FERRARICOMPETITIONRESULTS
CompRes
ISSUE 081 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
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 A very warm welcome to the first edition of CompRes of the year. We wish everyone a successful and enjoyable season whatever area of Ferrari competition you are engaged in. This issue’s cover features a painting by Nick Watts, based on the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Students of Ferrari Grand Prix cars will need no reminding that the four cars leading the pack are Chitidesigned tipo 156 1½-litre F1 machines with their distinctive ‘shark’s nose’ front ends. At Spa, in June that year, the team staged a remarkable 1-2-3-4 victory with Phil Hill snatching the win from von Trips by just 0.7 seconds after a wheel-to-wheel race long duel. Ginther brought his car home in third, ahead of the yellow Equipe Nationale Belge Ferrari of Olivier Gendebien. I am sure that this cover will bring a smile to the face of my old pal, Chris Rea. After all, the 156 is his favourite Ferrari and Spa his absolute number one circuit!
IVAN BISHOP We are sad to report the death, on 23rd December, of Ivan Bishop. He had battled with great fortitude for many years with ill health. He was 82 years old. Ivan will always be remembered in Ferrari circles as Ronnie Hoare’s chief mechanic with the Colonel’s Maranello Concessionaires team in the period 1961 to 1972. In 1971 he became a director of the UK importer but in 1983, after 24 years, he left Maranellos to join
Photo: SwiftyPix
WELCOME!
Taking coffee and grappa in the famous Caffè Florian in the Piazza San Marco in Venice in 1986. L to R: the writer, Geoff Willoughby, Joan Bishop, Anne Swift, June Willoughby and Ivan Bishop.
David Clarke at Graypaul Motors as a director. I first met Ivan in the ’70s on joining the Ferrari Owners’ Club but had closer contact with him when I became Competition Secretary of the Club in 1983. The Colonel gave the Club very full support to our racing activities and in those early days it was Ivan with whom I liaised in arranging Maranello’s generous hospitality at the circuits. With a shared enthusiasm for Ferrari competition we got on well together and he was always very helpful. Ivan was instrumental in organising Graypaul’s hugely successful track days at Donington Park. He was kind enough to invite me to join his little band of instructors and demonstrators. I vividly remember being asked to join his team for one particular Donington event. There were just three Graypaul drivers: James Hunt, Michael Salmon and me. Vauxhall had provided the cars –
James and Michael were allocated a pair of very hot Corsas whilst Ivan put me in charge of a bewinged 170mph Lotus Carlton. Money was collected for one of David Clarke’s charities and passengers had to pay for their rides. It was £15 for James and Michael and a fiver for me! I recall that the day was punctuated every couple of hours by my coming in for fresh tyres on the big Vauxhall (and once for a passenger to be sick). Ivan’s knowledge of the marque was unsurpassed and his enthusiasm never dimmed. Although in recent times, after his move to the south, we didn’t see each other very frequently, it was always a pleasure to chat about old times when we did. We send our condolences to Ivan’s wife, Joan, who looked after him so well. And we salute the passing of a gentleman who was not only a friend but a pivotal figure in the history of Ferrari in the UK and Maranello Concessionaires.
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Photo: SwiftyPix
SUBS Just a reminder for those who haven’t yet renewed their subscription to CompRes (the renewal slip was included with the Christmas issue) or alternatively haven’t registered for one of the 2013 competition series – racing or hillclimbing – when the sub is included with the registration fee. For these readers we are afraid that this will be the last issue you will get. If you are planning on competing with your Ferrari this season (or preparing one for someone else) it is important that you are on our mailing list for the newsletter. It is the principal way we have of communicating with you since we clearly can’t write to everybody individually. As we go through the season there are many essential bits of information you need to be aware of, even ignoring all the detailed reports of events, competition results, and general Ferrari chit chat. The remedy is simple. All you need to do is either register or alternatively let us have your cheque for £35 made payable to the Ferrari Owners’ Club. The address to send it to is on page 1 of this issue - we’ll do the rest.
2013 COMPETITION CALENDAR Included with this issue is a calendar giving the dates of all the 2013 PFfc, PFO and PFHC rounds, the Club’s track days and many other Ferrari events as well. Throughout the season we will also give the up-coming dates in the ‘What’s On’ feature and, if there are any date changes, we will notify registered competitors via the Group email service as well as in the pages of CompRes.
AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL If you attended the Racing Car Show at the beginning of January, I hope you looked in at
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For obvious reasons the Pirelli stand was the one to visit at Autosport International this year. The PFO Ferrari 458 Challenge looked good too!
the Pirelli stand. If you did you will have seen the beautifully presented Ferrari 458 Challenge wearing its Pirelli Ferrari Open decals. Thanks to FF Corse for all the pre-show polishing. We also produced a special little brochure about the series for handing out by the lovely Pirelli Girls (also beautifully presented) who decorated the stand. In case you missed them, here they are!
2012 HOUSE POINTS Towards the end of this edition you will find listed the ‘house points’ scored by every competitor who took part in any of the Club’s three series: the Classic, the Open and the Hillclimb Championship. In addition we have listed the successful competitors for the many individual trophies. All the silverware will be presented at the AGM and Prizegiving Luncheon on Sunday, 21st April at Whittlebury Hall. Please note that we enjoy seeing all the successful competitors and applauding their efforts on this occasion. If, for some reason, you are unable to attend yourself it is nice if you nominate someone to pick up your award on your behalf. Contact the Club office and have a word with Gary Dearn.
PRE-SEASON KARTING The annual Pre-Season Team Karting enduro, in
conjunction with Pirelli, is on Saturday, 30th March. Previously we have held a Pre-Season Dinner at a local hostelry later in the day but this year have decided not to go ahead with the dining bit. With this edition of CompRes you will find the necessary booking form. Do make sure that you submit your form by the closing dates indicated if you want to avoid disappointment – this precursor to the Ferrari racing season is always hugely popular and demand usually exceeds supply.
YOU BEND IT, YOU MEND IT Many of you will have read of the case of Piper v Hales which hit the headlines a few weeks ago. For anyone who missed the story let me briefly explain what it was all about. Some four years ago, Mark Hales, the well-known historic racing driver and journalist, hired a replica Porsche 917 from David Piper for a fee of £2,000 in order to carry out a back-to-back comparison with Nick Mason’s Ferrari 512S, another iconic race car of the same period. The idea was to write an article for future publication in Octane and Auto Italia magazines. After several runs at Cadwell Park circuit the Porsche exploded leaving Piper with a broken £1.25 million Porsche and a £50,000 repair bill. The engine, further
HILL RECORDS The Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb
Championship is the first of our competition series to fire up at the start of the 2013 season, at North Weald on 17th March. To whet your appetite, later on in this issue you will find all the current Ferrari hillclimb and sprint course records. It is interesting that no one managed to break an existing record time last year. Let’s see if we can see some records broken in 2013.
DONINGTON PARK TESTING A reminder to PFfc competitors that we have made arrangements with Pirelli to enable them to test their cars on the new PZero Rosso control tyres at Donington Park in advance of the start of the season. The date is Wednesday, 27th March, and Pirelli will be in attendance throughout the day to provide technical assistance and fitting facilities. Their race engineer, Shaun Marriott, will be on hand to offer advice on set-up and guidance on optimum pressure settings to obtain maximum performance. The track day, which is not exclusively for Ferrari, is organised by Circuit Days Ltd and bookings may be made on line at www.circuit-days.co.uk Full details, including timings, permissible noise levels, etc can be found on their website. The charge is £209.00 for the full day and it will be an open pit lane. The timing is as follows: 07.30 register; 08.30 briefing; 09.00 track open. There will be a lunch break from 12.30 to 13.30 and testing will finish at 17.00. If you wish to take advantage of this arrangement please ensure you book your place direct with Circuit Days as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you are planning to attend this track day (and of course it isn’t confined to racers) please let Anne know by email to annemswift@btinternet.com
2012 INTERMARQUE CHAMPIONSHIP Towards the end of last month we attended the Aston Club Racing Presentation Dinner at Tunbridge Wells to support all our Ferrari team drivers who had done so well in not only winning the Intermarque Team Championship but also Wayne Marrs, who won the individual champion driver trophy driving his F355 Challenge car. This was the first time that Aston Club Racing (as distinct from AMOC) had hosted this Dinner and not everything went quite as they had probably planned. For one thing, it was the first time we have been to a trophy presentation where the hosts had forgotten to bring the trophies. However, the Intermarque award was one of the few to have actually made it to the event and we were able to cheer Wayne when he accepted his trophy from Guest of Honour, David Piper. Photo: SwiftyPix
investigation showed, went bang due to an over-rev caused by a missed gear. Hales said it was a fault with the gearshift while Piper maintained it was driver error. The oily mess ended up in the High Court and the judge sided with Piper and ordered Hales to pay £113,000 in compensation and costs, a hefty sum that looks likely to bankrupt him. With classic cars, most loans from private owners (unlike the manufacturers who lend out new cars) are done by gentlemen's agreement in a fashion that dates back to the old days when these wonderful machines were first raced. But Piper told the High Court that with his cars, "if you bend it, you mend it". Hales, it seems, thought differently. Reading the full Judgment makes interesting reading but, running to many pages, it is impractical to comment on it in detail here. However, the main point about this case is that it brings home to many of us, in stark detail, what happens if things go seriously wrong when we drive someone else’s motor car particularly, as in our case, when it’s an expensive Ferrari. One hopes that journalists from the specialised motoring press will continue to be able make our lives more enjoyable by writing about these fabulous cars from another era. If you are an ARDS instructor, as some of us are, you need to quietly consider the implications of taking the wheel of someone else’s Ferrari on the track. There must be some way to make it possible without the risk of financial ruin if something untoward were to happen. With this very much in mind we are including an excellent article on the subject by Martin Emmison, a partner specialising in car matters at Goodman Derrick LLP. Martin very kindly allowed us to reprint his piece written a few years ago and you will find it later on in this issue.
Wayne Marrs and his lady, Karen, collect the Intermarque Champion’s Trophy at the ACR Dinner at Tunbridge Wells.
‘Pipes’ was on good form, having just returned from the High Court following his now famous victory in the Porsche 917 saga, and it was fitting – and a joy for us – that it was a distinguished Ferrari driver handing out the prizes at an Aston event!
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NO PRESSURE, THEN At the end of the 2011 season I treated myself to a new tyre pressure gauge. The gauge I went for was a Racetech “hand built to a high standard” device which, if purchase price is a guide to accuracy, should have been spot-on. I already had a perfectly good Masta gauge manufactured by the now defunct Lucas Pressure Gauge Company of Birmingham, but it is a bit too big and heavy to be slipped into the pocket at the track. I used the new gauge throughout last season in setting the pressures on my 308GTB and F355 and, although I was not entirely happy sometimes with the levels of grip on either car, it didn’t occur to me that the tyre pressures might be wrong. And it wasn’t until a week or two back, when I took my BMW 535d in for routine service, that it dawned on me that perhaps the new gauge was seriously inaccurate. When I collected the BMW the service manager reported that all was well except that he wondered why I ran the tyres some 7psi above the recommended pressures. He told me that they had now adjusted them to the manufacturer’s prescribed settings. When I got home I checked the tyre with my Racetech gauge and all were reading 7psi low. Baffled, I double checked with the old clunky but trusty Masta gauge, and this indicated they were correct! The Racetech gauge was sent back to its makers and has now been returned after being “rebuilt and recalibrated”. However - once bitten, twice shy - I am suspicious of its future accuracy and have purchased a third gauge, an even more expensive Intercomp ultra deluxe model which promises perfect readings from its massive glow-in -the-dark dial. The reason for this lengthy homily is to alert readers to the possibility that their pressure gauge may be giving false information and to make sure,
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before the start of the season, that their equipment is accurate. No pressure, then!
DUDES OF HAZZARD – MOTORSPORT EDITION James Shirley is one of the famous Scottish clan of that name who are not only devastatingly robust and quick on a bike (pedal variety) but also pretty nifty at the wheel of a 360 Challenge car.
James is currently in New Zealand on holiday/training to ride his bike in the sun (usually he rides it up the icy slopes of Ben Nevis at this time of year). He has sent me a link to a wonderful bit of film taken at last year’s Ferrari Racing Days event at Silverstone GP, when he raced in the PFO with the family 360. I think you might enjoy viewing it as much as I did: https://vimeo.com/59197459
RA’s HILLCOMMENT On Your Marks or sort of – it is not much more than a month before that bracing opener at North Weald, a great place to blow the cobwebs out of the car and yourself too. By now you should have renewed your comp licence and made sure your suit and helmet are not out of date. If you have a full harness in your car then that is dated too so needs a look. What is strange is that if you just use the O/E lap and diagonal as I do in my 355, the scrutineers cannot get you on this unless, of course, your belts are worn or damaged. Make sure too you have sent your PFHC registration to Anne Swift. Upcoming PFHC Season has most of your favourite hill climbs and sprints, though sadly I note we are not exposed to the excitement of Bouley Bay and Doune in 2013. New for us is a sprint at Blyton in June that should prove very worthwhile according to reports. It is located near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire and is a bit like Cadwell Park - a long way from anywhere of note. Originally and inevitably an RAF field, Blyton was opened for motoring activity in 2011. The 1.5 mile circuit is described as fast and technical and there are no kerbs – only white lines, and apparently little if anything to make serious contact with. Also to look forward to are the Dinners organised for the double header meetings at Harewood in May and Loton Park in July Scottish Festivities arranged by Area Group Organiser David Jackson (see pic) at St Andrews in The Old Course Hotel adjacent to the famous golf course are really quite splendid. I have attended these on several occasions as part of my Club duties. In early December, when this was held, I was in Valencia
Scottish Party. The Christmas Area Group Dinner at St Andrews Old Course Hotel saw the first public UK showing of the F12 Berlinetta, with other delectable Ferrari tipos on parade as well.
at the International Club meet so was unable to get along. In my absence, Chris Butler organised a party of PFHC boys and girls to head north of the border to support our FOC Scottish friends. The Dinner in the spectacular Old Course Hotel, sadly somewhat better than Whittlebury Hall and Moore Place Hotel, was a terrific event and included the first UK public viewing of the Ferrari F12 – trucked up especially by Ferrari North Europe. Racing Reindeer another job for Chris Butler and his F355 when he answered the call from Barnard Castle to go fetch Father Christmas from the North Pole or wherever (see pic) so he could switch on the Christmas lights in town. As you may imagine this portly gentleman really struggled getting in the 355’s comp seats and had to leave most of the presents behind. Around a thousand people turned out, and the F355 and Father Christmas were both a big hit, whilst Chris looked on nonchalantly!
The British Hillclimb Championship annual Prizegiving Dinner was held in January at a new venue just outside Telford. Christian Mineeff had organised the usual PFHC table for a dozen or so of us to see Chris Butler collecting his trophy again. An interesting aspect that is unique, as far as I know, is that for the top awards they have wives/partners up for the presentation as well as the competitor. I know you will say I am sexist, but this seems a little strange and can only be because these drivers feel guilty about partner neglect - or maybe they are all do duty as team mechanics. Richard Preece gets serious for the new season, even abandoning his duties as head judge at the Club Concours so as not to miss the Loton double header. With Chris Butler taking a sabbatical and one or two other front runners slackening off, he has maybe spotted a window of opportunity!
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recently been elected Chairman of the BARC overall, and so has responsibility for Thruxton, Gurston Down and all the other BARC facilities. Speeding near Preston, or so it seemed from the summons I received recently from the Lancashire Constabulary. My BMW had been captured by a static camera at 43mph in a 30 zone. A bit strange really as I have not been up in Chris Butler provided Father Christmas with that area for many some rather faster machinery than he normally uses. years. After some difficulty I got Keith Anderson, you will through on the phone and spoke recall, more than made his mark to a member of staff who said it in 2012 with just a few was definitely my silver BMW 3 appearances with his 360 series Touring reg AV53MRU. I Modena, even finishing ahead of only use this car in Suffolk locally Chris Butler at Harewood. He and fortunately had an alibi for looked set for success as he got the day in question. A couple of the hang of the less than easy to days later they called me to say drive 360, but has since sold the it was a “transcription error” and car. Keith was at the Telford I subsequently received a letter Dinner and said he will be back to of apology. Had it been a local the PFHC as soon as possible camera I may have believed it, maybe with a smaller tipo. which is worrying. Simon Clark many of you will know from his time as Chief Instructor at the Harewood Hillclimb School. Long before they had invented the school he was the scourge of our Ferrari class with his 328GTS, holding the class record there for some years. He has always been a leading light at this popular Yorkshire venue and was responsible for the design of the new longer course introduced around twenty years ago. Simon, previously Chairman of the BARC Northern Area, has
Snow Event is what our over-excitable and nervously inclined media and forecasters call these recent modest falls of snow. If they had been around in 1963 or 1947 they would realise how little we have had recently despite all the fuss. Back then the snow, which was around for two or three months, did not cause the upheaval recently experienced, but then the roads were light on traffic and the population were not preoccupied flying all around the world. Anyway, I guess those of you
who have been on winter tyres recently will know what a revelation they are! Turbochargers have never been too desirable in my book, coming from the old school where if you wanted to go faster you went for cubic inches, if you were American, whilst we went for higher compression, big valves, high lift cams, more carburettors, fancy manifolds and so on. There is no doubt that turbochargers have been hugely successful in getting great performance out of previously lacklustre diesels, but their application in sports cars has certain limitations, such as non-linear throttle response and power delivery. The other tricky one to get over is that the noise from induction and exhaust does not compare, as McLaren found when they stacked the MP4-12C up against the Ferrari 458. I mention all this as Ferrari now face the same problem, having to go for smaller capacity turbocharged engines to meet future emissions legislations. The Ford Motor Co, who are good at this sort of thing, have found the answer on one or two recently introduced new models. They have engineered the powertrain and body structure to allow noise to enter the cabin that is in reality somewhat artificial for the aural stimulation of the driver. Around the Hills is something I normally write a few notes on over the winter, but this time I have run out of time in finding out whether there are any newsworthy changes to encounter this season on your events. The BOC office proudly told me they had refurbished their clubhouse restaurant, but I said it was posh enough for us already!
PS from Richard Prior: To all the 2012 PFHC competitors, Ann and I want to say thank you for all the thoughtful gifts at the End of Season Dinner. We’ve been enjoying the Ferrari towels, dressing gown and travel mugs over the winter at our own little hot tub. But we also took the opportunity to enjoy the spa evening at Whittlebury Hall during January. It was very relaxing and we both enjoyed the pampering during the cold and miserable start to the year. I might even return for another massage from Julianna! Our special thanks to Chris Butler and Andrew Holman for their inspired choices. We were both flattered and delighted. As you will see from the pic, it’s the only place to be when it’s chilly outside!
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2012 PIRELLI FERRARI HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP
s we ready ourselves writes RICHARD ALLEN for the 2013 events there is still time to reflect on last year’s very successful season for the Club’s hillclimb and sprint Championship, now in the 27th year. With the continued uncertain economic climate the entry levels at most meetings were truly remarkable – some 29 Ferraris at Loton Park, the highest ever at one meeting and probably one of the largest onemake classes ever seen. There are many other aspects about the PFHC that are truly remarkable: the huge selection of tipos to be seen in action, from very old to very recent, facilitated by the unique PEP car handicapping system. Wonderful too is the family aspect, with many husbands and wives participating as well as fathers and sons (we are still a bit short on daughters sadly!). The Ferraris competing are invariably well presented and look very impressive when competing with the Pirelli competition number panels. To find out more about what happened action wise I will now hand the story over to RICHARD PRIOR.
s always, the season started with a bleak airfield sprint in Essex, but it has its attractions. North Weald is a safe place to start for newcomers and a chance to blow the winter cobwebs out before the serious hills begin. The 'Classic' competitors
outnumbered the bigger cars back in March, and a surprise result saw Jack Hargreaves, in the 308 GTB, taking the 20 points at a venue normally considered a 'power’ track. Andrew Holman was certainly a favourite this year in his F355, especially at sprints, but despite taking the class win he had to settle for 17 points while reigning champ Richard Prior (also F355) was severely handicapped with the extra 1% and finished with just 12 points. Keith Anderson (360) was the first newcomer of the year to appear but we had to wait another couple of rounds to see Caroline Cooper, in a similar tipo, and James Spicer in a familiar looking (my old one!) 348 ts. When the PFHC moved on to the hillclimb venues it seemed the usual suspects were back at the top. Despite the treacherous weather at Bouley Bay in in Jersey (a track where Andrew Holman had his horrific experience in 2010) he was still driving with total determination for the all-out win. At the midpoint of the event the order was Holman 20 points, Mike Spicer (328) 17 points and John Swift (F355) 15 points. Mistakes from Richard Prior, Mike Spicer and Shaun Smith
(328) saw plenty of excitement but luckily no serious damage. Prior got his act together for the final run and took the class win but Holman still held on to the important 20 points. Nick Taylor bravely took his 430 along for its debut; even in the dry it would be a daunting place to drive it but the torrential rain slowed him down somewhat. It's hard to predict how well certain tipos will perform at various tracks, and almost impossible when you add differing driver ability too. So when we thought Jack Hargreaves’s maximum point result with a 308 was a one off, Brian Jackson surprised us at the first Harewood with his 308's momentum on quite a technical hill to take 20 points, ahead of a packed Ferrari class. But then Brian does know Harewood well, and knows his famous car - 'Bob' - even better! Mike Spicer and John Marshall (GT4) also picked up useful points for the Championship at Harewood on both days. Mike's 17 points on Saturday helped to pull him up into 2nd place in the overall pecking order by the end of the weekend, with John Marshall in 4th place just ahead of another expert Classic driver, Pauline Goodwin in her 328GTB. Also at the second Harewood, new boy Keith Anderson jumped up the score sheet to 2nd on scratch. We could now see the potential of this 360 Modena driver, who we now realised wasn't a complete beginner. The PFHC would start to shape up like last year’s F1 championship, and after the first 6 rounds the maximum points
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were shared by 5 drivers, a wide open season looked to be on the cards. Chris Butler didn't start his campaign until the second Harewood but then proceeded to collect consecutive 20's at the first four rounds at which he appeared: Harewood 2, Prescott, Doune and Loton. Nick Taylor found his ideal track during glorious weather at Prescott, where he used the 430 GT to better effect by getting his class winning ways back and scoring 17 points. 18 Ferraris were out at this garden party of motoring presented by the Bugatti Owners Club. Richard Preece (F355), Sergio Ransford (308), and Colin Campbell (246) all started their 2012 season here. John Swift made a good appearance on the scoreboard up in 5th position and again Mike Spicer almost made the podium on scratch. Mike was consistently collecting good points and now found himself leading the Championship. Unfortunately the weather wasn't to last, and by Shelsley Walsh we had to contend with a wet meeting again. Wendy Anne Marshall braved the conditions with a new clutch after missing out most of the previous outing at Prescott with car trouble. Colin Campbell always turns out for this historic hill in his 246 Dino, as does local man Andrew Duncan in his 348 GTC. James Spicer was new to the
track but a 44-second run in terrible conditions was a great achievement, considering he was ahead of the similar tipo of the experienced Sean Doyle (348 tb). The three Classic cars of John Marshall, Pauline Goodwin and Mike Spicer were all ahead of them. Dark horse of the meeting was Phil Whitehead, who had
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now regained his previous form of a couple of years ago and climbed to 3rd place on the podium and on points. Richard Prior took another class win but only his first set of maximum points, ahead of Andrew Holman on 17. Both of these close rivals were now on 81 points at the top of the Championship. Just 5 competitors made it all the way to Doune in Scotland: Pauline Goodwin and Richard Allen in their 328GTBs, Sean Doyle (348) with Chris Butler and Richard Prior in F355s. The rain made the event challenging enough, but a newly laid tarmac surface was to prove too slippery for other classes, who tangled with the Armco and stone walls and stretched the meeting with dozens of delays. Our boys and girls behaved themselves, and eventually the power of the 355s overcame the lack of grip. Chris Butler took the honours by just 5/100ths of a second from Richard Prior. It took time for these two to adapt, and during practice the smaller engined Ferraris were in close contention, with Richard Allen leading the class after the first day of unofficial runs. Due to having taken part in more events, Richard Prior now took the lead in the Championship just before the halfway point in the season. Whilst at Doune we met Jim Campbell, who promised to bring his F355 Spider out to a more civilised hillclimb during the coming summer. He appeared at Loton Park where we had a record entry for a Ferrari class: 28 for Saturday and 29 on the Sunday, when Barrie Wood and James Spicer joined in after Brian Jackson had to go off elsewhere.. Tony Attwood brought out the 246 Dino for the first time in the season, as did the much missed Tracey Haynes in her 328. The Hitchman family were back out at their second doubleheader meeting of the year, while Peter Rogerson and Club Competition Director John Swift brought their local Yorkshire knowledge with them. Chris Butler made a worthwhile trip down from the north as he
bagged 20 and 17 points over the two rounds, while Holman received 15 and the maximum 20 points for his committed drive on the Sunday after coming under increased pressure from the other leading F355 drivers. The spread of maximum points showed Butler with 4 of them, and 2 each to Prior and Holman. It looked to be a 4horse race, with Mike Spicer in amongst the 355s at the top of the Championship. Gurston Down brought good weather after a few early showers. There were 15 Ferraris here, with most of the main contenders present except Chris Butler. Holman couldn't quite match his personal best here, but a number of drivers did, including Jeff Cooper (360), Barrie Wood (308), by 0.7 of a second, with Wendy Anne Marshall and Shaun Smith in 328s beating theirs by more than 1.5 seconds! Richard Preece braved the track here for the first time and performed well in his 355, and Sean Doyle sampled it in his 348 instead of his regular 308 GT4 mount. Richard Prior won the class and got the 20 points and became the fastest 355 at Gurston along the way. At the tail end of the season there were three sprint races left and a couple of hillclimbs. This could be where Andrew Holman makes the most of his usual flat habitat and scores highly. At Hethel Nick Taylor was unstoppable in his 430 GT (apart from a flat battery) but won on scratch by 1½ seconds, but Holman was close enough to take the points that mattered. Prior was way off the pace due to an ABS failure and some flat spotted tyres. Jeff Cooper loved the wide open spaces of the FIA approved track and made it up to 4th place on scratch. Caroline Cooper was also entered
for her 5th appearance of the year and was brimming with enthusiasm. Always eager to learn and listen to others, she made a delightful pupil at the tracks, and pipped Pauline Goodwin on this occasion by a few tenths of a second. Andrew Holman went on to more success at the 2-lap Curborough sprint near Litchfield with his third 20 pointer in succession, while Richard Allen and Chris Butler were partly distracted by appearing both here and at Donington Park in the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic racing. A blow to Chris's and Richard Prior's chances in the Championship was they only scored 15 and 11 respectively. Nick Taylor had clutch problems in the 430 which allowed some new names to get into the top spots. Jeff Cooper made it up to 5th place due to knocking a second from his personal best, and Chris Hitchman was in7th place, just fending off Phil Whitehead by 9 hundredths of a second. Only 3 more events left and the next hillclimb, at Prescott, was pivotal with Holman and Prior only 6 points apart; even though Butler was 32 points adrift, his points average was so high that he was still in with a chance too. This is Prior's favourite track and gave him a real chance to take back the lead; with fresh tyres for this meeting his final run of the day was good enough to be the fastest ever time for a 355 up this splendid hill. Andrew Holman was off the pace this time, hampered by the gradients not usually found in East Anglia, but Nick Taylor took the class win - but not the points. Chris Butler came through in 3rd place but with less PEPs than the two above him got the 20 points he badly needed. As he hadn't needed to drop any rounds he moved to 3rd place in the table and just 12 points behind leader Holman. Shelsley Walsh was the penultimate round, and once again in the wet! Not the best conditions for heroics at the end of the season. It would be an
understatement to say these top three were trying hard on every run. Butler led the first practice, Holman quickest during 2nd practice, but in the first afternoon official run Butler regained the advantage with a time of 38.80 seconds – quicker than Prior (39.29) and Holman (40.09). If the day was to finish in the same order, then Chris would almost certainly be champion. In the final run, on a still
very greasy track, Chris was slightly slower by 9/100ths; Prior leaped ahead with a reckless 38.51 run and into the class lead, but it still wasn't enough to get the 20 points from Butler. It was all down to Holman himself to keep his Championship hopes alive. He knocked 1.5 seconds from his time with a brilliant drive in treacherous conditions and just missed Prior's time by 5/100ths. But it didn't matter because the all important fact was he had beaten Chris on PEP and taken the 20 points to take the Championship showdown to his favoured sprint at Curborough. The finale took place in early October at Curborough where it was bright and sunny but cooling off the temperatures. Chris had invested in new tyres for this last round whilst Holman was optimistic of a good result here, where he'd performed so well in
the past. Prior couldn't retain the Championship now, but could affect the result of others. Holman's positive attitude disappeared after he found a puncture on his 355, having to make urgent repairs before the official runs. He was lagging behind Taylor and Prior (who had a great run only 0.04 off his PB) but Butler was on another level, his 34.70 making him the fastest ever 355 around Curborough and, importantly, into a comfortable lead. Due to rumours circulating in the paddock, the organisers felt there was a need for some eligibility checks before the season was concluded. The leading cars were examined before the final run but all found to be within the rules. Unfortunately this still left some tension for the final run. Chris tried to push the bar further but was slower this time, unable to match his first spectacular effort. Prior was still looking for points to get him into runner-up spot in the Championship but over cooked the braking into the final hairpin and spun his chances away. Holman could still do it, but his tyres were not as fresh as Chris Butler's, but as it turned out grip wasn't to be his downfall. Existing Fradley hairpin, he accelerated up the finishing straight and missed a gear at the crucial moment. He lost out on his first PFHC title by just 3/4 of a second, one of the closest margins at the end of a season for many years. Summarising all this fascinating and exciting Ferrari hillclimbing and sprinting – much of it at stunning venues - we have seen very close competition with some wonderful cars running in the Classic Cup section. Here, the very experienced Mike Spicer used his yellow 328GTB to great effect with a string of great results and came out comfortably ahead of John Marshall, in second with his 308GT4, and Pauline Goodwin third with her 328GTB. The big boys with their F355s had an amazing contest, culminating in that exciting finale at Curborough
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banks many maximum scores and has considerable form for this, but now seemed to have an uphill struggle against the hugely improved Holman. It was all to play for at the final round at Curborough with Sprintmeister Holman looking to be the odds-on favourite. On the day, though, Chris Butler turned the tables and came through triumphant whilst Andrew could not quite get in to his stride. Our congratulations, then, to Chris Butler, the overall winner of the 2012 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship, to Andrew Holman for very close second placeoverall, and also Richard Prior for third. All three were armed with the hillclimbers’
favourite Ferrari, the F355. Congratulations too to Mike Spicer, John Marshall and Pauline Goodwin, the first three finishers in the 2012 Classic Cup. On behalf of the Ferrari Owners’ Club I would like to thank all the competitors who took part, and those who helped make the series successful, particularly Richard Prior and Championship Co-ordinator Anne Swift. Not to mention John Swift and the CompRes team and of course Christian Mineeff and the web feet people. Finally we must recognise and thank Pirelli for their longrunning support for our Club’s motorsport activities. Photo: SwiftyPix
in October. Richard Prior, despite carrying the previous winner’s handicap, took off in the lead early in the competition and as we have come to expect from him produced some stunning times with his F355. As the season wore on, though, it was Andrew Holman who took up the challenge for the series win, and whilst previously just known for his sprint success, he started to score on the hills too, notably heading Chris Butler at the second Shelsley. Chris, like Richard a previous Championship winner, contested relatively few rounds and only came in to play towards the end of the season. He habitually
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When is a gentleman (sometimes) not a gentleman? ANSWER: When he races another gentleman’s car on an unwritten “you bend it, you mend it” gentleman’s agreement.....then bends it. by Martin Emmison
E ARE ALL AWARE that most arrangements are done on a handshake, when a generous owner invites another person to drive his racing car on the track. In the vast majority of cases all turns out well, the lucky driver is careful with the owner’s car, and everyone lives happily ever after. However as we all know, accidents do happen. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, in my experience the driver will often offer apologies profusely and admit responsibility for repairing the owner’s car. This initial reaction may be driven by his remorse of the moment, or by the peer pressure of others present at the scene. However, when faced with a large repair estimate, more often than not the erstwhile gentleman finds reasons why he is not responsible for repairing the damage. Here are a few examples:
It wasn’t my fault, I had nowhere to go
I was hit from behind
The brakes/steering/ suspension failed – or worse
I never agreed to be responsible, and anyway there’s nothing in writing to prove it.
It was the other driver’s fault There was oil on the circuit, I was just a passenger
Nothing in writing – there is the rub of the problem. If there is nothing in writing to prove the existence and terms of the agreement between the owner and the driver, the owner effectively relies on the driver being a gentleman after, as well as before, the accident. Without written proof, or perhaps the independent evidence of someone who is prepared to stand up in court and swear that he witnessed the driver’s verbal undertaking, the owner will be hard pressed to convince a court that there was a binding contract between them. Even if the owner can prove
an intention to create legal relations by the verbal agreement, he still has to prove the precise terms of the agreement. A case in point is the accident that Michael Steele’s HWM-Jaguar suffered at Spa a few years ago when driven by Lash McCall. They had a verbal agreement that if he bent the HWM McCall would mend it, but after the accident there was a dispute about the extent of the repairs and their cost. The case was eventually settled by the court, but Steele reckons it consumed three entire months of his life over three years, on top of which were the legal costs, which on both sides totalled more than £200,000. Therefore, however much as owner you may trust the person who will be racing or testing your car, the sensible course is to agree who will be responsible if the worst happens, and then to record that agreement in writing. Quite apart from the written word going a long way to protecting the owner against the driver
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reneging on his obligation, not least because he will know that he is on a sticky wicket, the act of writing it down will very likely identify some of the points that should be addressed, such as:
does it matter who is responsible for causing the accident, the Driver or another driver?
will the Driver be responsible if the accident is caused by a mechanical failure of the Owner’s car?
in the case of mechanical failure, will the Owner be indemnified against any claim for the personal injury to the Driver?
who will be responsible for the costs of a mechanical blow-up that happens when the Driver is driving?
where the Driver is clearly responsible for an accident or a blow-up, who chooses the repairer?
where the Driver is himself a repairer, can he insist on doing the job in his shop, as opposed to paying someone else, and if so within what timescale?
if the Owner and Driver decide to insure the car for a race meeting, who pays the premium, and who bears the excess and any uninsured amount? Which brings us round to the question of track insurance. Through a specialist broker you can buy insurance cover for physical loss or damage to your car that is caused by accident or fire, to cover racing, qualifying, and practice, either on a race by race basis or for the whole season. Separate cover for test days and hillclimbs is also available. Accident impact damage to the engine and transmission is normally excluded, but can be added for an extra premium. The premium, that is the nasty part. This is calculated based on a number of factors,
CompRes 12
such as the type of circuit, length of race, type of car, experience of the drivers, and the sum insured. You are usually responsible for the first part of the damage (the ‘excess’), normally at least 10% of the sum insured. You choose the sum insured, based on your assessment (guesswork) of the likely cost of repairs after an accident, and how much premium you are prepared to pay. However, it is not every situation where the driver of someone else’s car will expect to be responsible for an accident on the track. For instance, if you are a professional driver or a recognised hotshot, you may have been asked to test the car, to see how it might be improved; or your task may be to get it higher up the grid than the owner could. If the car suffers an accident while you are driving, you would not be expected to be asked to contribute to the repair cost, but where to draw the line? There must be many situations where the owner thinks he is being generous in asking another man to test or race his car, while the driver fools himself that he has only been asked because he is quick! To avoid such unfortunate misunderstandings, my advice is to put it in writing. Finally (as they say on the TV News), let us end with a tale to restore our faith in human nature. Some years ago Brian Horwood arranged to lend his Lotus 18 to Chris Smith to race in HGPCA events and at the Goodwood Revival. They agreed in writing that Chris would buy some equity in the car to give some sense of “ownership”, and that he would prepare, maintain and prepare the car during the
time that he used it. If he bent the Lotus, he would mend it. Chris had a huge accident at Madgwick at the 2004 Revival. I remember it well, because it happened thirty yards from where I was sitting. The car was cut in two to release Chris from the wreckage. Chris had the car repaired and returned it to Brian in better condition than it was when they made their agreement. When the car was sold, Brian returned to Chris his equity contribution and a share of the profit. Difficult to say whether it helped that they had put their agreement in writing, but it was at least a happy outcome to a very nasty accident.
Martin Emmison is a partner specialising in collector car matters at Goodman Derrick LLP, solicitors – memmison@gdlaw.co.uk
Photo: Trevor Noble
Winner’s Tales: CHRIS BUTLER
S I SIT HERE in midJanuary with a foot of snow lying outside the door, the 2012 Pirelli Ferrari Formula Classic season seems such a long time ago. Motor racing here in the UK has a short active season barely encompassing six months but so much fun gets crammed into it that it tends to take you the other six months to recover and recharge the batteries of both car and driver. Having ended the season on the top step of the podium in Group 3 Standard Class, I now find myself looking back at what was not just another successful season for 'Team Redfive' but also, I think, all those drivers and teams involved with the Club’s Classic racing series. The season started back in April at Snetterton with races on both the 300 and 200 circuit layouts. It is always good to arrive in the paddock at the first meeting of the year and catch up with all your pals, to find out
what they have been up to and, more importantly, what preparation they have undertaken on their cars. As its name suggests, the standard Group 3 class that my car runs in ensures that I don’t need to spend megabucks with preseason preparation and, other than my usual annual changing of the oils and replacing the belts, the key was ready to be turned to fire up the car at Snetterton. The season got off to an exciting start for the entire grid as Wayne Marrs spun at the first bend and caused all those behind him to take to the grass to avoid him and each other! Finding myself up to fourth place after this melee with leaders Jim Cartwright, Danny Winstanley and Nigel Jenkins vanishing into the distance ahead, I cut a lonely figure for the remainder of the race until the very last lap, when Wayne finally caught up and passed me. The following day I enjoyed a far more intense race on the 200 circuit after an unusually poor start saw me drop back to ninth
place. This provided the opportunity to chase after and catch fellow 328 drivers Peter Everingham, Nick Cartwright and Peter Fisk and indulge in some committed late braking manoeuvres! I then set my sights on chasing after Tim Walker in 5th place and slowly reeled him but could not find a way past him despite swarming all over the back of his fantastic looking 328 that also runs in Gp3. Tim drove magnificently, didn’t put a foot wrong, and was well worthy of keeping his place ahead of me. Tim was once again on form at Oulton Park in May and made a great start to pass both myself and Danny around the outside at the first bend. I found myself pursuing Tim for the entire race with a permanent wingman in the form of Nick Cartwright filling my mirrors. We both pushed each other on to catch Tim and by the last lap we almost did it as Tim’s tyres and brakes appeared to have given up the ghost. However, Tim had done enough and hung on. Ben Cartwright
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Photo: Jonathan Tremlett
Battling with Tim Walker at Donington Park. “This was real racing and we allowed each other just enough space to make the moves and keep them clean. Just!”
finished ahead of both of us to take a superb Gp3 class win. Brands Hatch was a welcome return for the drivers after a couple of seasons of the circuit missing from the calendar. I qualified with a personal best lap and felt good for the race. The first lap at Brands is always hectic and crazy and this time was no exception. I got a great start and got past Dave Tomlin and Nigel Jenkins on the run down to Paddock bend while Wayne and Ben Cartwright collided, resulting in Ben unfortunately picking up a puncture that led to his retirement. The faster modified cars of Tomlin and Jenkins immediately got past me again so I concentrated on keeping ahead of Tim and Nick. Only one second separated the three of us at the end and I was relieved to take the class win. Dave Tomlin took the race win and it was evident that he was now really getting to grips with his modified 308 and showing just what he could do with it! He was less fortunate in Race 2 having endured a couple of spins that forced him down the field. However, I remember Dave overtaking me on the main
CompRes 14
straight making his way back to front and despite my foot being nailed to the floor he simply cruised past. For the upcoming 2013 season, and with car and driver now in harmony, he may prove tough to beat. For Race 2, Ben had fixed his puncture and was back with a vengeance, taking a comfortable class win ahead of myself and Tim. For me it is still Ben who is the benchmark in Gp3 and we have enjoyed some very close battles over the years. At the End-of-Season dinner this year both Ben and I genuinely didn’t know who had done enough to finish as class champion. Sitting on adjacent tables at the dinner we were winding each other up about how Swifty calculates the points and who would end up with the top spoils. Ben had more class wins than me but I had a lot more class podiums and I think I must have only just had enough results to clinch it. Despite an early season challenge from Danny, it was Ben’s brother Jim who once again set the pace in the series with his tremendous speed and car craft. I can remember him and Danny coming past me in qualifying
around Coram curve at Snetterton during the opening meeting of the season. Their cars were twitching and pitching and dancing on the very edge of adhesion with a lot of steering input required to keep them on the course and trajectory they were aiming for. Fantastic skill, a joy to watch, and a little reminder of what level of driving and racing is required to win races in the PFFC series these days. 2012 was my fifth season of circuit racing and subsequently my fifth visit to Spa in Belgium; a fact that you could never get complacent with! To race here once is a privilege but to effectively have it feature as an annual weekend in each of those five years has been simply fantastic. Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont all look great on TV as Alonso and Massa race flat out around the track; however, you have to believe me when I say that the view is even better when you are racing your own Ferrari wheel to wheel with a beautiful Daytona Competitzione at over 130mph along the Kemmel straight. I imagine that Tim Summers, who was driving that very car, was in full
Photo: Trevor Noble
At Spa in July, Chris made a terrific start in Race 1 and held second place ahead of Nigel Jenkins and Nick Cartwright in their Gp4 328GTBs.
agreement with me! Tim also has the added benefit of that amazing engine note following him wherever he goes; it really is incredible if you are lucky enough to be in close proximity to the Daytona while it propels along at full chat. In Race 1, a terrific start saw me up to second place behind Jim for the first couple of laps before Nigel Jenkins and Nick Cartwright came past me in the following laps. Nigel is now consistently quick at every circuit and very much a front runner of the series. The Daytona then made its aforementioned 'grin'-inducing move to get past me and I finished fifth overall. Spa also saw me commence what was to become a new rivalry with Peter Fisk in his own standard class 328. Peter’s pace has picked up significantly this season and he really is now in the mix at the sharp end of the class. In Race 2, Peter drove superbly and we had great fun battling to out-brake each other into Les Combes in the early laps. On one lap I braked far too late and bounced over the kerbs onto the run-off area and consequently
conceded a couple of places. I caught and passed Peter a few laps later on the run down to Blanchimont and was pleased to finish fourth overall. Finishing first in class both days meant that Spa had sprinkled its magic on me once again. At Donington I enjoyed another tremendous battle with Tim Walker as we spent almost the entire two races glued to each other’s bumpers! Tim got ahead of me in Race 1 but I hung on to make a couple of attempts to get past midway through the race that were firmly defended by Tim. I eventually found a way past around the outside of him going down through the Craner Curves but it was tight…..really tight! Tim then returned the favour by adopting similar tactics to squeeze down my inside on the run into the Esses. This was real racing and we allowed each other just enough space to make the moves and keep them clean. Just! For Race 2 it was much the same between Tim and me but this time Tris Simpson got ahead of both of us at the start and so we enjoyed a great tussle getting
past him before we re-engaged our battle. I remember being completely exhausted after that weekend though this may have also been due to competing in a round of the Club’s hillclimb series at Curborough in between the two races. The final rounds of the season were at the Nürburgring GP circuit in Germany. This was a new venue for the PFFC and a terrific way to end the season. It is always an extra buzz to race on an existing GP circuit and Nürburgring didn’t disappoint. Being the first visit for most of the drivers the circuit proved to be a real challenge, made even more difficult by changing weather conditions. Peter Fisk, Tim Summers and I renewed our Spa fun and found ourselves exchanging places a plenty throughout Race 1. After avoiding an incident between Dave Tomlin and Nick Taylor at the first bend I found myself towards the back of the pack for Race 2 and a long way behind the main leaders. I eventually caught up with Peter Fisk and we had our now customary tussle that lasted until he was unfairly
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Photo: www.simonpics.co.uk
Fruits of the Season. Jack Sears hands over the Big Swifty Trophy for winning Gp3 of the 2012 Classic series.
forced off the track by a lapping PFO car. Of course the PFFC series is more than just the racing on track. There is abundant camaraderie and friendships between the drivers, their families and friends, and we always find the paddock a very pleasant and friendly place to be. This year alone my fellow drivers have come to the rescue with offers of wheels, tyres, fuel, spanners, hammers, nuts, bolts, bushes and pipes and I think this demonstrates the clear spirit of the series. PFO driver John Shirley is worthy of special mention having noticed, after Race 1 at Spa, that my car was weeping a bit of coolant. Over the next three hours John had the car up on axle stands to diagnose that one of the main front to rear water pipes had been rubbing and subsequently pierced with a hole. John fitted a tight sleeve over the hole to cure the problem and get me out on track for Race 2 the following day. For his pains he got covered in petrol as he drained down the fuel tank and blanking pipes that had come loose and rubbed against the water pipe to cause
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the hole. Those of you who know John will appreciate that he was loving every minute of this work just as much as I was grateful to him for fixing it!
A vital part of the Red Five team. Isabella enjoyed Spa almost as much as her dad.
My good friend and trusty right-hand man, Simon Rossinelli, wasn’t at Spa to help out with this essential maintenance. However, he was with me at all the other series rounds making sure the car was ready to go, allowing me to concentrate on the racing and then often driving the 4x4 and car trailer home too! Brilliant! Although not able to attend as many rounds as in previous years, my wife Ali had also given me all her usual support for racing. Ali and my little girl Isabella came to both the overseas rounds and I think it was the prospect of a ‘mini cruise’ that attracted her to these. I know Hull to Zeebrugge is hardly the Caribbean but it’s a close second! I would very much like to thank Pirelli for being the main series sponsor and also Nick Cartwright Specialist Cars and Caracalla Bags for their sponsorship too. Further thanks must go to Christian Mineeff, Nicky Paul Barron and the webteam for their coverage of the series and to the Club office for their support as well as the Ferrari News magazine coverage. Finally, my biggest thanks go of course to John and Anne Swift who run and operate the series and put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that we all have so much fun. We are hugely fortunate to benefit from their dedication and enthusiasm and be given the opportunity to race our wonderful cars at such legendary tracks. After 10 years of Ferrari hillclimbing and 5 years of circuit racing I have decided to take a year off in 2013 and spend a bit more time at home with our growing family (No. 2 baby arrives in March!). I would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody track success of their own in their 2013 campaigns.
Photo: Jonathan Tremlett
Winner’s Tales: GARY EASTWOOD
Realising an Ambition Aramis. Those who are familiar with Alexandre Dumas’s story will know that D’Artagnan wasn’t really one of the ‘Three Musketeers’ – Leon, Ian and Photo: Jonathan Tremlett
EFORE I TELL YOU about how much I enjoyed racing my Ferrari in 2012, let me explain how it all began. Even as a whippersnapper I had always fantasised of owning a Ferrari. The idea of actually racing one was simply wishful thinking. Years of hard work, mostly 24/7, eventually made it financially possible for me to take to the circuits. For three years I struggled with the strange characteristics and peculiar handling of a worn-out Porsche 996 Cup car. I had some success but I still hankered after the car of my dreams. Around this time I met three people who were to become firm friends. Leon Price, Ian Hartley and Geoff Leadley all seemed to have the same ambitions that I
had. We got on really well together. Geoff had the notion that in another time we might have been the Three Musketeers. He nicknamed me D’Artagnan (or D’Arty for short) while Leon was
The only view of Gary’s 458 that most of his rivals had all season.
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Photo: www.simonpics.co.uk
“To take a tilt at the 2012 title, a 458 Challenge seemed the logical choice.”
CompRes 18
highest level. So my mind was made up. For me it was a Ferrari with FF Corse to run it. All I needed was to find a 430. Anthony put me in touch with Russ Nathan who was selling his car after achieving a lifetime ambition – just like me – of racing a Ferrari. Russ was under some pressure from his lovely wife to stop racing and sell the car, a situation I am sure a lot of us racers can sympathise with. I haggled long and hard with Russ. At the time I was at my limit with the cash I had available. I think Russ knew this and we eventually struck a deal.
I bought the car at a very good price and to this day, whenever we meet, he tells me - and anyone who’s listening - that I stole it from him. It’s all, of course, a bit of banter but it’s thanks to Russ that I became the proud owner of a Ferrari 430 Challenge. Forgive the pun, but the challenge was now on: I couldn’t wait to race this beauty. I was over the moon when I first raced the 430 and got on the podium. More podium positions followed in GT Cup along with successes in the Pirelli Ferrari Open. But I wanted more. Deep down, I knew that I and the car Photo: Jonathan Tremlett
Geoff were these – but I was regarded as their rear gunner. We still use the names today, as a bit of fun. Sadly Geoff is no longer with us to share it. He suffered a fatal accident at Thruxton in 2010. Geoff was a great buddy and we sadly miss him, he was a wonderful person – God bless him. My ambition to drive a car with a prancing horse on it was realised four years ago when I tested a 430 Challenge car with FF Corse at Silverstone. I was instantly hooked after only one lap. I could feel the balance of the car was perfect and I loved the sensation of it working beneath me. It was magical to feel the combination of grip and power transmit itself through the driving seat. What a drive! I just went round, lap after lap, until suddenly the engine spluttered and I realised I was running out of fuel. I came into the pits completely knackered but totally exhilarated. I just had to have one! At this time I was also having a good look at Anthony Cheshire’s FF Corse outfit. It was clearly apparent that they were a great bunch of guys, totally professional and dedicated to running Ferraris at the very
Triumphal wave at a very wet Silverstone.
Photo: Stefan Eckhardt
Leading Shaun Balfe’s similar 458 Italia at Spa in July.
Ryan Hooker, a quick and dedicated driver, we also won the British GT Challenge class. This second victory of the season was achieved at Donington in the final race of the year. I am proud to be a double champion in 2012 but I couldn’t have done it alone. It was only possible with the help of FF Corse, Rob Barff (my coach), Ryan Hooker (my British GT codriver), Ilan Manor (chief technician), Craig (my mechanic), and all the lads at preparers FF Corse. There are a huge number of people, too many to mention individually, who have helped me with my racing and I thank every one of them. For 2013, I have committed to British GT. I have purchased a new 458 GT3 from Michelotto and am making a bid for the title. To help achieve this my partner will be Rob Barff, a great guy with immense talent as a Pro Driver and a coach. Importantly, he is also a close friend. We both believe that we can get the job done with the formidable backing of FF Corse. I will end my season’s report by saying that I have really enjoyed racing in the Ferrari Open. I have met a great bunch of guys and made many new friends, not least John and Anne who I know are very highly thought of by us all. Both the Open and the Classic are fabulous Ferrari series and I wish all the racers and organisers a fantastic 2013 filled with great racing, marvellous banter, and the great fun in the pit lane that I experienced racing last season. I shall come along to the race meetings and enjoy watching you guys race in 2013. I may even enter the GT3 at one or two events just for fun. And I won’t be pot hunting . . . honestly!
could make it to the top step. lovely 430 in part exchange. And we did. Wins kept on I couldn’t believe what a big coming with memorable victories advance the 458 proved to be. against Andy Ruhan, the 2011 GT Ferrari’s successor to the 430 is Cup winner, and Derek Johnston, simply a fantastic piece of the European Radical Cup machinery. As soon as I had champion. tried it out I knew that this was a I was ecstatic when I won on car with which I could win races. my best effort to date, the I sat down with Anthony Cheshire second race at Donington Park, and we came up with a plan. We against many respected and would race as much as possible in talented club racers. This was a 2012 and give the Ferrari Open dream come true! I have to our full commitment. pinch myself some times. After The wins came and our plan all those years of blood and succeeded. I became not only sweat, working hard around the the winner of the Class 4 clock, it was me and my Ferrari . Graypaul Racing Trophy but also . . winning! the prestigious Wilkinson Trophy, I had now done a few Ferrari as Ferrari Driver of the Year. Open races, gone well, and Adding icing to the cake last enjoyed the atmosphere in the season, along with my partner, pits as well as the company of a great bunch of racers. They were all out to win but at the same time enjoy the whole weekend. I decided to commit to the 2012 series and have a go at winning the title. Okay, I know it’s not a championship but it feels like one, and to be the best is exactly like being the champion. To be sure of being able to take a tilt at the title I needed to step up the machinery. A 458 Challenge seemed the logical choice and at Snetterton, in late 2011, I did a deal with Nick Top Man. Jack Sears presents Gary with the Cartwright. I bought his Wilkinson Trophy for Circuit Driver of the Year. immaculate car, trading my
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THE 2012 ANNUAL CLUB COMPETITION AWARDS
us.
35 Pauline GOODWIN
739
So, here are the 2012 House Points:
36 Ray FERGUSON
737
37 John MARSHALL
720
1
38 Shaun BALFE
687
39 Lee MOULDEN
645
40 Richard FENNY
642
41 Danny WINSTANLEY
619
42 Jacques DUYVER
608
Jim CARTWRIGHT (Sir Anthony Bamford Trophy)
1738
Richard PRIOR (Ken Wharton/Bill Blyth Trophy)
1670
3
Chris BUTLER
1628
43 Shaun SMITH
594
4
Nigel JENKINS
1526
44 Didier BENAROYA
592
5
Ben CARTWRIGHT
1509
45 Jeff COOPER
581
6
Nick TAYLOR
1491
46 Wendy Ann MARSHALL
570
7
Andrew HOLMAN
1470
47 Richard PREECE
538
8
Sam SMEETH
1431
48 Sean DOYLE
463
9
Gary EASTWOOD
1357
49 Ian HARTLEY
439
10 Nick KAYE
1340
50 Chris HITCHMAN
439
11 Tim WALKER
1298
51 Toby TARRANT-WILLIS
432
12 Tris SIMPSON
1285
52 Peter ROGERSON
416
13 David TOMLIN
1276
53 Mark HARGREAVES
414
14 David HATHAWAY
1242
54 Jack HARGREAVES
412
15 Wayne MARRS
1150
55 Brian JACKSON
387
16 Jack DWANE
1086
56 Keith ANDERSON
386
17 John SWIFT
1081
57 Barrie WOOD
379
18 Paul BAILEY
1066
58 Julian PLAYFORD
378
19 Tim SUMMERS
1035
59 Caroline COOPER
374
20 Vance KEARNEY
1025
60 Tony ATTWOOD
360
21 Mike SPICER
1010
61 Peter HITCHMAN
324
2
S IS THE PRACTICE at this time of year at CompRes Towers, immediately the Christmas decorations have been boxed away for another year the computers are powered up to evaluate the 2012 House Points. Every Club member who took part in any race, sprint or hillclimb during the season is listed together with his or her points. The system we use is the same as last year and explained in the appropriate pamphlet. The total number of competitors in 2012 was 95 and, although a slight reduction on the previous year, still a higher number of active competitors than in any other Ferrari Owners club in the world. Although an impressive amount of silverware was presented at the Hillclimbers and Racers End of Season Dinners in October and November respectively, there remains a small mountain of trophies to be dispensed at the Club’s AGM Prizegiving Luncheon which takes place at Whittlebury Hall near Silverstone on Sunday, 21st April. As always, we are delighted to see as many competitors as possible at this annual function, regardless of whether you are celebrating success by picking up an award yourself or simply cheering on your rivals. We have checked and double checked the results for accuracy but if you feel there is an error please do not hesitate to contact
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22 Peter FISK
999
62 John SHIRLEY
320
23 Richard ALLEN
995
63 Graham REEDER
316
24 Tim INGRAM-HILL
936
310
25 Paul BROOKS
932
64 Richard ATKINSONWILLES
26 Philip WHITEHEAD
910
65 Colin CAMPBELL
300
66 Derek JOHNSTON
281
27 Mick DWANE
885
67 Robert MACFARLANE
280
28 Nick CARTWRIGHT
878
68 Lorraine HITCHMAN
275
29 Peter EVERINGHAM
873
69 Richard STAFFORD
271
30 Darren LAVERTY
828
70 Mark McALLISTER
232
31 James SHIRLEY
801
71 Tracey HAYNES
220
32 Nick WHITTAKER
797
72 Peter JENNINGS
219
33 James SPICER
756
73 Richard SQUIRE
216
34 William MOORWOOD
741
74 Tim MOGRIDGE
214
75
Michael SQUIRE
204
76
Shamus JENNINGS
194
77= Chris REA
176
77= Gavin SHIRLEY
176
79= Ivor DUNBAR
175
79= Jacopo SEBASTIANI
175
81
Sergio RANSFORD
171
82
Martin HART
166
83
Richard MOSELEY
163
84
Shaun WINDER
151
85
Arwyn WILLIAMS
150
86
Burgo WHARTON
146
87
Robin TARRANTWILLIS
126
88
Steve ROUTLEDGE
107
89
Mike FURNESS
98
90
Peter MOSELEY
80
91= Douglas CAMPBELL
70
91= Fred HONNOR
70
93
Andrew DUNCAN
69
94
Sally MAYNARDSMITH
55
95
Jim CAMPBELL
54
BARACCA TROPHY Flat 12-Cylinder Not Awarded
BUMBLES TROPHY V12 Cylinder 1 Tim Summers 1035 2 Paul Brooks 932 No other competitors
MARANELLO CONCESSIONAIRES TROPHY V6 Cylinder 1 Tony Attwood 360 2 Colin Campbell 300 No other competitors
GODFREY EATON TROPHY 250 and 275 tipos Not Awarded
GILLES VILLENEUVE and MARIO ANDRETTI TROPHIES Unmodified V8 road-going cars (except 308GT4, Mondial, F355 and later tipos) 1 Ben Cartwright 1509 (Gilles Villeneuve) 2 Chris Butler 1485 (Mario Andretti) 3 Tim Walker 1298
STEPHEN LANGTON AWARD Unmodified V8 road-going cars F355, 360 and later tipos 1 Richard Prior 1670 2 Andrew Holman 1470 3 Nick Taylor 1410 http:// michaelgraham.reapit.com/ migpic/TOW100360_05.JPG
DEREK COLLINS TROPHY Unmodified road-going 308GT4 and Mondial 1 Tris Simpson 1285 2 David Hathaway 890 3 Jack Dwane 823
TARGA STRADALE MODIFICATO and MODENA ENGINEERING TROPHIES Modified road-going Dino, 308, 328, 348 (except 308GT4 and Mondial) 1 Jim Cartwright 1738 (Targa Stradale Modificato) 2 Nigel Jenkins 1366 (Modena Engineering) 3 Wayne Marrs 1030
FIORANO TROPHY Modified road-going 308GT4 and Mondial 1 Richard Fenny 642 2 Richard Atkinson-Wills 319 3 Nick Taylor 211
Darren Laverty
DAVID HATHAWAY TROPHY Winner Class C2 of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Series Nick Kaye David Hathaway Tim Ingram-Hill
FF CORSE TROPHY Winner Class C3 of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Series Sam Smeeth Wayne Marrs Jacques Duyver
GRAYPAUL RACING TROPHY Winner Class C4 of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Series Gary Eastwood Paul Bailey Mick Dwane
STUBBERFIELD TROPHY Winner Gp1 of the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic Series Tris Simpson David Hathaway William Moorwood
STIRLING CUP Winner Gp2 of the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic Series John Swift Tim Summers David Tomlin
THE BIG SWIFTY Winner Gp3 of the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic Series Chris Butler Ben Cartwright Tim Walker
TROFEO ITALIA Winner Gp4 of the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic Series Jim Cartwright Nigel Jenkins Nick Cartwright
IVAN BISHOP TROPHY Winner Class C1 of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Series Vance Kearney Paul Brooks
CompRes CompRes1721
WILKINSON BOWL
COTSWOLD TROPHY
The competitor who best typifies the spirit of the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic Series
Any road-going Ferrari scoring the most points in the Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship on scratch
William Moorwood
1 Richard Prior 2 Andrew Holman 3 Nick Taylor
IL SPIRITO DELLA SERIA The competitor who best typifies the spirit of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Series
HILLCLIMB TROPHY Driver scoring the most points in the Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship on handicap
David Hathaway
WILKINSON TROPHY
1 2 3
Circuit Driver of the Year Gary Eastwood
DAVID PRESTON TROPHY
Richard Prior 35 Andrew Holman 33 Jeff Cooper 18
ELWYNNE OWEN-JONES BIATHLON CUP
Preparer of the Year FF Corse
Most points gained in a mix of Circuit, Sprint and Hillclimb events
FRANK BOTT TROPHY Winner of the 2011 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship 1 Chris Butler 2 Andrew Holman 3 Richard Prior
1670 1470 1410
1 2 3
154 149 142
Chris Butler Nick Taylor John Swift
GUIDATORE NOVICIO DELL’ANNO TROPHY Most promising Newcomer to Ferrari competition Sam Smeeth
COPPA FERRARI CLUB NEDERLAND Best performance by a pre-1975 Ferrari Tim Summers
CAVALLINO TROPHY A particularly meritorious result in Ferrari competition (not necessarily by a Club member and not necessarily awarded each year) Wayne Marrs
64.00 58.00 33.50
THE 2012 CHRISTMAS SWIFTY M
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CompRes 22
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Here is the solution to the 2012 Christmas cryptic Swifty, with the usual motoring and Ferrari flavour, which we set you in the last issue of CompRes. The first three correct solutions to be selected by our unique random selector device (RSD) on the closing date of 19th January were sent in by RICHARD PREECE, BARRIE WOOD, and JEFF and BARBARA SIMPSON, each of whom has been sent a 2013 Ferrari calendar. Thanks to all of you who took part, congratulations to each of the winners, and commiserations to the gallant losers.
FERRARI HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP: CLASS RECORDS to end 2012 HILL OR SPRINT
DATE
TIME
PEP TIME
BOULEY BAY
13-04-09
-2.00%
Richard Prior
348ts
49.84
48.84
13-04-09
+4.50%
John Marshall
430 Scud
49.84
52.08
CADWELL PARK
17-06-06
2.50%
Chris Butler
F355
102.46
105.02
CORNBURY PARK
15-09-96
3.50%
Richard Allen
F355
42.29
43.77
CREG NY BAA
27-05-00
3.00%
Jon Goodwin
F355GTS
41.84
43.10
CRUAGH
02-05.92
0.00%
Brian Jackson
308GTB
52.24
CURBOROUGH (1 lap)
02-10-11
4.00%
Jon Goodwin
458 Italia
33.46
35.98
CURBOROUGH (2 laps)
21-08-11
4.00%
Jon Goodwin
458 Italia
60.50
62.92
DEBDEN
14-10-90
0.00%
Jeff Simpson
328GTB
65.63
DOUNE
21-06-09
0.00%
Chris Butler
F355
51.33
GOODWOOD
24-04-10
5.00%
John Marshall
430 Scud
92.22
96.83
GURSTON DOWN
18-07-10
5.00%
John Marshall
430 Scud
35.22
36.98
HAREWOOD (short course)
21-05-88
4.50%
Tony Birch
308GTS
46.60
48.70
HAREWOOD (long course)
14-05-10
2.50%
Nick Taylor
348GTC
64.15
66.73
HETHEL
07-08-05
2.50%
Nick Taylor
348GTC
78.01
79.96
HETHEL 2
08-08-10
5.00%
John Marshall
430 Scud
72.83
76.47
LARAGH
03-05-92
-1.50%
Brian Jackson
308GTB
83.39
82.14
LLANDOW
18-06-05
2.5%
Chris Butler
F355
87.07
87.07
LHERGY FRISSEL (5Km)
15-05-97
2.00%
Jon Goodwin
Mondial t
140.39
143.20
LHERGY FRISSEL (2 2Km)
25-05-00
3.00%
Jon Goodwin
F355GTS
72.93
75.12
LONGLEAT
22-09-02
2.75%
Jon Goodwin
F355GTS
41.25
42.38
LOTON PARK
09-07-11
4.00%
John Goodwin
458 Italia
58.83
61.18
MILLBROOK
02-05-94
2.00%
Jon Goodwin
Mondial t
89.39
91.18
MIRA
14-05-08
3.50%
Jon Goodwin
F430
53.26
55.12
NORTH WEALD 10th
18-03-12
0.00%
Andrew Holman
F355
79.88
79.88
NORTH WEALD 3rd
24-03-02
2.75%
Jon Goodwin
F355GTS
59.44
61.07
th
NORTH WEALD 4
23-03-03
1.50%
Nick Frost
348GTC
64.76
65.73
NORTH WEALD 9th
15-03-09
0.00%
David Tomlin
F355
75.53
NORTH WEALD 5th
19-03-06
1.00%
Richard Prior
348ts
56.83
57.40
PRESCOTT (long)
28-06.09
4.50%
John Marshall
430 Scud
48.43
50.61
PRESCOTT (cross over)
02-09-90
2.50%
John Swift
308GTB
51.70
52.99
RAGLEY HALL
27-03-88
-0.50%
Geoff Dark
308GT4
25.99
25.86
ROTHERFIELD PARK
10-06-90
-0.50%
Richard Allen
308GTB
28.57
28.43
SHELSLEY WALSH
19-09-10
5.00%
John Marshall
430 Scud
32.98
34.63
SLOC
26-05-00
3.00%
Jon Goodwin
F355GTS
41.93
43.19
SOUTH CERNEY
15-10-94
2.00%
Jon Goodwin
Mondial t
78.30
79.87
THORESBY PARK
18-09-94
2.00%
Jon Goodwin
Mondial t
42.16
43.00
WEST MALLING
26-03-89
0.00%
Jeff Simpson
328GTB
77.30
WISCOMBE
08-09-96
2.50%
Geoffrey Rollason F355GTS
47.44
48.63
WROUGHTON
25-07-99
-0.50%
Robin Ward
109.34
108.79
Blue
PEP
DRIVER
TIPO
308GTB
= the only new Ferrari course record set in 2012
CompRes 23
CompRes 24
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CompRes 25