A Walk in The Park

Donington Park 30th April, for Front Engine Formula Juniors.

The first of the 2006 mini series of races for front Engined Formula Juniors, with further rounds at Donington again, in June and finally at Mallory Park in July.
This first race attracted 18 prospectors including the invited class Sauter of Tim Bishop straight from an event the previous weekend and hardly off its trailer between times.

We welcomed Graham Little, a Bugatti enthusiast, out for his first race in newly acquired
Elva ex John Tweedale,  keen to build his licence signatures in order to race Angouleme.
Graham had previously dabbled in FJ back in 1998 with a Cooper T52 but he didn’t get on with it very well but he kept the car stored until selling as part of his Bugatti deal.
Michael Waller bought the Cooper last year and after fitting original spec wheels, brakes and engine he in turn sold it to Andrew Taylor (he of FJ Britannia fame) as part of a deal to acquire a Cooper T56 Junior with South African period Grand Prix racing history.(exciting).
The T52 has now gone to Daniele Salodini in Italy and was out for the first time at Hockenheim .

Enough of the Cooper Cockpit Commentator’s musings on Cooper matters however and back to the important consideration of racing.

Qualifying conditions were good. The breeze was chilly, the sun remained obstinately hidden and the Donington constant slip factor had to be taken into account of course.
Elvas were the dominant make all with BMC engines, from Crispian Besley, Paul Smeeth, Bernard Brock,  Davis Watts, Rob Manger, Paul Dixon and aforementioned Graham Little.
Tony Steele, Clive Wilson & Paul Hewes accounted for the three Lolas all Ford powered as was Derek Walker’s Terrier. The ‘etceterni’ turned out two beautiful Italian masterpieces in the form of Ian Scott’s Volpini (his wire wheels are fabulous aren’t they) and the equally well presented Stanguellini of Gordon Wright. Dr Tony Goodwin had his Gemini in company with its antecedent Moorland from Bill Grimshaw, Michael Waller his BMC and David Stevenson brought out his U2 to round out the entry along with Tim Bishop’s Sauter.

Right from the outset Derek Walker was not holding back and put up a 1;26 to secure pole from Tony Steele who feathered his last lap, almost out of juice having covered 18 laps as did Crispian who positively tore round the track to make 3rd place. Alongside him was wily David Stevenson, who despite a detour visit to Redgate beach was barely 2 secs behind pole man Derek. Bill Grimshaw did sufficient in 12 laps to keep 5th place in front of Clive Wilson who steamed on for a full 17 and then it was Elvas all the way led by Paul Smeeth in spite of losing the major part of his exhaust early on, Bernard Brock, David Watts and Rob Manger.
Dr Tony put a wheel on the grass before the chicane and touched the barrier lightly on lap 3 before he had really got going and was thus 11th. Michael Waller drifted the BMC beautifully into 12th followed very closely by Tim Bishop. Paul Hewes also went to see Redgate beach but clearly didn’t like the look of it and bounced across the pebbles back out onto the track.
Ian Scott’s throttle pedal collapsed after 6 laps but he’d done enough for  15th  but  Paul Dixon was in even more dire straights when his engine blew spectacularly after 14 laps and left him with a huge hole in the timing side of the crankcase and various bits of ironmongery in the under-tray. Graham Little nursed his car for 11 laps with blowing head gasket and finally Gordon Wright stuttered round misfiring on 3 cylinders for most of his 10 laps and the race programme editor must have a crystal ball because his fine car was called a “Stagguelini”.

The BRSCC meeting had few but long duration races, thus the paddock was eerily quiet with relatively few competitors instead of the usual crush. Equally welcome was the invitation received from Top Hat to enjoy the excellent buffet in their marquee. A real ‘free lunch’ during which time your scribe accompanied Crispian to the Coys auction preview and a quick nip round the fantastic Wheatcroft collection of racing cars. Whilst we absented ourselves Ian Scott had tried unsuccessfully to find someone with welding gear in the paddock so had driven home to do it himself. Paul Smeeth had retrieved and re-fixed his errant exhaust system & cured an irksome minor oil weep. Graham Little fitted yet another new head gasket and retarded the ignition on advice from Tim Bishop. Gordon Wright changed every ignition component he could find but poor Paul Dixon’s engine was beyond salvation ‘though he gamely stayed on to encourage the others. Tim Bishop’s steering column bush had nipped up a tad so he stripped and eased it. Either that or it was off to the gym to tone up his biceps. Rob Manger was modestly pleased with his position and was asking advice on rev limits after his crew jokingly suggested that there was a “seat to steering wheel interface problem”. Dr Tony gave his Gemini suspension a clean bill of health.

The race began a trifle later than planned but was certainly worth waiting for.
A tiger start by Derek saw him sharply first away followed by Tony Steele, Crispian Besley, Bill Grimshaw, Clive Wilson and Paul Smeeth. From then on Derek just motored off to an unassailable and ever growing lead, a real exhibition drive. David Stevenson made an uncharacteristic slow start and was passed by most of the pack whilst he sorted himself out although Michael Waller didn’t find a way around before David began to recover his lost places. However the battle was well & truly on for 2nd place and Crispian had made it by the start of lap 2 just about when Paul Hewes decided that he did, after all, like Redgate beach. Bill hung onto 4th and it stayed status quo at the front for a couple of laps whilst the tractor crew galloped out and dragged Paul’s stranded car away.
Tony Goodwin had been allowed to start despite having completed only 2 qualifying laps. Maybe the clerk of the course realised that Tony’s vast years of experience was sufficient ‘practice’. Tony took full advantage and was past Bill and into 4th after only 4 or 5 laps at much the same time when Tony Steele who was tucked up behind Crispian made his move and reclaimed 2nd place. Clive Wilson retired with gear selection problems after climbing up to 4th by lap 5 but Tony Goodwin continued to move up relentlessly. Crispian’s heroic efforts trading places with Tony Steele ended when his tyres went off, he spun at the Old Hairpin and dropped back. Lap 14 was a disaster as Bill Grimshaw’s almost certain top 5 place evaporated when he parked up next to Paul Hewes along with Ian Scott, both of them with fuel  problems  (Not enough !!! -it was a long race). Then on the same lap Tim Bishop’s wailing “Deek” engine melted its centre piston, bits of which blew out of the exhaust and he stopped just after the pit exit lane. That was a real shame because he and Michael Waller had been regularly swapping places up to then.

So, at the flag after 30 mins furious neck-n-neck racing over 20 laps it was Derek by a huge margin from Tony Goodwin, then Tony Steele, Crispian and Paul Smeeth to complete the top 5 places. David Stevenson came in at 6th followed by Bernard Brock who coasted over the line completely out of fuel, perfectly timed. David Watts, Rob Manger and Michael Waller finished in that order ahead of Graham Little and the still staggering Gordon Wright.

A great race to start off this mini series and here’s looking forward to the next one.

Peter Jackson, the Cooper Cockpit Correspondent.

(if  Coopers had made a front engine Junior I’d love to have one. Perhaps I can ‘discover’ the never completed secret prototype that nobody still alive ever knew about !!!!)

Ed – The answer is the “Cooper” Rayberg-BMC…..And the Nike Mk 1…….