IBB0TSON BREAKS HIS WIN DUCK IN STYLE
An imperious performance by James Ibbotson secured his maiden overall race wins in Pre’66 Touring Cars.
The reigning champion took his Class E Hillman Imp to new heights in only his second season of racing. Outqualified by just the V8-powered Ford Mustang of Piers Grange, Ibbotson’s one-litre machine benefited from engine failure sidelining Grange. He then cleared off into the distance, winning both races by more than five seconds.
After a failed clutch slave cylinder prevented him qualifying, James Everard scythed from the back of the grid to second in race one. Pat Kenneally’s Lotus Cortina had run second until its smoky demise, so son Billy’s success over Kevin Swann in an all-Ford Anglia battle secured third. Kenneally Jr and Swann each went one better in the sequel, despite Kenneally’s mid-race wobble. Jon Corker had taken Everard’s Alfa to second, only to slip to fourth on the final lap.
On its first outing since a rebuild into full Group A specification, Everard’s stunning BMW M3 E30 commanded the Pre-’93 opener, beating a clutch of E36 versions headed by reigning champion Ian Bower. Everard’s march to a double was thwarted by differential failure, and with Bower and Mark Fowler also suffering, first-year driver Rob Crisell took his E36 to victory over Andy Cripps’example. Scott
Smith (Honda Civic Type R) twice won the Pre-’03 section.
Having been punted into a spin in the earlier Pickup Trucks race – won by Dale Gent under pressure from Allen Cooper – Reece Jones broke free to win the sequel. Second went to double champion George Turiccki, also bouncing back after a loose alternator cable had stranded him on race one’s dummy grid.
British Trucks multi-champions Stuart Oliver and Ryan Smith experienced contrasting fortunes. A rebuild after its Donington crash unlocked performance in Oliver’s
Volvo VNL which he took to three wins. Smith meanwhile had to rely on a reversed-grid pole position to secure a sole victory in a MAN
TGA built in a week to replace his previously dominant Daimler.
In Legends, Will Gibson won both Saturday’s heats and Miles Rudman both Sunday’s, but each could only climb to fourth from the back of the grid in the finals won by Matthew Isherwood and John Mickel.
Stephen Primett (Ford Escort Mk1), Jason Davies (Ford Sierra Cosworth) and Tom Robinson (Jaguar XJR6) secured the Pre-’83 Touring Car, Classic Thunder and Jaguar Challenge titles with a round to spare by each claiming double victories. Martin Reynolds took a pair of BOSS wins in his Escort Mk2, while Steve McDermid led Jack Woodcock home in both red-flagged MG Owners’Club races. Tom Ovenden, series dominator Nelson King and Charlie Mann split the honours in three hard-fought Mini Challenge Trophy tussles.
Pickup Trucks Race 1: Dale Gent; Race 2: Reece Jones
British Truck Racing Races 1, 2 & 5: Stuart Oliver (Volvo VNL); Race 3: Ricky Collett (MAN TGX); Race 4: Ryan Smith (MAN TGA)
Legends
Races 1 & 2: Will Gibson; Race 3:
Matthew Isherwood; Races 4 & 5: Miles Rudman; Race 6:
John Mickel
Pre-’83 Touring Cars
Races 1 & 2: Stephen
Primett (Ford Escort Mk1)
Classic Thunder/ BOSS/Jaguar Challenge
Races 1 & 2: Jason Davies (Ford Sierra Cosworth)
MG Owners’ Club Races 1 & 2: Steve McDermid (MG ZR 170)
Mini Challenge Trophy
Race 1: Tom Ovenden; Race 2: Nelson King; Race 3: Charlie Mann