|
Simon Taylor wins the championship
Richard Buckley is second
Double wins for Challis, Buckley, Taylor, Jackson, ZAK and Duly
as the championship enters its final stage
The penultimate round of the 2005 LMA Euro Saloons season saw the competitors travel to Snetterton for a double header meeting. Another bumper entry of 30 cars made the
trip to Norfolk as the season reaches its final stage.
Qualifying:
Just before the drivers went out on track, all was sunny and dry in Norfolk, but the
weather threw in a whammy as rain started just as the session began and fell increasing heavily throughout qualifying. Those drivers able to get straight onto the pace were
rewarded with high grid positions, any lap posted after lap 2 ensuring that those drivers who needed to warm up their tyres, their mechanicals and themselves would post rain-affected times.
 Tony Soper was quickest out of the
blocks, setting pole time in the Alfa Romeo GTV on his first lap to lead from Derek Palmer (Sierra Cosworth) and Peter Challis (Nissan Primera). Pete Simpson used the 4 wheel drive Lancia integrale to good
effect to get 4th, missing 3rd by the narrowest of margins.
Simon Taylor posted an excellent 6th fastest time in his Honda Civic showing rain to be a great leveller against outright power, with his
championship contending rival Richard Buckley just behind in 7th.
Race 1:
The rain had relented and the track dried out in time for the first race. A good start from
the second row saw Peter Challis take the lead at the end of lap one narrowly from Derek Palmer and Tony Soper, once free at the front Challis started to pull away at
some 2 seconds per lap. Tony overtook Derek on lap 3, the pair remaining just in front of Pete Simpson in 4th, and gradually these three started to string out.
Derek Palmer took Class B honours from Tom Gannon (Honda Integra) and Nicky Leventis (BMW M3), the latter dicing most of the race with the Class C winner Richard Buckley.
Drummond Bone managed to repair the Maserati Barchetta after his Mallory Park incident and narrowly beat Ian Craig's BMW M3 to 9th place having to make up a few places after a lowly qualifying position.
ZAK took over John Hammersley's Class D MG ZR and posted a class win, with Tim Morgan-Barrett getting the better of Julian Brown after the latter took a heavy trip over
the kerbs and "adjusted" the tracking of his Fiat Punto.
Simon Taylor was unable to maintain his 6th place on the grid once the track had dried,
but came through to win Class E from Lee Scott (Fiesta) and Neil Threadgill (Renault Clio) and maintain his championship lead
Simon Jackson (Vauxhall Nova) won Class F with Jim Mepham an early retiree, and Alan Duly mopped up Class G in his Ford Fiesta.
Race 2:
 More rain during the afternoon, but by race 2 the track was dry once
more. Starting on pole this time, Peter Challis just drove off to take his second race win of the day. Tom Gannon had made an excellent start from 6th and held on to second place until lap 4 when Tony Soper,
recovering from avoiding Derek Palmer's off, got by and held on to second place comfortably from Drummond Bone who moved up to 3rd from 9th on the grid.
Nicky Leventis got by Tom Gannon
on lap 7 after the two had been in close competition for the previous 3 or 4 laps and then pulled away to win Class B. Class C winner Richard Buckley had a less eventful race
, finishing 5th ahead of Gannon and comfortably clear of Nigel Ainge's similar Class C Honda Integra.
Class D went much the same way as in race 1 with ZAK taking a comfortable win, Julian
Brown unable to compete with Tim Morgan-Barrett due to a number of woes which left the Punto down on power and speed.
Simon Taylor again won Class E from Lee Scott and Rhys Bolton (Clio), with Classes F
and G won by Simon Jackson and Alan Duly. Driver of the day was Drummond Bone.
Championship standings:
With just one race left, Rockingham 8th October, Simon Taylor leads Richard Buckley by 6 points, but with drivers able to drop their lowest score of the season, Taylor's lead is
unassailable and he is the 2005 LMA Euro Saloons champion, congratulations to him. Richard Buckley cannot be overhauled for second place, being well clear of the battle for
third which sees Tony Soper (234) clear of Jason Holmes (216) and Tim Morgan-Barrett (212).
Tony has amassed enough points to win Class A ahead of Peter Challis, but with
competitors having to enter at least 5 races to qualify for positions, 3rd place could go to Richard Hawken, Trevor Nicosia or Alex Schooledge.
Jason Holmes has won Class B, Nicky Leventis looks to be safe in 2nd place, with Dave Nixon currently in 3rd, but these could both be overhauled by Matt Hale and Philip Latchford.
Richard Buckley has been dominant in Class C and wins comfortably from Richard Perks in 2nd, and Stuart Jefcoate in 3rd place.
Tim Morgan-Barrett has won Class D in his debut season from John Hammersley, with Chris Brogden and Julian Brown fighting over 3rd.
Simon Taylor adds the Class E crown to his overall championship honours, with Lee Scott taking 2nd. 3rd place is between Neil Threadgill and Michael Collins.
Simon Jackson has won Class F with Class G honours going to Alan Duly
Race 1 Overall:
Winner: Peter Challis (Nissan Primera), 2nd Tony Soper (Alfa Romeo GTV), 3rd Derek
Palmer (Ford Sierra Cosworth), 4th Peter Simpson (Lancia integrale Evo), 5th Tom Gannon (Honda Integra), 6th Nicky Leventis (BMW M3)
Class Winners:
Class A Challis, Class B Palmer, Class C Buckley (Honda Integra), Class D ZAK (MG ZR160), Class E Simon Taylor (Honda Civic), Class F Simon Jackson (Vauxhall Nova), Class G Alan Duly (Ford Fiesta)
Fastest lap: Peter Challis 1:17.475 (88.77mph)
Race 2 Overall:
Winner: Peter Challis (Nissan Primera), 2nd Tony Soper (Alfa Romeo GTV), 3rd Drummond
Bone (Maserati Barchetta), 4th Nicky Leventis (BMW M3), 5th Richard Buckley (Honda Integra), 6th Tom Gannon (Honda Integra),
Class Winners:
Class A Challis, Class B Leventis, Class C Buckley, Class D ZAK (MG ZR160), Class E Simon Taylor (Honda Civic), Class F Simon Jackson (Vauxhall Nova), Class G Alan Duly (Ford Fiesta)
Fastest lap:
Peter Challis 1:17.832 (88.12mph)
Photos courtesy of Doug Woodward
Report by Trevor Nicosia, Car 10
|
