FERRARICOMPETITIONRESULTS
COMPETITION RESULTS IS SPONSORED BY
CompRes
F430 CHALLENGE LAUNCHED IN THE UK
ISSUE 010 DECEMBER 2005
CompRes Chevy Chase, Leeds Road, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 4JH T: +44 (0) 1757-702 053 F: +44 (0) 1757-290 547 E: cs.man@btinternet.com
CompRes is available by subscription and is published 10 times a year for the FERRARI OWNERS’ CLUB
FERRARICOMPETITIONRESULTS THANK YOU This Christmas issue of CompRes marks the end of the first year of the newsletter in its new format. When we decided to bring the old CompNews to an end it was envisaged that its replacement would be a much simpler, slimmer and cheaper production. However, there were such howls of dismay from the loyal readership, followed by some real support – both moral and financial – that very soon the new magazine has become almost indistinguishable from its long-running predecessor. Thanks to the many helpers who have assisted – scribes, photographers, etc – we have covered most of the Club’s competition activities in the usual exhaustive detail. We have tried, also as usual, to include the lighthearted happenings that make Ferrari motorsport a bit different from that of other clubs. So we hope that you like what you get, and look forward to seeing your renewal slips pouring into CompRes Towers in the New Year. I am not going to try to identify all those who have helped with this year’s copy – you know who you are. However, we shall drink a toast to your health and simply say ‘Thank you and keep up the good work in 2006’.
MERRY CHRISTMAS Anne and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a cracking New Year of Ferrari competition. Adding her greetings is the incomparable Miss Tonks, whose festive partying seems to start earlier with each year. I keep telling her to stay calm, to wait for the sales before she replaces the whole of
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Championship – should note that the cost of CompRes is included in their Registration fee. However, to make sure you don’t miss any issues it is strongly advised that you take up your 2006 subscription right away and then, when your register, you may deduct the subscription amount from your fee.
PRE-SEASON TEAM KARTING & DINNER
her wardrobe, but its like trying to restrain a child from helping herself to the sweeties. So Miss T sends her love and hopes that you will have as much fun as she is having. I am including a photo that will give you some idea of the sort of fun she has in mind.
2006 SUBSCRIPTIONS It is that hand-in-pocket time of the year, I’m afraid. As mentioned elsewhere, the size and content of CompRes has become much bigger than was originally envisaged when we launched it a year ago. We have therefore set the annual subscription at the same rate as applied to CompNews in 2004. A renewal form is included with this issue. Competitors who register for any of the Club’s competition series – the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic, the Pirelli Ferrari Open, or the Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb
The traditional Pirelli PreSeason Karting and Dinner is arranged for Saturday, 25 March 2006. The format will be similar to last year’s event and the racing will again be held at Thruxton’s outdoor kart circuit. We have again booked that super Italian restaurant, the Valle d’Oro in Newbury. Block booked accommodation is reserved at one of the two Hilton hotels in Newbury. Last year we had no fewer than twenty-three teams competing in the 2½-hour enduro race – around 100 drivers and a record turn-out for the circuit. We hope that this year’s event will be just as successful. Full details will be sent out in the New Year together with entry forms for the karting and application forms for the Dinner. Make sure you put the date in your new diary – it is an event not to be missed.
PIRELLI FERRARI formula classic Regulations for the 2006 series are now available and have already been mailed to last year’s competitors together with others who have requested them. We are already taking registrations. Our race programme is similar to last year although we
have added three extra UK races. The provisional race calendar is as follows:
THE CHAV NATIVITY: There's this bird called Mary, yeah? She's a virgin (wossat then?). She's not married or nuffink, but she's got this boyfriend, Joe, innit? He does joinery an' that. Mary lives with him in a crib dahn Nazaref. One day Mary meets this bloke Gabriel. She's like `Oo ya lookin at?’ Gabriel just goes 'You got one up the duff, you have.' Mary's totally gobsmacked. She gives it to him large 'Stop dissin' me yeah? I ain't no Kappa-slapper. I never bin wiv no one!' So Mary goes and sees her cousin Liz, who's six months gone herself. Liz is largin' it. She's filled with spirits, Barcardi Breezers an' that. She's like 'Orright, Mary, I can feel me bay-bee in me tummy and I reckon I'm well blessed. Think of all the extra benefits an' that we're gonna get.’ Mary goes 'Yeah, s'pose you're right' Mary an' Joe ain't got no money so they have to ponse a donkey, an' go dahn Bethlehem on that. They get to this pub an' Mary wants to stop, yeah? To have her bay-bee an' that. But there ain't no room at the inn, innit? So Mary an' Joe break an' enter into this garridge, only it's filled wiv animals. Cahs an' sheep an' that. Then these three geezers turn up, looking proper bling, wiv crowns on their heads. They're like `Respect, bay-bee Jesus', an' say they're wise men from the East End. Joe goes: 'If you're so wise, wotchoo doin' wiv this Frankenstein an' myrrh? Why dincha just bring gold, Adidas and Burberry?' It's all about to kick off when Gabriel turns up again an' sez he's got another message from this Lord geezer. He's like 'The police is comin an' they're killin all the bay -bees. You better nash off to Egypt.’ Joe goes 'You must be monged if you think I'm goin' dahn Egypt on a minging donkey.' Gabriel sez 'Suit yerself, pal. But it's your look out if you stay.' So they go dahn Egypt till they've stopped killin the first -born an' it's safe an' that. Then Joe and Mary and Jesus go back to Nazaref, an' Jesus turns water into STELLA.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
May 1
Brands Hatch (x 2)
May 21
Mallory Park (x2)
June 4
Donington Park
June 24/25
Zandvoort (x2)
July 15/16
Silverstone
August 12
Oulton Park
August 28
Castle Combe
October 7
Snetterton
If you have not received your documentation for some reason, please let Anne Swift know by e-mail or telephone – the contact numbers are on page 1 of CompRes.
PIRELLI FERRARI OPEN The Regulations governing our new race series, the Pirelli Ferrari Open, have now been finalised and the Regulations and Registration forms are available from the Series Co-ordinator, the indefatigable Anne Swift. As with Classics, we have already posted out sets of paperwork to potential competitors but if you have been left out, get in touch right away. Although we originally planned on a minimum of four events in the inaugural season, with supreme confidence we have expanded the programme to cover eight races at six meetings. The provisional race calendar is as follows: June 4
Donington Park
June 24/25
Spa-Francorchamps [Spa Ferrari Days] x2
July 15/16
Silverstone
Sept 2/3
Brands Hatch
Sept 16
Thruxton
Oct 7
Snetterton
We are delighted to hear on the jungle drums that there are cars already being prepared for this exciting new series. We hope and believe that it will prove to be both popular and very cost effective.
PIRELLI CALENDARS With thanks to Mick Marriott
Only in the last few days, the 2006 Pirelli Calendar made its appearance. This year’s calendar is even more covetable than ever as
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Photo: SwiftyPix
the number produced has been cut to ensure greater exclusivity. The good news for Ferrari competitors is that Pirelli have very kindly let me have ten of these for presentation to the first competitors to register for the 2006 Pirelli Ferrari formula classic or Pirelli Ferrari Open series. If you would like one to grace your wall, and no doubt become an appreciating asset, you know what to do!
THE THINGS PEOPLE SAY. . “These days it's cooler to be earnest than ostentatious. Hollywood stars are forsaking the limo for the Prius - a reinvention of the hair shirt. The only people who want to be photographed in Ferraris are footballers and their Gucci girlfriends. When they make the papers it's for crashing or getting a driving ban. They might as well wear a large medallion saying "I'm a prat". If Enzo Ferrari saw some of the people driving his cars today he would twist in his grave like fusilli. The company has realised this and is worried. Its Italian headquarters is the hub of a huge worldwide marketing operation whose aim is to protect the Ferrari name. Earlier this year it relaunched the Fiorano club to try to preserve its reputation for exclusivity. You have to buy a Ferrari to be a member. At functions you can hobnob with Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt, head of Ferrari's racing team, and name-drop to your friends afterwards. You can see what Ferrari is trying to do but I'm not convinced it's going to work. I have a two-point plan that for a fraction of the fee Ferrari pays its consultants I am happy to share with it. First, stop selling your cars to show-offs and delinquents. People who get married in Hello! or OK! magazine should be disqualified from buying one. So should gangsta rappers or anyone else likely to keep a gun
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Congratulations to Andrew Kirkaldy, Nathan Kinch’s team-mate at Scuderia Ecosse, who was voted ‘Club Driver of the Year’ at the recent Autosport Awards held at Grosvenor House Hotel. Seen here with Anne Swift are (L to R) Mark Higgins, who took the National Rally Driver title for the second time, Allan McNish, and a happy looking Andrew.
in the glove compartment. It's easy enough to vet customers. There's a three-year waiting list for the F430. Just keep postponing delivery until the person who you don't want to sell to loses patience and buys something else. Second, stop making the F430 in red. Make it only in understated colours. Eventually its reputation will be restored. The F430 deserves to be a byword for excellence, not a cliché.” So wrote Nicholas Rufford in The Sunday Times last month.
BILL BLYTH’s 85TH At the end of last month – on the 27th November to be precise – a big congregation of Bill Blyth’s friends assembled in Cheshire to celebrate his eightyfifth birthday. Bill, for those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him, was Ken Wharton’s mechanic in years gone by and also, until his retirement in the ‘90s, the works manager for an engineering company making highly complex components (V16 BRM pistons, etc) for the motor racing industry. Bill, of course, is the ‘Blyth’ of the Ken Wharton/Bill Blyth trophy which the Club awards annually to the runner-up to the
winner of the Bamford Trophy. Among the many guests helping Bill to get through a fair amount of wine were Elwynne Owen-Jones, one-time racer and hillclimber at the wheel of Dino 246GT and GTS, and Ted Rollason, who was the victim of that nasty accident at Goodwood this year when his Cooper rolled. Both Elwynne and Ted are in exceedingly good shape unlike, sadly, the Cooper.
EXTINGUISHERS Competitors are reminded that the regulations governing Fire Extinguishers for race cars are changing as from 1st January 2006. For the 2006 season MSA Regulation J20.14.7 (see p132 of the 2006 Blue Book) will be implemented. All cars racing in the PFfc and PFO series will be required to be equipped with a fire extinguisher in accordance with Q3.1.2(a). This must be Medium Plumbed-in for discharge into both cockpit and engine compartment. The minimum quantity of extinguishant is tabulated on p236 of the 2006 Blue Book, the applicable minimum volume in our case being 2.25 litres for both AFFF and ZERO 2000 types. It may be that a larger system (if space
Photo: Ferrari GB
Photo: SwiftyPix
F430 CHALLENGE LAUNCH The UK launch of the F430 Challenge car took place at Ferrari GB’s dedicated Motorsport facility at Silverstone on 14 December. Presenting the new car were Massimo Fedeli, Ferrari GB’s managing director, together with his support team: Technical Manager Paolo Pedersoli (exSauber F1), Motorsport Manager Enrico Bertaggio (ex F1 driver) and Finance Director Ian Nicholson. The cost of the car is €179,500 +VAT while the charge for the complete race package for allows and weight is not an issue) will save buying a new system at a future date and will also offer greater cover to the vehicle. There are a number of companies specialising in fire extinguisher equipment (see list on p45 of the green pages in the 2006 Blue Book). These include SPA Design Ltd of Lichfield, Staffordshire Tel: 01827-300150 E-mail: sales@spa-uk.co.uk Website: www.spa-uk.co.uk Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems Ltd of Coventry Tel: 024 7671 2999 E-mail: sales@lifelinefire.co.uk Website: www.lifelinefire.co.uk and FEV of Arundel, West Sussex Tel: 01243-555566 E-mail: sales@f-e-v.co.uk Website: www.f-e-v.co.uk Prices for manually actuated systems start at around £110.00 + carriage + VAT, and are straightforward to install. Please note that we have negotiated a
the season is set at £105,276 + VAT. The hourly rate for the services of the 8-strong technical team will be £65.00 +VAT. The car on display, which had just arrived from exhibition in Europe, looks stunning, with massive carbon-ceramic brakes housed within centre locking 19in wheels shod with specially developed Pirelli slick tyres. Weight has been reduced in every area and the new car turns the scales at 1,225kg. Pneumatic jacks are used to speed up wheel changes. Although the general details of the 490bhp road car are
retained, there are a number of features on the Challenge version which make it more suited to the track. Fifth and sixth gear ratios are revised as is the final drive ratio. A mechanical differential is employed and the road car’s stability and traction control systems are permanently disengaged. Ease of access for the driver is improved with a detachable steering wheel. We hope to give readers fuller information in the future. In the meantime we wish Ferrari GB every success with their brilliant new race cars.
25% discount with Lifeline – when you order quote ‘Ferrari Owners’ Club’ and give them your 2006 membership number. FEV are also offering us a discount of 10% on normal retail prices.
website – could Alan Coren’s weekly column have been taken over by FerrariChatters? The letter in question reads:
AVOIDANCE Don’t you find there are various things in life one tries desperately to avoid? Like smallpox, flashing Christmas tree lights, Jonathan Ross, prize holidays, Prescott (the man, not the hill), Rosso Corsa, that sort of thing. Also on my personal list is FerrariChat.com, that dreadful chatline that purports to be about Ferrari but is actually inhabited by illiterate nerds who find it difficult to string even two intelligible words together. I was therefore alarmed to see in The Times recently a letter that appeared to have come straight from that dreaded
daer santa this crismas i would like a set of wills. i do not want no ordnry peddle car tho, yu canot pull wiv sunnink ware berds can see your nees going up and down, yu look like a kid, i want wun of them they do with battries, prefbly a harf-skale frarri or lambergini or simlar, also the seets hav to go flat to make a bed, narmean, i do not have to drore pitchers, we are bofe men of the werld, red wuld be favrite, wiv wite hide, yores darren Until I twigged it was Alan’s spoof letter all the time, reading this gave me quite a nasty turn for a moment!
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RA’s HILLCOMMENT The 2006 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship is already underway - spiritually if not physically. You will find the definitive calendar at the foot of these notes, and there are fifteen rounds coming up – one more than in 2005. Championship point scoring is the best of eight results rather than seven this year. The 2006 Regulations are with the MSA for their approval for our Championship permit, and this should be to hand by the time you read this. As previously advised there are no changes that affect your car, and you will receive your regulation set together with the appropriate registration forms soon after the Christmas holiday. The 2006 Calendar (see the accompanying table) includes all the favourites, and notably a return to Bouley Bay at Easter. An early start too, on March 19th at North Weald - a venue not noted for ambience at all, but very safe and great to shake down your car for the season’s start. Worthy of note are the two back to back meetings at Loton Park in July. We are again planning to book Loton Hall for accommodation and run a dinner on the Saturday night. There will also be special dinners arranged at Harewood after the event on Saturday, May 13th and at Shelsley Walsh after practice on Saturday, June 3rd. Make sure you get these in your diary as they are very much part of the scene and sure to be great fun. Bouley Bay proved to be a very worthwhile adventure for us in 2003 and 2004. With Easter back in April next year the Ferraris are returning to Jersey. Full details and booking forms will be mailed out in January but in the meantime I can give you a run-down on the arrangements. These are broadly similar to the previous trips, with departure from Poole in Dorset after lunch on Saturday April 15th, travelling over to Jersey by SeaCat, and arriving at the Highfield Country Hotel on Saturday evening.
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Sunday will be a free day, although we are likely to meet the local Ferrari owners for lunch. The Bouley Bay Hillclimb is on Easter Monday, and then we have Tuesday as a free day to explore the island before catching a return ferry Wednesday morning back to Poole. David Lord, the hotel proprietor, will be putting together a package, including the return sea crossing and half board accommodation. This was particularly good value last time and what is more, the wine is very cheap too! Early indications are that we will get a very good turnout for this holiday hillclimb. Llandow is not in the programme for next season. I recently spoke to Midland AC Secretary Roger Thomas and he said they have given up on it – too far to go, and a poor turnout. He also mentioned that soon after our visit there was a fatal accident there. It seems someone in a sports racing car went straight on into the tyre wall at the end of the main straight. We got to discussing safety issues, and I mentioned the very unsightly Armco now decorating the upper reaches of Gurston Down. Unbeknown to me it seems they had several serious offs there recently which precipitated this stuff being deployed. Prescott was armco’d up some years ago, but they do have lot of trees and some loss of life there in the past. Knowing Shelsley’s perceived dangers I asked Roger how many fatals in their hundred years history – “none” was the answer. Classic Adelaide was great and survived by the Goodwins, Taylors and Everinghams. Jon must be getting slow as he was not caught speeding this time, though Nick was. Apparently Nick had entered his Mondial in the competition (as opposed to the regularity) section of the rally and Fiona, in full race suit, was his ace co-pilot. They did really well, up against mostly much more powerful and modified machinery, eventually finishing near to the front of a very large
contingent of competitors from around the world. Whilst Pauline made herself feel ill map reading in the 550, the Everinghams were cruising around in a borrowed Holden Monaro, a tough but fast machine well suited to the local climate! David Tomlin smoked his F355 around the hills really well as you can see from the results charts. He got through a fair amount of oil, and reckoned it was cheaper tipping this in the engine than having an expert look at it. He was right, as the car is now garaged with the engine in pieces having a ‘big bills’ rebuild. This is unusual for a 355, though his is a fairly high mileage car. Perish the thought, but maybe he will find even more speed with a fit and healthy engine! Jon Goodwin you may know keeps a remarkable stable of cars, and uses them too, unlike some collectors. Just recently he bought a very nice 250GT Lusso, and is threatening to bring it out on the hills. He reckons it should get a minus 10% PEP%! Anyway, it is quite a few years since we have had an old V12 out, and it will be great to see this Lusso in action. Many years ago there were a couple of 275GTBs and a Daytona in the championship, and in the very early days of the Club - when it was part of the BOC - there used to be a load of the things smoking their way up Prescott. I recently watched some old cine footage shot by Robert Abraham in the late sixties or early seventies, and could not believe the variety of V12s zooming up the hill. A smaller Ferrari is often speculated on by the motoring press, and I am sure there are many of us who like the concept and would maybe buy such a car. The latest tipos, whilst terrific in most respects, are all enormously wide and none too handy for diving down rural roads. Bearing in mind the success of BMW’s new big Mini, and VW’s big Beetle, both I suppose you could
call a pastiche of the original, how about a new Ferrari taking styling cues from the 328 – a bit bigger and with a F355 engine. For £85K they would be go like hot cakes, but I guess the bean counters would say there is no profit in this market sector.
Rnd
Date
Day
Event
Licence Type
Organiser
1 2 3
March 19 April 17 May 6/7
Sun Mon Sat/Sun
North Weald Bouley Bay Prescott
Nat B Nat B Nat A/B
Borough 19 MC Jersey MC&LCC Bugatti OC
Daytona Visual Marketing – Peter Hitchman’s company once again provided our competition number door panels, scoreboards and other items that make our series a bit more special than most. On behalf of the Club and all of the competitors may I thank Peter very much for his help, and of course for his family support on the competition side!
4 5 6
May 13 May 27 June 3/4
Sat Sat Sat/Sun
Harewood MIRA Shelsley Walsh
Nat B Nat B Nat A/B
BARC Yorks Midland AC Midland AC
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
June 17 July 8 July 9 July 16 July 22 August 6 August 20 September 16 September 24
Sat Sat Sun Sun Sat Sun Sun Sat Sun
Cadwell Park Loton Park Loton Park Gurston Down Prescott Hethel Curborough Harewood Longleat
Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B Nat B
Auto 66 Club Hagley & DLCC Hagley & DLCC BARC SW Bugatti OC Borough 19 MC Reliant S&SCC BARC Yorks Woolbridge MC
Pirelli you will know if you read these notes, are once again providing a very favourable purchasing arrangement for tyres that you require for your Ferrari on PFHC events. The Pirelli PZero is available in a wide
selection of appropriate sizes for production Ferraris, and we will be mailing you details, including prices, together with the 2006 PFHC reg sets. If you need some now and cannot wait, give Anne Swift a call on 01757 702053.
A Very Happy Christmas and a really great 2006 season to all our CompRes readers, whether it be in PFHC, PFfc, PFO, or armchair, and I promise that in the next issue I will have some much more interesting material!
PIRELLI FERRARI HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP
W
ITH CHRISTMAS just around the corner it is that time of year when we can reflect on the past season. Before starting these notes I turned up my review for 2003:“ Maybe the best season yet,” it said, and then, this time a year ago,: “If anything, 2004 surpassed the previous year, and must be the best ever for the series”. This all sounds somewhat repetitive, especially as I was going to say that 2005 was the greatest season yet! Anyway I am sure those of you who took part have your own view on this, and enjoyed the action and great competition that
RA’s End of Season Review went on right through all the events. Certainly the entries at nearly all the rounds were the strongest we have seen to date, and thanks are due in no small part to members newly joining in recently - they are all displaying great enthusiasm to get out there and compete with their Ferraris wherever possible. A fitting climax to this really terrific season was going into that last meeting at Cadwell Park in October, where the first three Championship places were still to be determined for a truly exciting finish. Richard Prior, newly crowned winner of the 2005 Ferrari Hill Climb Championship, took that final round cliff hanging maximum point score at Cadwell
with his 348ts – the car still bearing some scars from his least impressive season’s result at Harewood in September! Easily the highest total point scorer of the 2005 season, Richard competed in every single round, and never finished lower than third on the PEP-factored point scores. He had four maximum scores and no less than seven second place point scores. A runner-up for the Championship in 2003 and 2004, Richard overcame the inconsistency displayed in these previous seasons, and in 2005 was very strong everywhere, with many second and third places on scratch. Always cheerful and seemingly laid back, he showed
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increasing maturity, making few mistakes this season even under the great pressure that he must have felt at the last couple of meetings. It is difficult to pick a best performance from so many excellent results, but his most remarkable drive has to be that last run at Cadwell in October, when he overcame what seemed like impossible odds to clinch the 2005 Championship. Geoff Dark, second overall and just a couple of points behind Richard, had started the season with his 308GTB freshly kitted out with a full harness and race seat. You could tell he meant business and at the very first round at Loton, Geoff took advantage of the inclement conditions to score maximum points. He knows the way around these hills better than anyone and, remarkably for a man of his age, raised his game yet again this season, going on to take three more maximum pointers at Shelsley, the second Prescott and Gurston Down. These four maximum point results, and the best of seven scores to count, favoured his position and closed the contest right up towards the end, as elsewhere he generally scored lower then Richard Prior. Throughout the season Geoff showed both pace and commitment, and again it is difficult to pick out a best performance. As great as his results were at Shelsley Walsh, and the second Prescott, maybe his surprising second on points at Harewood in September, with a best-ever run there was the most remarkable. Nick Taylor, the 2004 FHCC champion, came out with his handsome new 348GTC, and even though carrying the last year’s winner’s one per cent PEP handicap, was scoring strongly at most meetings. His pace was formidable as he pulled off a whole string of scratch wins, more than any of his rivals and often eclipsing the previously dominant F355 of Jon Goodwin. Nick managed one maximum
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point score, at Hethel, and was generally stonking everywhere he went. Under less pressure than in 2004, he was wearing a very big smile all season! At the final Cadwell round, where he took the class win, Nick was tied on points with Chris Butler for third overall, but clinched it after an eighth score was taken into account. Besides our three podium finishers there were some great performances from the other drivers, especially Chris Butler – he took his F355 to three class wins and three maximum point scores and was one of the top runners most places. No maximum point scores for Jon Goodwin this year, though remarkably he still collected five class wins with his F355. He would be the first to admit that he is not able to match his previously blistering times with this car – but then neither is anybody else! Christian Mineeff did fewer rounds with his 328GTB but notably took a brace of maximum pointers at the Harewood meetings. New boy David Tomlin was a revelation with his F355, finishing seventh overall and also claiming a couple of second in class awards. A previously serious gokart racer, David will be challenging for the top positions next year you can be sure. A major ingredient of the success of the series through 2005 has been the new competitors, some novices, some really experienced. They are all very competitive too, which is a shame for the long playing donkeys like your correspondent! Apart from the already mentioned David Tomlin and Christian Mineeff – not really a newcomer - we have been joined by Charlie White (F355), Pauline Goodwin (328GTB), Mark Buckland (Mondial 3.4t), Andrew Holman (Mondial QV), John Day (328GTB), David Hathaway F355) and of course, making a notable return to the hills, John Swift (F355). Pauline, together with Lorraine Hitchman, have added
immensely to the scene, both driving with great determination, bravery and even skill at times! With some thirty-five competitors in the series, I cannot possibly mention everyone in this review as I am sure you will appreciate. Suffice to say that many of our competitors have actively supported the Club series for years and I am sure, like me, thoroughly enjoy the general atmosphere and camaraderie that prevails. Quite apart from the great variety of drivers, it is remarkable that we have such a wonderful selection of different tipos in action on the hills, and in our small way we are undoubtedly adding something rather special to the Ferrari scene. Several new venues were tried in 2005 for the first time. All were sprints, as the one or two new hillclimb venues being talked about are still not up and running. Inevitably these sprints do favour the faster F355s against the smaller cars, and even the normally effective PEPs do not iron out the differences. Llandow, Hethel and Cadwell Park were all liked by those who competed there, and particularly Cadwell. Two of these, Hethel and Cadwell, have found their way into the 2006 programme, and with the inclusion of Bouley Bay hill climb, this should balance things out nicely. Following many years of support from Ferrari UK (Maranello Concessionaires Ltd) we were very pleased for Pirelli to take on our sponsorship for 2005. Now, as you will know, we have reinforced our arrangements with Pirelli and for 2006 the MSA Championship title for the series will be the Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship
PIRELLI FERRARI HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP: DRIVERS’ STORIES
A
FTER the last 2 years of finishing runner up in the Ferrari Hill Climb Championship (to some very worthy rivals) it seemed that to win the title would be almost impossible for a driver of my relative inexperience. This season crept up fast on me; I was looking forward to the start of the racing season again, but my time over the winter was spent on starting a new business rather than changing brake pads and tweaking the suspension. In fact the preparation on the car was so late that it only passed the MOT three days before the first round. The season opener at Loton Park was wet and extremely slippery with rainwater dripping from the overhanging trees and a winter’s worth of deer muck on the tarmac. With just one official run it seemed that whoever could stay on the track would win. I finished the day back in third place, behind Jon Goodwin, and with reigning champion Nick Taylor taking first. After one round I found myself in 3rd place in the Championship - not the best start to a determined assault on the title. Still, a dinner arranged that evening for Richard Allen’s and Dave Parr’s birthday at the Old Hand and Diamond
No one can remember a more exciting season than this year’s Ferrari Hill Climb Championship. The result was on a knife edge until, with a tremendous last ditch effort, RICHARD PRIOR captured the champion’s laurels on his very last run. Here he tells how he did it. Hotel made up for my disappointment. It’s amazing what a few drinks and some good food can do to change your
“Yes, he’s misfiring . . . definitely losing power now . . . ” “Maybe my love of Prescott is due to my Great Uncle, Peter Stubberfield, who used to race a Bugatti Type 35B there with great success.”
mood. The next day dawned brighter and drier than the previous one and we were back at the Loton track for the 2nd round, and the result was much more satisfying. Despite only finishing 4th on the track, I snatched the 20 points and jumped into the lead of the Championship, which I was never to lose until eleven rounds later. The next venue was the scenic Prescott Hill, home to the Bugatti Owners Club and my favourite hill climb even before my days of Ferrari ownership, when I used to go there to spectate and visit the Bugatti museum. Maybe my love of Prescott is due to my Great Uncle, Peter Stubberfield, who used to race a Bugatti Type 35B there with great success. Whenever there is a two-day event it usually means staying nearby for the night and involves more eating and drinking, and Prescott usually means camping out in the adjacent orchard. But it wouldn’t be as enjoyable without the Spicer family as neighbours. From the first beer of the evening and the BBQ, followed by an evening walk up the track with the children, and finishing with single malt whisky to end the night, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time pretending to be a racing driver. Even the violent thunderstorm on Saturday night, which lit up the sky for hours and kept us awake (and wondering about the conductivity of fibreglass tent poles), couldn’t ruin the weekend. On Sunday the track had dried back to the previous day’s condition. Jon Goodwin was on his usual good form to take the class win but Geoff Dark was already on the 20 points before I took my last run. As I left the start line I knew I had to stay smooth and keep off the grass. I flew through the left hander at Orchard trying to pick my apex accurately but clipped the ideal point slightly early which made the rear end of the car step out of line, instantly corrected with a
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touch of opposite lock. The next right-hand corner at Ettores is very difficult to get right: you need to tip-toe around to avoid understeer. Impatiently, I hit the accelerator too early on the exit and felt the back end again start to get away from me. I knew I couldn’t back off so I kept my nerve and steered out of trouble. I didn’t realise how far out of shape I had been until seeing a photo on the website when the report was published! The rest of the run followed a similar theme but at the time I was enjoying every second of it, maximum points were just the icing on the cake. After the highs of Prescott, Harewood brought me back down to reality, with Christian Mineeff showing his experience here. I had only 15 points to show for a long drive up to Yorkshire and back. I wasn’t looking forward to the next round at MIRA either, as I’ve never been comfortable with the first left hand curve and the cones making up most of the other corners. At the start of the season I thought about missing this round off my list, but
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persevered, hoping to finally resolve my slow finish times and lack of speed through the speed trap. I managed a smooth getaway from the line with a 0 to 64 ft time of 2.34 seconds, and continued around the sweeping left hander, building my momentum up, determined to keep my foot down all the way to the speed trap which then needs hard braking before the sharp right turn at the control tower. It was worth the entry money just to have taken 1.7 seconds off my best time, even if that only converted into 17 points. It still kept me Harewood and dreaming of the class win a useful 14 that wasn’t to be. ahead of
Photo: Alan Jackson
Prescott in May. Richard floors the throttle of his 348ts at the exit to Ettores.
Geoff at the top of the table. The following weekend we were off to the much more picturesque setting of Shelsley Walsh for a 2-day meeting, which brought out the family and the tent (which had only just dried out from Prescott!). I turned up late morning on Saturday after the rain had stopped, and took my two practice runs. Another evening of beer and barbequed sausages within sight of the track led to a peaceful night’s sleep before continuing the battle the following day. On my first attempt in the morning I left my braking into the Esses as late as possible and then got out of shape after the left hander but carried on to the finish line to see my time read 35.63. A new personal best at Shelsley for me! Once out of the car at the top paddock, you can lean on the fence overlooking the finishing straight and observe your fellow competitors appearances from Top ‘S’ and up the final straight where their times are displayed. Geoff Dark followed me in the line up, and we watched in anticipation as he stopped the clock at 35.99. When you take the PEP factor into account, our times were identical to two decimal places. It was to be settled in the afternoon on the second runs. I started my final run with
showed great promise in his 355 in second place, and I followed home in 3rd, again losing out on important maximum points while
Photo: SwiftyPix
the same determination as in the morning but again had trouble in the Esses, clouting the grass bank with my rear wheel and
The lady in charge of the trophies received an unexpected kiss at Cadwell Park. Nick Taylor, the winner on scratch, looks on.
receiving a slower time on the clock. I could only wait with the other drivers on the fence to see if Geoff could beat my PEP time. When he appeared from Top ‘S’ and approached the finish line we all stared at the large digital scoreboard. We gasped in amazement as Geoff not only beat me on PEP but also on the track and recorded his personal best time here in his 308 GTB; it really was an incredible result and no one could deny that Geoff deserved the 20 points. The next venue, at Llandow near Cardiff, was new to all of us and should have provided a level playing field and a close contest, but with almost two laps of this flat circuit, with its fast straights, it was obvious that the 355s would walk away with prizes. Chris Butler took the coveted ‘triple’ by taking 20 points, first place trophy, and established a new track record. David Tomlin
main rival Geoff Dark opted to miss the event. Gurston Down on the 17th July was postponed due to hot weather upsetting the newly laid track, so it was a second visit to Prescott that was next on the calendar. Jon Goodwin was close behind in the Championship race, currently 3rd after Geoff, and Prescott is the place Jon normally wins the class. But on this occasion it was very wet, giving Geoff Dark the advantage. He finished his second run with 54.70, followed on track by Nick Taylor in his 348GTC at 54.38. I like to think I know this hill but in the wet it’s back to learning all over again. So I was happy with my time of 54.22 at the finish and only brought down to earth again when back in the paddock I realised Jon had beaten me by 11 hundredths of a second to win the class, and thanks to on-thespot calculations Geoff Dark had
also pipped me to 20 points by 7 hundredths of a second. Luckily I was still 10 points ahead of Geoff at the top of the table. Round 9 found the Ferraris heading out east to the Lotus test track at Hethel. Again, on paper, this was a new venue to us and should equalise the differences in car performance and driver experience but, as with Llandow, it gave the edge to those with big horsepower. The surprise came from Nick Taylor though, using his newly acquired 348 GTC to maximum effect, by putting in consistently fast times to get the win and 20 points on PEP. It was a result that put him right back in contention for retaining the Championship. This was a rare achievement but the combination of a well sorted car and the experience of years of circuit racing that Nick has under his belt could make it a reality. Meanwhile I went away with another 17 points - not great but it helped to keep building my total while dropping lower scoring rounds. The highlight of my day was losing the back end in front of the control tower where the clerk of the course keeps an eye on proceedings. One of the guests using this vantage point was none other than the FOC Chairman, Jack Sears, who came around after the first official runs for a chat with us and congratulated me on saving a badly crossed up car which I managed to point in the right direction down the straight without losing much momentum. Quite an honour! The 21st of August brought another new challenge for most of us newer drivers as the Curborough sprint this year was a 2-lapper. The big problem would be remembering to hit the brakes BEFORE crossing the finishing line and making the sharp right turn to begin the last lap. I remember having a few moments during the official runs, including nearly losing the car under heavy braking for the Molehill. The rear wheels twitched to the right and then back to the left which left me in perfect line for the right hand kink before the Molehill.
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Photo: Fresh Orange Photography
On your bike. Richard took his 900 Supersport Ducati to Cadwell Park for a pre-event test session.
the points. It was again down the final shoot out. Gurston is one of the few venues where you assemble at a collecting paddock and have to wait for a return down the hill. This is where we jump from the cars to analyse the times on the printout kindly supplied by the organisers. It
showed that Nick Taylor had another first place trophy, and I had gone slower. Geoff was so pleased with his 20 points and cutting my Championship lead to 5 points that he bought a round of drinks in the bar. Another long trek up to Yorkshire for round 12 at Photo: SwiftyPix
With another stroke of luck, the car oversteered the opposite way for the left bend which propelled me over the edge of the hump in the grass on the inside of the corner. Not the prettiest way to get round, but I have to make up for the disadvantage of only having 300 bhp! I’m usually behind Jon Goodwin at Prescott by a few hundredths of a second but I finally managed to turn the tables on him here by keeping him off the podium by 0.02 of a second. The maximum points earned here took my total up to 128. On to the Gurston Down for the re-scheduled meeting now that the tarmac had been replaced. I was ecstatic at the end of the practice runs to find myself ahead of the pack. But the euphoria evaporated in the afternoon first runs as the pace quickened and Richard Allen moved ahead of me, but more importantly Geoff Dark was too close behind me and would take
The winning run at Cadwell Park. Richard on his way to the magic 20 points to clinch the 2005 title.
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Harewood, and the pressure was Goodwin, Geoff Dark, Christian was a push start on the slope on to keep the lead and hold Mineeff and Graham Easter. We towards the start. The engine Geoff back in second place. I looked at the track from every was running but the alternator was going well on my first run angle and Pauline and I even light was intermittently flickering. and recorded my fastest time on walked the track as the light was I was dreading losing the whole 68.16 but Geoff was also on top fading. season to an electrical problem at form with 68.19 and ahead of me After a long and relaxing the last minute. From the on PEP. However, Christian evening meal at a hotel in nearby moment the start lights changed Mineeff collected the 20 points Louth with the other racers to green I was ready to give it and all I collected were the (which consisted of a 16 course my best shot. It was almost a broken pieces of another front meal and more alcohol) it was an perfect lap, going slightly wide on bumper as I dived into the gravel early morning start to get to the exit of Charlies, which has a trap for the first time this year. Cadwell Park for scrutineering. blind apex over the top of the hill. The penultimate round at Following the morning practice I As I exited the chicane at the end Longleat was a disaster! Chris was quite happily within Nick of the lap I saw the clock stop at Butler got the big points and Taylor’s PEP time and was quietly 105.10. Geoff got a 15, which was confident I could go faster. It was fast enough to put me enough to put him into the lead However in the afternoon on the ahead of Nick Taylor’s first official of the Championship due to first official run I braked far too run on PEP but it wouldn’t be having more maximum scores late into the chicane at the end of decided until we all got back to than I had. It would be decided the lap and managed to hang on the paddock to see if Nick had at the final round of the season to a tank-slapper to cross the gone faster in his last run. To my at Cadwell Park. I would relief he had gone slower have to get 20 points to win and I had got the elusive the title, whereas Geoff only 20 points to take the had to sit tight and watch Championship away from me fail to be crowned Geoff. champion. It was a two-horse Cadwell was daunting race at the end of the due to the impossible task season, with Geoff as of beating experienced racer determined as ever to get and old hand at this track, his name on the winner’s Nick Taylor. I tried to book trophy but the maximum a track day here in the 20 points were collected by month before the last round five different drivers, which but the only ones available just shows how close the were motorcycle ones. I driving was this year. chose one on the Monday It’s easy to see before our sprint but had why this is such a popular another dilemma: which racing series. Friendly Ducati do I take - the fast competitors (until the light 996 or the older classic 900 goes to green, then it’s supersport hiding in my deadly serious rivalry), garage. In order to learn picturesque locations the track at a safe speed I around the country to drive took the old air cooled 900. your Ferrari to and race at, It turned out to be the most and of course plenty of fun I’ve ever had at a race eating and drinking with Richard is congratulated by Geoff Dark, this track (apart from Ferrari your fellow drivers. It season’s worthy runner-up. track days and Hill Climb wouldn’t be the same and Sprints of course!). I finishing line nearly 3 seconds without Richard Allen for superbly improved throughout the day and behind Nick. If these were the organising the season of events my confidence increased to the final results Nick would beat me that we all enjoy. My thanks also point where I was overtaking on PEP by a quarter of a second go to Sally Maynard-Smith, John newer bikes around the outside and Geoff Dark would be King of and Anne Swift, and Christian of corners. I rode home with a the Hills. Mineeff (and to all of my fellow great big smile on my face. Before the last run of the day hill climbers) for helping to make I booked the Friday off work we sat for quite a while in the this a great class of racing. Roll before the big showdown and queue through the paddock so I on next year! again went to Cadwell for some turned the engine off. As the last minute reconnaissance. I Ferraris in front of me moved off also found some welcome I found I had a flat battery and company there with Pauline the only way to get the car going
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DRIVERS’ STORIES
T
Photo: Chris Schotanus
Jamie Jebson. Problem is, our driver/valet Sue Clowes, new mechanic Adam Bryan , HE RACING THIS YEAR customer and financial helper was quite important for us at Chris Bentley (together with Italia Autosport because my his friends and family) joined last race, at Oulton Park back the team. The result was that in 2001, won me my fourth running our team was probably championship and ended a more expensive than running very unsuccessful six years of Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari racing. You see my I thought the Ferrari problem is that customers lend formula classic in a 328 GTB me their Ferraris to race, should be fun as I started hopefully we win something racing in a Ferrari 328 GTB in with it, and then I have to give ‘O’ class PMFC many years it back! The deal is only one before. year at a time, so it’s always Eventually a car was 2005 saw a welcome return to the the last time I am racing. purchased - the first time ever circuits of JOHN POGSON, a My lads are constantly that an Italia Autosport-owned previous Pirelli Maranello Ferrari car was to race. We had a asking “When are we going Challenge champion. He drove his fantastic time; Pete and Rob motor racing again boss?” “I 328GTB with characteristic skill had not seen anything quite don’t know, I’m busy!” I usually reply. I have spent like it. Oulton Park was and determination and was more time than probably I rewarded with the trophy for the interesting, turning up with a should have in expanding Italia best in Group 3. Here is his story. very unprepared car. I led the Autosport and we all know race with Gary and Nicky what that means: no fun attached to the rear of my 328 makes for boring John, and we’re Peter O’Keefe, joined Italia - I thought we must have not having any of that! Autosport and they were up for interlocked bumpers! They Since 2001, my brother some fun as well as the usual eventually passed me and then I Robert and my childhood pal, hardened troops, Matt Shaw and had an engine problem.
John in full flight at Zandvoort
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Photo: Simon Cooke Photo: Simon Cooke
had an engine problem. Our sponsor and team member, Chris Bentley, was now incredibly hooked on motor racing. It happens like that sometimes! We had to repair the car’s engine before the next round of the series at Mallory Park; maybe we could perform well there too? I broke my hand in an accident a couple of weeks after Oulton and we all decided not to tell the sponsor for Mallory. Just before I put on my gloves, sitting in the car ready to go, Matt would strap my hand to reduce the pain, helped of course with the fact that it was a left hand drive example with gear shift on the right. We had a good
weekend. I got a class win and when we told Chris about the hand he thought I was a hero, so that was alright then! I could tell you many stories about this year’s racing on and off the track, including our escapades at Zandvoort and Amsterdam, but the point is that anyone can race a Ferrari in this series. It’s not expensive, being a Ferrari it’s not car destroying like perhaps some other marques are, and the adventures are endless. Life was just a bed of roses for John in The year went well for Holland, where he won Gp3. us in the Ffc, the fun factor was high, the racing terrifically common with Nigel Mansell? I was born on exactly the same day, in the same month and the same year as Nigel. And he’s nearly as quick as me in a car! I and Italia Autosport thank everyone involved with the Ffc this year and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an extremely successful New Year’s racing.
A spectacular engine failure at the season’s opening race, at Oulton Park, spoilt an otherwise brilliant start to the year.
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Photo: Chris Schotanus
Castle Combe saw a monumental battle between John and William Jenkins. Here the 328GTB leads the Jenkins 308 at Camp Corner.
close, nice people, and I got to ride my motor cycle long distances to distant circuits like Brands Hatch and Castle Combe. What more could you want ? What happens next year I don’t know. I’ve decided to sell my 328 GTB and maybe help support the new Pirelli Ferrari Open series (Class S in a 333SP, for John and Anne!). Whatever we do next year, I am sure it will be full of adventures. Just for the record, did you know I have a couple of things in
Photos: Chris Schotanus
PIRELLI MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE and FERRARI formula classic: DRIVERS’ STORIES
Ferrari Twin Season Having been asked to write about my experiences, racing this year in both the Ferrari formula classic and also the Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge series, I soon decided that I stood much less chance of boring my readers twice if I combined both articles. So this, therefore, is a combined account of racing in 2005. The thought of racing two cars had great appeal for several reasons. Firstly, a lot more track time was assured - perhaps it even offered better value - but the overall challenge of running more than one car was more important. In truth, by racing in both series, I found the activity in one had a positive effect on the other. Although we had a few difficult moments, the reality did not disappoint us. It turned out to be an immensely rewarding season.
The Old Warhorse After re-acquiring my old 328GTB in 2004, the first important job had been to find a new home for the mice that had taken up residence and an obvious liking to living in a Ferrari. Once that had been done and after a lot of tender loving care, administered in large doses by David Preston, my old warhorse was pronounced fit and ready for new battles. This was
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towards the end of 2004 convinced me that, firstly a 328 is one of the most exciting and rewarding cars I have driven, and secondly that I was really looking forward to racing it through the following year.
Sensational 360Ch Aero
To make a bid to win two Ferrari championships, using two different cars, is a daunting challenge. But GARY CULVER, armed with a pair of superbly prepared Ferraris, not only accomplished his goal but did it in style. Arguably the best driver we have ever seen in Ferrari Club racing, he finished the season with more victories to his name than you could shake a stick at. This is his story of how it all happened. the 328 that I last raced in 1998, and in truth the car had now rekindled my enthusiasm for racing. A couple of outings
I also still had a 360 Challenge, which I had acquired back in 2002. However it had been a concern of mine for some time that this tipo, in standard form, has inherent handling problems. It is not a machine to be tackled timidly and unless in the hands of a very skilled pilot, remains very tricky if driven near the limit. It would be my contention that using this type of very powerful, yet flawed, race car in a club type series, such as the PMFC, is not a recipe for a stable series. However having said that, after track testing with a rear aerofoil and fitting a different front bumper incorporating a splitter, a far more benign handling balance was found. I was convinced this was a more user-friendly and acceptable proposition for the PMFC. In the aero-enhanced guise, a 360Ch feels sensationally fast whilst remaining stable, but just as importantly looks truly fantastic. A well set up standard car with aero pack can match most Porsche 996 GT3 cars for pace, which says a lot for the
Photo: Stefan Eckhardt
Zolder was sizzling hot but provided Gary with two race wins . . .
package. Through the good offices at Chevy Chase, the Club decided to adopt the use of the 360 aero pack for the 2005 season. I was convinced from that moment that this was a car that I had to campaign again seriously. Also the prospect of racing it on tracks such as Spa-Francorchamps and my old favourite, Oulton Park, gave me opportunities I could not let pass by.
Although that might have done something to improve my racecraft, it did more to remind me how woefully unfit I was. During the year many people asked me which car I preferred to race. That was a difficult question to answer, as both had quite different strengths and weaknesses. But if forced to decide, it had to be the 328GTB.
Challenging Alternatives
As the races in both series have been covered in CompRes and on the Club website, I will not repeat what has already been very well reported. However I must mention the three
Photo: Chris Schotanus
The differences in racing the two cars was very marked. The 328 is right-hand drive, whilst the 360 is a left hooker. Although once pessimistic, I am now convinced that there is no handicap in driving LHD. The 360Ch uses a paddle shift and auto clutch system whereas the 328 is manual. The 328 is raced on the admittedly excellent PZeroC, but still treaded tyres, whereas the 360 runs on huge Pirelli slicks. Also the 360 is kinder to the driver with power steering, rather than the unassisted direct steering of the older machine. Obviously running such entirely different cars was a challenge, but still one that I would recommend to anyone. On race week-ends, I could manage to rack up to 120 minutes of competitive driving, sometimes during a single day.
Season Highlights
highlights of my racing year: Zandvoort (formula classic), the A1GP event at Brands Hatch (classic and PMFC) and the PMFC’s final race at SpaFrancorchamps. The first overseas event for the formula classic series was at the excellent Zandvoort track in Holland. It is a fast circuit by any standards, but a track on which I really enjoy racing. The warm welcome extended to us by the Dutch organisers, combined with a spell of hot summer weather and a very large enthusiastic crowd, made this an event to remember. The inaugural A1GP event at Brands was something else. Sheik Maktoum, the financier behind the new series, had spared no expense whatsoever. I had decided to join the Club’s track day activities on the Wednesday prior to the event, giving myself a short holiday by staying at Brands for the remainder of the week. This was rather more appealing than making long repeated journeys home around the M25. As it was, I am very glad I stayed because the excitement started to build immediately after the Club track day. As soon as we vacated the pit garages for the lower paddock, huge transporters bringing A1 cars and equipment
. . . Just as it had at Zandvoort the weekend before.
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arrived. It was most fascinating to be present and be able to observe this newest motorsport circus unfold. With regard to the Brands Hatch GP circuit itself, albeit in a slightly sanitised form, it remains a track to be treated with respect. To achieve quick lap times there is a need to carry as much speed as possible through certain parts of the track. It just so happens that those parts seem to have the shortest safety runoffs, which does not make it a circuit for the faint hearted. The three race days at Brands also allowed us plenty of time to meet up with some old friends, now racing in other series, namely David Ashburn and Robin Mortimer. As always both David and Robin were not short of tales to tell, which for us made the event even more enjoyable. The two last ever PMFC races were appropriately held on the Spa track in Belgium. I know that sensational is an overworked word nowadays, it also hardly does justice to the experience of driving a well sorted 360 around Spa. It is, however, the only word that comes close to conveying my feelings of the experience. As reported elsewhere we suffered from the normal problematical Spa weather, but wet or dry, the 360 performed brilliantly. I will certainly miss that car.
the new Open series. The Ferrari formula classic drivers were no less enthusiastic. We all enjoyed some really great races and close competition. In particular my thanks go to William Jenkins, Nicky PaulBarron and John Pogson. I am looking forward to resuming battle with you next year.
My Personal Thanks John and Anne Swift richly deserve support and thanks from us all. The effort that they both put into running the two series
Enthusiastic Racers Although the PMFC might have lacked drivers this year, those who did compete in the series were as friendly as any I can remember. In particular my thanks go to Kevin Riley for being one of the most infectiously enthusiastic racers I know. We enjoyed his company immensely and I wish him the very best of luck with his racing next year. Despite suffering from poor luck (and the occasional lack of fuel) I very much enjoyed racing with my old sparring partner Graham Reeder. Hopefully we will see Graham out again next year in
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astounds me. It is often unrecognised, or perhaps simply taken for granted, when we race at high profile events or on the best circuits. It is known to be exceptionally difficult to secure such invitations, so it seems to be rather churlish for some to bemoan a slightly inconvenient start time, when we know other series would give anything to secure such races. I would also like to mention
Roy and Mick at Prosport, for their continued help and support. Gladly without even a scratch to either car this year, I did not need to avail myself of their excellent bodyshop services. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank David and Yvonne Preston for their racing commitment. I consider myself very fortunate to have David prepare the cars. It is a testament to his preparation and professionalism that I cannot remember a single mechanical problem that let me down. It never ceases to amaze me how he can achieve such results of outstanding reliability operating out of a simple garage at home. No impressive premises, no flashy workshop equipment, no team of personnel, it just boils down to one dedicated enthusiast armed with an intimate knowledge of Ferraris and a true love of motor racing. The demise of the PMFC brings with it the sad end of an era for me. Looking back I am reminded that I’ve competed in the series for nearly ten years and my two daughters have grown up during that time. I recognise what drama, excitement, many valuable friendships, and enjoyment it has brought to us as a family over those years. However nothing is for ever and we now have the new Pirelli Ferrari Open series as well as the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic scheduled for next year. After the experiences of this season, I doubt whether I will be able to resist racing in them both. Debbie and I would like to take this opportunity to wish our many friends in the Ferrari Owners’ Club a very happy Christmas. We hope that you too are looking forward to a happy new year, full of motor racing.
THE 2005 CHRISTMAS SWIFTY 1
ACROSS
11 One upper-class nit (4) 12 Damage the car’s stabiliser without any hesitation (5) 13 A repetition in fine chocolate (4) 16 It’s a bit much to put a Testa Rossa and me backwards into a West Country river (7) 17 Little George pushed into horrible dung to find a pin for a piston (7)
3
4
5
DOWN
6
1 Check in disturbed rest for old Ferrari driver (9) 8 Why Shell sales are disrupted at a hillclimb (8,5)
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8 9
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14 17
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5 An Eastern vehicle for this Welsh chap (4)
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18 A bit of tongue in the tatty far menu (7) 20 Crazy gaga red car is under cover (7) 21 Another racing driver comes with Massa to Ferrari (4) 22 Southern little girl sets a standard in crash helmets (5) 23 The lads in the pits crowed in old fashioned style (4) 26 Grrr! Bare hedge is replaced for this ex-Ferrari works driver (7,6)
3 Shape or else! What cheek inside! (6) 4 An important call. You may even get a Ferrari fob at the end of it. (3-4)
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2 There’s a lot in a cam. But nothing to get too excited about (4)
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If you thought previous Christmas cryptic Swiftys were easy you should have no problem with this one. There are some nice prizes for the senders of the first three correct solutions opened on the closing date of Monday, 16th January 2006. Be sure to include your name and address with your entry. Good luck! Name:
6 Distraught rich tart seems appropriate at the present time (9,4) 7 Smashed up cars generated in an area of land hidden from view (1,6,6) 9 A Ferrari tipo needing high octane fuel that doesn't change colour easily (9) 10 A European nobleman leads a Northern Ireland county in a prelude to launching (9) 14 Anne’s confused the famous racing driver (5) 15 Decorate for a party with the navy (5) 19 Key research and development initially into a MINI, produces a well-known Formula One car (7)
Address:
27 “Gin? No don’t!” If mixed it could get you onto the track (9)
20 VW luggage—suitable for the club (4,3) CompRes, Chevy Chase, Leeds Road, SELBY, North Yorkshire YO8 4JH
The Season of Goodwill
24 “Go away! There’s something on one’s foot” we hear (4) 25 A European circuit that is born again (4)
“Young man, I think you’re wearing my hat!” CompRes 18
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