AMOC St John Horsfall Meeting Silverstone 29-06-2003 

Silverstone greeted the Formula Junior contestants with a perfect sunny day, qualifying practice got under way at 11.30am, 27 cars recorded times for Grid positions, Edwin Jowsey in his Lotus 22 set the pace with a lap of 1.07.930, Mike Hibberd also in a Lotus 22 was close behind on 1.08,251, Mark Woodhouse in his Lotus 20/22 also close with 1.08.782. followed by Steve Smith in the Cooper T59, next up was Reg Hargrave feeling his way on his first outing with the ex Hulme Brabham BT6 posted a respectable 1.11.269, Ned Spieker visiting from the USA had his Lotus 22 In seventh, Derek Walker in the Terrier Mk4 was fastest of the front engined cars was eighth quickest ninth Andrew Hibberd Lotus 20, Kevin Musson was fastest In FJ1 class fn his Lotus 18, on lap 7 Edwin Jowsey suffered an anti-roll bar failure which put him off into the gravel trap, Doug Martin in his newly acquired (from the US) Elva 200 pulled off after 11 laps with a serious oil leak.A long pause to watch the qualifying for the European GP and for the cars to be fettled saw Edwins Lotus 22 having his anti-roll tar fixed. Martin's Elva was being loaded onto it’s transporter ready for home, plenty to see and chat about.

Race time was 4.34 pm and from the start Edwin Jowsey had his Lotus 22 firmly in front, he set a very fast pace and Mike Hibberd In his 22 and Mark Woodhouse in his 20/22 wore working very hard to stay in touch, the Hibberd Lotus lost ground at about half a second a lap with Woodhouse and Smith in third and fourth closed up slightly and then held station for the rest of the race, Reg Hargrave was running sensibly in the BT6 in fifth. Derek Walker had the Terrier in seventh while the next four places were being fiercely contested by the Lotus's of Ryan, Spieker, Andrew Hibberd and Westmoreland, as the race progressed there was much swapping and changing of position by these four, close also was  Musson Lotus18, ahead of Stevenson Mallock and Waller Kieft, as the race ran its course the four leading cars kept up a punishing pace Edwin Jowsey's relentless progress in his 22 getting him 13secs a head of Mike Hibberd's similar car at the flag, close in third was the Woodhouse 20/22, Smith's T59 also a similar distance behind in fourth, Reg Hargrave drove a steady race Into fifth in the BT6, Smeeth in his Lotus 22 made up the top six, Derek Walker a very smooth drive to seventh and first of the front englned runners, the four dicing Lotus's of Ryan. Spieker, Hibberd and Westmoreland resolved their contest in that order, very good to watch. Musson twelth and class winner in the Lotus 18, followed still by Stevenson and Walker at the end, Peter Jackson seemed to be enjoying himself throughout, heading for a race finish after recent disappointments in his Cooper T56, a very good event after a lull In the UK championship, on a perfect day with Silverstone at its best.

Stan Hibberd 30-6-2003