RACE A FOR CLASSES A&B

Cadwell Park Race, Sunday 11th April 2010. A bitterly cold wind from the east, but a sunny day at Cadwell for the second round of the Milers Oils Championship and first round of the JWM Front Engined Series. A couple of “no shows” reduced practice to 14 cars, but with lap times considerably faster than 2009, youth overcame experience with Jack Woodhouse / Elva 100 comfortably quicker than Derek Walker / Terrier for pole with Brian Mitcham / Mallock U2 taking third place. The Bond qualified fourth, but broke a wishbone leaving Andrew Tart with nothing to do but spectate for the remainder of the day. With 13 cars taking the start, Derek made the better start with Jack and Brian a few yards adrift. By the end of the second lap Jack has squeezed past Derek and was looking very impressive and heading for his first outright win. From there onwards the Elva slowly extended it’s lead over the Terrier with the Mallock hanging onto third place. The real excitement lay in the battle for fourth place between Bill Grimshaw / Moorland, Pete St Barbe / Elva 100, and the two BMC’s of Stephen Barlow and David Hall. By lap 7, Brian Mitcham had pulled off with a broken throttle elevating Peter St Barbe to 3rd followed closely by the two BMC’s. With a lap to go, David got the better of Peter leaving the Elva on a BMC sandwich for 4th place. Whilst all this was happening, Jack cruised to an impressive first victory some 17 seconds ahead of Derek. This was a very popular and obviously the first of many victories to come, whilst at the same time reinforcing the theory that “Formula Junior” is potentially an oxymoron, with an average driver age closer to pension than kindergarten! Well done Jack!!!

by Robin Longdon

RACE B FOR CLASSES C,D&E

Good forward planning, expectant of over subscription, allowed FJ to have two independent “Barry Westmoreland Trophy” class races but despite this there was a reserve situation in Race B for Classes C, D&E.
Brothers Marek and Julian Reichman made a rare but welcome appearance with Marek’s ex MRP Cooper T56 but without a silencer the car comprehensively failed the noise test. Sadly they were unable to remedy the situation so the car wasn’t permitted to run at all and was packed up and taken home.
Thus, the cloud hanging over the Hibberd equipe developed a silver lining and 1st reserve Michael Hibberd’s ex Peter Arundel Lotus 27 was able to join the fray and Michael qualified 3rd behind James Murray’s Lola 5A and pole sitter Jon Milicevic in his Cooper T59 with engine builder and former owner of this car Stuart Rolt in attendance as usual. Rolt was also watching over his own Elva 200 being raced by Ben Simms, who drove the Milicevic Cooper before Jon persuaded Stuart  to part with it at the end of 2008.
Milicevic secured his Class E pole position with a time of 1:37.763 but Simms was in 4th spot leading Class C handsomely with 1:41.217
Callum Macleod was another high flyer and put Richard Utley’s Class D Caravelle Mk2 into 7th grid place with 1:42.278.
The Woodhouse famile turned out en masse with brothers Mark and David driving the Lotus 20/22 and Dolphin International respectively, while Mark’s son Jack peddled the Elva 100 in Race A for Classes A&B.
Cadwell Park is often called the mini Nurburgring and despite the narrow track width it is very popular and drew FJ racers from far and wide. Vern Williamson brought his Scorpion (Class B) plus his Ausper T4 down from Edinburgh and fellow Scot George Cooper trailered his ex Charlie Crichton-Stuart Cooper T59 from Kilsyth, even further north.
Another competitor who travelled many miles was Andrew Wilkinson who came up from Somerset with his Cooper T59 to race at Cadwell for the first time but unfortunately the car developed oil surge problems and was retired to the paddock after 7 race laps.
Adam Sykes did very well to put his Lotus 20/22 into 8th place on the grid and David Hall slotted his BMC Mk 2, into 17 spot. David was also running in the Front-Engined race in his latest acquisition the ex Prof Jon Monson BMC Mk1, in appropriate USA racing colours.

Unfortunately Simon Hamilton didn’t show well in his Lotus 18 and withdrew before the race, as did David Gathercole despite getting a midfield grid place in his similar car.

So it was then that twenty five cars gathered in what surely is the most delightful and scenic assembly area of any UK race circuit, especially so in spring with the majestic trees all coming into leaf.
Milicevic’s Cooper was push started by his team personnel on account of a starter motor concern and fortunately for them the exit from the assembly area is immediately down hill. The cars quickly made the short run down to the grid and their arrival there seemed to take the rather few grid marshals by surprise and they seemed to be somewhat overwhelmed initially until with a few cars having had to back up a yard or so here & there the green flag was waved and they all went round on the formation lap to line up again to await the start lights signal.

Milicevic did not make a perfect start and appeared to be in danger of loosing out to Hibberd M and Murray on the approach to the uphill Coppice left hand bend but he held his line, obliging the other two to seek the long way round the outside. Coppice gives way to the majestic Charlies right hand sweep but by this time Milicevic had established a vital few yards advantage over Hibberd M, Murray, Woodhouse M, Simms and James Claridge in Geoff Richardson’s ex Pico Troberg Lola 5A. This bunch were very tight for several laps and although Murray put up the second fastest race lap in his determined pursuit it was always Milicevic in front. Sadly Murray’s very impressive drive ended when he coasted to a halt up at the top of the circuit along Park Straight at half distance and both Andrew Robertson’s Crossle 4F and Williamson’s Ausper T4 succumbed after just one lap and their cars rolled to a stop and parked together just past the finish line.
Macleod didn’t last much longer; the Caravelle pulling into the pits after 3 laps with terminal transmission failure, but not before setting the fasted Class D lap time.
Meanwhile the chasing bunch gradually lost touch with Milicevic as they lapped slower cars which surprisingly included Andrew Hibberd who was having a real off day despite recalling his euphoria when he won here at Cadwell in his Lotus 22 a couple of years ago.
Defending Champion Chris Drake’s Elva 300 ran close with Paul Smeeth’s Lotus 22 despite occasional locking brakes although Sir John Chisholm’s Class D Gemini 3A, with a rough sounding exhaust manifold leak, finished 6th some 10 seconds ahead of them at the flag.
Simms maintained a terrific pace in Rolt’s Class C Elva 200 and finished 5th after a bravura performance in the drum braked car although he was passed by Claridge.
Linden Brand’s Lotus 22 although slightly faster than Peter Anstiss in his Lotus 20/22 was unable to get ahead of his “Lordship” but Hall, fresh from his ultimately victorious battle with fellow BMC Mk1 racer Stephen Barlow in Race A, brought his BMC Mk2 home in 12th place well ahead of both Hibberd A and Col Bob Birrell’s Brabham BT6.
Another man new to Cadwell was Jeremy Deeley, his Cooper T52 now in superb condition after winter rebuild by Matt King of Racing Medics. Both Deeley and John Dowson in his Elva 200 had relatively lonely races finishing behind one time Lurani Champion Kevin Musson’s Lotus 18 and Cooper’s Cooper T59.
James Owen was still experiencing problems with his ex Doug Martin Elva 200 and bringing up the rear Woodhouse D was showing similar circumspection with his very beautiful jet black Class D Dolphin International.

DCPR being absent on FJ business at Monza, Col Bob Birrell announced the awards for the Barry Westmoreland Trophy which were presented by Margaret Westmoreland and Col Bob reminded us that Barry had won at Cadwell racing motorcycles as long ago as 1963 before discovering Formula Junior 40 years later and achieving his first win with his Lotus 20/22 at Mallory Park in 2005.

1st overall and Class E ~~ Jon Milicevic, Cooper T59. 1:38.747 fastest lap.
2nd overall and Class E ~~ Michael Hibberd, Lotus 27.
3rd overall and Class E ~~ Mark Woodhouse, Lotus 20/22.

1st Class D ~~ Sir John Chisholm, Gemini 3A.
2nd Class D ~~ Chris Drake, Elva 300.
3nd Class D ~~ David Hall, BMC-Huffaker Mk2
Callum Macleod, Caravelle Mk2. 1.40.980 fastest lap.

1st Class C ~~ Ben Simms, Elva 200. 1.480.981 fastest lap.
2nd Class C ~~ Kevin Musson, Lotus 18.
3rd Class C ~~ John Dowson, Elva 200.

Thus at the end of Round 2 of the Championship Jon Milicevic and Sir John Chisholm are tied leaders with 20 points each.

Peter Jackson, The Cooper Cockpit Correspondent 11th April 2010