Great breakfast, great weather and great racing ~~ what could be better.
Mallory Park’s race track, essentially unchanged since inception, circumnavigates a modest sized lake for the most part plus and also includes a loop off up to the notorious Shaw’s hairpin, the scene of many a do-or-die late braking effort over the years.
In fact this rather simple looking circuit is actually far from simple ~ requiring a combination of consistent bravery and skill to achieve a good lap. Formula Junior cars are well suited to the track and Formula Junior drivers are of course noted for their bravery and skill.

Eighteen intrepid pilotes, some of them ancien and some of more tender years filed out of the assembly area for qualifying front engined Classes A&B, although only Class B cars were entered. All were turned out superbly but exceptional amongst them was Justin Flemming’s Elva 100.
After 15 laps it was Derek “Mr Oulton Park” Walker with a time of 54.180 seconds in his Terrier Mk4 who claimed pole position from Stuart Roach’s Alexis Mk2, with Andrew Tart’s Bond and David Hall’s BMC Mk1 completing the first two grid rows.
Elva 100s were very well represented with 7 cars, although that of Peter St.Barbe made jangling noises from the differential. Sadly the problem could not be rectified before the race so the car was withdrawn, as was Stuart Tizzard’s Lola Mk2.
The race itself started at 2pm and what a start it was.
Roach stormed off the line followed by Hall, from Walker. Crispian Besley’s Elva 100 and Mitcham’s Mallock made cracking starts and moved into 4th & 5th respectively on the opening lap whilst Bill Grimshaw in his Moorland lost out, as did Tart.
By lap 2 Paul Dixon’s polished aluminium Gemini Mk2 passed Stephen Barlow’s BMC Mk1, Keith Roach’s Gemini Mk2 and Roger Dexter’s Elva 100-DKW in short order and Mitcham had moved ahead of Besley whilst Hall dropped back and Walker had recovered to 2nd and was closing on Roach.
David Bishop’s Elva 100 began to issue serious looking oil smoke from the exhaust and he retired after 5 laps but Grimshaw continued despite being gradually wreathed in smoke billowing around the cockpit due to a leaking differential seal.
Meanwhile by lap 7 the wily Walker passed Roach to head the race. However Roach harried Walker and by lap 10 he was back in the lead only for Walker to steal it back again the very next lap ~~ very exciting to watch.
Throughout the remaining laps these two were all over each other but come the chequered flag it was Walker who prevailed over Roach by less than 1 second, whilst 3rd place man Mitcham was over half a lap behind them.
This was a wonderful race and for Derek Walker it was a particularly special victory for it meant that his already fabulously successful racing career was highlighted by now having won races in all of the last 6 decades ~~ quite some remarkable achievement that !
At prize giving conducted by Col Bob Birrell, Derek insisted that the 1st and 2nd place awards be made simultaneously to himself and to Stuart Roach ~~ a lovely gesture.
There was huge applause for these two superb drivers and their health was vigorously toasted in proper fashion with generous supply of Freedom beers care of Crispian Besley. 
1st overall and fastest lap ~ Derek Walker, Terrier Mk4, 54.033 secs.
2nd                                    ~ Stuart Roach, Alexis Mk2.
3rd                                    ~ Brian Mitcham, Mallock Mk2.

Our second race was for Classes C,D&E and all three rear engined classes had entries.
In fact a couple of drivers had entered two cars each for the meeting and Huffaker enthusiast David Hall raced his BMC Mk1 in the previous race and had his Class D Mk2 version for the rear engined race.
Crispian Besley raced his Elva 100 in the front engined race and had been looking forward to also racing his Class C Cooper T56 in the rear engined race, but sadly the engine was being repaired following a problem at the recent Silverstone Classic test day.
Nevertheless twenty cars poured out for qualifying and somewhat surprisingly it was Sam Wilson in Roger Daniell’s Cooper T59 who took pole position with a time of 50.451 seconds ahead of Jon Milicevic and Steve Smith in their Cooper T59s, all Class E cars. Sir John Chisholm placed his Class D Gemini 3A fourth with 52.222 secs to complete the first two grid rows, followed by Benn Simms driving Stuart Rolt’s Elva 200 to head Class C with a time of 52.241 secs.
Milicevic dived into the pits mid session to rectify a fuel pick up problem and quickly rejoined but sadly Mike Gregory’s beautiful De Tomaso gradually become ever slower due to distributor internal problems, so it was withdrawn.
James Murray didn’t care for the handling of his Lola 5A and the car was found to require some suspension repairs before the race and it was good to see Andrew Wilkinson’s Cooper T59 running well, now cured of recent oil tank surge problems.

Twenty cars rolled down to the starting area but to his great irritation Sid Hoole had to immediately park his Brabham BT6 to one side because of an oil pipe connection failure, just as the other cars were forming up on the grid ~ but consequently Sid then did have probably the best seat in the house to watch another marvellously exciting close race.
As the start lights extinguished Milicevic just out dragged Wilson for the lead and Chisholm passed Smith for 3rd ahead of Simms followed by Murray and then Simon Armer’s Cooper T59.
Milicevic and Wilson were at it hammer and tongs and drawing away by well over 1 second a lap, every lap, from the others ~~ an astounding performance.
The lap charts show Milicevic leading every lap but from the Esses viewpoint this wasn’t the whole story with Wilson sometimes leading and when not doing so had his car’s nose almost touching the gearbox of Milicevic’s car.
Sadly Hall’s BMC blew a head gasket after 2 laps and a few laps later Chisholm’s differential stripped some gear teeth, so they parked up to watch Milicevic and Wilson who by lap 5 were already carving into the hapless tailenders and nearly 10 secs ahead of Simms in 3rd, heading Smith, Murray, Armer and Wilkinson.
Peter Morton was racing the Lightning Envoyette hard chasing Andrew Robertson’s Crossle 4F and finally getting past by lap 11.
After 15 laps Simms' engine began to have engine trouble and on the same lap Lance Whitehead’s Lotus 20 and Wilkinson both spun out at Gerrards and two laps later Simms visibly slowed and pulled off at the Esses, his race also sadly finished.
Meanwhile the leading pair battle continued unabated ~~ with absolutely no quarter given or taken right to the chequered flag after 23 very fast and furious laps and Milicevic’s win moves him clear ahead in the Championship.
More Freedom beer flowed and more applause for the worthy winners at prize giving, where Col Bob was keen to say how much he enjoyed the display of close but safe racing which is so much an important part of how FJHRA continues to demonstrate its success.
1st overall & Class E ~ Jon Milicevic, Cooper T59.
2nd                             ~ Sam Wilson, Cooper T59, fastest lap 50.655 secs.
3rd                              ~ Steve Smith, Cooper T59.
1st Class C                 ~ Andrew Robertson, Crossle 4F, fastest lap 52.348 secs.
2nd                              ~ Peter Mullen, Kieft.
3rd                               ~ John Dowson, Elva 200.
Race organisers AMOC made a generous quantity of prizes available and so despite the fact that all three Class D cars retired DNF awards were presented to .
1st ~ Lance Whitehead, 2nd Sir John Chisholm and 3rd David Hall, based on the greater number of laps completed.
AMOC’s generosity further allowed awards of Class E  4th place to Simon Armer, Cooper T59 and Class C 4th place to Marek Reichman, Cooper T56 and a Ladies award to Sue Spence, Elva 200.

The next Championship race, for all FJ Classes, is the Silverstone International meeting where hopefully we will have yet more excitement, on the Historic GP circuit.

Peter Jackson, the Cooper Cockpit Correspondent. May 13th