FIA Lurani Trophy Oldtimers GP Nurburgring 6/8-8-2004

Thursday afternoon the 5-8-2004 saw the Formula Junior teams arriving in the Nurburgring paddock, setting up camp and getting the cars scrutineered ready for Friday qualifying. This was to be an important session as the race was over subscribed, so it looked as if some of the drivers would not make it into the race.  Forty eight cars were entered with forty only allowed to race.

From the start of Friday Qualifying/Practice it was easy to pick out the front runners, Lurani points leader Denis Welch in his Merlyn 2.04.200 looking as if he intended to maintain that position, almost matching him through the session was Urs Eberhardt Lotus 27 with 2.04.248, also close in third Michael Schryver Lotus 22 2.04.864, Mark Woodhouse Lotus 20 was next with 2.06.528, fifth Bruno Schaffner Lotus 20 on 2.06.607, sixth Mike Hibberd Lotus 27 with 2.06.853.

Quickest of the front engined FJ1H runners was Heinz Stege Elva 100 who recorded 2.17.682, Tony Goodwin Gemini Mk11 was close with 2.17.937, Tony Steele Lola Mk 11 was nearly a second away in third.

Martin Borch-Christensen Lotus 18 was pacesetter for the FJ1H runners on 2.18.930, Peter Knofel Emeryson Ford was second in this class with a 2.21 Kevin Musson Lotus 18 third on 2.24.318.

The weather during the session had been ideal fine and warm not much breeze, as the afternoon progressed the clouds came, the first of our regular afternoon thunder storms got under way with a real deluge this afternoon ritual was to continue through the weekend.

Race One formed up on the grid in perfect conditions, Geoff Williams Lotus 20/22 came straight from the assembly area into the pits, this looked like cooling problems and he eventually started from the pit lane.
Before the formation lap two presentations took place on the podium before our cars were flagged away, this caused some anxiety in the pit lane about whether the cars would all start, when the time came, they all did and the cars streamed past in good order in no time at all they were formed up on the grid proper, pretty promptly the flag went down to signal the drag race to the first corner, it looked pretty hairy but it's hard to see very much from the pit garages.
Leader at the end of lap one was Denis Welch Merlyn with Urs Eberhardt Lotus 27 and Michael Schryver Lotus 22 challenging hard every inch of the way on every lap, Mark Woodhouse Lotus 20/22 was in touch with the leading trio but not able to close with them, these four though were providing a slipstreaming spectacle so typical of the best FJ racing, Martin Walford Lotus 22 was chasing hard after Woodhouse but not making an early impression.
This pattern continued through the first ten laps when everthing seemed to happen at once, down the hill into the chicane behind the paddock Urs Eberhardt used all the straight line speed of the Lotus 27 to pass the Welch Merlyn setting the fastest lap of the race in the process, Mark Woodhouse 20/22 lost fourth spot in his dice with Martin Walford's 22, then just as it looked as if Urs had done enough Denis Welch passed him on the final corner to win.  The atmosphere in the pit lane was electric, the large crowd in the grandstands had seen a feast of FJ racing at it's very best, sixth amidst all this excitement was Dr Giampaolo Benidini in his Branca.
Tony Steele Lola Mk 11 was the FJ1V winner one lap behind the leaders, Tony Goodwin some ten seconds further back was second in class in his Gemini Mk11, Heinz Stege Elva 100 was third in class.
Martin Borch-Christensen Lotus 18 was first in class FJ1H some 25 seconds ahead of Kevin Musson also in a Lotus 18, third in class was the Emeryson of Peter Knofel.

Saturday afternoon saw a lot of activity in the paddock, drivers were changing ratios, lots of fettling of engines, chassis set-ups were being checked anything that could find the extra second was being tried.  All this against the back-cloth of the regular afternoon thunder, lightening and downpour.

Race Two was an 8am start for the forty one Formula Juniors on the full grid.

From the start it looked like a repeat of race one, as the cars stormed into the first corner at the end of the pit straight Denis Welch was leading only to spin away this advantage on cold tyres, this allowed Eberhardt in the Lotus 27 to take up the lead which was vigorously contested by Schryver in the 22, Woodhouse  and Shaffner in 20/22s with Walford in his 22. These four began to swop places all around the circuit first one in the lead then another would get the advantage, Eberhardt lost position with a spin, the lead was taken up by Schryver who was under great pressure from Woodhouse,in this high speed dice the leading four were locked together for lap after lap, recovering rapidly was the Welch Merlyn carving his way back toward the leaders, as the final lap began Welch was right up with the leading pack, and Schryver 22 held a tenuous lead over Woodhouse in the 20/22, all this changed during the last lap as the Merlyn powered past first fourth place man Walford and then Woodhouse and Schryver into the lead, as Denis Welch's Merlyn crossed the line to take victory with his arms raised high in triumph all the pit lane watchers could find to say was how on earth did he do that, partly we suppose it was his relentless drive through the field to get back on terms with the leaders, helped by the fastest lap of the race, what more could anyone ask. Both Walford and Woodhouse suffered spins on the final lap while contesting corners with the Merlyn, it was a very tough race at the front !!
So Denis Welch driving his Merlyn 5/7 maintained his overall race winning run in this years Lurani series, second was Michael Schryver Lotus 22, third Bruno Schaffner Lotus 20/22, fourth Mark Woodhouse Lotus 20/22, fifth Dr Giampaolo Benedini in his Branca.
A very creditable eighteenth overall and first in class FJ1V was Heinz Stege in his Elva 100, he completed full race distance of 11 laps as did Peter Knofel to take the honours in Class FJ1H, Tony Steele Lola Mk11 completed the distance for second in class FJ1V, one lap adrift at the end were Martin Borch-Christensen and Kevin Musson both in Lotus 18s  second and third in class FJ1H respectively, Martin Carter Elva 100 also completed ten laps to take third in class FJ1V.

Aggregate Results.
Overall winner and first in class FJ2…….. Denis Welch Merlyn MK5/7
First in class FJ1V………………………….Tony Steele Lola Mk 11
First inFJ1H …………………………………Peter Knofel Emeryson Ford.

Having written this report I am a little nervous that what I have written above, couldn't possibly do justice to the  Formula Junior races I was lucky enough to see, at the Nurburgring last weekend.  The standard of driving and preparation of the cars, Denis Welch's epic drives in both races, Michael Schryvers consistency, Mark Woodhouse driving out of his skin as they say these days, Urs Eberhardt as quick as ever.  Finally on a personal satisfaction note, my Grandson Andrew improved his lap time over last year at the Nurburgring and was eleventh on aggregate in such company …………………Great Historic Formula Junior racing.

Stan Hibberd 11-8-2004