This year the HGPCA once again very kindly invited FJHRA to share in their annual
Test Day on the National Circuit and several familiar faces turned up to exercise their cars in glorious spring sunshine.

Separate sessions were arranged as usual for open wheel and closed wheel cars and additionally there was a session for passengers to be taken in suitable cars by their generous owners.

Formula Junior cars present included the Lotus 22 of Rudi Ernst, carefully tended as usual by Michael Hibberd. They also managed a short session of driver training in a Lotus Elise earlier in the morning. Hopefully Michael will remember everything.

Michael Waller brought his Kieft and kindly gave your scribe a lift to/from the event.
The trifling matter of sticking brake cylinder was soon rectified and Michael put in some useful laps although like many others he found the track quite crowded at times.
Michael’s mechanic Phil Lemm found time for a passenger ride with Rod Jolley in the Monzanapolis Lister-Jag and was suitably impressed, judging by his ear to ear grin.

Grant Clearwater, whose ex Reg Hargrave Cooper T59 remains in hibernation at Dave Abbott’s race workshop, was settling into his lovely Connaught A-type ready for another season which will probably include an appearance on Madeira Drive for the Brighton National Speed Trials, which is the longest running competitive motor speed event in the world having started in 1905 with breaks only for two world wars.

Simon Diffy, nipping busily about as usual, made time for some laps in his familiar gold Lotus 22 whilst another with business to conduct was Ollie Crosthwaite, spotted lurking by the back of a van with a couple of prospective customers discussing over
a Climax cylinder head.

Paul Smeeth took the opportunity to get plenty of seat time in his F1 Lotus 18 ahead of the HGPCA’s participation in Saturday’s VSCC event and hoping for continuation of the wonderful weather we are enjoying of late.

David Pratley was relaxed after shaking down his Lola Mk3 and even his faithful mechanic Andy O’Connor pronounced that he was happy with the car, so that must mean trouble ! (I do hope not)

Last and by no means least was a beaming Alex Morton found in the outer paddock playing with his new toy, a Lotus 21 recently bought from Bob Woodward in USA through Alan Baillie. This very lithe machine has period GP history when driven by
Neville Lederle and it will be a good moment when this car and Michael Waller’s
ex Trevor Blokdyk Cooper T56 GP car are together once again on track since their racing days in South Africa in the mid 1960s.

Peter Jackson,  the Cooper Cockpit Correspondent,                          24th April 2009

Phil Lemm, passenger in Rod Jolley's Monzanapolis Lister: