DEAR DOES IT IN CLASSIC STOCK HATCH
A brilliant move from Chris Dear around the outside of Devil’s Elbow on the last lap of the Classic Stock Hatch opener was the highlight of the 750 Motor Club’s visit to Mallory Park last weekend.
Given the title was on the line, the pass on Lee Scott’s Ford Fiesta was a big risk but it paid off handsomely and allowed Dear to take a large step towards the championship. Dear qualified on pole but was “too cautious” on lap one and his Peugeot 205 lost out to Scott, who went round the outside of Shaw’s Hairpin to get the inside for Devil’s Elbow.
Dear repeatedly tried to reclaim the place but to no avail, until that final-tour gamble – which netted him the honours by just five hundredths of a second. His main title rival Pete Morgan – the pair entered the meeting separated by a handful of points – was third, having started fifth.
But Morgan fought back in race two. When Scott usurped Dear at Gerard’s, Morgan’s Fiesta dived up the inside of Dear at the Esses. And he began putting Scott under pressure, too. “I was surprised by how it was going,” admitted Morgan, who has not enjoyed much Mallory success. But his race ended in disappointment when a lifter on his engine broke on lap four and his title chances were over.
Despite Morgan’s departure, Dear continued to pressurise Scott. “I thought I’ve got to try and win it!” said Dear, who no longer needed to worry about title permutations. But he couldn’t displace Scott this time.
Four others however managed to win twice. Oliver Collett (Racekits Falcon) led every lap of each 750 Formula race but came under intense pressure from Bill Cowley.
Elsewhere, Paul Collingwood eclipsed the Sport Specials opposition twice, although he did drop behind Lewis Ward at the start of race one. But Collingwood blasted around the outside of the Westfield into the Esses further around the first lap to retake his lead and never looked back.
Craig Pollard was one of several who arrived in Leicestershire having already been crowned champion. And completed his dominant season with a flourish, breaking the lap record alongside his two wins. Daniel Hands won the other encounter, as the large Vee field was split into three groups each racing twice.
John Village’s self-built machine completed the double winners with two Historic 750 Formula triumphs. An electrical problem and misfire thwarted chief rival Christian Pedersen in the opener and the Austin again faltered when leading race two.