Roach rules the roost in a condors 2 as front-engined formula junior delivers a thriller
Following two excellent frontengined FJHRA Formula Junior championship-openers at Donington last month, in which Chris Drake (Terrier Mk4) and Ray Mallock (U2 Mk2) each beat the other after tough dogfights, the ante was upped at Cadwell.
The arrival of 2014 FIA Lurani Trophy winner Jonathon Hughes and past master Stuart Roach promised much, while Alex Morton – third in both Donington races – was on sparkling form in his Condor S2, a wieldier tool than period results suggested.
Driveshaft failure in Friday testing thwarted Hughes’ plan to debut another ex-brian Hart Terrier, bought from Lawrence Sufryn, so he wheeled out his 2016 Monaco-winning Lola Mk2 and netted pole, despite differential failure.
Its replacement broke in Saturday’s race, as Mallock edged out Drake, battling a misfire and “grumbling from the right rear” corner. Roach was third after “possibly the worst start I’ve ever made and a couple of scruffy laps” in a Condor he’d not raced in seven years. Nonetheless, he’d urged it round quicker than his best in the rapid Alexis Mk2, handled this time by dad Keith. Drake, Mallock, Roach and Morton, duked it out on Sunday in the race of the weekend. In a superclean, no-holds-barred battle Drake led Mallock initially, before Roach somehow rounded him at Mansfield corner. Chris struck back before a carburation glitch restricted him to 7,800rpm, whereupon Mallock hounded Roach down and Morton threatened Drake.
Overpowered out of Charlie’s onto the dipping Park Straight, Roach only held off Mallock by sheer tenacity on the brakes and bravado onto the Mountain. “I was a sitting duck in a straight line but it seems Condors can fly if they want to,” grinned programme cover boy Roach, who prevailed by 0.838s as 1.639s blanketed the quartet. Period Formula Junior racer Howden Ganley presented the tankards, compounding Roach’s joy.