[Kevan]

Race reports - 11th May - Mosler ‘Club Challenge’ #3

   

Last night was a superb turnout, a full house plus two guests, Nigel who we saw a couple of weeks ago and Nil who was most impressed with what we’ve done with our cars and how well they go.

It was the first full turnout for ‘Club Challenge’ and Mike H’s first of the year.

Cars were handed out at 7pm and 30 minutes were allowed to clean the tyre crud out from last time, oil the bearings, clean the braids, put it back together, adjust the body screws, do a few test laps, tweak the adjustment screws again then it was time for...

5 lap qually....(to give everyone a predicted score target)

Special heats were used with Mike H, Ed & Gav lining up together for Round 1 Heat #1, these three raced each other all night, it was proper close racing as all three won at least once and being cheered/jeered/hurried on throughout.

Andy, Geoff & Mike B were next up in Round 1 Heat #2 and Geoff was absolutely flying, straight into the 5.9’s...could he keep it up though...the marshals had fingerprints all over Geoff’s Mosler by the end of the night.

Mike B also got off to a flyer in his first race, his hot lap in Blue lane was his best all night, strangely his result in this race was his second slowest.  Although not a race winner did manage a couple of runners-up positions.

Andy finished just behind Mike in this first heat, went better in his next race in Yellow then finally got going proper in his last race of Round 1 getting into the 5.9’s.  A two lap improvement in Round 2 kept him...two laps ahead of Geoff overall, but another car peppered with marshalls dabs at the end of racing.

The other three guys, Kev, Chris & Brian lined up for Round 1 Heat #3 and was a close race as Kev (Red) kept just far enough in front of Brian (Blue)...until the inevitable deslot when Brian took the lead to the line by a couple of seconds, both drivers getting into the 5.9’s. Chris kept both of them on their toes with a few unfortunate deslots but showed promise for later with a 6.2 hot lap in Yellow.

Chris started this years series with a bang and has slid back a little, tyre woes not uncommon this year with these ‘improved’ tyres.  He found an extra couple of laps in Blue lane...then lost them again in Red lane.  He did however improve on each lane in Round 2.

Brian couldn’t quite keep up with Kev tonight, a series of departures into the wall under the tunnel in his last race of Round 1 in Yellow lost a lap, it would have been close if it weren’t for that series of mishaps.  Improving on his Round 1 scores kept him clear in 2nd overall spot.

After being beaten by Brain in Red in his first race, Kev drove ‘steady’ and saved his best until his last race, Heat #7 in Round 2 with a 30 lapper and best hot lap of the night with a comfortable lead in the end overall.

   

   

Closest to predicted results in order of closest to furtherest was:

Brian
Kev
Chris
Ed
Andy
Mike H
Gav
Geoff
Mike B

Nigel did a good job as a marshal, having so many was a luxury tonight but they were needed at times.

Another brilliant nights enjoyable racing, great banter at the end of which Brian said he wanted to award the ‘50p Trophy’ to Ed for such a good series of consistent races...Gav is keeping the trophy warm apparently and will be returned to the club room soon...

Doing the results was interesting, I said Geoff was quick, look at the fastest lap times for both rounds, fastest in Red and Yellow lanes in Round 1 with nobody going quicker in Yellow lane in Round 2...I bet he’s glad he didn’t stop that standing order...aren’t we all!...nice one bud.

   

   

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next week sees the return of the open wheelers, from pre-war Grand Prix cars to modern F1’s