DONINGTON PARK, 30TH MARCH 2008
Round 3 of the HSCC-Millers Oils FJHRA Championship

Only the end of March, we are at Round 3 of the Championship already and hugely oversubscribed, with 10 reserves shown on the entry list. Amazing.

Donington’s infamous track surface was at its malevolent worst for qualifying and Formula Junior being the first out found the 16 min session treacherously slimy.
This played no small part in producing a somewhat topsy-turvy grid as almost all drivers struggled to find grip and there were a number of lurid spins resulting as 38 cars attempted to put in a clear lap.
Reserves Robin Longdon, Michael Hibberd and Chris Drake withdrew before the event but the remaining reserves all persevered although Simon Diffey made an early exit with his Lotus 20 after 3 laps.
In fact it was reserve Ben Simms driving Stuart Rolt’s Cooper T59 who came out on top, an astonishing 2 secs clear of Edwin Jowsey’s Lotus 22. Then Simon Armer, Cooper T59 was neck & neck with Mark Woodhouse’s Lotus 20/22 followed by Simon Diffey equally close with Jon Milicevic’s Lotus 18, completing row 3.
Crispian Besley, Elva 100 and Derek Walker, Terrier at 8th & 10th respectively were well ahead of DCPR’s Alexis in 15th whilst other front engine cars of Tony Goodwin and Sir John Chisholm, both in Gemini 2s, were languishing in 19th & 23rd place.
It was good to see David Bain out in his Elva 200 again following a couple of seasons absence and also David Hall’s repaired BMC Mk2, after his recent Mallory prang.

The race, scheduled for 13.30 and the capacity 32 drivers, plus reserves Roger Dexter Elva DKW 100, Andrew Hibberd Lotus 22, David Bain Elva 200 and Simon Diffey Lotus 20 were called up in plenty of time, basking in the now gloriously warm sunshine on the modern Melbourne Loop which serves as the assembly area on club racing days. However, despite this lengthy preparation, the cars were not correctly pre positioned and as the cars formed up on the grid proper and the reserves were ushered into the pit lane, it was clear that there was considerable disorder in the ranks as some of them struggled without success to make their own way amongst each other to their correct place. It was a shambles with cars wandering all over the place and somehow the right hand side of the track seemed over populated eventually, leaving empty places on the left.
Not withstanding, the red lights extinguished and Edwin Jowsey made a blinding start from pole. He had been elevated to this position on account of Ben Simms being a reserve and thus denied another chance of a head to head with Edwin. Simon Armer also made a great start hotly pursued by Mark Woodhouse and James Claridge in ace engine man Geoff Richardson’s ex Piko Troberg Lola 5A.
They had hardly gone a few yards when a huge cloud of tyre smoke erupted midfield and Paul Smeeth’s Lotus 22 speared to the left, where it struck Tim Bishop’s Sauter and Duncan’s Alexis before heading back across the track to the right where John Chisholm became airborne. There followed complete chaos involving some six cars and leaving several momentarily stranded including DCPR who was left facing the wrong way, but mercifully the rest of the pack avoided them.
Paul Smeeth’s damaged Lotus remained against the wall, but John Chisholm extricated his damaged Gemini and got under way after a lengthy delay but retired immediately. Independently Derek Walker had broken his transmission on the start and pushed his undamaged Terrier off the track and DCPR finally managed to drive his Alexis to the side of the track and joined Derek in the pit lane. What a mess.

Meanwhile the leaders unaffected by all this drama shot round Redgate and off down Craner Curves and came round to complete the opening lap with Jowsey leading Woodhouse, then a good gap to Claridge and Armer. Barry Westmoreland’s Lotus 22and Milicevic completed the first six cars although all by now somewhat strung out.
The start line melee jumbled up the midfield runners and startling gains were made by Geoff O’Nion, Elva 100 and Richard Utley in his own Caravelle, both of whom made up 10 places. Net losers were particularly Tim Bishop who lost 12 places resulting from the combination of incorrect grid positioning and being caught up in the drama and Brian Mitcham’s shark nose Wainer and Paul Davis’ Lotus 20 also lost out badly.
Jowsey continued to drive away from next man Woodhouse although the silver Lotus closed to within some 3secs on lap 8 and thereafter maintained this gap.
Claridge had closed right up on Woodhouse by lap 8 and made a demon pass under braking into Redgate taking the inside line, but he couldn’t keep the advantage and Woodhouse was back in front again next time round. Steve Smith’s Cooper T59,ex Scuderia Filipinetti, had not qualified well and also lost out to Westmoreland on the start, but finally passed the Lotus at the chicane right at the end. Most unfortunately Armer’s secure looking 4th place was lost when he spun at the chicane and dropped 2 places but rather worse luck befell Rudolph Ernst who solidly beached his Lotus 22in Redgate’s soft gravel on the last lap.
So, after 11 laps the winner was Jowsey followed by Woodhouse, Claridge, Smith, Westmoreland and Armer completing the top six.
Pete Morton again impressed with a good performance in the Lightning, maintaining an unlapped 7th and putting in one lap within 3 secs of the winner’s best time.
Crispian Besley who had qualified very well in 6th brought his Elva 100 home 10th  the first of the front engine finishers, ahead of Goodwin 14th and a rather off form Bill Grimshaw, Moorland, 17th . The remaining front engine finishers, led by Peter Mullen’s Class A OSCA, were Paul Dixon Gemini Mk2, and finally Geoff O’Nion and BJ Colaric’s Elva 100s.
Midfield was Andrew Robertson, Crossle, who maintained his 11th place and John Hutchinson who had made up 9 places in his Lotus 18, close ahead of Davis 16th.
Tony Martindale brought the Skoda engined Essenkay home 18th ahead of Brian Arculus’ Emeryson and Utley’s Caravelle, these three having had a good race.
Alex Morton had a steady run in his lovely Ausper as did John Dowson, his Elva 200 now cured of it’s irritating oil problems last season.

The prize giving went ahead without the benefit of any official results because at about lap 4 the commentary box screens went blank and all the lap info disappeared.
However, the exceptionally knowledgeable Marcus Pye continued his well informed commentary regardless and in fact the results were not published until much later in the day.

However DCPR rose to the challenge and made awards based upon the judges of fact, ie the drivers themselves.
This jollification was accompanied in the traditional manner but with the new brew of Freedom Beers and Lagers supplied most generously as ever by Crispian Besley, in the first floor Redgate hospitality suite of our sponsor Millers Oils.

Class E, 1st and overall race winner Edwin Jowsey, Lotus 22 ~ best lap1:21.963.
2nd and second overall Mark Woodhouse, Lotus 20/22. 
3rd and third overall James Claridge, Lola 5A.

Class D, 1st David Hall, BMC-Huffaker Mk2 ~ best lap 1:26.421.
2nd Paul Davis, Lotus 20.
3rd Alex Morton, Ausper T4.

Class C, 1st Jon Milicevic, Lotus 18 ~ best lap 1:25.778.
2nd Andrew Robertson, Crossle.
3rd Neil Daws, Lotus 18.

Class B, 1st Crispian Besley, Elva 100 ~ best lap1:28.358.
2nd Dr Tony Goodwin, Gemini Mk2.
3rd Bill Grimshaw, Moorland.

Class A, 1st and only participant Peter Mullen, OSCA ~ best lap 1:33.123.

                                                         Peter Jackson, the Cooper Cockpit Correspondent.
                                                                                                                           02.04.08