BRSCC Brands Hatch GP Race Day 15th April 2006
FIA Lurani Trophy for historic Formula Junior Cars

The early start for the Formula Junior cars meant the scrutineering took place in the paddock, it was a cloudy, dry but dull morning.

Qualifying the 25 minute session got under way at 9.30am. Early front runners appeared to be Mike Hibberd Lotus 27, with Marcus Mussa looking very strong in the Brabham BT2, Robert Goodwin Lotus 22 was really going for it, also looking quick were Tony Goodwin in the Brabham BT6 and Alan Baillie in a Lotus 20/22.
James Hicks in the Caravelle 111 was top of the class D runners in seventh, closely followed by Martin Walford in the Rolt Elva 200 heading class C, Robin Longdon Lola Mk2 was pacesetter in class B.
The front runners looked quick right through the session, the track was very dirty in places with not very much grip. The really quick laps in the pole contest came right at the end of the session.
Mike Hibberd and Marcus Mussa  both set their fastest times on the fourteenth and final lap, as the track got more grip and a cleaner line began to appear.
Pole position went to Mike Hibberd Lotus 27 with a time of 1.43.897, Marcus Mussa Brabham BT2 second on 1.44.531, Robert Goodwin Lotus 22 third with 1.45.596.
James Hicks Caravelle 111 maintained his class best with a 1.48.
Martin Walford Elva 200 was best in Class C also with a 1.48.
Peter Jackson Cooper T56 was fairly romping round on his newly fitted drum brakes which oddly seemed to make the car better, and quicker !
Alistair Morrison Cooper T67 suffered a cracked rear chassis tube after nine laps.
Rudolf Ernst finally managed some dry laps in his Lotus 22, and said now for the first time he realised why he wanted to drive a Junior.
Thirty one cars recorded times in the qualifying session, most of the quicker runners managed 14 laps in the 25 minutes allowed.

Race one started just after the scheduled time of 1pm. Mike Hibberd made a poor start from pole and Marcus Mussa had his Brabham quickly into the lead. On the first lap Alan Baillie suffered a spin and collided with the Lola of Robin Longdon, both continued though the nose of Baillies Lotus was flattened and the car began to overheat, bringing him into the pits to remove the bodywork. On lap three the Lola of Longdon and the Rauschen Lotus 22 both came into the pit lane to retire after a collision.
Mussa's lead lasted a couple of laps then Mike Hibberd took his Lotus past to lead but only for a lap. Robert Goodwin then got his Lotus 22 to the front and held the lead until the eleventh lap when Mike Hibberd got his 27 back in front and gradually built up a slender lead of 3.8 secs at the end. Robert Goodwin 22 in turn opened a gap of about 3 secs. ahead of the third placed Marcus Mussa's BT2. In the second half of the race Van Gelder Lotus 20/22 and James Hicks Caravelle were engaged in a real tussle over fifth place. Andrew Hibberd was chasing hard after the Walford Elva which toward the end of the race developed a miss-fire this allowed the Lotus 22 to pass the charging Elva 200 into seventh. Tony Steele in his Lola Mk2 was heading the front engine class B runners.
At the chequered flag it was the Mike Hibberd Lotus 27 ahead of Robert Goodwins Lotus 22 with Marcus Mussa Brabham BT2 a very strong third, the first three all within seven seconds at the end. A lonely fourth was Tony Goodwin Brabham BT6, 42 seconds away.
Erwin Van Gelder 20/22. held off the James Hicks Caravelle to take fifth place, this perhaps the hardest contest in the race, Hicks sixth place ensured the class D win. Martin Walford Elva 200 took class C with eighth overall.
Tony Steele Lola Mk2 was fourteenth and winner of class B.
Class A went to the Volpini of Iain Rowley a lap ahead of the OSCA of Tony Pickering.

As the time for Race five approached it turned very cold and began to rain steadily.  These conditions dictated two green flag laps to let the drivers get to get some feel of the track.

Race five started about thirty minutes after the due time.
When the lights went out it was Mussa into the lead in his Brabham as the Hibberd Lotus suffered wheelspin off the line, this pattern at the front was to continue for the first four laps. Mike then got his 27 past the Mussa BT6 into the lead, at this same time the early third place runner Goodwin in his 22 went into the gravel at Druids to retire. From lap two the Van Gelder Lotus and the Hicks Caravelle were hard at it again and were indulging in some high speed side by side racing, lap after lap in very slippery conditions.
On lap six the safety car was out and all the cars bunched up but after a couple of laps the race was on again although lap times were 20+seconds slower than the dry times of race one.
Mike Hibberd gingerly worked his 27 into a slender lead compared with the 3 secs he was ahead when the safety car intervened.  Hicks now had the advantage over Van Gelder and on the tenth lap he passed Mussa's Brabham to put the Caravelle into second place. Goodwin had the BT6 into fourth spot ahead of Van Gelder 20/22, just behind them battle was again joined between Martin Walford's Elva and Andrew Hibberd's 22 who were disputing sixth place right until the final lap when Andrew passed Martin just before the finishing line.
The class B contest had Tony Steele's Lola Mk2 just ahead of the U2 Mk2 of David Stevenson with Duncan Rabagliati's Alexis not too far away third, all on the lead lap.
Peter Jackson was going well again, wet track notwithstanding, in the Cooper T56 staying on the lead lap, just ahead of the Lynx Type 3 of Martin Carter.
Mike Hibberd 27 held the lead to the flag, James Hicks Caravelle was a very deserving and close second and Marcus Mussa Brabham BT6 third.

In the wet conditions twenty one cars finished out of the twenty four that started the race, the first fourteen finishers all completed twelve laps, very creditable.

Combined Race Results

Winner overall and first in Class E            Michael Hibberd        Lotus 27
Second overall and in Class E                   Marcus Mussa           Brabham BT2
Third overall and first in Class D               James Hicks              Caravelle 111
Seventh overall and first in Class C          Martin Walford           Elva 200
Tenth overall and first in Class B              David Stevenson       U2 Mk2
Fourteenth overall and first in Class A     Iain Rowley                 Volpini

Fastest lap Mike Hibberd Lotus 27  1.43.642    91.10 mph (race one)

Stan Hibberd 19th April 2006