| Round 18 - Loton Park 12th Sept 2009 |
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September in the Speed Championship is packed to the gills with events at some of the best venues in the country. Our boys and girls are competing at Brands Hatch, Loton Park, Shelsley Walsh and Prescott at this vital stage of the season when the criticality is to drop earlier low scoring rounds and replace them with new values in the high twenties. And we're enjoying an Indian summer again, which augurs well for close competition and more new record times. Our entry of 14 cars was made up of our most competitive championship contenders in both classes with the exception of Mr Firth who was taking a well earned rest to the relief of everyone else. Actually, his absence made little difference because it was clear from the start that Paul Edwards and Matt Oakley were equally determined to take home the win. Paul's first practice run of 60.47 was immediately followed by Matthew's 61.11 which on handicap terms was identical! I must also say that these two were not alone in the rarefied atmosphere at the top of the leaderboard; in Class A Stewart Lobley has strewn old records like confetti on the hedgerows of England as he has blitzed his way through the calendar and he was ready to it again at Loton. Lobley's first practice clocked 63.66, which on handicap was faster than both Paul and Matthew. Game on. Interestingly, our Class A entry list included sufficient punch to give all the others a run for their money. Geoff Stallard and Steve Dennis are class acts both more than capable to stealing the big prize lest the big guys blink. In Class B, Three Nuts Watson has had a blinding season and I could tell from the way he used every inch of the track, and not a few inches of the grass verge, that he was after decent points today. Pete immediately proved me right and was second quickest up the hill during P2 when he snuck in front of Purple Oakley. The S shaped cars were quicker up the hill too in P2 with Jaye Ridley and Paul Moakes both enjoying their day out. Both were faster, but Jaye was delighted with his 3 second improvement as he focused on a sub 70 second run when it counted later on. I must wax lyrical here just for a second. It seems like only yesterday that Pete Humphries broke into the 62s at Loton and we thought he was a driving god. When Paul Edwards put in 58.11 during practice I was quite stunned. Such a time would have been fast enough to take the Production Car record for Loton Park – faster than any of the exotic Japanese exotic 4WD cars that know the hill so well. Fast enough to have set a blistering new class record for the TVR Speed Champ, and fast enough to have taken the 25 points. Sadly though, he did it in practice so it doesn't count. When the official timed runs kicked off we knew that the existing records would soon just be lines in the old results database. Edwards' first attempt stopped the clock at 58.62; incredibly quick but reachable in handicap terms and Matt's 59.06 was good enough to take the lead by a whisker. Talking of whiskers, Pete Watson's 63.01 brought him up to the bumper as well. Stewart had reported a clonking from the rear of the Vixen at lunchtime and he had considered driving more steadily in the afternoon. That thought could not have lasted more than two tenths of a second because his first effort in T1 was faster than anything he'd done all day. Geoff Stallard was coming into the mix too but it was Simon Smith's beautifully presented 450 Chimp that was now making its way up the board. Jaye Ridley's 70.38 was frustratingly just outside his target 70 seconds but Paul Moakes put in a personal best of 69.32. Final run, warm day, hot tarmac and everything to play for. It cannot get any closer can it? Paul's final effort of 58.40 was heroic but Oakley's 59.06 was good enough to take the win by 0.11 on handicap. Third went to a very deserving Stewart Lobley who broke into new territory by whipping that Vixen up the hill in under 63 seconds. Stallard just pipped Steve Dennis and Pete Watson for fourth. Everybody had a brilliant day and I congratulate our new record holders on their superb achievements, but equally I congratulate Neil Hastle in the ex-Bannister Vixen, Nick Hawkes in the wife's Chimaera and Dave Wilkins in the Chimbanana for getting to grips with this very difficult hill and improving their times all day - no small achievement. Right, Shelsley next.. Steve Cox |
