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SLICK OR WETS?
The penultimate round of the championship saw seventeen cars take to a dry track for qualifying, reduced from 18 entries with class A contender Julian
Birley sidelined due to illness. This left Graham Scott free rein to take pole by 7 seconds from class D man Andy Thompson. Third and top class B man was Kevin Griffiths whilst Neil Smith secured his customary class
dominance. Philip Hehir made his Le Mans Autoitalia debut with the beautiful Alfa Montreal (a Montreal's first UK race entry for 23 years) however he was plagued by gear selection maladies and completed the session
in third gear before retiring with a broken selector. Also in trouble was the similar coloured Alfa GTV of Neville Simpson whose engine grenaded at the end of Park straight, and the resulting oil slick surprised
several. Non more so than Gary Buckland whose weekend of misery began when he hit the oil slick and launched across the grass to join Neville in the tyre wall. Russ Yates was also caught out and his subsequent
excursion resulted in a dangling exhaust for the rest of the session. Jackie Osborne put up her best qualifying performance of the year for third in class D whilst Alfa championship regulars Roger Donnan and Steve
Griffin took advantage of racing at their local circuit.
Last race of the day and the storm clouds were gathering. Spitting rain but a dry track saw most drivers gamble on slicks as they headed for the assembly
area. The spitting turned heavier and the delay from the inevitable "single seater" red flag in the preceding race saw cars storming out of the assembly area in a dash for their wets. Most made it however
championship contender Mike Watson reached the gate at the same moment the clerk of the course ordered it closed and in an extraordinarily harsh decision refused not only to allow him to take his grid position but
also refused to let him take part in the race. This decision was out of step with club racing and very harsh given the difficulties the peculiar layout of the paddock, assembly area and pit lane presents to drivers,
and Mike was understandably furious.
The race was a text book start and the tight circuit saw the modified cars boxed well and truly in. The quicker cars took almost two laps to come through
however Graham Scott eased in to a commanding lead he was never to lose. Gary Buckland's bad day continued when a tangle with Jackie Osbourne at the bottom of the mountain saw him beached, and two laps later Derek
Jones was forced to retire. The race shook out with Andy Thompson finishing second closely followed by Tony Soper's Alfa 164, with Neil Smiths Uno in fourth. Jackie Osbourne's run of form continued, taking second in
class D whilst class B winner Kevin Griffiths was back in seventh place.
POINTS
Andy Thompson finally played his joker, netting a full house of 64. Other jokers were Mark Baker, Phil Thompson, Jackie Osborne and Russ Yates. Neil Smith
looks very strong for the championship but Andy Thompson and Gary Buckland stand a theoretical chance of catching him if he has a terminal disaster in qualifying at the final round. Similarly Graham Scott is almost
secure in class A from Julian Birley who is 28 points behind him. Class B will be close for first, second and third and Class D will go to the wire between Gary Buckland and Andy Thompson
(by Tony Soper)
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