32 SEPTEMBER 28 2011 motorsport-news.co.uk

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SPORTING SCENE ROUND-UP

IN BRIEF

Electrics turned off Westfield’s new electric car was unable to run at Loton Park last weekend due to commitments to the EV Cup. “We are really gutted we could not run at Loton,” said former British Sprint champion Nick Algar, who was set to drive the machine at Loton. “We knew there would be a chance that the car was needed for the EV Cup, but we will try to get it out at another hill soon.”

Dawson goes uphill Former sprint champion Roy Dawson will compete in selected hillclimb events next year. Dawson, who will pilot his old DJ Firehawk, will be doing Northern and Scottish hillclimb events as well as Scottish sprints.

Rallycross goes retro There will be a rallycross track day at Lydden on October 16 for the Rallycross Retro initiative. Those with cars suitable for the class, which will cater for classic and historics, are welcome to attend the day. Drivers will get to try the circuit in a non-competitive environment. Ameeting will take place during the day giving the drivers interested in taking part in 2012, the chance to have an input in the planned series.

Welsh juniors will be able to tackle eight-round series

Photos: Duncan Wild

SERIES WANTS YOUNGSTERS Juniors to get their own multi-discipline competition

Godfrey heads to Europe for 2012 Julian Godfrey is laying plans to tackle a season of European championship events with his Super1600 Fiesta in 2012 after recently securing the MSABritish Rallycross Championship. Godfrey has already raced in the Super1600 category this year, winning in Belgian round of the ERCatMaasmechelen. He says his Ford Fiesta is now fully competitive. He hopes to extend his programme in 2012. “The running cost [in Super1600] is muchmoremanageable so it’s an ideal way for me to race in Europe and possibly expand my business,” said Godfrey.

By James Bass A new motorsport initiative aimed at young drivers will be introduced in Wales next year in order to help bring more juniors into the sport.

The All-Rounder Junior Challenge will be run by the Welsh Association of Motor Clubs in conjunction with the GoMotorsport scheme, which is aimed at opening up the sport to the public.

The junior challenge is aimed at drivers aged between 16 and 21. It is the first all-rounder initiative aimed at young drivers to be run in Wales.

The series will consist of eight rounds comprising autotests, sprints, hillclimbs and road rallies. There will be two of each on the calendar. Drivers will be able to use any normal road going car and will only require a helmet and race overalls to take part. This is aimed at keeping the series costeffective.

“It has been a tough couple of years for the sport and we now need to work hard to get young drivers competing,” said Paul Loveridge, chairman of the Welsh Association of Motor Clubs and creator of the series. “I wanted a cost-effective way to get youngsters competing so by using road going cars we are opening it up to a huge market.

“There are a variety of challenges on offer for the drivers, with each class offering something different. If we can get this off the ground then there is huge potential in the future elsewhere in the UK.” GoMotorsport is working with Loveridge to create the series, and will be helping to promote the championship next year. “The disciplines we are offering do not require specialist machinery which opens up the market to a lot more competitors,” said Ryland James, the GoMotorsport regional development officer. “It is a great idea to help promote grassroots motorsport and we hope we can get some momentum in the next few months.”

The championship is planned to start next March.

“I hope to continue with the Supercar in the British championship too, so I’m working out all the details now.”

New rules mean drag strips are shorter... All four rounds of next year’s FIA European Drag Racing Championship will run to a shorter distance for the Top Fuel class following a recent ruling by the FIA.

Currently two of the four events, Santa Pod in Northampton and the Hockenheimring in Germany, have traditional quarter mile strips. The other rounds in Sweden and Finland feature 1000ft strips, 320ft shorter than the British venue.

From next year drivers in Top Fuel will all compete on 1000ft strips in order to avoid confusion for spectators and to bring more consistency into the championship. “It’s not acceptable for the championship to be inconsistent,” said promoter Keith Bartlett. “Most of the teams in Top Fuel in Europe buy their engines and parts from the US, where all the tune ups are based on 1000ft. It makes sense to switch.”

Bradbury plans an improved BriSCA F2 shale assault next year

BriSCA F2 ace Chris Bradbury will build a new shale car over the winter in order to boost his challenge for the National Points title next year. Bradbury, who has been a top contender for the crown this year, narrowly missed out on the top spot after a season-long battle with Gordon Moodie. Bradbury has garnered a reputation as a rising star in stock car racing and reckons that his new car could help him challenge for the title next year.

“I have done well in the car this year but there are a lot of improvements I can make,” said Bradbury.

“The handling could be sharper and the frame itself could be better so these are things I will be working on over the winter months.”

Hansen cautious with developments on new rallycross Citroën

Multiple European Rallycross champion Kenneth Hansen will continue the development of his Citroën DS3 Supercar by racing in the final round of the ERC this weekend at Sosnova in the Czech Republic. Hansen was third in the Swedish round of the championship on the car’s debut in July but has not raced it since. “We’ve done some testing with the car and worked on areas that we thought needed development after the Swedish race,” said Hansen. “Doing an event in the car now is a bit risky because we don’t really have enough spares. It’s okay for me because I’m just using the event as a test session, but it wouldn’t be fair

Kenneth Hansen wants to build up the pace of the DS3 gradually to ask [regular team drivers] Liam Doran or Timur Timerzyanov to race it when they are chasing championship points.” Hansen expects his team to make the switch from the Citroën C4 to the DS3 in time for the start of next year’s European Rallycross Championship in which he expects to field two of the new cars.

Binks to use Euro run to boost British pace

British Rallycross Championship contender David Binks will race in this weekend’s European championship finale in the Czech Republic.

Binks’ sponsor has added the Czech event in place of the axed British championship round at Mallory Park. “We wanted a run before the BRC finale at Croft,” said Binks. “I haven’t been to the Czech track before but team boss Andreas Eriksson says that the Fiesta goes well there.”

Binks’ move to the OMSE team last month is aimed at preparing the Geordie for a move to the European championship. The outline plan is for a full campaign in the UK in 2012 combined with selected European outings.

Sprint winner Algar set on a hill switch

Former British Sprint champion Nick Algar says he will compete in selected British hillclimbs next year. Algar, who clinched the 2010 British Sprint crown, will be acquiring a new car over the winter months. The Northumberland-based driver says an outing at Harewood could be a possibility.

“I have enjoyed hillclimbs but don’t want to contest a full championship,” said Algar. “Being able to choose events suits me. I have plans to buy an interesting car, one that has not been seen on hills before, so that could make things exciting. Harewood will be a definite climb to do on my list, but it all depends on what I can manage.”

BRITISH

MSA British Hillclimb Championship:Loton Park By Eddie Walder

SOrganiser: Hagley & District Light Car Club When: September 24/25 Where: Loton Park, Shropshire Championship: Nicholson McLaren MSA British Hillclimb Championship Starters: 146

cott Moran set the only outright hill record of the year at Loton Park last weekend at an event where bad weather made the less powerful machines very competitive. As the morning qualification runs took place in variable wet conditions Scott Moran took an early decision not to run so that he would not get in the way of the competition for second overall between his father and Trevor Willis. This proved unnecessary: Willis pushed too hard in his qualifier with two visits to the grassy margins, failing to make the first shoot-out. Moran Sr took full advantage as the track began to dry a little and stormed to the best wet time of the day for ten points that just about sealed his second place in the 2011 points. As the track dried in the afternoon 2011 champion Scott Moran qualified for the last run-off of the year with the best time of the day. That meant hewould run last so he put in his best effort of the year

NATIONAL HOTRODS

Kew overhauls Polley for a final triumph National Hot Rods: Ipswich By Graham Brown

Organiser: Spedeworth When: September 24 Where: Foxhall International Raceway, Ipswich Championship: National Hot Rod World Series Starters: 33

There were only two winners from the four races in Ipswich last weekend with Jason Kew and Phil Spinks taking the spoils. Colin Smith had taken a heat win but was stripped of victory after failing a post-race weight check. Kew started on the front row in heat one where hewas able to relieve Ralph Sanders of his early lead and go on to take victory by half a lap.

In the second heat Smith built a huge lead in his BMWZ4before being brought up short by a yellow flag period. This was thrown as a result of Gavin Taber, Dick Hillard and Jack Blood having a coming together. Smith took upwhere he left off at the restart to take the victory. Heat three proved much harder work for the BMW pilot. He had to pass Sanders and also hold off Spinks, and survive another caution for an incident involving Mark Paffey and Carl Waller-Barrett. Spinks nearly got the jump on the restart too, although he couldn’t actually make it past. But he was to be the chief beneficiary of Smith’s problems in the scrutineering bay, when his exclusion twice promoted Spinks.

The final always looked like it might be aKewvs Spinks showdown, but that reckoned without the intervention of a couple of others, notably Polley, who leapt into the lead. Polley built a huge lead and seemed in command. However, that all changed once Kew, Terry Hunn and Spinks all found away through shortly before Sanders retirement. With Kewnowonacharge and Polley encountering backmarkers, the gap came down fast, Kew took the lead on the back stretch. Hunn also overtook Polley. Results Heat one: 1 Jason Kew (Vauxhall Tigra); 2 Ralph Sanders (Vauxhall Tigra); 3 Jack Blood (Vauxhall Tigra); 4 Terry Hunn (Vauxhall Tigra); 5 James O’Shea (Peugeot 206cc); 6 Dick Hillard (Vauxhall Tigra); 7 Matt Simpson (Vauxhall Tigra); 8 Carl Waller-Barrett (Peugeot 206cc). Heat two: 1 Phil Spinks (Vauxhall Tigra); 2 David Polley (Vauxhall Tigra); 3 Kym Weaver (Vauxhall Tigra); 4 Willie Hardie (Vauxhall Tigra); 5 Chris Haird (Vauxhall Tigra); 6 Mark Paffey (Vauxhall Tigra); 7 Colin Gomm (Peugeot 206); 8 Gavin Murray (Vauxhall Tigra). Heat three: 1 Spinks; 2 Kew; 3 Weaver; 4 Scott Bourne (Peugeot 206cc); 5 Haird; 6 Simpson; 7 Sanders; 8 Lee Pepper (Peugeot 206). Final: 1 Kew; 2 T Hunn; 3 Spinks; 4 Polley; 5 Gavin Taber (Vauxhall Tigra); 6 Hardie; 7 Simpson; 8 Murray; 9 Malcolm Blackman (Peugeot 206cc); 10 Weaver. Classified advertising: 0208 267 5355

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HILLCLIMB REPORT

Photos: Eddie Walder, LAT,

SON STEPS ASIDE TO HELP DAD MORAN TO A WIN

RESULTS Round 33: 1 Roger Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61X) 55.31s; 2 Alex Summers

(1.4t DJ-Suzuki Firehawk) 56.18s; 3 Lee Adams (1.6 GWR-Suzuki Raptor) 56.86s; 4 Jos Goodyear (1.6 DJ-Suzuki Firehawk) 56.93s; 5 Wallace Menzies (3.2 DJ-Cosworth Firestorm) 57.48s; 6 Richard Spedding (1.6 Force-Suzuki PC) 57.56s; 7 Steve Owen (1.6 OMS-Suzuki 25) 58.11s; 8 Deryk Young (4.0 GouldJudd EV GR51b) 58.35s; 9 John Bradburn (3.5 Gould-Cosworth HB GR55) 59.20s; 10 Tom New (3.5 Gould-Judd GR55) 60.83s; 11 Tim Wilson (1.6 OMS

Suzuki 25) 59.50s; 12 Rob Turnbull (3.5 Gould-Cosworth HB GR55) 59.78s. Round 34: 1 Scott Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61X) 44.32s Fastest Time of the Day and new outright hill record; 2 Roger Moran 45.47s; 3 Trevor Willis (3.2 OMS-Powertec 25) 45.65s; 4 Adams 45.87s; 5 New 45.96s; 6 Goodyear 46.83s; 7 Bradburn 46.50s; 8 Menzies 46.70s; 9 Alastair Crawford (2.8 Gould-NME GR55) 46.80s; 10 Oliver Tomlin (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd KV MP97) 47.38s; 11 Summers 47.58s; 12 Morgan Jenkins (2.0 Pilbeam-Vauxhall XE MP87) 47.78s.

A win was enough for Roger Moran to seal runners-up spot to blitz his long-standing hill course record. With the top four in the standings not changing places, the main action was in the mid-table and for last place.

TomNewand1600 charger Lee Adams had recently put in supreme efforts but New’s previous Loton hoodoo struck as Adams took advantage in the wet morning and overtook the Gould driver to finish fifth overall by a solitary point.

In the next paddock space to

New the Wallace Menzies’ DJ crew were gloomy as he failed to sustain his recent charge and could not quite reach Willis’s total and will need to renew efforts in 2012. At the blunt end of the top ten the Yorkshire driver Richard Spedding overtook Eynon Price for stand-alone tenth. It seemed a fair exchange of places as his driving style is almost as daring as Price’s and the Welshman was there to see it happen with his eyes onMX-5 circuit racing for

2012 having sold his hillclimb car to Mercedes F1 engineer James Williams. With wet weather daring on the agenda Jos Goodyear took a fourth then a dry sixth in the third DJ to feature in the shoot-outs. He is planning to move on to a new GWRRaptor-Extreme in 2012 and hewill be looking to grab a number. University undergraduate Alex Summers again proved it is all or nothing for himwith another great wet performance for second in the first shoot-out. But while qualifying later he failed to score but stands out as another great new talent gaining 33 points for the season from only five run-off appearances.

The only other record of the day went to Rob Stevens in his unusual Force SR4 centre-seat sports car with a supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa engine. His maximumclass points and bonus for the record handed him the Midland Hillclimb Championship for the year.

Photo: Ivan Sansom

Ellis made it to the final to pick up the British Pro Modified spoils

Ellis takes the title despite difficult weekend

Graham Ellis clinched this year’s MSA British Pro Modified Championship after winning the final round at Santa Pod last weekend.

Roger Moore looked set to take the win at the Northampton venue when he picked up low qualifying points with a 6.742s/205mph pass, which would stand for class low ET of the weekend. A loss to Wayne Nicholson in the semi finals would end his charge though.

Although Ellis was struggling to put in a full pass during the meeting, victories over Frenchman Jean Dulamon and Nick Davies put him in his second final of the season and a tyre shaking 7.592s was enough to defeat Nicholson’s supercharged Corvette and earn a first Pro Modified championship for Ellis.

“It’s a great feeling to win and although the weekend was tough we knew if we could get the set-up right we had a shot,” said Ellis.

ROUND-UP

Stephen Ferguson completed his BTRDA Autotest season with another win in Wrexham but it was Alastair Moffatt who took the BTRDA Gold Star Championship by one point from Simon Echlin after a season-long battle. Malcolm Livingston put on the drive of the day as he used all his skill in the slippery conditions to build the basis of an excellent third place.

Dave Rance won his first MSA Sporting Trial of the year on the Warco Trial, finishing just a single point ahead of British championship leader Ian Bell. On a close scoring day, reigning champion Ian Wright finished just two points behind. Tom Bricknell, who had won his last four trials since an engine rebuild, was fourth just ahead of fellow Cornish driver Roland Uglow.

Andy Smith barged his way to his 105th BriSCA F1 final win at Belle Vue last weekend with a typically determined drive. “I had trouble catching [long time race leader] Rob Tunnah, he was going really well but I am pleased to have won what could

RESULTS

BriSCA F2: Cowdenbeath Racewall 1 Gordon Moodie; 2 George MacMillan Jnr; 3 Alan Kirkaldy; 4 Garry Sime; 5 Robbie Dawson ; 6 Marc Fortune; 7 Gregor Turner; 8 Derek Ashcroft; 9 Paul Reid; 10 Tam Meikle. BriSCA F2: Crimond Raceway 1 Gordon Moodie; 2 Graham Kelly; 3 Jason McDonald; 4 Stuart Kelly; 5 Robbie Dawson; 6 Kevin Bruce; 7 Matt McPherson; 8 Roy Anderson; 9 Kevin Michie; 10 Ron Hobson. BriSCA F1: Belle Vue 1 Andy Smith; 2 Tom Harris; 3 Murray Harrison; 4 Neil Shenton; 5 John Lund; 6 Michael Scriven; 7 Dan Johnson; 8 Joe Booth; 9 Dave Russo; 10 Chris Clare. BTRDA Autotest: Demon Tweeks, Wrexham 1 Stephen Ferguson (Mini Special) 732.5; 2 Alastair Moffatt (Mini Special) 742.3; 3 Malcolm Livingston be my last final win at my home track,” said Smith, who recently announced his plans to retire. Tunnah crashed out from second in the closing laps. Gordon Moodie once again dominated the BriSCA F2 meeting at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on a dry and fast track. He made it three wins in a row and during the final he

SEPTEMBER 28 2011 33

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“The Czech Republic

“The Czech Republic should suit me” Binks’s Euro plan, below

Indycar on show at Prescott’s classic A rare 1990 Penske Indycar will tackle the Prescott Hillclimb this weekend as part of the venue’s Autumn Classic event.

The PC-19 machine, which was used by Emerson Fittipaldi as a back-up car, will be one of the highlights of the Bugatti Owners’ Club’s annual celebration meeting on Saturday and Sunday.

The venue’s general manager Ian Patton said that he thought the American single-seater would attract spectators to the meeting. “It will be great,” he said. “We always try and do something special for the crowd and the guy that brings them [the cars] here are really professional and understand what the crowds are after.

“Unlike Silverstone we’re not really geared up for highpowered cars like F1 or Indy cars but it really delights the crowd.

“Watching it pull away from the start is incredible and it will create a great show.”

For more information go to prescott-hillclimb.com or call 01242 673136.

D . I . Y . Y .

D.I.Y HOWTO COMPETE ONTHE CHEAP...

THISWEEK:

MARSHALS

Marshals are the unsung heroes of motorsport and are integral to events in all classes of the sport, from grassroots right through to Formula One.While they often have the best seat in the house, just metres away from the action, their importance should never be underestimated.British Motorsport Marshals Club chairman,Chris Hobson, explains how to get involved.

What domarshals do? Hobson says: “Marshals are volunteers who have a passion for motorsport and want to get involved without competing themselves. They help run events by helping out with things such as timing, scrutineering and act as safety officials. All forms of motorsport need marshals. They are an essential part of the sport.”

Penske’s PC-19:Uphill outing

(Lindsay Special) 761.5; 4 Simon Echlin (Caterham 7) 766.8; 5 David Thompson (Nova) 768.8; 6 Richard Pinkney (Caterham 7) 768.9; 7 David Mosey (Mini) 770.5; 8 M King (Nova) 773.7; 9 David Evans (Blitz) 779.4; 10 Ian Chapman (Striker) 788.3. MSA Car Trial: Warco Trial, Peterborough 1 David Rance/Andy Gowen (Crossle) 13; 2 Ian Bell/ Russell Sharp (Hamilton) 14; 3 Ian Wright/Jess Fack (Sherpa Indy) 16; 4 Thomas Bricknell/Sara Dyer (Crossle) 19; 5 Roland Uglow/ Laura Wilks (Crossle) 20; 6 Peter Fensom/ Liz Fensom (Crossle) 25; 7 Julian Fack/ Meg Marrion (X-Factor) 31; 8 John Fack/ Maxine Fack (MSR) 33; 9 Andy Wilks/ Mark Smith (RCAP) 34; 10 Simon Kingsley/Jo Edwards (Crossle) 48; 11 Richard Robarts/ Beth Carroll (RB7) 53; 12 Richard Waterhouse/Steve Speck (Sherpa Indy) 59; 13 Andrew Bell/Amelia Bell (Crossle) 60; 14 Tom Stevenson/ Elizabeth Stevenson (Kincraft) 67; 15 George Watson/ Victoria Watson (CAP) 71.

led home George MacMillan Jr and Alan Kirkaldy. Moodie maintained his recent form by winning both the heats at Crimond Raceway on Sunday. Jason McDonald and Matt McPherson diced early on during the final but lost out as Moodie charged through to pick up his second hat trick of wins in a couple of days.

Howcan I get involved? “Firstly you need to find an organising club, such as the British Automobile Racing Club, British Racing Drivers’ Club, rally clubs and local motor clubs. You need to approach someone at the club and just volunteer yourself and then the club will help get the ball rolling. The easiest way is to do an experience day, a try-before-you-buy type day. You specify where you would like to go and when and then the club can help organise it. You can do track marshalling, paddock marshalling or pit marshalling to name but a few, and choose from a whole load of different categories.”

What about training? “If you want to learn to marshal during the season then you can train on the job, at an event, shadowing someone. If you want to start off in the off season then the MSA coordinate a series of training days which are linked to the MSA’s Marshall Grading Scheme. You will start as a trainee, learn some basic flagging skills, and then after ten days of experience you will be an official marshal. The rally training is obviously slightly different and will focus more on timing and working at time controls.”

Whyshould people do it? “It’s the best and cheapest way to get involved in motorsport. You don’t get paid but you get to see some great motorsport.”

Where can I find info? Marshals.co.uk will provide all the information you need, including a starter manual. Otherwise contact your local motor club.