, all the Ferraris were turned out in immaculate style.  It was Mark Wibberley’s birthday, so we presented him with a cake bearing a token candle – which we all enjoyed rather more than he did since he has a gluten-free diet and he wasn’t sure about the cake’s constituent components.  Another celebration of the day was the Goodwin’s wedding anniversary.

Unable to keep away from the fun were spectators Dave and Jane Snelson (the injured dog resting at home) and ex-Ferrari competitor Andrew Duncan.  Dave was pressed into service as a photographer for the afternoon.  Then, after lunch and all this celebratory side show, it was time for the official runs.  Tony Attwood, who was driving his Dino 246, knocked a couple of seconds off his practice time.as did Jon Goodwin.  Pauline regained her prowess for lightning starts (0-64ft in 2.65 secs) and cut the finishing beam in 37.87 – faster than she has ever been here before.  Swift did a lack-lustre time in the F355 while Kennedy equalled his handicap target of 34.99.  And, finally, Wibberley recorded 37.89 – some two seconds slower than his handicap goal.

With track temperatures cooling we were called to order for our final runs.  It was a feature of the final runs that half the Ferraris beat or equalled their handicap times.  Pauline did exceptionally well to capture 2^nd place on scratch and bag 17 Championship points.  But the clear winner was John Kennedy who, with a glorious finishing speed of 103 mph, took the maximum points total.  He immediately ‘phoned his mother in Miami with the good news – she was naturally delighted!

It had been an excellent day’s hillclimbing.  We are indebted to our loyal Steward of the day, Paul Skinner, and Anne Swift, our tireless Championship Coordinator.  Now to the Grand Finale of the season: Curborough Sprint on October 9^th – be there!

With just three rounds remaining in our 2022 programme, Prescott 2 was a key event for some of our PFHC competitors.  The Bugatti Owners Club, who own and operate the hill have hosted a Ferrari class for more years than you could shake a stick at, and throughout the history of the FOC it has always featured twice in our annual calendar.  In recent times, the ‘Bug Club’ – as it is affectionately called – seems to have encountered a few problems.  In an effort to resolve the difficulties there has been a wholesale change of personnel, with previous systems and methods being altered, not always for the better.

Unfortunately this affected the PFHC’s appearance at the meeting on Saturday 3^rd September.  Normally the Ferraris would be allocated an appropriate position in the paddock: either an area on the grass near the Start or, if it wasn’t being occupied by Bugattis running in their own class, the spacious ‘Bugatti Terrace’.  All this is good sense, since the Ferraris are arguably the widest and lowest of the road cars taking part.  For some unexplained reason, we were shoe-horned into a cramped area at the very top of the paddock where the cars had to be carefully manoeuvred with great difficulty, and with a risk of damage in so doing.  Our sensible appeal to be allowed to use the deserted Bugatti Terrace (the Bugattis were not due until the following day) was refused: “The board of the Bugatti Owners’ Club have said that in future only Bugattis can use the Terrace”, we were summarily informed.  Another of our problems was the timing of the Ferraris: our first timed run was to be immediately after the lunch break; the second, and final run, the last of the day.  So we looked like kicking our heels in the afternoon for over four hours.  Add to this continual changes from the Final Instructions and the meeting sadly became perhaps the most disorganised we have ever attended.

The Ferrari class was reduced to 10 after Dave Snelson withdrew and the non-arrival of Martin Jones – an unfortunate victim of Covid 19.  We wish Martin a speedy recovery. Pauline Goodwin turned up without her race suit, an omission rapidly rectified by a photographer, who happily had with him a set of overalls to lend her (a bit on the large side, as you will see from the photos).  Indicating how cramped we were in the paddock, the Scrutineer managed to damage the writer’s F355 by banging an adjacent Ferrari door against the bodywork.  We were hustled down for first practice at 8.30am sharp.

P1 times were adversely affected by all that early hassle in the paddock.  John Kennedy was without his family support but drove his California T with his usual verve to record 52.89.  Steve Thompson (488GTB) posted an excellent 51.16, just 0.61 sec quicker than record-holder Nick Taylor in his 430.  Following first practice, there seemed to be exceptionally long periods of inactivity on the hill.

P2 eventually arrived, producing generally better times.  Thompson dipped below 50 seconds (49.75) to lead the field from Taylor – now with incipient clutch slip – on 50.12, and Kennedy (51.02).  Of the others, the two 360 Modenas of Preece and Wibberley produced almost identical competitive times: 53.79 and 53.62 respectively. Pauline G. showed that her over-size overalls were no handicap.

The first timed run for the Ferraris was changed to immediately before the break for lunch (instead of after, as per the Finals).  So, very strangely, we lined up for R1 without a pause after P2. Kennedy improved to a very useful 50.70. Preece recorded an exceptional run in 51.81, some 3 seconds ahead of his rival Wibberley (54.90).  Pauline Goodwin clocked her fastest ever in her 328GTB (54.24).  Steve Nunney (348 ts) continued his good progression with an excellent 57.93 while Nick Taylor set what was to be the winning class FTD: 49.52.

Sadly, our final competitor, Steve Thompson, was immediately unlucky.  As he entered the Esses, near the top of the hill, his 488GTB slid into the barrier and he came to an abrupt halt.  Thankfully he immediately got out of the car without injury although the meeting was delayed for a long period while the damaged Ferrari was recovered.  We are happy to report that Steve was subsequently in good spirits despite the nasty experience.

And then things paused for lunch.  The Bugatti restaurant beckoned but on this occasion proved to be a disappointment, with only three (one vegan) choices of dish on offer.  With few people at the dining tables there is, perhaps, another message that needs to be picked up by BOC.  During the long afternoon we were wonderfully entertained by a number of fly-overs by a lone WW2 Lancaster bomber.  It flew at very low – almost worryingly low – altitude.  The old aircraft brought back lots of memories for many of us at Prescott that day.

And then, with the track temperature cooling significantly, it was time for the last runs of the day.  The Ferraris – now just eight of them, since Nick Taylor had prudently withdrawn in view of his 430’s  clutch slip  – assembled for R2.  Everyone, apart from a faster starting Mark Wibberley, was predictably slower than R1.  The calculations were made and the day’s winners were determined.  The Scratch and BOC Award winners were 1^st: Nick Taylor (49.52) 2^nd: John Kennedy (50.70) 3^rd: Richard Preece (51.51).  Nick Taylor collected the 20 Championship points with Steve Nunney being rewarded with the Ferrari Handicap award. Paul Booth’s beautifully presented 458 Spider was adjudged the winner of the best presented Ferrari.

We finally adjourned to the bar, where Nick Taylor had generously left some cash to treat everyone to a celebratory drink.  Cheers Nick!  And, to their credit, the Bugatti OC sent a representative to the bar to present our winners with their awards.

The first of our 2022 visits to the ever-popular sprint venue at Curborough was on Sunday. 21^st August under the auspices of the Reliant & Scimitar Owners’ Club.  The Ferrari entry was slightly down on expected numbers for a variety of reasons: car repairs, ill health, holidays, etc but we managed to assemble 11 Ferraris in the PFHC class.  As usual this was an interesting variety of tipos, ranging in age from the 1960’s to the present day.  It is wonderful testament to our Championship that Ferraris of such disparate periods can compete on equal terms due to the brilliant PEP system we use.

The assembled field included the current class record holder, Nick Taylor. whose time of 63.47 was under threat from at least three would-be contenders driving the quickest of the Italian supercars.  First practice got off to a leisurely start due to some delays in scrutineering.  Far from leisurely was Dave Snelson at the wheel of his stunning 488 Pista – first time out at Curborough.  His stunning time of 63.25 immediately lowered the target for the other challengers.  Perhaps surprisingly, it was a very determined John Kennedy who was the next quickest, taking his rapid California T to a 65.14.  Perhaps it was the presence of John’s mother (plus aunt and uncle) – who were on a visit from the States – that gave him the extra impetus.

P2 saw generally quicker times  now that drivers had ‘got their eye in’.  Nick Taylor (65.75) closed up to Kennedy’s earlier effort while Steve Thompson – new to this track – almost equalled his pace in his screaming 488GTB with 65.88.  Another ‘newby’, Gary Mullins (F360 Spider) impressed with a 5^th fastest 70.25 while Pauline Goodwin was neat as well as quick in her ‘classic’ giallo 328GTB.  The other lady pilota, Rain Hitchman, doesn’t mess about either, taking her lovely black and stripey F430 Spider to a competent 71.63 – a couple of seconds faster than the two Peters, Rogerson and Hitchman, in their 360 and 430 coupes respectively.  Incidentally, all the Hitchman family have now followed Peter’s example, with Chris H having swapped his F355 for a 430 following his recent minor off-course excursion at Loton Park.

In the lull prior to the lunch break, cars were inspected for presentation for the Paddock Cup.  Overwhelmingly, the gorgeous 250GT Lusso of Jon Goodwin was selected as the winner.  These days, virtually all the Ferraris are presented in spotlessly shining order, so it is no mean feat for Jon to regularly take this honour.

Lunch at Curborough is something to look forward to, the ‘dinner-ladies’ always producing attractive dishes for the long queues of hungry competitors and marshals.  Today was no exception.  Anne Swift, our hard-working Championship Coordinator, got to work on evaluating the handicap targets for those without ‘previous’ at Curborough.  With discussions with Scrutineers and the Clerk of the Course, she is always busy on behalf of her competitors.  We were pleased to welcome Paul Skinner (and his immaculate 308GTB) as the day’s Championship Steward, and Committee members Brian Jackson and Mark Wibberley turned up to watch the fun.

Despite the aforementioned lunch, times for the first official runs were generally an improvement on practice figures.  Thompson chopped a second off (64.84); Nick Taylor, regretting that he hadn’t replaced his tyres recently, was half-a-second slower, but Snelson’s Pista was significantly over two seconds quicker in the scratch stakes.  Kennedy continued to impress (65.59) while the battle between our two ladies continued, with Rain Hitchman just a quarter of a second ahead of the less powerful, but more generously PEP’d 328GTB of Pauline G.  Peter Rogerson was rather flummoxed by his quoted 0-64 ft time of 4.56 sec.  Peter is regularly one of the fastest starters in the business and couldn’t believe this unusually slow figure.  He resolved to show what he could do when his R2 time was displayed.  Incidentally, up to this point Pauline G. was as usual firmly in the driving seat with a class-leading time of 2.57 sec.

And then, after a significant delay due to timing problems, the Ferraris assembled at the Start line for their final throw of the dice: R2.  The track temperature was now a bit cooler than earlier, both Snelson and Taylor had significant wear on their tyres, so it was anybody’s guess as to who would deliver the scratch victory.  Thompson was slower with 65.53; Taylor urged his 430 to an improved 64.81; Snelson was also a mite slower but his P1 time of 62.64 – a new class record – secured his victory.  Kennedy’s brilliant P2 time of 65.28 brought him the FOC Handicap award, with Rain in second spot.

Peter Rogerson’s reputation for start time prowess was restored when he recorded the day’s quickest 0-64ft figure of 2.52 sec.  The two leading 360 Modena drivers, with their unusually raucous exhaust systems, slogged it out for scratch honours with victory going to Richard Preece, his P1 time of 68.48 just pipping Mullins P2 effort by 0.68 sec – a fine battle.

The all-important PEP-adjusted figures to determine Championship points revealed the 20 points were won by Nick Taylor, with John Kennedy deservedly collecting 17.  In third place and harvesting 15 points, to his great joy, was Jon Goodwin and the lovely Lusso.

The day’s prizes were presented in the organiser’s marquee, and commendably all our trophy winners were present.  Looking at the season’s Championship table, Dave Snelson is still in the lead but John Kennedy and Steve Thompson are handily placed in 2^nd and 3^rd spots respectively. With Prescott, Shelsley Walsh and the final Curborough still to come, it looks like an exciting finish to the season . . .

Sunday morning dawned much as the previous day had ended: warm sun promising hot temperatures again.  In the past we have sometimes caused the organisers – Hagley & DLCC – to berate us for late arrival at the track.  However, a little light briefing at the previous evening’s Ferrari Dinner seemed to achieve results, and everyone arrived in the Loton Park paddock in good time.

There were a few absentees from the previous day: in spite of the apparent recovery of her F430’s transmission malaise, Rain Hitchman wasn’t confident that the car would perform trouble-free a second day.  So she headed for home, with Chris gallantly making sure she arrived safely.  Brian Jackson had a prior engagement, so the Portofino also disappeared.  The net result was that we had a reduced field of 11 Ferraris.

P1 times were generally a bit slower than Saturday’s; perhaps the Dinner the previous evening was having an effect.  Dave Snelson (F430) was the fastest of the three front runners in 60.05 although the others were not far behind: Taylor (F430) was second quickest in 60.88 and Steve Thompson (488GTB) recorded 61.81.  Jon Goodwin’s Lusso time was an excellent70.06 – almost equal to his handicap goal.

There was a general improvement in times in P2, although Snelson (68.01) probably had a little contre temps to allow Taylor (58.86) to assume to assume the role of King Pin.  Peter Rogerson must have had a good night’s sleep as he recorded his fastest time of the weekend.

Again the burger bar did a roaring trade at the lunch break, vying with the ice cream van for top sales as the temperatures soared. And then before you could say “another vanilla cone, please, and don’t go easy on the chocolate” the Ferraris were lined up again for R1.  Kennedy, despite the absence of the rival Portofino, clocked 62.37.  Pauline G wound her 328GTB to 66.50, her 0-64ft time of 2.41 sharing the fastest of the day with Nick Taylor’s F430. Steve Nunney was delighted with his 348ts time of 71.23 – his quickest time of the weekend. Peter Rogerson seemed to have relaxed a bit – his time of 73.32 being almost 5 seconds adrift from what he can produce here.

During the interval between R1 and R2, we took the opportunity to present Nick Taylor with the wooden horse that is awarded to the fastest competitor in Saturday’s competition.  Jon Goodwin handed over this unique prize, explaining its history and association with the late Count Alfonso de Portago, who was an international sportsman of great renown.  He twice raced in the Grand National at Aintree, he was an international-class swimmer, and created the Spanish bobsleigh team to take part in the 1956 Winter Olympics.  He joined the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team in 1955 and shared the second-placed car in the British GP with Peter Collins.  Sadly, he was killed instantly in 1957 when a tyre burst on his Ferrari, leading the Italian government to ban the event forthwith. But perhaps most appropriately, de Portago was related to Loton Park’s owner, Sir Michael Leighton.

With the presentation concluded, we turned our attention to the all-important R2.  Pauline G provided some drama on the start-line when her 328 snapped into a spin.  She recovered but her time was a leisurely 79.39.  Jon G took the Lusso up in exactly the same time as his R1 figure – who needs a Rolex?  Kennedy attacked the hill with a vengeance, his California T’s time of 61.90 being his quickest of the weekend.  And then it was time to see how the final finishing order would shake out.  Taylor’s 58.59 looked secure but could Thompson’s rapid 488GTB get him close?  The clocks stopped at 59.39.  And the Snelson’s F430 time was slightly than his R1 figure.

So that is how it all finished, with Nick carrying home the 20 Championship points and Peter Hitchman, deservedly, the Handicap prize.  It had been an eventful (and very hot) weekend, but enjoyable as usual.

The summer meeting at Loton Park has always been a favourite with PFHC competitors, their families and their friends.  The course is a winding track in a beautiful unspoilt deer park, with mature trees, shrubs, bracken, and even lots of resident deer.  It is owned by Sir Michael Leighton who also owns the nearby mansion.  Hagley and District Light Car Club have a long-standing arrangement with Sir Michael to take over the park for their season’s hillclimb events, and our annual visit in early summer is eagerly looked forward to.

We traditionally organise two rounds of our championship, on the Saturday and Sunday, and combine it with a dinner party at a local hotel.  In recent times, as this year, we have based ourselves at the Mercure Albrighton Hall located nearby Shrewsbury.

This year, we had the largest entry so far this season: 17 competitors.  Unfortunately, at the last minute, Mark Wibberley had to dash off to Australia, where his mother was seriously ill, Iwan Attwood (tested Covid positive) and your scribe (inability to replace the damaged F355’s windscreen).  So, we were immediately reduced to a still-satisfactory 14 drivers.  We also had the pleasure of the company of John Warner and Paul Skinner, two of our three Championship Stewards.

The weather forecast for the weekend couldn’t have been better: dry and sunny.  And, for a change, the predictors were right, with sweltering temperatures each day. We were allocated a different area in the paddock to our usual spot, with the advantage of having some shady tree cover to shelter under.

Scrutineering produced the first difficulty: Jon Goodwin’s lovely 250GT Lusso’s off-side door catch broke and the door couldn’t be closed.  All sorts of temporary solutions were offered but the scrutineer wasn’t persuaded any would pass muster.  Jon was obliged to seek a welder in Shrewsbury to repair the locking plate properly, after which the car was approved.  The net effect was that Jon missed the two practice runs.  Lorraine Hitchman suffered serious transmission problems on the start-line when the noise judge tested the decibels, so she missed P1 while the clutch temperature cooled.

Fastest in P1 was our current Champion, Dave Snelson, who took his F430 (he switched from his entered 488 Pista at the last moment) in 60.60.  The current Ferrari record holder, Nick Taylor, in his similar tipo was just 0.37 shy of his time, our ‘Man from Miami’ John Kennedy took his California T up in 62.40.  Newcomer Steve Thompson wasn’t far behind in his potentially faster 488GTB.  Brian Jackson had substituted his pristine Portofino for his regular 308GTB after the latter had developed some unwelcome play in its drive shaft assembly.

P2 saw improvements in times for most, with Taylor dipping into the sub-60 seconds to take overall charge.  Thompson, who hadn’t ever seen Loton before, looked as if he would be very much in the hunt by the time the weekend was over.

Following practice and the lunch break, the Ferrari contingent would previously have enjoyed a barbecue provided by our friends from the Hand & Diamond pub down the road.  Sadly, this year Hagley & DCC had to ban BBQs due to dry weather and the consequent fire hazard.  So, we had to join everyone else at the burger bar; I must say the sandwiches and fries were good, so we didn’t starve.

Following a dessert of a couple of ices, it was down to the serious business of the official timed runs Chris Hitchman had a stonking run in his F355GTS, lopping half a second off his previous best time.  His dad, driving his F430, got the idea and similarly chopped a similar amount off his previous best.  Thompson booted the potent 488GTB in a competitive 60.21, just half a second slower than the maestro, Dave Snelson, managed in the F430.  But the record holder, Nick Taylor, trumped them all with an outstanding 58.86 – just a soupcon outside his record time.

It was also interesting to see how Brian Jackson’s Portofino would fare when pitted against the slightly older California T of John Kennedy.  Their P1 times were 63.34 and 62.56 respectively.  Rain Hitchman, having allowed her F430’s transmission to completely cool off, was delighted to find that it all seemed to work properly again.  She attacked the hill with aplomb, recording 69.85.  Another driver to be just relieved to be taking part in the official runs was Jon Goodwin, the repairs to his Lusso’s door having passed muster with the scrutineer.

Pauline G. once again showed she was ‘Queen of Starts’ by setting the fastest 0-64ft time – we would all like to know her secret!  We were also agog to find who was the ‘Fastest of them All’  (this is beginning to sound like a fairy tale).  The answer: Thompson 3^rd (60.21), Snelson 2^nd (59.68), Taylor 1^st (58.86).  And the PEP adjusted times echoed that order.

There was not long to wait before the Ferraris lined up once more for their final run of the day.  The high temperatures had cooled a bit, so perhaps the track might be less grippy.  This was borne out, as almost all the cars were slightly slower, with a notable exception being Rain Hitchman, who beat her handicap target by a substantial 3.46 seconds – she took the day’s Handicap prize.  The three fastest runners maintained their R1 order, Nick Taylor being the winner on Scratch.

For most of us the day ended at the Mercure Albrighton Hotel in Shrewsbury, where we had arranged a private Ferrari Dinner preceded by Pimms on the terrace.  The Ferraris were arranged on the lawns as usual, and it was quite like old times.

With the Summer Solstice only days away and Stonehenge just around the corner, the leafy area of Wiltshire encompassing Gurston Down was probably just the place to be in June.  The Sunday speed hillclimb had attracted an entry of eight Ferraristi (driving seven cars) – a bit on the low side but never­theless representative of some of Enzo’s finest.

Looking down the entry list, newcomer Steve Nunney was commendably seeking to add to his experience and was driving his smart 348ts.  Father and son Tony and Iwan Attwood were again sharing the former’s 308GT4 following repairs after its contretemps at Harewood the previous month.  Pauline Goodwin was at the wheel of her trusty 328GTB while, again making the journey south from his native abode north of the border, was Scotsman John Shirley in his F355.  Fast men John Kennedy (California T) and Championship leader Dave Snelson were also here to do battle – Snelson bringing the faithful F430 out of his armoury for this event.  There should have been Steve Thompson with his rapid 488 but he failed to turn up.

Practice got underway under rain-threatening clouds, with all the drivers exercising understandable prudence, although Snelson missed P1 by arriving late.  In his absence, Kennedy occupied the top position with 40.29 from Shirley’s excellent 41.97.  Pauline Goodwin kept her faster 328GTB in front of the Attwoods, while Nunney made an excellent fist of his first climb here.  Practice P2 saw improvements throughout the Ferrari field, with Snelson’s arrival taking star billing away from Kennedy—but significantly by only 0.30 secs.  Nunney made his fastest climb of the day in 45.14.

Following the lunch break and no sign of the threatened rain, missed gear changes by both Shirley and Nunney marred their efforts.  Iwan topped his dad’s run in the GT4 by just over a second, Pauline G. went a bit slower despite spending time fine-tuning her tyre pressures, and an optimistic Kennedy improved (37.60) but not as much as Snelson (37.03).

And then it was R2 and the last chance saloon.  The Attwoods clocked almost identical times for the 0-64ft blast off the start, but Tony couldn’t quite match Iwan’s time on R1, but only by a whisker (0.15 secs).  Pauline beat them both and set the quickest 0-64 ft Ferrari time of the day at 2.45 sec., proving you have to be very slick indeed to beat this lady off the startline.

Shirley’s run (40.18) was quick enough to claim 3rd place on scratch together with the Handicap prize, while the two leaders shaped up to each other for their final fling.  Kennedy—only half a second in arrears on R1—risked everything on the fast run  into the first long left-hand  bend. He hung on to his California T with its stability system seriously overstretched.  The car stayed within the track boundaries but his chance of beating Snelson was gone. As for the Champion, he was a mite slower but his R1 time was fast enough to capture the day and the valuable 20 points.

In summary, the threatened rain resulted in only a few spots of no consequence and we all enjoyed the well-organised meeting.  Now it’s on to the next big challenge: Shelsley Walsh on 26 June.

I am indebted to John Shirley and Mark Bentley who, at the last moment, provided me with notes of the action.  Apologies for the paucity of photographs.

With the summer at its zenith, the PFHC contestants moved to Shelsley Walsh for Round 6 of the 2022 Championship.  It was expected that sparks would fly at this oldest of tracks with its emphasis on serious speed and lightning reactions.  And to add to the occasion we looked forward to enjoying the incomparable ambience that Shelsley seems to have.

Our numbers were slightly depleted with the withdrawal of Paul Booth (whose 458 Spider had reported shock absorber maladies) and your scribe (his F355 having no windscreen, for reasons I won’t go into).  Anne and I did, however, get to see the fun (without recourse to goggles) thanks to the trusty 550 Maranello.  So, the Ferrari battle would be between nine of Ferrari’s best, ranging from Jon Goodwin’s magnificent 250GT Lusso berlinetta (of age, if it be etiquette of an old lady to mention it, some 59 years) to the near-latest tipos.

When we arrived at Shelsley on Sunday morning, there was a strange lack of bustle and a distinct lack of competitors.  It transpired that the meeting should have had over 60 motorcycle competitors.  However, their examination of the track had revealed some feature – a barrier too high or too low – that didn’t meet with their requirements and it was pronounced an “unsafe course”.  The bikers therefore went off home, leaving the organisers with a stack of untaken slots and a serious depletion of their expected day’s entry fees.

So, back to the Ferraris and their piloti.  Steve Thompson had his 488GTB with its attendant ‘detailer’ at the ready with polish and dusters, and the scarlet paintwork positively glowed.  John Shirley was having his last drive of the year on the hills in his F355 (he returns to his holiday home in Italy shortly).  Pauline Goodwin’s ‘hillclimb’ 328GTB (she has two others) sparkled in the sunshine and was receiving the usual athletic attention with the footpump.  Tony Attwood’s Dino 246GT looked a million dollars – quite rightly so when you think that, these days, these lovely little gems are actually worth half this amount in real bills!  And Dave Snelson’s F430’s coachwork was a tribute to the startling good spray-on polish which he uses at the track.

The first practice got underway quite early – due to the absence of the ‘bikes I suppose – and Pauline Goodwin led the times of the ‘Classic’ tipos with 40.25.  The older models in the ‘current’ group were a couple of seconds faster, led by Mark Wibberley’s lovely 360 Spider.  The fastest P1 time was Champion Dave Snelson’s F430 at 34.08, two seconds faster than anything else in the class.

P2 followed quite rapidly, and most Ferraris improved by up to 3 seconds, with Thompson closing to within 0.8 sec of the leader.  Newcomer Steve Nunney impressed with a 4 second betterment.

And then the Tannoy announced a third Practice run was to be offered – a rarity at Shelsley.  This extra run didn’t produce any more speed in the Ferrari camp although Tony A’s Dino was given an obviously erroneous time some 20 seconds adrift from reality.

After a leisurely lunch in the sunshine, it was soon time for the serious business of the official ‘timed’ runs.  Nunney continued his impressive progress, with 42.53 and the Dino hit 40.83.  Shirley did his fastest of the day with 37.11, while up at the pointy end of the field, Snelson still stayed ahead, with a 0.38 advantage over Thompson’s 488.

It is always useful to look at the 0-64ft ‘blast-off’ times, particularly at Shelsley, and sure enough there was no-one to challenge Pauline’s 2.45 sec in her 328 – amazing!

Then it was the final run.  The track temperature had cooled by now, and times were expected to be slightly slower.  However, the three fastest protagonists proved me wrong, all of them making marginal improvements.  Third-placed Kennedy improved his California’s time by 0.12 sec, Thompson his 488 by 0.20 sec and, finally, the day’s victor on scratch: Snelson by 0.31 sec.  Dave took the 20 Championship points home, while Jon Goodwin collected the day’s Handicap award.

It had been an excellent day’s sport at a wonderful venue.  It just needed Anne Swift to put on her Championship Co-ordinator cap on and work out all the PEP and Handicap times on the long drive home . . .

As a prelude to the second day of our Harewood weekend, most of our Ferrari party gathered on Saturday night in the famed Byron Room for dinner.  There is quite a history to be told about this lovely dining room, with its 18^th century rococo plasterwork restored to its original glory after being left in derelict Halnaby Hall.  The Hall was a 17^th century mansion famous as the site for Lord Byron’s honeymoon in 1815.  In 1952 it was stripped and then blown up with dynamite to avoid taxes.  Twenty-two of us enjoyed an excellent meal preceded by prosecco, although yours truly had to be content with more wretched antibiotic pills.

Happily, the cars didn’t have to be re-scrutinised the following morning and, with the exception of Steve Nunney (he had a previous engagement), we were quickly formed up for the Sunday action.   However, we realised that Mark Wibberley was absent – he ‘phoned in to tell us he was unable to start his 360 Spider as apparently its gear change system had lost pressure.  Geoff Talbot, Peter Rogerson’s riding mechanic, set off to the hotel with an electrical power unit to help.  It seems there is a trick to solve this problem – don’t ask me! – and after getting advice from several quarters Mark was able to report that he was on his way.  Phew!

One interesting feature of the Ferrari line-up in the paddock was that they seemed to be in colour sequence: all the reds, then all the blues, the yellows and then the blacks.  Perhaps it was a happy accident.  In P1 Snelson was back in pole position with a 66.83, about a second quicker than John Kennedy’s Cali T and yesterday’s victor, Steve Thompson in the 488GTB.  Brian Jackson maintained his advantage over Pauline G. and once again Mark Wibberley, despite his little starting scare, had his 360 Spider immediately on the pace.  Paul Booth (76.23) began a series of runs that systematically got quicker as the day progressed.

The second practice times were almost all improvements on the P1 figures, with a determined Dave Snelson maintaining his lead.  And then it was the break for lunch.  We were envious of the marshals, who wisely had brought their own sandwiches.  As if by magic we were joined by Peter and Victoria Hayman.  They had driven all the way from Anglesey to see if Peter’s record would be beaten, which on the basis of Saturday’s times was a distinct possibility.  Peter has sold his record-breaking 488 and acquired an F8 (“just a little bit quicker”).

The chips were down with the first of the official runs: Steve Thompson stopped the watches at 64.53 – just 1/100^th of a second shy of the existing record!  I guess that Dave was regretting not bringing has Pista to the party.  A hard-trying Kennedy was all smiles as he beat his handicap time.  Also on the case was Booth, lopping two whole seconds off his P2 time.

R2, and Thompson made the slightest of errors in trying to squeeze that extra fraction which he needed to capture the record, although he was still fastest (65.24).  Booth (70.95) maintained his progress.  And Brian Jackson detected a slight ‘clunk’ in his 308GTB’s final drive.  Perhaps wisely, he decided to withdraw from any further runs to make sure of getting home safely.

As we know, at most events we are given two official timed runs, but this afternoon BARC generously gave us a third one.  Thompson’s R3 time was again terrific (64.64) but still an elusive 0.12 off the record.  And both Snelson (65.96) and Kennedy (67.30 but subsequently disallowed) nibbled fractions off their previous times to go respectively 2^nd and 3^rd on scratch.  This time Paul Booth took his 458 to first place on Handicap while Brian Jackson took home a total of 32 Championship points to put him ahead of Pauline in the Classic section.  A bonus for Brian was that his car was picked as the day’s best turned-out.

Then, on to the official prizegiving which was very special.  Earlier in the afternoon we had heard the whirring of a helicopter landing.  It signalled the arrival of Dave Richards CBE.  For anyone interested in motor sport who hasn’t heard of Dave, I can tell you that he is the chairman of Motorsport UK, the owner of Prodrive, former team principal of BAR and Benetton F1 teams and World Rally Champion in 1981.  In short, perhaps the busiest, most influential, and hugely talented man in motor sport on the planet.  Dave presented the day’s trophies to all the winners including our Ferrari drivers.  It was an occasion they will remember for a long time.

Harewood had provided an exciting weekend of hillclimbing for us, and we look forward to the following two events at Gurston Down (on 19 June) and Shelsley Walsh (on 26 June).  Make sure you are there!

The PFHC hillclimbers’ destination in early May, in accordance with long-standing tradition, is Yorkshire and the testing sweeps and turns of Harewood.  As usual, the weekend consisted of a double-header on the Saturday and Sunday, with a Ferrari dinner at the nearby Bridge Hotel at Walshford to enjoy in between.  This arrangement seems to suit the majority of Ferraristi and we were delighted to have the company of two of our diligent Championship Stewards with us: John Warner and Paul Skinner.  We also had a welcome increase in entries, even though Phil Whitehead and the Attwood duo were awaiting completion of repairs to their Ferraris after their misfortunes at Prescott the previous fortnight.

The BARC, who are responsible for the event, had just about returned the details of organisation to pre-pandemic norm.  All competing cars were individually scrutinised, signing-on was conducted in the hill office, and the computers were available to competitors to check run times throughout the day.  There were one or two new instructions that were irksome:  providing evidence of identity and scanning of documentation – particularly as the guidance BARC provided was wrong.

The Ferraris were allocated to a different area of the paddock to our usual spot so that we were unable to watch the competing cars complete their runs at the top of the hill.  Funny how you get used to things remaining the same!

As usual, there was a representative selection of Ferrari tipos to drool over: 308GTB, 328GTB, 348ts, F355, three 360s, 430, 458 Spider, California T, and the most recent – a gleaming 488GTB.  That all these disparate models can compete for Championship points on equal terms speaks volumes for our unique PEP system.

Things got underway on time for the first practice runs.  A small amount of overnight rain cast a bit of doubt about the grip level, but times were generally unaffected.  However, there were plenty of red flag hold-ups and re-runs due to faults with the timing gear.  John Kennedy had to make an unexpected return dash to his Harrogate hotel as he had left his comp licence (and cash!) in his room.  Pauline Goodwin noticed her emergency spare wheel was rolling about loose in the front compartment of her 328, causing some consternation.  Your reporter was almost rattling around with antibiotic pills in an effort to counter an infection that mysteriously made an appearance the night before.  Otherwise, not much to report on P1 apart from Pauline G. dramatically getting her car sideways at the finish line.  The quickest times were returned by favourite Dave Snelson (67.46) and the hugely competitive newcomer, Steve Thompson (70.27).  P2 runs were accomplished without drama, with Snelson again leading the field, but Thompson closing to within a couple of seconds.

Without a delay, the cars were then assembled for the first of what proved to be four official runs.  Thompson took to the grass as he over-enthusiastically attacked Country corner (72.06), Kennedy moved his Calif T into 2^nd position (68.50) but the red 430 of Snelson took prime spot in 66.26.  Brian Jackson stopped the clocks at an impressive 72.72, demonstrating his prowess at the wheel of his beloved 308.  First timer Steve Nunney (348ts) was making was making workmanlike progress and Swift noticed the ABS warning light seemingly permanently displayed on his F355.  Since he is well used to cadence braking anyway, he wasn’t too concerned.

Activity then ceased for the lunch break.  In the past, we looked forward to lunch at Harewood.  There used to be proper tables and chairs set out in a large marquee, with slick service from an excellent wholesome buffet menu.  All that has sadly changed.  The marquee has been replaced by a wheeled trailer from which is served the usual fried and greasy offerings.  Apparently the previous caterers were beaten in their bid for the contract – one can’t but regret the change.

R2 saw some useful improvements to Ferrari times.  Thompson got it all together (67.00), Booth got the 458 Spider humming along (73.61) and Mark Wibberley made a useful improvement to 71.36.  Kennedy wound up his Calif to an impressive 68.09 but Snelson was again top of the form with 65.75.  Almost before we knew it, we were lining up for a third run.  R3 saw some good improvements:  This time, Steve T.  was the star of the show, recording the quickest scratch time to date: 65.75.  This should be read in the context of Peter Hayman’s class record of 64.52, set in 2019 in an identical 488.

Then, to our surprise, we were given an unprecedented 4^th run.  The weather had by now become cooler as a stiff breeze had blown up.  Despite the slight drop in track temperature, there were still some improvements for a few drivers.  Martin Jones was delighted to beat the 80-second barrier in his smart 360 (78.90) and Paul Booth shaved another second off his R3 figure (72.12).  Wibberley improved to 70.78 and Kennedy also did well (67.91).

So the Day 1 scratch winner was the impressive Steve Thompson who had managed to at last bring Dave Snelson’s remarkable run of end-to-end victories to a close.  We were pleased that the winner of the Handicap Award was Steve Nunney, who hadn’t seen the hill until that morning.  And John Warner and Marjorie deservedly picked Paul Booth’s magnificent 458 as the Best Turned-Out Ferrari.

We all then gathered our belongings and followed your scribe in convoy to our venue for the evening.

Round 2 of the 2022 PFHC, at Prescott on Saturday, 23^rd April, was a bit special for several reasons.  2022 is the 84^th year of hill climbing at this famous hill and 75 years of the British Hill Climb Championship.  And with an entry of 15 competitors, this was the largest number of Ferraris we have seen here for a number of years.  The weather forecast was ‘fine and dry’ which was reassuring, and at the last moment we were re-allocated to the prime Bugatti Terrace area in the paddock.

Joining the regular names in the Ferrari entry list were newcomer Steve Nunney, driving a 348ts, and Steve Thompson, who had impressed at the previous Cadwell Park event, in his beautifully presented 488GTB.  John Shirley, all the way from bonnie Scotland, was making his first essay at Prescott in his F355 – John’s sister is handily resident in nearby Worcester which was a help.  A withdrawal from the entry list was Richard Preece, who has suffered an unfortunate spell in hospital; we wish him a speedy recovery to full health.  Mark Wibberley sported a brand-new beard and moustache, which was slightly confusing for us.

Phil Whitehead hasn’t enjoyed the best reliability from his F355 in recent times but he said that all its faults were now corrected except (ominously as it turned out) a non-functioning ABS system.  The rest of the Ferrari pack appeared to be fighting fit.  We were instructed to be on parade in the paddock by 07.45 with our numbers affixed and timing struts in place. This early start was required because there was a full army of safety scrutineers engaged for this event, with plans to check every vehicle in the time-honoured way.   Most of us managed to comply although it proved to be unnecessary as there was subsequently a delay of over one and a half hours in the first practice sessions.  A high number of these seemed to be due to riders in the motorcycle class falling off their machines.

First practice showed that class record holder Nick Taylor (430) was still the man to beat, his time of 50.56 being half a second quicker than arch rival Dave Snelson in his similar car.  The others completed their P1 runs without incident although Pauline Goodwin lost her timing strut (but subsequently retrieved) on the return road.  New man Nunney had some difficulty getting his 348’s engine to start but managed to rectify the problem with a little help.

We then waited . . . and waited . . . for P2 to be called up but further delays, caused by mishaps and feverish ambulance attendance, meant that BOC cancelled the second Ferrari practice altogether!  This was really bad news because, after the long winter lay-off, many of us needed the practice.  The lunch break was then curtailed and the organisers notified us that the first runs for the class would be the first official timed runs.  Even these were subjected to further delays and mounting despondency was very evident.

At last we were called up and our first car – Tony Attwood (308GT4) – hit the Armco barriers at the Esses.  Happily, Tony was unhurt but it seemed to take an age to recover the car and load it onto a trailer.  Sadly, this meant that, due to the bodywork damage, Iwan Attwood was unable to take any further runs.  The next big problem was with Phil Whitehead.  As I mentioned earlier, his F355’s ABS was not working and he locked-up as he approached Ettores at high speed.  The car hit the barrier obliquely and his run was over. Again, the damage to the car was confined to its bodywork.

Of the others, Nick Taylor was the pick of the crop (48.84) with Snelson just over a second in arrears (49.99).  Kennedy drove well to put his California T into third spot (51.52).  First timer at Prescott, John Shirley (F355), was impressive with a time of 52.92 while Brian Jackson didn’t disappoint in his famous 308GTB (54.99).  Your scribe’s F355 was off-colour: spectators told me the engine sounded “awful” and indeed it did – at least two of its eight cylinders were not in action and I just hoped that it would be possible to drive it back home to North Yorkshire.

Following all this drama together with yet more delays in other classes (a single seater caught fire as it crossed the finish line and was substantially destroyed) time was getting on and competitors with other commitments for the evening were looking bleakly at their watches.  Nick Taylor and Martin Jones decided to head for home and forego their second run.

It was well after 5 o’clock by the time the Ferraris were called up for their second and final run.  The track temperature had now dropped significantly and it would be doubtful whether any faster times would be achieved.  John Kennedy made an indifferent launch of the Cali T and then got seriously out of shape at Ettores.  The net result was 6 seconds slower than R1.  Shirley squeezed a bit more out of his F355, which put him slightly ahead of his predicted handicap time.  Also defying the cooler conditions was Steve Thompson, who piloted his 488GTB into a creditable 3^rd fastest on scratch.

With all the continuing delays, our hosts Bugatti Owners Club decided to scrap the awards presentation and those of us who had remained to the bitter end headed for home at something after 7.00 pm.  We were pleased that Phil Whitehead and the Attwoods were able to drive their cars home despite the damage to their Ferraris, and your reporter managed to reach base in the now 6-cylinder F355!  What had promised to be a wonderful day’s motorsport had sadly turned out to be something of a disappointment.

However, we congratulate Nick Taylor on taking the maximum Championship points tally, Brian Jackson for the highest ‘classic’ score, and John Shirley for his handicap victory.  We can only hope for better things at the next round at Harewood, where hopefully we won’t be delayed by our two-wheeled friends!

After the long winter months, and with the wretched pandemic still affecting our lives, the 2022 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship burst into life at Cadwell Park on Saturday, 26 March.  Cadwell is, as most of you will know, primarily a race circuit.  The sprint course is from the start of a race lap and incorporates some swoopy curves leading to a couple of testing right hand corners before opening up to a fast straight and up a steep hill to the Finish line. The quoted track distance is 3.15km.

It is some years since PFHC was last at Cadwell Park.  We were first here in 2005, and returned the following two years.  Setting the Ferrari record initially, Nick Taylor was fastest in his 348GTC.  In 2006 Chris Butler was the star, breaking Nick’s record in his F355.  And then, the following year, Taylor regained the crown, again in his 348GTC.  The circuit in those days was rather scruffy and unkempt.  However, in the intervening 15 years things have changed immeasurably for the better:  Jonathan Palmer, the new owner, has waved his famous magic wand and the venue is a now a model of spick-and-span excellence.  It reminds me of a miniature replica of the famed Nűrburgring Nordschleife, to which someone has taken a dustpan and brush. 

For various reasons the Ferrari class was a bit down on numbers although not on variety.  The Attwood family – Tony and Iwan – were sharing the former’s 308GT4.  Pauline Goodwin was driving her ex-Mike Spicer Championship-winning giallo 328GTB and had husband Jon to help with the spanners if necessary.  A newcomer this season is musician Gary Mullins who appropriately drives a very throaty 360 Spider.  Paul Booth lives quite handily up the road from Cadwell and was in his familiar 458 Spider. Back in the UK was John Kennedy, at the wheel of his rapid California T.  John has his eye on a tilt at the top of the championship this season.  Another recruit, who did exceptionally well in our Introduction Day at Curborough last year, is Steve Thompson.  He is well equipped with a very nice and rapid 488GTB.  He came along with his personal coachwork detailer, which is a nice touch.  And no PFHC event would be the same without our current champion, Dave Snelson, who had a change of Ferrari for this event: his super-potent 488 Pista. 

There were a few adventures on the way to the venue. As we have found in the past, Cadwell isn’t the easiest place to find unless you happen to have an ace navigator (or reliable sat nav) and your scribe did a couple of miscues en route.  Dave Snelson was particularly unlucky to encounter a hare at high speed which damaged some of the Pista’s front-end carbon fibre aero appendages.  As you may imagine, replacements don’t come cheap. 

Anne Swift, our hard working Championship Coordinator, was busy handing out the new 2022 PFHC/Pirelli caps to competitors together with assorted items of branded clothing for those who said they would like them.  The weather on arrival was glorious: warm spring sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.  Things got off to a slow start.  The timing gear wasn’t working properly and when the Ferraris were called to the assembly area around two hours had been lost.  Mid-morning the whirring of helicopter blades signalled the arrival of Jonathan Palmer to check that the circuit was in apple pie order. 

Tony Attwood led the Ferrari attack with an opening 122.12 followed by Kennedy (97.33).  We watched expectantly as the Pista rocketed off the line: Dave’s time: 92.74.  For a newcomer, Steve Thompson’s 488 time was impressive: 99.75.  We felt sure there was much more to come.  Paul Booth slid back the roof on his 458 Spider and returned an exploratory 107.54.  Similarly testing the water, Gary Mullins stopped the clock in 118.19 albeit keeping the hood in place on his nice 360 Spider.  Pauline Goodwin, the only Ferrari driver to have competed here previously, returned a useful 114.24.  And finally Iwan Attwood took over the GT4 from his dad, to clock a rather disappointing 129.46.

With so much time lost, the organisers decided to dispense with P2 and press on with the first official timed runs.  There were no problems with the Ferraris, and times were all improvements on practice figures.  Iwan was obviously now paying attention with a huge betterment of over 10 seconds to take the edge from Tony.  Two other notable ‘improvers’ were Booth (now 101.86) and Mullins (112.76).  Then came a break for lunch and we were able to sample the food in the spotlessly clean circuit canteen.  There was a good selection on the menu, service was brisk, and – along with Jonathan Palmer sitting at the next table – we enjoyed our meal. 

R2 times were generally slightly slower than the first official runs had been.  This could have been a cooling of the track temperatures or maybe the effect of that lunch.  There were some exceptions: Tony Attwood spun the 308GT4 on the climb after the bridge, and another (non-Ferrari) car missed a gear and comprehensively blew up its engine.  There was another long delay as a result.  By the time the Ferraris were called up once more, it was clear that (a) the track was significantly cooler and less grippy and (b) there was little chance of the half-promised fourth competitive run.  And so it proved.  As always, Kennedy tried very hard but spun off the track.  He was subsequently disqualified for reasons unknown.  Booth had to miss his run due to a prior dinner engagement.  And the stars of R3 were new boys Thompson and Mullins, who were the only ones to improve on their earlier times. 

The prize-giving went well with Dave Snelson taking victory on scratch on his maiden outing in his bruised Pista.  We were particularly impressed with the showing of second-placed Steve Thompson, who promises to be very competitive as he gains more experience.  And Gary Mullins also demonstrated lots of latent talent; we hope he will be able to arrange his weekend gigs to allow him more time in his Ferrari.  Also, we must mention Pauline Goodwin who drove her ‘classic’ 328 with the consistency of a Rolex.  I believe the meeting was a lot of fun, with lovely weather, and some excellent performances at an unfamiliar venue.  We just need a few more drivers to join in!